Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy Book series of Ultrabooks and 2-in-1s during the latest unpacked event. The new lineup mostly consists of laptops designed for normal day-to-day usage, with one exception. Here, the Galaxy Book Odyssey promises additional speed and performance for those who seek it. It also marks the debut of RTX 3050, 3050 Ti GPUs. Let’s take a look at the complete specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Samsung Galaxy Book Odyssey in Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy Book Odyssey Overview:
This gaming laptop comes in a full-metal body with a Mystic Black finish on top. It measures 356.6 x 229.1 x 17.7mm and weighs around 1.85kg. The display here is a 15.6-inch LCD panel with an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Under the hood, the laptop packs 11th gen Intel Tiger Lake-H processors. Users can choose between Core i5 and Core i7 variants. However, Samsung has not mentioned the specific SKUs of the CPUs.
Like I mentioned earlier, you get NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 30 series mobile GPU. To be more specific, it is powered by either RTX 3050 or RTX 3050 Ti. This is the first time that these GPUs have landed on an official product and we are yet to know their nitty-gritty details. Hopefully, we will hear about them from NVIDIA soon.
Talking about memory, the base variant comes with 8GB of RAM. Samsung is also offering the laptop with 16GB and 32GB of RAM. Similarly, Galaxy Book Odyssey can be configured with up to 1TB of NVMe SSD.
Fueling the setup is an 83Wh battery that supports 135W USB Type-C charging. Getting into I/O, you get two USB-C, three USB 3.2 Type-A, one HDMI, one ethernet, one combined audio jack, a security slot, and a microSD card slot. Other features include Dolby Atmos sound, a fingerprint scanner on the power button, an HD webcam, and Pro Keyboard.
Specifications:
Design&Build: All-metal body, 356.6 x 229.1 x 17.7mm, 1.85kg
Extras: Fingerprint scanner (Power Key), Dolby Atmos, 720p HD camera, Pro Keyboard
Samsung Galaxy Book Odyssey Price in Nepal
Samsung Galaxy Book Odyssey will be available in the US from August at a starting price of $1,399. We expect the price of the Samsung Galaxy Book Odyssey to start at NPR 175,000 if it launches in Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy Book Model
Starting Price (US)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Galaxy Book Odyssey
$1,399
NPR 175,000
Check out our review of the MSI Prestige 14 Evo (A11M).
Samsung has launched a bunch of new laptops in the Galaxy Unpacked event held yesterday. These new products boast the power of PC but in a form factor that is as portable as Galaxy smartphones. Here, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Samsung Galaxy Book, Book Pro, and Book Pro 360 in Nepal.
New Samsung Galaxy Book series:
The new Samsung Galaxy Book series is designed to take care of your day-to-day tasks. These are the most mobile laptops in the company’s lineup to date, yet they do not compromise in power as all of them are powered by 11th gen Intel Core processors. Some even offer options for dedicated GPU. The laptops in the new lineup are built from 6000 and 5000-series aluminum.
They can increase productivity with features like Second Screen, Link to Windows, and Microsoft Your Phone. Similarly, it can fit in your existing Galaxy ecosystem as well. Features like Easy Bluetooth Connection, Galaxy Book Smart Switch, Quick Share and Samsung Notes help you transition between different Galaxy devices with ease.
Samsung Galaxy Book Overview:
It offers the most modest specs among the new latest Galaxy Book lineup. The laptop weighs around 1.61 kg and is 15.4mm thick. It comes with a 15.6-inch TFT LCD panel with an FHD resolution. Galaxy Book is powered by Intel Tiger Lake-U processors. Users can choose between Core i3, i5, and i7 CPU. Cheaper options with Intel Pentium Gold or Celeron processors are also available.
Handling the graphics is the integrated Intel Iris Xe but there is also the option for NVIDIA’s GeForce MX450. Users can configure it with up to 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 1TB of NVMe SSD.
Fueling the setup is a 54Wh battery that supports 65W charging via the Type-C interface. Talking about ports, you get two Type-C, two USB A, an HDMI, an audio combo jack, a Kensington lock, a microSD card, and a nano-SIM slot. It has LTE connectivity to go along with Wi-Fi 6.
Moving on, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro comes in two display options – 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch. As expected, the former is thinner and lighter. Unlike the standard Galaxy Book, the Book Pro features an AMOLED panel. The display covers 120% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and boasts a brightness of up to 500 nits.
You can choose between 11th gen Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. There is Intel Iris Xe for graphics. The 15.6” model also has the MX450 option but its availability will vary according to the region. It can be configured with up to 32GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 1TB of NVMe SSD.
