Sony Xperia 5 III (Mark 3) has an almost similar set of specifications to the Xperia 5 II, which was launched last year. But this time, the design is a little different with a rounded frame and a little more weight. The change has allowed Sony to pack a comparatively larger battery. So, without further ado, let us look at the specifications, features, availability, and expected price of the Sony Xperia 5 III in Nepal.
Sony Xperia 5 III Overview:
Design and Display
Like I said earlier, the design here is quite similar, with only minor variations in dimensions. Its predecessor is 8.0 mm thick, while the Xperia 5 III is slightly thicker at 8.2mm. It is also slightly heavier, weighing 169 grams to Xperia 5 II’s 163 grams.
The phone features a 6.1-inch FHD+ HDR OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. Like the Xperia 1 III, it has a 240Hz motion blur reduction and a 240Hz touch scanning rate. The screen also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. And not to forget, this display features Sony’s trademark 21:9 “CinemaWide” aspect ratio. Furthermore, the phone is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 at the front and back.
Here, the Xperia 5 III is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset coupled with 8GB of RAM, and 128/256GB of internal storage. In terms of durability, the device is water and dust resistant complying with the IP65/68 standards. Furthermore, it runs on Android 11.
There is a dedicated microSD card slot for expanding storage. Furthermore, it equips a 3.5mm headphone jack as well, which is an essential and rare feature in 2021.
Camera
The camera department has undergone several reforms from its predecessor. Xperia 5 III brings the same 12MP triple camera setups as the Xperia 1 III. The biggest difference between this year’s model and its predecessor is the variable telephoto module and Dual PDAF sensors. It enables the telephoto lens to adjust its focal length between 70mm and 105mm, allowing it to catch details at a greater distance. This allows you to zoom from 2.9x to 4.3x.
To snap selfies, the front camera has an 8MP f/2.0 lens. Similarly, all these sensors are ZEISS optics calibrated and also feature ZEISS T* anti-reflective coating. Sony’s native camera app, Photography Pro, also has a “Basic Mode” to appeal to a broader audience.
Rest of the specs
Moving on, the device packs a big 4500mAh battery with support USB PD fast charging via the Type-C port. Furthermore, the device has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and stereo speakers. The stereo speakers are louder and support 360 Reality Audio.
Battery: 4500mAh with 30W fast charging, Qi wireless charging
Connectivity: A-GPS, A-GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C, 4G LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz, mmWave)
Color options: Green, Black
Sony Xperia 5 III Price in Nepal and Availability
Just like the Xperia 1 III, Sony says the Xperia 5 III should be available in summer 2021 (June-September). Likewise, the company hasn’t revealed details regarding the price of the phone either.
Meanwhile, check out our comparison of Galaxy A72 VS Realme X7 Pro.
Oppo has unveiled its new mid-range smartphone in Nepal, the Oppo A54. Like with other A-series phone from the Chinese mobile maker, this one too is underwhelming given the features and its price tag. Let’s dive deeper into the details about the new Oppo A54 including its official price in Nepal.
Oppo A54 Overview:
The new Oppo A54 comes with a 6.51-inch IPS LCD screen with HD+ resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. The selfie camera here is a 16MP sensor that is housed inside the punch-hole cutout. Around the back, the camera module gives an illusion of sporting four lenses. However, in reality, it only has a triple camera array. The primary lens is 13MP followed by two 2MP lenses for depth sensor and macro.
The device is powered by MediaTek’s Helio P35 SoC. 4GB RAM and 128GB storage complement the chipset. However, there is a MicroSD slot for memory expansion. As for the battery, it has a huge 5000mAh unit that supports 18W fast charging.
