In an attempt to make 5G smartphones more accessible, MediaTek has launched its latest 5G-enabled Dimensity chipset. The new Dimensity 700 is just below 720 in MediTek’s hierarchy of 5G chips. Let’s learn more about the new MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset along with its specs, features, expected price, and availability.
MediaTek Dimensity 700 Overview
Performance
Here, the Dimensity 700 sports similar core architecture as the Dimensity 720. It is based on TSMC’s 7nm process node, that the company claims is 25% more efficient than the 8nm process. It features an octa-core CPU with two Cortex-A76 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores.
The former is clocked higher than that on the 720 (2.2GHz > 2.0 GHz), whereas the Cortex-A55 cores have the same clock speed of 2.0 GHz as the 720. For graphics, MediaTek has included Mali G57 GPU in a core-configuration like it did on the 720. It can support up to 12GB of 2133MHz LPDDR4X memory and UFS 2.2 (2-lane) storage.
5G connectivity
MediaTek claims that it is the first mainstream 5G smartphone chip to support both 5G Carrier Aggregation (2CC 5G-CA) and Dual 5G SIM. Thus, users can benefit from the 30% greater throughput layer coverage and seamless handover between two 5G connection areas across a coverage layer. With Dual 5G, the chip supports dual standby (DSDS) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR).
MediaTek 5G UltraSave feature aims to improve battery life. It includes technologies Network Environment Detection, OTA Content Awareness, Dynamic BWP, and Connected Mode DRX (C-DRX). These technologies intelligently manage 5G connections for better battery endurance.
Display and Camera
While it doesn’t come with MediaTek’s MiraVision display technology, the Dimensity 700 can support up to 90Hz refresh rate on an FHD+ display.
It supports up to 64MP main sensor along with features like AI enhancements. It also supports multi-frame noise reduction courtesy of the image accelerators. Similarly, other features include hardware depth engine (for real-time Bokeh effect), anti-distortion, and facial detection. There is no support for 4K video recording and it maxes out at 2k @ 30FPS.
Dimensity 700 features an integrated noise suppression technology that is optimized for power and size. The chip can listen for multiple trigger words to wake up virtual assistant from Google, Amazon, Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba.
MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC Specifications:
Process: TSMC 7nm process
Core Architecture: 2 x 2.2 GHz Cortex A76 cores + 6 x 2.0 GHz Cortex A55 cores
GPU: Mali G57 MC3 (950 MHz)
Memory Support: 2133 MHz 12GB (up to 12GB)
Storage Support: UFS 2.2 (2-lane)
Max Camera: 64MP main sensor
Video Support: up to 2K 30FPS
Display Support: Up to 2520 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1
MediaTek Dimensity 700 Chipset Availability
The first smartphone powered by MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC will launch in the first quarter of 2021. The chip is said to be used in smartphones priced under $250.
Fitbit is one of the most popular health trackers, smartwatch, manufacturers in the world. It has now officially re-entered Nepal by launching Fitbit Inspire 2, Charge 4, SE, Versa 2, SE, and Versa 3 on the Daraz 11.11 sales day. Let’s check out the specs, official price, availability of different Fitbit fitness trackers, smartwatch in Nepal.
Fitbit: Brand Overview
Before that, let us first begin with a bit of background. Fitbit Inc. was founded in the year 2007. And it primarily manufactures activity trackers. Over the years, the company has gone on to become one of the leaders in wearable technology. Eventually, the company was acquired by Google in November 2019. The estimated cost of acquisition—$2.1 billion.
From a financial standpoint, it was a great move. However, the acquisition of Fitbit by Google was a concern for many. Primarily, people were concerned about the privacy of their data. Google and data privacy really don’t go hand-in-hand. Thus, it was a reasonable concern, on the customer’s part. However, having said that there have not been any reported issues regarding this topic. So, it’s just a point for concern for now and nothing more than that.
Fitbit Fitness Trackers, Smartwatch Price in Nepal (Summary)
Fitbit Fitness Trackers, Smartwatch Models
Price in Nepal
Daraz 11.11 Offer Price
Inspire 2 (Black)
Rs. 17,999
Rs. 17,099
Charge 4 (Black)
Rs. 24,999
Rs. 23,749
Charge 4 SE (Granite)
Rs. 27,999
Rs. 26,599
Versa 2
Rs. 29,999
Rs. 28,499
Versa 2 SE
Rs. 32,999
Rs. 31,349
Versa 3
Rs. 39,999
Rs. 37,999
Fitbit Inspire 2 Fitness Tracker
Inspire 2 is the latest fitness band from Fitbit. It was launched alongside the more-advanced Fitbit Sense and Versa 3. It has a monochrome OLED screen. Compared to its predecessor, it comes with Active Zone Minutes, improved design, and a brighter screen. It has 20+ exercise modes, advanced sleep tools, and 24/7 heart rate tracking. It also supports menstrual health tracking for women.
Though it doesn’t come with as many sensors that other trackers in this list do, it has its own perks. For instance, with Inspire 2, users get a year of Fitbit premium trial. It also has the best battery endurance of up to 10 days.
Fitbit Inspire 2 Specifications:
Display: Monochrome OLED touchscreen
Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0
Battery Capacity: 10 days of battery life;
Water-resistant: Yes; up to 50m
Interchangeable bands: Yes
Compatibility: Android (v7.0+), iOS (iOS 12.2+) & Mac OSX 12.2
Smartphone Companion App: Fitbit App
Sensors: 3-axis accelerometer, optical heart rate monitor, vibration motor
Features: Notifications, 24/7 Heart Rate, Menstrual Health Tracking, Food Logging, All-Day Activity, Cardio Fitness Level, Sleep Tracking, etc.
Color: Black, Lunar White, Desert Rose
Extra: 1 year trial of Fitbit Premium
Price in Nepal: Rs. 17,999 17,099
Fitbit Charge 4/SE Fitness Tracker
Fitbit Charge 4 was announced as the successor to Fitbit Charge 3. The two bands sport almost similar designs with monochrome OLED screens. The highlight is that it comes with a built-in GPS. Thus, the tracker does not need to depend upon your phone’s GPS for accurate tracking. Other than that, it comes with Active Zone Minutes, 24/7 heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring, SmartTrack, and all-day activity tracking. The battery endurance is fairly impressive at two days. With the GPS turned off, it can last up to 7 days. However, with the GPS turned on, the battery will last only up to 12 hours.
There is also a Special Edition of the Fitbit Charge 4. While the features remain the same between the SE and non-SE model, the former comes with a more fancy granite reflective woven band paired with a black tracker. Fitbit also throws an extra black classic band with the Charge 4 SE.
Features: 24/7 heart rate, heart rate zone, workout intensity map, active zone minutes, goal-based exercise modes, Spotify control, female health, all-day activity tracking, sleep monitoring, etc.
Color option: Black, Rosewood, Storm Blue / Black
SE Color Options: Granite Reflective Woven Band / Black Tracker (Black Classic Band extra)
Fitbit Charge 4 Price in Nepal: Rs. 24,999 23,749
Fitbit Charge 4 SE Price in Nepal: Rs. 27,999 26,599
Fitbit Versa 2/SE Smartwatch
Fitbit Versa 2 was the successor of the original Versa. On its release, it had Fitbit’s first on-device microphone. It was also the first Fitbit smartwatch to come with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant built-in. It has an NFC chip for Fitbit pay. Similarly, it comes with an always-on display, automatic activity tracking, PurePulse, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, GPS connection.
