Almost all electronic devices these days run on Lithium-Ion batteries. These batteries are often used in portable battery stations, electric vehicles, and other electronic devices. However, with continued use, their performance degrades rapidly. A Japanese institute has now discovered a new battery technology that can make battery health loss a thing of the past.
JAIST Battery Technology: Overview
After a couple of years, the battery health of all smartphones, including the flagships, degrades. As a result, most smartphones only have a quarter of their battery capacity as years go by. Researchers and big brands are working furiously to find a reliable alternative. A research team from Japan’s Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) has discovered a breakthrough material that allows the battery to retain its capacity for at least five years and probably longer.
The research, led by Professor Noriyoshi Matsumi, discovers that the Li-Ion battery we use these days contains a binder substance known as Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). Binder is in charge of keeping the active material particles inside the electrode of a lithium-ion battery (LIB) together in order to maintain a strong association between the electrodes. After 500 charging cycles, the PVDF binder we use degrades, losing 35% of its charging power in this brief period of time.
The new binder material by the JAIST team, however, is known as Bis-imino-acenaphthenequinone-Paraphenylene (BP); and it can maintain 95% battery health after 1700 charge cycles. That’s 5 years of battery life without losing its almost original capacity. According to Matsumi, the production of long-lasting batteries would aid in the development of more dependable devices for long-term use. Furthermore, it will enable customers to buy costly battery-based assets such as electric vehicles, ensuring long-term efficiency.
Verdict
We hope to see major companies collaborate and do more research on this subject. The newly discovered battery technology by the Japanese institute has the potential to change a long-term issue with batteries. Additionally, brand loyalty will improve, and customers will be able to enjoy reliable and durable products.
Meanwhile, check out the public reactions on Yatri Project One.
Samsung has launched a slew of mid-range phones in its Galaxy A and Galaxy M range. One of the most recent A series devices to be released is the Galaxy A32 4G. There is a 5G variant as well, but they are very different devices. I’ve been using the standard 4G variant of Galaxy A32 for over two weeks and have had a positive experience. Yet, there are a couple of limitations of the phone making us question if it’s the best phone under Rs. 35,000 in Nepal? Let’s find out more in this review of the Samsung Galaxy A32.
Starting with the design, Galaxy A32 has a look that is somewhat inspired by Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S21 series. And the updated camera unit has been the year’s denouement for Samsung smartphones. Besides that, we could see a similar camera sensor placement. The three relatively large camera sensors stand out from the smaller macro lens and the LED flash on the side.
Buttons, Ports
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Buttons
Back
Ports
It’s a mid-range Samsung phone so of course, its back is made of plastic while the screen simply lays flat. The company has gone with a more rectangular design here and I had no problems holding the device. Although Samsung has attempted to give Galaxy A32’s frame a metallic feel, it is also made of plastic.
There is no reflective pattern or other decoration at the back—it is simply plain, which I like after seeing many smartphones with fancy backs. This isn’t to say it doesn’t look good. Furthermore, the back easily picks up fingerprint smudges and slight scuffs. Therefore, I will suggest you put on a decent case on this. Likewise, even though the phone has a big 5000mAh battery, it doesn’t feel that heavy in the hand.
Display
6.4 inches FHD+ Super AMOLED screen
90Hz refresh rate, 800 nits peak brightness
Moving on, Samsung has made a compromise with the display—not the quality of the actual panel itself though. I’m talking about bezels. There are visible bezels around the display, as well as eyesore bezels at the bottom. Yet, this is quite prevalent in other mid-range phones too so I can’t complain too much.
Another thing that struck me as odd was the old Infinity-U panel, as the Infinity-O display would’ve been a vastly superior alternative. Regardless of other factors, Samsung has a stellar standing when it comes to this AMOLED display. It has a 6.4-inch screen with a U-shaped cutout at the top for the front camera module.
I can easily say that the display quality is excellent for the price we are paying. You can also choose between Vivid and Natural screen modes to manually change the color temperature. Furthermore, the 90Hz refresh rate improves the smoothness of browsing across social media or some other content consumption application.
In-display fingerprint sensor
Like the previous-gen A31, Galaxy A32 holds an in-display fingerprint scanner. It’s not very fast and therefore takes a second to unlock the device. In addition, I had no issues authenticating the accuracy of my fingerprint when unlocking the phone. Moreover, I had no trouble operating the phone outdoors, implying that the outdoor visibility is quite satisfactory.
The limitation I felt is its constant lags, which often occurred during daily use. To put it to the test, I tried switching between apps, opening them, and even scrolling through posts and experienced latency. This negates the entire benefit of the 90Hz display. Maybe Samsung could push an update to optimize Galaxy A32’s smoother refresh rate.
Performance
Octa-core MediaTek Helio G80 SoC (12nm)
4/6GB RAM, 64/128GB storage (expandable)
Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top
Before I get into detail on how the device works, I should point out that our review unit of the Samsung Galaxy A32 has 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.
To put it briefly, it offers decent performance. While I first booted the device, it was smooth, everything was working fine. And then suddenly, the phone started slightly lagging in instances such as switching between apps or swiping over the notifications. As I said earlier, I didn’t enjoy the 90Hz refresh rate experience on the Galaxy A32. Plus, no update that the phone has received so far addressed this issue.
