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).
Back in April, Nokia launched two new products in Nepal. One was a wireless speaker (SP-101) while the other was a headphone (E1200). Of the two, I have been testing the Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101 for a while now, and I’ll be sharing my experience with this portable speaker in this review.
Before starting this review, let us take a quick look at the official specification listing of the Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101.
Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101 specifications:
Body: 86 × 50 mm, 160gm
Design: Compact, travel-friendly design
Driver: 43 mm audio driver
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
Audio: Integrated microphone for calls
Buttons: Volume control, play/pause, power
Battery: 800mAh battery, up to 4 hours of wireless playback
Port: Micro-USB charging
Others: Can link with two speakers for stereo output
Here, it is essential to know that not all Nokia products come from the same manufacturer. By signing up for Nokia’s branding licensing, a company can have its name and logo on its products. In India, for instance, Flipkart sells Nokia TVs, whereas RichGo offers audio accessories in China and other markets.
The Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101 comes from HMD Global. Having used a couple of its phones in the previous year, I expected the speaker to be well-built above all else. And, for the most part, this holds true.
Design and Build
Small, circular form factor
No official IP certification
Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101 comes in a small round body. The speaker grill is located on the top and is covered with mesh fabric material. HMD Global chose a rubber-like material for the bottom, which I don’t believe was properly glued in our unit.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts coming off after few months of use. The speaker has a short, black cord that users can use to carry the speaker around. Furthermore, it weighs just 160 grams making it easy to take it with your most places.
If you’re a color snob, the SP-101 could disappoint because it’s only available in the black color option. Having more youthful choices would have added to the appeal of the speaker.
Likewise, it also lacks a dust/water-resistance certification. For a portable speaker, I think this is quite the crucial feature to lack. At the very least, Nokia has included a flap cover to protect the charging port.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0, No auxiliary input
On the connectivity front, the speaker uses Bluetooth 5.0. I used it with my phone and a Windows laptop and had no issues with connectivity.
The pairing process is rather simple too. You can long press the power button to turn on the speaker. Then, turn on Bluetooth on your phone and hit connect. The speaker automatically connects to previously paired devices as well.
In my time with the Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101, I did not experience any disconnection or interruption. Although there is no 3.5mm headphone jack, you can still connect two of them for stereo audio.
Controls
Volume, playback control, power button
Moving on, this speaker has four buttons in total. They are divided into two groups of two, each on the opposing side of the speaker.
On one side, there is a power key and a play/pause button. Meanwhile, there is a volume up/down button on the opposing end. Long-pressing these buttons will allow you to skip tracks as well.
Audio Performance
43mm audio driver
The speaker has a 43mm audio driver. You can notice the passive radiator on the bottom of the device. What I found from my tests is that its sound quality isn’t all that good, even for a budget speaker.
However, it is loud enough for small to medium-sized rooms. Bass lacks thumping. In addition, the instrument separation is not that good. Most of the time, the vocals are clear, except at high levels when they begin to crackle. It can be aggravating at times.
Moving on, the speaker has a built-in microphone that you can use to make phone calls. With this, you can also activate the virtual assistant on your phone. The call quality is decent but it does not have noise cancellation of any sort.
Battery
800mAh battery, Up to 4 hours of playback
Micro USB port, No fast charging support
Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101 packs an 800mAh battery, which Nokia claims can last for up to four hours of playback. Interestingly, at least for me, each full charge provided 5 hours of average backup. That’s great!
On the other hand, Nokia is still old-fashioned when it comes to charging. The company chose a micro USB port instead of Type-C. And because of the round design, you might struggle to find the correct position of the port. Likewise, the charging indicator gets easily blocked by the cable. The entire charging process takes an excess of 2 hours.
Conclusion
So, let’s conclude this review of the Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101. For me, the best part of this speaker is its battery backup. I was able to get more playback time than what the company has promised to provide.
In addition, it has a microphone built-in, which works well considering it’s a budget device. And that’s about it—nothing else stands out. The speaker is not loud enough and has quality issues. It’s difficult to endorse SP-101 when competing brands provide similar or better experiences at comparable prices.
Nokia Wireless Speaker SP-101 Review: Pros and Cons
Nokia has officially launched yet another budget phone in Nepal, the Nokia G10. With a slightly less powerful Helio G25 processor onboard, this is an affordable alternative to the Nokia G20 which is already available in Nepal. So, let’s get into the specs, features, official price in Nepal, and availability of the Nokia G10.