Users can also opt for the Special Edition of the Fitbit Versa 2. The Fitbit Versa SE comes with a woven band. It is available in two color options – Smoke Woven and Pink & Navy Woven. Fitbit throws an extra Olive Classic band with the former and a Navy Classic Band on the latter. That’s not all—with the Fitbit Versa 2 SE, users also get three months trial of Fitbit premium.
Colors: Black / Carbon Aluminum, Stone / Mist Grey, Petal / Copper Rose Aluminium, Bordeaux / Copper Rose, Emerald / Copper Rose
SE color options: Smoke Woven / Mist Grey Aluminum (Olive Class Band Extra), Navy & Pink Woven / Copper Rose Aluminium (Navy Classic Band)
Extra Feature on SE: 3 months trial of Fitbit Premium
Fitbit Versa 2 Price in Nepal: Rs. 29,999 28,499
Fitbit Versa 2 SE Price in Nepal: Rs. 32,999 31,349
Fitbit Versa 3 Smartwatch
Fitbit Versa 3 is the latest member of the Versa lineup. It was launched alongside the Fitbit Sense but doesn’t come with the sensors that the Sense has. Other than that, the features are almost the same. Compared to its predecessor, it comes with an in-built GPS. Thus, it won’t be reliant on your smartphone’s hardware for location tracking. It comes with both: a microphone and a speaker.
Fitbit Versa 3 will also receive an update that will allow users to take calls from the wrist. It is expected to arrive before the end of 2020. It is also the only tracker in this list to support fast charging.
Colors: Black / Black Aluminum, Pink Clay / Soft Gold Aluminum, Midnight / Soft Gold Aluminum
Price in Nepal: Rs. 39,999 37,999
Where to Buy Fitbit fitness trackers, smartwatch in Nepal?
Fitbit has officially re-entered the Nepali market on Daraz 11.11 sales day—this time, with Barun Enterprise, a subsidiary of Sharda Group, as the authorized distributor. The six products are exclusively available via Daraz. Besides the 11.11 offer price, you can also apply different eligible discount vouchers to further bring down the buying price. Admittedly, the price of Fitbit fitness trackers, smartwatch in Nepal is a little expensive compared to the western market. But, compared to India, it is actually quite competitive.
Over the past couple of years, Sony has managed to become almost synonymous with noise-canceling technology—a feat once held by other companies like Bose. 2018’s WH-1000XM3 from the company can be accredited as one of the major drivers of its achievement. From its cozy design to excellent sound quality and most importantly—the industry-leading noise cancellation, it still stands out as one of the best Bluetooth headphones you can buy. And now, it’s got a much-awaited successor. The new Sony WH-1000XM4 builds on its predecessor while bringing a couple of nuanced, yet necessary upgrades. Well then, how has Sony managed to outdo itself with the WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphone—allow me to discuss in this review.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Specifications:
Weight: 255 grams (approx.)
Headphone Type: Closed, Dynamic
Driver Unit: 1.57″ (40mm), dome type (CCAW Voice coil)
Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW (when connected via cable with the headphone turned on); 101 dB/mW (when connected via cable with the headphone turned off)
Features: NFC, DSEE Extreme, Edge AI, 360 Reality Audio, Speak to Chat, Precise Voice Pickup, Touch Sensor control (right earcup)
In The Box: Headphone, Carrying Case, Headphone Cable, USB-C Cable, Plug Adaptor for In-flight Use
Color Options: Black, Silver
Companion App: Sony Headphones Control (Android | iOS)
Price in Nepal: Rs. 54,000 (with 1-year brand warranty)
Sony WH-1000XM4 Review:
Design & Comfort
Premium plastic build with soft earcups
Closed-back, over-the-ear design
Starting with the design, Sony hasn’t made any major revision in terms of how the X(Mark)4 looks and feels compared to the XM3. It has a premium plastic build with soft, comfortable earcups, while also being pervious to sweat, water damage. Yes, these are still not IP-certified against any level of ingress protection. So, you gotta be extra careful when taking these out on your workout sessions or maybe even on humid days.
Likewise, XM4’s earcups are incredibly plush and offer a tight fit. The headband could still use a little bit of work though. They’re a bit narrow and its padding is also considerably tighter to my liking. As a result, I often found myself adjusting the headphones on my head every now and then. Because of the aforementioned attributes of the headband, you can also feel this mild, yet consistent degree of pressure, stiffness resulting in a fatigued wearing experience in the long-run. Furthermore, after wearing it for a while, it does start to feel quite hot.
Adjusting the headband
I did try adjusting the length of the headband for a better fit. But, losing the firmness turned out to be an even worse tradeoff over the minimal discomfort. Since I don’t put on closed-back over-the-ear headphones like the XM4 that often, this may be the inexperienced side of me talking. Having used these pair of headphones for a little less than a month now, I would say I’ve been relatively more numb to the unease.
But before you get any wrong idea, let me reiterate: the degree of discomfort was always marginal, to begin with. And if you’re someone who’s used to these kinds of headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4 should feel right at home.
Moving on, it is available in either black or silver color options—just like its predecessor. With its overall matte finish with gold-accented Sony logos on either side, these headphones gracefully matched my style too. Something that blends well with the ambiance and nothing remotely flashy—yeah, that’s the sweet spot. Anyway, the left earcup has the NFC engraving as well as all the physical buttons, the LED indicator, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. On the contrary, the right earcup houses the touch sensor control panel, and a USB-C charging port.
Pairing & Control
Bluetooth v5.0, NFC connectivity
Power, Custom button (customizable)
Touch sensor control (right earcup)
3.5mm aux connection
Getting to pairing the XM4 with your phone, tablet, PC or other device is fairly boilerplate. Now equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, all you gotta do is press the dedicated power button for a couple of seconds to turn it on; and then follow the due diligence to get it working with your device. Like I said earlier, it also retains NFC connectivity. So, if your phone supports NFC, connecting with the XM4 is all the more seamless. Just tap the NFC icon on the headphone, and you’re good to go.
Additionally, there’s also 3.5mm aux port for wired connection. This has been, and for the foreseeable future, looks to rule reign supreme over its wireless counterpart. True audiophiles with trained ears always favor wired audio accessories for reasons more than one. From their high-bandwidth, low-latency audio streaming to other advantages, most of the time, I went down the wired route as well. As I discovered in the span of the review, the Sony WH-1000XM4 doesn’t sound all that different whether you’re connecting your device via Bluetooth or the aux cable.
And that goes beyond trying to awaken the dormant audiophile in me, no. I was surprised to see that on the box of the XM4, it has the “Made for iPhone | iPod” branding—just like on XM3. Yeah, iPod isn’t something that comes up that often in today’s conversations and is almost a retro piece of tech that I cherish with all my heart. Therefore, I connected my iPod Classic with the headphone to test out its audio quality. I don’t really know what or how Sony optimized it for the iPod, but it sounded great—so I guess that’s all that matters in the end.
Hello, multipoint connection!
