With the success of Oneplus Nord in a premium midrange segment, Oneplus Nepal has also launched another mid-range phone in the form of Oneplus Nord N10 5G. It is a slightly cheaper version of the original Oneplus Nord. Let’s learn more about the Oneplus Nord N10 5G along with its price and availability in Nepal.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G Overview
The OnePlus Nord N10 5G features a 6.49-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The display panel is an IPS LCD instead of an AMOLED we saw on the Oneplus Nord. Hence, don’t expect the same level of contrast and colors on the N10.
As for performance, the device is powered by Snapdragon 690. It is currently the cheapest 5G chipset in the Snapdragon lineup. It features two cores based on Cortex A77. The rest of the cores are based on Cortex A55. The graphics will be handled by Adreno 619L, which is slightly inferior to that of Adreno 620 used on the Snapdragon 765G of the Oneplus Nord. The integrated X51 modem supports the sub-6Hz 5G band but misses out on the faster mmWave band.
At the back, the device will flaunt a quad-camera setup. There’s a new 64MP primary camera which is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera. Completing the setup is a gimmicky 2MP monochrome sensor and a 2MP macro camera. The main 64MP lacks OIS but can shoot videos in 4K 30fps and 1080P 60fps with EIS.
In terms of looks, the Nord N10 looks similar to that of the cheaper N100. The back is made of polycarbonate with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. There’s a punch hole at the left side of the display that houses a 16MP selfie camera. Finally, fueling the device is a 4,300mAh battery with Warp Charge 30T charging.
Storage: 128GB UFS 2.1, expandable memory up to 512GB with microSD
Audio: Stereo Speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery: 4300mAh, Warp Charge 30T charging (Type C)
Color Option: Midnight Ice
OnePlus Nord N10 5G Price and Availability in Nepal
OnePlus Nord N10 5G Price in Nepal is set at Rs. 39,490. It is currently available for pre-order from sastodeal and Daraz and select retail shops all over Nepal. At this price, it will go head-to-head against the likes of Vivo V20 SE and Samsung Galaxy M51.
Established in 2008, Smart Telecom ranks third in our list of best telecom service providers in Nepal. It provides 2G and 4G services in the country, while the latter is limited to mere 19 districts. Smart is known for its affordable internet plans. Today, we will be taking a look at all the data packs that Smart Telecom provides including the price, volume, and validity period.
Smart Internet Rates without Data Packs
If you aren’t subscribed to any data pack, Smart Telecom charges you Rs. 1.92 for every 1MB of data. The rate is uniform over both 2G and 4G networks.
Smart Data Packs: Volume, Price & Validity
1. Smart Recharge Pack
As a Smart user, you get a bonus with every recharge worth Rs. 100 or above. The bonus includes free 4G data packs, talk time, and SMS. It also increases with the recharge amount and so does its validity period. You can use the bonus talk time and bonus data to connect to your friends with different network providers.
Recharge amount
Bonus
Validity period
Rs. 100
400MB 4G Data
10 minutes talk time
10 SMS
7 days
Rs. 200
800MB 4G Data
20 minutes talk time
20 SMS
15 days
Rs. 500
3GB 4G Data
100 minutes talk time
100 SMS
30 days
Rs. 1000
6GB 4G Data
200 minutes talk time
200 SMS
30 days
2. Smart Weekly Combo Pack
Smart Weekly Combo Pack was brought during the ongoing pandemic to help users connect with their loved ones at affordable rates. Under this pack, users get 3GB of data and unlimited talk time within Smart networks for a price of Rs. 98.
Like the previous one, Smart Work From Home Pack was also announced during the lockdown, to facilitate users who are having a hard time working from home. It is very helpful for students who are attending online classes from home. For just Rs. 382, you get 45GB of data with 30 days’ validity period. The catch is, you can only use the data between 6 AM and 6 PM.
Pack Name
Volume
Activation
Price
Validity
Smart Work From Home
45 GB Data (6 AM to 6 PM)
*141*7*1*1#
Rs 381.79
30 days
4. Smart Data Packs
When Smart decided to phase out its unlimited data packs, it did so by doubling the volume on its volume-based data packs as compensation. The Double Data pack offers double the volume than its predecessors offered but at the same price. Since then, Smart has made some changes to the packages and has been advertising it simply as Smart Data Packs.
Data Volume
Activation
Price
Validity
100MB + 100MB
*141*3*1*6#
Rs. 11.49
1 day
500MB + 500MB
*141*3*1*1#
Rs. 37.03
1 day
1GB + 1GB
*141*3*1*2#
Rs. 88.11
7 days
1GB + 1GB
*141*3*1*3#
Rs. 113.64
15 days
2GB + 2GB
*141*3*1*4#
Rs. 254.10
30 days
5GB + 5GB
*141*3*1*5#
Rs. 407.33
30 days
20GB
*141*3*2*6#
Rs. 509.48
30 days
5. Unlimited Night Pack
There is also an unlimited night pack for night owls out there. Upon subscription, users can access unlimited data starting from 11 PM to 6 AM the next day.
Pack Name
Activation
Price
Validity
Unlimited Night Pack
*141*3*3*1#
Rs. 19
11 PM – 6 AM
If we compare these rates to other telecom service providers in the country, we can see that Smart provides data at the cheapest rates. But are you satisfied with the quality of services? While its competitors provide unlimited packs with an hour of validity, Smart doesn’t have one. Personally, I would have liked a night data pack as well, which is rare these days in any network. Do share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Back in April this year, Samsung Newsroom published an editorial on how Samsung is rivaling the human eye. The editorial by Yongin Park boasted about Samsung’s advancement in the image sensor technology and what the company is eyeing for the future. It was in this article where it was mentioned that the South Korean company is looking to develop a 600MP camera. And now, a popular leakster IceUniverse has confirmed that Samsung is indeed working on a 600MP smartphone camera sensor.
