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Nokia G10 could be the company’s first gaming smartphone

Nokia
Rumor

Nikhil Shrestha

-

March 9, 2021

Nokia G10 could be the company’s first gaming smartphone

Nokia N-Gage from almost 2 decades ago was a radical gaming phone. With its extreme design language combining a full-fledged feature phone and a handheld gaming device, it sure was a head-turner. After re-entering the smartphone business under HMD Global, Nokia has been continuously pushing out budget to flagship Android phones. And now, it looks like the company is venturing into the gaming market if the new rumors are to be believed. Here, the upcoming Nokia G10 could be the company’s first gaming-oriented smartphone.

Nokia G10 Rumors:

This news comes from NokiaPowerUser who first spotted a device with the model number “TA-1334” in the TÜV certification. While this phone was previously speculated to be Nokia 6.3/6.4 (even appearing in Thai certification), the latest development suggests that it’s likely going to be the new G10 instead. It’s also important to note that this will be the introduction of Nokia’s G-series smartphones.

Moreover, the phone also appeared on a Russian retailer’s website. From what it seems, Nokia G10 isn’t going to be your top-of-the-line gaming phone with the latest and greatest hardware. The listing reveals that the device will come with a 4/64GB memory configuration. Additionally, it might have a 6.38-inches HD screen and a quad-camera setup led by a 48MP sensor. It will be followed by an ultrawide, a macro, and a depth sensor. Upfront, the phone is expected to have a 16MP selfie shooter.

Also Read: Nokia 1.4 with Google-powered Night Mode launched in Nepal

Other info about the Nokia G10 includes a 4000mAh battery with Type-C charging, Android 10 OS, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, etc. However, it is entirely possible that all this info is merely a placeholder for the actual product description. This is a pretty common practice among e-commerce websites so it’s all hearsay for now.

Is it really a gaming phone?

Even if the present info indeed turns out to be true, then we’re looking at a pretty underwhelming gaming phone. Maybe Nokia wants to kick things off with a budget-oriented gaming device instead. As a result, we expect the Nokia G10 to equip MediaTek’s Helio G-series chipset. Here, the speculation of the phone being a gaming-centric device solely comes from the ‘G’ in its naming. In the end, the Nokia G10 might very well turn out to be yet another budget phone from the company.

Nokia H10 to tag along

On top of this, HMD Global is also expected to launch the Nokia H10 smartphone. According to a Finnish leakster Teme, the company is also working on the H10 series of devices. But that’s about everything we know in that regard for now.

Nokia G10 Expected Launch Date

As of now, there’s really not much known about the upcoming Nokia G10. The company could launch this phone in Q2 2021 at best. So, we’re gonna have to wait a while to learn more about its specs, official price, and availability.

In the meanwhile, check out our review of the Nokia 3.4.

Asus ZenBook Flip 13 (UX363) Review: OLED Excellence

Nikhil Shrestha

-

March 9, 2021

0

Asus ZenBook Flip 13 (UX363) Review: OLED Excellence

Because of how versatile they are, the popularity of 2-in-1 convertible laptops is on the rise. From portable design to multiple use-cases, these devices so much more than a traditional laptop. And today, we have the new Asus ZenBook Flip 13 UX363 in for review. Featuring a compact body and a vibrant OLED display, this 2-in-1 is a pretty interesting device.

Asus ZenBook Flip 13 Specifications:

Design & Build: Aluminum build, 12.01W x 8.31D x 0.47H-inches, 1.30 kg
Display: 13.3-inches glossy OLED panel, Multi-touch, 100% DCI-P3, 300 nits brightness, stylus support, TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light
Resolution: FHD (1920×1080) resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio
Keyboard: Backlit Chiclet (single color – white), 1.35mm key-travel
Processor: Intel Tiger Lake CPU (Core i7-1165G7), 4C/8T, 4.7GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 12MB Intel Smart Cache, 10nm SuperFin
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe (integrated)
Audio: 2x2W speakers, Harman/Kardon tuned, Built-in array microphone
Battery: 4-cell 67 Watt-hours 4S1P Li-Ion battery
Power Supply: 65W AC adapter
Webcam: 720p HD camera, IR webcam with Windows Hello
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 ax (2×2), Bluetooth 5.0
I/O ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB Type-C (Thuderbolt 4, DisplayPort, Power Delivery), 1x HDMI 1.4
Price in Nepal: Rs. 176,000
What’s inside the box: Laptop, power adapter, USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter, Asus Pen (AAAA battery included)

Asus ZenBook Flip 13 Review:

You can find two configurations of this laptop: one with Intel Tiger Lake Core i5 processor and the other with i7 CPU. Our review unit is the high-end i7 variant that is coupled with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. While this configuration retails for $1200 in the US, here in Nepal is costs around NPR 176,000. Okay, let’s get on with the review of the Asus ZenBook Flip 13.

Design

Lightweight, portable design
2-in-1 convertible, sturdy hinge
No headphone jack, RJ45 (LAN) port

As usual, allow me to kick things off with the design. The ZenBook lineup from Asus has been a staple of the company’s premium design while retaining lightweight build quality well. Thankfully, this tradition has been passed on here as well. ZenBook Flip 13’s lid has been molded into the classic spun-metal architecture whereas the rest of the body gets a brushed aluminum finish.

Here, the lid also features an off-centric Asus branding and unfortunately is quite prone to smudges. But more importantly, it doesn’t budge to even some of the most vigorous attempts which is pretty impressive. The 360-degree hinge feels plenty sturdy too and Asus says you’re good for at least 20,000 cycles of opening and closing this hinge.

To maintain the rigidity under different modes you might end up using the laptop, Asus has been clever enough to engineer a sort-of obstacle in-between so that the hinge doesn’t easily slide away at every go. This implementation is pretty common in 2-in-1 laptops which ultimately lets you enjoy the device in multiple form-factors.

Besides the regular laptop configuration, you can transform it into a tent, stand, or tablet mode. We’re all pretty familiar with the latter and the rest aren’t anything radical either. These are productivity-oriented orientations and are geared towards content-sharing intention. Asus has also included 4 rubber nubbins on all four edges of the keyboard chassis that absorb the pressure every time you close the lid to prevent any damage.

MIL-STD 810G certified

ZenBook Flip 13’s air-intake vents are situated at the bottom while the exhaust vents reside on the hinge. Just like on the HP Envy x360 that we recently reviewed, only one-half of the vent is designed to blow out hot air. In terms of durability, Asus has also managed to nab MIL-STD 810G certification for this machine.

This basically ensures all-weather usability and even some level of protection against accidental drops. Fortunately enough, I haven’t so much as bumped it to a rough surface so everything’s absolutely A-OK here.

Ports

1 of 2

Moving on, at just 1.3 kg, my back is incredibly thankful for this lightweight build as well. The protective sleeve that comes inside the box is some of the most premium looking out there too. Getting to I/O connectivity, you’ll find two USB Type-C and a full-sized HDMI port on the left frame. Here, either USB-C connection accepts power input and is also Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, and Power Delivery compliant. Similarly, the other is home to a solitary USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port and a minimalistic power button.

No headphone jack

Notice the sorry lack of a headphone jack? Yeah, it’s a shame. I’d extensively complained about this exclusion in our review of ZenBook 14 UM425 so I’m not gonna beat the dead horse here. Asus does provide a USB-C to 3.5mm jack dongle inside the box so that’s something. All in all, the ZenBook Flip UX363 is a tough cookie. It is built well and is quite lightweight too. The blaring omission of a headphone jack might not sit well with many but giving in to the dongle life isn’t the worst thing in the world, I guess.

Display

13.3″ glossy touchscreen OLED panel
100% DCI-P3 color gamut, stylus support
TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certified

Apart from the excellent design, this one’s an absolute winner on the display front as well. Featuring a 13.3” Full HD OLED panel, there’s hardly any alternative that matches the sheer grandeur of this screen—at least in this part of the world. OLED displays are renowned for their near-perfect contrast level and you can probably already tell that I had a great time looking at this beautiful machine. Covering 100% of DCI-P3 color space, ZenBook Flip’s display is pleasantly vibrant to look at too.

