Nokia has launched its latest budget phone in Russia. The new Nokia C01 Plus is a 4G-ready device that runs Android 11 (Go) out-of-the-box. Let us look at the complete specs, features, expected price in Nepal, and availability of the Nokia C01 Plus.
Nokia C01 Plus Overview:
Design and Display
Nokia C01 Plus features a 5.45-inch screen with 720 x 1400 pixels. The HD+ resolution results in an 18:9 aspect ratio. As expected from a budget phone, this one has thick bezels on all four edges of the screen—especially the top and bottom.
From a distance, one can mistake it for the Nokia C1 Plus that is available in Nepal. However, C01 Plus has a textured back. In addition, the placement of the front flash and speaker is different.
Under the hood, the device packs the Unisoc SC9863A SoC. This chipset consists of eight Cortex-A55 cores (4x 1.6 GHz and 4x 1.2 GHz). There is only one memory configuration with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage.
Here, the internal storage can be expanded up to 128GB using an external MicroSD card. Since the phone does not have much processing prowess, Nokia has installed the Go Edition of Android 11 on the C01 Plus.
Rest of the specs
Nokia C01 Plus has two 5MP cameras, one at the front and the other at the back. Both of them feature an LED flash of their own.
Backing the device is a 3,000mAh user-removable battery. The phone does not support any fast charging technology. In terms of connectivity, it has 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.2.
Nokia C01 Plus Specifications:
Body: 148 x 71.8 x 9.3mm, 157 gm
Display: 5.45-inches LCD panel
Resolution: HD+ (1440 x 720 pixels), 18:9 aspect ratio
Nokia C01 Plus is now available for pre-order in Russia, where its price is RUB 6,490. We expect the price of the Nokia C01 Plus in Nepal to be NPR 11,500 when it launches here.
Realme C25s is the latest budget device from the Chinese brand. As the name suggests, the C25s is a slightly upgraded version of the Realme C25. It brings an upgrade in the chipset department. And looking at its specs, the phone looks pretty similar to the Narzo 30A. Let us look at what else the Realme C25s has to offer, along with its expected price in Nepal.
Realme C25s Overview:
Design and Display
Realme C25s features a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD panel like the vanilla C25. The phone has a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera. It has an 88.7% screen-to-body ratio, and Realme claims peak brightness of up to 570 nits on this phone.
At the back, we get to see a familiar design with the square camera bump and the stripe.
As aforementioned, the biggest upgrade Realme C25s introduces is in the performance department. The phone brings MediaTek’s Helio G85 instead of the G70 on the C25. It features two Cortex-A75 (@2GHz) and six Cortex-A55 cores (@1.8GHz). There is Mali-G52 MC2 for graphics rendering. Realme C25s is available with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and either 64/128GB internal storage.
Camera
At the back, there’s a 13MP primary camera, which is accompanied by a 2MP monochrome and a 2MP depth sensor. Its Malaysian variant has a 48MP main camera instead. On the front, Realme C25s has an 8MP shooter for selfies.
Backing the device is a 6,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. Realme has included features like App Quick Freeze, Screen Optimization, and Super Battery Saving Mode here. There is a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometrics. The phone ships with Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top.
Realme C25s will go on sale in India starting today where its price starts at INR 9,999 for the 64GB variant while the 128GB model costs INR 10,999. We expect the price of Realme C25s in Nepal to start at NPR 17,500 when it launches here.
Realme C25s
Price in India
Price in Nepal (Expected)
4/64GB
INR 9,999
NPR 17,500
4/128GB
INR 10,999
NPR 19,500
Meanwhile, check out our unboxing and initial impressions of Realme X7 Max.
Sony has unveiled its latest pair of TWS buds, the WF-1000XM4. It has a new processing chip which the company claims increases noise cancellation levels “at all frequencies”. So, let’s delve in to know more about the specifications, features, availability, and expected price in Nepal of the Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS earbuds.
Sony WF-1000XM4 Overview:
Design
WF-1000XM4 has a completely new design and is 10% smaller than the previous WF-1000XM3. Despite this, what has remained unchanged here is the lengthy naming convention (imagine asking to buy a Sony WF-1000XM4 at a store). Anyway, these buds are rounder in shape and the first in the WF-1000M family to boast IPX4 water resistance.
