Page 533 – GadgetByte Nepal

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro: A Close Call

Nikhil Shrestha

-

January 28, 2021

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro: A Close Call

The wearable industry is seeing rapid growths in recent years. Surprisingly, Samsung doesn’t seem to have a proper stronghold in this area while Apple’s AirPods lineup of wireless earbuds consistently ranks among the most selling of its kind—one generation after the other. Well, Samsung just launched its best TWS earbuds yet. The Galaxy Buds Pro goes head to head against Apple’s AirPods Pro in practically every aspect you could think of. So, we decided to test ’em out to see if there’s one that could actually stand out. Here’s what we found.

Galaxy Buds Pro vs AirPods Pro Specs:

	Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro	Apple AirPods Pro
Body (Earbud)	20.8H x 19.5W x 20.5Dmm, 6.3 grams each	30.9H x 21.8W x 24.0Dmm, 5.4 grams each
Body (Charging case)	50.2H x 50.0W x 27.8Dmm, 44.9 grams	45.2H x 60.6W x 21.7Dmm, 45.6 grams
Color options	Phantom: Violet, Black, Silver	Glossy White
Speaker	2-way speaker system 11mm woofer, 6.5mm tweeter	Custom high-excursion Apple driver, Custom high dynamic range amplifier
Microphone	3 mics (2 outer + 1 inner) + Voice Pickup Unit (VPU) + Wind Shield	Dual beamforming mics, Inward-facing mic
Water resistance	IPX7 (Up to 1 meter for 30 minutes)	IPX4 (sweat and water-resistant)
Chip	BCM 43015	H1-based SiP
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
Audio codecs	SBC, AAC, Scalable	AAC
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch	Motion/speech-detecting accelerometer, Dual optical, Force
Audio	360 Audio	Spatial Audio, Adaptive EQ
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)	Yes, Ambient Mode, Voice Detect	Yes, Transparency Mode
Battery size	61mAh (earbud) 472mAh (case)	Unspecified
Battery life	Up to 5/8 hours (ANC on/off)	Up to 4.5/5 hours (ANC on/off)
Price in Nepal	Rs. 25,300	Rs. 39,500

Galaxy Buds Pro vs AirPods Pro:

Design & Comfort

Minimalistic vs Stemmy design
Lightweight, sweat/water resistant

Starting with the design, as you can see, these two earbuds have different visual aesthetics. Buds Pro follows Samsung’s heritage of minimalistic canal-type design while the AirPods Pro refines the stemmy half in-ear build of its predecessors to a shorter stem and an in-ear design. It’s a matter of personal preference but I prefer the Buds Pro in this regard because of how they seamlessly blend with your ear while also looking aesthetically pleasing.

Looks aside, I find AirPods Pro to be more comfortable. Its in-ear form-factor coupled with soft silicone eartips and a lightweight build fits incredibly nice in my ears. On the other hand, the Buds Pro is approximately 20% heavier and I couldn’t get an ideal fit even when shuffling through the ear tips that come inside the box. Ultimately, I settled with the large ear tips as these don’t probe as deep into my ear canals as the rest.

Water resistance

However, it does bring a superior level of water resistance. Apple’s AirPods Pro is IPX4 rated—meaning that these can withstand water splashes or drizzles. But the Buds Pro’s IPX7 certification allows them to be fully submerged in water… if you feel like it.

Seeing how petite these are, you might be worried about losing them. But Samsung has integrated the “Find My Earbuds” feature on the Galaxy Buds Pro where if you misplace them nearby, you can ring either earbud via the Galaxy Wearable app. Apple lets you do the same for its earbuds via the Find My app as well.

Charging Case

Both AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro are packaged inside a minimalistic travel case and therefore are incredibly pocketable. Still, AirPods Pro’s case feels easier to access single-handed while the other requires you to work a bit more. Regardless, these earbuds support Qi wireless charging although Apple has gone with a lightning connection on its earbuds while the Buds Pro features a USB-C port.

Pairing

Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity
No NFC, multi-point connection

When it comes to connectivity, Bluetooth 5.0 is all you get and neither of the two equips NFC protocol. Here, Samsung has tried its level best to lock people into its ecosystem just like Apple as the Buds Pro sacrifices app compatibility on iOS. You can criss-cross device platforms to stream music but when it comes to personalizing your playback or getting additional features via an update, Samsung and Apple want you to stick to their own devices.

In its best attempt to replicate the AirPods glory, Samsung has brought a lot of matching features on the Buds Pro. But let’s talk of the OG first. Apple introduced the “automatic switching” feature on the AirPods Pro with the iOS 14 update, allowing to route the audio on the earbuds between different devices.

For instance, say you’re watching a movie on your MacBook Pro and get a call on your iPhone. Without any hassle, this feature automatically lets you take a call on the iPhone from the earbuds and switch the connection back to the MacBook once your call ends. Samsung calls its implementation “Auto Switch” and this feature is currently available only on devices running on One UI 3.1 or later.

Controls

Touch/Press controls

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the controls. Like every other Galaxy Buds in the past, this one has a touch interface on the sides—which supports tap and long-press gestures. And yeah, these are still a tad bit more sensitive than you’d want. As a result, I would inadvertently be messing with it even when I’m just trying to adjust their fit or take one out. On the contrary, Apple’s force sensor—while definitely feeling relatively unnatural—is void of this issue.

