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Nokia 3.4 Review: Less Than Ordinary

Nikhil Shrestha
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Nokia 3.4 Review: Less Than Ordinary

Nokia added the 3.4 to its lineup of budget smartphones back in September. It does look like a decent upgrade over its predecessor – the Nokia 3.2. Yet, the bigger, and the more important question is whether the new Nokia 3.4 is competent enough against the grueling competition from companies like Xiaomi, Realme, POCO, and such. So, let’s find out all about the Nokia 3.4 in this review.

Nokia 3.4 Specifications:

  • Body: 6.34 x 2.99 x 0.34 inches, 180 gm
  • Display: 6.39-inches IPS LCD panel, 269PPI
  • Resolution: HD+ (1560 x 720 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 (11nm Mobile Platform)
  • CPU: Octa-core (4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • GPU: Adreno 610
  • RAM: 3/4GB
  • Storage: 32/64GB eMMC 5.1 (expandable)
  • Software & UI: Android 10
  • Rear Camera: Triple-camera;
    – 13MP primary sensor
    – 5MP ultra-wide-angle lens
    – 2MP depth sensor
    – LED flash
  • Front Camera: 8MP sensor
  • Security: Physical fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
  • Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, loudspeaker
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / BDS, USB Type-C, 4G LTE
  • Sensors: Accelerometer (G-sensor), Gyro, Proximity, Ambient Light
  • Battery: 4000mAh with 10W charging (5W adapter in the box)
  • Colors: Fjord, Dusk, Charcoal
  • Price in Nepal: Rs. 18,699 (3/64GB)
  • Available at Nokia authorized retail stores

Nokia 3.4 Review:

Design & Build

  • Polycarbonate build material
  • Textured finish at the back

Starting with the design, as expected, Nokia has gone with a polycarbonate material on the 3.4. The back of the phone has this 3D nano-textured finish which makes for an easy grip. It doesn’t attract fingerprints or smudges that easily which is a relief. Even though the device offers a nice tactile feel, throughout the review period, I did find it a bit odd how the Nokia 3.4 almost comes off sticky. Like, the phone seems as if it is loosely glued to my hands. So, while it seemed unnecessary at first, I ended up slapping in the clear case anyway.

Enticing color options

Still, the phone is extremely well built and I didn’t notice any creaks or other manufacturing defects. This “Dusk” color variant that I have with me looks quite beautiful, although you can go for either Fjord or Charcoal options as well. Nokia 3.4’s button placement should feel immensely familiar if you’ve used any recent Nokia devices.

Here, you get the power and the volume rockers on the right frame, whereas the left contains the 3-card SIM tray and the dedicated Google Assistant button. To my disappointment, the GA button is still not customizable through the system settings itself, although you can use other third-party apps to do so.

In some regions, Nokia ships the single SIM variant of the phone—so be sure to check it out if you’re planning on getting one. Likewise, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack and a primary microphone at the top, and a USB Type-C port, speaker grille, and a secondary microphone at the bottom frame of the device. If you recall, the Nokia 3.2 came with a micro USB connection. So, it is nice that the company finally shifted to the Type-C standard.

Display

  • 6.39-inches HD+ IPS LCD panel
  • No Gorilla Glass protection

Coming to the display, Nokia has finally joined the cool kids on the block, and gone with the trendier punch-hole cutout instead of a notch. The phone has a 6.39-inches IPS LCD panel with an HD+ resolution. While the company could’ve gotten a pass in the past for the inferior pixel count, seeing how other manufacturers have leveled up by giving FHD display in this price range, Nokia is going to take some heat. As it should.

Nokia 3.4 doesn’t come with any kind of Gorilla Glass protection, so putting on a quality tempered glass is highly advised. Still, throughout my usage, my unit of the phone doesn’t seem to have suffered from any scratches of sorts. Anyway, for what it’s worth, the display is fairly vibrant and the color tone of the panel is acceptable as well. Even for an HD screen, things look sharp enough, so you definitely won’t have any problem reading texts on this display.

Nokia 3.4 - Display [1]

However, my unit of the Nokia 3.4 seems to have slight backlight bleeding on the bottom of the display. I didn’t notice it under well-lit conditions, but when moving to a rather dim environment, this was vividly noticeable. Besides this, there is no such issue on other edges of the display. And yeah, the punch-hole cutout does add to the modernity, but the unfathomable chin with the Nokia branding just… washes away the lavishness.