Port selection varies according to the display variant. The 15.6” model features one Thunderbolt 4, one Type-C, an audio combo jack, an HDMI, and a microSD card slot. The 13” model misses out on the HDMI port but you will get a nano-SIM slot on the LTE variant. You also get Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support.
The 13” model features a 63Wh battery while the 15.6” variant has a slightly bigger 68Wh battery. Both support 65W charging via Type-C port. Other features include an HD webcam, speakers tuned by AKG, fingerprint sensor on the power key.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 Overview:
Moving on, Galaxy Book Pro 360 is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop that is also available in a 13.3” and a 15.6” model. Its Super AMOLED display has support for touch input and stylus pen. By the way, the latter is included in the box itself. Other specs are fairly similar to the Galaxy Book Pro. Users get to choose from 11th gen Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors.
Intel Xe graphics is available with Core i5, Core i7 model while the lower-end Core i3 variant sees the Intel UHD treatment. Unfortunately, there is no option for a dedicated GPU here. The 13” model can be configured with 16GB of RAM while the 15” model can go up to 32GB. Despite this, both are available with up to 1TB of NVMe SSD.
The 13” model has a nano-SIM slot and is 5G-ready. This feature is not available on the 15” model. Other than that, both feature a Thunderbolt port, two Type-C ports, an audio combo jack, and a microSD card slot. Both models are Wi-Fi 6E ready as well and have support for Bluetooth 5.1. Other specs including battery, charging, biometric, audio are the same as that of Galaxy Book Pro.
Samsung Galaxy Book, Book Pro, Book Pro 360 Price in Nepal
In the UK, the Samsung Galaxy Book starts at £700, while the 13.3” and 15.6” model of the Galaxy Book Pro starts at £1,100 and £1200. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 starts at £1200 for the 13.3” model and £1250 for 15.6”. All the prices mentioned here are for the variant with Core i5 and 8GB RAM.
If they launch here, we expect the starting price of the Samsung Galaxy Book in Nepal to be around NPR 120,000. Similarly, the price of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro in Nepal can start at NPR 187,000 and NPR 205,000 for the 13.3” and 15.6” variants, respectively. Finally, the price of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 in Nepal might start at NPR 205,000 and NPR 215,000 for the 13” and 15.6” variant, respectively.
Samsung Galaxy Book Series
Starting Price in the UK (Core i5, 8GB RAM)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Galaxy Book Pro
£700
NPR 120,000
Galaxy Book Pro 13
£1,100
NPR 187,000
Galaxy Book Pro 15
£1,200
NPR 205,000
Galaxy Book Pro 360 13
£1,200
NPR 205,000
Galaxy Book Pro 360 15
£1,250
NPR 215,000
Check out our review of the MSI Prestige 14 Evo (A11M).
The National Innovation Center (NIC) is calling out qualified individuals to study the possibility of manufacturing electric vehicles in Nepal. This news comes almost a week after Yatri Motorcycle received mixed reactions from the public because of the pricing of their “Made in Nepal” electric motorcycles. In this post, we will be concentrating on what NIC believes will power electric vehicles (EVs) in Nepal.
NIC’s vision for electric vehicles in Nepal
Dr. Mahabir Pun, Chairman of the National Innovation Center, shared NIC’s vision of electric buses in Nepal via his social media handle. NIC wants to carry out research and development in the field of supercapacitors and is looking for qualified and interested individuals for the same.
The research team will be led by Prof. Suman Koirala. If you think you are the guy for the job, you can get in touch with Dr. Mahabir Pun with the following contact details:
Once it’s successful, NIC will be looking to develop electric vehicles powered by the technology.
Technologies powering the EV
Usually, the power source of an electric vehicle is its battery. EVs come with different types of batteries of which lithium-ion is the most popular one. These batteries store energy in the form of chemicals. They have two electrodes (one positive and one negative) separated by an electrolyte. The current is created when ions from one electrolyte flow to the other. Once the battery drains, it needs recharging. The process involves reversing the flow of ions.
कसैलाई Super-capacitor को क्षेत्रमा अनुसन्धान गर्ने राम्रो आईडिया छ भने सम्पर्क राख्नु होस्। यस्तो चिज बाट छोटो दुरीको बस चल्छ। यो १० सेकेन्डमा चार्ज हुन्छ। फाइदा धेरै छ। फोटो हेर्नुस। Prof. Suman Koirala को नेतृत्वमा काम गर्नु पर्नेछ। फोन – 9841592361, इमेल [email protected]pic.twitter.com/SDXsowupnh
On the other hand, capacitors store energy in the static state. Here, two electrodes are separated by an insulating material otherwise known as dielectrics. When the two electrodes are connected to a circuit, an electric field is generated which produces current. A supercapacitor or an ultracapacitor is basically a capacitor with high capacitance and low voltage limit. One can implement it by using large electrode plates with reduced distances between them.