On the software side, the Oppo A54 still runs on ColorOS 7.2 on top of Android 10. Other features include IPX4 water resistance, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Oppo A54Specifications:
Display: 6.51-inches LCD, HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Helio P35 (12nm mobile platform)
Xiaomi has just announced the launch of Mi TV Stick in Nepal. It is a portable streaming device with Android TV OS, which was launched in August of last year in India. In this post, we will be discussing the key features of the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick along with its official price and availability in Nepal.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Overview:
Here, Xiaomi Mi TV Stick weighs around 28.5 grams. And with a length of just 92.4 mm, it should fit in most of the pocket. Thus, you can always carry it wherever you go. When connecting it to a TV, the device doesn’t occupy much space either. The color options are limited as it is only available in the black variant.
Talking about the internals, Mi TV Stick is powered by a quad-core CPU with four Cortex A53 cores. Graphics are rendered by ARM Mali-450 GPU. Similarly, it comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. As for the software, it runs on Android TV 9.0.
That’s pretty dated seeing how Google’s already launched Android TV 11. And then there’s the new Google TV standard itself. Also, it’s unclear if the Mi TV Stick will get updated to any newer iteration of Android TV.
Built-in Chromecast
Anyway, since it comes with Android TV, users can make use of Google Assistant, Play Store, and Chromecast. With the latter, you can easily output contents from iOS, Android, and Windows devices to your TV in 1080p.
For the initial setup, simply connect the stick to the HDMI port of your TV. Then, connect it to the internet and you’re good to go. For this, Xiaomi has included dual-band Wi-Fi support. Similarly, you also get Bluetooth 4.2.
You also get the same Bluetooth remote as Mi TVs that are available in Nepal. The remote itself is simplistic and features few buttons including dedicated ones for Netflix, Prime Video, and Google Assistant. As for audio, it supports Dolby Audio and DTS Digital format.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Specifications:
Dimension: 92.4 x 30.2 x 15.2mm, 28.5g
Processor: Quad-Core (Cortex A53)
GPU: ARM Mali-450
Memory: 1GB RAM, 8GB storage
Output: 1080p @ 60Hz
Video Formats: MO, VOB, AVI, MKS, TS, MP4
Sound: Dolby Atmos, DTS
Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2
Ports: HDMI output, micro-USB port
Remote Control: Mi Bluetooth Remote
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Price in Nepal & Availability
The official price of the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick in Nepal is NPR 5,999. It will soon be available via Xiaomi authorized stores across Nepal.
That being said, we believe the pricing could have been better as Mi TV Stick is available for just INR 2,799 (~NPR 4,500) in India.
Streaming device
Price in Nepal
Availability
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick
NPR 5,999
Soon (via Xiaomi authorized stores)
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
Sony’s Xperia Pro garnered a lot of attention for its “professional camera companion” stature. And now, the company has finally launched Xperia 1 III. The design is quite the same as the Xperia 1 II (Mark 2) from last year, but there is a whole lot of improvements in the device with a knockout display and a very intriguing camera set. So, let’s find out more about Sony Xperia 1 III including its specs, features, expected price in Nepal, and more.
Sony Xperia 1 III Overview:
Design and Display
As always, Sony Xperia 1 III has a display with a CinemaWide aspect ratio of 21:9. It features a 6.5-inch HDR OLED panel with a QHD resolution (3840 x 1644). Furthermore, the display is protected with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus on the front, while the back has a frosted matte finish.
The device also features a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz motion blur reduction, and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. The boxy design is unchanged, and you get to see quite noticeable bezels as well. In terms of audio, it houses the world’s first front-facing stereo speaker with 360 Reality Audio. Plus, the onboard stereo speaker is 40% louder than its predecessor. However, this feature is available on Tidal only.
The device is powered by the industry flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset which is coupled with 12GB of RAM and 256/512GB storage. Moreover, there’s microSD card support to expand the storage.
Furthermore, the device is IP65/68 water and dust resistant and sports a 3.5mm headphone jack too. It packs a 4500mAh battery with 30W fast charging, wireless charging, and a battery share function. The phone runs on Android 11.
