Though late, the JBL Clip 4 is finally available in the Nepali market. It features a compact and rugged design while retaining the carabiner that the lineup is known for. Here are the key features, official price, and availability of JBL Clip 4 in Nepal.
JBL Clip 4 Overview:
Design
JBL Clip 4 features an oval design instead of the circular one we have been accustomed to see in the Clip lineup. The carabiner now has a dual-tone finish. It is built into the frame and is lower compared to its predecessor. Clip 4 has an IP67 rating against dust and water damage.
Here, the front and back of the device have speaker grilles. The former has a prominent JBL branding as well, above which lies the play/pause and volume control buttons. At the back, there are rubberized stripes that provide a firm surface so that you can rest it flat as well.
Likewise, the power and the Bluetooth pairing button are on the right side of the Clip 4. While there is no dedicated button to skip tracks, you can do it by pressing the play/pause button in quick succession.
Moving on, JBL Clip 4 has a 40mm driver with a 5W total output. The frequency response ranges between 100 Hz and 20 kHz. This speaker connects to your phone, tablet, etc. via Bluetooth 5.1 connection. Unfortunately, there is no aux-in port for wired connection. JBL claims that Clip 4’s battery can last up to 10 hours. It charges via a USB-C cable which is provided in the box itself.
JBL Clip 4 Specifications:
Body: 86.30 x 134.50 x 46.0mm, 239 gms
Transducer: 40mm (1.5″)
Output: 5W RMS
Frequency Response: 100Hz – 20 kHz
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1 (No aux input)
Signal-to-noise-ratio: 85dB
IP Rating: IP67 dust-and-water resistance
Battery: 3.885Wh Li-ion
Backup: Up to 10 hours
Charging: Type-C port (100% in 3 hours)
Color Options: Blue, Black, Grey, Squad, Pink, Red
JBL Clip 4 Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of JBL Clip 4 in Nepal is NPR 8,900. You can buy JBL Clip 4 Bluetooth speaker in Nepal from official JBL stores like Hukut.
Subisu Cablenet, one of the leading ISPs in Nepal, has deployed a 400Gbps single-optical fiber channel. The fiber network upgrade has been completed in partnership with Nokia. With this, Subisu’s network’s high-speed fiber solution has been stretched from east to west across the country.
Subisu 400Gbps single optical fiber:
The new fiber solution will help meet the rising demand for high-speed, high-quality internet and intranet services. Moreover, it is an important enhancement to Subisu’s broadband offerings. The company’s business and retail customers may now expect a high-speed broadband internet and intranet solution.
Hand in hand with Nokia
Subisu has deployed the Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) platform, which supports Photonic Service Engine (PSE) and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM).
The scalable switch enables rapid service deployment, lowers TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), and extends network life cycles. Furthermore, the 1830 PSE turns standard WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) into a flexible transport layer with managed agile photonics, multilayer switching, and services, plus network intelligence.
Vinay Mohan Saud (CEO of Subisu) says, “We have been working with Nokia for a long time, and Nokia’s industry-leading products and solutions are helping to provide high-speed and high-quality broadband services to Subisu’s customers. Nokia is the sole vendor for this important project and its solutions have enabled us to provide customers with a high level of experience and service through our services.”
Additionally, Nokia’s 400Gbps single fiber solution will considerably enhance fiber capacity and lowers the operation cost. With this, Subisu may now easily deliver a multi-terabit capacity network through a single fiber.
Final words
Thanks to the launch of CG Net, Nepal’s internet market is even more competitive than before. Also, we expect the growth of the overall ISP sector at a never-before-seen pace. While most of us are solely concerned with bandwidth, there are numerous other elements that influence internet quality. Furthermore, Subisu’s decision to build a new fiber solution will undoubtedly improve the overall quality of its internet.
Meanwhile, check out our long-term review of the OnePlus 9.
Vivo Y12A is a new budget smartphone from the company that has recently hit the markets in Thailand and Singapore. Let us check out the key specs and features of Vivo Y12A, along with its expected price in Nepal and availability.
Vivo Y12A Overview:
Design and Display
Starting with the design, Vivo Y12A is quite similar to the Y12s 2021 that was unveiled last month in Vietnam. It features a 6.51-inch IPS panel with a teardrop notch. The display has an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and a 20:9 aspect ratio.
The polycarbonate body has a 2.5D curve for better grips. Vivo claims that the fingerprint sensor on the side can unlock the device in just 0.23 seconds. Users can choose between two color options – Phantom Black and Mint Green.
Under the hood, it packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 439 silicon, which is already two years old at this point. Built on a 12nm FinFET process, this chipset features 8x Cortex-A53 CPU cores (@2.0GHz). The phone has 3GB RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. You can expand the storage via an external MicroSD card.
Camera
Vivo Y12A flaunts a dual-camera setup at the back. It includes a 13MP primary camera with AI capabilities. Accompanying it is a 2MP depth sensor for portrait shots. There is an 8MP shooter upfront for selfies and video calls.
Rest of the specs
Fueling the Vivo Y12A is a 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W charging via the Micro USB port. It can even charge other phones with its 5W reverse charging capability. The phone ships with Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11 out-of-the-box.
Vivo Y12A Specifications:
Display: 6.51-inches IPS LCD panel
Resolution: HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels)
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 (12nm)
Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB storage (expandable)
Software & UI: Funtouch OS 11 on top of Android 11
Rear Camera: Dual (13MP main + 2MP depth)
Front Camera: 8MP (notch)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Battery: 5000mAh with 10W Charging, 5W reverse charging
Vivo Y12A Price in Nepal & Availability
Vivo Y12A is currently on sale in Thailand for THB 4,499 (~ USD 140). We expect the price of Vivo Y12A in Nepal to be NPR 17,500 when it launches here shortly.