Merits and demerits of supercapacitors
There are multiple advantages of using supercapacitors instead of traditional batteries in EVs. First is the charging speed. The charging period for supercapacitors is in minutes which is significantly less than the hours that traditional batteries take. Also, supercapacitors don’t degrade at the same rate as batteries. Thus, they can add to the lifespan of EVs.
On the other hand, they have their shortcoming as well. They can store only a fraction of the energy that lithium-ion batteries can hold. The second problem is their discharging. Supercapacitors cannot hold a charge for long and thus are only useful for short routes where they can be recharged frequently.
Meanwhile, check out the first look of Project One (P1) electric bike. [Nepali]
Samsung has just announced the first 5G device under the M-series. The Galaxy M42 is powered by Snapdragon 750G that comes with a 5G modem. Here, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G in Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy M42 5G Overview:
Here, Galaxy M42 5G is the successor to Galaxy M40 that launched two years ago. According to the reports, Samsung had to cancel the M41 last year as the display intended for the phone failed to meet the required standard.
Design and Display
Moving to the M42 5G, the device sports a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display. And for some reason, Samsung has used an HD+ panel here with an Infinity-U notch for the selfie camera. The company is yet to confirm it but it seems like the device has an in-display fingerprint scanner. If true, it will be another first for the M-series.
The back of the device features a square camera bump with an LED flash just outside of it. Galaxy M42 5G is available in two color options – Prism Dot Black and Prism Dot Gray. The phone has a glossy finish and a layered pattern which the company claims to be more comfortable to grip.
Under the hood, the M42 5G packs Snapdragon 750G. It’s a 7nm chipset that debuted last year with the Redmi 9 Pro 5G. It features two Cortex-A77 cores clocked at 2.2Ghz and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. For 5G, it integrates the Snapdragon X52 modem that is also used in the higher-end chipsets like the 765G and 768G. Samsung has included Game Booster and Frame Booster features to improve the gaming capability of the phone.
Users can choose between 6GB and 8GB RAM. Both RAM variants feature 128GB of internal storage which is expandable. The device ships with Android 11 based on One UI 3.1 out-of-the-box
Camera
The square camera module at the back encloses a quad-camera setup. An LED flash resides just outside of the module. Coming to the specs, the primary camera here is the 48MP ISOCELL GM2 sensor. It is accompanied by an ultrawide sensor with a 123° Field of View. There are two additional 5MP sensors for portrait and macro shots.
This setup can record 4K videos at 30fps. Similarly, users can make use of features like Single Take, Night Mode, Hyperlapse, Super-Slow motion, and Flaw Detection. There is a 20MP selfie shooter at the front.
Rest of the specs
Galaxy M42 5G is fueled by a 5,000mAh battery that offers up to 36 hours of talk time on a single charge. A 15W charger is included in the box. The phone comes with Samsung Knox security. It also has NFC that users can use for contactless payment via Samsung Pay.
Samsung Galaxy M42 5G Specifications:
Display: 6.6-inches “Infinity-U” Super AMOLED panel
Resolution: HD+ (720x 1600 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G (8nm)
Memory: 6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage (expandable)
Software & UI: Android 11 with Samsung’s One UI 3.1 on top
The price of the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G in India is INR 21,999 for the 6/128GB and INR 23,999 for the 8/128GB variant. The sale starts on 1st May. We expect the starting price of the Samsung Galaxy M42 5G in Nepal to be around NPR 37,000 when it launches here shortly.
Samsung Galaxy M42 5G
Price in India
Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB
INR 21,999
NPR 37,000
8/128GB
INR 23,999
NPR 40,000
Meanwhile, check out our initial impressions of the Samsung Galaxy A52 (4G).
Vivo’s gaming sub-brand announced the iQOO 7 earlier this year. The device has been repackaged as iQOO 7 Legend in India. It is accompanied by iQOO Neo5 which has been rebranded as the vanilla iQOO 7. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the global variants of iQOO 7 and iQOO 7 Legend in Nepal.
iQOO 7 Legend Overview:
Design and Display
iQOO 7 Legend sports a 6.62-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling rate. It also supports an instantaneous touch sampling rate of 1000Hz. The phone has a center-aligned punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera. This results in a 91.4% screen to body ratio.