Higher resolution trend in smartphone cameras
Today, we see smartphone companies boast about picture sizes (measured in megapixels) that their devices capture. 48MP or 64MP cameras have now become normal in mid-range phones. While flagship phones now come with camera sensors of up to 108MP. Samsung does have a hand in this trend of increasing megapixels in smartphone cameras. In fact, it was the first to announce a 64MP sensor. Around half a year later, it then announced a 108MP camera. Just some weeks ago, we saw Xiaomi adopt Samsung’s latest 108MP camera – Isocell HM2 in the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G.
Higher the number of pixel, the smaller the size
The issue with higher resolution smartphone cameras is that the real state of the smartphone is limited. Thus, we can’t fit in a sensor the size of a digital camera. So cramping in more pixels is only possible when the size of these pixels is very small. For instance, individual pixels in the HM1 measures only 0.8um. Tiny pixels can’t trap enough light and thus cannot produce enough details, especially when paired with a small sensor.
Pixel-binning
This is where pixel-binning comes in. Almost all higher resolution smartphone cameras make use of this technique. Here, a bunch of tiny pixels is treated as a single pixel. For example, Samsung’s Nonacell technology allows one 0.8um pixel to function as a single 2.4um pixel.
Samsung is now planning a major leap to 600MP. In case you don’t know, normal human eyes have a resolution of 576MP. So, if 600MP is beyond what our normal eyes can notice, why is Samsung working on it? The slide leaked by IceUniverse reveals that Samsung wants to use the 600MP sensor to improve the 4K/8K video recording. The company knows that trend of 4K/8K video recording in smartphones is not going to slow down. The 600MP sensor will allow the camera to take zoomed videos without losing much detail.
Samsung believes that sensors that can capture invisible light will turn out to be beneficial in the longer run. The company proposes sensors with an ultraviolet light perception that can diagnose skin cancer by differentiating between healthy and cancerous cells. Similarly, infrared sensors can be used for quality control in agriculture and other industries.
However, there are some problems that come with it. For instance, to accumulate 600MP pixels the size of the sensor will be around 1/0.57”. It’s way bigger than the 1/1.3” sensor used in mainstream 108MP cameras. The new sensor is expected to cover around 12% of the rear panel of the device. And the problem doesn’t end here. The 600MP sensor will also require the camera to be around 22mm thick (with the camera bump), which is way thicker than most of the smartphones out there.
Samsung 600MP smartphone camera sensor availability
So the question remains – will the next Samsung flagship smartphone come equipped with a 600MP camera? And the answer is no. As mentioned above, Samsung has a lot of things to improve. While we can expect the company to launch a 600MP camera sensor eventually in the future, we won’t be seeing such technology anytime soon.
Watch: Galaxy S20 FE Vs Oneplus 8T – ultimate camera comparison
Chinese smartphones are popular for being cheap and affordable. This is also the reason they have been popular in price-conscious markets like ours. While these brands offer capable hardware for less, there have been questions about how they manage to earn profits. Many of these companies include ads and bloatware in their custom skin to raise cash. However, many generate cash through malpractices. Earlier this year, we reported Tecno stealing money from its customer with out-of-the-box malware. And now, another report claims Gionee of earning money illegally through a Trojan horse.
Gionee and Trojan Horse
The China Judgement Document Network has found Gionee guilty of illegal control of computer information systems. According to the published verdict, the Chinese smartphone company was successful in implanting a Trojan horse in more than 20 million Gionee smartphones. The app was used to generate illegal business and illicit fortunes.
Method
The Shenzhen Zhipu Technology Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Gionee, included the Trojan horse through an update of the Story Lock Screen app. The company is responsible for software development and advertising business.
The act was in collaboration with the Beijing Baice Company. The Trojan Horse was updated along with the app using a “Live Pull” method. Later they used a “Dark Horse Platform” plug-in to make the pull live operation more efficient. From December 2018 to October 2019, the company was able to successfully implement the Pull Live monthly update 2.88 billion times.
Earning
As per the report by cnBeta, the Shenzen Zhipu Technology company claimed 70% of the revenue. The rest went to the Beijing Baice Company. The revenue and expenses of the company are estimated to be 27.85 million Yuan and 8.425 million Yuan, respectively.
The Chinese court has found Xu Li, the legal representative of the company, guilty along with Zhu Ying, Jia Zhengqiang, and Pan Qi. They will have to serve up to three years and six months of jail term. They will also have to pay a fine of up to 200,000 Yuan. However, the three are first time offenders and have pleaded guilty and thus are liable to clemency in accordance with the law.
Check out our review of Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020).
Earlier this week, we reported that Nepal Rastra Bank is carrying out an internal discussion for an international payment system in the country. And yesterday, the issue was addressed in the first quarter review of monetary policy (2020-2021). Let’s dive deeper into the provision of an international payment system in the first quarter review of monetary policy.
An international payment system in Nepal
The topic caught some momentum when Maha Prasad Adhikari, the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, hinted that one could soon make payments in foreign currency for international products from Nepal. It was in response to a question put forward to him during the first session of the FonePay Digital Economy Conclave. The Governor assured that the central bank is serious on the matter and is working to develop a robust system for the same.
International payment in monetary policy
International Payment has been addressed in the first quarter review of Monetary Policy (2020–2021). The policy states an arrangement to provide foreign currency exchange facility up to a certain amount to import foreign goods and services via an online medium. This aligns with the Governor’s statement imposing a transaction limit of $500 for each individual. NRB will also be reviewing the fee that payment service providers are charging for electronic payment.