Camera
Without a doubt, the cameras are one of the major highlights of the Xperia 1 III. The device features a variable telephoto lens in its triple rear-camera setup. All three lenses feature the same 12MP resolution, as well as a ToF sensor and Zeiss T* anti-reflective coating. In addition, the handset also includes a world-first Dual PD variable optics sensor. But this time, Sony has done some more tweaks in the camera department.
The optical telephoto lens allows choosing the focal lengths between 70mm and 105mm using a folded periscope lens design. The variable focal length allows capturing moving objects with fast autofocus at a distance. Sony has added a new AI super-resolution zoom, which adds details to telephoto images without comprising the quality of the photo. For selfies, there is an 8MP f/2.0 lens which is the same one used last year.
Rest of the specs
Furthermore, the Xperia 1 III hosts Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6 (ax) as a connectivity option. The Photography Pro app now includes a “Basic Mode” to simplify its usability, which includes easy modes for portrait orientation, artistic bokeh effect, and panorama. Talking about the device’s dimension, it weighs 187 grams and is built around a thickness of 8.2mm.
Battery: 4500mAh with 30W fast charging, Qi wireless charging
Connectivity: A-GPS, A-GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, USB Type-C, 4G LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz, mmWave)
Color options: Purple, Gray, Black
Sony Xperia 1 III Price in Nepal and Availability
Sony announced the Xperia 1 III at an event on April 14 and says it will be available from summer 2021 (June-September) although pricing details haven’t been revealed yet.
Meanwhile, check out our review of the Sony WH-1000XM4.
Previously, we had reviewed the Infinix Note 7 and the Hot 10. Both of them were some good value-for-money budget phones. Today, I have the latest Infinix Note 8. This device brings some good upgrades like a 64MP camera and a big display. But is it better than the POCO M3 or Galaxy M12 which are some of the best budget phones right now? Well, let’s find out in this review of the Infinix Note 8.
Starting with the design, the Note 8 is a pretty huge and wide device. However, despite weighing over 206 grams, it doesn’t feel that bulky. But, if you are someone with a small hand, you’ll have a hard time using this smartphone.
Design, Ports
1 of 2
Back
Ports
Besides the size, the style aspect of the Infinix Note 8 is pretty good. The device has a polycarbonate reflective back. I have the grey color variant, and it looks quite good. And despite being a plastic back, the phone does look and feel premium. That being said, with the glossy back like this, there comes the usual issue of fingerprint smudges.
On the right, just below the volume buttons, there is the lock button that doubles down as a fingerprint sensor. The sensor is quite snappy and I am satisfied with it. Anyway, on the left-hand side, you get a dual nano-SIM tray with a dedicated microSDX slot.
Display
6.95-inches HD IPS LCD panel
Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
Upfront, you get a massive 6.95-inch screen with a punch-hole cut out for the dual selfie cameras. And you’ll also find a speaker grill on the upper edge. The display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3.
And despite featuring only an HD resolution, the display quality is quite good. Hence, you’ll have an enjoyable experience. I found that it has good viewing levels and the videos seem vibrant too.
Furthermore, you can easily see what’s on the screen with full brightness while using the device out on a sunny day. However, because its competitors such as the POCO M3 offer FHD+ resolution and the Galaxy M12 that comes with a 90Hz refresh rate, Infinix should be providing a FullHD resolution at least.
So, this is something that I wish that Infinix improves upon. Furthermore, it is not Widevine L1 certified, so no HD streaming on Netflix either.
Performance
Octa-core MediaTek Helio G80 SoC (12nm)
6GB RAM with 128GB internal storage (expandable)
Under the hood, the device comes with a MediaTek Helio G80 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of memory.
We know that Helio G80 is a decent chipset, that can handle anything that you throw at it with quite ease—as long as it’s lightweight. Here too, I had no trouble going through my daily tasks such as web surfing, texting, watching youtube videos, and so more. Light gaming and multitasking are a breeze too.
Gaming experience
I did notice a fair amount of loading time while playing PUBG and COD. However, once it loads, it’s smooth sailing from thereon. On PUBG, the default graphics are on HD settings with a high frame rate. It can’t go higher than that, but gaming feels ultra-smooth in the allowed maximum settings. No lags at all.