Performance

  • Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 SoC (11nm)
  • 3/4GB RAM and up to 64GB eMMC 5.1 storage (expandable)
  • Stock Android 10 (a part of Android One program)

Getting down to performance, powering the Nokia 3.4 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 460 chipset. This 11nm silicon is not at all capable to compete against what the aforementioned competitors boast in their devices at this price point. Paired with either 3 or 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage, I encountered frequent lags on the phone—especially when multitasking. To note, my review unit of the Nokia 3.4 comes with a 3/64GB memory configuration.

I’m getting this feeling of déjà vu when talking about the performance of this phone because if you’ve watched any Nokia review we’ve done lately, we’ve complained similarly. The thing is, although Nokia still has a big following after years of hiatus in the market, HMD Global can’t and shouldn’t hope to continue selling phones solely based off of the imbued nostalgia. With such a cut-throat market competition, this scheme simply isn’t going to last very long.

Nokia 3.4 Benchmarks:

  • Androbench
    • Sequential Read: 218.52 MB/s
    • Sequential Write: 130.73 MB/s
  • AnTuTu v8: 135,749
    • CPU: 59,053 | GPU: 18,766 | Memory: 27,884 | UX: 30,046
  • Geekbench 5
    • CPU: (Single Core: 253 | Multi-Core: 1,071)
    • Compute: 258 (OpenCL)
  • PCMark: 5,655 (Work 2.0 Performance)
  • 3DMark: 831 (Sling Shot Extreme)

But I digress. Running lightweight apps is perfectly fine on the phone. Yet, when throwing a few games into the mix, the performance takes a big hit. Out of 3GB of available RAM, you only get about 1.2GB to work with which is simply not enough for our evolved smartphone use case. Maybe if Nokia 3.4 ran on the less-demanding “Go” edition of Android things would’ve been somewhat better. Moreover, while I’m all for the stock Android experience, it feels like Nokia puts absolutely zero effort to complement its hardware with optimized software.

Security update bricked the phone

Nokia 3.4 - System Bricked

That sentiment is further resonated with how the October security patch completely bricked my device. Don’t know what happened here but right after installing the said update, the phone failed to boot up and went into recovery mode instead. With no other option in hand, I had to factory reset it—wiping off all data, files in the process. And the very next day, I was playing a couple of games of PUBG Mobile when suddenly, the Nokia 3.4 just froze all of a sudden, only to boot into the recovery mode—thus forcing me to factory reset the phone once more.

I searched the web to see if anyone else is facing the same issue but couldn’t find anything. So, while the phone is already so late on updates (which is uncharacteristic of Nokia, to begin with), this unstable update thing is yet just another way the company is axing its own foot. Since the phone is a part of the Android One program as well (meaning guaranteed 2 years of OS update and 3 years of monthly security updates), I seriously hope this blunder is strictly avoided in forthcoming updates.

Gaming

Okay, let’s talk gaming now. As you’d imagine, non-demanding titles like Clash Royale, Injustice 2, and such worked perfectly fine on the phone. On the other hand, Call of Duty Mobile can be pushed to very high graphics and high frame rate on Nokia 3.4. However, under these settings, you will face slight stutters every now and then. While not entirely unplayable, you will want to turn down the settings to medium graphics and high frame rate for smoother gameplay. Furthermore, PUBG Mobile plays best under medium frame rate and smooth graphics—although you can bump the frame rate to high as well.

Camera

  • Triple cameras at the back
  • (13MP primary, 5MP ultra-wide-angle, 2MP depth)
  • 8MP selfie camera inside the teardrop notch

Let’s talk about the cameras now. While last year’s Nokia 3.2 came with a single rear camera, the company has added two more lenses this time around. Enclosed inside a circular module that slightly rises above the back panel, the camera placement looks quite nice. Talking about the lenses themselves, you get a 13MP primary camera alongside a 2MP depth sensor and a 5MP ultra-wide lens. To review the cameras of the Nokia 3.4, we compared them against the ones from POCO M2.

Normal Images

Starting with the normal daytime images, as you can see from these samples, the images from M2 have better details and dynamic range, whereas the ones from Nokia 3.4 looks grittier.