I didn’t have to manually color-calibrate this display either. It is Pantone validated as well, meaning that this screen has passed the color standards of the Pantone Matching System (PMS). Without going into any elaborate detail, it is a standardization that helps identify and match colors. What this ultimately means is that the ZenBook Flip is a viable machine for photo/video editors as well.

Anyway, this display is pretty reflective so you’d most likely want to work in a room with little light sources. And I recently learned that glossy panels are almost a necessity for vibrant displays. A soul for a soul, eh? It wasn’t much of a dealbreaker for me but if you’re someone who prefers something less reflective, you can always apply an anti-glare screen protector.

Low blue light emission

Besides this, the ZenBook Flip has great viewing angles and it can get bright enough to be easily visible outdoors too. Asus has also managed to obtain TÜV Rheinland certification against low blue light emission on this laptop. The company calls it “Eye Care” and you can access it from the MyASUS app. You can choose from 5 different levels of blue light reduction to best suit your need.

However, this feature on the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 didn’t work well during the early days of the review. Whenever I accessed Windows menus like the notification center or the start menu, it would automatically turn off, only to turn back on shortly after. Thankfully, I recently received a graphics driver update that solved this issue.

What about screen burn-in?

Because OLED screens use organic molecules instead of a dedicated backlight, each pixel can generate its own light and can therefore be turned on/off for the perfect contrast level. Yet, burn-in has always been a concern on such screens where continuous and prolonged exposure to a more-or-less static content results in image retention. But with our diverse usage pattern, it isn’t as severe as it might be painted out to be.

Still, Asus also pushed an update on the ZenBook Flip that included a screensaver file which would activate after you leave the laptop static for a while (usually 30 minutes). Moreover, this laptop features the classic NanoEdge design from Asus with minimal bezels on the side, although the same can’t be said for the top and bottom. If only the company had decided to trim the chin, we could’ve easily gotten a 16:10 display like Dell’s 2020 XPS lineup. Nonetheless, the touch-screen experience has been excellent too.

It supports multi-touch input too and I have no complaint regarding the touch response either. Asus has also generously thrown in a stylus for free in the box. It takes an AAAA battery and has 4096 pressure levels. You can make sketches or take notes with it, although a glossy surface wouldn’t be an artist’s ideal canvas. Regardless, the inclusion of a free stylus is a welcome move.

Keyboard

Backlit chiclet-style keyboard (single-color)

When it comes to the keyboard, Asus has done an outstanding job too. This edge-to-edge island-style keyboard is wonderful to type on. The keys are adequately spaced out and are incredibly responsive too. Likewise, the keys don’t rattle much either and I find its 1.35mm travel distance comfortable as well. Here, the keyboard deck is pretty solid and doesn’t give in to the toughest attempts at trying to push it down.

It is also backlit with 3 levels of illumination to choose from. However, when you’re using the ZenBook Flip on a table with the laptop matching your eye-level, the backlight bleed from the top row keys is too distracting. Asus certainly could’ve done a better job here. As a result, I would mostly depend on ambient lighting for the keyboard’s visibility.

ErgoLift hinge, subdued

Moving on, this laptop also embeds the ErgoLift hinge design. Contrary to a traditional flat layout, it lifts the bottom chassis to a certain degree to facilitate a more comfortable typing experience while also aiding in effective air-flow. But unlike other Asus laptops with a similar design choice, the ZenBook Flip doesn’t lift as much to the point where it’s almost dismissable. You can witness the hinge in its anticipated level by pushing the lid to an uncomfortable degree, but that’s far from ideal.

At any rate, I am thankful that you can lock the Function key on this keyboard. As someone who frequently uses function key shortcuts, having to complement that with an additional button is a nuisance to me. Besides Fn, Asus hasn’t included an LED indicator on other keys like the camera and microphone. Coming from the HP Envy x360, this feels a little less reassuring. Furthermore, the power button on the side is fine but I feel like one with a fingerprint sensor integration would’ve been even better.

Trackpad

Glass trackpad with integrated left/right keys
Asus Numberpad 2.0 compatible

Asus also takes pride in its trackpad on the ZenBook Flip 13. Because of the compact form-factor, it’s impossible to integrate Numpad keys on a 2-in-1 of this size. As compensation, it has one built inside the trackpad itself. You can activate the NumberPad 2.0 by long-pressing the top-right edge of the trackpad. Similarly, it lets you choose from two levels of brightness by pressing the top-left edge.

There’s also a nifty shortcut baked in where you can launch the default calculator app simply by sliding down or left from the brightness control area. Apart from this, this glass-covered trackpad also integrated intelligent palm-rejection technology. But for the most part that has been a disappointment during my usage.

I prefer placing my wrist on the keyboard chassis itself even while I’m simply scrolling through. Here, this trackpad would time-and-again misread my two-finger input as a three-finger gesture instead. On certain occasions, I would accidentally trigger NumberPad 2.0 too. So much for “intelligent”. At times, this trackpad would freeze and abruptly disable the scrolling function altogether. I’m yet to receive an update addressing this issue.

Webcam

720p HD IR webcam with Windows Hello support

A good webcam is almost a rarity in laptops and this one’s no exception either. Its 720p camera is fine for general video-calling purposes, but don’t expect to be blown away by the quality. Subjects look pinkish and the video turns out quite grainy too. This IR-infused camera also supports Windows Hello login. It works perfectly fine in a well-lit environment but will struggle under dark ambiance.

Audio

2x2W stereo speaker setup
Harman/Kardon certified

The audio system on this laptop is fortified by a dual-speaker system which is Harman/Kardon certified. Its speaker grille is located on the bottom edges of the chassis and is pretty easy to block out. Initially, I noticed the audio quality to be quite muffled but the performance drastically improved after a BIOS update. And now, it sounds pretty well balanced, can get loud enough, and is a decent partner for content consumption. But you might recall that the ZenBook Flip skips a headphone jack.

Performance

Intel Tiger Lake core i7-1165G7 (28W TDP)
Iris Xe integrated graphics, No discrete GPU
16GB LPDDR4X RAM, 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

Okay, let us now jump into the performance section of the review. Like I mentioned earlier, our unit of the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 is powered by Intel Tiger lake Core i7-1165G7 CPU. This processor falls under Intel’s Evo platform that prioritizes aspects like increased battery life, faster boot time, high-bandwidth connectivity, etc. Unfortunately, there’s no discrete GPU on this machine—not even the entry-level MX-series solution from NVIDIA.

As a result, you will have to depend on the integrated Iris Xe graphics for your GPU needs. Still and all, Intel has made great strides on this generation of integrated graphics as the Iris Xe is almost 50% faster than last-gen Intel UHD graphics. While it will fumble if you take it through intensive video editing, 3D rendering projects, Iris Xe is more than capable of handling lightweight projects and even some eSports gaming.

Gaming experience

Talking about gaming, for this review, I tried playing a couple of titles on the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 to see how well it performs. CS: GO gave a stable 70-74 fps under medium video settings with MSAA 2x. Similarly, Valorant was equally playable on this machine as I was able to get around 54-60fps at medium quality with MSAA 2x.

However, because of its compact chassis and non-gaming heritage, there’s not an effective cooling mechanism. Consequently, the laptop heats mere minutes after gaming. By the way, I tested its gameplay under the Performance mode which cranks up the fan speed to the max to keep up with the CPU loads.

Even with this, the CPU temperature quickly rose to 63-degree while the upper left area of the keyboard chassis would feel warm to touch. Still, after around half-an-hour or so of continuous gaming, the temperature settled to ~68-degree. Because the loud fan noise isn’t suitable for a workplace setting, you can opt for the Standard or Whisper fan mode instead.

Performance modes

Here, the former dynamically switches between fan speeds depending on requirement while the whisper mode keeps things extra-quiet—but this will limit CPU performance significantly. Also, performance mode isn’t supported when you’re using it under tablet mode.