Moreover, you’ll also notice how good the touch response is. It was something that I liked on the Note 7 and thankfully Infinix has carried it over to the Note 8 too. Similarly, for COD it can easily be played in Medium settings with a high frame rate.
Coming to the UI, the Infinix Note 8 comes with XOS v7.1 on top of Android 10. It still doesn’t have Android 11 and I am not quite sure what’s the company policy is when it comes to future updates. The XOS UI is also full of bloatware which if you don’t uninstall or keep them in silent mode will keep notifying you now and then, which is kinda irritating if you ask me.
Audio
Dual speaker system, 3.5mm audio jack
For audio, it has two speaker grills – one on the top and another on the bottom. The dual speakers are surprisingly good. You’ll have no trouble hearing the audio, though I did notice some minor distortion with full volume.
Camera
Gimmicky quad-camera setup at the back
(64MP primary, 2MP macro, 2MP depth, AI lens)
Dual selfie cameras (16MP primary, 2MP portrait)
Cameras
1 of 2
Back
Front
As for the cameras, there’s a quad-camera setup arranged in a rectangular module on the back. However, I said with the Note 7, this setup is a marketing gimmick.
I mean there’s a 64MP primary lens and the remaining three are the 2MP lenses for macro, depth sensor, and AI lens. They could have at least given an ultra-wide lens, given how the competition has one.
Normal Images
Anyway, coming to the photos taken from the 64MP primary lens, you get good quality photographs in well-lit conditions.
Normal
1 of 4
The pictures are sharp, natural, and cover the dynamic range well for its price, but again nothing extra-ordinary.
Portrait Images
Portrait
1 of 2
Talking about the portraits, here too, it’s nothing extraordinary.
Macro Images
Macro
1 of 2
Macro-lens too is sub-par, as expected.
Nighttime Images
For night-time images, there’s a dedicated super night mode in the Infinix Note 8, which does help in taking images that are recognizable.
Nighttime
1 of 4
Nighttime
Night Mode
Nighttime
Night Mode
However, there’s no sharpness or detail in the pictures.
Selfie Images
Coming to the selfies, the Infinix Note 8 has a dual-selfie camera setup. One is a 16MP lens and the other is a 2MP depth sensor.
Selfie
1 of 4
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfies are good as they capture enough details and feel more real.
Videography
Video-wise, you can capture up to 2K videos from both the front and the back camera. Surprisingly even at this resolution, it is quite stable, and better than what you get from its competition.
Battery
5200mAh battery with 18W fast charging
Similar to Note 7, the battery life is a big selling point for this one too. The Note 8 has a 5200mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. And this time over a USB C port.
With a full battery, doing moderate work, I was easily able to get around a day and a half of battery backup. So, really impressed by the battery life on this one.
Conclusion
To sum up this review, the Infinix Note 8 is a decent budget device. It has a good performance and the battery life is superb. The camera setup is okayish and nothing that will blow your mind, but you’ll probably not complain much about it either.
The only thing to complain about is its UI, which Infinix needs to improve—by a lot, and fast. Other than that, it is in the same league as its competition like the Poco M3 and the Galaxy M12.
Watch our video review of the Infinix Note 8/8i (Nepali).
Budget smartphones are what sell the most in Nepal. But for general customers, it might be a difficult process to select the best ones for them. For this, we have our trusty buyers’ guide detailing the best phones under NPR 20,000 in Nepal. And today, we want your input to know which phone do you think is the best under smartphone under 20000 from this poll.
Poll: Best smartphone under 20000 in Nepal
Here, the Coolpad Cool 6 originally launched in Nepal for over 26K. However, it recently received a massive price cut. The most attractive selling point of this phone is its motorized pop-up camera. As a result, you get a clean, distraction-free viewing experience. On the contrary, Samsung’s Galaxy M12 brings a notched display, but with a smoother 90Hz refresh rate.
