Since its launch, Daraz is continuously engaged to revolutionize the way people shop online in Nepal. Now, it has launched a new in-app feature called Daraz Gems. Simply put, it’s an easy way of earning free vouchers.
Daraz Gems Overview:
Before we proceed, let’s first learn what the “Daraz Gems” exactly is. Basically, it is a reward system for users who are consistently engaging and active in the Daraz app. What’s more, you may collect these Gems for free using the app and exchange them for free vouchers. Then, you can use those vouchers for discounts on your purchases.
Here, the Gems can be collected in three easy ways. For this, you must either check in to the app on a regular basis, complete daily missions, or make purchases via the app.
Under the first process, you can simply claim gems as rewards every day you log into the app. This option will be accessible by clicking the “Gems” menu on the homepage. If you log in daily without missing a day, you can collect up to 400 gems on Day 7. But failing to do so will reset the gems timer back to Day 1’s parameters, with just 50 gems to bag.
Daraz Gems
1 of 4
Daily Check-In
Daily Missions
Earn By Shopping
Gems History
Likewise, users can earn gems by completing daily missions as suggested in the app. It includes “add to cart”, making any product searches, following a store, and more. And finally, one can even earn them when shopping for any products via the Daraz app as well.
Furthermore, you can view your Gems history by clicking on the “Gem History” icon on the homepage. This includes the stats for the number of gems collected and spent.
Daraz Gems: Availability
This new feature is available in the latest release of the Daraz app on both the Android and iOS platforms. So, in case the Daraz app on your phone doesn’t show this feature, make sure you’ve updated it to the latest version.
Meanwhile, check out our pick for the best mid-range phones under 30,000.
In this review of the Realme Book Slim, I’ll be discussing all about this budget laptop at length. With more smartphone manufacturers venturing into the laptop industry, this market has gotten more volatile than ever. However, they’re not doing anything particularly extraordinary—especially in the budget segment.
Like every other inexpensive laptop from the established players, the budget ones from smartphone makers like Xiaomi don’t really challenge the status quo. Featuring the traditional design with big-ugly bezels for a 2021 device, color me unimpressed.
But Realme is doing things a bit differently in its first shot at the laptop industry. The Realme Book Slim brings a rather outrageous design in its price class and some handsome features to go along the way. Having used it for a couple of weeks, here’s my full review of the Realme Book Slim.
Realme Book Slim Specifications:
Design&Build: Aluminum alloy build, 12.09W x 9.01D x 0.59H-inches, 1.38 kg
Trackpad: Plastic multi-touch trackpad, Windows Precision drivers
Security: TPM 2.0 chip, Windows Hello-certified fingerprint sensor
Processor: Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU (Tiger Lake), 2C/4T, 4.1GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 6MB Intel Smart Cache, 10nm process, 28W TDP
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X soldered (3733MHz)
Storage: 256GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD
Audio: 2x 2W speakers, Harman/Kardon tuned
Battery: 54 Watt-hours Li-Ion battery
PowerSupply: 65W PD Super-Fast Charge
Webcam: 720p HD camera, No physical shutter
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 5 (ac), Bluetooth 5.1
I/O Ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (No Thunderbolt 4/USB 4), 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x 3.5mm combo headphone jack
Pricein Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)
What’s inside the box: Laptop, power adapter, stickers, quick start guide
Realme Book Slim Review:
Design
12.09W x 9.01D x 0.59H-inches, 1.38 kg
Aluminum alloy build, matte finish
Starting with the design itself, it’s pretty clear where Realme got inspiration behind its first laptop. Hint, it rhymes with Smapple Smacbook. Available in either Blue or Grey finishes, the Realme Book Slim is one classy-looking device.
While I personally don’t mind the MacBook inspiration, I will say Realme could’ve made a better introduction in this venture with a more distinctive design instead. Now, in the smartphone world, the company’s signature design practice has been slapping a cartoonishly large “Dare To Leap” branding (although Realme hasn’t gone overboard with its recent launches).
Thankfully, the Realme Book Slim brings a rather minimalistic look all-around. The lid gets a subtle “realme” logo painted over in a mirror finish—even though the aforementioned “Dare To Leap” slogan is still present in the uppermost rubber feet.
An easy-going design
Anyway, its overall nonchalant flush aluminum alloy build means business, while also standing out among other budget laptops. The chamfered edges and the blunt frames aid in zero discomforts to your wrists when they’re resting atop as well.
Furthermore, it weighs just 1.38 kg and measures 15.5mm wide at its thickest point which contributes to the overall portability of this machine. Moving on, although this display is subject to minimal flex, the hinge itself is pretty wobbly. Maybe Realme could engineer a sturdier hinge on its next iteration of laptops.
Handling the laptop with care should mean no trouble—but I’d also like to stress its necessity. Our unit of the Realme Book Slim already has quite a few scuffs and scratches. Besides, this laptop also attracts smudges by a fair amount.