Present condition without an international payment system
Digital entrepreneurs and students will benefit the most from an international payment gateway. The major businesses in the world are making the transition to the cloud. But the ones based in Nepal are behind because of the payment restriction. There are few service providers with licenses for the same but not everyone has access to them. Thus, there is a need for a platform that allows the individual to make direct payments to international service providers
Similarly, the present condition has also given rise to frauds. People have to go through middlemen whenever they have to pay for international products. These middlemen charge heavy fees for each transaction. Some don’t even deliver goods after receiving payments. Some are selling trial versions of subscription-based products for premium prices. So, eliminating these middlemen and being in control of your own finances is a pretty big deal; and we can’t wait to see the system in action.
Watch our review of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 gaming laptop.
Infinix has announced a cheaper option for the Zero 8 that the company unveiled back in August. Like the vanilla model, the new Infinix Zero 8i is a mid-range phone with a gaming-focused chipset, high refresh rate, and fast charging technology. Let’s take a closer look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Infinix Zero 8i in Nepal.
Infinix Zero 8i Overview:
Design and Display
The Zero 8i looks strikingly similar to the Zero 8. Both feature a 6.85-inch LCD screen with FHD+ resolution. The pill-shaped cut-out on the top left corner houses the dual-front camera setup. The display comes with support for a 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. At the back, the phone flaunts the company’s gem cut design. It also houses the rhombus-shaped camera module.
Performance and Memory
The device is powered by MediaTek’s Helio G90T chipset. It’s a gaming chipset based on TSMC’s 12nm FinFET process. It consists of two Cortex A76 cores for power (@ 2.05 GHz) and six Cortex A55 cores for efficiency. It’s a proven performer in the mid-range smartphone segment. Infinix has paired it with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The latter can be expanded up to 256GB using an external microSD card.
Camera
The major difference between the Infinix Zero 8 and Zero 8i is in the camera. The latter comes with a 48MP primary camera. To compare, Infinix Zero 8 features a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor. The 48MP sensor is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera. The rest of the quad-camera setup is composed of a 2MP depth sensor and an AI lens.
On the front, Infinix has scaled down the selfie camera from 48MP to 16MP. The 8MP ultra-wide has remained unchanged. Like most of the company’s offerings, it also comes with a dual-flash for the front-facing camera.
Infinxi Zero 8i is backed by a 4,500mAh battery. The device supports 33W fast charging. The fingerprint sensor is integrated onto the power button on the side. The device ships with XOS 7.0 based on Android 10.
Front Camera: Dual,
– 16MP primary selfie camera
– 8MP Ultra-wide angle camera
– Dual-LED flash
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G90T; 12nm Mobile Platform
OS: XOS 7 based on Android 10
RAM: 8GB
Audio: DTS Audio
Storage: 128GB, expandable
Battery: 4,500mAh, 33W SuperCharge
Security: Fingerprint (side-mounted), Face Unlock
Infinix Zero 8i Price in Nepal and Availability
Infinix Zero 8i will go on sale in India through Flipkart for INR 14,999. If it launches here, we expect the price of Infinix Zero 8i in Nepal to be around NPR 25,000 for the 8/128GB.
When it comes to drones, DJI is as good as it can get. This China-based company ranks among the world the top of the world when it comes to aerial photography system. DJI makes drones for general consumers, professionals, and even enterprises. A recent leak suggests that the company is steeping its foot on drone racing with its upcoming drone. In this post, we will take a look at all the rumors and leaks about the upcoming DJI FPV drone.
DJI FPV Drone Rumor Roundup
Initial rumors
Talks of DJI launching a First Person View (FPV) racing drone is not new with initial rumors dating back to last year. The company did release an FPV kit last year too. However, there was no progress in the story until August, when a blurred picture of the alleged racing drone surfaced on the internet. And now, a Twitter handle by the name of OstilaLV has leaked the real-life image of the device along with its features.
Leaked design and packaging
The picture shows the packaging of the racing drone with “DJI FPV Combo” written over it. The combo includes the FPV Drone, its controller, and FPV Goggles.
The drone looks different than anything from DJI, ever. It has a two-tone design with red patches on two of the four motors. The picture of the googles on the box shows four antennas placed at different angles. Likewise, the controller features two joysticks and two trigger buttons. Between the two triggers, there is an antenna that allows it to communicate with the drone.
According to the leak, the FPV drone will support up to three flight modes. It will be able to attain a maximum speed of up to 150kph. There will be an FPV camera built-in the drone. The user will be able to control the tilt angle using a remote. It will also be equipped with a GPS system for Return to Home (RTH) function. This feature in drones allows them to return to its home location safely if the users lose sight of their device. Talking about the video capability, the DJI FPV will be able to record up to 4K 60fps videos. The drone will have 5-inch props and a 6S battery.
DJI FPV Drone Expected Launch Date
According to the source, the evaluation model of the DJI FPV Drone has been sent to select resellers. OstiaLV suggests that we might see the drone as early as next month.
With the introduction of AMD’s Ryzen “Renoir” CPU, thin-and-light notebooks no longer need to sacrifice relative performance to achieve maximum portability. Today, I might just have the best value notebook you can buy right now. I’ve been carrying around the Asus ZenBook 14 2020 (UM425IA) with Ryzen 4500U as my primary laptop for almost 2 months now. So just how good is the Asus ZenBook 14 2020, let’s discover in this review.