You can control playback (including skipping back a track), switch between ANC and ambient mode, or trigger the voice assistant on these earbuds. Additionally, Buds Pro and AirPods Pro also support hands-free Bixby and Siri activation. But as expected, Siri’s speech recognition and intelligence cloud Bixby’s possibilities by a fair margin.

By sacrificing the ability to switch noise control or trigger voice command, one can also choose volume control on the Buds Pro. Yet, that’s not possible with the AirPods Pro and you’ll have to manually switch between the volume levels or ask Siri for this.

Anyway, Buds Pro seems to be missing wear detection whereas it works flawlessly on the AirPods Pro (but only on iOS devices). It feels like Samsung could easily roll out this feature seeing how its earbuds can indeed detect when you’ve taken either of them out—as it switches between the ANC and ambient sound mode in doing so.

Noise Cancellation

Active Noise Cancellation enabled
Ambient Mode/Transparency Mode

Okay, so how’s the noise cancellation on the Galaxy Buds Pro? In a word, impressive—in three words, not the best. It is miles better than the ANC on the Buds Live but still falls short of the industry leaders like Apple’s AirPods Pro.

I found that the Buds Pro is mainly effective at cutting off low-frequency noises like constant hums, rumbles—while letting in mid and high-frequency sounds. For instance, the Buds Pro managed to silence the buzz of a water pump motor running in the building and the clock ticking, but would significantly let in the background TV noises. By contrast, the AirPods Pro outdoes Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro with noticeably quieter performance.

On outdoor scenarios too, AirPods Pro’s ANC fares better. From the passing vehicles to all the other ambient noise, this is much quieter compared to the Buds Pro. While just turning on the ANC sans some music will deliver a lackluster experience in open-air, you can vividly notice how Samsung’s earbuds let in more noise. I even tried switching to small size ear tips to see if a painfully tight seal brings any improvement but… nada.

Ambient/Transparency Mode

When you’d like to hear the outside world, Buds Pro also comes with an Ambient Sound mode—similar to the Transparency mode on the AirPods Pro. From a certain point, it eclipses the competition.

Not only does it let you hear the world around you, it even lets you amplify the ambient audio by up to +20 dB—divided into four levels to choose from. This could come in handy in scenarios like listening to the announcement at an airport, getting in on the conversation, etc. And if you’re coming from an older generation of Galaxy Buds, the Pro’s ambient sound mode sounds a lot more natural and less robotic.

Despite featuring a rigid transparency mode, I like AirPods Pro’s implementation better. Apple’s take on letting in outside noise remains unmatched—at least for me, while the Galaxy Buds Pro sounds just a tad bit metallic even under “low” ambient sound mode. There’s also this feature called “Voice Detect” which on the Buds Pro which automatically dials down ANC in favor of Ambient Sound mode.

Voice Detect on Buds Pro

It’s similar to the Speak-to-Chat function on Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphone and works fine—although at times erratic. I was also weirded in multiple instances when this feature seemingly activated on its own even though I wasn’t talking—but would rather pick up on the voices of the people near me. Surreal! Having said that, it’s still a really useful feature to have—especially when you have to make small talks. You can choose to automatically switch back ANC in 5 to 15 seconds too.

Buds Pro - Ambient Sound Volume — Ambient Sound

In terms of wireless earbuds, only the Sony WF-1000XM3 somewhat matches Buds Pro’s Voice Detect feature, while the AirPods Pro misses it out entirely. However, Sony’s “Quick Attention” requires a hands-on approach, therefore rendering Samsung’s solution all-the-more impressive.

Audio & Call Quality

Dual-speaker setup, Custom drivers
SBC, AAC, Scalable/AAC audio codec
Triple mic setup in both earbuds

Noise-canceling aside, how do these earbuds perform in terms of their audio quality? Long story short, things are pretty neck-and-neck here. Just like the Galaxy Buds+, the Buds Pro features a dual-speaker system. There’s a 6.5mm tweeter for treble and an 11mm woofer for low-frequency audio reproduction. Despite falling under the premium wireless earbuds category, it doesn’t offer high bitrate audio codecs like Sony’s LDAC or Qualcomm’s aptX HD. So, the audiophiles might have a hard time coping with Buds Pro’s SBC, AAC, and Scalable codec.

On the flip side, Apple doesn’t specify the audio driver size or the audio codec supported. But we do know that the AirPods Pro is furnished with a custom high-excursion Apple driver, high dynamic range amplifier, and adaptive EQ technology.

Any difference?

At any rate, the upgraded speaker setup on the Buds Pro definitely offers a decent bit of a thump. If that’s not enough, you can select the “Bass Boost” preset under the equalizer. Compared to the AirPods Pro, as I said earlier, the audio quality between the two wireless earbuds is almost the same. Both of them produce rumbly, punchy bass, and can get plenty loud enough as well. In Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”, the sound stage is wide enough to not overshadow the vocals.

Moving on to indie tracks like “Flapper Girl” by The Lumineers, the instrument separation is great and I could enjoy keys, guitars, perfectly. But I will say that under the “Normal” equalizer preset, the tambourine in the chorus sounds a little too sharp for my ears while it is less so on the AirPods Pro.

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro has an excellent sound quality—matching that of the AirPods Pro. To further round down the differences, Samsung has also introduced 360 Audio with these earbuds which is similar to Apple’s Spatial Audio.