The charging case also has a smaller form factor than its predecessor and now includes wireless charging. WF-1000XM4 is available in two color options: black and silver.
The buds are driven by Sony’s new V1 processor. Like I mentioned earlier, Sony claims that it improves ANC efficacy while requiring less power. It also has a new Adaptive Sound Control process, which allows the earbuds to analyze your surroundings and tune the sound for optimal performance.
WF-1000XM4 borrows the Speak-to-Chat feature from the WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones. This automatically pauses music and activates ambient sound so you can clearly hear the person talking to you.
Audio
Moving on, Sony says that these are the world’s first TWS earbuds that enable Hi-Res audio through the LDAC codec. When compared to standard Bluetooth audio codecs like AAC and SBC, LDAC can carry up to three times as much data. WF-1000XM4 also includes 360 Reality Audio, which turns a live concert recording into an immersive experience.
Similarly, the buds feature a 6mm driver unit with 20% larger magnets, setting them on a better diaphragm. It not only supports ANC but also provides better passive noise isolation. Each bud contains a pair of beam-forming mics as well as a bone-conducting sensor for voice calls. Even in loud surroundings, the latter can clearly pick up your speech.
Rest of the specs
Aside from that, WF-1000XM4 offers a continuous playback time of up to 8 hours with ANC enabled and up to 12 hours without ANC. The charging case can charge the buds twice to their full capacity. Similarly, a 5-minute charge provides an hour of music playback.
Sony WF-1000XM4 Specifications:
Weight: 41 grams (w/charging case)
Sound driver: 6mm
Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Active noise cancellation: Yes
Chip: Sony V1
Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.2
Water resistance: Yes, IPX4 waterproof
Battery life:
Earbuds: Up to 8 hours playback (ANC on)
With case: Up to 36 hours (ANC off)
Charging: Qi wireless charging, USB-C
Color options: Silver, Black
Sony WF-1000XM4 Price in Nepal and Availability
Sony WF-1000XM4 is now available for USD 280 (or GPB 249 in the UK) in the international market. We expect the price of the Sony WF-1000XM4 in Nepal to be around NPR 35,000 when it launches here shortly.
Earbuds
Price in the US
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Sony WF-1000XM4
USD 280
NPR 35,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
CG Net recently entered the Nepali market, breaking the long-standing costly slumber of Nepali ISPs. This was soon followed by DishHome, which launched a 25 Mbps internet subscription at an astounding price. But, have you wondered about the reasons how CG and DishHome have managed to provide internet at such a cheap price in Nepal?
Cheap internet in Nepal:
CG has been attempting to join the Nepali telecom industry for some time but has not found success since it couldn’t obtain a unified license. Regardless, CG Communications (one of the subsidiary companies under Chaudhary Group) introduced CG Net in Nepal at a disruptively competitive price. DishHome, on the other hand, came up with some cost-effective internet solutions for its existing customers.
Today we’re going to discuss how these ISPs are actually offering affordable internet in Nepal. However, our speculation might be incomplete in the sense that these companies have different market strategies to turn Nepal’s internet space upside-down.
Market Trend / Customer Demand
Before we go any further, let’s discuss why businesses are turning their attention to the internet.
Nepalese consumers have always been demanding low-cost internet subscriptions. The new players in the country’s ISP market have clearly understood this outcry and therefore entered the industry.
Furthermore, the market trend has captured the attention of the youth. While our neighboring country India enjoys some of the cheapest data rates in the world, things are far too expensive here. This leaves an indelible imprint on our minds, and we are eager to experience such revolutionary developments when it arrives in Nepal.
Reasons for cheap internet from CG and DishHome
Low operation and Infrastructure cost
Considering CG Net and DishHome are still in their infancy in the ISP industry, their spending is lower than that of the established service providers. According to CG Net’s managing director, Mr. Niravana Chaudary, the business started its service with FTTH, therefore it doesn’t have to rely on any legacy infrastructures like its competitors.