Dell’s Inspiron 7000 series caters to the upper mid-range segment of laptops in contrast to the Inspiron 3000 and 5000 lineup. And now, the newest entrant in the 7000 series has made its way to Nepal—which is the Inspiron 7506. So let’s get into the specifications, features, availability, and price in Nepal of the Dell Inspiron 7506.
Dell Inspiron 7506 Overview:
Design and Display
The entire laptop is encased in a silver casing constructed of aluminum. Because it’s a convertible machine, the Inspiron 7506 has a 360º hinge that allows you to transform it into a tablet. It measures 0.71 x 14.02 x 9.4 inches (H x W x D) and weighs 1.90 kg.
Over on the display, Dell Inspiron 7506 boasts a 15.6-inch FHD touchscreen with active pen support. While the bottom of the display has a wide chin, the remaining three sides feature relatively thin bezels. Yet, the former is an intentional design choice to prevent inadvertent touches while working in tablet mode.
Likewise, the top bezel holds a camera capable of shooting HD videos at 30 frames per second. For privacy purposes, Dell has implemented a dedicated Privacy Shutter as well. Moving on, the Inspiron 7506 brings a backlit keyboard with a separate number pad on the right side.
Performance
Powering the laptop is an 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor with 8MB cache memory. This quad-core CPU has a base clock of 2.4GHz which can hit up to 4.2GHz on turbo boost (single core only).
Similarly, a 12GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM and a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive (SSD) round up the configuration. Furthermore, because it lacks dedicated video memory, you gotta make do with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics here.
Rest of the specs
Moving on, the I/O options on the Dell Inspiron 7506 are adequate and equally distributed along the left and right sides. It equips two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one Thunderbolt 4 (Type-C) port (with PowerShare and DisplayPort), one combo audio jack, and an HDMI 2.0 port.
There is also a dedicated microSD card slot for file transfers. Anyway, a 4-cell 53WHr battery drives the laptop. Its audio system features 2W stereo speakers that have been professionally tuned with Waves MaxxAudio Pro.
Dell Inspiron 7506 Specifications:
Dimension:0.71 x 14.02 x 9.4-inches (H x W x D)
Display: 15.6-inch FHD WVA Display, Active Pen support, 360º hinge
CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7 (8MB Cache, up to 4.2 GHz)
GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Integrated)
RAM: 12GB DDR4-3200 (8GB + 4GB)
Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe2 SSD
Audio: 2W Dual speakers with Waves MaxxAudio Pro
Ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C (with PowerShare and DisplayPort), 1x combo audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.0
Battery: 4-cell 53Wh battery
Connectivity: Intel Wi-Fi 6 2×2 (Gig+), Bluetooth 5.0
Dell Inspiron 7506 Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of the Dell Inspiron 7506 in Nepal is NPR 115,000 You can buy this 2-in-1 convertible laptop through ITTI or other authorized laptop retailers across Nepal.
Dell Inspiron 7506
Price in Nepal
Availability
Intel Core i5-1135G7, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD
NPR 115,000
Hukut
Meanwhile, check out our review of Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 (2021).
Microsoft has finally expanded its set of Fluid components to Teams, Outlook, OneNote, and Whiteboard. Users can now enjoy easy synchronization over such apps. Fluid components are web-based, so they can be edited in real-time. With this, the Microsoft Office suite is now more powerful and even more focused on collaboration.
Microsoft Fluid components in Office suites:
Microsoft confirmed last month that Fluid components will be available in Teams chat. With this feature, users can send a chat message that includes a table, action items, or a list that everyone can co-author and edit. Now, the company is finally including such components into its Office suite.
What is Microsoft Fluid?
Back in September 2020, Microsoft announced that it has converted Fluid Framework into an open-source project. The primary use of the technology is to enable user cooperation and real-time changes.
It broadcasts real-time changes using WebSockets and also keeps those modifications in the data via a Distributed Data Structure (DDS). Developers may now focus on the experience rather than synchronizing messages and data.
Fluid components are collaborative modules that exist across many applications, as opposed to static tables, graphs, and lists that are connected to particular documents. This simplifies cooperation by allowing the material to be copied, pasted, and shared with others. Microsoft notes that it is the “biggest change to Office in decades”.
How does it work?
Fluid components in Microsoft Team will now include built-in notes, allowing you to assign tasks and co-create an agenda from within the meeting. You can now enjoy the notes in your Outlook calendar too. Anyone with the required permissions can make changes to the notes which will be visible to all members of the meeting online.
Furthermore, as the notes sync in real-time, you can even copy them in apps like OneNote. Meanwhile, you will still be able to monitor all the changes made to it.
Moving on, Whiteboard will now allow you to take the conversation a step further by creating and modifying live Fluid components. A new collaboration cursor will appear on the board, allowing you to observe real-time updates to document made by teammates. In addition, a new virtual pointer will aid in capturing people’s attention quickly.
Final words
This is only the beginning of adding Fluid components to a variety of Microsoft Office applications. We are almost certain that the company will release additional features in the next years. If Microsoft is able to make the right use of components, it will transform the way we create and share documents online.
Meanwhile, check out our review of Mobvoi TicWatch E3.
As the work-from-home lifestyle continues to flourish, the demand for a digital workspace has seen consistent growth as well. With this in mind, Analogue Inc, a Kathmandu-based software company, has launched LeoSquad. From large-scale organizations, startups, to freelancers, this extensive tool aims to simplify remote work culture by giving you a clear overview of all the company activities.
LeoSquad Overview:
Before we get into the intricate details, it’s important to highlight that this is an ISO/IEC 17788: 2014 certified software. If you’re unaware, this ISO standard identifies a cloud computing product for its excellency based on various pre-determined parameters. Plus, Analogue Inc wants its potential customers to know that LeoSquad is an all-in-one project management tool.