Multitasking is quite efficient on the ZenBook Flip 13. With 16GB of onboard LPDDR4X RAM clocked at 4266MHz, I could simultaneously open multiple tabs on Chrome while also working on a word processing application and Adobe Photoshop. Unlike the HP Envy x360, I didn’t notice any issue with memory management issues here. I didn’t have to reload a tab on Chrome after letting it sit idle for quite some time. In terms of storage, Asus ships this laptop with 512GB of M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. And right off the bat, this is not its strongest suit.

If I recall correctly, the company had compromised on this front in the ZenBook 14 UM425 that I reviewed earlier. This is especially reflected in boot-up time as the ZenBook Flip takes around 13 seconds on average. Similarly, apps like Adobe Photoshop and LibreOffice Writer took roughly 11 and 1.3 seconds to load, respectively. Let’s take a look at some benchmarks:

CrystalDiskMark

	Read (MB/s)	Write (MB/s)
SEQ1M Q8T1	1951.63	969.39
SEQ1M Q1T1	1108.15	966.10
RND4K Q32T1	272.48	363.97
RNK4K Q1T1	41.58	135.47

Cinebench R23

CPU: Multi-Core	4011
CPU: Single Core	1361
MP Ratio	2.95x

Geekbench 5

CPU: Single Core	1491
CPU: Multi-Core	2455
Compute (OpenCL)	18621

Unigine Heaven

(FPS: 27.5, Score: 694, Min FPS: 7.1, Max FPS: 61.3)

API: OpenGL	Multi-monitor: Disabled
Quality: High	Anti-aliasing: x2
Tessellation: Extreme	Fullscreen: Yes
Stereo 3D: Disabled	Resolution: System

GFXBench

1440p Aztec Ruins OpenGL (High Tier) Offscreen	42.5226 fps
1080p Car Chase (Offscreen)	100.65 fps
1080p Manhattan 3.1 (Offscreen)	134.099 fps
1080p ALU 2 (Offscreen)	539.989 fps
1080p Driver Overhead 2 (Offscreen)	135.378 fps
1080p Texturing (Offscreen)	99.5768 fps

The MyASUS app is pretty useful too. Besides playing around with different fan modes, you can also download device drivers, perform hardware diagnostic, and solve other probable issues BSOD. Moreover, the Link to MyASUS feature lets you wirelessly transfer photos, videos, and other files to and from your phone. Contrary to HP’s QuickDrop, you’ll need to have both devices connected to the same network here. But even after doing so, the actual transfer speed is pretty slow and it would abruptly disconnect more often than not.

Battery

4-cell 67 Watt-hour Li-Ion battery
65W AC adapter inside the box

Moving on to the battery side of things, the ZenBook Flip 13 is fueled by a 67 Watt-hour 4-cell Li-Po battery. Asus claims that you can get up to 14 hours of screen-on-time with this setup but my usage derived a little less. With brightness set at around 55% and fan profile set to performance mode, I was able to get around 9 hours of battery life.

That’s still really impressive. Like, not having to worry about running out of juice throughout the day is a pretty big feat. Charging up the battery can take somewhere from 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours. As I mentioned earlier, you can connect the charging cable to either USB-C port on the left.

Since it also supports USB Power Delivery, you can also use a 65W PD-compliant smartphone charger for an even sleeker computing setup. In order to improve battery health, Asus has also introduced 3 different charging modes. Under the full capacity option, it lets you juice up the battery to 100%.

Additionally, the balanced and maximum lifespan mode restricts the charging capacity once it hits 80 and 60% respectively. This is ideal for scenarios where you wouldn’t want the laptop to run out of power, but also don’t want to deal with the risk of overcharging. Ultimately, this will extend the charge cycle of the battery meaning you won’t have to replace the battery anytime soon.

Conclusion

To conclude this review, the Asus ZenBook Flip 13 is a great 2-in-1 laptop. From its build quality, display, battery life, and even performance—it is pretty impressive. With the versatility of use case that it brings, this laptop caters to the needs of different demographics. The free stylus that comes inside the box is a sweet gesture as well. If I really had to nitpick, it’s the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack and the unoptimized trackpad.

Asus ZenBook Flip 13 Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

Lightweight, portable design
Excellent OLED display
Free stylus inside the box
Comfortable keyboard
Numpad integrated touchpad
Decent performance level
Terrific battery life

Cons:

No 3.5mm headphone jack
Average webcam quality
Trackpad prone to mistouches

OnePlus officially confirms Hasselblad collaboration on the upcoming 9 series

OnePlus

GadgetByte

-

March 8, 2021

1

OnePlus officially confirms Hasselblad collaboration on the upcoming 9 series

OnePlus is on the verge of releasing the OnePlus 9 series. While there have been numerous leaks and rumors regarding the upcoming OnePlus flagships, the one that has caught the most attention is the Hasselblad-branded cameras. The company hosted an online event today to discuss its collaboration with Hasselblad for the camera setup on the 9 Pro. In this post, we will be taking a look at the OnePlus-Hasselblad collaboration in more detail.

Smartphone-camera manufacturer collaboration

This is not the first time that a smartphone brand has teamed up with a camera manufacturer for smartphone cameras. One of the most famous partnerships is that of Nokia and Carl Zeiss. The two companies first shook hands for the Nokia N95 which was a capable Symbian smartphone back then. The partnership didn’t end when Nokia entered the Windows era. Similarly, HMD Global also revived the partnership after it took the responsibility of manufacturing Nokia-branded phones.

Carl Zeiss has also partnered with other smartphone manufacturers over the years. Last year, it provided its T* anti-reflective lens coating for the Sony Xperia 1 II. Later, Vivo announced that it had struck a partnership deal with Zeiss for developing innovative mobile photography solutions. The deal includes the Vivo ZEISS Master Photography campaign starting with the X60 series.

The most effective partnership in recent times has to be that of Huawei and Leica. Instead of licensing its name, Leica is quite involved in the overall selection and development of camera setup in Huawei’s flagship phones.

Hasselblad: Brand Overiew

When it comes to cameras, Hasselblad is not just another manufacturer. The Swedish camera maker has a rich history that traces back to 1841. Hasselblad cameras have even captured some of the memorable images in human history. For instance, it had provided cameras for the Apollo 7 and Apollo 8 space missions. Also, the iconic images of Edwin Aldrin on the moon were captured by Neil Armstrong using Hasselblad EDC camera.

Hasselblad’s connection with space is the reason behind OnePlus’s “Over the Horizon” teaser campaign.

OnePlus and Hasselblad mobile camera partnership

While OnePlus has rarely disappointed in the performance segment with its main number series, the camera experience has not been that top-notch. It has always lagged behind companies like Samsung, Huawei, and Google when it comes to camera experience. Still, that was not much of a deal-breaker as OnePlus devices came at a relatively less asking price compared to the mainstream flagship devices.

However, with the company finally entering the flagship pricing territory with last year’s 8 series, the camera weakness has been highlighted more than ever. It’s the reason OnePlus has decided to associate a name as big as Hasselblad in its upcoming flagship phones.

As per the press release, OnePlus and Hasselblad have agreed on a partnership that will span over the next three years. Initially, the two companies will be working on the software side of things like color tuning and sensor calibration. They are also keen on developing innovative imaging technologies for Hasselblad Camera for Mobile. They plan to spend over $150 million over the partnership for research and development. A part of the fund will be used to set up four research and development labs in the US and Japan.

OnePlus 9 Series Early Information

The first major product as part of the OnePlus Hasselblad partnership will be the Hasselblad Camera for Mobile in the OnePlus 9 series. The series will be official on March 23. OnePlus claims that these phones will feature a revamped camera setup with the Sony IMX789 sensor. It will be the largest and the most advanced camera sensor ever in an OnePlus phone. The company is also claiming it to be 64 times more colorful than its predecessor. The camera will facilitate 4k 120fps recording and 8K 30fps recording.