Additionally, the screen covers 105% of the NTSC color gamut and has support for HDR10+ display technology as well. It’s a pressure-sensitive screen with a left and a right partition.
At the back, we get to see the rectangular camera bump. The device is available with tri-color textured lines on the right side that resembles a racing track. It is to represent the partnership with BMW M Motorsport.
Performance and Memory
On the performance side of things, the new Snapdragon 888 brings double-digit improvements over its predecessor. The new chipset performs 25% better in CPU-related tasks and 35% better in GPU-related tasks compared to the iQOO 5. Additionally, iQOO has implemented a new antenna layout on this phone for better signal and reduced interference. iQOO 7 Legend uses three antennas smart switching for better results.
For cooling purposes, iQOO has included a 4096mm2 vapor chamber along with a capillary structure power pump. To aid gamers, there is Multi-Turbo 5.0 that optimizes network speed, memory, and power consumption for a better gaming experience.
Camera
The triple camera setup at the back consists of a 48MP primary camera accompanied by a 120-degree ultra-wide camera and a 13MP portrait lens. The primary camera has support for Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) for steady images and videos. Some of the features of the rear camera setup include – vlog mode, Super Night View 5.0, Dark Night Vision 2.0, Panorama Night View.
Rest of the specs
Moving on, the phone has a 4000mAh battery but the charging speed is just 66W. That is a significant drop from the 120W charging on the Chinese variant of the iQOO 7. The phone has an in-display fingerprint scanner for biometrics. In terms of connectivity, it supports 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2. The phone ships with Origin OS based on Android 11 out of the box. It has a stereo audio setup that is Hi-Res compatible.
iQOO 7 Overview
iQOO 7 sports a similar display but it lacks the pressure-sensitive partition. The rear panel also looks different as it comes with a rectangular camera bump. The AG Matte glass panel is available in two color options – Storm Black and Solid Ice Blue Blue.
The device is powered by Snapdragon 870. It is the same chipset as last year’s Snapdragon 865 but with a higher frequency Prime core. There is also a dedicated display chip that the company claims will help the device maintain stable fps. The liquid cooling system on the phone features a graphite sheet with a 6,000mm2 surface area.
The rear camera setup consists of a 48MP Sony IMX598 sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor, and a 2MP monochrome sensor. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie shooter. Fueling the device is a larger 4,400mAh battery with the same 66W charging speed.
iQOO 7, 7 Legend Specifications:
Display: 6.62-inch AMOLED; 105% NTSC color gamut, HDR10+, 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate; 91.4% screen ratio
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Connectivity: 5G network, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1/5.2, and NFC
Battery: 4,000mAh / 4400mAh with 66W fast charging
iQOO 7 and 7 Legend Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of iQOO 7 and iQOO 7 Legend in India starts at INR 31,990 and INR 39,990, respectively. The pre-order starts on May 1. If it launches here, we expect the price of iQOO 7 and iQOO 7 Legend in Nepal to start at NPR 55,000 and NPR 70,000, respectively.
After weeks of teasers, Redmi has finally unveiled its first-ever gaming smartphone. The Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition is now official in China. It comes with a flagship MediaTek processor and a bunch of gaming-oriented features. Here, we will be looking at the complete specs and features of the Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition along with its expected price in Nepal.
Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition Overview:
Design and Display
Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition (or Gaming Edition) features a 6.67-inch flexible OLED panel with an FHD+ resolution. It has support for a 120Hz refresh rate and a 480Hz three-finger touch sampling rate. The typical brightness of the panel is listed at 500 nits and there are a total of 8192 brightness adjustment level. The display can reproduce 1.07 billion colors and one can view HDR10 content on it as well.
The phone is 8.3m thick and weighs around 205 grams, which is quite impressive for a gaming phone. Like the front, the back of the phone is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It also has an IP53 rating against dust and water spray. The camera module on the back looks a bit different compared to other Redmi K40 series devices. It’s because it now has Pulse ambient lighting that will light up in case of any notifications.
Performance and Memory
Powering Redmi’s first gaming phone is Dimensity 1200. This 6nm chipset is the best MediaTek has to offer at the moment. Talking about the chipset, it features four Cortex-A78 performance cores (1 x 3 GHz + 3 x 2.6 GHz) and four Cortex-A55 (@2GHz) efficiency cores. The cooling system on the Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition consists of graphene, graphite, and a vapor chamber.
Even before the launch, Redmi revealed the phone managed to score 724,495 points in AnTuTu v9. But it’s worth pointing out that AnTuTu v9 tends to score a device higher compared to v8. Users can choose between 6, 8, and 12GB of LPDDR4x memory. Similarly, storage options include 128GB and 256GB of UFS 3.1 memory.