All-in-one project management tool
To compare, the company is proudly advertising its offering as a combo of multiple project management and collaboration tools. From Jira, Trello, Asana, to Slack, all the features you’d expect from these globally renowned work management platforms are supposedly available here.
And with this, comes the benefit of cost minimization and simplicity as you get the benefit of multiple project management tools in one low-cost combo. Because of its digital nature, LeoSquad allows a company to save up on multiple overheads including office space, daily accommodation expenses, office supplies, and other fixed costs too.
As a result, the expenses saved on such factors can be utilized into other crucial aspects instead. Here, its “dashboard” is where you’ll find the said virtual workspace—with easy access to your company’s digitized structure, including employees, departments, clients, projects, etc.
According to Analogue Inc, “the foremost vision of LeoSquad is to make workspace productive, and efficient along with building entrepreneurship in the country. LeoSquad presents a platform for all commercial enterprises and entrepreneurs making their work-life a fruitful one.”
Moving on. By definition, a virtual workspace should allow for efficient handling of all ongoing and future projects of the company; alongside a clear-cut collaboration and reporting framework. As you’d expect, LeoSquad’s project management tool has them all. Managers can assign tasks (and subtasks) to employees, track their progress, make comments, etc. as well.
On to the client side of things, it also enables efficient handling of potential leads, their follow-up, and so much more. And all of this is just scratching the surface. LeoSquad promises an easy-to-use UI/UX for its rather extensive virtual workspace.
Because it aspires to eliminate physical workstations to the best of its ability, the absence of total physical interaction has been substituted with the integration of the Zoom video conferencing tool instead. So, the potential awkwardness or tanglement of having to toggle between multiple tools is eliminated here.
LeoSquad: How much does it cost?
Fortunately, these hordes of features are available in relatively affordable packages. More importantly, there is also an absolutely free subscription tier that bundles some elementary features like multiple dashboards, HR & Payroll, asset management, etc.
Here, the “Basic” plan aims at organizations with 15 employees or less. This costs Rs. 10,000 per month and also comes with 50GB of cloud storage.
Then there’s the “Advanced” tier for 25 or fewer users and the “Premium” tier with 40 or fewer users. Finally, as I mentioned earlier, LeoSquad has been designed with flexibility in mind. So, there’s even an “Enterprise” plan for SME or large-scale organizations.
At launch, Analogue Inc is also offering a flat 20% discount to the first 100 customers. This is applicable to any of the aforementioned subscription tiers. You can learn more about it by visiting this link. Before adopting LeoSquad into your organization, the company is also offering a free demo of the product.
Though not as popular as they once were, there is still a market for Android tablets, especially the budget ones. They are sought after by students and educators alike for online education. Here, we have listed the best budget tablets under NPR 30,000 in Nepal. You can even use these tablets for casual multimedia consumption.
Because of the pandemic, Android tablets have become more relevant now. As institutions started adapting to online curriculum, demand for budget tablets has increased. Tablets are cheaper than laptops, and the touch screen interface makes them easier to use. They are obviously not as powerful as laptops but should be adequate for online classes, assignments, and multimedia consumption.
In addition, most users are already familiar with the Android ecosystem. This is one more reason to pick a budget tablet over a laptop. That being said, here is the list of the best budget tablets that you can currently buy in Nepal.
Best Budget Tablets in Nepal:
Lenovo Tab M10 HD
Starting our list of best budget tablets in Nepal is the Lenovo Tab M10 HD. It features a 10.1-inch display with HD resolution. Under the hood, it packs Snapdragon 429 SoC, which features four Cortex-A53 CPU cores clocked at up to 2.0GHz. It is available in two memory configurations, but we recommend you choose the 3/32GB variant.
Moving on, the 5MP camera at the back has autofocus, which the 2MP front camera lacks. It has a dual-front facing speaker with Dolby Audio. Fueling the device is a 4850mAh battery that charges via a micro USB port.
Lenovo Tab M10 HD Specifications:
Dimension: 168 x 242 x 8.1mm, 480 gm
Display: 10.1-inch IPS display, 1280 x 800 pixels
Chipset: Snapdragon 429 (quad-core, 2.0GHz)
Memory: 2/3GB RAM, 32GB storage (expandable)
Operating System: Android 10
Cameras: 5MP rear, 2MP front
Audio: Dual-speakers, Dolby Atmos
Battery: 4850mAh (MicroUSB charging)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2
Price in Nepal: Rs. 27,990 (3/32GB)
Alcatel Aquaman 10 4G (3T20 2020)
Alcatel Aquaman 10 4G is the second tablet on this list to feature a 10.1-inch HD+ display. It is slightly thicker than the Lenovo Tab M10 HD but weighs less. Powering the device is MediaTek MT8766B chipset with 4x Cortex-A53 CPU cores (2.0GHz).
As for memory, you get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It should get you through everyday tasks, but don’t expect it to run high-end games—or handle heavy multitasking.
This tablet has two 5MP cameras, one at the back and the other on the front. It has a dual speaker setup as well. Alcatel has packed a 5500mAh battery inside, which charges over a Type-C port. Given the entry-level hardware, it should last you a day under normal usage. You can even use it as a power bank to charge your smartphone.
Alcatel Aquaman 10 4G (3T10 2020) Specifications:
Body: 243.3 x 161.2 x 9.35-mm, 475 grams
Display: 10.1-inches HD+ IPS display (1280 x 800 pixels)
At 7mm thickness, Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020 has the sleekest design on this list. Even with the metal body, the tablet weighs only 476 grams. Its 10.4-inch panel has a WUXGA resolution of 2000 x 1200 pixels. Powering the tablet is Snapdragon 662 chipset. It is paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB of expandable memory.