360 Audio vs Spatial Audio

Using the built-in accelerometer and the gyroscope, Dolby Head Tracking technology keeps you in the center of the action. Sadly, this feature is exclusive to Samsung phones for now. I tried it on the Galaxy S21 Ultra and maybe it was due to my noviceness to the tech, it felt rather unsettling at first. Especially when I would make a sharp movement. But after a while, I got used to it, and let me tell you—it is wild. The shift in audio’s direction is almost instantaneous and the level of immersiveness it introduces is breathtaking.

AirPods Pro’s spatial audio is equally impressive. The audio follows your head movements almost perfectly and I couldn’t notice any loss in sound quality either—all the while the phone/tablet or any other device you’re connected to stays at the center of the surround sound experience.

AirPods Pro - Spatial Audio — Spatial Audio

Galaxy Wearable - Advanced Features — 360 Audio

The actual audio maneuver is smooth and I’m gonna tie-in Apple TV+ here. It’s the company’s own streaming service with plenty of spatial audio-enabled content. See this ingenious cohesion throughout Apple’s product lineup—yeah, it’s these little things that has made the company so successful.

Reduced latency in Game Mode

Anyway, if you’re a gaming enthusiast, Buds Pro also has a dedicated “Game Mode” for reduced latency—that too restricted to the company’s ecosystem of products. The AirPods Pro doesn’t have a specific setting for low-latency gaming but during my test, I found that it is equally effective for gaming as well. On the whole, both these wireless earbuds are competent enough for gaming—provided that you’re on an iPhone or a Samsung smartphone.

While I was working on this review, I also received a software update that introduced hearing enhancement which is really helpful for those with partial hearing loss in either ear. Apple did something similar with the iOS 14 update called “Headphone Accommodations”. Well, it is geared towards hearing enhancement but not the way Samsung does it. Instead, this accessibility feature amplifies certain frequencies of sound to customize one’s hearing preferences.

Call Quality

Let’s now get into the call quality of the Galaxy Buds Pro. It has a 3 microphone in total and a dedicated voice pickup unit for clear calls. Out of the two mics on the outside, one of them is configured with a high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) to drown out the background noises. And yeah, they do the job perfectly. I didn’t receive any complaint on my phone calls—even when I was talking with my mask-on outdoors. Apple does calls exceptionally well too and I have no criticism on that matter.

Interestingly, the Buds Pro also boasts Wind Shield technology which is supposed to block wind interference for clear calls—while Apple claims effective calls in windy situations with the mic design on the AirPods Pro. I tried simulating a windy environment by recording audio directly facing a fan. Compared to the AirPods Pro, there is a diminutive yet perceptible level of precedence in call quality and I’m quite impressed with this feature. Yet, don’t expect much from a highly windy environment.

Battery Life

Up to 5/4.5 hours of playback (with ANC)
USB Type-C/Lightning port, Qi wireless charging

Finally, it’s time to talk about battery life. I’ll just say this, coming from the Galaxy Buds+, Samsung has effectively written off its legacy in terms of playback time on the Buds Pro. Equipped with a smaller 61mAh cell in each earbud, the company promises up to 5 hours of continuous playback with ANC on, and an additional 3 hours with ANC off.

Just 5 hours of rated battery endurance on the Buds Pro is a major let-down. Two hours in with ANC turned on all the while I’m shuffling through tunes at 70-90% volume, I’m already looking at just 52% charge left. And the Buds Pro would usually give up on me after approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes. With ANC turned off, you can add up to 3 hours more of playback. Thankfully, it also supports quick charging that supplies an hour of juice after just 5 minutes of plugging it in.

On the other hand, the AirPods Pro doesn’t do much when it comes to battery endurance either. Still, I was able to get 4.5 hours of playback time on average—with a similar listening setting as the Buds Pro.

Galaxy Buds Pro vs AirPods Pro: Conclusion

Bringing this comparison to a conclusion, as you could tell, these two earbuds are extremely similar to each other. Samsung has brought its A-game to rival Apple’s AirPods Pro and so far—it’s a job well done. From their audio quality, ANC, to other assorted features, the Buds Pro matches the AirPods Pro exceptionally well. Samsung’s further inspiration from its rival comes from the fact that it has chosen to restrict a couple of features into its ecosystem.

Because of this, I feel like the Buds Pro and AirPods Pro are worth it—but only to those in the respective ecosystem. But if you use phones from other brands, the price-tag and the imposed feature restrictions of either earbud don’t make much sense and you’re better off looking at the alternatives from its competitors like Bose, Jabra, Sennheiser, etc.

Songs referenced in the Galaxy Buds Pro vs AirPods Pro comparison:

Fujifilm GFX100S medium format camera with a 102MP sensor launched for $6000

GadgetByte

-

January 28, 2021

0

Fujifilm GFX100S medium format camera with a 102MP sensor launched for $6000

In the past 24 hours, Fujifilm has announced multiple new products including cameras and lens. It even confirmed future firmware updated for some of the existing cameras. Among the recently launched product is the new Fujifilm GFX100S – the company’s latest medium format camera. In this post, we will take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Fujifilm GFX100S in Nepal.

Fujifilm GFX100S Overview:

The GFX lineup of medium format cameras was launched back in 2017. Two years after the initial launch, the company announced the GFX100 in 2019. Now, the company has announced the GFX100S to give continuity to an already popular lineup.