Camera
The triple camera setup on the back consists of a 64MP primary camera. The 1/2” inch sensor has support for 4-in-1 pixel binning. Redmi has used a glass-plastic hybrid material for the lens which it claims performs better than a complete plastic lens.
The primary shooter is accompanied by an 8MP ultrawide sensor. It has a 120° Field of View (FOV). And the third camera is a 2MP sensor for macro photography. The device can record 1080p and 4k videos at 60 and 30 fps respectively. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie shooter that can record 1080p 30fps videos.
Rest of the specs
Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition gets its juice from a 5065mAh battery. It has support for Quick Charge 3+ and PowerDelivery 3.0. Redmi is also including a 67W PD-compatible charger in the box. The charger has an L-shaped connector so that users can game while charging the device simultaneously.
In terms of wireless connectivity, you get support for dual-SIM 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1. For an uninterrupted gaming experience, the phone has 12 antennas in a 360-degree arrangement.
You also get magnetic pop-up shoulder buttons like the ones in the Black Shark 4 lineup. You can map it for in-game functions. There is an X-axis linear motor that can produce over 200 vibration effects. The stereo speakers are tuned by JBL and feature Hi-Res (Wired/Wireless), and Dolby Atmos certification.
Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition is currently exclusive to China where it will be available from 30th April at a starting price of 1,999 Yuan. There is also a Bruce Lee Special Edition (12/256GB) that costs 2,799 Yuan. If the phone launches in Nepal, we expect the price of the Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition to start at NPR 45,000.
Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB
¥1999
Rs. 45,000
8/128GB
¥2199
Rs. 50,000
8/256GB
¥2399
Rs. 55,000
12/128GB
¥2399
Rs. 55,000
12/256GB
¥2699
Rs. 60,000
12/256GB (Bruce Lee Special Edition)
¥2799
Rs. 65,000
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
Autel is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of drones. However, the company has been positioned as an alternative to the DJI in the drone market. And now, Autel drones are available in Nepal via Oliz Store. In this post, we will be talking in brief about Autel and the drones that are available in Nepal including their price, specs, and other info.
Autel: Brand Overview
As mentioned earlier, Autel is a brand that specializes in intelligent automotive systems and automotive electronics components. Formally known as the Autel Intelligent Technology Corp, the company has multiple child companies under its wing. One such is Autel Robotics that was founded in 2014.
Autel Robotics specializes in unmanned aerial technologies. It develops drones for both hobbyists and professionals. The company debuted the X-Star in 2015 which was then followed by the EVO series. Last year, the company also unveiled the EVO II series.
While the parent company is headquartered in Shenzhen China, the same neighborhood as DJI, Autel Robotics is based in Washington, USA. Given the recent advancement in the US-China relation, the company even introduced “Made in US” drones under the EVO II platform.
Autel Drones Available In Nepal:
Autel EVO II
The Autel EVO II comes with Sony’s 48MP sensor. It is capable of recording 4K HDR videos with 16 Exposure Values. The 10-bit color depth allows the drone to capture over 1 billion colors. In addition, users can shoot in 8K under the Hyperlapse Mode.
It is equipped with 19 sensors out of which 12 help in obstacle avoidance. EVO II can track objects in motion with its Phase Detection AF. It can also detect up to 64 objects at the same time.
The drone can fly at a maximum speed of 45mph. The maximum flight time is listed at 40 minutes. Similarly, the maximum transmission range is 5.5km.
Moving on, the EVO II Pro is the first folding drone from the company that can shoot in 6K resolution. It features a 20MP Sony CMOS sensor. Users can adjust the aperture between f/2.8 to f/11. Similarly, the ISO can be dialed up to 12,800. As with the EVO II 8K, it can also capture over 1 billion colors because of the 10-bit color support. There is the HyperLight feature with 2D and 3D noise-reducing technologies for low-light photography.
The price of Autel EVO II and EVO II PRO in Nepal is NPR 216,000 and NPR 255,000, respectively. You can buy Autel drones in Nepal at their respective price from Oliz Store.
Spotify has announced a new feature that lets users listen to Spotify music from within the Facebook app via a miniplayer. This will help people share and discover new music more conveniently, a feature that has contributed to the popularity of the platform. Today, we will be talking about this new feature in detail along with some recent changes in the subscription plans of the platform.
Spotify miniplayer in Facebook app
This is not the first time these two companies have collaborated. Even before this, users could sign into Spotify using their Facebook account. But with this, Facebook users will be able to do so much more when it comes to sharing and discovering music.