Gaming Experience
On the gaming side of things, I tried PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile, and they all performed well with the default settings. However, after a few minutes of gaming, the device begins to heat up at the back.
And, I started noticing mild stutters in PUBG Mobile. However, this was not the case with COD Mobile, which worked fine even after playing the game for about half an hour. When playing the games, the CPU temperature goes up to 42 degrees Celsius which is mostly felt around the periphery of camera modules. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much time for cooling.
I was expecting a competing performance, but ultimately, the Helio G80 on the Galaxy A32 is a pretty under-powerful chipset considering the phone’s price. On software, the handset runs on One UI 3.1 on top of Android 11 and there’s a dedicated Game mode that adds a bit of smoothness.
Audio & Call Quality
Loudspeaker, 3.5mm headphone jack
Like most other mid-ranger, Samsung Galaxy A32 has a loudspeaker in the bottom. The audio output isn’t that loud, but it never distorted at maximum volume. Still, it doesn’t compare to the stereo speaker setup in Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 10 series. On the other hand, Galaxy A32’s call quality is fairly nice although I wished it could get a little louder.
At the back, there is a quad-camera setup led by a 64MP primary sensor. This is followed by an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP portrait lens. On the front, a 20MP sensor is housed in an Infinity-U cutout.
Normal Images
In good lighting conditions, such as daytime, the Galaxy A32 4G took great images, with the photos displaying saturated color and a wide dynamic range. It outputs 16MP pixel-binned shots by default, and I noticed a lack of detail in those photos.
Normal
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However, switching to the dedicated 64MP mode alleviates this concern. It captures more clarity, but it falls short in terms of dynamic range. I like the dynamic range in the 16MP mode more.
Wide-angle Images
Likewise, the ultra-wide sensor produces decent images.
Wideangle
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The color saturation and dynamic range are also fine. However, when zoomed in, the details are not as precise.
Portrait Images
Here, the portrait mode takes a while to process the image, but the results are quite good.
Portrait
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There are few minor edge detection problems here, which can be easily resolved once Samsung pushes the next camera update.
Macro Images
The device bears a 5MP macro lens, but the close-up shots aren’t much great.
Macro
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Like it is with most non-flagship phones, Galaxy A32’s macro lens feels nothing more than a gimmick.
Nighttime Images
In a dark environment, the dedicated night mode can collect a good amount of light.
Nighttime
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Even then, the night shots aren’t all that impressive. It loses out on finer details.
Selfie Camera
Samsung Galaxy A32 has a 20MP selfie camera. The skin tones look natural enough and the pictures retain plenty of details too.
Selfie
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Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
On the contrary, the edge detection in portrait selfie shots isn’t that great though.
Videography
The camera has a standard video mode, as well as slow motion and hyper-lapse modes for videography. Of note, there is no 4K support here and the phone maxes out to 1080p/30fps videos. I’d say the video quality is pretty nice.
Battery
5000mAh battery with 15W fast charging
Moving on, Galaxy A32 4G comes with a big 5000mAh battery that supports 15W fast charging. On an average day of use, the phone managed to last for a day and a half. Moreover, under heavy use, it lasted until bedtime.
To be clear, I was using the phone at its highest settings with the 90Hz refresh rate option turned on. The 15W power adapter shipped inside the box takes nearly two and a half hours to charge the battery from 0 to 100%.
Conclusion
To summarize this review of the Samsung Galaxy A32, I would say that the company has some work cut out for it. Personally, I like the refreshed camera module and Super AMOLED screen with 90Hz in this price range.
However, considering its competition like the Redmi Note 10 in Nepal that offers decent specs at a lower price, the Galaxy A32 struggles to stand out. Instead, its performance is sub-par which is the major letdown. Plus, Xiaomi is yet to launch the Redmi Note 10 Pro and Pro Max while Realme will be bringing its 8 series here pretty soon—which are bound to be a better value than Samsung’s Galaxy A32.
Samsung’s upcoming foldable and flipping phones are making the rounds on the internet. While the company has not officially shared any information about these smartphones, we have seen a few reports about them. A tipster has now shared the first look of both devices on Twitter. So, let us find out more about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3.
Z Fold 3 Overview:
The leaked photos of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 perfectly depict how the device will look like. It follows the same design trend as its predecessor. The pictures show a triple camera configuration at the back with a single LED light, a USB Type-C port at the rim, and Samsung branding on the hinge. The rear camera cutout, on the other hand, has a new appearance.
These images, as we can see, are screenshots from a promotional video for the respective products. It shows that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the first folding smartphone with an under-display camera. Samsung has been studying this technology for some time, and we might finally see the results with Fold 3.
Its S-pen support is also confirmed by the leaked materials. The image depicts how the stylus aided in taking notes during video calls. Similarly, the new display technology would increase the durability of the folding screen. That’s because of the “Armor” that Samsung has incorporated into the display, hinge, and bezels. Finally, it will have flat aluminum sides and Gorilla Glass Victus to protect the device.
Moving on, the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 3 has a two-tone design and a dual-camera configuration on the left side. The top half is glossy black, while the lower half is of a different color with an LED light in the upper left corner.
In addition, the promotional videos reveal that the handset has a touchscreen on the left of the dual-camera setup, which is significantly bigger than the previous generation. In the picture, there is a message from the sender indicating that it can support touch inputs.