Design and Body

Fujifilm GFX100S is a mirrorless digital camera that sports a 102MP back-illuminated CMOS image sensor. The sensor is paired with a quad-core X-Processor 4. The camera makes use of the FUJINON GF lens. The camera has a magnesium alloy case and can operate at temperatures as low as -10-degree Celsius. Fujifilm has even managed to make the camera 500g lighter than the GFX100. The reduction in the size is because of the new shutter unit and IBIS mechanism.

Shooting Capabilities

The camera is capable of recording 4K 4:2:0 10-bit video at 30fps directly onto the SD card. Similarly, it can output 4K 30fps 4:2:2 10-bit video via the HDMI port. The 49.5mm diagonal sensor area promises better ISO, shallow depth-of-field, and wider tonal reproducibility. The camera supports H.264 and H.265/HEVC compression codes. It also supports “F-Log” and “Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG)” for HDR recording.

Also Read: Fujifilm announces X-S10 mirrorless camera for first-time users

Stabilization

The new IBIS mechanism is nearly 20% smaller and 10% lighter compared to that on the GFX100. It comes with 6.0 stops of 5-axis in-body stabilization. In addition to the gyro and acceleration sensor, it also makes use of the new vibration-reducing stabilization of better stabilization.

Improved AutoFocus

GFX100S has 3.76 million phase-detection points that nearly cover 100% of the surface. Fujifilm has also updated the movement prediction algorithm and face/eye detection. As a result, the new camera can track moving objects and people more accurately. The company even claims that when used with appropriate lenses, the camera achieves a smooth focus of -5.5EV even in dark conditions.

User Convenience

The top mode dial has size positions that users can customize for different functions as per their convenience. Fujifilm has also made the Focus Lever flat and claims that it will help reduce physical discomforts. It has a 3.2-inch LCD monitor that can tilt in three different directions. In addition, there is a 1.8-inch sub LCD monitor on the top that displays key EXIF settings.

Fujifilm GFX100S Price in Nepal and Availability

Fujifilm GFX1000S has a price tag of $6,000 and will be available from late February. The price tag may sound a lot but in the world of medium format cameras, the Fujifilm GFX1000S is among the cheapest. Just consider this – the Fujifilm GFX100 had a $10,000 price tag.

There is no information about its availability in Nepal. But if it were to launch here, we can expect the price of the Fujifilm GFX100S in Nepal to be around NPR 800,000.

Medium Format Camera	Price, Availability (US)	Price in Nepal, Availability (Expected)
Fujifilm GFX100S	$6,000 (late February 2021)	NPR 800,000

Check out our review of the DJI Pocket 2.

Intel launches its first ever Iris Xe-based dedicated desktop graphics solution

GadgetByte

-

January 28, 2021

0

Intel launches its first ever Iris Xe-based dedicated desktop graphics solution

Intel is not a name that you normally link with GPUs. The company is popular for its processors. Even so, Intel has tried its hand on the GPU market a few times in the past. The company has now launched its first dedicated desktop GPU in decades. Intel Iris Xe is an entry-level discrete graphics for desktops. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, and availability of the Intel Iris Xe desktop graphics card (GPU).

Intel Iris Xe Desktop GPU Overview:

The new desktop GPU from Intel has been placed under the company’s Iris Xe-graphics lineup. Iris Xe graphics was first announced as an integrated solution of the 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake processors. Intel then launched Iris Xe Max graphics – dedicated GPU for mobile platforms (laptops) back in October 2020. It was then that the company announced its plan to launch a dedicated graphics solution (code-named DG1) within the first quarter of 2021.

Also Read:
- Benchmarked: Apple M1 vs AMD Renoir vs Intel Tiger Lake-U CPU
- Intel unveils 11th-gen H35 CPUs for ultraportable gaming laptops

Specs and Features

Intel has fulfilled its aforementioned promise. The new Iris Xe desktop graphics is based on the scalable Xe-LP architecture. Still, it is not a product that can compete against NVIDIA and AMD’s offering. It’s a GPU with entry-level specs. The specs are even lower than the mobile counterpart. Iris Xe desktop graphics sports 80 execution units and features up to 4GB of LPDDR4X VRAM.

The graphics can support up to three simultaneous 4K HDR displays. Additional features include AV1 decoding, Adaptive Sync, and DP4a deep-learning interference acceleration.

Features:

Support for up to three 4K UHD displays
AV1 codec for high fidelity video calling
HEVC, AVC, VP9, and SCC transcode capabilities
DP4a AI for photo editing

Intel Iris Xe Desktop Graphics Availability

Here, Intel Iris Xe desktop GPU is not available for the general public. Intel, together with its two partners including Asus, has made the graphics solution available for system integrators to include it in their pre-built system.

Samsung Galaxy A02 is official with a 5000mAh battery and budget price-tag

Samsung

GadgetByte

-

January 28, 2021

0

Samsung Galaxy A02 is official with a 5000mAh battery and budget price-tag

Back in November, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A02s. And now, the company has announced the vanilla Galaxy A02 in Thailand. In this post, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of the Samsung Galaxy A02 in Nepal.

Samsung Galaxy A02 Overview:

Design and Display

Like the Galaxy A02s, the vanilla A02 features a 6.5-inch LCD panel. It’s an HD+ screen with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. The display has an Infinity-V notch that houses the front-facing camera. Bezels around the screen are quite noticeable, especially on the bottom chin.