There is an 8MP shooter on the front with autofocus. Similarly, Samsung has included a 5MP camera for selfies and video calls. The onboard quad-speaker setup supports Dolby Atmos as well. Fueling the device is a 7000mAh battery that supports 15W charging.
For biometrics, Samsung has included face unlock with Knox security on the Galaxy Tab A7. The tablet ships with Android 10 with One UI 2.5 on top.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2020) Specifications:
Dimension: 157.4 x 246.6 x 7.0; 476g
Display: 10.4-inches TFT IPS; 16M colors
Resolution: WUXGA+ (2000 x 1200)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 (11nm)
Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal (extendable up to 1TB)
Rear camera: 8MP, autofocus (no flash)
Selfie camera: 5MP
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, Smart Switch, Wi-Fi Direct, USB2.0, 3.5mm jack
Xiaomi invests heavily in R&D and is continuously working on different charging solutions. The company recently showcased its 200W HyperCharge technology and a while ago, teased Air Charge as well. But that’s not all. To further push the boundaries of charging technology, Xiaomi has filed a new patent for charging devices via sound.
Xiaomi sound charging patent:
Xiaomi has applied for a patent at the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration) which reveals some key details of the upcoming charging solution.
Sound is the new source
Every year, companies demonstrate their take on fast smartphone charging technology. We reported a few days earlier that Infinix is possibly working on a flagship phone with 160W fast charging. If the company indeed delivers the product to the market, Infinix NOW will boast the fastest charging speed among any phone you could buy.
Xiaomi, on the other hand, has been pulling the curtains on unique and intriguing charging concepts in order to lead the market. The new sound charging technique is helping them get closer to their objective.
Xiaomi Sound Charging Technology
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Per the patent, the charging method can charge smartphones and other electronic devices without the use of a power outlet. The Sound Charging device contains a “sound collection device, a plurality of energy conversion devices, and a power conversion device” to convert environmental vibration to mechanical vibration, according to the patent description.
The device will then convert this mechanical vibration into alternating current (AC), which will be converted to direct current (DC) by the power conversion device.
Final words
This novel method of wireless charging is a first for the industry. However, it is still only a patent, and the practical use of such technology will require more research. That is not to say Xiaomi will not demo sound charging technology in the near future.
When it comes to commercializing a breakthrough technology, several things must be considered. So, we’ll have to wait and see whether Xiaomi will reveal additional information in the coming days about its sound charging technology or not.
Meanwhile, check out our review of Xiaomi Mi Band 6.
Hey… E3 is here! No, not the game expo event (that just ended) but a new Wear OS-powered smartwatch from Mobvoi. According to the company, the TicWatch E3 is an affordable alternative to the TicWatch Pro 3—and I believe Mobvoi has tried to accomplish that by making the right sacrifices. No fancy dual-display or other premium design choices here but what it retains from the Pro sibling is all the powerful hardware underneath. More on this review of the Mobvoi TicWatch E3.
Mobvoi TicWatch E3 Specifications:
Weight: 32 grams (without strap)
Dimension: 44 x 47 x 12.6 mm
Display: 1.3-inch HD LCD panel, 2.5D glass
Case: Polycarbonate and glass fiber, Panther Black color
Kicking off this review with the design, the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 skips all the bells and whistles for a basic yet classy look. The circular dial has been carved from polycarbonate and glass fiber material. So, if you’ve been accustomed to stainless steel or titanium encased smartwatches, this one’s gonna feel cheap on the wrist.
The plastic bottom half of the watch doesn’t scream luxury build material either—but hey—the E3 isn’t gunning for an elite design in the first place. This unisex smartwatch arrives in a solitary Panther Black case with a black strap by default, while Mobvoi says blue and yellow strap options are available too.
20mm universal strap
Regardless, if you have a 20mm universal wristband lying around, you can easily switch up the visual flair of this… otherwise bland smartwatch. Anyway, this pre-installed silicone strap can fit any wrist size and throughout my usage, it’s been comfortable and skin-friendly enough to discourage any doubts of allergy or skin irritation either.
Once again, it does feel a bit cheap but with the standout features inside (which I’ll be discussing shortly), I can easily look past it. Moving on, the right frame of the TicWatch E3 hosts two buttons for your navigational needs. But like the Pro 3, Mobvoi’s decision to skip a rotating crown feels like a missed opportunity.
The power button on the top takes you to the homescreen or launches the menu, whereas the other one can be customized to launch an app of your choosing. Moreover, long-pressing the former triggers Google Assistant while a double-press temporarily cranks up the illumination level.
Now, this brightness bump feature seemed weird to me at first but I soon found a use for it. We all know how Wear OS is notorious for sub-par battery life.
A quick jolt of brightness
So, to preserve as much endurance as possible, I’d kept TicWatch E3’s brightness to just 40% most of the time. But in sunny outdoors or similar well-lit environments, this would be insufficient. Thus, for a quick fix, this feature is a godsend. Still, I would’ve preferred if this shortcut was user-programmable as well.
Besides the buttons, the right frame is where you’d find the microphone and beneath it—what I’m assuming—an exhaust vent. Similarly, the left frame houses the speaker grille whereas all the other health-tracking sensors are stacked on the bottom.
At any rate, the TicWatch E3 should speak to all those who find big, bulky smartwatches unappealing. With a circular dimension of 44 – 47mm and a strapless weight of 32 grams, I’ve had no problem wearing it to bed at night either.
Display
1.3-inches IPS LCD, 2.5D glass
360 x 360 px, Multiple watch faces
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the display. While the TicWatch Pro 3 shipped with a head-turning dual-display setup, that grandeur has been cut off on this low-cost alternative.
Even though I don’t mind the lack of a monochromatic FSTN screen, downgrading the AMOLED panel to an LCD is disappointing. As a result, colors don’t look as vibrant and punchy on this display and then there’s the power-efficiency concern too.