Aside from that, the leaked images show a flat edge, a USB Type-C port at the bottom, and a speaker. The device will have Gorilla Glass Victus protection, as well as a hinge and folding screen “Armor” identical to the Z Fold 3.
There has been no official announcement of the launch of either of these devices yet. However, rumors suggest that they will be available in August. Furthermore, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is reported to be available in four different colors: Beige, Black, Green, and Silver.
Similarly, the Z Flip 3 will be available in eight different colorways. Beige, Black, Dark Blue, Gray, Green, Light Pink, Light Violet, and White are among the colors available. The production of both devices will reportedly begin as early as July.
Meanwhile, check out our review of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.
120Hz refresh rate has been a standard for Android flagship for quite some time now. And now, Apple’s upcoming iPhones will be following suit as well. A higher refresh rate screen on iPhones was rumored last year but was dropped late during the development phase due to optimization issues. 120Hz ProMotion on the iPhone 13 series is almost certain and a recent report from The Elec has shed light on how it will be implemented.
120Hz ProMotion on iPhone 13 series
LTPO panels from Samsung
According to the report, only the iPhone 13 Pro and the Pro Max will have the 120Hz ProMotion technology. The two smartphones will feature LTPO AMOLED panels for higher refresh rate support.
The LTPO panel will allow them to dynamically switch between different refresh rates based on the content being displayed. This technology makes better use of power improves the battery life. It has already been adopted by brands like Samsung and OnePlus for their flagships. It will be Samsung Display that will be supplying the LTPO panels for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.
Rigid Flexible PCB
In addition, Samsung Electro-Mechanics and Bhflex will supply the Rigid Flexible Printed Circuit Board (RFPCB in short) for the two devices. PCBs connect electrical components in an electric circuit. In this case, RFPCB will connect the 120Hz ProMotion display panel to the main circuit of iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.
RFPCB is a hybrid between Rigid and Flexible PCB and offers better shock-resistance and can be used in high-density applications. They are also expensive than the traditional PCB and thus will only be used in the two Pro models. Other models in the series will have Flexible PCBs.
The interesting bit here is that Samsung Electro-Mechanics is considering an exit from the business because of insufficient profit. So another PCB maker Yongpoong has joined the supply chain.
LG & BOE to supply additional panels
According to global research firm Omdia, Samsung Display will be supplying around 110 million AMOLED panels for iPhones this year (iPhone 12 & 13 lineup). The second biggest supplier is LG Display which will supply around 50 million panels. BOE is a Chinese manufacturer that supplies panels for cheaper iPhones. It will be supplying around 9 million panels this year. Also, the iPhone 13 series is likely to enter production in July of this year.
Meanwhile, check out our long-term review of the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
We’ve been covering the news for Apple’s new folding phone time and again. And now, experts predict that Apple could unveil its foldable iPhone by 2023. This could coincide with the release of that year’s iPhone as well.
Apple foldable iPhone by 2023: Analyst report
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, a TFI Securities analyst, and prominent Apple researcher, a foldable iPhone will be launched in 2023, based on an industry survey he conducted. He went on to say that based on Apple’s requested capacity plan, he expects foldable iPhone shipments to reach 15-20 million units by 2023.
Kuo believes that TPK’s silver nanowire touch solution could be beneficial in the foldable iPhone because it is similar or has advantages over SDC’s Y-Octa technology. He says Apple is using silver nanowire for the HomePod’s touch interface, allowing the company to test the technology at a lower cost and in limited volume manufacturing.
Display and Hardware
Kuo says that the foldable iPhone will have an 8-inch QHD+ flexible OLED display; with SDC serving as the exclusive display supplier. Likewise, Samsung Foundry is said to be the sole DDI foundry provider. As a result, we anticipate that when unfolded, it will act as an iPad mini.
He went on to explain that “in the future, foldable devices will blur the product segments between smartphones, tablets, and laptops.” Apple will be the biggest winner of the new foldable smartphone trend due to its cross-product platforms and hardware design advantages.
As things stand, Samsung will be Apple’s biggest competition. With their recent releases, the company has also broadened the scope of foldable phones. In addition, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 launch could happen in the third quarter. However, Apple is devoting sufficient time to research and refine the product, and we anticipate it to be among the best foldable devices to be launched.
As of now, it seems that the foldable iPhone will not be available until 2023. However, its progress reports are making highlight on the internet time and again. Apple’s foldable patent caught our attention in February when it went live in the US Patent and Trademark Office database.
The launch in 2023 is also contingent on Apple’s ability to resolve mass manufacturing problems. And the company will almost certainly address those problems without too much difficulty.
Meanwhile, check our review of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.
As the popularity of wireless earbuds soars in Nepal, we are seeing more companies enter the competition. One such brand is AQFiT which is an Indian company that specializes in affordable wearables including TWS and smartwatches. It recently launched the AQFiT A11 in the Nepali market via Tech Studio. I have used it for a fair amount of time and in this review, I’ll be sharing all my findings of the AQFiT A11 TWS earbuds.
As expected, the AQFiT A11 TWS comes with a basic package. You will find the earbuds placed inside the charging case. The company also includes two additional pairs of ear tips. Finally, we get a Type-A to MicroUSB charging cable. There is no adapter included with the TWS.