More importantly, the XM4 brings one of the most demanded features which was lacking in its predecessor—multipoint connection. You can now simultaneously pair these headphones to two devices at once and seamlessly switch between them. I must admit, I found it more useful than I’d presumed. During work, I tend to stream my tunes from my laptop and therefore connected the XM4 to it, while also pairing it with my phone.
With this, any time I received a call, I could just toggle the media playback from the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app. Or, you can also turn off the Bluetooth settings of the desired device to disable its playback. Except for the prompt notification which reads “Bluetooth device 1/2 dis/connected”, I didn’t notice any delay when switching between two devices either. So, kudos to Sony for listening to its customer feedback and introducing such a practical feature. However, the multi-device connection does come at the sacrifice of LDAC codec, as both devices default to AAC streaming under this setting.
Besides the power button, there’s also a “Custom” button which was labeled “NC/AMBIENT” on the XM3. Frankly speaking, calling it feels like a bit of a reach; as all you can do is set it to either trigger ambient sound control, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa. Expectedly, I set it to the foremost option since that’s actually the most practical of the three (at least for me)—and also because I can already trigger Google Assistant by long-pressing the right earcup.
The touch sensor is slightly conflicting
Anyway, the touch control works well once you get the hang of it. Swiping it left/right plays the next/previous track while an up/down swipe controls the volume level. Similarly, you can double-tap to play/pause the audio, whereas the same action can also accept or hang-up on calls. But I would say that the control feels slightly off sometimes. The headphone would, on rare occasions, misread my swipe-up gesture to turn up the volume and activate Google Assistant instead. Unfortunately, the touch sensor is non-functional when connecting it via the 3.5mm jack.
Now, let’s talk about the noise-cancellation properties of the XM4. Equipped with the same QN1 HD noise-canceling processor as its predecessor, it’s no wonder why people love this thing! The Dual Noise Sensor technology makes use of two microphones on each earcup; that feed the captured ambient to the processor. Then, the improved algorithm alongside the new Bluetooth Audio SoC dynamically adjusts music to deter noise signals for a soothing listening experience.
For the best noise-canceling experience, Sony recommends you optimize it to the way you put on the headphone (the position of your hair, whether you wear glasses or not) and a couple of other factors like atmospheric pressure. Sounds intricate but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. All you gotta do is long-press the custom button for a couple of seconds or use the app to begin the optimization process—and the whole operation is completed within 10 seconds.
In any case, as expected, the XM4’s noise cancellation is top-notch. It obviously can’t block every noise signal and works the best against low (fan noise, HVAC, etc.) and even mid-frequency ambient sounds. But once you turn on some music at a respectable volume, the headphone then sucks you into your own blissful realm, void of any disturbances from outside. Under regular setting like a living room with a TV running in the background, people talking, etc. the XM4 manages to stay excellently quiet while I could faintly hear the TV program or the ongoing conversation. Yet, once again, play some tunes and it’s all gone—almost.
Real-life scenario
I also took a stroll outside with the XM4 where construction work was going on to pitch the road. Here, the sound coming from the pitching machine dominated my listening experience with bike horns distinctively making their way into the headphone as well—while other ambient white noises like people talking were practically imperceptible. Furthermore, during my test, I also tried out its noise-canceling prowess against different noisy scenarios like an active office, campfire, and airplane cabin—from a pre-recorded audio file.
For this, I confined myself into a small, quiet room (approx. 200 sq. feet) and played the said audio from the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s incredible stereo speakers. Now, I realize this might not be the most technical/realistic of testing scenarios—but, I firmly believe it gives a fair assessment of XM4’s noise-canceling ability. Anyway, under these settings, the XM4 managed to drown out most of the noise. The rumbles from the airplane cabin or the office’s HVAC system do manage to slip in and so does the crackling of the woodfire. But, the difference in putting on the headphone with NC-on is immaculate.
Moving on, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is blessed with a bunch of ways noise-canceling works on this headphone. First off, there’s this thing called “Adaptive Sound Control” that dynamically lets in different levels of ambient sound depending on your frequent location. For instance, the noise cancellation is dialed down when you’re at a bus station or such where you’d want to hear the surrounding. On the other hand, it is cranked up to the max in settings like your room where you wouldn’t want any distraction. I particularly didn’t find this very useful as I don’t travel around much. But if you’re someone who can make use of it, this is a nice feature to have.
Speak-to-Chat
Another headlining feature on the XM4 is called “Speak-to-Chat” which works exactly how it sounds. It detects when you start speaking and turns off the music while letting in ambient sound. Yet, I honestly don’t see a respectfully practical use-case for this feature. Like, if I’m just listening to my music and start singing along—it’s activated. That’s not all. This feature can be accidentally triggered even when you are grunting or clearing your throat.
Changing the voice detection sensitivity to low did help with the accidental triggers, although I’m still weirded out when it cuts off my music. You can manually turn it off by clicking the Custom button or placing your hand over the right earcup. This mode also automatically reverts back in 30 seconds by default (with 15 seconds as the lowest value), which is some sort of relief—but still annoying. So, I turned it off altogether. Maybe Sony could come up with an intelligent way to detect whether the wearer is trying to engage in a conversation, or just jamming to the music.
Nevertheless, the “Quick Attention” feature comes in quite handy though. As I mentioned earlier, by placing your hand over the right earcup, the Sony WH-1000XM4 lets in the ambient noise, while turning down the music volume—a feature I personally didn’t find that useful throughout my review. The thing is, it feels kinda awkward talking to people this way—and a tad bit disrespectful too. Like, if I wanted to engage in a conversation, personally speaking, I would just take off the headphones altogether. Still, for a quick chat, this feature is very helpful indeed.
Audio Quality
40mm CCAW driver with LCP diaphragm
4 Hz – 40,000 kHz frequency response
SBC, AAC, LDAC audio codecs
Dual-microphones in each earcup
Even though the XM4 is a noise-canceling-first headphone, its audio quality is equally spectacular. It has the same 1.57” (40mm) circumaural driver with aluminum-coated LCP diaphragm, and 4Hz-40kHz of frequency response. Likewise, it also supports DSEE Extreme for upscaling compressed digital music files in real-time. I tried streaming music from Spotify, YouTube, and my local MP3, FLAC audio files and I gotta admit—I couldn’t really tell the difference between turning DSEE Extreme on or off.
The XM4 also supports Sony 360 Reality Audio technology; and the company even provides one year’s free subscription code inside the box. Unfortunately, I couldn’t experience this feature as it works only on a couple of streaming services like Deezer, Tidal, nugs.net—and I don’t have a subscription to any of those.
In any case, it is a decent pair of headphones for audiophiles. However, you might be slightly disappointed to hear that unlike XM3, it doesn’t support Qualcomm’s aptX and aptX HD audio. Anyhoo, the default audio profile of the XM4 was a-bit distasteful for me. So, using the Headphones Connect app, I went on to tweak the equalizer setting on the Sony WH-1000XM4 for the review. After messing around with it for a while, I was finally happy with the “Excited” preset, with “Clear Bass” dialed down to +6.
Excellent listening experience
To test the audio quality for the review, I listened to differnet kinds of songs on the Sony WH-1000XM4. Listening to the Blade Runner 2049 main theme by Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch was a breathtaking experience. The booming rumbles across the track and the high frequencies sounds ethereal—almost making up for the fact that I missed this masterpiece on the theater. Florence + The Machines’ Cosmic Love has great vocal separation and I could almost clearly enjoy the drum, harp, and other instruments. But, there is some distortion in the high frequencies when cranking the volume to 80% or louder.