Additionally, the Mobvoi TicWatch E3’s 1.3″ screen features a 2.5D curvature for a relatively premium look—and yeah, this does look nice. Anyhow, what I’m really concerned about is the lack of any Gorilla Glass protection here.
Questionable display protection?
Had it been sculpted from sapphire glass like the Huawei GT 2 Pro that we recently reviewed, my worry could be dismissable. But that’s not the case with the E3. What’s more, the display enjoys an open design—void of any protrusion from a tachymeter or minute markings—further complicating things by a bit.
Again, I wouldn’t have had to talk about this issue if only it were MIL-STD-810G compliant like most other smartwatches in this price bracket. But seeing how even the costlier TicWatch Pro 3 skipped this certification, Mobvoi was never gonna introduce it on the cheaper variant, to begin with.
Still, I find some solace in the fact that the E3 is IP68 dust and water-resistant. So, just make sure that you refrain from bumping it to a tough surface and you should be fine. Throughout my usage, I accidentally smacked it against the wall once but the watch suffered no visible dent or other damage. That’s promising, huh?
Anyway, even though the 2.5D curvature accentuates the visual appeal, the surrounding bezel is abnormally thick and steals a potentially deluxe design. I feel like Mobvoi could’ve easily installed the aforementioned tachymeter or minute markings here but, oh well. Now, getting back to the core display itself, the colors look pretty washed out here.
Sharp screen
Yet, with time, I must say I got used to it. Of course, that remission will fade away when bringing an AMOLED screen to the mix though. Nevertheless, packing in 360 by 360 resolution, everything from text to animation looks sufficiently sharp here.
On the other hand, you can select from 5 levels of illumination here, although it lacks auto-brightness adjustment. So you see, the brightness bump shortcut I talked about earlier seems to have been born out of necessity here.
Despite this, I’ve had no issue regarding outdoor visibility on the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 all through the review. Sure, things get a little difficult under direct sunlight but it’s not that big a deal. Moving on, the Wear OS platform means this smartwatch lets you choose from thousands of watch faces that you can download from the Play Store. The ones built-in are no slouch either.
Watch Faces
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I’m quite fond of this design called “Futurist” which displays all the essential information in a pretty cool layout. But I did notice one of several bugs on the Mobvoi app when trying to switch between dial faces.
Here, the app seems to have clearly separated paid and free ones with a label. Seems to. However, even some of those that don’t display a price tag like this one called “Retro Wave” are behind a paywall. Talking about payment, the TicWatch E3 also features NFC payments through Google Pay.
“OK Google” works now
Getting to the UI, you’ll find the Google Assistant menu to the left of the homescreen whereas all the widgets or “Tiles” (as Google likes to call it) are located on the right. If you recall our review of the OPPO Watch, you’ll know that the “Ok Google” hotword was broken in all Wear OS-powered smartwatches until then.
Thankfully, Google finally rolled out an update fixing this problem back in March. And now, you can trigger the assistant with the “Ok Google” or “Hey Google” command—and receive speech output accordingly.
Likewise, all the incoming notifications are timestamped and chronologically stored on the bottom layout of the UI. You can also switch between three levels of notification previews that vary in different levels of obtrusiveness. Unseen notifications can are also marked with a little icon.
Similarly, the command center on the top is home to the settings menu alongside brightness control, DND, airplane mode, and other options. Mobvoi TicWatch E3 also supports music playback control, which gets its place in the command center as well. Despite featuring an LCD panel, this smartwatch also supports Always-on Display, where it grayscales the watch face.
But considering its battery-consuming properties and sheer imperfect implementation, I chose not to turn on AoD here. Plus, both “raise to wake” and “tap to wake” functions work perfectly fine. Moreover, the Wear OS gestures like “flick to launch” notification panel, menu, or command center don’t leave much room for complaint either. But I will say it hesitates to do its job well when you’re lying flat.
Performance, Wear OS
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 (12nm)
1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, Wear OS
What’s next? Yes, allow me to get into the performance side of things now. Like I mentioned in the beginning, Mobvoi chose to retain top-notch hardware from the TicWatch Pro 3, while compromising on aspects like design and display to be able to deliver this smartwatch. And boy am I glad about this decision.
Powered by the flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset, everything’s so, so smooth here. To note, besides the Pro 3, TicWatch E3 is the only other smartwatch to feature this powerful silicon. Complementing this is 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage.
Compared to its predecessor, the Wear 3100 (28nm) from back in 2018, Qualcomm says Wear 4100 offers 85% better CPU and memory performance, 2.5x faster GPU, and 2x better camera experience.
Manufactured under a power-efficient 12nm process, this chip promises superior battery endurance as well. Seeing other watchmakers still not upgrade to this objectively supreme chipset is a little puzzling though. But if rumors are to be believed, the upcoming smartwatches from OPPO and Motorola will indeed be powered by Snapdragon Wear 4100.
Wear 4100 vs 4100+
Qualcomm also has a slightly better wearable platform, which is the Wear 4100+. Between the two, the only difference is that the plus variant also features an AON co-processor for handling ambient tasks like heart-rate monitoring, AoD, for efficient resource and power management.
Anyway, I’m loving the Wear OS experience on the TicWatch E3 so far. From launching apps, selecting menus, to UI transitions, it’s smooth sailing here. Because of the built-in WiFi, you don’t need to rely on a smartphone to download apps or such either. The incoming notifications are actionable, of course.
Plus, it supports emojis, Nepali Unicode font, and even images. Sweet! However, the built-in vibration motor is too weak—to the point where I’ve missed multiple alerts. And this is not something that can be fixed by a firmware update.