Design
Pebble-shaped charging case
Lightweight earbuds, soft eartips
The AQFiT TWS 11 comes in a charging case whose shape resembles a pebble. Its corners and edges are rounded which makes it comfortable to hold. It is made of plastic with a rubbery finish on top. As a result, it attracts fingerprint marks and smudges. So, you will find yourself cleaning the case more often.
Plus, AQFiT’s logo has been slapped on the top. Similarly, there is a charging port on the front. Moving to the inside, you get an LED panel as the battery indicator which is quite unique.
The earbuds are made from plastic and thus are very light. I didn’t have a problem having it on my ears even after hours of use. Plus, I will say that they are quite minimalistic as well. The stem, since it’s short, doesn’t stick out much. You do have silicone tips but they didn’t conceal the ear as much I would have liked. The stem has a glossy finish with the company’s logo printed on it, which again doesn’t look that premium.
Control and Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity
Touch control on the sides
Even for such a low asking price, AQFiT has managed to include touch-enabled control. The touch area is quite limited so the controls are not always smooth. That being said, you can do a bunch of things with it. It has all the basic playback controls. A single tap on either of the earbuds plays/pauses the music.
Similarly, double-tapping on the left and right earbuds will take you to the next and previous song, respectively. You can even adjust the volume right from the earbuds. This feature is mostly restricted to more premium earbuds so having them here was quite the surprise. For this, you have to triple tap on the earbuds.
Sound Quality
Dynamic audio drivers with HiFi sound
cVc noise cancellation, Dual microphones
Talking about the sound quality of AQFiT A11, it’s nothing to write home about. I wished the vocals were clearer. It’s the same with the bass, which is average at best. You can even notice the distortion in sound quality as you increase the volume. That being said, I had no problem taking calls with the AQFiT A11 TWS earbuds on.
I didn’t face any issue with the call quality on my side and there were no complaints from the receiver’s end either. These earbuds are IPX5 rated too and thus can be worn during your gym sessions or workouts. Sweats and splash won’t damage the A11.
My time with the AQFiT A11 was not perfect though as I came across a few issues that I had never faced with any TWS before. First, the right earbud was slightly louder than the left. Thankfully, I adjusted it using the audio slider in the Accessibility setting of my phone.
Second, the earbud’s audio prompts switched to Chinese out of a sudden. And neither was I able to discover the cause of the problem, nor its solution.
Battery Life
4-6 hours playback on a single charge
Getting to the battery life, I was able to get around five hours of battery backup on a single charge. The charging case has a MicroUSB port on the front and a charging cable is included in the box. The battery indicator panel inside the case has 25, 50, 75, and 100 printed on it.
The numbers indicate the battery level and one of them lights up according to the level of charge, but only during the charging.
Conclusion
To sum it up, the AQFiT A11 is a light and comfortable TWS that you can have in your ear for long hours. It also provides a battery backup of up to 5 hours. So yeah, it has got a pretty good design and can last for quite some time. A part of it is due to the unique battery indicator inside the case.
Sadly, it doesn’t offer as great sound quality as you might hope for. But then again, it’s a budget TWS so manage your expectation when walking into the AQFiT A11. Having said that, its call quality is pretty decent.
Following the transparency and restriction on data tracking introduced in iOS 14.5, Facebook has made a concerted effort to promote data tracking. According to The Verge and Ashkan Soltani, a technology researcher, Instagram and Facebook are showing iOS notices that pitch for data tracking. So, let’s learn more about the new data tracking tactic used in the iOS app of Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook, Instagram data tracking on iOS apps
The notice shows a pop-up asking for permission to track user data in order to improve the company’s personalized ads experience. Facebook uses the data collected to serve personalized advertisements to its users. Not only this, Facebook has said that it would help small businesses and help keep the app “free of charge”. They are referring to notices as “educational screens”.
Replying to this, a spokesperson from Facebook directs to a blog post that was updated in late April.
Why Facebook and Instagram are seeking permission?
With iOS 14 and 14.5, Apple also introduced a layer of security to protect users’ privacy. App creators need to have approval from smartphone owners for their Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) to be shared and stored throughout applications. According to Apple’s latest policy, if the user decides to opt-out from the app track, the developer can still use his/her data but cannot share it with other firms for ad-tracking.
Moreover, Ashkan Soltani first reported about new changes via a tweet. He said that Facebook and Instagram are exploring additional scare tactics to combat iOS 14 privacy changes.
It’s not shocking that Facebook is working hard to improve app tracking. Personalized advertising accounts for a significant portion of the company’s revenue; and Apple’s decision to boost privacy on iOS 14.5 will harm the internet giant’s bottom line.
Other than this, the notice clearly demonstrates what app tracking either on iOS or Android entails for Facebook and Instagram. And if they are successful at convincing a small number of users to enable data tracking, the move could be worthwhile.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Honor Band 6.
We recently covered Ripple, a Nepal-based laptop OEM brand. They have already launched the Ripple Artifact gaming laptop at fairly competitive pricing. And now, we already have the next product from the brand. The laptop goes by the name Ripple Artifact Pro and I am more than excited to talk about its specifications, features, price, and availability in Nepal. Let’s begin.