Moreover, Bob Dylan’s Man of Constant Sorrow has a clear, raspy voice (signature Dylan) and warm guitars. I also rewatched Akira (1988) and now have a newfound respect for the film’s sound design team. From the rowdy, chaotic ambiance of Neo Tokyo to the grueling and ghastly soundtrack, XM4 was able to deliver in almost every aspect of the movie. In addition, the microphone quality of the XM4 is pretty nice. The audio is clear and I had no problem with my calls or video meetings. Even in a fairly noisy environment, I received no complaint from the receiver’s end about the quality of my voice.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention. There’s also a sensor on the left earcup of the headphone which detects whether you’ve put the headphones on or not. Sad to say, it didn’t reach my expectation and was quite inconsistent. I found that the sensor worked best when I’d unnaturally extend the headband to take it off. Weird. If you just slide it off, it would still continue to play the audio most of the time.
Also, resuming the playback is at odds with what you’d normally expect. To sum up, the XM4 desperately needs a firmware upgrade to fix this issue. During my review period, I only received a single update on the Sony WH-1000XM4 that addressed its pairing issue with a Windows machine.
Battery Life
Up to 30 hours listening time with Noise-Canceling
Getting to the battery, the WH-1000XM4’s endurance remains the same as its predecessor. This is pretty commendable considering how it weighs a gram lesser than the XM3 while coming with additional sensors. Sony says these headphones can last up to 30 hours with noise-canceling turned on, and 8 more hours with NC off. During my review, I got around 20-22 hours of playback on the Sony WH-1000XM4. I usually listened to music around 70% volume with AAC codec, DSEE Extreme on, and most of the time with noise-cancellation turned on as well.
As you’d expect, the mileage will vary depending on how you tune the headphones to your liking. The XM4 also supports a quick charge feature that can get you 5 hours of juice with just 10 minutes of charging. To note, I never got to deplete its charge to nill—and hooked up the charger with approximately 10% battery remaining. Here, it took me about 2 hours and 28 minutes to fully juice up the headphone via the USB-C cable. Also, the USB cable that comes within the box could’ve been a little longer.
Conclusion
Wrapping it all up, the WH-1000XM4 once again cements Sony’s dominance in the noise-cancellation industry. It improves on the already impressive set of headphones and brings some subtle, quality-of-life upgrades that many would appreciate—including me. It’s a solid pair of headphones that offer the best-in-class noise-free listening experience at a premium price. And hey, if you want the best-of-the-best and the XM4 falls under your budget, it’s an easy recommendation. Having said that, if you already own a pair of WH-1000XM3, there is little to zero reason to do so, unless you really want a taste of the iterative improvements.
So, Daraz 11.11 is upon us. The event that started 11 years ago as the World’s Singles Day by Alibaba in China. And it has gone on to become one of the most successful shopping events. As a matter of fact, over a year ago, Daraz 11.11 in Nepal usurped the total sales volume of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Year-end campaigns combined. Now, that’s something, right? As always there are going to be a lot of deals during the 11.11 sales. And we are here to keep you up to date regarding the best tech deals of Daraz 11.11. However, these are just the deals that we’ve come to know about till now. There will be flash sales as the day progresses. So, make sure that you tune back in so that you will remain updated about the best deals.
Daraz 11.11 in Nepal
In Nepal, Daraz 11.11 started in 2018, and this is the third iteration. There were many complaints in the past regarding delivery time, wrong delivery, and so on. However, Daraz with its increased resources would probably not want to mess up this time. Especially because more people these days are reliant on online shopping due to the ongoing pandemic.
Now, the pandemic’s effect can be seen in Daraz 11.11 sales too. Most of the products are not offering direct discounts. Rather, most of them are offering bank discounts and vouchers. That is you get 20% off (up to Rs. 3000) on your purchase if you make pre-payments through one of the partner banks. However, make sure that your debit or credit card has been activated for online transactions. Then that there are a few early bird vouchers that you can benefit from. Also, many products are offering promotional vouchers. You can use the codes provided in the product detail section. Those codes can be used if you meet the conditions, such as minimum purchase, during checkout. And take advantage of heavy discounts. Finally, there are some exciting games that you can participate in. Without further ado, let’s dive into the best tech deals of Daraz 11.11.
Best Deals On Smartphones
Oneplus 8T: Rs. 93000 Rs. 89,999 (12/256GB), Additional Rs. 3000 discount using Code 11MOB3K, Additional Rs. 3000 discount on pre-payment via partner bank debit/credit card
Samsung S20 FE: Rs. 73,588 Rs. 70,000 (8/128GB), Rs. 79,540 Rs. 75,000 (8/256GB), Additional Rs. 3000 discount on pre-payment via partner bank debit/credit card
Black Shark 3: Rs. 98,490 Rs. 89,490 (12/256GB), Additional Rs. 3000 discount using Code 11MOB3K, Additional upto Rs. 3000 discount on pre-payment via partner bank debit/credit card
Poco M2 Pro and Poco C3: Bank pre-payment discount (upto Rs. 3000)
Samsung Galaxy M21: Rs. 22,999 Rs. 21,999 (4/64GB), Rs. 27,499 (6/128GB), Additional Rs. 3000 discount on pre-payment via partner bank debit/credit card
Samsung Galaxy M31: Rs. 30,999 Rs. 29,999 (6/128GB), Rs. 35,699 Rs. 34,999 (8/128GB), Additional Rs. 3000 discount on pre-payment via partner bank debit/credit card
As with the smartphones, on TVs too you’ll get a 20% (up to Rs.3000) discount on pre-payment via partner bank debit/credit card and additional Rs. 3000 discount using Code 11TV3K for TVs that costs over Rs. 40,000. Use Code 11TV2K for TVs under Rs. 40,000.
Asus TUF505DT-RB73 (Ryzen 7 3750H): Rs. 155,000 Rs. 140,000
Dell Latitude 7490 (8th Gen Intel Core i5): Rs. 129,990 Rs. 91,990
Dell Latitude 5310 (10th Gen Intel Core i5): Rs. 125,000 Rs. 107,999
Other Exciting Offers:
Whirlpool: upto 25% off on items
Fantech: upto 50% off on items
CG: upto 20% off on items
Yasuda: upto 20% off on items
Homeglory: Minimum 15% off on items
Midea: upto 25% off on items
X-Age: upto 50% off on items
Early Birds Vouchers:
CG Digital: 3% off via early bird voucher, minimum purchase of Rs. 15000 (voucher code:3PERCNT)
246 Impex Store: Rs. 125 off on minimum purchase of Rs.1000 (voucher code:246IMP125)
Evo Store: Rs. 200 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 2000 (voucher code: EVO200)
Sony: Rs. 2000 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 35000 (voucher code: SONYEB2000), free delivery on minimum purchase of Rs. 3000
Midea: Rs. 1000 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 40000 (voucher code: MIDEA1000), on all air conditioners
Fantech: Rs. 400 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 2000 (voucher code: FANTECH111)
Gadget Bazazr: 7% off on minimum purchase of Rs. 5000 (voucher code: GADGETBZ)
Videocon: Rs. 1000 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 30000 (voucher code: VIDEO1000)
Afno Pasal: Rs. 200 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 2000 (voucher code: AP1111)
Converse Shoes: Rs. 1000 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 5000, Rs. 2000 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 10000
Conclusion
You might have noticed that the number of deals this year as compared to previous years has decreased drastically. That’s all down to the pandemic. It has disrupted the manufacturing process, supply line, basically our everyday life. Furthermore, demands for mobiles and laptops have increased during this pandemic. Students have to have either a laptop or a mobile phone to attend online classes. Hence, this surge in demand has seen brands unable to maintain proper stock. Additionally, the difficulty to get flights to bring in products has led to a decrease in the stock for the majority of the brands.