This new update introduces a new miniplayer with which users can enjoy Spotify music from within the Facebook app. You can share the music of your interest with your circle and even explain why it signifies to you. Your friends can engage on the shared music as they would with your other content on the social media platform.
How to use the new Spotify miniplayer on Facebook?
To use this feature tap, go to the Share menu by tapping on the three dots which will be on the top right of the songs you are currently streaming on Spotify. You can select Facebook and/or Facebook News Feed from within the menu. You can even add a message or note for a more personal touch.
On the other hand, other people will be able to play the music that you shared from within the Facebook app. All they need to do is tap on the Play option below the shared music and a miniplayer with playback options will appear. A consent dialog box will appear if it’s the first time using the feature. You will also be able to listen to verified artist’s music directly from the post they share on Facebook. This also works for videos uploaded to Facebook that contain licensed music.
Availability
This new feature is available in 27 countries as follows:
Argentina
Costa Rica
Israel
Paraguay
Australia
Dominican Republic
Japan
Peru
Bolivia
Ecuador
Malaysia
South Africa
Brazil
El Salvador
Mexico
Thailand
Canada
Guatemala
New Zealand
Uruguay
Chile
Honduras
Nicaragua
USA
Colombia
Indonesia
Panama
Unfortunately, Spotify is yet to announce the new feature for any of the South Asian countries. But we expect that to happen in the coming months.
Spotify announces price hike in different regions
In other news, Spotify has hiked the subscription fee on many of its plans in numerous regions. This has been the case for different European countries including the UK. In the UK, the price of the Spotify Student package has been increased to £5.99 from £4.99. The fee for the Duo plan has been bumped to £13.99 from £12.99. Likewise, for the Family plan, the new price is £16.99 compared to the previous £14.99 fee.
The price hike is not uniform everywhere. For instance, the monthly subscription fee for Family Plan in Ireland is now €17.99 though it used to be €14.99 before the change. The company has also announced to raise the price of Family plans in the US but is yet to confirm the latest pricing.
Spotify is expected to announce price hikes for some countries in Asia and South America as well. There will be a one-month grace period before the implementation. After this, the company will automatically increase the price of said plan in the regions.
Football fans have been quick to point out that Spotify’s price hike has come just right after Daniel Ek, the founder of the platform, expressed his desire to acquire Arsenal Football Club via his Twitter handle. He already has support from Arsenal legends like Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and Patrick Vieira for his bid.
However, we expect Spotify to reveal more about it when it shares its latest earnings on Thursday. Recently, the platform reported a loss of €125 million in a quarter despite the 150 million subscribers.
Samsung unveiled its latest premium mid-range phones, the Galaxy A52 and A72 about a month ago. Featuring a new design language and loads of new feature additions, both phones are some of the best in their price range. Here, the A72 is the more expensive of the two and we’ve already published our initial impression of the phone. After having used the device for longer, has anything changed? Let’s find that out in this review of the Samsung Galaxy A72.
Samsung Galaxy A72 Specifications:
Body: 77.4 x 165.0 x 8.4mm, 203 gm, IP67 dust/water resistant
Display: 6.7-inches “Infinity-O” Super AMOLED panel, 90Hz refresh rate, 394 PPI
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Like I said in my initial impression, I’m really fond of A72’s design. More specifically, the color options are fantastic this time around. Even though the phone doesn’t have a glass body, it doesn’t feel any less premium in the hand. Plus, Samsung has moved away from the glossy finish in its predecessor to a matte finish instead.
1 of 2
Ports
Back
Besides offering a really good hands-on feel, this material is immune to fingerprint smudges as well. More importantly, the Galaxy A72 also boasts IP67 dust and water resistance. Getting a feature that’s usually reserved for the flagship smartphones on one that costs almost half as much is something to get excited by.
Likewise, despite weighing a little over 200 grams, I didn’t find the phone to be uncomfortable to hold since it has a balanced weight distribution. Still, since A72 has a plastic back, it will get scuffs, scratches over time. So if you’re planning on buying this phone, I strongly advise on getting a decent protective case as well.
Display
6.7-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED screen
90Hz refresh rate, SGS Low Blue Light certified
On top of the build quality, the next thing I like about the Galaxy A72 is its display. Well, I guess nobody’s surprised with this seeing how Samsung has always managed to deliver excellent displays on its smartphones. Here, you’re greeted with a big 6.7-inch FHD Super AMOLED panel. And this is a top-notch screen to look at. Moreover, the centered punch-hole cutout is pretty minimal too.