Nokia G10 Overview:
Design and Display
Nokia G10 has a similar design language as its expensive sibling. It features a textured back with a circular camera layout. The front has a V-shaped notch with small bezels on the side, whereas there’s a significant chin with a “Nokia” branding.
G10 flaunts a 6.5-inches HD LCD screen with a 2.5D cover glass. It has a 1600 x 720 pixels resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio.
As aforementioned, the G10 is equipped with the MediaTek Helio G25 chipset. This silicon supports MediaTek’s HyperEngine technology for enhanced memory management. Complementing Helio G25 is 3/4GB of RAM, and 32/64GB of internal storage.
You can further expand its memory up to 512 GB via an external SD card. Like it is with other Nokia phones, the G10 ships with stock Android 11 as well—although it’s not a part of the Android One program.
Camera and Battery
In terms of optics, it has a triple-camera setup at the back. There’s a 13MP main camera along with a 2MP depth and 2MP macro sensor. On the front, the V-shaped notch holds an 8MP selfie shooter.
Fueling the device is a large 5050mAh battery. Nokia claims up to 3 days of battery life with this setup. There’s no fast charging support here and the company provides a 10W power adapter inside the box.
Rest of the specs
Aside from that, Nokia G10 has a dedicated 3.5mm audio jack and a single bottom-firing speaker setup. For biometrics, it uses a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The phone is available in two color configurations: Blue and Dusk.
Nokia G10 Specifications:
Body: 164.9 x 76 x 9.2 mm, 194 gm
Display: 6.5-inches IPS LCD, 2.5D glass, 20:9 aspect ratio
Resolution: HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels)
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G25 (12 nm)
Memory: 3/4GB RAM, 32/64GB storage (expandable up to 512GB)
Others: Google Assistant button, Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient light sensor
Color Options: Blue, Dusk
Nokia G10 Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of the Nokia G10 in Nepal is NPR 16,999 for the sole 4/64GB variant. You can buy Nokia G10 from different Nokia authorized retail stores across Nepal.
Nokia G10
Price in Nepal
4/64GB
NPR 16,999
Meanwhile, check out the review of the Vivo iQOO 7.
Leica has officially launched its first phone, which is called the Leitz Phone 1. It sports a 1-inch camera sensor, which we originally saw on the Sharp Aquos R6. Like its inspiration, the Leitz Phone 1 is also exclusive to Japan.
Leica Leitz Phone 1 Overview:
If you’re unfamiliar with Leica, it is a premium camera, lens manufacturer. In the smartphone world, it is most well known for its partnership with Huawei for the company’s premium phones. Leica has now launched its first smartphone—Leitz Phone 1, which shares most of its specifications with Sharp Aquos R6.
Design and Display
The company isn’t afraid to admit that the Leitz Phone 1 is a rebranded Aquos R6. The external design is said to be inspired by “Leica’s DNA,” implying that the device has seen little rework from its Sharp counterpart. At the back, there’s a circular camera bump with a Leica-branded lens cover.
Likewise, the device flaunts a 6.6-inch IGZO OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate. It features a matte black glass cover on the “Leica Silver” metallic body. Splashes of water or even full-on immersion won’t damage the phone as it has IP68 certification for water/dust resistance. Leitz Phone 1 measures 9.5mm in thickness and weighs around 212 grams.
As mentioned earlier, its hardware is similar to the Aquos R6. Thus, Snapdragon 888 chipset’s presence is unquestionable here. Memory-wise, you get 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage that can be extended up to 1TB.
Moving on, Leitz Phone 1 boots on Android 11 with Leica’s own custom user interface called “largely monochrome” on top. That doesn’t imply the phone isn’t in color. Instead, default applications like the camera app have desaturated menus and buttons.
Camera and Battery
In terms of optics, the Leitz Phone 1 has a large 1-inch 20MP sensor with a 19mm equivalent focal length. The circular camera array allows for the installation of a metal lens cover, simulating the feeling of using a professional Leica camera.
On the front, there’s a 12.6-megapixel selfie snapper. Fueling the device is a 5000mAh battery that charges via the Type-C port onboard.