The panel on the back of the device is covered with strips. There is a pill-shaped camera module on the left side of the panel with an LED flash just below it. The phone is 9.1mm thick and is available in two color options – Black and Blue.

Performance and Memory

Galaxy A02 differs from the A02s as it packs a MediaTek processor. Powering the phone is a quad-core MediaTek MT6739W CPU with a clock speed of up to 1.5GHz. Graphics are handled by PowerVR Rogue GE8100 GPU. The phone comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Latter can be extended up to 1TB using an external microSD card.

The phone ships with the One UI core edition. It is a toned-down version of Samsung’s custom UI that is used on its M-series and budget devices.

Camera

The pill-shaped camera on the back encloses two cameras. Its dual-camera setup consists of a 13MP primary lens accompanied by a 2MP macro sensor. When compared to the A02s, the A02 lacks a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, both devices feature an 8MP selfie camera.

Rest of the specs

Galaxy A02 has a 5,000mAh battery. Samsung is claiming up to 19 hours of video playback time on a full charge. The phone features a micro USB port (USB 2.0) for charging. It doesn’t support any fast charging technology. In terms of connectivity, the phone supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, and Bluetooth 5.1.

Samsung Galaxy A02 Specifications:

Display: 5-inches HD+ PLS TFT LCD
Resolution: HD+ (720 x 1600)
CPU: Quad-core (1.5GHz)
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB (expandable using SD card)
Rear Camera: Dual camera;
– 13MP primary shooter, f/1.9
– 2MP macro sensor, f/2.4
Front Camera: 5MP, f/2.0
Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n (2.4GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, micro USB (USB 2.0)
Battery: 5000mAh

Samsung Galaxy A02 Price in Nepal and Availability

Samsung Galaxy A02 is available in Thailand with a price tag of 2,999 Thai Baht for the 3/32GB variant. We can expect the price of the Samsung Galaxy A02 in Nepal to be around NPR 12,000.

Samsung Galaxy A02	Price in Thailand	Price in Nepal (Expected)
3/32GB	THB 2,999	NPR 12,000

As you can see, the A02 is a lot similar to the recently launched M02s. To keep the prices down, Samsung has dropped the depth sensor and fast charging technology. As such, would you like to see it launch here? Let us know in the comments section.

Also, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy M02s.

Sony Xperia Pro finally launched as Alpha cameras’ companion

GadgetByte

-

January 28, 2021

0

Sony Xperia Pro finally launched as Alpha cameras’ companion

Sony has finally made the Xperia Pro available for purchase for the general public. For those unaware, Sony first announced the device alongside the Xperia 1 II almost a year ago. Xperia Pro is based on the Xperia 1 II but has added features that the phone is targeting professional photographers and videographers. Let’s take a look at the features, expected price, and availability of the Sony Xperia Pro in Nepal.

Sony Xperia Pro Overview:

Since the Sony Xperia Pro is based on and shares most of the specs with the Xperia 1 II we are not going to discuss it in this post. This post will rather focus on how it differs from the Xperia 1 II, the company’s motive behind the phone, and what it offers to professional photographers. But before we begin, here is a quick recap of the specs that the Xperia Pro packs.

Sony Xperia Pro Specifications

Body: Corning Gorilla Glass 6 front; IP65/68 Water Resistance
Display: 6.5-inches 4K HDR “CinemaWide” OLED panel
Resolution: 3840 x 1644 pixels; 21:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865; 7nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 585)
GPU: Adreno 650
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 512GB (expandable up to 1TB)
Software & UI: Android 10
Rear Camera: Triple-camera (ZEISS);
– Primary shooter: 12MP, f/1.7 24mm
– Ultrawide-angle: 12MP, f/2.2 with 124º FOV
– Third Lens:70mm, 12MP, f/2.4
Front Camera: 8MP f/2.0 lens
Camera features: ZEISS T* Coating, up to 20fps AF/AE, 3X optical zoom, hybrid OIS/EIS video stabilization, 120fps slow-motion
Audio: 3.5mm jack, Hi-Res audio, LDAC, Dolby Atmos, Qualcomm aptX HD audio, Stereo recording, Stereo speakers
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS/A-GNSS(GPS+GLONASS), USB Type-C (3.1 Gen 2), HDMI micro connector, NFC, PS4 Remote Play
Battery: 4000mAh with USB-PD fast charging

Camera-like Build

The first difference between the two phones can be found in the material of the phones. While the Xperia 1 II sports a glossy glass design on the back, it has been ditched for a polycarbonate back on the Pro. In a smartphone world, plastic is considered cheap however a robust plastic frame is what cameras and accessories need for durability. The plastic case of the Xperia 1 II makes it look and feel like the camera equipment that it is.

mmWave 5G Network

Another selling point of the phone is its support for the mmWave 5G network. Though mmWave is faster than sub-6GHz, the latter is more stable and offers wider coverage. The 360-degree antenna system on the Xperia Pro has antennas at four sides of the technique. The antennas are based on beamforming technology. Also, the material used on the case of the phone has a low dielectric constant and thus offers less resistance to the 5G waves. To cope with the issues of variations on reception and speed of mmWave, the device has a network visualizer app preinstalled.