Furthermore, they have several additional cost-cutting opportunities, such as their relatively small size, minimal operating and maintenance expenses, and so on. Such cost-cutting gains might be directly shared with users by offering low-cost internet access.
Price is the actual promotion
Looking at the current trend, most ISPs spend thousands only to promote and increase brand reach by appointing a brand ambassador. Users are the primary source of income for such activities, whether directly or indirectly; which of course, raises the cost of bandwidth internet for users.
However, in the case of CG and DishHome, they are offering their services at an extremely low rate. As a result, their pricing becomes an indirect advertising component, and consumers happily share the available information about it. Now, clients are no longer just service takers; they are also promoters. That is, the corporation does not require any branding or large holding on the streets because its advertising is already in the public’s house.
This is a globally established strategy, and businesses like CG and DishHome can really save a lot with it. And, as they are able to reduce some of their expenditure, users get the benefit with low-cost internet.
Loss Leading Strategy
Companies use this approach to provide their service at an extremely low price in order to win clients in a saturated market—especially in the early days of their establishment. This allows them to easily break into the market and garner widespread customer trust.
Now, when a business introduces a service at a lower price than its competitors, people are ecstatic to use it. This drives away the customers from the competition to the newcomers. As a result, this is the stage when the company starts penetrating the market in a disruptive manner.
While this is true, new competitors in ISP areas should have offered their services at modest profit margins. However, it has a long-term positive impact on their business.
For instance, we do not change service providers until we are displeased with them; and if these newcomers can give customer-satisfactory service, why would anyone switch? So, clients stay in the same domain for a longer period of time. And, even if the businesses reserve low profit in the first year, they start maximizing profits in the following years.
Verdict
It’s encouraging to see that, despite the high tariffs levied by the Nepalese government, companies are attempting to provide low-cost internet access. However, how long it’s gonna remain is still to be seen.
Besides revolutionary introductory pricing, the next big thing that will influence customer perception is consistency in service. We’ll get to witness it as time goes on. Regardless, we hope that CG and DishHome continue to follow their current trend.
Meanwhile, check out our video of gaming PC build under $1,000.
Here, we will compare three of the best wireless game controllers that you can buy in Nepal right now. In this list, we have Fantech WGP12 Revolver, MSI Force GC30, and Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710 fighting for the bragging right.
Why wireless though?
A wireless controller has multiple advantages over its wired counterpart, that is, keeping aside the input latency. Even so, modern wireless controllers have gotten so good that you won’t notice the latency unless you are into competitive e-sports.
Cordless controllers don’t restrict your movement and make your setup look clean too. In addition, you won’t have to worry about the wire getting damaged either. However, you will have to make sure the charge does not run out during your gaming sessions.
Best Wireless Game Controllers in Nepal:
Design and Build
It is quite apparent that the Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710 is the heaviest of the bunch. It is also the most premium-looking. The F710 has a glossy silver finish on the front, while the rear has a matte finish. There are rubber grips on the side. Users can attach the dongle to the battery compartment on the back, avoiding misplacements.
1 of 3
MSI Force GC30
Fantech WGP12 Revolver
Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710
MSI GC30 takes its inspiration from the Xbox controller. The Red and Black color scheme come from the MSI Dragon logo. It weighs around 240 grams. MSI has also included rubber padding on the side.
Weighing around 182 grams, the Fantech WGP12 is the lightest here. Nothing in the design stands out. It also lacks padding on the side. Fantech WGP12 looks cheap, but it is not discomforting while playing games.
Wireless connectivity
All three controllers arrive with a 2.4GHz dongle. Thus, you have all the freedom to move as conveniently as you’d want. They are plug-and-play devices of course and thus, you won’t have to go through the hassle of installing additional drivers.
You can even use the MSI Force GC30 with a MicroUSB cable without using the dongle. I had no problem using any of the three with my PC, but when I tried them on my old PlayStation 3, the Fantech WGP12 kept disconnecting time and again.
Control and Feedback
Moving on, MSI GC30 has a button layout like that of an Xbox controller. Thus, users with PlayStation controllers may find it strange to use initially.