Similarly, the Redmi 9 Power/9T is another decent option in the 20000 price range. It has a big 6000mAh battery and a 48MP quad-camera setup. Likewise, the POCO M2 has a powerful Helio G80 chipset. While all these phones run on pretty modified, heavy Android skin, there’s a couple of options with near-stock experience as well.
Both Micromax In Note 1 and Motorola Moto G9 Play run on stock Android for a clean UI/UX. While the In Note 1 brags a capable Helio G85 SoC, the G9 Play opts for a more power-efficient Snapdragon 662 chipset instead. Another interesting phone under 20K in Nepal is the Realme C15. It recently received a price-cut as well. Featuring a big 6000mAh battery and a 13MP quad-camera setup, the phone is available with either Helio G35 or Snapdragon 460.
Boston Dynamics wowed the world with its Spot, the robot dog. And now, the company’s got a rival from China. Weilan, a Chinese robotics firm’s “AlphaDog” is an AI pet that obeys orders and does not leave unpleasant surprises on the floor. But it costs a whole lot less than Spot. So, let us learn more about Weilan AlphaDog.
AlphaDog: An AI pet
AlphaDog is a robopet that you can take for a stroll. It “hears” and “sees” the surroundings by using sensors and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. This is not the first time we’ve seen a robo-dog though. Boston Dynamics was the first company to introduce the public to the first AI dog, which was named Spot. And AlphaDog is Spot’s Chinese counterpart.
According to Weilan, in the future, the dog will be expected to serve in a variety of situations. Such as, leading the visually impaired, barking, and even carrying out voice orders from its owner.
Features
Weilan says AlphaDog is the fastest of its kind, with a top speed of about 15 kilometers (nine miles) per hour. Furthermore, the dog, like a playful puppy, will spin in the same place. It can maintain its equilibrium even when kicked by humans. Ma Jie, Weilan’s chief technical officer, claims that it can also anticipate ground friction and height in order to adjust its height, stride frequency, and adapts to the environment.
The developers have used 5G technologies to ensure reliability and fast response times. Weilan has already sold 1800 units in the first month of its release. Developers anticipate that future uses of their four-legged partner would benefit the visually impaired, but it is uncertain how soon we will see it in practice.
Weilan AlphaDog Robot Price and Availability
Weilan’s AlphaDog is available for industries and business firms in China at a price of CNY 16,000 (~ USD 2,450). To compare, Boston Dynamics’ Spot costs a whopping USD 74,500. According to the company, the majority of the new orders came from computer developers, technology enthusiasts, and kids. As of now, there is no information about its international shipments.
To know more about the AlphaDog, check out the official video.
Weilan’s Robot Model
Price
AlphaDog
CNY 16,000 (China-exclusive)
Meanwhile, check out our review of Asus ROG Strix Scar 15.
Samsung’s Galaxy M51 was a winner in its price segment. And the company didn’t wait too long to build on its success, which came in the form of Galaxy M62. By the way, this phone goes by Galaxy F62 in the Indian market. Let’s learn more about the Samsung Galaxy M62 in this review.
Samsung Galaxy M62 Specifications:
Body: 6.45 x 3.00 x 0.37 inches, 218 gm
Display: 6.7-inches “Infinity-O” Super AMOLED Plus, 16 million colors, 420 nits brightness, 393PPI, 60Hz refresh rate
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Color options: Laser Green, Laser Gray, Laser Blue
Price in Nepal: Rs. 39,999 (6/128GB) | Rs. 42,999 (8/128GB)
Samsung Galaxy M62 Review:
With the M62, Samsung has been clever enough to distinguish it against other midrange phones by offering a flagship chipset—albeit one that’s a year and a half old. More specifically, it’s the Exynos 9825. So, with this, is the M62 better than other mid-range phones like the Realme X7 (Dimensity 800U 5G) and the Xiaomi Mi 10i (Snapdragon 750G 5G) that come at a similar price?