Ports
1 of 2
Left
Right
On the other hand, I’m not fond of its rubber feet either. They’re a bit too slippery and therefore don’t provide a firm grip to the laptop when placed on a flat surface. Regardless, this laptop brings a decent port selection for a 14” machine. The left frame houses two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C connections alongside a USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A and a 3.5mm combo audio jack on the right.
Choose wisely you must, young padawan
If you end up getting the i5 variant instead of i3 like ours, one of the USB-C ports also supports Thunderbolt 4/USB 4. So, if you want faster data transfer speeds or wish to connect this laptop to external displays or even eGPUs, then the i5 version is where it’s at.
Similarly, even the wireless connectivity standards are different between these two models. Contrary to Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 on the i3 model, Realme Book Slim’s top-of-the-line configuration has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
Display
14″ glossy non-touch QHD IPS panel
60Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB gamut
Apart from the respectable design and build quality, the display is where most of the magic happens here. Contrary to most other budget laptops you’ll find in the market right now, Realme is delivering a whole lot more with this device. It has a 14” 2K IPS display with 100% sRGB color space and 400 nits of peak brightness.
We’ve been consistently coming up with the review of multiple affordable laptops from the past couple of months and compared to every other device we’ve tried so far, the Realme Book Slim easily has the best-in-class display. Further adding to the grandeur is its squarish 3:2 aspect ratio.
Unlike the traditional 16:9 displays, this screen offers a lot more vertical viewing space and is therefore ideal for students, programmers, and even business professionals. At a time when the 16:10 aspect ratio is slowly getting more mainstream on laptops, Realme has upped the ante with its very first laptop.
That too of a budget kind. For someone like me whose primary usage consists of browsing the web and using Word documents, this tall display has significantly eased up my workflow. However, you’ll be greeted with a big letterbox on both top and bottom ends when streaming videos off YouTube, Netflix, and such.
Excellent display
On top of this, the Realme Book Slim has fairly narrow bezels all around as well. The company is claiming an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio on this thing which is about 10% more than the MacBook Air’s display. That reminds me, Realme’s desperate attempts to deliver a MacBook-like experience continues in this department too.
If you’re unaware, most of its display specs are reminiscent of Apple’s MacBook Air—including the resolution, brightness levels, and glossy finish. Even though I’ve no issue with the glossy display myself—especially considering its superior color reproduction properties—if your workspace is subject to multiple direct light sources, this is bound to be a big hassle.
Nevertheless, this laptop’s 2K resolution means content looks extra sharp on this screen. Even pixel peeping doesn’t reveal any sort of pixelation, whereas I had no issue with its viewing angles too. With 100% sRGB gamut onboard, the Realme Book Slim’s color reproduction leaves little room for complaint.
But in the default factory color calibration, I noticed that this display has a slightly off white balance with a mild greenish hue. Despite this, it has great contrast which makes the dark and bright shades look pretty decent here. Although our unit does suffer from soft screen bleeding around the bottom edge, it’s nothing to worry about. Anyway, brightness isn’t going to be a concern on this machine either.
Display Properties
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Color Gamut
Gamma
Brightness
Boasting 400 nits of peak brightness, I’ve had no difficulty using this laptop indoors or outdoors. Certifying those claims myself, I measured that this screen has 391.5 nits of peak brightness, and covers 99% sRGB, 68% NTSC color gamut. Nice! But one thing that I’m not a fan of is that setting its screen to 0% brightness flat out turns off the display instead of maintaining visibility to a minimum.
Keyboard
Backlit X-shape Smile Arc keyboard (single-color)
Moving on, Realme Book Slim’s keyboard is equally spectacular. It has full-sized keys with a Smile Arc mechanism and 2 levels of backlights. Because of its 14” form factor, Realme obviously couldn’t fit in a dedicated Numpad here. Regardless, the keys here are large, well spaced-out, and comfortable to type on.
Their 1.3mm key travel distance means it offers decent tactile feedback too and I’ve had no trouble maintaining my usual typing speed on this thing. With 2 levels of backlighting to choose from, you’ll have no trouble working with its keyboard in the dark as well. Also, even under sufficient ambient lighting, these black keys with white etching offer the perfect contrast.
Single-click login
For biometrics, Realme has gone with a single sign-in fingerprint reader that resides on the top-right corner of the keyboard deck. From its unlock speed to ease of use, this Windows Hello-login certified fingerprint reader does everything right. Having said that, I do have a few complaints about this onboard keyboard.
Even though I’m fine with the mild flex on the keyboard deck, the rather loud sound profile of these keys doesn’t sit right by me. I know this is a totally subjective matter so if you don’t mind the noise, this shouldn’t be any problem. Also, some keys sound relatively hollow and rattly than the rest. Furthermore, the up/down arrow keys share a single keyspace even though Realme could’ve easily avoided this by narrowing the right Shift key.
There’s no option to lock the Function keys here either. As a result, you’re gonna have to complement each shortcut with the Fn button every time you wish to use the default function shortcuts on Windows 10. Plus, instead of assigning no macro on the F1 and F2 keys, Realme could’ve utilized them better by providing media playback or other shortcuts.