In past, we used to see a lot of deals during the Daraz 11.11 sales. However, even well-established brands such as OnePlus and Xiaomi have not put forth any deals this year. It further shows the effect that COVID-19 has had. Anyway, as other flash deals starts to pop-up, we will keep you updated about it. Thus, make sure that you tune back in, so, that you don’t miss out on the best tech deals of this year’s Daraz 11.11.
Vivo isn’t the first company that comes to mind when asked which OEM comes up with the best value-oriented smartphones. Because its offerings have traditionally ranked performance below good looks and better cameras, the aforementioned response seems reasonable. Having said that, this formula has undoubtedly worked for Vivo as it manages to enter the charts of the highest smartphone selling brands every quarter. So, obviously, what the company is doing—is working. And today, I have the new Vivo V20 in for review.
What is easily one of the most alluring mid-range smartphones I’ve ever seen or had the opportunity to review, the Vivo V20 is actually so much more than that. But let’s talk about the design for a minute. It’s gorgeous, it really is. Available in three color options altogether, fair to say that the Sunset Melody variant that I have with me is the best of the bunch.
Changing its hue, from golden to blue—ah, this gradient finish is mesmerizing.
And the matte glass back is all the rage as well. This AG (Anti-Glare) matte glass also makes for an exceptional grip and the phone is surprisingly not as slippery as one might think. Furthermore, the back is resistant to scratches, whereas the AF (Anti-Fingerprint) coating gets rid of most of the smudges that you would normally. And the ones that do manage to make their way on the panel can be taken care of with one swift wipe.
Similarly, the rectangular rear camera module at the back is something to talk about too. With its dual-layer structure for the sensors and the dual-LED flash, the V20 will wobble when placed on a flat surface. But all’s well by slapping in the clear case that comes inside the box. However, this thing is so darn pretty that it’s a pity that one would have to put on a case. Anyway, the phone has a plastic frame with a glossy finish, although something a little more subdued would’ve been my ideal choice.
Textured power button
On the right, you’ll find the power and the volume buttons. Interestingly, the power button is also textured, so you can always tell when you have your finger on it. Moreover, the buttons are incredibly well-placed and I could therefore easily reach them with no trouble. The top frame stays clean while the left side houses a SIM tray which can take two SIMs alongside a micro SD card. Finally, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, and the speaker grille at the bottom.
Buttons, Ports
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Power, Volume button
Headphone Jack, USB-C, Speaker
All of this is packaged into a slim, lightweight body with a subtle 2.5D curve through the edges. Vivo V20’s weight distribution is excellent as well so… it looks like Vivo has nailed the design side of things on this phone. Only one other thing I wish it had was an IP rating of sorts seeing how the much cheaper POCO X3 manages to include an IP53 certification.
Display
6.44-inches FHD+ AMOLED panel
No Gorilla Glass protection
Standard 60Hz refresh rate
Moving to the front, the phone has a 6.44-inches FHD+ AMOLED display. This is neither compact nor too big to be absolutely unpocketable which is another major win for the Vivo V20 I’d say. Still, the company could’ve definitely worked to bring down the bezels because frankly, they disturb the harmony of the phone’s overall aesthetics. Minimizing the considerably large chin and the bezels on the other sides would’ve been absolute icing on the cake.
Anyway, it’s quite odd that Vivo has gone with a traditional teardrop notch instead of how the cool kids on the block are rather going with a minimalistic punch-hole cutout. With this, Vivo V20 manages to achieve a relatively meager 83.7% screen-to-body ratio. And seeing how the company was arguably a pioneer in introducing innovative motorized mechanisms in its earlier V-series of smartphones, this feels like a blatant letdown.
Disregarding all of these, the display is excellent in itself. Since it’s an AMOLED panel, you will be able to enjoy darker darks and brighter whites thanks to the incredible 2 million:1 contrast ratio.
Likewise, the phone’s display is completely flat with rounded edges on all four sides. Also, it comes with a screen-protector pre-applied—which is always something nice to have. But that feels more like a mere compensation for the lack of a Gorilla Glass protection of any kind, than a cost-saving luxury to the users. Furthermore, V20’s display is also the house to an optical in-display fingerprint sensor.
Fingerprint, face unlock
It does demand a little bit of pressure to get it working but once you do, it works almost every time. The sensor is pretty fast and on a few occasions, I was surprised to see it work even when my finger was a little wet. You can also opt for face-unlock as your go-to biometrics option. Despite not being secure enough, it is respectably fast.
Talking about the core panel itself, everything’s A+ here—although a higher 90/120Hz refresh rate would’ve been even nicer. I didn’t notice any sort of discoloration around the edges of Vivo V20 either. The colors are vibrant and the screen can get plenty bright even when you’re in a brightly lit environment. Compared to the OnePlus Nord, the color scheme of the Vivo V20 in its default setting is slightly cool, but maybe that’s the other way around. The Nord’s panel is a little warmer. But, you can mess around with the color levels in the settings.
The “Professional” color mode, in particular, caught my eye. To my surprise, watching sitcoms under this option with moderately muted hues was quite fun. Objects and the human subjects looked a lot more natural and easy on the eyes. So yeah, that’s neat.
Performance
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (8nm)
8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128/256GB internal storage (expandable)
While V20’s design and display are pretty stellar, if the history of Vivo is any indication, its performance wouldn’t follow suit. And in the strictest sense of words, that is still true. For instance, let’s take a look at a couple of similar-priced smartphones. The OnePlus Nord comes with a more powerful Snapdragon 765G SoC with an integrated 5G modem, whereas the Realme X3 comes with last year’s flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 855+.
Yep, Vivo V20’s Snapdragon 720G most certainly doesn’t compare against the competition—especially the Realme X3. Albeit comparatively underpowered, the V20 didn’t disappoint me in my day-to-day usage. Paired with 8GB of RAM and either 128 or 256GB of storage, memory on this phone wasn’t an issue either. But for some reason, I occasionally noticed how app installation takes a bit longer to complete.
Gaming
When it comes to gaming, the phone maxes out at the “High” frame rate and “HD” graphics in PUBG Mobile. And here, I didn’t notice any major stutter or lag, even though the way the game renders graphic elements feels a little weird. Other than that, the gameplay is pretty solid with an average of 40-45fps. On the other hand, OnePlus Nord can push to Ultra frame rate and HDR graphics—a tier above what the Vivo V20 can do.
Similarly, I also played Call of Duty Mobile for my review of the Vivo V20. It can be cranked up to Max frame rate and High graphics and the gameplay is extremely smooth. Other relatively lightweight games like PES 2021, Injustice 2, Clash Royale, etc. run without a problem either. And the heat management on Vivo V20 is fairly impressive as well, even though it doesn’t have a dedicated vapor chamber liquid cooling like its Pro sibling. The phone does get a little warm after about half an hour or more of gaming, but it cools off pretty quickly.