Leica Leitz Phone 1 Specifications:
Build: Black color, 9.5mm thick, 212gm
Display: 6.6-inch Pro IGZO OLED, 2730 x 1260 pixels, 2000 nits (peak), 240Hz refresh rate (variable)
Memory: 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage (expandable up to 1TB)
Operating System: Android 11 with Leica’s custom UI
Battery: 5,000mAh with Intelligent Charge 2.0
Security: Qualcomm 3D Sonic Max under-display fingerprint sensor
Leica Leitz Phone 1 Price and Availability
Leica Leitz Phone 1 is a SoftBank-exclusive smartphone in Japan that costs JPY 187,920 (~ USD 1,700). The phone will be up for pre-order from June 18 and will be available for purchase in late July. However, there is no mention of the phone’s global availability yet.
Smartphone Model
Price in Japan
Leica Leitz Phone 1
JPY 187,920 (~ USD 1,700)
Meanwhile, check out our review of Mi 11X vs iQOO 7.
Motorola is reviving its Defy series of smartphones after almost a decade of dormancy. It will now host a new lineup of rugged phones. For this, Motorola is collaborating with Bullitt, the company behind Cat phones. The first entry to come out of this partnership is Motorola Defy (2021). Here, we will discuss the key specs, features, expected price in Nepal, and availability of Motorola Defy (2021).
Motorola Defy (2021) Overview:
As mentioned earlier, this phone has a rugged design. However, from the inside, it is a lot like the Motorola G9 Play that is already available in Nepal.
Design and Display
To start with, Motorola Defy features a 6.5-inch HD+ screen. It is protected by a thick layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The phone has a waterdrop notch on the top and has substantial bezels. It is usable even with wet fingers.
Motorola Defy (2021)
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Screen
Textured Back
Camera Module
Moving on, Motorola Defy has a rugged plastic build. The company has sealed the housing twice to avoid water damage. The phone is IP68 certified and thus, can survive in water of 1.5m depth for up to 35 minutes. In addition, it has military-grade certification (MIL-SPEC 810H) against extreme temperature, vibration, and tumbles. Motorola says that Defy can survive a drop of up to 1.8m.
Under the hood, it packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 662 processor. This silicon is based on the older 11nm process and features 4x Cortex-A73 and 4x Cortex-A53 CPU cores. The chipset is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Users can expand the storage by using an external MicroSD card.
Camera
The square camera bump at the back houses the triple camera setup. Its 48MP primary camera shoots 12MP photos by default using 4-in-1 pixel binning. Accompanying it are two 2MP auxiliary lenses for macro and portrait shots.
On the front, there is an 8MP shooter for selfies and video calls.
Rest of the specs
Fueling the phone is a 5,000mAh cell, which supports 20W TurboPower charging over the Type-C port. Motorola is claiming up to 2 days of battery backup on this phone.
The company is also targeting enterprise-grade customers with Defy (2021). The phone is part of the Android 10 Enterprise program and supports features such as zero-touch for mass deployment and management. There is also a programmable shortcut key with “Push to Talk” mode.
Motorola Defy (2021) Specifications:
Design: Reinforced PCB, textured, lanyard
Display: 6.5″ HD+ panel, Gorilla Glass Victus (0.5mm recess), Usable with wet fingers
Rear Camera: 48MP primary, 2MP depth, 2MP macro
Front Camera: 8MP (teardrop notch)
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 (11nm)
Memory: 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (expandable)
OS: Android 10 (2 years of update)
Battery: 5000mAh, 20W TurboPower
Connectivity: 4G, VoLTE, VoWi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Type-C, NFC
Protection: IP68 certification, MIL-SPEC 810H, -25°C to +55°C operable temperature
Extra Features: Android Enterprise, Zero-Touch, Programmable Key with Push to Talk
Motorola Defy (2021) Price in Nepal & Availability
Motorola Defy 2021 will be available in select European and Latin American markets within the next few weeks for the price of EUR 329. There is not much demand for rugged smartphones in Nepal. Still, if Motorola Defy (2021) makes its way into Nepal, we expect its price to be NPR 42,000.
Motorola Defy (2021)
Price in Europe
Price in Nepal (Expected)
4/64GB
EUR 329
NPR 42,000
Meanwhile, check out our comparison between Mi 11X and iQOO 7.