The color tone of the images varies wildly though. While the photos from Nokia looks slightly pale and yellowish, the M2 leans on the orangish/reddish side of things.

Wideangle Images

On to the wide-angle shots, images from Nokia 3.4 tend to look dark compared to the M2. Reds are also slightly undersaturated here.

And just like normal images, the POCO M2 produces comparatively punchier photos. However, you can see how the sky looks blue and natural on Nokia 3.4 on contrary to the POCO M2.

Portrait Images

Edge detection on portrait images is quite similar on both phones.

But, subjects look a-bit dark on the Nokia 3.4, while the ones on POCO M2 turn out overly reddish. It’s a matter of personal preference but in this instance, I’d go for the Nokia 3.4.

Selfie Images

Getting to selfie images, subjects look very soft and smooth on the 3.4, while you’ll enjoy much more details and better exposure on the M2.

Portrait selfies share a similar story too and images from POCO M2 even have slightly better edge detection.

Nighttime Images

Nighttime images on Nokia 3.4 are nothing to write home about. Photos look soft, hazy, and lacking in any sort of detail.

It does have a dedicated night mode as well, which is not a complete gimmick like on the Nokia 2.4. It does boost the luminance by a bit but does nothing in terms of details and sharpness.

Videos

When it comes to videos, you are locked in at 1080p/30fps on the Nokia 3.4—on both front and back camera. In this setting, as you’d expect, there is no stabilization of any sort. 

Battery & Others

  • 4000mAh battery with 10W charging (USB-C)
  • Only a 5W power adapter provided inside the box

Nokia 3.4 gets its juice from a decent 4000mAh battery. But given its unadulterated OS heritage, this should give a fairly amount of endurance on everyday usage. And that it did. I consistently got about 6-7 hours of screen-on-time with the phone. This stat comes from a fairly heavy usage consisting of switching between social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, playing heavy games like COD, PUBG, and binging YouTube contents—all at around 60% brightness. So, the Nokia 3.4 will easily last through your day, with some charge to spare.

Charging the phone, on the other hand, was a pain. To get from 0 to 100%, during the review, I recorded that Nokia 3.4 took a ridiculous amount of time: 3 hours and 52 minutes and 53 seconds to be precise. That’s abnormally outrageous seeing how the battery size isn’t that large, to begin with. And 10W of power shouldn’t take that long. Turns out, you’re only getting a 5W power adapter inside the box. What?! That is like the lowest of the lows. How could Nokia purportedly advertise 10W charging on a phone and only ship a 5W brick?

Speaker

Moving on, the single bottom-firing speaker on the Nokia 3.4 doesn’t spark much joy either. The audio is tinny, and heavily lacking in detail. Plus, it can’t get sufficiently loud too. You also get an earphone inside the box but that just adds to the pile of disappointment with this phone. It sounds shallow and just like the speaker, doesn’t offer any detail either.

Fingerprint Sensor

Nokia 3.4 - Fingerprint Sensor

Let me talk about the fingerprint sensor now. Like every other budget phones, this one’s particularly not that fast and readily takes at least a second to unlock the device. On the plus side, you can summon the notification panel by swiping up/down the scanner. Similarly, Nokia 3.4 also supports face-unlock, which is just as slow too.

Conclusion

Overall, the Nokia 3.4 has failed to impress at any level significant. I’ll admit, the design might be enticing to many, including me. But, from its underwhelming performance to average cameras, there’s nothing really exciting about the phone. And with the security update I mentioned earlier, Nokia killed off the one thing I would’ve loved to love about it—the software experience.

  • Watch our video review of Nokia 3.4.

Nokia 3.4 Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Attractive design with a textured finish
  • Decent display quality for the price
  • Stock Android (plus Android One program)
  • Good battery life (easily lasts a day)

Cons:

  • Not the best value-for-money
  • The performance level isn’t competitive
  • Security update bricked the device twice
  • No FHD resolution display
  • Cameras should’ve been slightly better
  • Only 5W power adapter provided

NIC develops cost-effective isolation chamber for transportation of COVID19 patients

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NIC develops cost-effective isolation chamber for transportation of COVID19 patients

National Innovation Centre (NIC) has been manufacturing necessary medical equipment during the pandemic. It is trying to strengthen the medical infrastructure of the country. The latest innovation to come out of the place is the Isolation Chamber. It is both safe and cheaper than the ones available at the moment. Let’s learn more about the Isolation Chamber developed by the National Innovation Centre.