You can choose to type up replies, use Text-To-Speech (TTS), select from available emojis, or use smart reply for messages. Surprisingly, swipe typing on such a small screen has been quite accurate throughout my usage.
Google has improved Wear OS
Then there’s the freedom to install from thousands of apps on the Play Store. This is something Wear OS takes pride in compared to smartwatch platforms from other vendors like Samsung’s Tizen OS and Huawei’s LiteOS. From Google Maps, Telegram, Viber, Spotify, Shazam, to AccuWeather, it’s all here.
All the apps are arranged in a block-style fashion under the Mobvoi launcher. Here, the said apps aren’t alphabetically ordered although you can make it so.
But if you prefer the classic Wear OS layout instead, there’s the option to enable Google’s default launcher as well. 8GB of internal storage is plenty enough for a smartwatch but unlike Huawei, Amazfit smartwatches, you can’t locally store music here. As a result, you’ll have to carry your smartwatch during your workout sessions—in case you wish to stream some tunes along the way.
TicWatch E3 also supports making calls and messages—from the watch itself. But in a couple of instances, I noticed how canceling a call from the watch didn’t actually work. The phone call UI would go away with the outgoing call still in progress. Weird. Now, talking about the call quality itself, it’s pretty impressive. People on the receiving end described my voice as loud and clear.
Despite this, the onboard speaker is sub-par only since calls sound a little noisy here. Tech enthusiasts will also know that Google and Samsung recently inked a deal to merge Wear and Tizen OS—two of the best smartwatch platforms. With the powerful chipset at the helm, I am hopeful that the TicWatch E3 will get this update too.
Health, Fitness Tracking
21 workout modes with automatic detection of 3
Blood oxygen, heart-rate monitoring, built-in GPS
In terms of health and fitness tracking features, this smartwatch brings Mobvoi’s portfolio of solutions under the “Tic” branding—alongside similar alternatives from Google. For the purposes of this review, I tested all the health-related features of Mobvoi TicWatch E3 via the company’s Tic-branded options.
Regardless, the TicWatch E3 brags 21 workout modes under TicExercise. This includes outdoor run/walk, indoor run/cycle, pool swimming, basketball, mountaineering, and more. As expected, this smartwatch boasts auto workout detection as well. Mobvoi calls it TicMotion but disappointingly, it can only recognize three types of exercises: walk, run, and cycle.
Workout
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You can select which ones to turn on/off, but seeing how even budget fitness trackers like the Huawei Band 6 and Mi Band 6 can detect up to 6 types of workouts, the TicWatch E3’s limitation feels almost embarrassing. Nonetheless, for the available ones, it does auto workout recognition better.
Auto workout detection works fine
Throughout the review period, the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 was able to accurately trace my workout sessions. It consisted of determining the kickoff time and when I ended my exercise. Its auto-pause feature is another handy tool to have. The watch even displays the duration of your break and resumes the workout automatically once it detects you’re on the move.
Besides the standard metrics like heart rate, calories, distance, and speed, the E3 can also monitor VO2Max levels all through the exercise and even lap your workouts.
And thanks to the built-in GPS, it eliminates the need to carry around a smartphone to trail your exercises as well. It works best when using in conjunction with a phone but that’s not elementary. By itself, the TicWatch E3 was able to lock to a GPS signal impressively fast enough—be it indoors or outdoors.
Auto Workout Detection
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To compare, this is comparatively quicker than other smartwatches I’ve tested so far like the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro, Amazfit T-Rex, and Fitbit Versa 3. Looking at the recorded map in the Mobvoi app, I can’t complain about the accuracy either.
Still, this is a relatively inferior navigation system compared to the TicWatch Pro 3. That’s because this big-budget smartwatch supports five standards of satellite positioning system compared to E3’s three. Even so, this shouldn’t matter at all to most users.
HIIT for professionals
If you’re a professional athlete who undergoes high-intensity interval training (HIIT), then there’s something in store here. It lets you choose from 11 different HIIT exercise modes with the ability to set duration, count, and break time between up to three modes. Plus, if you regularly train under a select group of exercises, the TicWatch E3 also lets you save them as presets.
Apart from this, there is practically every health monitoring feature here, that you’d expect from a flagship smartwatch. It has 24-hour heart rate (TicPulse), SpO2 (TicOxygen), stress (TicZen), and sleep (TicSleep) monitoring.
Still, their “all-day” aspect is a little questionable. It can deliver resting heart rate level on-request… just like that. Yet, looking up the 24-hour data, we can notice that it settles for hourly records only. And this is true for blood oxygen monitoring too.
Heart Rate
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Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Nevertheless, you can enable alerts against abnormal heart rate during regular usage or when you’re in a workout. TicWatch E3 also graphs your daily heart raze zones under different categories like anaerobic, cardio, fat burn, warm up, and resting for a detailed insight. But weirdly enough, this data is only available on the watch, and not on the companion app.
Continuous blood oxygen monitoring
Moving on, continuous SpO2 tracking has been one of the most sought-after features in modern smartwatch/fitness trackers and this device doesn’t disappoint. The watch can also remind you of abnormal blood oxygen levels which is fantastic.
Blood Oxygen
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Daily
Monthly
But since it requires staying incredibly still to get a measurement, the 24-hour blood oxygen monitoring fails to deliver. Therefore, most of my SpO2 charts read empty with no data during different hourly intervals throughout the day. Likewise, its stress recording is quite impressive. However, having to stay perfectly still to get a measurement substracts a comprehensive all-day readout.
Stress
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Daily Chart
Stress Percent
And God almighty, the manual stress monitoring on TicWatch E3 is the slowest I’ve ever seen on a smartwatch—or even a fitness band. Mobvoi has also complemented this with breathing exercises under TicBreathe—which maxes out at up to 5 minutes.