Talking about the features, it will equip Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad technology for accurate and natural colors. Similarly, there will also be a Hasselblad Pro Mode. In addition to the change in the image processing, OnePlus is also updating its UI for a Hasselblad-like experience. The Hasselblad Pro mode will allow the users to adjust different settings such as ISO, white balance, and exposure time. On top of that, users will have an option to record in a 12-bit RAW format as well.

Future plans include a panoramic camera, T-lens for the front camera, and a freeform lens. The latter will debut with the OnePlus 9 series and the company is confident that it will eliminate edge distortion in ultrawide shots.

Worth the Hype?

In spite of OnePlus releasing a video today to welcome Hasselblad, the 9 series won’t be the first phone with Hasselblad’s name tied to it. In fact, Hasselblad has teamed with smartphone manufacturers at least a couple of times prior to this. One of the earliest examples is the Hasselblad-certified Vertu Signature Touch. The camera experience was nothing extra-ordinary even back in 2014. Two years later, the company worked with Motorola for modular zoom accessories for the Moto Z lineup. Hasselblad did the zoom aspect correct on this one but that was it.

While we wish OnePlus and Hasselblad to succeed in their latest venture, history suggests that all may not go smooth despite all the hype and anticipation. What do you think of the OnePlus-Hasselblad partnership? Will OnePlus be able to compete against the likes of Samsung and Google? Let us know your thoughts with your comments below.

Check out our review of the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Check out this Women’s Day Offer on HiFuture smartwatch, TWS earbuds

GadgetByte

-

March 8, 2021

0

Check out this Women’s Day Offer on HiFuture smartwatch, TWS earbuds

Earlier this year, we saw Hi-Future step into the Nepali market through Tech Studio. The company that started in 2016 is known for providing quality products at an affordable rate. In Nepal, the company is selling its earbuds and smartwatches. Some of these products are now available at a discounted rate as part of the Women’s Day Offer. In this post, we will take a look at all the HiFuture earbuds and smartwatches with their original price in Nepal and discounted price.

HiFuture Earbuds

Most of the HiFuture TWS earbuds come with a lightweight and portable design. The earbuds listed here offer up to 20 hours of combined battery backup. Some even offer up to 8 hours of battery on a single charge.

HiFuture Necklace is the only neckband design earphone in this list and its features include 12 hours of battery backup, aptX audio codec, etc. Similarly, the True Air ANC is the only one that comes with active noise cancellation. One of the earbuds, namely the HiFuture TidyBuds Pro comes with a 3000mAh charging case. Thus, it can double-down as a power bank too.

Other than that, most of them have Bluetooth 5.0, are either IPX4 or IPX5 rated, and charge over a USB Type-C port. You can check out the list of available HiFuture Earbuds in Nepal along with their price in the table down below. But most importantly, most of them are very much affordable.

Meanwhile, check out all the latest prices and specs of HiFuture earbuds here

HiFuture Earbuds Price in Nepal:

HiFuture Earbuds Model	Price in Nepal
HiFuture AirBuds Pro	NPR 2,999
HiFuture FlyBuds	NPR 3,599
HiFuture Necklace	NPR 3,999
HiFuture TidyBuds	NPR 3,999
HiFuture TidyBuds Pro	NPR 4,999
HiFuture FutureBuds Plus	NPR 4,999
HiFuture Helix	NPR 5,499
HiFuture Radge	NPR 5,499
HiFuture Voyager Bluetooth TWS Earbuds	NPR 5,999
HiFuture TrueAir ANC	NPR 9,999

Also Read: Best Budget TWS Earphones under NPR 10,000 in Nepal

HiFuture Smartwatches

After earbuds, let’s come to the various smartwatches offered by HiFuture in Nepal and their official price. Currently, you can purchase a total of four different HiFuture smartwatches in Nepal. All of them come with an HD resolution screen and support both iOS and Android systems. Furthermore, all of them are equipped with various fitness tracking features such as distance, sleep monitor, heart rate, calories burnt, and more.

Moreover, they also come with dedicated sports modes for climbing, cycling, basketball, yoga, etc. Most of them have an IP68 waterproof rating and also support multiple languages. Check out the list of HiFuture Smartwatches available in Nepal along with their price down below.

HiFuture Smartwatches Price in Nepal:

HiFuture Smartwatch Model	Price in Nepal
HiFuture HiMate Smartwatch	NPR 6,999
HiFuture HiWave Smartwatch	NPR 8,499
HiFuture HiTime Mini Smartwatch	NPR 7,999
HiFuture HiTime SE	NPR 8,999
HiFuture HiTime Smartwatch	NPR 9,999
HiFuture KW35	NPR 8,999
HiFuture HiGear Smartwatch (Leather Strap)	NPR 17,999

Women’s Day Offer

HiFuture is celebrating this Women’s Day by offering discounts on select smartwatches and earbuds. Under the new campaign, users will get a flat 10% discount on given HiFuture products.

HiFuture Products	Original Price	Offer Price
FlyBuds (All Colour)	NPR 3,599	NPR 3,271
Radge (Pink)	NPR 5,499	NPR 4,999
HiTime SE (Pink)	NPR 8,999	NPR 8,180
HiTime Mini (Pink)	NPR 7,999	NPR 7,271
Helix (Pink & White)	NPR 5,499	NPR 4,999
HiWave (Pink)	NPR 8,499	NPR 7,726

The offer is valid till 8thMarch. For further information, you can contact Tech Studio on social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram).

Realme X7 Pro Review: The True Successor To X2 Pro

Pratima Adhikari

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March 7, 2021

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Realme X7 Pro Review: The True Successor To X2 Pro

Realme’s first X-series phone, the Realme X, made its official debut back in July 2019 and it was an instant hit. And then they went on to launch another winner 5 months later—the Realme X2 Pro. But since then, the company hasn’t really enjoyed much success in this lineup, with the likes of X3 SuperZoom and even the X50 Pro. And recently, Realme added 2 new X-series of phones in India, the Realme X7 and the X7 Pro. Here, I’ll be talking about the Realme X7 Pro at length in this full review.

Realme X7 Pro Specifications:

Body: 6.33 x 2.96 x 0.33 inches, 184 gm
Display: 6.55-inches Super AMOLED, 402PPI, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 100% DCI-P3, 103% NTSC, 1200 nits brightness (peak), 91.6% screen-to-body ratio
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ (7nm Mobile Platform)
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.6 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
Memory: 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB UFS 2.1 storage (fixed)
Software & UI: Realme UI 1.0 on top of Android 10
Rear Camera: Quad-camera;
– 64MP, f/1.8 Sony IMX686 primary lens
– 8MP, f/2.25 ultra wide-angle sensor, 119° FOV
– 2MP, f/2.4 depth sensor
– 2MP, f/2.4 macro sensor, 4CM focus
– LED flash
Front Camera: 32MP, f/2.45 lens (punch-hole)
Audio: Stereo speakers, No headphone jack
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / Beidou / QZSS, NFC, USB Type-C, 4G LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz)
Sensors: Magnetic induction, Light, Proximity, Gyro-meter, Acceleration
Battery: 4500mAh with 65W SuperDart Charge
Color options: Fantasy, Mystic Black
Price in Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)

Realme X7 Pro Review:

I have been using both Realme X7 and X7 Pro for almost 2 weeks now. Realme X7… well, it isn’t that interesting a phone, is it? It is similar to the Realme 7 Pro and is easily outperformed by its competitors, but the X7 Pro… is something!

Yes, it is expectedly expensive at 30,000 Indian Rupees. But here, you are not getting your basic mid-range stuff as it boasts a top-tier MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset and a 120Hz Super AMOLED screen along with a few other high-end stuff.

This makes the X7 Pro better than your average mid-range device, but at the same time, doesn’t compare to a flagship. So, let me share my experience with the phone and tell you whether the Realme X7 Pro is worth paying extra say over other mid-range devices like the Xiaomi Mi 10i or Samsung Galaxy F62 in this review.