Pair this with the stereo speaker setup, content consumption on A72 is absolutely breathtaking. As a result, if your usage pattern mostly revolves around watching videos, scrolling through social media apps, then this is a good option.
Additionally, Samsung has also nabbed SGS Low Blue Light certification on this phone. That basically promises a non-fatiguing viewing experience when staring at the A72’s big screen for hours. Like the IP67 certification I mentioned earlier, this is another such feature that Samsung has directly borrowed here from its high-end smartphones.
On top of all this, Galaxy A72’s display also refreshes at 90Hz. Even though it’s not as smooth as 120Hz screens found in phones like the Redmi Note 10 Pro series, you will notice the smoothness well enough when browsing through the UI or scrolling the news feed. Contrary to the jittery 120Hz refresh rate experience on the POCO X3 despite being powered by Snapdragon 732G, Samsung’s software optimization has made sure that’s not the case here.
Moving on, A72 brags a pretty mean and capable camera setup too. While most other mid-range, premium mid-range phones feature a gimmicky quad-camera setup, Samsung has avoided that scandal. You get a 64MP primary camera alongside a 12MP ultra-wide, a 5MP macro, and an 8MP telephoto lens capable of taking 3x optically zoomed shots.
Telephoto Images
With this, Galaxy A72 is the first phone under the company’s “A” series to equip a dedicated zoom lens. At a time when almost no other brands provide a telephoto camera in their phones that cost as much as A72, Samsung has upped the game.
Telephoto
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3x Zoom
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10x Zoom
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30x Zoom
It can shoot 3x optical or up to 30x digital zoom photos. But I found that A72’s telephoto images looked the best up to 10x only.
Normal, Ultrawide, Macro Images
Moving on, the images from the primary lens and the ultrawide camera are excellent as well.
Normal, Wideangle
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Wideangle
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Wideangle
There’s enough detail to enjoy and I can’t complain about their dynamic range either. As always, Samsung’s color optimization is on-point here too.
Macro
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Additionally, the macro images aren’t all that bad either. The fixed focus does complicate things when taking close-up shots but with enough patience, you might be able to take shot good macro photos.
Portrait Images
To my disappointment, the Galaxy A72 doesn’t shoot portraits from the telephoto camera. The edge detection from the primary 64MP sensor could’ve been better but the skin tone and background blue are fantastic regardless.
Portrait
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But I’m hopeful that Samsung will push an update enabling portraits from the 3x zoom lens seeing how the Galaxy S21 Ultra recently received an update for the same.
Selfie Images
Similarly, the selfies from the 32MP sensor win out in terms of the color tone and dynamic range as well.
Selfie, Portrait Selfie
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Portrait Selfie
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Moreover, the portrait selfie images share a similar fate.
Nighttime Images
Thanks to OIS, the Galaxy A72’s nighttime photos turn out quite good. It is able to deliver photos with nice exposure and details.
Nighttime
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Night Mode
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Night Mode
Turning on the night mode, you’ll notice even more details with the photos looking a bit brighter too.
Videography
Besides this, the biggest plus point of the phone is most definitely its aforementioned OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). As a result, you’ll be able to shoot stable videos that’ll look way better compared to the ones from phones with just EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization).
A72 can shoot up to 4K/30fps videos from both front and back cameras. Before I forget, the front camera doesn’t have OIS. Anyway, even the 4K/30fps videos from the rear camera turn out stable. This is one of those areas where other mid-range phones are helpless.
Battery
5000mAh battery with 25W USB-PD charging
Apart from the terrific cameras, the next thing I like about the Galaxy A72 is its battery life. Packing a big 5000mAh battery inside, the phone usually lasted me for about a day and a half. This could mainly be because of a 90Hz refresh rate instead of 120Hz and the use of an energy-efficient 8nm processor.
Even under heavy usage, I was able to get a day’s endurance, at least. Now, that doesn’t compare to the monstrous 7000mAh battery on Samsung’s own Galaxy M62 but I can’t complain about this either. Furthermore, you get a 25W fast charger inside the box itself even though the company was greedy enough to ship the Galaxy A52 with a 15W power brick.
Using the 25W USB PD charger, A72 goes from 0 to 100% in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. What’s more, you can even use this charger to juice up your PD-compliant devices like laptops or iPad.
Performance
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC (8nm)
6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128/256GB storage (expandable)
Aside from the top-notch design, display, and cameras, Galaxy A72 is complemented by a well-optimized and visually appealing One UI Android skin. Out-of-the-box, it runs on One UI 3.1 based on the latest Android 11. In addition, Samsung also promises at least 3 generations of Android upgrades and 4 years of security updates on this phone—something no Chinese smartphone companies offer.