Let’s get started with the talk of the town – the Exynos 9825. While other brands are rushing in on using a 5G chipset, Samsung has decided to take a step back with the Exynos 9825 which was used on the Galaxy Note 10 series from about one and a half years back.
But the bigger question here is whether this older flagship chipset will be able to hold its ground against today’s popular mid-range SoCs.
Samsung Galaxy F62
Xiaomi Mi 10i
Geekbench 5
Single Core
781
626
Multi-Core
1844
1968
3DMark Wildlife Stress Test
3409
1097
As you can see from these benchmarks, the Exynos 9825 stands above Snapdragon 750G in terms of both CPU and GPU. Also, its graphics performance is almost double of what the contemporary 5G mid-range SoCs can provide.
And this goes beyond the benchmark scores too. The real-life performance is better on the Galaxy M62 as well. Coming from Snapdragon 730G-powered Galaxy M51, everything is buttery smooth here— apps open relatively faster and multitasking is decent too.
Gaming experience
Gaming is also quite good on the Galaxy M62. In fact, better than Xiaomi’s Mi 10i. In PUBG Mobile, you can go as high as HDR graphics and Ultra frame rates and get a stable 40fps gameplay with 99% FPS stability. On the other hand, the Mi 10i with its highest setting, which is HD graphics and high frame rates, can only hit 30fps.
Similarly, you can crank it up to Extreme frame rate at Smooth graphics on the M62 and get stable 52fps. Lesser demanding games such as COD also run better on the M62 with the phone being able to provide better frame rates and stability. I tested other games like Genshin Impact too and found that both phones gave a similar fps mark.
But, the M62 can deliver better fps stability meaning that the phone will give you more consistent gameplay than the Mi 10i. And something that I have noticed during my usage is that after a prolonged gaming session of the aforementioned titles on both phones, they heat up to almost the same amount. Yet, the M62 cools down relatively faster than Mi 10i.
So yeah, Samsung’s decision to include an older flagship chipset seems to have paid off well. Yes, the M62 does not support 5G as its competitors do, but if you ask me, it isn’t much of a dealbreaker for someone living in South Asia.
Better software support
And not to forget, just like the Galaxy M51, Samsung’s One UI is well optimized on the M62 as well. Plus, unlike most other phones in its price range, the M62 comes with Android 11 out-of-the-box and promises 4 years of security update, which you don’t see on Chinese brands.
Design & Build
Glass front, plastic back/frame
Another aspect where Samsung has improved is the design. It definitely looks better than the M51, if you ask me. But since it comes with a big 7000mAh battery and a big 6.7-inch display, it’s a huge phone weighing well over 200gms. As a result, it isn’t very comfortable to use for long hours.
Buttons, Design, Ports
1 of 3
Buttons
Ports
Back
Likewise, the entire body of the phone is plastic just like the M51. Putting it against the Mi 10i, well, M62 doesn’t get a vote from me in the design aspect. I think the Mi 10i with its dual Gorilla Glass 5 design takes the cake right away.
I also think Samsung should introduce minimalistic color options on the M62 as they did with S20 Fan Edition last year. Although Samsung has tried to hype up the new laser gradient design language, M62’s color options look quite dull, to be honest.
Display
6.7-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED Plus screen
420 nits peak brightness, 60Hz refresh rate
As for the display, it is similar to the Galaxy M51 i.e. you get a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED Plus screen. It is still stuck on a 60Hz refresh rate, which is a little frustrating considering how the Galaxy A32 4G features a 90Hz AMOLED display. And that phone’s a lot cheaper than the M62.
Still, the actual quality of the panel is quite good. As usual, it’s vibrant and can get plenty bright too. The black levels are on point and you will not notice any kind of backlight bleeding or touch issues with this display.
Battery
7000mAh battery with 25W fast charging
Plus, with the energy-efficient AMOLED display and the 7nm chipset at work, the 7000mAh cell doesn’t run out that easily. The phone easily gave me around 2 days of juice with normal usage.