Asus ZenBook 14 UM425 Specifications:
Design & Build: All-metal body with spun-metal cover, 12.56W x 8.27D x 0.56H-inches, 1.22 kg (2.69 lbs) / 1.13 kg (2.49 lbs), MIL-STD-810G compliant
Its Ryzen 4000 series CPU convinced me even further to basically ditch the idea of getting the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Air for now—both of which cost almost double as the ZenBook 14 here in Nepal. My unit is equipped with the hexa-core Ryzen 4500U CPU, integrated Radeon graphics, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 512GB of NVMe PCIe SSD, and a 250-nits display. All this for around NPR 110K (~$930) is a pretty sweet deal in this part of the world.
But in the US, you can get the one with a dedicated NVIDIA MX350 GPU at around $650. Also, I was really shocked to see this laptop listed for INR 86K in India which roughly converts to a whopping $1160.
Design and Build Quality
Thin, lightweight, and premium build quality
ErgoLift hinge for better typing, airflow
No 3.5mm headphone jack, ethernet port
Anyway, after having used the device for 2 months, what I can tell you without a doubt is that the ZenBook 14 is the best value notebook currently available in the market. With its surprisingly premium build quality, what Asus has managed to achieve with the device is quite remarkable. Unlike the Acer Swift 3 2020 (Intel) that we reviewed a while back, the ZenBook 14 looks and feels a heck of a lot more compelling.
It has an all-metal build and weighs just 1.22 kilograms (or 2.7 pounds). So, carrying it on my backpack is a great relief for my back—and is appreciable to anyone who is constantly on the run. The lid has the classic spun-metal finish, with an off-center Asus branding. And yeah, you can open it up with just one hand too. I didn’t notice any flex on the lid but unfortunately, it does pick up fingerprints and smudges rather easily.
Pretty durable
It can’t tilt to a flat 180º degree, but that’s fine by me. Asus ships the ZenBook 14 in Pine Grey color in most of the markets, but a Lilac Mist option is also available in some. Additionally, it is also MIL-STD-810G certified, thus ensuring durability in the long-run.
Like we’ve seen in other ZenBook laptops in the past, this one comes with an ErgoLift hinge design as well. By inclining the base of the device by 3º, it allows for a better typing experience, and a more efficient cooling mechanism by providing the air vents at the bottom more room to breathe. Similarly, the four rubber feet provide a fairly solid grip and don’t let the laptop slide off that easily. The two speaker grills can be found at either corner and because of the way they’re positioned, the ZenBook 14’s speakers don’t get blocked or muffled when laid on a flat surface or a lap.
A questionable port selection
Getting to the ports, Asus has boldly ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack on this laptop—and there’s no ethernet connection either. Now, the former may be a big bummer to creative professionals or even casual users. But as a consolation, the company ships USB-C adapters for both inside the box. Regardless, you’ll find a standard HDMI 2.0 and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports on the left. While the Intel variant (UX425) of the ZenBook 14 also supports Thunderbolt 3, this one doesn’t.
Ports
1 of 2
1x USB-A, 1x Micro SD card reader
1x HDMI, 2x USB-C
You can charge the laptop using either of the USB-C connection. Furthermore, it also supports PD (Power Delivery) certified Type-C chargers on top of the AC adapter, for 65W fast charging. On the right, there’s a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A and a Micro SD card reader. The USB-A port feels like a blessing considering how manufacturers are going all out with just the USB-C port in thin-and-light machines these days. Still, I find it weird that Asus went for a Micro SD card slot instead of a regular one. That would’ve been my ideal choice.
All in all, the ZenBook 14 is an incredibly well-built notebook which raises the bar for how good a budget laptop should be. It is sturdy, thin, lightweight—and therefore gets a top point for portability. The omission of the headphone jack is a weird decision though.
Display
14″ Anti-glare FHD IPS LCD panel (LED-backlit)
250 / 400 nits of brightness, 100% sRGB color gamut
Coming to the display, the ZenBook 14 has a 14” anti-glare FHD IPS panel. Thanks to the 4-sided NanoEdge display’s slim bezels, Asus has managed to pack in a 14-inch screen on such a small footprint, making this laptop one of the world’s thinnest device of its kind. As a result, the ZenBook 14 achieves an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio. Likewise, there are two configurations of the display—one with 250 nits of brightness, and the other with 400 nits.
The one I have with me has a 250 nits screen, but I highly recommend you get the 400 nits option if available. The thing is, besides higher brightness itself, this config also uses a power-efficient 1W display, contrary to the 2.5W display on the 250 nits one. Other than this, both options have the same 100% sRGB color gamut.
Talking about brightness, I’m someone who mostly uses the laptop indoors so 250 nits fared just fine for me. But when taking it outdoors on a bright sunny day, visibility does take a big hit. The viewing angles are quite good and its anti-reflective properties make it easier to use in a well-lit room—distraction-free. I did notice a dismissible level of backlight bleed on the bottom right corner of the display, but that’s visible only when viewing an entirely pitch-black content.
What about color accuracy?
Now, the color accuracy portion of this Asus ZenBook 14 review is where it gets interesting. In its factory setting, the color levels were absolutely horrendous. Everything looked abnormal, and with a high-contrast pastel effect to them. Human subjects especially came off way too smooth and almost cartoonish. But, I’m happy to say that after a bunch of driver updates, and playing around with the default color calibration settings for some time, the color quality of the panel now looks pretty good.
Still, I would hesitate to recommend this laptop for professional photo editing purposes, although the silicon itself is pretty competent. Having said that, it is more than fine for regular usages like content consumption, web browsing, or even light editing tasks. It is sharp enough for you to notice any sort of pixelation and the colors are adequately punchy as well. In addition, you can also choose from different color presets, or adjust the color temperature using the MyASUS app. The “Eye Care” feature is especially useful as according to the company, it reduces blue light emission by up to 30% for a stress-free viewing experience.