Ripple Artifact Pro Overview:
Design and Display
Ripple Artifact Pro is a compact laptop that can be used for both gaming and business purposes. It is largely made of plastic with a semi-metal finish, boasts a thickness of 19.9mm, and weighs 1.9 kilograms. The brand claims it to be the lightest RTX 2060 laptop on the market. Furthermore, the display is surrounded by thin bezels, lending it a premium appearance.
In terms of display, the Artifact Pro has a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS panel with a refresh rate of 144Hz. The keyboard has a backlit RGB configuration. Moreover, the laptop has a Microsoft precision touchpad for precise touch response.
On the performance side, it is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H processor. This is a high-performance 45W TDP CPU from AMD based on the Zen 2 microarchitecture. Its base clock is rated at 2.9GHz while this silicon can hit up to 4.2GHz of max boost clock. Similarly, the Artifact Pro gets NVIDIA’s RTX 2060 Max-P graphics with 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM. There’s also an RTX 3060 variant although the company hasn’t specified its wattage.
Most of us are quite familiar with the Max-Q version of mobile GPUs. It refers to a watered-down version of a standard GPU that uses less power, which is most suitable for a thin-and-light laptop. However, this laptop uses the Max-P (Max Performance) version of RTX 2060 that is rated to consume more power and ultimately deliver greater performance.
The “Max-P” nomenclature is quite obsolete these days since most OEMs tend to simply skip the Max-Q label on their mobile GPU if it’s the high-performance variant. Getting to cooling, the Artifact Pro boasts 4 exhausts: 2 on the side and 2 at the back. As expected, the air intake vents are situated at the bottom. Ripple has used Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut thermal paste to cool down the CPU and the company’s benchmark reads as follows:
60 – 70ºC under regular gaming
80 – 90ºC under extensive workloads including benchmarks
Moreover, Ripple says Artifact Pro’s fans can run at a speed of up to 8000 RPM. In terms of memory, you have the option of 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 RAM. Both DDR4 RAM modules are coupled with an M.2 2280 256GB SSD. You can add 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, or 1TB HDD for NPR 5,000 each. For connectivity, it utilizes WiFi 802.11 ax and Bluetooth v5.0. It is fitted with a 62Wh Li-Po cell which supports a power supply of 180 watts.
Ripple Artifact Pro boasts high-definition audio with its loud stereo speakers. For I/O communication, it incorporates a single USB 2.0 Type-A, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port (DisplayPort compatible).
Besides this, it also has two mini DisplayPort 1.4 (G-SYNC compatible), one HDMI 2.0, one headphone out, one mic-in, one RJ45, and a card reader that accepts SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards. Since it’s a gaming keyboard, it is RGB-backlit. Ripple Artifact Pro has a full-size scissor-style single-zone Chroma lighting keyboard.
You can customize the lighting from the Ripple TORQ Performance software. On top of this, it also lets you under/overclock the CPU and GPU, monitor system resources, switch performance profiles, customize keyboard macros, etc. Besides the customizable hardware inside, Ripple will customize the external looks of the Artifact Pro including laser engravings and laptop stickers upon a customer’s request. This will cost extra though.
Ripple’s after-sales service includes 2 years of warranty and a lifetime technical & servicing. The company says it is in the final stages of setting up a physical store in Bhatbhateni too. On the purchases of Artifact Pro, you will get a laptop sleeve and a mouse for free.
I/O ports: 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1× USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2× Mini Display Port 1.4, 1× HDMI 2.0, 1× headphone-out, 1× mic-in, 1× RJ45, 1× card reader
Warranty: 2 years (plus lifetime technical support, servicing)
Ripple Artifact Pro Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of Ripple Artifact Pro in Nepal is NPR 175,000 for the RTX 2060 variant with an 8/256GB configuration. Similarly, the RTX 3060 model with 16/256GB memory costs NPR 200,000. Artifact Pro is now up for pre-order on Ripple’s Facebook, Whatsapp page and you’ll have to pay NPR 10,000 in advance.
Here, the RTX 2060 and 3060 variants of Ripple Artifact Pro are also available at a special price of NPR 170,000 and NPR 190,000 for Gadgetbyte readers. In terms of their availability, the RTX 2060 variant is ready to ship whereas the RTX 3060 model will be available in a couple of week’s time.
Nepal Government has officially launched the Nagarik app on the occasion of National ICT Day. Now, Nepalese will be able to use a single app for various government-related services. While it is quite capable as things stand, the full-fledged application is still under construction. So, let’s take a closer look at the impact of the Nagarik app launch in Nepal.
Nagarik App Overview:
In case you missed it, the Nagarik app was available in beta version on Android and iOS from January 2021. It gathered quite a stir on the internet when users discovered that they could obtain their PAN without having to visit any government office.
So, what is Nagarik app?
In the current context, it is the Nepalese-only application that eliminates the hassle of carrying legislative, personal, or educational data and documents. The following are some of the services that the government has incorporated with this app:
Issuance of PAN card and details about tax clearance to the government.
Getting a police clearance report.
Keeping records of your citizenship, passport, educational certificate, and voter identity card.
Viewing transaction details of citizen investment fund, social security fund, provident fund, and loan details.
“Hello Sarkar” feature where you can directly complain to the government is also available.
It can be helpful to apply for Public Service Commission examinations, driving license, and other governmental services.
This app now allows you to pay your vehicle’s taxes and renewal fees online.