During weekends when I’d be continuously watching videos and play games for hours, it would last throughout the day with around 20% juice left, which by today’s smartphone standard is an easy A+.
Filling up the battery isn’t a joyful ride though, as the phone makes you wait for almost 2 hours and some time to get fully juice up with its proprietary 25-watt fast charger. This makes the Galaxy M62 one of those devices that you’d want to put to charge before going to bed.
Audio
Mono speaker, 3.5mm audio jack
Likewise, another thing that didn’t impress me so much on this device is the speakers. I was expecting the phone to have stereo speakers, but just like the M51, it doesn’t.
The audio quality from the single speaker is not bad, but as I said in my review of the Galaxy M51, with the display of that quality was matched by stereo speakers, the multimedia experience would have been something else.
Okay, finally let’s talk about the cameras now. Galaxy M62 has the same quad camera setup as the M51, which comprises a 64MP primary lens, a 12MP Ultra-wide-angle lens alongside a 5MP depth, and Macro sensors. Honestly, I had a lot of curiosity as to how M62’s camera would perform given the superior ISP and DSP of its flagship inheritance.
To some extent, this silicon superiority has paid off really well. Now, this might not be visible while you just look at M62’s pictures. But when you compare it against the likes of other mid-rangers, well, the difference is pretty clear.
Normal Images
Comparing it with the 108MP camera of the Mi 10i, as you can see, the color optimization in M62’s pictures is amazing.
Normal
1 of 6
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
I admit that both phones do not project natural colors, but M62 has its way of giving a very subtle pop in saturation that makes it stand out.
Wideangle Images
The superior color optimization of the M62 continues on the ultra-wide shots as well.
Wideangle
1 of 6
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Plus, its images have a wider field-of-view and have a better dynamic range compared to Mi 10i. So, I would easily give M62 the crown in this aspect.
Portrait Images
Portrait
1 of 6
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Even for portraits, the M62 is evidently better in almost all aspects from the subject, background blur to mostly everything.
Selfie Images
In regards to selfies, well, Mi 10i’s images seem to be a little, just a little desaturated while M62 has a prominent red tint.
Selfie
1 of 8
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
Galaxy M62
Mi 10i
So, honestly, I am not a fan of both. However, in most scenarios, the M62 seems to bring out a better skin tone. Therefore if I absolutely had to choose, I would go with the M62.
Nighttime Images
Keeping the daylight comparison aside, normal nighttime images from the M62 turn out slightly more grainy compared to the Mi 10i.
Nighttime
1 of 8
Galaxy M62 - Nighttime
Mi 10i - Nighttime
Galaxy M62 - Nighttime
Mi 10i - Nighttime
Galaxy M62 - Night Mode
Mi 10i - Night Mode
Galaxy M62 - Night Mode
Mi 10i - Night Mode
While this gets fixed in the night mode from the M62, it’s worth noting that the Mi 10i does a slightly better job.
Wideangle Nighttime
1 of 4
Galaxy M62 - Wideangle Nighttime
Mi 10i - Wideangle Nighttime
Galaxy M62 - Wideangle Night Mode
Mi 10i - Wideangle Night Mode
But, wide-angle nighttime shots are clearly better from the M62 thanks to slightly better exposure management.
Videography
In terms of videos, the Galaxy M62 can record up to 4k 30fps, but it lacks a 60fps option across all resolutions. Nonetheless, both 4K and Full HD 30 fps videos are quite stable. Samsung even lets you shoot wide-angle videos at 4k. At the front, you can record up to 4K/30fps footages. The video quality isn’t mind-blowing but does an okay-ish job.
Conclusion
To conclude this review, what do I think about the Samsung Galaxy M62 as a whole? Having used the Mi 10i and the Realme X7, I must say the Galaxy M62 is a complete no-nonsense midrange phone—and the best one under NPR 40,000 in Nepal. It defeats the competition with its superior performance, bigger battery, unrivalled software support, and excellent camera optimization.
Watch our video review of the Samsung Galaxy M62 (F62).