Automatic brightness adjustment
By default, ZenBook 14 has automatic brightness is turned on. This was particularly annoying to me as I’m someone who has to frequently switch between a bright (MS Office) and a dark screen (Chrome). And as you can imagine, having the display swing about the brightness that often is incredibly distracting. It had been a while since I last used an all-AMD laptop and couldn’t figure out the way to turn it off. Thankfully, after a bit of looking it up, I found that this setting is called “Vari-Bright” inside the AMD Radeon Software and duly disabled it.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Backlit chiclet-style keyboard (single color)
Glass trackpad with NumberPad 2.0
Moving on, ZenBook 14 has an edge-to-edge keyboard. The chiclet-style keys are well spaced and as far as I can tell, don’t rattle either—except for the Backspace key, which rattles worse than the spacebar. Weird. With a 1.4mm key travel, they aren’t that noisy or mushy. Therefore, I had an enjoyable typing experience on this machine. The arrow keys are well positioned too. The keyboard deck does flex a bit, but only with an abnormal amount of pressure, so that’s nothing to worry about.
I’m someone who tends to use Function keys a lot for renaming files, jumping to the address bar, or opening an app in full-screen. So, having to press the function keys alongside the Fn key isn’t something I’d want. Luckily, you can toggle between function and hotkey priority mode from the MyASUS app, or through the Fn + Escape shortcut. Similarly, there are a bunch of useful features that you can toggle from the function keys like dialing the brightness up/down, disabling touchpad, etc. The one I found particularly useful was the camera control since I can easily turn it on/off with the shortcut.
Backlit keyboard
Given that the webcam doesn’t have a privacy shutter, this is an intuitive alternative. Anyway, the keyboard is backlit, and you can choose from 3 levels of brightness. They light up quite nice and I had no problem operating the keyboard in a dark room. Since the ZenBook 14 is targeted towards conventional users like students, enterprise customers, etc. Asus has skipped RGB lighting on this laptop.
On the other hand, the ZenBook 14 has a wide glass trackpad. While most other manufacturers tend to stick with a plastic trackpad on a device of this price range, Asus is one-upping them all. It has integrated left and right keys, both of which click well enough. Overall, the trackpad is smooth and feels really nice to use. It supports Windows Precision drivers as well and thus can trigger Windows gestures with no hiccup. Additionally, the trackpad also makes up for the expected lack of a Numpad.
NumberPad 2.0
Here, even though it’s not a secondary screen like in other premium ZenBook laptops from the company, the NumberPad 2.0 lets you use the trackpad as a number pad. There’s a neat shortcut at the top-right corner to turn it on, while you can also adjust the illumination by long-pressing the top-left icon. It even supports cursor control, but for interacting on an input field it’s better to turn it off. Sliding down from the top-left edge of the trackpad also opens the calculator app.
Now, even though everything sounds good up until now, I did face a few problems with this trackpad. First off, because of its width and the relative height of the keyboard chassis, my right hand would accidentally press the right key every now and then. Also, shifting from the typing posture to using the trackpad, my scrolling gesture would sometimes be mistaken for the Windows Timeline shortcut instead.
Performance
AMD Ryzen 5 4500U or Ryzen 7 4700U processor (15W)
Integrated AMD Radeon graphics (No dedicated GPU)
8/16GB LPDDR4X soldered RAM, up to 1TB PCIe 3.0 SSD
Time to talk about performance. Powering the Asus ZenBook 14 UM425IA is the AMD Ryzen 4500U CPU and Radeon integrated graphics. Manufactured under the 7nm process, the 4500U is a hexa-core processor with 6 cores and 6 threads. As one would imagine, it is not high-performance silicon and therefore has a 15W TDP. It has a base clock of 2.3GHz and a maximum boost clock of up to 4.0GHz. Similarly, the Radeon graphics is clocked at 1500MHz. Depending upon the region, ZenBook 14 is also available in the Ryzen 7 4700U configuration, which is an octa-core processor with a boost clock of 4.1GHz.
In terms of memory, you can choose between 8/16GB of LPDDR4X RAM. But be careful before making the choice since the RAM stick is soldered into the motherboard and you can’t upgrade it later on. On the contrary, you can upgrade the SSD if you want. Here, my unit comes with 8GB of dual-channel memory @3733MHz and 512GB of M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD.
Compromised SSD quality
Unfortunately, the read/write speed of the onboard SSD isn’t that great for an NVMe SSD. It is clear from this CrystalDiskMark reading that one of the areas that Asus has compromised to bring minimize the cost of ZenBook 14 is storage. Still, app installation, opening time is fast enough, and usually, the laptop boots up in 10 seconds or less.
For light to medium usage, this laptop can handle everything you throw at it. Simultaneously browsing the web with a couple of tabs, editing word documents, using Photoshop is a breeze for this Renoir-powered laptop. Under this, the ZenBook 14 doesn’t heat up either, averaging at around 34º CPU temperature (monitored using Core Temp). You can select between two fan profiles and the “Whisper mode” lives up to its name. The fan rarely turns on under this mode, which is ideal for office settings.
Benchmark and Thermals
But playing eSports titles or running heavy benchmark does raise the temperature quite significantly. I ran the Cinebench R23 test and the laptop quickly rose to around 74º. This is not unbearably hot and you can bring down the temperature by switching to the “Standard” fan profile. Here, I ran the same benchmark under the said fan settings; and the result was significant enough to suggest thermal throttling.