National Innovation Centre: An Introduction

Here, National Innovation Centre is a non-profit organization founded on 9th November 2012 by Mahabir Pun. It is currently operating from inside the Tribhuvan University. It is a platform where ideas are transformed into reality through the efforts of investors and investors. If you have a project that can have a positive impact on the economy or society, you can submit a proposal to the organization. If the project meets the requirements, the organization will help you make it a reality.

NIC runs entirely on donations that come mostly from non-resident Nepalese. But it is also planning to create a steady flow of funds through different in-progress projects. Throughout the on-going COVID19 pandemic, the organization has provided tools to front-line workers. NIC provided PPE and Face Shield to doctors and nurses when they were out of stock in the nation. Similarly, it also produced a special booth for swab collection to make the process safe.

National Innovation Centre: Isolation Chamber

Isolation Box vs Isolation Chamber

The National Innovation Centre has been providing Isolation boxes to hospitals that are treating COVID 19. These boxes have been transporting infected patients in ambulances. These boxes allow patients isolated from the rest of the people in the ambulance.

However, the infection has reached far nooks of Nepal where there is no medical facility. In such cases, patients are transported to the nearest medical facility via helicopter. As helicopters are not as equipped as an ambulance for medical emergencies, the rescue flights require a special isolation chamber. It also needs to ensure the patient is able to breathe properly.

Development and Testing

The Isolation Chamber is a result of hard work by a team consisting of biomedical, electrical, and mechanical engineers. Dipendra Basnet, a mechanical engineer, said in an interview with Techpana that the team has not compromised in the quality of the product. Everything on the isolation chamber uses local resources except for some parts of the section limit which came from abroad.

National Innovation Centre provided a prototype to the Manang Air, which provided necessary feedback for its improvement. The Ministry of Health and Population has also approved the use of the isolation chamber.

Cost-Effective

As of now, there are only a handful of companies that have permission to transport COVID patients via helicopters. These include Simrik Air, Manang Air, and Kailash Air. Here, Kailash Air uses China-made chambers that cost around NPR 3,00,000. However, the Isolation Chamber developed by the National Innovation Centre costs around NPR 80,000 only.

Latest news:

Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy M51 with 7000mAh battery finally launched in Nepal

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Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy M51 with 7000mAh battery finally launched in Nepal

Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy M51 back in August. And smartphone enthusiasts here in Nepal have been waiting for the domestic launch ever since. Well, good news. The phone has now landed in Nepal. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, availability, and official price in Nepal of the Samsung Galaxy M51.

Samsung Galaxy M51 Overview:

Design and Display

Starting with the design, Galaxy M51 features a “glasstic” body, which is similar to that of M31s. The frames are plastic too, which houses a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Upfront, you are greeted with a big 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus panel with a 20:9 aspect ratio and Full HD resolution. It is available in 2 color options: Black and Blue.

Galaxy M51 punch hole

Performance and Memory

Under the hood, the Galaxy M51 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G making it the fastest M-series smartphone yet. It is the same chipset found on popular midrange phones like Galaxy A71 and POCO X2, so expect similar performance with the M51 too. And it’s quite the deviation from Samsung’s over usage of its in-house Exynos 9611 silicon.

In terms of memory, the phone has 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. You can further expand the storage with a dedicated microSD card slot.

Camera

Moving to the cameras, Samsung Galaxy M51 has a quad-camera setup comprising of a 64MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, a 5MP macro lens, and a 5MP depth sensor. There’s a tiny punch-hole cutout in the top center of the display which houses a 32MP selfie unit.

samsung galaxy m51 battery size

Battery

Now, the battery capacity is one of the highlighting features of the Galaxy M51. The phone makes use of a monstrous 7,000mAh battery, which also happens to be the biggest battery that we have ever witnessed in a Samsung smartphone. Similarly, it supports 25W fast charging, which is a welcome addition given the humongous battery size. Furthermore, the fast charger is included in the box itself.