Noise
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Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Inspired by Apple Watch, the company has also included noise level monitoring here. But unlike an Apple Watch, the TicHearing app can’t run in the background.
Inconsistent sleep tracking
In any way, sleep monitoring on this smartwatch has been pretty much spot-on during my usage in terms of my time to bed and the time I got up. But for reasons unknown, the watch has recorded me being awake mid-sleep practically every day. I can absolutely vouch for its inaccuracy because I tend to sleep like a log.
Sleep
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Daily
Daily
Monthly
Monthly
Weekly
Weekly
Anyway, Mobvoi substitutes sleep score found in most other smartwatches with sleep efficiency instead—which is the same thing but it’s represented in percentage. Besides this, the TicWatch E3 records your nightly heart rate and SpO2 levels as well.
The companion app needs work—a lot of it
All these data sync with the Mobvoi app while the initial setup also requires you to install the Wear OS app. And I must say, the company has a lot of work cut out for it with regards to its app if it wants to level with the industry’s front runners.
Mobvoi App
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Dashboard
Dashboard
Devices
TicCare
Explore
Account
Maybe it was in preparation for the launch of TicWatch E3 but Mobvoi recently updated the UI/UX of its companion app. But besides the newer visuals, it doesn’t compare to something like the Huawei Health app.
I feel like this is only the simplest extension of the data that can be visualized on the watch itself. Yes, it does retain historical records and the detail of many aspects at length but that’s about it.
You can’t read the specific data in the chart by clicking on it, so having to manually align the data on the Y-axis is an unnecessary challenge. The map of your workout route can’t be zoomed in either. It’s just so… basic. Additionally, the entire “Explore” tab feels like an elaborate ad for Mobvoi’s portfolio of products. Also, it’s almost criminal for an app to lack native dark mode in 2021.
Mobvoi App
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Account
Third-Party Data Bind
Audio Transcribe
Thankfully, you can sync TicWatch E3’s data to other apps like Google Fit, Strava, and Runkeeper. There’s also something called “TicCare” under which you can share your health data with other TicWatch users and vice-versa. And another interesting feature here is audio recording and AI transcribing. The transcribing part works pretty fine but Mobvoi has been greedy enough in limiting the feature to just 1 hour.
Battery
380mAh battery, Up to 1.5 days
Proprietary magnetic pin charging
Finally, let’s get into the battery section of this review of the Mobvoi TicWatch E3. Because of its Wear OS heritage, it expectedly can’t last as long as those from Huawei and Amazfit. Here, it is fueled by a 380mAh battery which should last between 1 – 1.5 days according to the company. And that’s precisely what my tests have concluded.
With brightness set to level two, every health monitoring feature turned on, the watch connected to my phone at all times, WiFi set to auto, and around 50 minutes of GPS usage, it lasted me for around 23.5 hours.
But with the built-in GPS turned off, I managed to go about 32 hours without having to juice it up. If you’re low on power, the Essential Mode comes to the rescue, which turns on automatically once the battery level hits 5% too.
Essential mode for the best battery life
I haven’t tested the watch under this mode to confirm its battery endurance, but turning this on should give you at least a couple of weeks of battery life. For longer endurance, this mode restricts your smartwatch experience to the most basic info only—and resting heart rate level when pressing the bottom right button.
On the charging front, the TicWatch E3 uses a proprietary bean-shaped magnetic connector. It latches onto the watch pretty firmly so no problem there. But like Pro 3, this one is void of wireless charging as well. At any rate, the onboard charger takes around 1 hour and 34 minutes to fully juice up. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support wireless charging.
Conclusion
Time to wrap up this review of the Mobvoi TicWatch E3. Fair to say, I’m thoroughly impressed with what the company has managed to deliver with the TicWatch E3. It’s almost like a flagship killer for smartwatches. The powerful Wear 4100 platform makes the Wear OS experience oh-so enjoyable on this relatively affordable device of its kind.
For core fitness enthusiasts, the company’s decision to cut costs in the design and display department to offer a supreme smartwatch experience with a bunch of health tracking features makes all the sense. Yet, that’s not to say the E3 is perfect—even disregarding its inferior build quality, soft vibration motor, LCD screen, and lack of wireless charging.
There are a few inconsistencies with the exercise modes, and the sleep monitoring also requires further refinement. Not to forget, the Mobvoi companion app still has a long way to go as well. Despite all this, I still believe that the TicWatch E3 is an excellent value-for-money smartwatch—easily outclassing most other alternatives inside the $200 price range.
Lately, Motorola has been trying to tap into the South Asian market. The brand made a comeback to the Nepali market last and has been updating the portfolio from time to time. Here, Moto E7 Power is the most affordable Motorola phone you could buy in Nepal. It packs some interesting features for an entry-level phone. In this review, I will be discussing all the good and bad aspects of the Motorola Moto E7 Power.
Motorola Moto E7 Power Specifications:
Body: 75.9 x 165.1 x 9.2mm, 200 gm, IP52 rated
Display: 6.5-inches “Max Vision” IPS LCD panel, 269 PPI
Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G25 (12nm)
Memory: 2/4GB RAM, 32/64GB storage (expandable up to 1TB)
Let us start with the design and feel of the device. Moto E7 Power is quite sturdy, and it does not feel cheap despite having plastic as the principal material. Motorola has gone with this matte finish that is good-looking and resistant to smudges and fingerprint marks.
On top of that, this one has an IP52 rating. While it doesn’t make the phone fully weatherproof, it will save the phone from minor splashes.
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Back
Display
You get a trio of buttons on the right side. The dedicated Google Assistant button and the power button have textures that distinguish them from each other, with the volume rocker between them.
Still, I would have liked if Motorola had placed the Google Assistant button on the left, which is clean except for the triple-card slot. This button is placed very high, and most of the time, I would mistake it for volume up instead.