ZenBook 14 UM425IA – Cinebench R23
Standard Mode: CPU (Multi-Core) – 5185, CPU (Single-Core) – 1155
Whisper Mode: CPU (Multi-Core) – 4440, CPU (Single-Core) – 1074
Cinebench R23
1 of 2
Standard Mode
Whisper Mode
Before you get any wrong idea, I must mention that I spaced out the two tests so that the laptop remained at a standard temperature at the start.
Because of its compact size, the ZenBook 14 only has a single heatpipe and a single fan setup—not the most effective cooling system. Yet, to reiterate, this silicon isn’t meant for heavy users anyway. The integrated Radeon Graphics is really impressive in itself, easily outperforming the competing GPU on Intel processors. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to run AAA titles on this laptop; although eSports titles and light games can run well enough. Let’s take a look at the Geekbench 5 OpenCL score for reference, and also the single, multi-core score white we’re at it.
ZenBook 14 UM425IA – Geekbench 5
CPU: Single-Core – 1085, Multi-Core – 4388
OpenCL (Compute): 10812
Geekbench 5
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CPU
OpenCL (Compute)
Gaming
I tried CS: GO and Fifa 21 on it and got fairly respectable FPS. Under high settings, I got 28-30fps in CS: GO, while the number jumped to 55-60fps under medium settings. Similarly, Fifa 21 is absolutely unplayable in Ultra rendering quality and 4x MSAA with mere 12fps on average. But, toning down the respective settings to Medium and 2x, I could easily get 30-35fps.
Gameplay
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CS: GO
FIFA 21
To note, continuous gaming on the ZenBook 14 could be an issue though—especially with the laptop placed on your lap as things can get really hot, really fast. After about 30 minutes of CS: GO, the CPU temp soared to 88º and I had to get it off my lap as the heat was almost unbearable. The top portion of the keyboard also gets quite hot, although I had no problem typing on it. The fan noise itself isn’t that loud and it is almost unnoticeable in an ambient setting with plenty of white noise.
Moving on, the MyASUS app is pretty useful as well. You can change different settings, perform diagnostic, download the latest drivers, etc. Interestingly, I faced an issue with WiFi auto-connection, even though the laptop has a stellar Intel WiFi-6 AX200 card. But to solve my issue, I had to download the appropriate driver from the web. Furthermore, you can also link your phone with the ZenBook 14 and make calls, view notifications, etc. on the laptop itself. Using this, you can also transfer files to-and-from the phone.
Battery, Speakers, and Webcam
4-cell 67 Wh Li-Ion battery (65W USB-C charging)
Harman/Kardon certified stereo speaker system
IR webcam (720p) with Windows Hello support
Here, the ZenBook 14 has a 67Whr 4-cell Li-ion battery. Asus claims up to 22 hours of endurance on the 1W/400 nits display option. On my 250 nits unit, I managed to consistently get around 8-9 hours of battery life. I would normally keep the brightness at about 40-50%, battery set to the best performance, and whisper mode turned on. My usage mostly consisted of editing word documents, browsing the web with multiple tabs open, light Photoshop editing every-now-and-then, and a couple of minutes of gaming here and there as well.
Besides the impressive battery mileage, charging the laptop is quite fast too. It can go from 0 to 100% in about 1 hour and 50 minutes. The 65W charger is lightweight and comfortable to carry around too. Its fast-charging feature can also top-up the charge up to 60% in just 50 minutes. And like I mentioned earlier, you can also use a PD-certified 65W fast charger for the ZenBook 14.
Harman/Kardon audio
On to the speakers, you get a stereo speaker system certified by Harman/Kardon. Simply put, I really like this audio setup. The speaker can get plenty loud and there’s even a hint of bass. The treble isn’t that enjoyable and the audio gets slightly muffled under full volume. Still and all, this speaker will fare you well on your movie binging sessions.
Like most other laptops in the market, the Asus ZenBook 14 has a 720p webcam. It’s not mind-blowingly good, but better than the one on other laptops in this price range. The overall image does look a bit soft, although it is passable for your regular video-call needs. The audio pickup from the built-in array microphone is quite good too. Although this laptop doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor, the IR sensor-enabled Windows Hello unlocks the device incredibly fast.
Conclusion
Wrapping it all up, as you can tell by now, the ZenBook 14 UM425IA is a beast of a notebook—zero doubt about that. The Ryzen variant easily outperforms the Intel configuration, even though the latter costs slightly more in almost every market. For casual users who seek portability and sufficient power, this is an excellent choice. The exclusion of a headphone jack may be a deal-breaker for many. But if you’re someone who can look past that, the sheer performance, premium design, decent display, and other quirks should be more than enough to sway you.
Watch our video review of the Asus ZenBook 14 UM425.
Asus ZenBook 14 UM425 Review: Pros & Cons
Pros:
Excellent value for money—an easy recommendation
Thin, lightweight, and a premium metallic build
Decent display quality with 100% sRGB color gamut
Comfortable typing experience, glass trackpad
Best-in-class performance thanks to AMD Renoir CPU
Terrific battery life (easily lasts throughout the day)
Great stereo speaker system, a decent webcam quality
Portable USB Type-C charging (supports PD too)
Cons:
The absence of a 3.5mm jack may be a turnoff to many
Color accuracy may require a manual calibration
The base can get uncomfortably hot under heavy load
SSD sequential read/write speed is not up to the mark
There is a new entry in the Amazfit lineup of smartwatches. Dubbed as the Amazfit Pop Pro, this smartwatch is one of the cheapest from the company. So, let’s take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Amazfit Pop Pro in Nepal.
Amazfit Pop Pro Overview:
As the name suggests, Amazfit Pop Pro is based on the Amazfit Pop that was launched earlier this year. The Pro feature here is the inclusion of an integrated GPU sensor. Thus, the Amazfit Pop Pro won’t solely rely on your smartphone’s GPS for location tracking. The Pro version also supports voice assistant. Other than that, there is no difference between the two models.