You can use “Mero Kitta” to check your land registration certificate and pay land registration taxes.
New bank accounts, form fill-up via QR Codes
This is something fresh and exciting. A QR code can now be taken to use for validating KYC and fill out other forms. It means that you can now open up a bank account by scanning a QR code. This eliminates the difficulty and time-consuming procedures involved in filling out either regulatory or financial paperwork.
Nagarik app’s API is available for the banks, allowing them to auto-validate the identity on KYC forms. Siddhartha Bank and Nepal Bank Limited have already launched this service.
How does the app collect our data?
The application obtains its data from the major government databases. For example, the particulars of a citizen are shown via the Home Ministry’s records. To date, Home Ministry has a total of 21.5 million Nepalese citizenship details. Similarly, data for voting cards can be drawn from the Election Commission’s pool of 15.5 million voters. Furthermore, the Department of Passports manages the database of more than 6.5 million passports.
Is the Nagarik app really safe and easy?
It seems to be perfectly safe and appropriate for use. Any time you attempt to log in to the app, it sends you a specific OTP code. The documents go through auto-verification after you fill in all of the information. Similarly, when you want to share the information with someone else, the pop-up message simply asks for your permission to share the displayed details. As a result, you can rest assured that it is safe.
In addition, if you believe there are errors in your documents, you can request for correction by specifying the field to be corrected.
What’s present and what’s coming?
The following services are currently available within the app:
PAN
Police Clearance Report
Malpot
Health Insurance Board
Education Certificate
Citizen Investment Trust
Provident Fund
Social Security Fund
“Hello Sarkar” Complains
Citizenship
Passport
Voter Card
Besides that, the app will have its complete feature in three phases. In the first year, the government will work on data cleanliness, the integration process will take off in the second phase, and the full implementation will be done in the third and final phase.
Furthermore, the government intends to include more than 80 governmental services over a six-month timeframe. The features will first be available to residents of Bagmati province. Users will be able to pay transportation, land, and other taxes with the app. Similarly, for the convenience of the students, the educational details of Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University will also be added.
If added, which feature could really help?
If the government could incorporate a feature that allows users to easily identify and contact people who might have been susceptible to COVID-19, it would be the icing on the cake.
Conclusion
With the official launch of the Nagarik app, the ruling party must remain optimistic about digitization for economic growth. The government is implementing complex projects in digitization, and this requires them to place the citizen’s experience at the center of the effort—rather than viewing it as an IT project.
This app can completely change the way people experience public services, but it requires addressing issues in a pragmatic manner that can help create a pleasant and fruitful experience for all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Honor Band 6.
After using the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max alongside Samsung’s Galaxy A52 for a couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing all my thoughts about the former in this review. Xiaomi and the entire team on their social media are claiming that this is the “10on10 phone”. And if you look at some of the features like the 120Hz OLED screen and the 108MP camera, well, it does look pretty good for a mid-range phone.
But with Xiaomi, specs don’t always tell you the full story, which makes my job even more interesting. Hence, I took a little bit more time to test the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, and here’s my full review of the phone.
[Note: The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is an Indian variant that goes by the name Redmi Note 10 Pro in Nepal.]
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max Specifications:
Body: 76.15 x 164.5 x 8.1mm, 192 gm, IP53 dust/splash-proof
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Beidou, USB Type-C, 4G LTE
Battery: 5020mAh with 33W fast charge (33W adapter provided)
Color options: Vintage Bronze, Glacial Blue, Dark Night
Price in Nepal: Rs. 33,999 (6/128GB) | Rs. 36,999 (8/128GB)
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max Review:
Design & Build
Glass front, glass back, plastic frame
IP53 certification, “Evol.” design
Starting with the design, Xiaomi has finally gone all-sleek with the Redmi Note 10 series. This still isn’t a very light phone like we see from Oppo‘s F-series or Vivo’s V-series. Still, in Xiaomi’s defence, they have used a heavier and more premium material than plastic. The phone has Corning’s Gorilla Glass at the back and they have also included a big 5000mAh battery here.
Overall, I have liked the heft of the device. Unlike Xiaomi phones from the past, using the phone continuously hasn’t been a muscle exercise for my hands. But, one thing Xiaomi could improve is its width. Note 10 Pro Max is a bit wider than say the Galaxy A72 that has the same display size.
Likewise, I didn’t notice any creeks or bends while applying pressure to the phone. Yet, if you have watched Gupta Ji’s video, the phone didn’t survive his bend test. Although it’s far off from a real-life scenario, what we can learn from his videos is Samsung and Realme phones have survived such bend test, whereas this phone hasn’t. So, this could be one area where I hope Xiaomi will eventually improve upon.
Refreshing color options
Talking of improvement, I like what Xiaomi has done with the color choices too. All 3 options: Dark Night, Glacial Blue, and Vintage Bronze are quite refreshing and look gorgeous. I got myself the Glacial Blue variant which is subtle and light to the eyes. It also doesn’t attract fingerprint smudges and I prefer the camera module design this time around.
The frame is still plastic and on the right side, you will see a power button that doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. It’s in a perfect location and is pretty reliable. Moreover, the phone is IP53 rated against dust and splash protection as well. This is a significant upgrade from the P2i coating Xiaomi usually favors in its Redmi Note series.