At the back, there is a left-aligned pill-shaped camera bump, a fingerprint scanner with the classic Motorola logo, and a speaker grille. The 3.5mm headphone jack is at the top, and Moto even includes a wired earphone jack in the box.
Similarly, the bottom side is home to the microphone and Type-C port. Both the in-box earphone and the Type-C port are quite rare at this price point, so kudos to Motorola.
Display
6.5” HD+ IPS LCD panel, 269 PPI
1600 x 720 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio
Moto E7 Power features a 6.5-inch “Max Vision” display with a waterdrop-style notch for the selfie camera. The fact it is a budget offering is apparent with the thick bezels around the screen.
Coming to the panel, it is an HD+ IPS LCD screen, which is what most devices offer in this price range. There is an LED towards the left of the notch, which lights up whenever you receive a notification. The display produces saturated colors as the colors are set to Boosted by default. Having it set to Natural felt much better to me.
Visibility becomes an issue when you take the phone outdoor, but not when indoors (which I expect you to be during the ongoing prohibitory order). The phone also has Widevine L1 certification, so that should help.
Performance
Octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 (12nm platform)
2/4GB RAM, 32/64GB eMCP storage (expandable)
Moto E7 Power is powered by the MediaTek Helio G25 chipset that went official last year. Based on TSMC’s 12nm process, it features eight Cortex-A53 cores (@2.0GHz) and IMG PowerVR 8320 GPU (@650MHz).
You can get phones with Helio G35 for a similar price, which could look more powerful on paper. However, the overclocked GPU and CPU don’t make much difference in real-life usage.
Though the phone has a higher 4/64GB variant, only the base 2/32GB model is available in Nepal. It takes a while to open any app, and the phone struggles to keep the app in the background. So, multitasking is out of the question.
Gaming experience
MediaTek promotes its Helio G-series as gaming-oriented because of the HyperEngine technology. Thus, we had to test few games on it. Starting with Call Of Duty Mobile, I will say that the game has not been optimized well for the device. You can only play in Low graphics settings. With the refresh rate set to High, the game was smooth except for occasional lags.
PUBG Mobile, on the other hand, can run at Balanced graphics and refresh rate. The gameplay does not seem smooth, partly because of the supported refresh rate. That being said, I did not experience much lag as I did with COD. I also noticed that the phone starts getting warmer after 30 minutes of playing these demanding games. As a result, the games turn choppy.
Less-demanding games fare a lot better. I tried games like Clash Royale and FreeFire, and the experience was much better. The latter offered more graphics settings and was smoother compared to other aforementioned FPS titles.
Software
Android 10 with Motorola’s My UX on top
Clean and ad-free UI, Near stock Android
Anyway, the software has been a great selling point for Motorola devices. Still, I feel like the company could have done better. For instance, Motorola could have opted for Go Edition instead of the full-fledged Android version, at least for the 2GB variant. Here, Moto E7 Power runs My UX on top of Android 10.
However, you do not get to enjoy much of the gestures and customization that My UX is known for. The ones that I could find on the phone were “Chop to open Flashlight” and three-finger screenshot.
You will not be getting any ads or shady notifications that you find on other “value-for-money” budget devices. There were no pre-installed bloatware apps either. You get all the Google apps, some of which can even be uninstalled (Home, Fit, Podcasts, One).
Cameras
Dual camera setup at the back
(12MP primary, 2MP macro)
5MP selfie camera inside the notch
Cameras
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Rear
Front
There are three cameras on the Moto E7 Power, two on the back and one on the front. The rear camera setup consists of a 13MP primary shooter and a 2MP macro camera.
Normal Images
I would say the shots from the 13MP primary camera look good, but only when there is ample light. They are not sharp but I won’t say they are horrible either. For better results, I recommend you turn on the HDR.
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The quality deteriorates as the day transitions into the night, and there is no dedicated night mode to help you either. The photos lack detail and are full of noise.
Nighttime
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Portrait Image
Coming to the portraits, they are decent for the price. The images are not sharp. You can adjust the blur intensity before taking the picture.
Portrait
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Selfie Images
Similar is the case with the 5MP selfie shooter.
Selfie
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Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
The photos are not sharp. They look soft, but the overall quality is decent for the price segment.
Macro Images
Moving on, the shots from the 2MP macro camera lack detail and sharpness.
Macro
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Therefore, it is there just to make up the numbers.
Audio, Call Quality
Single speaker, 3.5mm audio jack
Moving on to call quality, I had no problem making and attaining calls on the Smart Telecom network.
Coming to the audio, the single speaker on E7 Power is moderately loud, but it sounds grainy. It is on the back of the phone where it’s most likely to be blocked when placed on a flat surface. Thankfully, there is a wired earphone in the box that I found myself using most of the time because of the higher quality compared to the speaker.
Battery
5,000mAh battery with 10W charging (Type-C)
Likewise, the battery is among the strongest suits of the Moto E7 Power. The 5,000mAh battery provided me a screen-on time of 7 hours on average. I used the device for things like YouTube, social media browsing, and light gaming.
Therefore, on normal usage, it should easily last a day of usage. It is great to see Motorola offer Type-C charging on an entry-level device like the E7 Power. A 10W adapter comes in the box. Still, the phone takes an excess of 3.5 hours to go from 0 to 100%.
Conclusion
To conclude, Motorola has gone for the basics with the Moto E7 Power. The device comes with a sturdy yet elegant design with great battery backup and a clean, ad-free UI.
The 2GB RAM variant falls short on performance because of the chipset limitation and full-fledged Android. So, if you’re thinking of getting the phone, be sure to buy the 4/64GB variant.
Aspects like camera, performance, and charging speed left us wanting more, but it is typical of phones in this price range.
Watch our video review of the Moto E7 Power (Nepali).
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