It comes with a 1.43-inch HD color display with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels. The watch has a square display with a physical knob on the right side. It weighs around 31 grams and is water-resistant up to 50m. The watch comes with 50 watch faces but users can also install third-party watch faces.
Amazfit Pop Pro comes with 24 hours of heart monitoring, blood oxygen saturation detection, sleep monitoring, PAI system, stress monitoring, and menstrual cycle tracking. It also supports 60+ sports mode.
Amazfit Pop Pro Specifications:
Body: 40.9 x 35.5 x 11.4mm; 31 grams; Polycarbonate
Amazfit Pop Pro is now available in China where its price is 399 Yuan. We expect the price of Amazfit Pop Pro in Nepal to be around NPR 9,500 when they launch here.
Hey guys, today I will be sharing my long-term impressions of the OnePlus 8T. Like clockwork, the company launched a mid-year upgrade over its existing lineup of flagship smartphones in 2020 as well. Although the 8T is quite similar to the existing OnePlus 8, it does bring some prominent upgrades. So, I was a bit lost on exactly what to expect from the OnePlus 8T going into the review.
OnePlus 8T Specifications:
Body: 6.33 x 2.92 x 0.33 inches, 188 gm, Gorilla Glass 5
Battery: 4500mAh (2S1P) with Warp Charge 65 (10V/6.5A)
Colors: Aquamarine Green, Lunar Silver
Price in Nepal: N/A (not launched yet)
OnePlus 8T Long-Term Review:
Talking about the upgrades, I can’t help but wonder if those were the ones most of us were actually looking for. From the get-go, we can see that the company has struggled to adequately differentiate the three devices under the 8 series. And on the 8T, it is clear that OnePlus is playing the number game—65W fast charging, 120Hz refresh rate, quad cameras setup (that doesn’t include a telephoto lens), and more.
While I’m not complaining about the upgrades themselves, the point I’m trying to make is that it seems almost lazy of OnePlus to throw in big numbers while continually failing to bring significant upgrades in one aspect that it has always lagged behind in—the cameras. And to my dismay, 8T’s design feels like a downgrade as well.
Design & Build
Glass front/ back, aluminum frame
No official IP certification
Design, Ports, Buttons
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Alert slider, Volume rockers
Back Panel
Speaker, USB-C, SIM slot
If you remember, the OnePlus 8 has this subtle curve in its screen, which is just about ideal, and nothing drastic as the one on 8 Pro. Because of this, the OnePlus 8 was perfectly immune to accidental touches—at least throughout my usage. But, love it or hate it, the OnePlus 8T fully dismisses the curve. Hence, the phone feels a bit larger than the OnePlus 8.
Also, because of the thicker side curves, one will notice how it seems so much thicker in the hand; even though the 8T is less than a millimeter thicker, and weighs just 8 grams more than its predecessor. So, yeah, in terms of the tactile feel, the OnePlus 8 is definitely nicer than the 8T and I believe the flat display choice could’ve been implemented much better.
But overall, it’s still a premium-looking device and well-built phone. And I even like the camera placement better than its predecessor. If only OnePlus 8T had the same form factor as that of the 8!
Moving on, OnePlus also never misses to include the signature alert slider in its smartphones. If you ask me, this feature doesn’t get as much credit as it should. I can’t speak for you, but I find it incredibly useful. Also, after seeing Samsung Galaxy S20 FE with multiple color options, I desperately hope that future OnePlus devices come up with a few refreshing color options.
Display
6.55-inches FHD+ flat Fluid AMOLED panel
120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate
Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, the refresh rate has gotten a bump from 90 to 120Hz, while this Fluid AMOLED panel remains the same at 6.55-inches. During my initial impression, I thought this was not that big of a deal. But after using the phone for some time now, I have kind of changed my opinion about that.
Not only does it offer a smoother visual experience, the 240Hz touch response rate is quite up to the mark. Again, it’s not the most stunning display you will ever lay your eyes on, but for what it’s worth, it’s remarkable.
During the review, the only problem I have with the display of the OnePlus 8T is that its minimum brightness is not low enough; especially compared to the ones on an iPhone or a Samsung device. Although the company had proudly highlighted the phone’s 8192-level automatic brightness adjustment, the 8T doesn’t ship with a DC dimming feature. Maybe OnePlus can push an update in the future. But for now, I’m going to have to minimize my habit of using the phone at night under the blanket.
Okay, personal issues aside, in terms of outdoor brightness, this phone is a champ. Even in the sunniest of environments, I’ve had no issues reading blogs or using Twitter, so that’s nice. Watching videos has also been a delight on the 8T.
Stereo speakers
Not just that there is the support for Widevine L1 and HDR 10+ content playback, but the speakers are decent too. These are not the best set of speakers on a smartphone but do a good job nonetheless. The audio is loud and crisp with balanced mids and highs. And the bass is acceptable too.
Performance
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC (7nm+)
8/12GB LPDDR4x RAM with up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage (fixed)
OnePlus has historically delivered great performing phones and the 8T isn’t an exception either. While we were all expecting the Snapdragon 865+ to make a debut on an OnePlus phone, it was quite strange of the company to go with the regular 865. Even though we know that these two chips are only marginally different, OnePlus could’ve had a greater advantage over its closest competitor—the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
Since the S20 FE ships with the much-despised Exynos 990 in OnePlus’ prime markets like India, the 8T could’ve made matters much easier, although it is easily the best performing Android phone in its price range right now.