Dedicated Micro-HDMI Port

The next highlight of this device is that it has a dedicated Micro-HDMI port. Sony claims that the Xperia Pro is the world’s first device to have this feature. The port is placed right next to the USB Type-C. With this, you can now connect your Xperia Pro to your camera and use it as a viewfinder or an external monitor. You can then play with limited camera settings like brightness, grid lines, and zoom straight from the phone itself. And the presence of the Micro-HDMI port means that the Type-C port will always be vacant which can be used to supply juice to it – something you cannot do with traditional external monitors.

Can it replace external monitors?

Sony wants you to think that Xperia Pro with its 4K HDR OLED panel and BT.2020 color gamut (though it doesn’t cover all of it) is a good replacement for the heavy and power-hungry external monitors but it also has its downsides. For instance, you cannot record footage separately from the camera. Also features like waveforms and focus peeking are not supported by the Xperia Pro, and these are some essential features for videographers.

Livestreaming Equipment

You may also argue that smartphones prior to the Xperia Pro could also be used as an external monitor for cameras. There are apps that allow you to do so over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. However, having a dedicated Micro-HDMI connector means you can now shoot videos from your camera and livestream them via third party applications over a mobile 5G connection. This is something that other normal phones are incapable of.

High-Speed FTP Transfer

You can connect the phone to compatible Alpha cameras like the newly announced Alpha 1 and use the device’s 5G mmWave connection for high-speed PC Remote data transfer. This will allow users to handle the transfer of high-quality images in an efficient manner using an FTP server.

Sony Xperia Pro Price in Nepal, Availability, Target Audience

So who is the Sony Xperia Pro for? Well, Sony Xperia Pro is a niche product tailored towards a very specific group. The regular Xperia 1 II will do just fine to most of the users but the added features of the Xperia Pro appeal to professional photographers and videographers that are into Sony cameras.

The phone does not come cheap. Even with the spike in flagship devices that we witnessed in the smartphone market last year, I think the $2,499 price tag stretches it too far. Even for the price, you are not getting the latest hardware. The phone was announced last year and packs in last year’s Snapdragon 865. The phone heavily relies on the mmWave 5G connectivity which is still not accessible.

If it’s ever launched here in Nepal, we can expect the price of the Sony Xperia Pro to be around NPR 4,05,000.

Smartphone	Price in the US	Price in Nepal (Expected)
Sony Xperia Pro	$2,499	NPR 4,05,000

Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Phones You Should Not Buy In 2021

Nikhil Shrestha

-

January 28, 2021

1

Smartphones…smartphones! These days, we live in a sea of them, don’t we? There are just so many phones in the market right now, and it’s pretty easy to confuse one with another. And if you’re looking to buy a new phone, or upgrade your existing set, then the confusion becomes even greater. Also, the salespeople try their best to convince you to get a particular device. But here are some smartphones, that are not worth your money and in this article, we’ve listed out the phones not to buy in 2021.

The phones listed are judged on their specs-to-price ratio, real-life performance, and their date of release. Some are due to out-datedness, others are priced unfairly for their specs, and some simply have better competitors out here. So, here’s a list of phones from various brands you shouldn’t buy.

List of phones you should not buy in 2021:

Samsung Galaxy M11

So, starting our list is the Samsung Galaxy M11. Due to the price drop that it recently received, you might be tempted to go for it. However, I’d have to recommend otherwise. And there are a couple of reasons to back my claim. First off is the mediocre display. Galaxy M11 sports a 6.4-inch TFT LCD panel with HD+ resolution.

Now, it is not a terrible screen. However, for just a couple of bucks more, you can get the M21 which has a much better FHD+ Super AMOLED panel. Even other devices such as the Redmi 9 (Prime) also offers an FHD+ panel (albeit not an AMOLED one). So, the decision of using an HD+ display doesn’t really make sense.

Furthermore, the other downside of this smartphone is the Snapdragon 450 processor. While Samsung’s competitors are offering the gaming-centric Helio chipsets from MediaTek, the use of this outdated processor leads to laggy overall performance. Additionally, due to this silicon, Samsung has had to install the “Core” version of the One UI 2.0 on this one. So, you’ll also miss out in useful features such as a dedicated night-mode camera, Knox security, and more. Thus, I think that you should opt for the far superior M21 instead of the Galaxy M11.

Learn more about Samsung Galaxy M11 in our review.

Samsung Galaxy A21s

Our last year’s list of the phones not to buy included the Galaxy A20s. And this year, its successor the Samsung Galaxy A21s too has made it to our list. Again, this device pales out in comparison to Galaxy M21. Rubbing salt to the wound is the fact that the M21 costs a thousand buck less than the A21s. Here too, the display is one of the main issues. It only has an HD+ panel and it isn’t even an AMOLED panel. Furthermore, the sharpness and the color reproduction of the panel is pretty poor. And there’s the display flicker issue too.

The less-than-decent homegrown Exynos 850 also adds to the cause. This chipset is built under the efficient 8nm process node. Therefore, it is energy-friendly. However, the performance is abysmal. Lightweight apps are handled well by the device. But as soon as you add a heavy app into the mix, the phone cannot handle it. The memory management is bad and thus, your phone starts to misbehave. Its battery and the design are some of the redeeming qualities, however, the competition is stiff. And there are far better alternatives than the A21s in the market.

Learn more about Samsung Galaxy A21s in our review.

Xiaomi Mi 10

Now don’t get me wrong, the Mi 10 is a great device. However, as the Mi 11 is expected to arrive soon in Nepal, it doesn’t really make sense to purchase a year-old flagship. Mi 10 is an expensive device and it is almost a perfect flagship device. However, it is not IP certified, does not have a telephoto lens, and the 2MP depth and macro lens are pretty much useless. But other than that, it doesn’t really give too much room for complaints.