Scientists have developed a new ultra-thin film for ordinary glasses that lets people see in the dark. The film uses tens of nanometre-scale crystals that convert infrared light into visible pictures.
Ultra-thin film lets glasses see in the dark :
Researchers believe that the film can be fitted into an ordinary glass and can aid in eliminating the problem with compromised visibility at night. The idea is still in its early stages, but experts believe that it has the potential to transform the lens industry.
This allows for the purchase of low-cost, lightweight night vision goggles. For instance, the night vision goggles used by the military and police are far bulkier than standard goggles.
Development
Scientists from Australian National University (ANU) and Nottingham Trent University have been jointly working on the project. As per the research team, the ultra-compact technology doesn’t require any power source to operate.
“We have made the invisible visible,” said Dr. Rocio Camacho Morales, ANU’s lead postdoctoral researcher.
Image: Nanometre-scale crystals that are hundreds of times thinner than human hair.
The thin film can convert infrared light, which is typically invisible to the human eye, into a crisp image. Even from a distance, you can see clear images in front of your eyes.
Likewise, the film comprises hundreds of nanometer-scale crystals composed of gallium arsenide semiconductors. These minuscule crystals can change the color or frequency of the light that travels through the film, converting infrared photons into images visible to the eye.
Tests
During the test of film, it produced green visuals similar to those observed when wearing night-vision goggles. According to an ANU physics professor, the prototype device uses the film to control light in a unique way that is distinct from night vision goggles.
Furthermore, the goggles convert the infrared lights by creating electrons whose signals change to a usable image that humans can see.
Image: Samples with the film on the lens
Dragomir Neshev, ANU professor in physics says that “This is the first time anywhere in the world that infrared light has been successfully transformed into visible images in an ultra-thin screen.”
Dr. Mohsen Rahmani, Associate Professor at Nottingham Trent University who led the study, believes that it will now be simpler to see in the dark.
Meanwhile, check out our comparison of Mi 11X vs iQOO 7.
Here, I am going to be sharing our long-term review of the OnePlus 9. While I’ve been busy testing so many midrange phones that have launched in 2021 so far, one of our team members who is also a OnePlus enthusiast was tasked with using the OnePlus 9 as his daily driver for 2 months. Okay, let’s get into it.
OnePlus 9 Specifications:
Body: 74.2 x 160 x 8.7mm, 192 gm, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Okay, let’s start with the performance side of things. As expected, the company has not made any compromises here compared to the more expensive OnePlus 9 Pro.
Hence, it delivers as good a smartphone experience as relatively more expensive devices. Yet it feels like OnePlus has cheaped out a little bit in terms of the vibration motor as its haptics is not as good as the 9 Pro. Regardless, we are yet to encounter even the slightest hint of stutter in this Snapdragon 888-powered beast—no matter the intensity of the workload.
Plus, it does not heat up as much as the 9 Pro either. I don’t mean to say the OnePlus 9 stays cool under every condition but I have experienced its cooling solution to be slightly more effective than the 9 Pro while playing games or shooting 4K videos and such.
Gaming experience
Moving on. As with all the other phones with this flagship chipset, the OnePlus 9 is able to handle even the most graphics-intensive titles like Genshin Impact smoothly in the default settings. But, cranking up the settings to 60 fps, the gameplay is still fairly smooth although it introduces few jitters every now and then.
However, the bigger caveat here is that the phone heats up beyond 42-43ºC surface temperature under this. So, we recommend you stick with the default setting in Genshin Impact for a stable and comfortable gaming experience.
During this review, we also played our fair share of PUBG Mobile on the OnePlus 9. Here, the phone maintained a stable 40 fps in the highest of settings. And thanks to the incredibly low touch latency of 240Hz, the gameplay on this phone is further elevated.
However, to differentiate it from the Pro model, the company has skipped the “Hyper Touch” feature here that can bump the screen’s touch response all the way to 360Hz. Such petty compromises from OnePlus have become so common in the past couple of years that I can’t say I’m surprised.
On top of the discounted touch sampling rate, OnePlus has failed to bring 90fps gameplay in PUBG Mobile on this year’s flagship phones like on the OnePlus 8 series. As a result, the newer models can only hit a maximum of 60fps in extreme frame rates and HDR graphics.
Heating issue?