Buttons on the MSI GC30 and Fantech WGP12 are smaller compared to those on the Logitech. These buttons are on the mushy side, too. Compared to them, buttons on Logitech F710 are softer.
D-Pad
I’m impressed by the D-Pad on the MSI GC30. Not only does it work better, but you also get an extra D-Pad cover in the box.
Logitech F710 has the worst D-Pad of the three. Users have to press the button hard to register a press. The Fantech WGP12 is not error-free, but it is the middle ground between the two.
1 of 3
MSI Force GC30
Fantech WGP12 Revolver
Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710
Analog Stick
The analog stick on the Logitech F710 offers a better grip among the three. It also feels more premium. Thus, your thumb won’t hurt even after a prolonged gaming session. Fantech WGP12 also has a decent grip and feel.
It is disappointing that MSI did not try to differentiate the stick from the rest of the body. They’ve used the same material. Thus, it doesn’t offer much grip like the other two. Other than that, I didn’t encounter any problem with any of the controllers.
Shoulder/Trigger Buttons
Logitech probably has the hardest shoulder button on the three, and I like it. Button-press has a pleasing click sound to them. Trigger buttons on the MSI GC30 have good grips. They also have the largest travel. The shoulder buttons on Fantech’s controller are soft and work well too. I have no complaints here.
Vibration
Logitech F710 features a dedicated button to turn on/off the vibration. Vibration on the other two is automatic. The feedback by the three controllers is almost indistinguishable.
Additional Functions/Features
Logitech F710 has additional switches for X-input and Direct input. Using the Direct input on my PlayStation, I noticed that the vibration and home button were not functional.
1 of 3
MSI Force GC30
Fantech WGP12 Revolver
Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710
On the other hand, you have to switch between the two using the Home key on the other two. Fantech WGP12 and MSI GC30 are compatible with PC, consoles, and Android. Except for the disconnection issue with the WGP12, both worked pretty well on my PlayStation 3. MSI even offers a 0.3m micro USB OTG cable to play games on the phone.
Battery and Charging
Logitech F710 runs on two AA batteries, which are readily available in the market. You can swap them on your own. The other two features have built-in batteries of 600mAh each. They last anywhere between 7 to 9 hours on a single charge. Similarly, it takes around 3 to 4 hours to charge them.
Accessories in the box
Logitech G710 comes with a range-extending receiver and a nano-receiver. MSI includes a charging cable, an extra D-Pad cover, and a USB dongle in the box. On the other hand, there is nothing except a charging cable and a USB dongle inside Fantech WGP12’s box.
Best Wireless Controllers in Nepal: Conclusion
Of the three, the Fantech WGP12 offers the best value-for-money. It has a decent build quality, connectivity, and buttons. Logitech F710 could be a good option if you play tons of games and want a sturdy controller that will last you for years. Lastly, I would recommend the MSI GC30 to people who are familiar with the Xbox controller.
S. No.
Best wireless controllers in Nepal
Price
1
Fantech GP12 Revolver
Rs. 2,499
2
MSI Force GC30
Rs. 5,000
3
Logitech F710
Rs. 6,500
Check out our midrange gaming PC build for under $1,000.
Google had its I/O conference last month, during which the company announced Android 12 and a raft of other features. And now, feature drop for the month of June for Google Pixel phones has gone live that delivers plenty of new features.
Google Pixel phones June feature drop:
Photos and Camera gets updated
At I/O 2021, Google revealed the “Locked Folder” for your photos. It’s a local space on your device that you don’t want to automatically sync with your Google Photos account. It is also password-protected, so anyone who knows your sign-in information cannot directly access it.
Now, on the Camera app, one can take photos/videos directly into the Locked Folder for storage. You can also move your existing images to the folder.
Next, the Camera app will get a Night Sight video feature for astrophotography lovers. You can now record or photograph starry skies—but of course, you must be patient and have a tripod or really steady hands for such long exposure shots. This feature will be accessible on Pixel 4 and newer models.
Furthermore, Ashton Attzs has created new Pixel-exclusive Pride wallpapers. Likewise, LGBTQ+ artists and YouTube Creators have teamed up for Pride-themed ringtones and alerts.