Samsung Galaxy M51 Specifications:

  • Body: 6.45 x 3.00 x 0.37 inches, 213 gm
  • Display: 6.7-inches Super AMOLED Plus, 393PPI, Gorilla Glass 3
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G (8nm Mobile Platform)
  • CPU: Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver)
  • GPU: Adreno 618
  • RAM: 6/8GB LPDDR4x
  • Storage: 128GB internal storage (expandable via a dedicated microSD slot)
  • Software & UI: One UI 2.1 on top of Android 10
  • Rear Camera: Quad-camera;
    – 64MP primary lens with f/1.8 aperture & PDAF
    – 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture, 123º FOV
    – 5MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
    – 5MP macro sensor with f/2.4 aperture
    – LED flash
  • Front Camera: 32MP, f/2.0 lens (punch-hole)
  • Security: Physical fingerprint sensor (side-mounted)
  • Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, loudspeaker, Dolby Atmos
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / BDS, USB Type-C, 4G LTE
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Geomagnetic, RGB Light sensor
  • Battery: 7000mAh with 25W fast charging (USB-C to USB-C)
  • Color options: Celestial Black, Electric Blue

Samsung Galaxy M51 Price in Nepal and Availability

The price of the Samsung Galaxy M51 in Nepal is NPR 39,999 for the 6/128GB and NPR 43,999 for the 8/128GB variant. It is already available in some regions from today whereas Samsung Galaxy M51 will be available throughout Nepal starting tomorrow.

Smartphone Model Price in Nepal (Official) Availability
Samsung Galaxy M51 (6/128GB) NPR 39,999 Samsung authorized retail stores
Samsung Galaxy M51 (8/128GB) NPR 43,999
  • Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy M31.

JBL Go 3 portable Bluetooth speaker now available in Nepal

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JBL Go 3 portable Bluetooth speaker now available in Nepal

JBL Go 2 is the company’s cheapest Bluetooth speaker available in Nepal. It boasts JBL’s superior sound quality in a portable form factor and affordable price tag. And now, EvoStore has brought its successor in the Nepali market as well. In this post, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, official price, and availability of JBL Go 3 in Nepal.

JBL Go 3 Overview:

Design

Compared to its predecessor, JBL has made some changes to the design of the Go 3. The JBL Go 2 came with a rectangular design with flat sides, rounded corners, and rubberized housing. On the other hand, Go 3 is mostly covered with fabrics. The sides have been curved giving it the eye-catching edgy look. The speaker is IP67 certified against dust and water splash too.

Internal specs

Here, JBL Go 3 includes a 1.5” transducer. It contributes to an RMS output of 4.2 Watts. The frequency response ranges from 110Hz  to 20kHz. For connectivity, the speaker comes with Bluetooth v5.1 with A2DP 1.3 and AVRCP 1.6 profile. There is also support for multi-point connection that allows the speaker to connect to two devices at the same time.

Controls and Ports

You will also notice that it comes with a loop that wasn’t there on its predecessor. Thus, users will care less about accidentally dropping it when carrying it around. Just below it lies the USB Type-C charging port. Similarly, the power button and the Bluetooth button lie on the opposite side of it, whereas the playback control buttons are on the top of the speaker. Likewise, there are separate buttons for volume up, volume down and play/pause.

Battery

JBL has included a 2.7Whr Li-ion polymer battery in the Go 3. The company claims that it can provide up to 5 hours of music playback on a single charge. Similarly, it takes 2.5 hours to fully charge the speaker using a 5W charger.

JBL Go 3 Specifications:

  • Dimensions: 87.5W x 75H x 41.3D (mm)
  • Weight: 209 grams
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth (v5.1)
  • Controls: Bluetooth pairing, Power Button, Volume up/down
  • Transducer: 1.5”
  • Output Power: 4.2W (RMS)
  • Frequency Response: 110Hz – 20kHz
  • Signal to Noise ratio: ≥85dB
  • Protection: IP67 certified
  • Battery: 2.7Whr Lithium-ion polymer
  • Battery Backup: Up to 5 hours
  • Charging interface: USB Type-C (5V,1A)
  • Recharge Time: 2.5 hours

JBL Go 3 Price in Nepal and Availability

JBL Go 3 is now available in Nepal for the price of NPR 6,900. But right now, you can buy the JBL Go 3 portable Bluetooth speaker in Nepal at just Rs. 6,500 from Hukut.

Portable Bluetooth Speaker Price in Nepal Availability
JBL Go 3 NPR 6,500 Hukut
  • Check out our review of the JBL Pulse 4.