Software
Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11
The first phone in Nepal to ship with Android 11 out-of-the-box
Now, if you’ve read/watched our review of any Vivo smartphone in the past, you’ll remember how we’ve spoken critically of its software. Vivo’s custom skin to Android—Funtouch OS, has always received harsh words of criticism, and deservedly so. But surprise-surprise, the latest Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11 is ridiculously good. I mean, crazy good. It’s almost a complete overhaul from the previous version and to my liking, Vivo has heavily leaned into a stock Android look and feel, while being inspired by OnePlus’ Oxygen OS.
The phone has Quickstep as its default launcher and almost every other default apps are supplied by Google. While looking a lot like stock Android, Funtouch OS 11 sort-of manages to overcome one major criticism of its inspiration—about how drab or boring stock Android can get. There is a lot of customization, and helpful ones at that too.
Uninterrupted gaming experience
For instance, there’s the new Ultra Game Mode which optimizes system resources, blocks notifications, and better gameplay. There’s also a sweet shortcut where you can shake the phone to active the torch, just like on Motorola phones (but doesn’t turn it off… huh?). And because it is based on Android 11, you can enjoy different Android 11 exclusive features like Bubbles, built-in screen recording, etc.
Weird enough, the revamped power menu on Android 11 takes abnormally long to activate on this phone. I was also impressed with this feature called “Wisdom Engine”. What it does is give a notification whenever an app(s) consumes a more-than-usual level of the battery in the background, and you can choose to end its process. On top of the visual overhaul, it’s little features like this, that has really made me admire Funtouch OS 11 on the Vivo V20 during my review.
In the more recent news, Vivo has officially confirmed Origin OS, which is supposed to be a complete redo of Funtouch OS. I can only hope that the upcoming Android skin from Vivo abides by the current version of Vivo’s Funtouch OS, and doesn’t try & do anything extravagant.
Cameras
Triple-cameras at the back
(64MP primary, 8MP multi-function, 2MP mono)
44MP front-facing camera inside the notch
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Back Cameras
Front Camera
Time to talk about the cameras. Vivo V20 has a triple rear-camera setup with a 64MP primary sensor that takes 16MP pixel-binned images by default. The 8MP multi-function sensor is responsible for wide-angle, macro, and portrait images, whereas the 2MP monochrome lens lets you take fun B&W photos & videos.
Normal Images
Here, the regular images from the 64MP sensor are great. They look vibrant with a hint of warm tone that looks pleasing to the eyes. Comparing it to the OnePlus Nord’s 48MP primary sensor, it’s neck-and-neck.
Normal
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V20
Nord
V20
Nord
V20
Nord
Both lenses take 4-in-1 binned images by default, and the photos look almost indistinguishable with comparable dynamic range. However, images from the V20 tend to have slightly better sharpness and are less riddled with noise.
Pixel-binned
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V20 - 16MP
Nord - 12MP
Similarly, the detail preservation and color balance are also better on the V20. But once again, let me remind you, the difference I’m talking about is marginal to the core.
High-res
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V20 - 64MP
Nord - 48MP
Taking a look at the respective high-res shots from the two phones, one can clearly see how Vivo V20’s 64MP lens is capable of taking sharper, clearer images with incredible details.
Wideangle Images
The wide-angle images are similar on the V20 and Nord too.
Wideangle
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V20
Nord
V20
Nord
V20
Nord
Still, the latter maintains better highlights and has a wider dynamic range, while the Vivo V20 manages to generate photos with punchier colors like before.
Portrait Images
Moving on to the portrait shots, it’s a little daunting to see how the bokeh effect on the OnePlus Nord looks… unsettling. As you can see in these samples, subjects tend to look abnormally dark, although they don’t look as overprocessed & smooth like on the V20.
Portrait
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V20
Nord
V20
Nord
V20
Nord
V20
Nord
Similarly, the saturation is a little high on the V20 in comparison, but that could align with what one prefers. Personally, I’d take the smooth & punchier portraits from the Vivo V20 over the ghastly ones from the Nord any day—and this sentiment remained constant throughout the review period.
Selfie Images
Coming to the front, Vivo V20 equips a 44MP selfie camera with eye AF, whereas the opposition has a dual-selfie-camera setup consisting of a 32MP primary and an 8MP ultra-wide lens.
Selfie
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V20
Nord
V20
Nord
V20
Nord
V20 is a clear winner in terms of regular selfies as its background exposure is miles ahead and the photo looks lively with a warm color tone. Thanks to eye AF, the phone manages to lock focus quickly and the selfies come off looking pretty sharp as well. Portrait selfies, on the other hand, are alike on V20 & the Nord in terms of the bokeh effect and the overall image quality.
Nighttime Images
Let’s take a look at the nighttime images now. Here, the superior Spectra 355 ISP of the OnePlus Nord shows what it’s capable of.
Normal Nighttime
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V20
Nord
V20
Nord
As evident from these shots, both normal nighttime & the night mode images on the Nord have better sharpness with minimal noise.
Night Mode
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V20
Nord
V20
Nord
This doesn’t mean the night shots are terrible on the V20 as it does have better colors and one can even say that the highlights are better maintained on it.
Wideangle Night Mode
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V20
Nord
V20
Nord
OnePlus Nord also wins out on wide-angle night mode images since V20’s results look a bit hazy.
Videos
Video-wise, the Vivo V20 can shoot 4K/30fps recordings from both front and rear cameras, and you can take videos from the wide-angle camera as well. It also has gyro-EIS on both lenses. While minimizing your field-of-view to the extreme, oddly enough, “Super Anti-Shake” mode from the back camera maxes out at 1080p/50fps, whereas the “Steadiface” mode on the selfie camera can be tuned to 4K/30fps.
The videos turn out well stabilized on the aforementioned resolution, so that’s nice. Making use of the 2MP monochrome lens, you can also shoot fun photos & videos where the subject stays in color while the background turns black-in-white. Throughout the review, I personally didn’t find these features of the Vivo V20 that enticing, to be honest. There’s also the option to take bokeh videos, and the dual-video mode lets you record footage from both selfie, and/or primary, wide-angle lens. All in all, the Vivo V20 is a capable camera smartphone for photos as well as videos.
Battery
4000mAh battery with 33W Flash Charge
Battery life
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Screen-on time
Screen-on time [2]
Getting to the battery, the phone equips a moderate 4000mAh cell. On paper, that doesn’t seem very impressive, I know. But, you’d be surprised to learn that I consistently managed to get 7–8 hours of screen-on-time on the Vivo V20 during my review. Normally, I’d have the phone at about 50–60% brightness with Always-on Display turned off, and my usage mostly consisted of gaming, binging YouTube, and switching between multiple social-media apps. So, suffice to say, the V20 can easily last you a day, with plenty of juice to spare.
Also, the overnight battery drain on the phone is pretty minuscule as I recorded a loss of about just 1–2% every day. When it comes to charging, the phone supports 33W FlashCharge which is super fast, adequately fast, I would say. At 1% juice remaining, I charged the phone and got to 50% in just 24 minutes. Similarly, Vivo V20 climbed to 80% in 42 minutes, and to the complete 100% in 1 hour and 3 minutes.