Display
6.67-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED screen
120Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
1200 nits peak brightness (Sunlight mode)
Until now, we’ve been arguing whether a manufacturer should provide a higher refresh rate LCD or standard 60Hz AMOLED display. But Xiaomi has put the debate to rest altogether by offering an OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate on the Redmi Note 10 Pro series.
The company hasn’t mentioned who is the manufacturer of the screen, which makes me believe it’s not Samsung. Regardless, the quality of the screen is top quality. Out of the box, it is well-calibrated. Although, in the standard-setting mode, I noticed slight blueish-whitish hues.
Xiaomi says it has a peak brightness of 1200 nits. But it’s only while watching certain HDR contents which we usually don’t. While browsing the UI, playing games, or watching movies, it’s the SDR content at play. And at that time, the peak brightness is around 450 nits only, which is still great.
But the company actually compared these numbers with the iPhone 12 Pro during the launch event, which is so Xiaomi. In reality, the iPhone 12 can hit 600 nits, and the 12 Pro is slightly better at 800 nits when watching SDR contents. That being said, the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max’s display is still bright and the outdoor visibility even while using on a sunny day is no issue.
Best in class display?
Likewise, Xiaomi says it’s the best display on a premium midrange phone in India. But, I don’t think that’s the case because the Realme X7 Pro and Mi 11X which falls in the same category, has a better screen. Although these two phones vary by a great margin in terms of pricing, ultimately, Xiaomi’s claim isn’t true. So the lesson here is, don’t fall the marketing gimmicks that brands say during the launch event.
I might have sounded a little negative there but don’t get me wrong. Redmi Note 10 Pro Max’s display is still the best in class for its price, no doubt. However, it’s still not close to the flagship and some other premium midrange phones. That’s because the said competitions have better color calibration, brightness, better refresh rate switching, and the touch experience.
Stereo speakers
Anyway, one area where Xiaomi has improved upon is in the audio department. It now comes with a true stereo speaker setup that has a much respectable quality. It is loud with a decent level of detail. So, for multimedia stuff, it doesn’t disappoint.
With that out of way, let’s talk about the performance. Here too, I think because of the budget constraints, Xiaomi couldn’t give you more but has had to settle for last year’s 4G-capable Snapdragon 732G chipset. Although it’s quite a good performer for the price, I just feel that the inclusion of 5G-ready Snapdragon 750G or the Dimensity 800U would have made 5G widespread since this phone is going to sell in millions.
Talking about sales volume, Mi India also announced that Redmi Note 10 series has crossed sales worth INR 500 crore in just two weeks. Wow! Moving on. With the global chip shortage and the aforementioned price constraint, because 5G chipsets are a bit pricey right now, Xiaomi simply couldn’t include a 5G silicon here.
Regardless, coupled with the 6GB RAM variant that I have with me and the newer & faster UFS 2.2 storage, its performance is what you would expect from a mid-range phone of 2021. Apps load fast, multitasking is swift, things like texting is no problem.
And keeping the 120Hz refresh rate always on throughout the UI and all system apps, things are pretty smooth. By the way, this display reverts to 60Hz if the picture is static or watching movies.
The usual MIUI complaint
However, the MIUI skin still needs a lot of refinement in my opinion. For instance, the RAM management here isn’t that great. If you reopen a slightly heavy app, after 5 mins or so, it will restart. This isn’t an issue on my friend’s 3 years old iPhone X and still, here we are in 2021. Talking about RAM management, this isn’t just the issue with Xiaomi, but it’s prevalent in Realme 8 Pro too.
And unlike the Poco X3, this one doesn’t seem to have that much of a jittery or laggy performance while trying to multitask. It works smoothly, although at times, not often though, the Snapdragon 732G does struggle to keep up with the 120Hz refresh rate.
Likewise, Xiaomi seems to have fixed other bugs like the proximity sensor not working, and the likes. But still, the dark mode in here isn’t that optimized.
In the messenger app, the notification header is supposed to be dark as the Galaxy A52. Similarly, in the Spotify app, the time bar is completely invisible. This isn’t a big issue, but for a company that will be making electric cars in the future, this kind of problem should be taken care of by the product & quality control department in a snap.
Gaming experience
As for gaming, this isn’t the best phone for the price as you can get Poco X3 Pro for a similar price that offers much better performance. But coming from last year’s Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, Xiaomi has optimized the performance here.
In PUBG mobile, it can go Balanced graphic and Ultra frame rates, and it runs without any stutters. But for the smoothest of experience with very little heating, Smooth graphics and Ultra frame rates will yield you a better result.
Likewise, Critical Ops which offers 120fps gameplay is indeed playable at 120fps and is quite optimized. I didn’t face any heating issues either, although it does get slightly warm. But nothing worrying like Techbar’s title suggests.
Overall, I would say, the performance of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is satisfactory and should be enough for most users. But I hope Xiaomi doesn’t mess up with the stability of its performance in the long run, and in fact, I am hopeful they fix these small bugs and provide regular software updates.
At the time of writing this review, our unit of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is still on February’s security update, which is kinda slow. And over time, it might not even receive monthly updates, settling for a quarterly one. Hopefully, that will improve as well.
Cameras
Quad cameras at the back
(108MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 5MP super macro, 2MP depth)
16MP selfie camera inside the punch-hole cutout
Cameras
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Back
Front
Finally, let’s talk about the cameras.