Unboxing the device, the phone comes in an elongated box just like OnePlus devices. First off, you have the phone itself. I got the Mystic Black color for myself. Keeping the phone aside for a moment, you get the 65-watt charger and USB Type-C Cable, and basically, that’s all!

Design & Build

Glass front/back, polycarbonate mid-frame
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection

Design-wise, the phone feels really good on the hands. Its form factor is pretty similar to the OnePlus 8T with a familiar-looking camera module. The Mystic Black isn’t the most appealing of color options though. I did like the Fantasy color variant of the phone, but the bold “Dare to Leap” marking was just too much for me to digest.

Buttons, Ports

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The phone is rocking Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front and the back, which is not bad. But for what it’s worth, I think at least, if not the Victus, Gorilla Glass 6 protection would certainly have been better. Similarly, it lacks any degree of IP rating as well.

Display

6.55-inches FHD+ Super AMOLED screen
120Hz refresh, 240Hz touch sampling rate

On the front too, the X7 Pro borrows OnePlus 8T’s display panel. Or is it the other way around, considering Realme X7 Pro launched a month earlier than the OnePlus 8T in the Chinese market? Anyway, it’s the familiar 6.55-inch Super AMOLED screen, which is impressive because the OnePlus 8T costs a lot more than the X7 Pro.

By the way, it’s a Samsung-made panel, so you might guess how good it is. The touch response is superb because of the 240Hz touch sampling rate. Likewise, the display is color accurate with excellent contrast levels.

Thanks to 1200 nits of peak brightness, outdoor visibility isn’t an issue either. Another good thing about this display is, it can get really dim. As a result, I haven’t experienced any eye-strain while using the phone in pitch dark too.

In-display fingerprint sensor

You also get an optical in-display fingerprint sensor embedded inside the screen that works fast and accurately like other Realme phones in the past. Add the 120Hz refresh rate into the mix, then you’re looking at a pretty darn smooth display.

Performance

Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ SoC (7nm)
8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128GB UFS 2.1 storage (fixed)

I was a little skeptical at first if the Dimensity 1000+ could handle this fluidity to perfection, but Realme has optimized its performance well. So, working around with the UI or scrolling through web pages is a very satisfying experience on this thing.

Realme going all-in on the Dimensity 1000+ was kind of a bold move, but I think it paid off after all. Normal tasks, multitasking, everything is a piece of cake for the X7 Pro. It’s still on Android 10 with Realme UI Version 1, and Version 2 based on Android 11 should bring visual change and even better optimization.

Gaming Experience

Gaming has been a delight on this phone too. I played a few demanding titles such as PUBG, COD, and Genshin impact, all of which ran very well on the X7 Pro. Setting the graphics to Smooth and frame rates to Extreme in PUBG mobile, I could get a stable 60 FPS with no lags or stutters whatsoever. Notably, the FPS stability was 100% while I played the game, which is very impressive.

Call of Duty, on the X7 Pro, ran in the highest of settings and gave a stable 60FPS too, while I noticed a few hiccups when playing Genshin Impact in high graphics. Nonetheless, the FPS hovered around the 47 mark, which I consider to be quite good.

Sadly, some of the games that should run at 120Hz like Injustice 2 and Shadow Gun War Games could only hit 30 fps. So, it would be great to see Realme collaborating with the game developers to bring higher refresh rate support, like how we saw OnePlus partner with Fortnite and PUBG Mobile to enable 90Hz refresh rate gameplay in its select phones last year.

All in all, I have enjoyed the performance of X7 Pro. It is definitely better than any Snapdragon 700 series phone and even outperforms the Snapdragon 855+. Also, even when gaming for a long time, this MediaTek chipset did not overheat. And that’s a big plus.

Battery & Audio

4500mAh battery with 65W SuperDart Charge
Stereo speaker setup, No 3.5mm headphone jack

Moving on to power, you get a modest 4,500mAh battery like the OnePlus 8T, which is enough to get you through your day while setting the display to auto-refresh rate. I wouldn’t say that the phone has an excellent battery life, but it’s reliable enough to not run out before you go to bed. Even if it does, you can take it from 0 to 100% in a matter of minutes with its 65W charger.

Likewise, Realme X7 Pro has also impressed me with its audio quality. The audio from its dual speaker can get plenty loud and is near-flagship quality.

Cameras

Quad-camera setup at the back
(64MP primary, 8MP wideangle, 2MP portrait, 2MP macro)
32MP selfie camera inside the punch-hole cutout

Cameras

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So far so good. However, as you go into the semi-flagship price territory, buyers want more in the camera department, which I think this phone falls short of. First off, you get a gimmicky quad-camera setup at the back, comprising of a 2MP macro and depth sensor.

By this time, I genuinely feel that customers are well aware of how these 2 lenses are a pure gimmick and nothing more than a marketing stunt. So, I think it’s a big… big…miss for Realme not to include a telephoto lens here. For this review, I compared the cameras on Realme X7 Pro against Samsung’s Galaxy F62.

Normal Images

Even the photos from the 64MP primary lens aren’t extra-ordinary per se.

Normal

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They look good enough, but I personally think that the color science could have been better. Aspects like details, sharpness is sufficient though – thanks to the 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor.

Bringing the cheaper Galaxy F62 with its Sony IMX682 sensor to comparison, you can see how Samsung’s optimization brings out superior colors in pictures.

vs Galaxy F62

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Here, in this image, it’s evident how Realme is not able to process the shadows and colors, and hence, the background looks like it’s merging with the cat while the Galaxy F62 can distinguish the two properly.

Wideangle Images

And it’s not just the primary images.

Wideangle

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Even the 8MP ultra-wide images from the phone suffer from a similar problem where it is not able to process colors and shadows as well as the F62.

Portrait Images

Even portraits look better on the Galaxy F62 with good skin tone, subject focus, and livelier background.

Portrait

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Not that the pictures from X7 Pro are bad or anything, but comparing them side by side, it’s obvious that Samsung does it better.

Nighttime Images

During night time too, Samsung is a step ahead with better exposure and noise control than the X7 Pro.

Nighttime/Night Mode

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The difference becomes crystal clear when you turn to the wide-angle images.

Wideangle Nighttime

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Here, X7 Pro suffers from noise, grains, and lack of details in the pictures rather spectacularly.

Selfie Images

In terms of selfies, as you can see, X7 Pro tries to sharpen the images just a little bit more than necessary.

Selfie

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On the other hand, Galaxy F62 produces a bit more pleasing photos. The background looks equally good on both the phones though.

Videography

For videos, although the X7 Pro misses out on Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) like we generally see on semi-flagship phones, Realme has tried to compensate that with Gyro EIS and upto 4k 60 fps mode. You can also shoot ultra-wide videos but the phone restricts you to the 1080p/30fps option only.

Others

Moving on, there are 2 more things about the Realme X7 Pro that might disappoint you. First, it lacks a headphone jack. And second, it’s void of a micro SD card slot as well.

Personally, micro SD card slot… I haven’t used it on a smartphone for years and 128GB should be more than sufficient for many. But the omission of a 3.5mm headphone jack might be a dealbreaker for gamers, as they’ve now got to spend a little more on a wireless gaming headphone. That too will more than likely fail to deliver a zero-latency performance.

Conclusion

Anyways, this brings us to the conclusion of our review of Realme X7 Pro. As you’d imagine, I’ve really enjoyed my time with this phone. It’s got a flagship-grade display and is one of the best performing phones at this price. And there’s nothing to complain about its battery life or the software either.

However, the one key area where Realme needs to improve is camera optimization. Because even though the company has included a capable sensor, its actual performance is not even as good as cheaper mid-range phones.

So, instead of rebranding and creating more series, I feel like it’s crucial for Realme as a company to put more effort and R&D in the camera department if they’re looking to expand their horizon to even more premium offerings.