Having said that, with Mi 11 soon on the cards, you’d probably be better of purchasing that one instead of the Mi 10. The Mi 11 promises to offer a better display with improved cameras, and Snapdragon 888 chipset. So, in my opinion, you should head for the upcoming Mi 11 instead of this one.

Learn more about Xiaomi Mi 10 in our review.

Vivo V20 SE

Vivo’s V-series is an attempt to offer a premium mid-range device with great design and camera. The design part ticks off here as the V20 SE both looks and feels premium. However, the camera is quite disappointing as compared to the standard V20. Of course, the latter is more expensive than the V20 SE and has a 64MP lens rather than the 48MP of the V20 SE. But there should not have been much difference in terms of the pictures. However, when we reviewed the devices, we found otherwise.

Moreover, the Snapdragon 665 processor does not bode well considering the price of the device. Gaming is not a joyful ride on this device either. Therefore, I think the standard V20 is a better albeit more expensive option.

Learn more in our review of Vivo V20 SE.

Vivo Y51 (2021)

Similar to the V20 SE, the Vivo Y51 also offers the same Snapdragon 665 processor. And as I have mentioned before, it will severely hinder your workflow. If you compare this device with its competitors such as the Poco X3 or the Samsung Galaxy M51, they are offering far superior chipsets in the form of Snapdragon 732G and Snapdragon 730G respectively.

Given the price at which the Y51 is available, Vivo should have opted for a much better chipset. With the SD 665, light apps and multitasking with them should not be much of a problem. However, heavy apps will take a toll on the device thereby affecting its performance. Thus, if you are going to for out around 32K, then it is better that you go for the Poco X3. Or for four thousand more, you can get the Galaxy M51.

Oppo F17 Pro

Oppo F17 Pro is a good looking phone with decent specs and delivers good performance. And that’s even though it has the Helio P95 SoC, which in my opinion somewhat pales in comparison to the newer Snapdragon 700-series chipsets. The major downside regarding this device is the cameras. It delivers inconsistent results. In comparison, we found out that its direct competitor the Vivo V20 offers a far superior image quality.

Furthermore, the battery life isn’t great either. So, I would suggest you rather go for the Vivo V20 instead cause it offers better performance and a better camera.

Learn more about Oppo F17 Pro in our review.

Oppo A-series

Well, the second entry for Oppo in our list of the phones not to buy. And this time it is the Oppo-A series smartphones. The Oppo-A series list consists of devices such as Oppo A12, A31, A53, and many more. Quite frankly none of them offer anything significant.

Furthermore, none of their pricing is justified either. You can simply look for much better alternatives from other brands in the market instead of the Oppo-A series devices.

Realme 7i

Again the Snapdragon 662 chipset is the culprit here. Given the fact that the Realme 7i costs almost 30K, you should be expecting a better processor that can handle multitasking with heavy apps with quite ease.

But that’s not the case here, and thus you will have a hard time using this device if you tend to use a lot of heavy apps. Furthermore, playing demanding games will also feel a bit choppy on this one. You might be tempted by its 90Hz screen but the incompetent processor and an HD+ resolution display don’t complement the high refresh-rate performance.

OnePlus Nord N10 5G

Next up on our list is the OnePlus Nord N10 5G. This is the slightly cheaper version of the original OnePlus Nord. Therefore, it cutbacks on some features. For instance, it offers an IPS LCD panel instead of an AMOLED one and the camera setup includes gimmicky 2MP macro and monochrome sensors.

The inclusion of the cheapest Snapdragon 5G chipset (for the time) does make sense in areas where 5G is available. However, in Nepal, it’s really not much of a pulling factor because of the lack of availability of 5G.

Smartphones from some new brands

I know that the heading is pretty vague, but allow me to fill you in with some details. By new brands, I am referring to phones from brands such as Elephone, Coolpad, and Symphony. One can’t really tell whether they will provide good after-sales support as they might not even remain in the market for too long. Also, some of these brands keep coming in and disappearing out of the Nepalese market. Thus, it would be pretty risky to opt for their phones. Furthermore, well-established brands are providing great phones in the budget and mid-range segment. So, it’s better that you opt for their devices instead.

Another brand that I could have mentioned here is Infinix. Well, the Infinix Note 7 Lite is one such device from them that I definitely would not recommend you to buy. However, their other devices are pretty good and doing well around the globe too. Moreover, they have a reliable distributor here in Nepal.

So, what do you think of the smartphone no-buy list? Did we miss out on any other phone which is similar? Let us know in the comments.

Summary list of phones you should not buy in 2021

S. No.	Phones not to buy in 2021
01	Samsung Galaxy M11
02	Samsung Galaxy A21s
03	Xiaomi Mi 10
04	Vivo V20 SE
05	Vivo Y51
06	Oppo F17 Pro
07	Oppo A-series
08	Realme 7i
09	OnePlus Nord N10 5G
10	Smartphones from Elephone, Coolpad, Symphony

Sony’s latest flagship Alpha 1 camera offers high resolution, high speed

Camera
Sony

GadgetByte

-

January 27, 2021

0

Sony’s latest flagship Alpha 1 camera offers high resolution, high speed

Sony has just unveiled its latest flagship mirrorless camera. The new Sony Alpha 1 is the most technologically advanced and innovative camera from the company. It comes with a new 50MP camera sensor, 8K/30fps recording capability, and up to 120 images per second. Let’s learn more about the Sony Alpha 1 along with its specs, features, expected price, and availability in Nepal.