Audio
3.5mm headphone jack, Single bottom-firing speaker
Wired headphone provided inside the box
In terms of audio, call quality on the Vivo V20 is great—no complaints there. The single bottom-firing speaker isn’t that impressive though. I mean, it is good enough for listening to podcasts and such, but don’t expect to enjoy any sort of deep bass or rich details from these speakers.
Vivo also ships a wired earphone inside the box. The ear tips are shaped like Apple’s classic AirPods and there’s also a microphone and a playback control button. Its audio is decent—loud enough, with a fair amount of bass and details, although nothing mind-blowing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the V20 is a classic mid-range Vivo phone, done better—to the point where it almost makes perfect sense for the mainstream consumers. The keyword here being “almost” since the onboard Snapdragon 720G isn’t the ideal silicon for the price that Vivo’s asking for the phone. But that has always been an Achilles heel in the company’s portfolio—and one that it tries to make up from the phone’s other aspects like design and camera.
Well, the question remains, “has this tradition been executed to perfection on the Vivo V20?” The answer is going to vary a lot. To reiterate, the phone would’ve been an absolute steal had the company gone with Snapdragon 765G instead. Besides better performance, its inherent 5G capability is a big point in the bank at a time when the shipment of 5G smartphones is seeing a massive rise. Also, the regular 60Hz refresh rate and the teardrop notch feel like a big swing-and-a-miss on the V20. But if you can look past that and appreciate its design, camera prowess, and more, I feel like the Vivo V20 is an exciting device, and something worth checking out.
In a recent press release, Sony has announced that it is not entering the drone market. The company will be conducting its drone business under the Airpeak brand. Let’s learn more about Sony’s latest decision to step into the professional drone business with the Airpeak brand.
Airpeak: Sony Drone Project
When it comes to consumer electronics, Sony ranks among the biggest and most popular brands in the world. It manufactures smartphones, TVs, audio accessories, cameras, and so much more. Even when it comes to cameras and imaging technology, the Japanese company is among the world leaders. Not only does it manufacture its own cameras, but it also develops imaging solutions for brands like Apple. Sony looks to take it to the next level by integrating it into a drone.
Technologies involved
Airpeak is the company’s latest project in the field of AI robotics. Sony acknowledges that drone technology in recent years has contributed to workflow efficiency and energy saving in the industrial sector. And now, the company wants to do its part in the evolution of the technology using the 3R technology (Reality, Real-time, and Remote) along with its imaging and sensing technology.
Who is this for?
With Airpeak, Sony is targeting professional video creators. Thus, we might not see any consumer drone under the Airpeak brand. Airpeak aims to promote the use of drone technology in fields where it was challenging in the past. And it wants to do so with the highest level of safety and reliability. The brand will also be collaborating with professional creators for the same.
Market Competition
The drone market isn’t entirely new to the company. Sony has worked with another Japanese company ZMP for Aerosense back in 2015. Earlier this year, Sony Alpha Rumors spotted a drone patent from Sony. That being said, it will not be easy for the company to penetrate into the drone market, which, as of now, is dominated by the likes of DJI. Sony should also look into GoPro’s Karma drones that tried to challenge DJI but failed miserably. However, many see this as the perfect time for Sony to announce itself in the drone market given how the American and European markets are getting cautious about the use of Chinese technology.
Sony Airpeak Launch and Availability
Sony will be officially launching products under the Airpeak brand starting from next year. The company says it will be updating customers about the project from Airpeak’s official website.
Even after the delay caused by the game’s ban on India, the Season 2 of the PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL) South Asia has finally concluded. For four weeks, the top twenty teams from South Asia faced off each other for the chance to take part in the PUBG Mobile Global Tournament. Teams from Nepal have performed exceptionally well in the PUBG Mobile Pro League South Asia bagging both the first and first runner up. Let’s learn more about the concluded PMPL South Asia gaming tournament, including its duration, format, winners, and prize pool.
PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL) South Asia Overview
To begin with, Season 2 of the PMPL South Asia was initially set to start in September. However, the Indian Government’s decision to ban the game in the country affected the tournament. As a result, Tencent decided to not allow any Indian players to take part in the competition. According to a report by AFK Gaming, as many as 17 teams based in India were affected by the decision. However, three of them were able to get their place back after recruiting players from other South Asian Countries, mainly from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The three teams were Element Esports, Future Station Esports, and Stalwart Esports.
Format
Talking about the actual tournament, the regular season kicked off on October 15 and concluded on November 1. There were five groups with four teams in each of them Five games were played on each game day in Round Robin format. At the end of the third week, the three best teams from each group qualified for the finals with the best performing team from the remaining joining them.
Winners
Out of the 16 teams that made it to the finals, ten were from Nepal, and the rest were based on Bangladesh and Pakistan (3 each). The Grand Finals of the PMPL South Asia Season 2 ran from November 8 to November 11. At the end of the fourth day, Abrupt Slayers became the winner with four chicken dinners and 91 kills. The team had a bright start to the finals with three chicken dinner on the first day.
PMPL South Asia Season 2 Final Standings
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On the final leaderboard, they managed to score 212 points. Another Nepali Team DRS Gaming managed to score 207 points to rank second. A1 eSports was the second runner up with 189 points. Similarly, Nima Tamang from DRS Gaming won the MVP award after ending the tournament with 30 kills (7 headshots, 5953 damage).
Winner and Kill Leaders
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PMPL South Asia: Prize Pool
Abrupt Slayers won $40,000 for securing first place in the tournament. Similarly, second-placed DRS Gaming and A1 Esports won a cash prize of $20,000 and $14,000, respectively. Similarly, Nima won $5000 for its MVP performance. The top three teams have also secured their place in the PUBG Mobile Global Tournament. It will take place between 24th November and 20th December. In that tournament, 24 teams will battle each other for the $2 million prize pool.
Also, check out the review of the best gaming phone in Nepal.
Samsung has just unveiled its latest mid-range M-series smartphone in Brazil. The new smartphone is no one other than the Galaxy M21s. Let’s take a look at the specifications, features, expected price, availability of Samsung Galaxy M21s in Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy M21s Overview
The model number of the M21s (SM F415FZKBZTO) confirms that it is indeed the Galaxy F41 in a 4/64GB memory configuration. Both the device are rebrands of the Galaxy M31 that is available in Nepal.
Design and Display
Design-wise, there is not much that separates the new Galaxy M21s from the vanilla model. Both feature a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ panel with Infinity-U notch that holds the front camera. The display is housed inside a polycarbonate body. The volume rockers and power button are on the right side while the SIM card tray is on the left side of the phone.
At the back, we get to see the rectangular camera bump on the top left corner. It’s home to a triple camera setup. Even though the device has a Super AMOLED display, Samsung has still gone with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Performance and Memory
Nothing has been upgraded in the chipset department as well. Samsung has gone with the same Exynos 9611 chipset that it has used in the majority of its mid-range phones in 2020. The chipset based on the 10nm FinFET process consists of four Cortex A73 cores (up to 2.3GHz) and four Cortex A53 cores (up to 1.7 GHz). It can get you through the day to day tasks. However, when it comes to gaming, it is well below the Helio G90T and Snapdragon 720G which the competitors are offering in the mid-range segment.