Plus, as I mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 9 does heat up while gaming. A couple of recent updates have minimized the issue to some extent, but it looks like Snapdragon 888 is the bigger culprit here.
Gaming aside, normal day-to-day task on this 120Hz refresh rate screen has been a great experience. The company’s OxygenOS is really well implemented and we’ve had no issues concerning sluggishness or stutters while scrolling, multitasking, and the likes here.
Left: OnePlus 9 | Right: OnePlus 9 Pro
The only thing I am slightly disappointed by is that OnePlus has been pretty slow with monthly updates on its phones since both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are still running on May’s security patch while we’re already halfway past June.
In comparison, Samsung has been doing incredibly well in this regard and I desperately hope OnePlus raises its software update game. Besides this, the company has also made other compromises here.
More compromises
For instance, the Indian variant of the OnePlus 9 only supports two 5G bands at a time when cheaper phones like the Realme X7 Max bring seven 5G bands. To note, the global variant that we have with us supports well over ten 5G bands. I think this regional variation is most likely to keep the prices lower in India since the global variant is 20-25% pricier than what OnePlus 9 costs in India.
Design & Build
74.2 x 160 x 8.7mm, 192 grams
Gorilla Glass 5 (front/back), plastic frames
No IP certification for dust/water protection
And not to forget that it does not have any IP rating either—well, that’s not entirely accurate. The frustratingly exclusive truth here is that the OnePlus 9 buyers in the US who purchase it from T-Mobile are indeed privy to IP68 certification. And no market else.
On top of this, it comes with plastic frames which I think is yet another letdown considering comparatively affordable phones like iQOO 7 Legend and the Mi 11X Pro brag metal frames.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the OnePlus 9 has a really impressive ergonomic design. It’s handy and with the flat display, we’ve had no issues regarding accidental or ghost touches here either. Also, it’s quite lightweight too. So unlike other bulkier phones, it’s not a struggle using the OnePlus 9 for a longer duration.
Buttons, Ports
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Buttons
Ports
Despite all this, if we had to rate its looks, well I would only give it a B+. That’s because the phone does not look and feel like a premium device. Instead, it looks like any other mid-range phone out there, especially this glossy Arctic Black variant that we have. OnePlus seriously could have done so much better in this regard!
Older-gen Gorilla Glass 5
Also, like the 9 Pro, the company has gone with the older-generation Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back instead of the Gorilla Glass Victus, which is Corning’s latest and greatest offering. Our unit hasn’t suffered from scratches yet, but I think they could have at least settled for the Gorilla Glass 6 if not the Victus.
Display
6.55-inches FHD+ Fluid AMOLED display
120/240Hz refresh/touch sampling rate
1100 nits peak brightness, HDR10+
Anyway, we have little to complain about the display though. While it doesn’t get as bright as that on the 9 Pro, it is bright enough under any kind of harsh lighting situation.
Do note that this 6.55” AMOLED screen is not QHD. Yet, its FHD resolution is still top quality. Plus, with the ever-so-optimized software, we have never faced laggy UI transition or jerky interface, which we’ve frequently encountered on Xiaomi or Realme phones. This is one of the few things great about OnePlus phones!
Left: OnePlus 9 | Right: OnePlus 9 Pro
However, it misses out on the DC dimming feature which was present on the OnePlus 8 series. Regardless, watching videos on this phone has been an enjoyable ride. Plus, its stereo speakers are as good as those on the 9 Pro which further adds to the content-consumption experience. They’re loud with really balanced mids and highs.
This AMOLED screen is also house to an optical in-display fingerprint sensor which is expectedly fast and accurate. Still, OnePlus could have placed the sensor a little higher, but over time you will get used to it.
Cameras
Triple-camera setup at the back
(48MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 2MP mono)
16MP selfie camera (punch-hole cutout)
Cameras
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Back
Front
Alright, now let’s talk about the cameras. I have already emphasized at length on how OnePlus created unnecessary hype around its partnership with popular camera maker Hasselblad in my review of the OnePlus 9 Pro, so I don’t want to beat a dead horse here.
Anyhow, this phone borrows the 48MP Sony IMX689 primary sensor from the 8 Pro. But the good news is that it gets the same 50MP ultra-wide free form lens like the 9 Pro and completing the setup is an underwhelming 2MP monochrome sensor. For this review, we compared the cameras of the OnePlus 9 against those on the 9 Pro.