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max boasts a quad-camera setup at the back with a 108MP primary that sets it apart from the cheaper Redmi Note 10 Pro. But as you might know, this isn’t the first time we’re getting a 108MP sensor on a mid-range phone. In fact, Xiaomi’s own Mi 10i had a 108MP camera.
Anyway, it’s the Samsung HM2 sensor, and completing the setup is an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP depth, and a 5MP super macro lens.
Normal Images
The normal daytime images from the Note 10 Pro Max are quite good, especially in terms of details. Likewise, the dynamic range and color reproduction are commendable as well. Because Xiaomi is throwing big numbers in its cameras, a general user’s perspective is that its 108MP camera is objectively better than lower resolution sensors.
Normal
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And yes, Xiaomi’s tons of marketing campaigns embrace this very same concept. But most of the time, the real-life performance doesn’t favor a company’s claims made in their promotional campaigns.
vs Samsung Galaxy A52
So, I compared it against the Galaxy A52 which has a 64MP primary camera to see just how much of Xiaomi’s claims hold true. What I found is that in almost all instances, photos from A52 look superior.
vs Galaxy A52
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Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
As you can see, the A52’s images have better sharpness, dynamic range, details, and it even wins in terms of brightness. It manages to bring out more natural-looking colors while the Note 10 Pro Max tends to over-saturate the photos by a lot.
Still, when shooting photos of flowers, I like the ones from Note 10 Pro Max more because of the said bump in contrast.
Wideangle Images
Jumping to the ultra-wide shots, I noticed a vast shift in color science compared to the primary lens. Coming from the vibrant photos from the main sensor, the wideangle camera shoots rather muted colors.
Wideangle
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Normal
Wideangle
Normal
Wideangle
Normal
Wideangle
Normal
Wideangle
Besides this, the wideangle shots don’t retain a satisfactory level of detail too. All of this just screams a lack of proper optimization, and I can only hope Xiaomi will push updates in the future to fix this issue.
Portrait Images
Compared to the Galaxy A52, subjects in the portrait shots from the Note 10 Pro Max tend to look a tad bit dark.
Portrait
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Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
Note 10 Pro Max
Galaxy A52
It’s not that bad but the difference becomes clear as day when pitting the two phones side-by-side. Here, portraits from A52 look slightly more pleasing with good subject skin tone.
Nighttime Images
Under a low light condition, I like the photos from the Note 10 Pro Max. They pop in terms of colors and are quite pleasant to look at.
Nighttime
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Note 10 Pro Max - Nighttime
Galaxy A52 - Nighttime
Note 10 Pro Max - Nighttime
Galaxy A52 - Nighttime
Note 10 Pro Max - Night Mode
Galaxy A52 - Night Mode
Note 10 Pro Max - Night Mode
Galaxy A52 - Night Mode
Note 10 Pro Max - Night Mode
Galaxy A52 - Night Mode
The result is the same when turning on the night mode as well. Images turn out with plenty of details with well-balanced exposure. But under extreme lowlight situations, A52 manages to capture better-looking pictures.
Selfie Images
In terms of selfie images, I noticed a slight greenish tint from the Note 10 Pro Max.
Selfie
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Note 10 Pro Max - Selfie
Galaxy A52 - Selfie
Note 10 Pro Max - Selfie
Galaxy A52 - Selfie
Note 10 Pro Max - Portrait Selfie
Galaxy A52 - Portrait Selfie
As a result, subjects don’t look as natural, or as good. It’s the same with portrait selfies as well.
Videography
Getting to the videos, there’s no OIS here although Xiaomi has included EIS. Yet, that’s restricted to 1080p/30fps footages only. You can crank the resolution to 4k/30fps or 1080p/60fps mode but like I just said, these settings are void of any form of stabilization. Coming to the front, the selfie videos are limited to 1080p/30fps. Talking about their quality, well… it’s not that good. The audio pickup from the microphone isn’t that great either.
Battery
5020mAh battery with 33W fast charging
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max enjoys a big 5020mAh battery. But because of the 120Hz refresh rate, I couldn’t get a decent battery endurance. Still, it’s good enough to last you through the day.
The phone supports 33W fast charging and thankfully, the 33W fast charger is provided inside the box. While it obviously doesn’t compete against 65W fast charging from Realme, I feel like 33W is a good middle ground considering charging speed and battery health in the long run.
Conclusion
Let’s wrap up this review of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max. I’ve been using a Redmi Note phone ever since its inception back in 2014. I still remember buying the Redmi Note 3 with the Snapdragon 650 chipset, metal back, and great battery life. Brings back some great memories.
While those were great budget phones of the past, Xiaomi has gradually increased the price in the Note series. Having said that, the company has brought significant improvement throughout the years too. So much so that the Redmi Note series narrows the gap between a mid-range and a flagship phone. And the Note 10 Pro Max is a prime example.
The only caveat that still remains on these phones is MIUI. But I’m quite hopeful that things will change with the forthcoming MIUI 12.5 update. So, to answer the question is it’s a “10on10” phone, no it’s not.
At best, I’d rate it 8 out of 10 although that won’t stop me from recommending the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max to anyone looking for a good phone in this price range.
Watch our video review of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