Trackpad
Plastic trackpad with integrated left/right keys
Windows Hello login fingerprint reader integrated
Thanks to the 3:2 display, the Realme Book Slim enjoys a comparatively large keyboard deck—which means it has enough room for a sizeable trackpad. Fortunately, Realme has delivered exactly that. Its sheer size makes drag-and-drop actions so easier and I never found myself searching for a mouse when using this laptop—except for the gaming sessions.
This one’s also a bit noisier than I would’ve liked as well, but the integrated left/right keys and multi-finger gestures work perfectly fine on this wide plastic-made trackpad. However, palm rejection could use a little tune-up as I encountered a couple of instances where the mouse pointer would accidentally wander about when I’d be typing.
Audio
2x 2W down-firing speakers
Harman/Kardon tuned
In the audio department, the Realme Book Slim gets a set of bottom-firing stereo speakers tuned by Harman/Kardon. And here, I wished Realme had been inspired by the MacBook Air more and provided front-firing speakers instead. The fairly short rubber feet translate to minimal breathing space for these driver units. Still and all, I’m quite fond of its audio output.
It gets sufficiently loud to fill up an average-sized room and there’s a decent stereo separation too. Additionally, you can also enjoy a fair bit of details in terms of mids and highs although it expectedly under-delivers on bass. Nevertheless, I did notice the audio gets muffled when listening to songs with a wide dynamic range at full volume.
Webcam
720p HD camera
No privacy shutter
Realme Book’s streak of excellencies sort of fumbles when it comes to the webcam. There’s a standard 720p HD camera alongside the dual microphones on the top bezel. Here, the videos look pretty distracting in the sense that the webcam seemingly maintains exposure around the center of the frame only—where the subject would be.
Yet, I wouldn’t dismiss it entirely since this webcam will still suffice for attending online classes or zoom meetings. The audio pickup from the built-in microphones is satisfactory as well, but the background noise cancellation technology works nowhere as effectivly as promised.
Performance
Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU (28W TDP)
Intel UHD (Integrated graphics)
8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Okay, let’s now get into the performance side of things. Realme has gone with Intel’s 11th gen processor for its first laptop—and you can find it in either a dual-core i3-1115G4 or a quad-core i5-1135G7 CPU. Like I mentioned in the beginning, I have the i3 version of the Realme Book Slim.
In terms of memory, there’s an 8GB LPDDR4X RAM soldered onto the motherboard with no extra DIMM slot either. To note, its Chinese variant is also available with a 16GB RAM option. And I feel like this lack of upgradability is a big letdown to many as 8GB RAM is bound to be insufficient in the long run.
On the other hand, the i3 variant is configured with 256GB SanDisk M.2 PCIe SSD while the i5 model gets a 512GB SSD from Samsung. Thankfully, unlike RAM, the SSD module isn’t soldered and you can upgrade it as you see fit.
i3 version offers the best value-for-money
Getting to the prices, Realme Book Slim’s i3 version with 256GB SSD goes for INR 44,999 whereas the more powerful i5 variant with double the storage costs INR 56,999. And looking at the competition, I feel like the i3 model offers the best value-for-money.
The thing is, at INR 56,999, the new Mi Notebook Pro brings a more powerful 35W Intel H-series processor contrary to the 28W CPUs here—while featuring a similar spec-sheet. Plus, Xiaomi also sells a 16GB configuration of the Mi NoteBook Pro, making it a superior choice for those with multitasking for better long-term endurance in mind.
Regardless, I’m not sure how the higher TDP processor on the Mi Notebook Pro is gonna pan out in terms of real-life usage as that laptop features a single-fan setup contrary to the dual-fan cooling system on the Realme Book Slim.
Anyway, even the i3 version of this laptop has handled my day-to-day tasks rather easily. That includes about half a dozen Chrome tabs open at all times, alongside editing documents on Microsoft Word, shuffling through tunes on Spotify, messaging on Discord, and sometimes even light editing on Photoshop.
Microsoft Office comes pre-installed, pre-activated
That reminds me, this laptop also comes with an activated copy of Microsoft Office pre-installed—making it easier for students to get their work done right away. Even though this i3 CPU has respectable single-core performance, its dual-core setup is bad news for any sort of demanding workload.
Despite my performance praises above, I have to admit that this laptop is subject to minor lags when throwing in multiple demanding apps at once. Also, the 8GB of onboard RAM would be simply insufficient at times as Chrome tabs that had been idle for a while required a reload after trying to access them again.
I also tried running a couple of synthetic benchmarks to see just how capable this dual-core CPU is. As you’d imagine, the results were far underwhelming. Running all 6 Blender benchmarks takes more than 3 hours on this machine—although the single-core results under Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23 are pretty impressive.