Normal Images
Now, because the OnePlus 9 introduces the same Hasselblad color calibration, compared to its Pro sibling, normal daytime images look almost similar.
Normal
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OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
In some instances, the OnePlus 9 has a slightly saturated output but most of the time, you’ll have a difficult time pointing out the differences. The level of detail and dynamic range is pretty similar too.
Moving objects
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OnePlus 9
9 Pro
However, since the phone does not have OIS, there are certain instances when it does not behave well as a point-to-shoot camera should. So, if you are shooting a moving subject, the OnePlus 9 fails to lock focus quickly, thereby resulting in blurred artifacts which is not the case with the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Nighttime Images
Likewise, during nighttime, thanks to the lack of OIS and a slightly inferior sensor, low-light images look muddy and grainy when zoomed in. As evident from these photos, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s normal nighttime shots retain better details and less noise.
Nighttime
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OnePlus 9 - Nighttime
9 Pro - Nighttime
OnePlus 9 - Nighttime
9 Pro - Nighttime
OnePlus 9 - Nighttime
9 Pro - Nighttime
OnePlus 9 - Nightscape
9 Pro - Nightscape
OnePlus 9 - Nightscape
9 Pro - Nightscape
With the Nightscape mode turned on, details improve significantly though. Still, most of the time, the OnePlus 9 Pro does a better job.
Wideangle Images
Ultra-wide nighttime images from both phones have similar performance, be it under normal or Nightscape mode.
Ultrawide Nighttime
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OnePlus 9 - Ultrawide Nighttime
9 Pro - Ultrawide Nighttime
OnePlus 9 - Ultrawide Nightscape
9 Pro - Ultrawide Nightscape
The daytime ultra-wide photos are also pretty close.
Wideangle
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OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
Plus, its free-form lens helps reduce distortion around the edges here. But just like the images from the primary camera, sometimes, it leans a bit more on the saturated side.
Portrait Images
Moving to the portraits, well we’ve liked what OnePlus has done here. The subject focus is nice and edge detection is good as well.
Portrait
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OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
The only difference lies in the skin tone which is a little yellowish on the 9 Pro and pinkish on the OnePlus 9. Regardless of the color tone, both look pretty good in my eyes.
Selfie Images
Selfies from both phones turn out similar too, courtesy of the same 16MP sensor. This is us nitpicking but the OnePlus 9 Pro does maintain highlights slightly better.
Selfie
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OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
OnePlus 9
9 Pro
Still, there’s nothing much distinguishable in most instances. However, there have been a few occasions when the OnePlus 9 wasn’t able to manage exposure like in this picture here.
Selfie Videos
In terms of selfie videos, well, just like the 9 Pro, this phone can only shoot 30 or 60 fps videos in 1080p resolution. The footages are stable and their quality is decent as well.
But again, with a premium phone like this one, I think OnePlus should have offered higher resolution options as well. Nevertheless, the audio pick-up from the microphone sounds good enough for vlogging and such.
Videography
At the back, its video capabilities are almost identical to the 9 Pro, except for a 4k 120 fps option which is absent here. It still features 8k 30 fps mode though and the quality is almost similar on both phones.
Surprisingly, the 4k 60 fps videos also result in a similar performance, so that’s great. But sometimes, the lack of OIS is dearly missed in dimly lit or low lighting situations where it falls victim to slight jerks while its Pro sibling manages to deliver relatively stable output.
Overall, I must say that the OnePlus 9 is a good camera phone. It is more or less similar to the expensive OnePlus 9 Pro and is far ahead compared to other Snapdragon 888-powered phones like the Mi 11X Pro and the iQOO 7 Legend when it comes to the cameras.
Still, the problem here is that despite the Hasselblad partnership, aspects like inferior color, shadow processing, and inconsistency across lenses are still prevalent. Even after more than 2 months of the release of these phones, OnePlus has failed to fix these issues.
Battery
4500mAh battery with 65W fast charging
So, what did we miss? Hmm, oh yeah, the battery. Under a typical usage with the refresh rate set to 120Hz at all times and the Ambient display turned on, we managed to squeeze out just 5 hours of screen-on time throughout the review period from the 4500mAh battery of the OnePlus 9. This translates to less than a day’s endurance for me. And that’s strictly average battery life in my books.