Pixel is now smarter
Google Assistant can now help you with incoming phone calls. Simply saying “Hey Google, answer call” or “Hey Google, reject call” can wake up the assistant that lets you answer/reject the incoming call.
GBoard’s clipboard has become more context-aware too. That is, when you copy text containing phone numbers, email addresses, or URLs, key snippets of text will be suggested in the clipboard. When you send it to the recipient and he/she clicks on them, they will be led to the relevant applications, such as Gmail for email.
Rest of the updates in June feature drop for Google Pixel phones
Other than this, the June feature drop for Google Pixel phones brings the Call Screen application to Japan. It helps to avoid spam calls by answering unknown numbers to find out the identity of the caller. Similarly, in Spain, Ireland, and Singapore, car crash detection will be offered in their Personal safety app.
Last but not least, the transcriber app Recorder will be accessible in more English dialects. It includes Singaporean, Australian, Irish, and British English. By the end of July, the app will be accessible for Pixel 3 and newer phones.
Here at Gadgetbyte, we are planning to come with a new PC build every month. We are starting this new series with a midrange gaming PC build with a budget of around $1000. This PC will cost you around a thousand bucks in the US, NPR 180,000 in Nepal, or INR 100,000 in India.
Midrange gaming PC build around $1,000
Motherboard
For this build, we went for MSI’s B560M Mortar Wi-Fi. Though not as good as the expensive Z-series, it is a decent budget motherboard with few significant upgrades over the last-gen B460M.
The Voltage Regulator Module on the MSI B560M Mortar Wi-Fi can deal with the Intel Core i5-11400, which we chose for this build. In addition, it has an extended heat sink design and is Wi-Fi 6E-ready. The motherboard has four RAM slots, and it even supports RAM overclocking. You can also opt for the cheaper B560M Bazooka or the slightly more expensive B560M Tomahawk variant if the price difference in your region is not that much.
Processor and Cooling
As for the CPU, we were confused between the Intel Core i5-11400 and the Ryzen 5 3600. Both have similar specs and pricing. We ultimately decided to go with the i5-11400, as it is slightly better in gaming.
The stock coolers that Intel provides you with its CPUs aren’t that good. Thus, we got ourselves an aftermarket air cooler from Cooler Master, the Hyper H410R. It costs around $30 and comes with a thermal paste as well.
RAM and Storage
As for the memory, we bought two 8GB sticks of XPG Spectrix D60G DDR4 RAM with 3600 MHz speed and CL14 timing. But, you should be fine with 3200 MHz RAM sticks as well.
We have been a little conservative when it comes to storage. Although our motherboard supports the newer PCI Gen 4 standards, we avoided compatible SSDs on account of them being expensive. Instead, we installed a 256GB PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD from PNY. To store all the games on our PC, we also installed 1TB of HDD from Seagate.
GPU
You are probably already familiar with the market situation for graphics cards these days. GPUs are scarce, and as a result, their prices have skyrocketed. This is all due to the ongoing global chip shortage, scalpers, and crypto-miners.
Luckily, we were able to get our hands on the NVIDIA GTX 1660 SUPER from MSI, which we paid $400 for. The pricing is crazy given that it is not an RTX card with dedicated Ray Tracing cores. It is still a decent mid-range card, though. However, we should have been able to buy RTX 3060 for the same price, if not for the GPU shortage.
Case and PSU
Here, we were able to secure a good deal for the Asus TUF GT301. We got this for around NPR 12,000 in Nepal. At the time of the build, it was on sale at MDComputers in India too. Asus TUF GT301 is an ATX Mid-Tower case, which comes with four 120mm fans pre-installed, has bold aesthetics, tempered glass, and all.
We went with a 600W power supply from Cooler Master. It is a non-modular PSU with an 80 Plus White certification.