Realme X7 Pro Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

Attractive and ergonomic design
Bright, color-rich AMOLED display
Smooth 120Hz refresh rate
Flagship-grade performance
Excellent gaming possibility
65W charging is game-changing

Cons:

Still stuck on Android 10
Under-performing cameras
Gimmicky quad-camera setup
No headphone jack, SD card slot

Samsung Galaxy A12 with 2 years old Helio P35 chipset now available in Nepal

Samsung

GadgetByte

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March 7, 2021

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Samsung Galaxy A12 with 2 years old Helio P35 chipset now available in Nepal

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy A12 in the Nepali market. It is the successor to the Galaxy A11 that was launched a year ago. Without wasting any time, let’s take a look at the specs, features, official price, and availability of the Samsung Galaxy A12 in Nepal.

Samsung Galaxy A12 Overview

Design and Display

The new Samsung Galaxy A12 comes with a 6.5-inch TFT panel. Interestingly, the company has opted for an Infinity-V notch while its predecessor came with a punch-hole display. It’s an HD+ panel with noticeable bezels around the screen, especially on the bottom chin.

The body is most likely plastic considering its budget nature. Samsung has gone for a dual-tone finish with a textured look on the upper portion. It also houses the square camera module, while the lower portion comes with Samsung’s branding.

Performance and Memory

While Samsung has listed the phone with an octa-core processor, it has not publicly acknowledged the actual processor used. However, given the clock frequency, it has been speculated that A12 comes with MediaTek’s Helio P35. It features eight Cortex-A53 cores with half of them operating at 2.3GHz and the rest of them clocked at 1.8GHz. Samsung hasn’t mentioned the Android version the device will ship with either. But, we expect it to run on One UI 2.5 based on Android 10 out-of-the-box.

Galaxy A12 will be available in three RAM configurations – 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB. Similarly, there will be three memory options – 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. The internal storage can also be expanded up to 1TB using an external MicroSD card.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 2020 launched in Nepal

Camera

Samsung Galaxy A12 flaunts a quad-camera setup at the back. The company has upgraded from the 13MP primary camera on its predecessor to 48MP on the A12. It also has a smaller aperture of f/2.0. The 5MP ultra-wide camera and the 2MP depth camera have been left untouched. On the other hand, Samsung has added another 2MP lens for macro photography. For selfies, there is an 8MP camera inside the Infinity-V notch.

Rest of the specs

There is an upgrade in the battery capacity as well. The Galaxy A12 now has a massive 5,000mAh battery. It also supports 15W fast charging but we will have to see if the charger will be included in the box. In terms of security, the phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Samsung A12 Specifications:

Dimension: 164 x 75.8 x 8.9mm; 205gm
Display: 6.5-inches HD+ PLS TFT LCD
CPU: Octa-core (2.3GHz + 1.8GHz)
RAM: 3GB/4GB/6GB
Storage: 32GB/64GB/128GB (expandable using SD card)
Rear Camera: Quad-camera;
– 48MP primary shooter
– 5MP ultra-wide lens
– 2MP depth sensor
– 2MP macro sensor
Front Camera: 8MP f/2.2
Security: Physical fingerprint scanner (side-mounted)
Battery: 5000mAh with 15W fast charging

Samsung Galaxy A12 Price in Nepal and Availability

The Galaxy A12 price in Nepal for the 4/64GB variant is set at Rs. 18,999. Similarly, the 4/128GB variant costs Rs. 19,999.

Smartphone Model	Price in Nepal
Samsung Galaxy A12 (4/64GB)	NPR 18,999
Samsung Galaxy A12 (4/128GB)	NPR 19,999

Watch our review of the Samsung Galaxy A21s.

AQFiT’s wearables including smartwatches, TWS earbuds now available in Nepal

GadgetByte

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March 7, 2021

0

AQFiT’s wearables including smartwatches, TWS earbuds now available in Nepal

Fitness bands, smartwatches—basically smart wearables have been in the trend for quite some time now. We have the likes of Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, and Xiaomi comfortably ruling the market here in Nepal. And now, AQFiT has entered the Nepalese market with its selection of budget wearables. In this post, we’ll be taking a look at all the AQFiT smartwatches and TWS earbuds available in Nepal including their official price and availability.

AQFiT: Brand Overview

The company was founded in 2018, so it is relatively new to the scene. It is based in Noida, India and as mentioned above, specializes in smart wearables. According to the company, they adhere to the core value of “originality, quality, experience, and service”.

Going through their product catalog, I became highly doubtful of the “originality” in their products in terms of the design aspect. It’s not that the designs are bad, it’s just that there’s nothing new about them. So, that’s there. Anyway, most of their products are aptly priced and have been known to be reliable.

Tech Studio is the authorized distributor of AQFiT products in Nepal. They are currently the distributor of HiFuture accessories too. So, we can expect some level of consistency in terms of product delivery and all. You can buy AQFiT accessories in Nepal exclusively at Sastodeal. More importantly, they are also complemented by 1 year of warranty. So let’s take a look at the AQFiT smartwatches, TWS earbuds available in Nepal alongside their official price and availability.

Meanwhile, check out all the prices and specs of AQFIT Smartwatches

AQFiT Smartwatches in Nepal:

Coming to the products, AQFiT offers smartwatches, smart bands, earphones, and car air purifiers. Right now in Nepal, the company has introduced 2 smartwatches:

1. AQFiT W15 Smartwatch

First off, we have the AQFiT W15. This smartwatch comes with a classic circular dial that houses the 1.33″ IPS screen. It is also protected by a metal case and a 9H tempered glass. For added protection, the W15 is also 5ATM-IP68 dust/water-resistant. It has a “food grade” silicone strap. In terms of fitness tracking, you get a total of 9 sports modes including walk, swim, yoga, etc.

Moreover, it can also track your heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), sleep, and more. AQFiT is fueled by a 220mAh battery that is rated to last 10 days under normal usage. Other features of this smartwatch include Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, drinking water reminder, breathing exercise, sedentary reminder, app/call notification, etc.

AQFiT W15 Specifications:

Body: 47.5 x 55 x 12mm (watch)
Display: 1.33-inches IPS LCD (240 x 240 pixels)
Strap: “Food Grade” silicone
Sports modes: 9 in total
Sensor: G-sensor ST
Chipset: Nordic NRF52832
Water resistance: Yes, 5ATM-IP68 certified
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2
Battery: 220mAh (10 days usage, 60 days standby)
Price in Nepal: Rs. 7,999

2. AQFiT W11 Smartwatch

Next up is the AQFiT W11 smartwatch. It is a comparatively cheaper option from the company that comes in a sleeker design. W11’s squarish build looks surprisingly more premium than the W15. Here, you get a 1.4″ IPS screen with 4.0D curves on all four sides. As a result, AQFiT is claiming a screen-to-body ratio of 93%. Additionally, this one’s a sharper display too, packing in 320 x 320 pixels.

Moving on to health tracking, the W11 comes with a total of 15 sports modes including walk, climb, yoga, football, etc. Other features like heart-rate, SpO2, sleep monitoring, app/call notification, etc. are included as well. It is powered by the same NRF52832 chipset and a 220mAh battery as AQFiT W15.

AQFiT W11 Specifications:

Body: 34 x 41 x 10mm (watch), 58 grams
Display: 1.4-inches IPS LCD (320 x 320 pixels), 4.0D curved
Strap: Silicone
Sports modes: 15 in total
Chipset: Nordic NRF52832
Water resistance: Yes, 5ATM-IP68 certified
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2
Battery: 220mAh (8-10 days usage, 60 days standby)
Price in Nepal: Rs. 5,999

AQFiT TWS Earbuds in Nepal

On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier, AQFiT’s audio lineup includes a neckband-style earphone and a pair of TWS earbuds. Currently, the company has brought the A11 TWS earbuds to the Nepalese market.