CrystalDiskMark
Read (MB/s)
Write (MB/s)
SEQ1M Q8T1
3078.64
1250.86
SEQ1M Q1T1
1828.09
1151.26
RND4K Q32T1
465.31
425.22
RNK4K Q1T1
56.57
146.95
Cinebench R23
CPU: Multi-Core
2480
CPU: Single Core
1330
MP Ratio
1.86x
Geekbench 5
CPU: Single Core
1293
CPU: Multi-Core
2950
Compute (OpenCL)
10239
Unigine Heaven
(FPS: 12.5, Score: 316, Min FPS: 5.1, Max FPS: 25.6)
API: OpenGL
Multi-monitor: Disabled
Quality: High
Anti-aliasing: x2
Tessellation: Extreme
Fullscreen: Yes
Stereo 3D: Disabled
Resolution: System
GFXBench
1440p Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) Offscreen
28.4658 fps
1080p Car Chase Offscreen
71.4501 fps
1080p Manhattan 3.1 Offscreen
93.4629 fps
1080p ALU 2 Offscreen
255.933 fps
1080p Driver Overhead 2 Offscreen
137.553 fps
1080p Texturing Offscreen
72.6432 fps
Blender (CPU)
bmw27
13m4s
classroom
37m47s
fishy_cat
18m28s
koro
27m1s
pavillon_barcelona
39m2s
victor
1h7m57s
What all this translates to is the fact that Realme Book Slim’s i3 variant is perfectly capable of handling light workloads, but pushing it further will result in some hiccups. Apart from the core CPU performance, these 11th gen Intel CPUs also differ in terms of their integrated graphics solution. While the i5 variant comes with the powerful Iris Xe GPU, the Intel UHD Graphics on the i3 processor is not as capable.
How’s gaming on an i3 CPU?
For this review, I also tried playing a few games on the Realme Book Slim. And I must say that I’m quite happy with the gaming results here. Valorant is well inside the playable spectrum as it manages 83-87fps at low settings. Likewise, CS: GO manages 66-71fps under low graphics settings—but that number would dip to 50 sometimes. Also, I encountered minor stutters every now and then when playing CS: GO on this machine.
Additionally, the dual-fan cooling system does a stellar job of keeping the laptop cool. Even after half an hour or so of continuous gaming, the keyboard deck barely gets warm—with the CPU temperature hovering around the 53-55ºC mark. Fan noise is no trouble either as it doesn’t get that loud even at its fastest. On the other hand, it is practically mute under non-demanding workloads.
Windows 11 Compatibility
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TPM Chip
Windows PC Health
WhyNotWin11
To further increase your productivity, the Realme Book Slim also supports PC Connect to transfer files, make calls, send messages directly from the laptop without having to use your phone. Yet, it’s only compatible with the Realme GT Master Edition for now whereas the regular GT is scheduled to get this feature soon via an OTA update. Plus, you will be able to upgrade it to Windows 11 when Microsoft starts rolling it out from October 5.
Battery
54 Watt-hour 3-cell battery
65W PD Super Charge
On to the battery, Realme is claiming up to 11 hours of video playback from the 54Wh cell inside. Similarly, it is rated to last up to 8.5 hours under simulated office workloads. However, under my usage pattern, I managed to net out somewhere between 5 to 6 hours of screen-on time only. Here, I would keep the laptop to “Best Performance” battery settings and brightness level to 50%.
Even though 54Wh is a fairly sizable battery for a 14” laptop, I feel like the 2K display is the main culprit behind this above-average battery endurance. And maybe Realme shouldn’t have gone overboard with its battery benchmarks either. Nevertheless, juicing up the Realme Book Slim is no hassle as it supports USB-C charging.
You get a 65W PowerDelivery compatible adapter that takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to fully charge the laptop. Its PD compatibility means you can even charge devices like smartphones, tablets, power banks—but only at 30W. On a related note, Realme’s new 30W Dart Charge 10000mAh power bank can fill up this laptop’s battery as well.
Realme Book Slim Review: Conclusion
To wrap up this review, the Realme Book Slim is an absolute steal for the price—especially the i3 variant. It has an incredible display, sleek design, decent keyboard, large trackpad, loud speaker setup, notable performance, and the battery life’s not all bad either.
For a sub-50K laptop, Realme has raised the bar for just how good a budget laptop can get. Yet, its biggest disadvantage is that the RAM isn’t upgradable—whereas the i5 variant feels a tad bit expensive and incompetent compared to the direct competition as well.
Ola Electronics has just announced the Infinix Note 10 in Nepal as a successor to the Note 8 from last year. It brings some major upgrades to the display. Anyways, lets learn more about the device along with its price here.
Infinix Note 10 Overview:
Display and Design
Infinix Note 10 features a 6.95-inch IPS LCD panel which is the same size as last year’s Note 8. However, Infinix has upped the resolution from HD to FHD. This screen supports a 90Hz refresh rate and a 180Hz touch sampling rate. The panel has a centered punch-hole cutout instead of a pill-shaped one for the selfie camera.
Infinix is also boasting a brightness of 480 nits and a color contrast ratio of 1500:1. Similarly, the screen-to-body ratio is listed at 91%. At the back, there is a left-aligned rectangular camera bump. The phone is available in four color options – Black, Emerald Green, and Purple.