A redesigned OxygenOS
That, topped with OnePlus’ amazing software experience, is like getting the best of both worlds. But I do have to warn you that this new version of OxygenOS is quite a deviation from the previous near-stock Android experience that many of us love. It still retains a lot of customization options and in fact, this one’s more like Samsung’s OneUI—thanks to the headings in stock OnePlus apps being written in big bold letters, while everything else is moved down so that one can reach stuff easily.
Now, this one’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is a healthy upgrade considering how difficult it is these days to use a phone single-handed since they’re getting bigger and bigger. And hey, it’s not bad to be inspired by a rival’s useful features either. On the other hand, OG OnePlus fans can most certainly translate this transition as an utter betrayal, and might even argue that the company is slowly losing its originality.
Having said that, one of the most appreciable changes in this version of OxygenOS has to be the option to toggle Dark Mode from the system shortcuts. And you can even schedule it as per your preference now, which is much easier than before.
Gaming
In terms of gaming, as you could imagine, the OnePlus 8T is a beast. By the way, the company recently rolled out an update providing a 90fps gaming option for PUBG Mobile; which was initially missing on the phone. Because of this, the 8T offers some of the best PUBGm gameplay experiences. Likewise, other demanding or lightweight games run in smoothly as well, without a hint of lag.
Now, let’s get to the cameras and disclaimer, they are not the best thing about this phone. First off, OnePlus has decided to go with the same-old Sony IMX586 sensor that they used on the OnePlus 8 and the 7T before that. And although its camera optimization has improved over the years, Samsung, with its flagship-level optimization on the S20 FE takes the spotlight from the 8T. We have also conducted a thorough review of the cameras of the OnePlus 8T and S20 FE that you can check out here.
Normal Images
Talking about the 8T alone, you will notice in both its primary and ultra-wide images that the pictures tend to have an unnecessary level of contrast.
Normal
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
The primary images do look pretty good. But again, the ones from S20 FE have better shadow details and color reproduction.
Wideangle Images
Wideangle
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
And in terms of the ultra-wide-images, S20 FE’s evidently stand out as well with better dynamic range, colors, and field of view.
Telephoto Images
Not to mention that the S20 FE has a more versatile camera setup including a telephoto lens while disregarding the inferior depth and macro sensor.
Telephoto
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
With this, the S20 FE can zoom upto 3x optically while the 8T is only capable of zooming digitally. And you can figure out how this one’s gonna go.
Portrait Images
Having said that, it’s not all bad with the OnePlus 8T cameras.
Portrait
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
For instance, I think it has better portrait capabilities than the S20 FE in terms of edge detection and subject focus.
Nighttime Images
Moving on to the night time images, well, the OnePlus 8T has a tendency to over-process.
Normal Nighttime
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
And in many instances, it over-saturates the pictures for some reason; especially in Night Mode images.
Night Mode
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
So, even though the details and everything are good, the unnatural colors might seem excessive, especially when compared to the S20 FE.
Macro Images
Likewise, the 8T also has a macro sensor. Here are some of the samples I took and as you can see, they are not that bad.
Macro
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It’s only that the macro sensor here has fixed focus, so getting a perfectly sharp image is kind of tricky.
Videography
Also, the videos from the selfie camera on the OnePlus 8T is limited to 1080p/30fps. And even at that very resolution, the camera finds it hard to manage exposure properly. So, it’s not the best vlogging choices out there.
The rear cameras can shoot good enough videos even at 4k/60fps. But, the videos tend to lose some details and it cannot handle abrupt movements like running either, as it messes with the exposure.
Selfie Images
Selfies from the OnePlus 8T aren’t that great too.
Selfie
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
You can notice the red tint in the photos, turning them weird-looking. The S20 FE, on the other hand, is able to maintain a subtle and almost natural undertone; making it a better selfie camera phone.
Portrait Selfie
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8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
8T
S20 FE
Portrait selfie images look slightly better on the S20 FE as well.
Battery
4500mAh (2S1P) battery
Warp Charge 65, No wireless charging
Okay, let’s talk about battery life now. I was quite excited to test out the new 65W charging of the OnePlus 8T during my review as well. There’s a 4500mAh cell and overall, I’m satisfied with its endurance. It has given me a full day’s battery life with some juice to spare at the end of the day on my normal day of use. That’s particularly impressive because I used this phone with the 120Hz refresh rate turned on all the time.
However, I do have to tell you that the phone automatically switches to 60 Hz while using select apps such as YouTube when the brightness is more than 50%. But, if you wish to use the phone under 120Hz all the time, it lets you do that if you turn on dark mode, or set the brightness to less than 50% in normal mode.
Charging this device is really fast as well with OnePlus’s proprietary Warp Charge 65. It takes the device from 0-100% in about 40 minutes. And yeah, you guessed it. This 65W fast charging technology is based on OPPO’s 65W SuperVOOC 2.0.
Conclusion
All in all, the OnePlus 8T is an incredible smartphone—and quite possibly the best in its price range as we’ve discovered throughout this review. As always, the phone is extremely powerful and with the addition of 120Hz refresh rate, 65W charging technology, OnePlus’ emphasis on speed is only taken a step further. But, with the value-flagship market getting so competitive these days, the question has to be asked: is it enough, or should OnePlus be doing more?
With the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, Xiaomi Mi 10T series, and others, it’s getting more and more difficult for the company to solely survive on its mantra of speed. People expect incredible camera performance on devices in this market segment and if OnePlus can’t deliver on such a crucial aspect, a buyer’s purchasing decision becomes so much easier. And that’s something OnePlus should be actively working against but unfortunately hasn’t managed to do so.
Watch our video long-term review of the OnePlus 8T.
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