1. AQFiT A11 True Wireless Earbuds

Here, the AQFiT A11 is an in-ear style TWS earbuds. It borrows the design aesthetics of Apple’s AirPods Pro—rubber tips and shorter stem. Sporting Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, AQFiT A11’s case also has a LED display. The promotional posters reveal a series of numerical indicators on this screen. While I assume one of them represents the battery life, I’m not sure what all of them mean. Getting to the audio quality, these earbuds come with a dynamic driver packaged inside that the company says is designed for bass lovers.

For clearer voice calls, it also supports cVc (Clear Voice Capture) noise cancellation. Moreover, AQFiT is also promising 50ms latency while gaming which sounds pretty promising but we’ll have to test it out in full to see if the claim is true. These buds are also IPX5 certified against sweat and splashes. There’s a touch control on either earbud to control playback, calls, etc. In terms of battery life, the A11 earbuds are rated to last 4-6 hours under a single charge.

AQFiT A11 TWS Earbuds Specifications:

Body: 88 x 80 x 70mm, 70 grams (including case)
Battery: 4-6 hours (single charge) | 25 hours (with case)
Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.0 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Audio: Dynamic drivers, HiFi sound quality, Voice assistance
Phone calls: cVc noise cancellation, Dual microphones
Water resistance: IPX5 splash/sweat proof
Other features: LED display in the case, 50ms low-latency
Price in Nepal: Rs. 3,299

AQFiT Smartwatches, TWS Earbuds Price in Nepal

Here, the price of AQFit smartwatches available in Nepal starts at Rs. 5,999 for the W11. Similarly, the price of the AQFiT W15 smartwatch in Nepal is Rs. 7,999.

AQFiT smartwatches	Price in Nepal
AQFiT W11	Rs. 5,999
AQFiT W15	Rs. 7,999
AQFiT W9	Rs. 9,999

Similarly, the price of AQFiT A11 TWS earbuds in Nepal is Rs. 3,299.

AQFiT TWS earbuds	Price in Nepal
AQFiT A11	Rs. 3,299

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 is official with a rugged design, enterprise-level features

Samsung

GadgetByte

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March 5, 2021

0

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 is official with a rugged design, enterprise-level features

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 is the latest rugged smartphone from the South Korean company. It is a successor to 2017’s XCover 4. While the phone is rugged to withstand the harsh working environment, Samsung says it has also paid attention to the need of a mobile workforce. In this post, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 in Nepal.

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 Overview:

Design and Display

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 sports a 5.3-inch TFT LCD panel. The HD+ resolution of 1480 x 720 results in a 16:9 aspect ratio. These specs are not that impressive as this phone is not meant to be a multimedia powerhouse. XCover 5, like all rugged smartphones, is targeted towards field workers that need a robust and durable smartphone.

Talking about the rugged nature of the phone, the XCover 5 comes with a military-grade MIL-STD 810H certification. Samsung says it can withstand drops of up to 1.5 meters. It also has IP68 certification against dust and water damage. As a result, you can submerge it in a meter deep water for around 30 minutes.

There is also a Glove Touch feature which will come in handy if you need to wear gloves at your workplace. The feature scales up the touch sensitivity of the screen making it more convenient to use with gloves on.

Also Read:
- Samsung Galaxy S20+ is enjoying a flat 10K discount in Nepal
- Samsung Galaxy A12 with Helio P35 launching soon in Nepal

Performance and Camera

Powering the device is the Exynos 850 chipset. It’s an entry-level chipset from Samsung based on the 8nm FinFET process, and is found in phones like Galaxy A21s. XCover 5 comes with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage. You also get the hardware-based Samsung Knox security on the XCover 5. This will protect the phone’s data in real-time and help respond to any kind of threats. The phone ships with Android 11 out-of-the-box.

Galaxy XCover 5 has a total of two cameras. The single 16MP camera at the back has an aperture of f/1.8. On the front, there is a 5MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Samsung has also included the Knox Capture feature for enterprise-level scanning.

Also Read: Samsung now promises 4 years of security updates to Galaxy devices

Rest of the features

Fueling the device is a 3,000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging via USB and POGO pins. The phone has NFC support too. There is also an XCover Key which basically is a hotkey that users can program to quickly access their favorite features.

Samsung is also offering some cool partner-enabled mobility features on this device. For instance, users can make use of the walkie-talkie feature on Microsoft Teams. Similarly, there is a push-to-talk feature that makes communications with colleagues even more convenient.

Samsung XCover 5 Specifications:

Dimension: 147.1 x 71.6 x 9.2mm
Display: 5.3-inches TFT panel with 1480 x 720-pixel resolution
Chipset: Exynos 850 (8nm)
Memory: 4GB RAM, 64GB storage
OS: Android 11
Rear Camera: 16MP primary shooter, f/1.8
Front Camera: 5MP f/2.2
Battery: 3000mAh with 15W fast charging
Durability: MIL-STD810H, IP68
Others: Programmable XCover Key, Face Unlock, NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, Pogo Pins

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 Price in Nepal (Expected)

Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 is priced at £329 in the UK and will be available starting this March. The device will be available in select markets in Asia, Europe, and Latin America too. It’s unlikely that Samsung Nepal will launch the Galaxy XCover 5 here but if it does, we expect its price to be around NPR 55,000.

Samsung XCover 5	Price in the UK	Price in Nepal (Expected)
4/64GB	£329	NPR 55,000

Also, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21+.

Nubia Red Magic 6 series comes with a 165Hz screen and up to 18GB of RAM

GadgetByte

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March 5, 2021

0

Nubia Red Magic 6 series comes with a 165Hz screen and up to 18GB of RAM

Last year’s Red Magic 5G was the first smartphone to feature a 144Hz screen. This year, Nubia has taken it to next level by announcing the world’s first smartphones with a 165Hz refresh rate under the Red Magic 6 series. In this post, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Nubia Red Magic 6 & 6 Pro in Nepal.

Nubia Red Magic 6, 6 Pro Overview:

165Hz Refresh Rate

Red Magic 6 series features a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel with support for up to 165Hz refresh rate. The company has collaborated with Qualcomm to make this a reality. The refresh rate is also adaptive meaning the phone will adjust it based on the content on the screen. It can drop to as low as 30Hz when static content is on display. Similarly, Nubia has optimized its UI so that users can enjoy 120Hz in menus and apps. The 165Hz smoothness kicks-in in select games. There is also this technology called “Touch Choreographer” which that adds frames in-between to increase the frame stability.

Similarly, the Red Magic 6 and 6 Pro support 360Hz of multi-touch sampling rate which is in level with the recently announced Redmi K40 series. On the other hand, the touch sampling rate on the Red Magic 6 goes up to 500Hz when using a single finger. Similarly, at 165Hz, the click response time can get as low as 8 milliseconds.

More about the display

Nubia has used an FHD+ AMOLED panel. Its 2400 x 1080 pixels results in a 20:9 aspect ratio. The phone has slim bezels around the screen but still manages a screen-to-body ratio of 91.28%. The display covers 100% of the DCI P3 color field and has a contrast ratio of 1000000:1. As you would expect, the screen has an optical fingerprint scanner beneath it.

Performance and Cooling

Red Magic 6 series is powered by Snapdragon 888 chipset. The chipset is based on Samsung’s 5nm process and boasts a maximum single-clock frequency of up to 2.84GHz. The graphics are handled by Adreno 660 GPU and users get to enjoy Qualcomm’s third-gen Snapdragon Elite gaming features. The phone comes with 8/12/18GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512GB UFS 3.1 internal storage.

Nubia’s ICE 6.0 technology is responsible for keeping the temperature of the phone down. It consists of a 6-layer multi-dynamic cooling system. The built-in centrifugal fan can rotate at a speed of 18000RPM. The blades are just 0.1mm thick. Similarly, the cooling system makes use of copper foil, thermal gel, graphene, and VC sheet. Nubia claims that this setup can reduce the temperature by up to 16-degree Celsius.