Under the hood, the device packs MediaTek’s Helio G85 chipset which is basically the G80 used in Note 8 but with a higher clocked GPU. The two Cortex-A75 performance cores on the G85 can reach up to 2.0GHz while the six Cortex-A55 cores have a maximum clock frequency of 1.8GHz. Similarly, the Mali-G52 MC2 GPU is clocked higher at 1000MHz on the G85 instead of 950MHz on the G80.
Inifnix has included a bunch of new features for gamers too. For instance, there is something called “Dar-link” that the company claims can improve the stability of frame rate. It is also said to help the device remain cool but Inifinix has not clarified how it achieves this. In addition, there is Game Zone and Game Booster feature as well.
Camera
Infinix has finally decided to ditch the AI lens from the Note 8. It did nothing but make up the numbers. It’s not the only change in setup though. The primary sensor has been reduced from 64MP to 48MP. The 48MP primary camera has an f/1.79 aperture and it makes use of a 6P lens. It is capable of recording 2K videos at 30fps. It is accompanied by two 2MP sensors for macro and portraits shots. There is still no dedicated ultrawide sensor. For selfies, it has a 16MP AI beautify selfie camera upfront. There is no portrait lens accompanying it either.
Rest of the specs
Infinix Note 10 comes with a big 5,000mAh battery. It’s actually smaller than the 5200mAh battery in its predecessor. The charging speed has remained the same at 18W. The phone also has a dual-speaker setup with DTS audio. It ships with Android 11 with XOS UI on top. The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometrics.
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth, USB Type-C,G
Battery: 5000mAh with 18W fast charging
Infinix Note 10 Price in Nepal & Availability
The price of Infinix Note 10 is set at Rs. 23,140. This price is for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. At this price, the phone competes against the likes of Galaxy F22 and Poco M3 Pro 5G.
Smartphone Model
Price in Nepal
Infinix Note 10
Rs. 23,140
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Infinix Zero 8.
Realme has recently unveiled its new fitness tracker in Malaysia, called the “Realme Band 2”. It brings a major upgrade in the display front and now includes blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring which was absent on its predecessor. So, let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Realme Band 2 in Nepal.
Realme Band 2 Overview:
Body
Here, the Realme Band 2 sports a 1.4-inch TFT LCD screen with 167 x 320 pixels resolution and 500 nits of peak brightness. The screen is significantly larger than the 0.96-inch one on the Realme Band. It uses a replaceable 18mm strap, meaning you can easily customize the style to suit your requirements.
Moreover, Band 2 supports over 50 personalized dial faces. Realme lets you use your favorite picture as a dial face as well. The watch measures 12.1mm thick and weighs 27.3 grams. It is available in a sole Space Grey color option.
On to the health features, Realme Band 2 comes with a 24-hour heart rate, sleep, and as mentioned earlier, SpO2 monitoring. For workouts, it offers a total of 90 sports modes, including walking, running, cycling, swimming, yoga, etc. However, some of them will be available later via an OTA update only.
Anyway, fueling this fitness tracker is a 204mAh battery that the company claims can provide up to 12 days of battery life. Realme Band 2 is water-resistant up to 50 meters as well.
Rest of the specs
Moving on, it features Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity and pairs to your smartphone using the Realme Link app. The band is compatible with devices running Android 5.1 or iOS 11 or above.
Realme Band 2 Specifications:
Dimensions: 259.8 x 24.6 x 12.1 mm, 27.3 gram
Display: 1.4″ TFT panel, 167 x 320 pixels resolution
Realme Band 2 is now official in Malaysia with a price tag of MYR 139. It will go on sale through Lazada from September 20. We expect the price of the Realme Band 2 in Nepal to be around NPR 4,500 when it launches here shortly.
Over the past few years, affordable smartwatches have been getting better. As a result, spending just a couple of thousand rupees gets you a decent feature-rich smartwatch these days. Now, while most of the affordable wearables offer only the most basic fitness tracking features, the Pebble Cosmos that I have right here even let you make phone calls. Let’s find out more about the Pebble Cosmos in this review.
Starting this review with the design, the Pebble Cosmos looks like an Apple Watch or the number of private-label wannabe Apple Watch clones found on the market. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It has a rectangular case, a glass face, a button on the right frmae, and a built-in speaker, microphone on the sides.
Design
1 of 2
Front
Back
In terms of build quality, Pebble has used metal casing here, which means the watch is on the relatively heavy side of things as it weighs 50 grams. By the way, the Cosmos comes in black, blue, and gold color options. While the black and blue variants arrive with straps of the same color, the gold model offers an elegant burgundy-colored band.
Apart from the single strap that comes inside the box, you can buy additional bands if you want to mix up the style. Also, this strap is inspired by the one on the Apple Watch. Throughout my three weeks of usage, I’ve found it to be fairly comfortable while it hasn’t invited any issues like skin irritation or allergies either. Likewise, the Pebble Cosmos is IP67 rated against dust and water damage.