Cost breakdown:
Model
Price in Nepal
CPU
Intel Core i5-11400
NPR 32,000
Cooler
Cooler Master Hyper H410R
NPR 3,500
Motherboard
MSI MAG B560M Mortar WiFi
NPR 25,000
RAM
XPG Spectrix D60G 16GB RGB
NPR 16,000
SSD
PNY CS1031 256GB NVMe SSD
NPR 5,000
HDD
Seagate Barracuda 1TB
NPR 5,000
GPU
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER OC
NPR 65,000
PSU
Cooler Master MasterWatt Lite 600W
NPR 10,000
Case
Asus TUF Gaming GT301 ATX Mid-Tower
NPR 12,000
Total
NPR 173,500
Midrange Gaming PC Build Around $1000: Gaming Performance
Game
Graphics Setting
Very High
High
Medium
Cyberpunk 2077
33 fps
40 fps
48 fps
CS: GO
–
200 fps
230 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
73 fps
78 fps
86 fps
Assasin Creed: Syndicate
61fps
98fps
115 fps
Valorant
–
250 fps
290 fps
League of Legends
183 fps
190 fps
235 fps
Midrange Gaming PC Build Around $1000: Synthetic Benchmarks
Solid State Drives (SSDs) are among the best storage options available since they use less energy and deliver faster read/write performance. However, hard disk drives (HDDs) continue to have a place in the storage industry because of their cost-efficiency. And to make this less expensive storage device more appealing, researchers at Cambridge University have introduced a graphene hard drive that outperforms current technology by up to tenfold.
Graphene hard drive:
Although hard drives were first introduced in the 1950s, their usage as storage devices in personal computers did not take off until three decades later.
Inside HDDs
Traditional hard drives are constructed of rotating platters and magnetic heads. The top layer is comprised of a carbon-based overcoat (COC) that protects the platter. Manufacturers are constantly reducing the gap between the two in order to develop higher density drives. Since the 1990s, COC thickness has dropped from 12.5nm to roughly 3nm, corresponding to one terabyte per square inch.
The Cambridge University research team replaced the COC layers with graphene to save space and used a novel technology called Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) to boost data density. With this, drives can now carry much more data when heated. On the contrary, COC-based HDDs are incapable of doing so.
Thus, graphene combined with HAMR can give storage density ranging from four to ten terabytes per square inch.
The graphene utilized in drives not only increases storage capacity by up to tenfold but also increases corrosion resistance by 2.5 times. It also allows for a two-fold decrease in friction and wears better than other available alternatives.
Graphene hard drive: Conclusion
The use of graphene in hard drives can be a win-win situation for the environment too since it can be made from household wastes. But as many advances and breakthroughs become obsolete over time, we don’t want this one to be one of them. As a result, storage manufacturers should incorporate such innovations into their products as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, check out our video of gaming PC build under $1,000.
On the first day of the WWDC 2021 virtual event, Apple announced watchOS 8 for its smartwatches. It is the follow-up to last year’s watchOS 7 and adds “mindfulness features” to the Apple Watch lineup.
Apple watchOS 8 Overview:
This operating system will include improved messaging and photo sharing, new HomeKit integrations, and minor changes to health and fitness functions.
Breathe and Mindfulness
Apple is updating the animations in the Breathe app and adding a “reflect” mode that prompts users to think about something specific in order to improve mindfulness. These functions are available in the new Mindfulness app.
Fitness
The Fitness app is getting two additional workouts: Tai Chi and Pilates. To offer users reliable measurements, these new modes are powered by custom-developed heart rate and motion algorithms. Fitness+ is getting a new HIIT (high-intensity interval training)-focused feature that recommends music for workout sessions as well.
Furthermore, watchOS 8 will now track your respiratory rate as you sleep and notify you if it deviates from regular patterns. However, this function is not available during workouts.
With every new iteration, smartwatch makers release new watch faces. And Apple is no exception. watchOS 8 has new dial faces that will allow you to set a photo captured with your iPhone’s portrait mode and overlay text and other information behind it. According to the company, you can customize the text and how it appears on the image.
Similarly, the Photos app on the smartwatch can now send photos straight through Messages or Apple’s Mail app. Text selection and a cursor have also been included. Now, you can alter the text by moving the cursor with the crown and tapping and selecting with your finger.
Rest of the features
Moving on, watchOS 8 also includes several features released in iOS 15, such as the focus mode. Apple Watch Series 6 will also utilize UWB technology for car key support. Likewise, new HomeKit integrations allow you to operate smart home equipment directly from the watch, as well as check the security cameras.