Having said that, the actual performance side of things on A72 leaves things to be desired. First off, the Snapdragon 720G isn’t a deserving chipset on a phone that costs over Rs. 50,000.
Despite all the optimization Samsung has done, the fact that 720G is available in phones that cost almost half as much, like the Redmi Note 9 Pro, speaks volumes. Plus, the same chipset can be found in Galaxy A52 that costs like Rs. 10,000 less.
Maybe if the company had gone with relatively more capable silicon like the Snapdragon 765G or the new Snapdragon 860, we wouldn’t be having this conversation in the first place. As a result, A72 is just not that powerful a phone. And if gaming’s your priority, you’re better off looking at its alternatives.
Moreover, its optical in-display fingerprint scanner isn’t as fast as the ones in the competition like the Realme X7 Pro either. By the way, we’ve already posted our detailed comparison of Galaxy A72 with the X7 Pro so if you’d want to check that out, click here. Yet, you can speed up the unlock speed by turning off the animation.
Conclusion
So that was it for our review of the Samsung Galaxy A72. Like I just said, things would’ve been so simpler if the phone had a better chipset. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. Because of this, the phone struggles to differentiate itself from Samsung’s own Galaxy A52 since the latter packs an eerily similar set of specs. From display, performance, to the primary and ultrawide cameras, things are neck-and-neck between the two phones.
Left: Galaxy A52 | Right: Galaxy A72
It’s just that you get a larger display, a bigger battery, and a 3x telephoto lens here. And for this, Samsung is asking Rs. 10K more which makes me believe that A52 is a better value for money by a long shot. Still, if you want a big smartphone experience mostly for multimedia consumption, Galaxy A72 is a decent choice in the Nepali market.
That’s mainly because the competing phones from brands like Vivo and Oppo‘s offerings are quite overpriced and therefore don’t compete against A72. Plus, even though Xiaomi has compelling phones in its arsenal like the POCO F3 or the Redmi K40, those aren’t available here. Therefore, if you’re looking to buy a decent phone under 50K, Samsung’s Galaxy A72 is the best phone—love it or hate it.
After the launch of Moto G40 Fusion and Moto G60, Motorola has launched yet another device in the revamped G-series. The new Moto G20 is a budget phone that is set to launch in Europe soon. In this post, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Motorola Moto G20 in Nepal.
Motorola Moto G20 Overview:
Design and Display
Moto G20 features a 6.5-inch Max Vision display with support for the 90Hz refresh rate. It’s an IPS LCD panel with an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels. That results in a pixel density of 269 PPI and a 20:9 aspect ratio. Similarly, the phone has a tear-drop notch that encloses the front-facing camera.
The body of the phone is made completely from plastic and it weighs around 200 grams. You also get an IP52 rating against dust and water sprays. There are two colors to choose from here – Breeze Blue and Flamingo Pink.
Interestingly, Motorola has opted for a Unisoc chipset which is quite rare in the mid-range price segment. The Unisoc T700 used in the G20 has been designed specifically to be used in Motorola devices. The chipset features two Cortex-A75 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores. Here, the graphics are handled by Mali G52 GPU.
The phone is available in a single memory configuration of 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. That latter can be expanded at the expense of dual-SIM functionality.
Camera
At the back, a 48MP sensor leads the rear camera setup. It outputs 12MP photos using quad-pixel technology. The primary sensor is accompanied by an 8MP sensor with a 118˚ Field of View (FOV). There are two additional 2MP sensors for macro shots and depth information. The rear camera comes with support for Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS).
You can record FHD videos at 30fps from both primary and ultrawide sensors. You can also record videos with the macro sensor but it is capped at 720p/30fps. There is a 13MP selfie shooter on the front that can capture FHD videos at 30fps.
Rest of the specs
Fueling the device is a decent 5,000mAh battery. Motorola is claiming over two days of backup on a single full charge on this phone. Moto G20 supports 10W charging via the Type-C port. Motorola ships the compatible charger inside the box too. In terms of connectivity, you get dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC.
Moto G20 ships with Android 11 out-of-the-box with the company’s My UX on top. In addition to the power button and the volume rocker, there is a dedicated button to summon Google Assistant as well. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometrics.
Extra: Water repellant design (IP52 rating), Google Assistant Button
Battery: 5,000mAh with 10W charging
Motorola Moto G20 Price in Nepal & Availability
Motorola Moto G20 will go on sale in Europe starting this week for a price tag of €149. We expect the price of the Motorola Moto G20 in Nepal to be around NPR 20,000 when it launches here.