Display
1.7-inches TFT panel
No Gorilla Glass protection
Although its design is pretty impressive, the biggest compromise on this smartwatch is the display. It has a 1.7-inch TFT panel with fairly minimal bezels on the sides. There’s no mention of any Gorilla Glass protection here, but that’s to be expected. The watch has adequately endured through my daily usage, while it has suffered a minor ding on the top-left. So, make sure you don’t bump the Pebble Cosmos into any concrete surface.
Moving on, this display isn’t that sharp or bright compared to other budget smartwatches that I’ve tested in the past either. The colors look washed out and severely undersaturated even when looking at it from a direct line of sight.
Despite the mediocre brightness levels, I can comfortably see my analog dial face ticking in on broad daylight. In addition, there’s no ambient light sensor to automatically adjust brightness on this smartwatch as well.
Watch faces
When it comes to the watch faces, I had to scroll through a bunch of options before landing on one that looked somewhat compelling on this mediocre screen. In addition, the animations and scrolling gestures aren’t particularly fluid either. And you’ll even notice a hint of jelly scrolling effect when navigating its UI.
Here, the companion app allows you to customize the watch face to your taste whereas the device can store 5 watch faces in total. Getting around the Pebble Cosmos is no hassle. A simple swipe to the left opens up the app drawer, swiping to the bottom shows your messages and notifications, swiping from the top brings up the quick settings shade, whereas all the apps, health monitoring widgets are a simple right-swipe away.
Regardless, the raise-to-wake feature is a bit of a hit-or-miss too. Occasionally, it demands I lift my wrist to an uncomfortable degree to work.
App & Connectivity
Da Fit app (Android / iOS)
Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
Over on the connectivity front, the Cosmos features Bluetooth 5.0 and pairs with your smartphone via the Da Fit app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices.
App Interface
1 of 2
Landing screen
Customizations
It offers a simple and easy-to-use interface. Here, the home page shows an array of health features presented in a block and they’re easy to navigate as well. Apart from this, it lets you switch between watch faces, and play around with notifications, alarms, and other settings. The app’s mid-menu allows you to access the watch face, notifications, alarms, and other settings.
To note, the Pebble Cosmos also supports continuous temperature and heart rate tracking but those stats are available on the app only, and not on the smartwatch. Interestingly, continuous temperature and heart rate monitoring, in this case, means half-hourly tracking only.
Health, Fitness Tracking
Heart rate, SpOs, sleep monitoring
Body temperature, blood pressure
8 different activity modes
Okay, let’s now talk about the remaining features of this smartwatch. As expected from a budget device, the Pebble Cosmos misses out on voice assistant but it makes up for this in terms of health and fitness tracking abilities.
App Readings
1 of 2
Continuous Temperature
Continuous Heart rate
To begin with, this watch can log up to 8 different activities including walking, cycling, football, swimming, etc. Its IP67 certification means the smartwatch is safe for both: pool and open water swims. While things like step tracking and heart rate monitoring are obviously present here, the Pebble Cosmos can record your body temperature, blood oxygen level, and even your blood pressure.
Compared to infrared thermometers, the body temperature numbers from these two devices are impressively close. Furthermore, it can also take your blood pressure readings but considering its budget nature, lack of validation from any medical association, and a myriad of other factors, I wouldn’t count on it.
The calling watch
The Pebble Cosmos has one more perk up its sleeve, which is the ability to make or receive a call from the watch itself. Yep. Like I mentioned earlier, this smartwatch has a built-in microphone as well as a speaker. And unless you’re in a crowded environment, the audio from the speakers is quite loud and clear. But remember, the watch needs to be within the Bluetooth range of your smartphone to be able to enjoy this feature.
Moreover, the watch can store 8 of your favorite contacts, although you’ll have to manually set it via the Da Fit app. If that’s simply not enough, there’s a built-in dial pad to type in the desired number and make a call as well. While this is an excellent feature to have on a budget smartwatch, this might not be that exciting to those who’re not fond of talking over a speakerphone in the first place.
Battery
230mAh cell, magnetic charging
Getting to the battery, the Pebble Cosmos keeps up with the competition. This smartwatch comes with a 230mAh cell with a claimed battery life of a little over 15 days. But I was disappointed to find its endurance to be almost half of the company’s claims. I was able to get around 6-7 days of battery life by triggering all the features such as the continuous heart rate and temperature monitoring.
Battery
1 of 2
Charging
Charger
Charging this watch is a breeze though. Using the 2-pin magnetic connector, the watch can fully juice up in about two and a half hours.
Pebble Cosmos Review: Conclusion
Wrapping up this review, if you’re someone who is looking for a budget smartwatch that comes with a few headlining features like phone calls, body temperature measurement, and more, then the Pebble Cosmos is for you. However, you’re gonna have to live with the sub-par display quality and the overall lack of polished software.
After the mid-range Pova 2, Tecno has launched a budget smartphone in Nepal, called the Tecno Spark 7T. In this article, we’ll walk through the specs, features, availability, and official price of Tecno Spark 7T in Nepal.