Sony Alpha 1 Overview:

Sensor, Processing Engine, and ViewFinder

Alpha 1 comes with a new 50.1 MP Exmor RS CMOS sensor. Sony has also improved the BIONIZ XR processing engine. It can shoot up to 155 compressed RAW images or 165 JPEG images at up to 30fps. With a calculation speed of up to 120 AF/AE per second, Sony is promising accurate focus even for objects in subjects. Sony is also claiming an AE response latency of just 0.033 seconds.

The OLED Quad-XGA electronic viewfinder on this camera has 9.44 million dots and Sony claims the 240Hz refresh rate will avoid any blackout. It has 0.90x viewfinder magnification, 41-degree FOV, and a 25mm eyepoint.

Improved AutoFocus

Sony Alpha 1 has 759 phase-detection and 425 contrast-detection points that cover up to 92% of the total image area. With the new engine, the Real-time Eye AF has been improved by 30%. It will even work with birds but the feature is only applicable to still images.

Dual Driven Shutter System

Moving on, this camera has a dual shutter system that compromises of spring and electromagnetic drive actuator. No other camera has the flash sync speed of 1/400 seconds which Sony has achieved with the mechanical shutter on the Alpha 1. On the other hand, the electronic shutter has a flash sync speed of 1/400 seconds.

The shutter speed of the Alpha 1 has been reduced by up to 1.5 times when compared to Alpha 9 II. Sony also claims that it’s the first camera to achieve silent anti-flicker continuous shooting with an electronic shutter in the world.

Also Read:
- Sony Alpha 7C announced: A compact full-frame mirrorless camera for $1799.

ISO and Dynamic Range

The camera has a wide ISO range of 100-32,000. It can be expanded up to 50-102,400 when shooting still images. While the camera has 15 stops of dynamic range for still images, the video offers even more stops.

Shooting Modes

Sony has also improved the Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode. It shifts the sensor in one or half-pixel increments to capture up to 16 images amounting to 796.2MP of data. The shifted-images can then be composited into a single 199MP (17,280 x 11,520) image using the Sony Imaging Edge desktop application.

Alpha 1 is capable of 8K 10 bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS recording at 30 fps with 8.6K oversampling. It is the first Alpha series camera to be able to do so. Sony has also included a new heat-dissipating system that allows users to record 8K/30fps videos for up to 30 minutes. Similarly, it can record 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 videos at up to 120fps. And for the first time in the Alpha series, it comes with the S-Cinetone.

Rest of the features

The in-built gyro along with the algorithms offers up to a 5.5 step shutter speed advantage. The camera also has an Active Mode for handheld shooting. Similarly, users can use the in-built gyro’s metadata in the post-production using Sony’s desktop apps for better results.

The camera offers 16-bit RAW output to an external recorder using HDMI. The Multi-Interface Shoe of the camera has a digital audio interface that one can use to connect to compatible Sony microphones. In terms of connectivity, Alpha 1 has a dual-band Wi-Fi antenna. It even has 2×2 MIMO support for the 5GHz band. There is also a Type-C port which when connected to mmWave compatible devices can be used for high-speed remote data transfer. The card slots have support for UHS-I, UHS-II SDXC/SDHX cards, and CFexpress Type A cards. The camera also has an HDMI Type-A connector and USB PD support.

Sony Alpha 1 features:

New 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor and an upgraded BIONZ XR processing engine
Blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second
Up to 120 AF/AE calculations per second
0.64-type 9.44 million-dot OLED Quad-XGA EVF with 240 refresh rate
World’s first anti-flicker(5) shooting with both mechanical and electronic shutter
World’s fastest mechanical shutter flash sync up to 1/400 sec.
8K/30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS video recording with 8.6K oversampling
Wide dynamic range of 15 stops for stills and 15+ stops for vide
5-axis optical in-body image stabilization for a 5.5-step shutter speed advantage
S-Cinetone color matrix as seen in FX9 and FX6
Built-in Wi-Fi, SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, and more

Sony Alpha 1 Price in Nepal and Availability

Sony has put a price tag of $6,500 on the Alpha 1 and the camera will be available from March 2021. As of now, we don’t have any information about the availability in Nepal. But we can expect the price of Sony Alpha 1 in Nepal to be around NPR 900,000 when it launches here.

Camera	Price in the US	Availability
Sony Alpha 1	$6,500	March 2021

Watch: Galaxy S21 Ultra vs iPhone 12 Pro Max camera comparison.

Infinix Note 8i with Helio G80, quad cameras launched in Nepal

Infinix

GadgetByte

-

January 27, 2021

0

Infinix Note 8i with Helio G80, quad cameras launched in Nepal

Infinix has been quick in expanding its product lineup ever since its entry into the Nepali market. And the company has officially launched the Infinix Note 8i exclusively via Daraz. Let’s check out the specs, features, official price, and availability of Infinix Note 8i in Nepal.

Infinix Note 8i Overview:

Infiinix Note 8i is the smaller and cheaper variant of the standard Infinix Note 8. These two devices make up the Infinix Note 8 series and both of them are incredibly similar to each other except for the screen size and the camera specifications.