Talking about the memory, only the 4+64GB variant has been confirmed now. However, we expect Samsung to release a 6+128GB variant as well. The storage can be expanded up to 128GB using an external microSD card.
Camera
Galaxy M21s features a triple camera setup on the back. The primary here has a 64MP sensor instead of the 48MP one that is on the regular M21. The rest of the setup has remained unchanged. There is an 8MP camera with a wider FOV. There is also a dedicated 5MP sensor for the depth sensor. On the front, Samsung has upgraded the 20MP selfie camera to up to 32MP.
Rest of the specs
Samsung Galaxy M21s has a monstrous battery of 6000mAh with support for 15W fast charging. There is a rear-mounted physical fingerprint sensor for biometrics. Connectivity options include USB 2.0 Type-C port, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Samsung Galaxy M21s Specifications:
Body: 159.2 x 75.1 x 8.9mm; 191 gm
Display: 6.4-inches Super AMOLED panel
Resolution: FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Software & UI: Samsung’s One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10
Rear Camera: Triple camera;
– 64MP primary shooter
– 8MP ultra-wide lens
– 5MP depth sensor
– Single LED flash
Front Camera: 32MP
Security: Physical fingerprint scanner
Audio: 5mm headphone jack, Dolby Atmos
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo, USB Type-C
Battery: 6000mAh with 15W fast charging
Samsung Galaxy M21s Price in Nepal and Availability
Samsung Galaxy M21s is now available in Brazil for R$1,699 for the 4/64GB variant. The company recently dropped the price of Galaxy M21 in Nepal. We think Samsung is preparing for new launches which in this case could be the Galaxy M21s. We expect the price of Samsung Galaxy M21s in Nepal to be under Rs. 30,000.
On the occasion of Tihar, Samsung Nepal has announced a cashback offer of up to Rs. 1,500 on two of its most popular mid-range smartphones. Under this scheme, Samsung Nepal has announced a price drop on Galaxy M21 and Galaxy M31.
The new starting price of the Samsung M21 and M31 in Nepal is Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 29,999 respectively. Since the two devices are nearing their End of Life (EOL) period, we expect the price cut to be permanent. It may even be a hint that Samsung is preparing new smartphones in Nepal. Because of it, Galaxy M21 and M31 are even more affordable making the deal even more tempting for potential buyers.
Overview
For the most part, Samsung Galaxy M21 and M31 are similar devices. The only major difference is the camera setup. Samsung Galaxy M21 flaunts a triple camera setup on the back. It consists of a 48MP primary camera accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. The M31 betters it with a 64MP primary sensor and an additional 5MP macro sensor. Similarly, it has a 32MP front camera compared to a 20MP camera on the Galaxy M21.
The two devices are powered by Exynos 9611, which actually falls behind what the competitors are offering at the price range. Other than that, the M21 and M31 are a good overall package. Both device sports 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. The displays are Widevine L1 certified. M21 and M31 ship with One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10.
Both phones come with a big 6,000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging via Type-C port. For biometrics, they have a rear-mounted physical fingerprint scanner. They also support Dolby Atmos via the 3.5 headphone jack.
Samsung Galaxy M21, M31 Specifications:
Display: 6.4-inches Super AMOLED panel; 403PPI; Gorilla Glass 3
Resolution: FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BDS, USB Type-C
Battery: 6000mAh with 15W fast charging
Samsung Galaxy M21, M31 Price in Nepal
After the price drop, the new price of the Samsung Galaxy M21 in Nepal is Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 25,999 for the 4/64GB and 6/128GB, respectively. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy M31 starts at Rs. 29,999 for the 6/128GB variant, while the 8/128GB has a price tag of Rs. 34,499.
Just some days ago, Poco teased that it is making a return to the Nepali market. The company today announced two devices that will soon hit the stores around you. The cheapest of the two is the Poco C3. In this post, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, official price, and availability of the “Game Changer” Poco C3 in Nepal.
Poco C3 Overview
Design and Display
Poco C3 features a 6.53-inch HD+ display. It sports a waterdrop notch to house the selfie camera. The panel sports an HD+ resolution and a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. The display on the Poco C3 is reading mode certified by the TUV Rheinland.
At the back, Poco has included a dual-tone color scheme. It also houses the square camera module. Unlike the Redmi 9C that the device is based on, the Poco C3 does not have a fingerprint scanner. Similarly, the device is P2i certified against minor splashes.
Performance and Software
Here, the phone packs in Helio G35 SoC. It’s a budget-oriented gaming chipset from MediaTek. Thus, it supports HyperEngine Technology that manages the resources intelligently for a lag-free experience. As of now, only the 4/64GB variant will be available in Nepal.
Poco C3 ships with MIUI 12 based on Android 10. The highlight here is the Poco Clean Experience which provides an ad-free experience to the users. Also, the company claims to have optimized the MIUI launcher and improved the responsiveness of the system animation.
Camera
At the back, the triple camera setup is enclosed inside the square camera module along with the LED flash. The setup is led by a 13MP camera sensor. It is joined by a 2MP portrait camera and another 2MP sensor for macro shots. The rear camera setup supports Phase Detection AF, AI Scene Detection, and Face Recognition. On the front, the waterdrop notch encloses the 5MP selfie camera.
Rest of the specs
The whole setup is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, which the company claims can deliver up to 2 hours of battery endurance on normal usage. Poco is also claiming a 25% longer battery lifespan on this device because of the Better Battery 2.0. The device supports 10W charging and Poco has included a 380V surge protection charger with the device. Similarly, the ports are also made from corrosion-proof materials.
Poco C3 Specifications:
Dimension: 164.9 x 77.1 x 9mm; 194g
Display: 6.53-inch In-cell LCD display; Panda Glass Screen Protection
Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels); 20:9
Chipset: Mediatek Helio G35
CPU: Octa-Core (8 x 2.3 GHz Cortex A53)
GPU: Imagination PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 3/4GB
Storage: 32/64GB eMMC 5.1 (expandable with SD card)
Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, Micro USB 2.0, A-GPS/GLONASS, Beidou
Battery: 5000mAh, 10W charging via Micro USB
Colors: Arctic Blue, Matte Black, Lime Green
Poco C3 Price in Nepal and Availability
The official price of Poco C3 in Nepal is Rs. 14,999 for the 4/64GB. Similarly, the low-end 3/32GB variant of the Poco C3 costs Rs. 13,999,
Smartphone Model
Price in Nepal (Official)
Availability
Poco C3 (3/32GB)
NPR 13,999
Offline & Online markets
Poco C3 (4/64GB)
NPR 14,999
Offline & Online markets
Yes—you read that right. Poco, an online-exclusive brand up until now, will cater to its customer via the offline market in Nepal. With this, we have another contender for the best smartphone under Rs. 15,000 in Nepal. The device is a rebranded version of the Redmi 9C, which has been our top pick in that particular price range.
Users will have to decide on which features they want the most. Poco C3 comes with an extra gigabyte of RAM, an ad-free UI experience, and Better Battery 2.0. On the other hand, Redmi 9C comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, which is absent on the C3.
Poco C3 features a 6.53-inch HD+ display. It sports a waterdrop notch to house the selfie camera. The panel sports an HD+ resolution and a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. The display on the Poco C3 is reading mode certified by the TUV Rheinland.