Tecno Spark 7T Overview:
Design and Display
Tecno Spark 7T sports a 6.52-inch IPS LCD screen with HD+ resolution. It has a glossy back and is built around a thickness of 9.52mm. There’s also a fingerprint sensor just on the right side of the rectangular camera module.
The back also has a big Tecno Spark branding which kind of blends with the design. It is available in Nebula Orange, Magnet Black, and Jewel Blue color options.
On the performance side of things, the Spark 7T is powered by MediaTek Helio G35 chipset. Similarly, the memory option includes 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Fueling the phone is a massive 6000mAh battery that supports 10W wired charging. Tecno Spark 7T and boots on Android 11-based HiOS 7.6.
Rest of the specs
Moving on, the device has a 48MP primary alongside an unspecified sensor at the back with quad-LED flash. On the front, it brings an 8MP selfie camera with dual flash. Likewise, for connectivity, the phone uses Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and a micro USB port.
The price of Tecno Spark 7T in Nepal is NPR 16,490 for the sole 4/64GB variant. You can buy Spark 7T in Nepal from Tecno authorized retail stores across the country.
Tecno Spark 7T
Price in Nepal
Availability
4/64GB
NPR 16,490
Authorized stores
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy A22.
Motorola has unveiled a new budget smartphone called the Moto E20, which is among the most inexpensive devices from the company. So, let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of the Motorola Moto E20 in Nepal.
Motorola Moto E20 Overview:
Design and Display
To begin with, the Moto E20 flaunts a 6.5-inch LCD screen with HD+ resolution. The back panel has a matte finish and houses a dual-camera setup in a vertical cutout. Moto E20 is also IP52 rated for dust and mild splash resistance. The phone is available in two color options: Blue and Gray,
Powering the handset is the Unisoc T606 processor clocked at 1.6GHz. This chipset is coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. The latter is expandable via a microSD card as well. Fueling the phone is a 4000mAh battery with 10W charging. Likewise, the device boots on the Android 11 Go edition.
Rest of the specs
In the camera department, Moto E20 features a dual rear camera setup. There’s a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth camera. On the front, it has a 5MP selfie shooter.
Motorola Moto E20 Specifications:
Display: 6.5-inch LCD screen, HD+
Processor: Unisoc T606 (1.6GHz)
Memory: 2GB RAM, 32GB storage
Rear Camera: Dual (13MP primary, 2MP depth)
FrontCamera: 5MP (teardrop notch)
Battery: 4000mAh, 10W charging
Software: Android 11 Go edition
Colors: Blue, Gray
Motorola Moto E20 Price in Nepal and Availability
Motorola Moto E20 will go on sale in Europe from the next at a price of EUR 100. We expect the price of the Motorola Moto E20 in Nepal to be NPR 12,000 if and when it launches here.
Device
Price in Europe
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Motorola Moto E20
EUR 100
NPR 12,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the best budget wired earphones in 2021.
After Facebook, Xiaomi has now unveiled its first smart glasses. The first smart wearable from Xiaomi comes with a MicroLED panel for displaying notifications and other important messages. Here, we will be taking a deeper dive into Xiaomi’s Smart Glasses, along with its specs, features, and availability.
Xiaomi Smart Glasses Overview:
MicroLED panel
As mentioned earlier, Xiaomi Smart Glasses features a MicroLED panel. It’s a tiny display measuring just 2.4mm x 2.02mm. As opposed to the AMOLED panels used in most smart wearables, MicroLED panels are brighter, produce darker blacks, and even boasts higher pixel density. These properties have allowed Xiaomi to keep the weight of the Smart Glasses to just 51 grams.
The display features a special optical wavelength technology that uses refraction to send lights towards the human eye through an etched grating surface. With this technique, the Smart Glasses sends messages and notifications directly to the user’s eye.
Hardware
Inside, Xiaomi has included a total of 497 different components including a quad-core ARM chip, WiFi and Bluetooth modules, a battery (of unspecified capacity), and touch controls. It runs on a special fork of the Android operating system. However, the company has not offered much detail beyond that.
Xiaomi’s Smart Glasses also has a 5MP camera that lets users take photos. It is accompanied by an LED light to notify other nearby that the device is currently shooting photos.
While you need a smartphone to receive calls, multiple functions of the device are phone-independent. This includes navigation, real-time translations/transcribing, teleprompter function, and more.
You can activate these functions using the “XiaoAi” AI Assistant, which Xiaomi claims won’t disturb users while still relaying important notifications.
Xiaomi Smart Glasses Price and Availability
Sadly, Xiaomi Smart Glasses is just a sneak peek at the company’s latest progress on smart wearables. As a result, it won’t be available in the market for people to buy anytime soon.
Meanwhile, check out our picks for the best budget wired earphones.
Smartphones have become the go-to device for many of us for our monetary transactions. The main reason behind it being their ease of use, the growing popularity of digital wallets in Nepal, and the pandemic-enforced lockdown. However, a new mode of payment based on the “mobile money” concept called Namaste Pay is now official, having been in the works for quite some time.
What is this mobile money anyway?