One of the reasons for this could also be from the lack of LTPO backplane technology. You see, unlike the Pro variant, the OnePlus 9 can’t dynamically toggle between the screen’s refresh rate between 1 to 120Hz.
What this ultimately means is that the screen is unnecessarily taking up more power even when you’re interacting with static content—compared to how the 9 Pro can dial it down up to just 1Hz for optimum power consumption.
Also, you will notice quite a significant battery drain with the Ambient display turned on. During our usage, we noticed around 7-10% battery drain overnight. So, if you prioritize battery life more, you should consider turning it off.
Charging speed
But since it supports 65 Watt fast charging like the 9 Pro, the OnePlus 9’s dual 2250mAh cell jumps from 0 to 100% in around 30 minutes only. However, I was quite annoyed to see the phone’s Indian variant losing the wireless charging capability entirely while the global model features a mediocre 15W charging speed. I think they could have at least offered a 30W wireless charging.
Conclusion
Okay, time to wrap up this review of the OnePlus 9. As you might’ve guessed, our verdict on the device is that it’s a pretty good phone for the price and I would probably pick it over the 9 Pro because it’s more value-oriented and that’s what OnePlus is all about.
Having said that, I feel like OnePlus has priced it 10-15% more than what feels justifiable. For instance, the phone lacks OIS, a telephoto lens, LTPO technology, an IP rating, and it has plastic frames. So, because of all this, buyers might be tempted to go with the cheaper alternatives like Mi 11X Pro or the iQOO 7 Legend, which practically offer similar specs as the OnePlus 9.
Alongside the launch of the Honor 50 series of smartphones, the company also unveiled its new TWS earbuds – the Honor Earbuds 2 SE. These in-ear earbuds feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and impressive battery life. So, let’s dig into the specs, features, availability, and expected price in Nepal of Honor Earbuds 2 SE.
Honor Earbuds 2 SE Overview:
Design
To note, this is Honor’s first set of earbuds after its separation from Huawei. The Earbuds 2 SE comes in a stem design and silicone tips to secure it into your ears. It has a glossy finish and fits in a rectangular charging case.
Each bud weighs about 5.5 grams and is IPX4 certified for water resistance. Honor Earbuds 2 SE comes in two color options: Magic Night Black and Iceland White
In terms of specs, the Earbuds 2 SE brings Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). It is driven by a moving coil unit with a 10mm polymer composite diaphragm. Similarly, like with many Honor earbuds, it features a transparency mode that allows you to listen to ambient sound without removing the earbud.
Furthermore, there is a low-latency gaming option that is only available on devices running Magic UI 4.0 or higher. When making calls, it brings a dual microphone AI call noise reduction feature that employs beamforming technology to decrease background sound like wind noise.
Battery and Controls
The earbuds pack a 55mAh cell each and Honor is promising up to 10 hours of listening time with ANC turned off or 7.5 hours with ANC enabled. The charging case, on the other hand, contains a 410mAh battery and can provide up to 32 hours of playback. Its USB-C connector also supports fast charging. According to Honor, a 10-minute charge will provide 4 hours of listening time.
You can operate it via capacitive touch controls built into the stem of both earbuds. A double-tap on either the left or right earpiece will play/pause music or accept/end a call. Similarly, long-tapping on either earbud activates or deactivates ANC and transparency mode.
Honor Earbuds 2 SE Specifications:
Weight: 47g (with case)
Sound Driver: 10mm
Battery: 55mAh (earbuds), 410mAh (case)
Water Resistance: IPX4 certification
Music Time:
Earbuds: Up to 10 hours (ANC off) / Up to 7.5 hours (ANC on)
With case: Up to 32 hours (ANC off) / Up to 24 hours (ANC on)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
Control: Touch
Noise Cancellation: ANC
Color options: Magic Night Black, Iceland White
Honor Earbuds 2 SE Price in Nepal and Availability
Honor Earbuds 2 SE is up for pre-order in China where its price is CNY 469 (~ USD 73). We expect the price of Honor Earbuds 2 SE earbuds in Nepal to be around NPR 10,000 if and when it launches here.
TWS Earbuds
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Honor Earbuds 2 SE
CNY 469
NPR 10,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