Also Read:
- Redmi Note 10 brings Super AMOLED display, SD 678 for just $165
- Redmi Note 10 Pro Max with 120Hz SAMOLED, 108MP camera launched

Screencast and Streaming

You can cast the content of your screen to a bigger display in a number of ways. One way to do so is by using a USB direct-link screencast. As per the company, you can achieve desktop-level fps manipulation with this. You can even cast your screen using a wireless medium. Similarly, Nubia says it has worked on picture rendering enhancement technology for users who like to stream their live gameplay.

Rest of the features

Fueling the Red Magic 6 is a 5050mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging. On the other hand, the Pro model features a 4,500mAh battery but with a faster 120W charging technology. The two phones feature Nubia’s third-gen shoulder buttons with a touch sampling rate of 400Hz.

The triple camera setup on the back consists of a 64MP primary camera accompanied by an 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 2MP macro sensor.

Other features include a 3.5mm headphone jack, dual-stereo speakers, and DTS:X Ultra audio.

Nubia Red Magic 6, 6 Pro Specifications:

Display: 6.8-inch AMOLED, 165Hz refresh rate, 100% P3 Wide Color, 500Hz one-finger touch sampling rate, 360Hz multi-finger touch sampling rate
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm)
RAM: 8GB/12GB LPPDDR5 RAM | 12/16/18GB LPDDR5 RAM
Storage: 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB UFS 3.1 storage
OS: RedMagic 4.0 on Android 11
Rear Camera: 64MP primary lens, 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP macro lens
Audio: Stereo speaker, DTS:X Ultra, 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi b/n/ac/ax (2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, Type-C
Battery: 5050mAh with 66W charging | 4500mAh with 120W charging
Others: Under-display fingerprint scanner, dual-touch game shoulder button

Nubia Red Magic 6, 6 Pro Price in Nepal & Availability

Nubia Red Magic 6, 6 Pro are now available for pre-order in China for the price of 3,799 Yuan and 4,399 Yuan, respectively. There is also a Transparent Edition that starts at 5,599 Yuan. We can expect the price of Nubia Red Magic 6 and 6 Pro in Nepal to start at NPR 70,000 and NPR 85,000 respectively.

Nubia Red Magic 6 Series	Configuration	Price in China	Price in Nepal (Expected)
Red Magic 6	8/128GB	3,799 Yuan	NPR 70,000
	12/128GB	4,099 Yuan	NPR 80,000
	12/256GB	4,399 Yuan	NPR 85,000
Red Magic 6 Pro	12/128GB	4,399 Yuan	NPR 85,000
	12/256GB	4,799 Yuan	NPR 90,000
	16/256GB	5,299 Yuan	NPR 98,000
Red Magic 6 Pro (Transparent Edition)	16/256GB	5,599 Yuan	NPR 105,000
Red Magic 6 Pro (Transparent Edition)	18/512GB	6,599 Yuan	NPR 125,000

Check out our review of Realme X7 Pro.

Redmi Note 10 Pro with 120Hz Super AMOLED display launched in Nepal

Redmi
Xiaomi

GadgetByte

-

March 5, 2021

0

Redmi Note 10 Pro with 120Hz Super AMOLED display launched in Nepal

After launching the Redmi Note 10, Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 10 Pro in Nepal. It is the Global variant and is identical to the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max for the Indian market. Hence, the Redmi Note 10 Pro that’s launched in Nepal comes with a primary 108MP lens instead of the 64MP that you find on the Indian variant. Anyways, let’s talk a look at the specs, features, official price, and availability of the Redmi Note 10 Pro in Nepal.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Overview:

Design and Display

The main talking point of this year’s Note series has been the display and design. This is the first time Redmi did not opt for an IPS LCD screen. And the best part is that users don’t have to choose between a higher refresh and AMOLED panel as you get both of them in the Redmi Note 10 Pro. You read that right – the 120Hz Super AMOLED panel is not exclusive to the Pro Max Model. You get the exact 6.67-inch FHD+ panel on the Pro model. The display covers 100% of the DCI P3 color profile and can play HDR10 content. It has a peak brightness of 1200 nits.

Redmi has also altered the look of the phone. The company calls it “Evol. design”. It incorporates a new camera bump that is now on the top left corner. At just 192 grams, the phone is actually lighter than its predecessor. It is also thinner with a thickness of just 8.1mm.

You can choose between three gradient finishes – Vintage Bronze, Glacial Blue, and Dark Night. The Vintage Bronze and Glacial Blue feature a frosted glass back. There is Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front and the back of the device. However, Redmi has not clearly specified the material used on the Dark Night.

Performance

Likewise, Redmi Note 10 Pro is powered by Snapdragon 732G chipset which we can find on the popular Poco X3. This chipset was launched last year as a successor to the 730G. When compared to its predecessor, the 732G has an overclocked Prime Core (470 Kryo @ 2.3GHz) and 15% better graphics performance. Nevertheless, it is an upgrade over the 720G found in last year’s Note 9 Pro. The biggest shortcoming here is the lack of 5G connectivity.

The device comes in two RAM variants – 6GB and 8GB. Both of them are complemented by 128GB of UFS 2.2 internal storage. There is also a 64GB variant that is exclusive to the 6GB variant.

Also Read:
- Redmi Note 10 brings Super AMOLED display, SD 678 for just $165
- Redmi Note 10 Pro Max with 120Hz AMOLED, 108MP camera launched

Camera

Moving on, Note 10 Pro flaunts a quad-camera setup at the back. The setup is led by the 64MP Samsung GW3 sensor for the Indian variant, but the Global variant has a 108MP Samsung HM2 sensor. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera with a 118-degree Field of View. Completing the setup is a 5MP super macro sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. Users can record 4K 30 fps videos with the Note 10 Pro. Similarly, the device supports 720P slow motion recording up to 960 fps.

[Note: The Note 10 Pro variant that’s launched in Nepal comes with 108MP primary camera]

On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera capable of recording 1080P videos at 30 fps. It also has a handful of interesting features like Night Mode, Panorama, Short Video, Slow motion, and time-lapse videos.

Rest of the specs

Fueling the device is a 5,020mAh battery that supports charging speeds of up to 33W. Redmi even includes a 33W fast charger inside the box. The Type-C port on the Note 10 Pro also supports reverse charging. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometrics. Also, the device has an IP53 certification against dust and water. Other features include Hi-Res certified dual stereo speakers, and a Z-Axis vibration motor.

Redmi Note 10 Pro Specifications:

Body: 164.5×76.15×8.1mm; 192g
Display: 6.67-inch Super AMOLED screen, 2.96mm Punch Hole, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10, 1200 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI P3, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Resolution: Full HD+(1080 × 2400 pixels); 20:9
Chipset: Snapdragon 732G (8nm)
CPU: Octa-Core (2.3GHz Dual + 1.8GHz Hexa Kryo 470 CPUs)
GPU: Adreno 618 GPU
RAM: 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM
ROM: 64/128GB UFS 2.2; expandable up to 512GB
OS: Android 11 with MIUI 12
SIM: Dual SIM (nano + nano + microSD)
Back Camera: 64MP primary lens (Samsung GW3 sensor), 8MP ultra-wide sensor, 2MP depth sensor, 5MP super macro camera (2x telephoto) [Note: 108MP primary camera on the Nepali variant]
Front Camera: 16MP front-facing camera (punch-hole)
Audio: Stereo speakers, Hi-Res Audio, 3.5mm audio jack
Connectivity: Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, USB Type-C
Others: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, IP53 Certification, IR sensor, Z Haptics
Battery: 5020mAh with 33W fast charging

Redmi Note 10 Pro Price in Nepal & Availability

The price of the Redmi Note 10 Pro (108MP) in Nepal is NPR 29,999 and NPR 33,999 for the 6/64GB and 6/128GB variants, respectively. You can buy Redmi Note 10 Pro in Nepal from Xiaomi authorized retail stores or the company’s e-commerce partners Daraz and Sastodeal.

Redmi Note 10 Pro	Price in Nepal
6/64GB	NPR 29,999
6/128GB	NPR 33,999

Also, check out our long-term review of the Redmi Note 9 Pro.