Samsung has launched a new smartphone under its Quantum series—the Galaxy Quantum 2. Visually, it represents recent ‘A’ series devices from the company. Also, it may launch as Galaxy A82 5G in the global market. So, let us learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2.
Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2 Overview:
Design and Display
With the addition of new smartphones to the Galaxy A series, Samsung is very certain about which design to use with this phone. Galaxy A32, A52, and A72, which are already available have common design approaches, and the new Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2 follows this trend.
It features a big 6.7-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. That places it in the same league as last year’s Galaxy S20+. Furthermore, this display has a peak brightness of 1200 nits and a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels.
At the back, Quantum 2 has a triple rear camera configuration that includes a 64MP main sensor with OIS support, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP macro lens. The display houses a 10MP front-facing sensor with Dual-pixel AutoFocus inside the punch-hole cutout. Similarly, the unit has a matte texture, weighs 176gm, and has a thickness of 8.1mm.
Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2 is powered by a two-year-old Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipset, which is similar to the Snapdragon 855 used in the S10 series. This has been paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A microSD card can be used to extend the memory up to 1TB. Furthermore, the handset features an Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and based on the specifications, we anticipate a good response time.
A rebrand for A82?
In case you didn’t know, Samsung could rebrand this phone as Galaxy A82 5G for the global market. We are saying this because it sports the model number SM-A826 which lines up with the Galaxy A82’s identifier. Previously, the Galaxy A Quantum launched globally as Galaxy A71.
Quantum 2 is the company’s second smartphone to have a quantum random number generator (QRNG) chipset. It uses light to generate “unpredictable and patternless” numbers which can be used in services that require security in a more safe and secure manner, such as banking or other commercial services.
Rest of the specs
Furthermore, the smartphone will ship with Android 11 out of the box with Samsung’s latest One UI 3.1 skin. Besides that, the unit is powered by a 4500mAh battery that allows 25W fast charging. For connectivity, it utilizes Bluetooth v5.0 and has support for NFC as well. Moreover, the device has support for a single nano-SIM only.
Security: Optical in-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
Battery: 4500mAh with 25W fast charging
Color options: Gray, White, Light Violet
Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2 Price and Availability
Samsung Galaxy Quantum 2 is exclusive to South Korea. According to MySmartPrice, the phone costs KRW 699,620 (~ USD 622). If and when the phone launches as the Samsung Galaxy A82 5G in Nepal, we expect its price to be around NPR 77,000.
Samsung Galaxy A82
Price in South Korea
Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB
KRW 699,600
NPR 77,000
Meanwhile, check out our initial impressions of the Samsung Galaxy A72.
The 25K price bracket in the Nepalese smartphone market currently holds a ton of great options. Most of these phones brag a decent specs-sheet with a few standout features of their own. We’ve been frequently updating our buyers’ guide to help you guys choose the best smartphone under NPR 25000 in Nepal but today, we’re conducting a poll to know your opinion.
Poll: Best smartphone under 25000 in Nepal
As expected, the 25K range in Nepal is mostly populated by phones from Xiaomi and Samsung. Here, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 9 has a pretty-capable MediaTek Helio G85 chipset and a quad-camera setup. But, if you want something newer, there’s the Redmi Note 10. It brings a Super AMOLED display, 33W fast charging, Snapdragon 678, and more.
Similarly, the Redmi 9 Power (9T) is a pretty good option too. It is also among the most affordable phones in Nepal with a 6/128GB memory configuration. Likewise, Samsung’s Galaxy M21 from last year has a Super AMOLED screen, 48MP triple cameras, and a big 6000mAh battery.
The newer Galaxy M12, on the other hand, skips the vibrant OLED panel for an LCD but brings a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. Besides these, other noteworthy phones under 25K in Nepal are the Oppo A53 and OnePlus Nord N100. These are essentially the same phone and bring a 90Hz refresh rate display too. Yet, if you like a near-stock Android experience, the Nord N100’s OxygenOS is the way to go.