Apple watchOS 8 Availability
watchOS 8’s developer beta is already available, and the public beta will start rolling out in July. Apple has scheduled its final release later this fall. The company says Watch Series 3 or newer versions will be getting this update.
Meanwhile, check out our top picks for smartwatches.
Apple has officially announced iOS 15, the latest iteration of the iPhone operating system on the first day of WWDC 2021. iOS 15 brings multiple quality of life changes and is built on three design principles: focus, connect and explore.
Apple iOS 15 announced:
Immersive FaceTime changes
FaceTime is Apple’s alternative to Zoom and Google Meet—and the go-to video calling platform for most iOS users. The company announced at WWDC 2021 that it is bringing a natural, intuitive, and life-like experience to the app.
The video-calling app now supports Spatial Audio, which makes discussions feel more realistic by making participant’s audio come from the appropriate location on the screen.
Apple has also introduced Voice Isolation, a setting that prioritizes human voice by reducing ambient noise using machine learning to improve audio clarity. Nonetheless, you may enable Wide Spectrum audio to intentionally retain background noise.
The app gets a fresh new look as well. A grid view may now be used to observe each participant in a tile-like block, or a portrait mode may be used to focus on the speaker rather than the background.
FaceTime for Android and Windows
But the biggest update to FaceTime has to be its availability on Android and Windows. Yet, it won’t available as a standalone app. Android, Windows users will be able to join in on a FaceTime call via a web browser through a shareable link.
SharePlay
Next up, FaceTime has new SharePlay support, allowing you and everyone else on the conversion to enjoy songs, shows, and videos together. You can now go to the Music app (without leaving the chat), select a song, and play it with everyone.
Likewise, this also works with streaming platforms such as HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, Twitch, and TikTok. SharePlay can share your screen on the app too. Apple is also providing SharePlay API, so we’ll have to wait and see what modifications third-party app developers bring with it.
Notification Summary
Moving on, Notification Summary will give the seemingly unending list of notifications a fresh look. This feature will transform alerts from a jumbled mess into a tailored bundle of notifications that look organized and take up less space.
Meanwhile, it will not include important notifications in the summary, so you will not miss them. Furthermore, the app icons, avatars of contacts have been enlarged for better readability.
Focus
Assisting the notification summary is the new feature called “Focus”. It allows you to customize your notification preferences and restrict your exposure to them and applications based on your choices.
For instance, if you enable the “Do Not Disturb” mode, your contacts will see that status on the Messages app. However, if the sender requires something critical from you, he or she can overrule the DND request.
Photos takes cues from Google
Although Android users have long enjoyed OCR (Optical Character Recognition) through Google Lens, Apple is now introducing it to the Photos app with the Live Text feature. It allows you to select text from your gallery’s photographs, screenshots, and other images.
At its debut, an Apple spokesperson stated that the Live Text can recognize seven languages. The isolated text is saved on the device itself, which is beneficial for privacy.
Wallet
Apple Wallet is the next best thing to have your house, workplace, and hotel keys in one place. That is, you can use your phone to open compatible door locks. This autumn, Wallet users will be able to get digital keys for certain businesses and hotels. Furthermore, you may now keep an encrypted replica of your identity card, which will be accepted at airports too.
Apple Maps
Likewise, Apple Maps has undergone a 3D design makeover that looks fantastic. The app can now utilize the camera to scan nearby buildings to precisely orient the phone and assist you in determining the direction.
AirPods update
Last but not least, iOS 15 introduces new functionality for AirPods known as “Conversation Boost”. It assists individuals in hearing who they are speaking to better in real-time, in a relatively crowded environment. To optimize the audio experience, users may also alter the volume of ambient noise too.
Apple iOS 15 compatibility
The new iOS 15 upgrade is available for all iPhones that support iOS 14. This includes:
![Best Wireless Controllers to Buy in Nepal [Updated]](https://cdn.gadgetbytenepal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Best-Wireless-Game-Controllers-in-Nepal.jpg "Best Wireless Controllers to Buy in Nepal [Updated]")