Basically, it is a technology through which one can store, receive, and send money using a mobile phone. Usually, the mobile network operator or another entity offers this service. And no, you don’t need a bank account for this. Its only pre-requisite is that you should own a basic mobile set. It is different from mobile banking in the sense that you don’t actually need a separate application for this.
Instead, it uses your mobile number as your account number. Furthermore, such methods of digital transactions are generally cheaper and hassle-free. As a matter of fact, in many countries, mobile money has overtaken the traditional banking system.
Namaste Pay (Mobile Money) in Nepal
And now, Nepal Digital Payment Company (NDPC) has finally launched the “Namaste Pay” mobile money application. NDPC is an associate company of Nepal Telecom. To note, it is jointly funded by Nepal Telecom and Rastriya Banijya Bank.
Talking about Namaste Pay, the service received approval for mobile money from Nepal Rastra Bank back in March 2021. The app was supposed to be launched alongside the Nagarik app on the occasion of National ICT Day 2021 a few months ago. However, it was delayed due to some technical issues.
Namaste Pay has debuted today with a paid-up capital of Rs. 400 million, which is the biggest for any operational mobile wallet in Nepal. As it’s based on mobile money, it relies on a user’s mobile number for account registration and authentication.
A separate account will be maintained for each number, which will be free of Telecommunication Service Charge (TSC) and any kind of tax. This particular account will be responsible for Namaste Pay’s transactions. While multiple mobile wallets are offering offline transactions, Namaste Pay stands out as it uses USSD code instead.
Better compatibility, safety
It is safer than SMS that some of the mobile wallets use for offline mode. You will be able to pay for services like mobile recharge, internet, water, and electricity using Namaste Pay. There’s a mobile app for Android users available already, but it’s in the Beta stage for now. On the other hand, iOS users are gonna have to wait a little longer for the Namaste Pay app.
But like I mentioned earlier, it is entirely accessible without any mobile app. As a result, simply dialing “*500#” lets you register an account. Then, simply following the on-screen instructions will do. However, we wished this process had the Nepali language option—or if it was the default language settings considering Namaste Pay’s mainstream target market.
To note, the per-transaction limit when using Namaste Pay’s services through the USSD code method is Rs. 5,000 for now. But we expect that to change sometime in the future.
Namaste Pay: Initial thoughts
Our initial experience with Namaste Pay has been a disappointing one. Currently, we are not been able to sign in to the app. We downloaded it on a couple of Android phones only to be greeted with a blank white screen before the app eventually crashed. Similarly, trying out the USSD method didn’t amount to much either. We were constantly redirected to the registration window and nothing more.
Also, check out how to recover lost/stolen phones. [Nepali]
Huawei has recently added two new members to its Matebook lineup of notebooks—the Matebook 13s and Matebook 14s. Both have comparable spec sheets and are expected to be strong Windows alternatives to MacBooks. So, let’s get into the specs, features, availability, and expected price of Huawei Matebook 13s and Matebook 14s in Nepal.
Huawei Matebook 13s, Matebook 14s Overview:
Design and Display
Both Matebook 13s and 14s have a sharp thin metal body, weighing 1.32kg and 1.43kg, respectively. The bezels around the skin are slender and also the top one houses a laser welding fixed pole camera that supports face unlock.
In terms of display, the 13s flaunts a 13.4-inch while the 14s come with a 14.2-inch panel. Furthermore, both the panels boast 2.5K resolution, 90Hz LTPS touchscreen, 400 nits of peak brightness, and a 178-degree viewing angle.
On the performance side of things, there are two options to choose from— Intel Core i5-11300H and Intel Core i7-11370H. Similarly, the graphics are handled by integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics. Memory-wise, both the chipsets are coupled with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
However, the 14s with an i7 processor is also available with 1TB of SSD. They also have an upgraded shark fin cooling system to keep the device cool. Fueling the laptops are 60Whr batteries that charge via a 65W adapter.
Rest of the specs
Moreover, the laptops have backlit keyboards and a dedicated fingerprint power button for biometrics. On to the port options, there are two USB-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack on both, while the 14s have extra space for USB 3.2 and an HDMI port.
In addition, the high-end variant of the 14s also supports Thunderbolt 4 on its second USB-C port. In terms of audio, both of them have a quad-speaker and quad-microphone setup.
14s:1x 3.5mm headphone jack, 2x USB-C ports, 1x HDMI, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1; Thunderbolt 4 support on i7 16GB+1TB variant
Colors: Spruce Green, Bright Moon Silver, Deep Space Gray
Huawei Matebook 13s, Matebook 14s Price in Nepal and Availability
As for pricing, both the Matebook 13s and 14s are priced at CNY 6,999 and CNY 7,999 for the Intel i5-11300H and i7-11370H variant with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. However, the i7 model with 16GB RAM and 1TB storage costs CNY 8,999. They will be available for purchase from September 25.
Although there are merely slim chances of launching the Huawei Matebook 13s and Matebook 14s in Nepal, we expect their price to start from NPR 135,000 if and when it launches here.