Samsung announces a colossal 110″ 4K MicroLED TV in South Korea

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Samsung announces a colossal 110″ 4K MicroLED TV in South Korea

Earlier this year, Samsung Display announced that it will cease the manufacturing of LCD panels by the end of 2020. It was widely speculated that the company is working on new QNED display technology. Having said that, Samsung hasn’t stopped working on other display technologies. Recently, the South Korean company has now announced a MicroLED TV in its domestic market. The giant 110″ MicroLED TV from Samsung looks to be the ultimate entertainment system in your home.

But, what is MicroLED technology?

Before you jump into the details of the new Samsung TV, let’s start with what MicroLED technology is all about. Just like OLED panels, MicroLED is also an emissive display. That is, these panels can produce their own light and don’t require external backlight apparatus as in the normal LCD/LED TVs. The major difference between the two is the nature of diodes. OLED uses organic diodes thus is expensive and prone to screen burns. It also cannot be scaled to larger screen sizes.

On the other hand, MicroLED technology uses inorganic diodes, avoiding screen burns altogether. It offers all the advantages of an OLED panel while also being brighter and more durable. MicroLED panels also don’t require color filters. It is also said to be less expensive in the longer run.

Samsung and MicroLED TV

Samsung has been avoiding OLED panels on its TV because of the above-mentioned issues. Thus, it makes sense for the company to invest in the MicroLED technology. Samsung and Sony lead the development of MicroLED TV.

The Wall was Samsung’s first MicroLED TV. It was first introduced in CES 2018. It came with a modular design that lets the user choose the size of the panel according to the space and aesthetic of the room. This TV is now on sale but it is not anything a normal consumer can afford.

Samsung 110” MicroLED TV

The upcoming 110” MIcroLED TV will be Samsung’s first commercial TV based on the display technology. It will arrive in a traditional form factor. Thus, it will also be the company’s first non-modular MicroLED TV. It will be a pre-fabricated unit without the need for special installation. The TV will have a 4K resolution and 8 million pixels. It will also cover 100% of DCI and Adobe RGB color gamut. It will be powered by a new Micro AI Processor that can support 4K HDR content.

With a screen-to-body ratio of 99.99%, the TV will be practically bezel-less. It will even ditch the back matrix for an immersive experience. There is a Multi View Feature that will split the 110” screen into four parts with each part displaying contents from a unique source. As for the audio, Samsung has included Majestic Sound System with 5.1 channel sound. It also features Object Tracking Sound Pro that identifies motion on the screen and outputs sound accordingly.

Samsung 110” MicroLED TV Price and Availability

Samsung 110” MicroLED TV is now available for pre-order in South Korea. However, the company has been tight-lipped about the price and availability of the device. But, it is expected that the TV will go on sale in 2021 with an obviously extravagant price tag.

TV Model Price Availability
Samsung 110” MicroLED TBA Q1, 2021 (South Korea)
  • Watch our review of the Samsung 55″ RU7100 4K TV.

Samsung announces Game Driver App under the GameDev Program

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Samsung announces Game Driver App under the GameDev Program

Earlier this year, Qualcomm introduced an upgradable smartphone GPU in select Snapdragon 855-powered smartphones. The new feature under the Android GPU Inspector was a result of the collaboration between Qualcomm and Google. Galaxy S10 and Note 10 were the only two Samsung devices to have this feature at the launch. Samsung has now brought the feature to Galaxy S20 and Note 20. The company launched a separate Game Driver App for Exynos and Snapdragon SoCs. Let’s learn more about the Samsung Game Driver App.

Samsung Game Driver App Overview:

Galaxy GameDev Program

The new Samsung Gamer Driver App is the product of the Galaxy GameDev Program. The program was announced at the Samsung Developer Conference 2016. It is intended to provide support to small game developers. However, it has also been working to improve the existing technologies in Galaxy devices.

Game Driver App

As of now, the Samsung Game Driver App is only available for the smartphones under the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 lineup. One can download the app on compatible devices via the Google Play Store. While the Android GPU Inspector was limited to Adreno GPU that Qualcomm uses in its SoC, there is a separate version of the app for Mali GPU that Samsung uses in its Exynos SoC.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra - S Pen

The major highlight of the app is that flagship phones from Samsung will now be able to receive a GPU update through this app. Earlier, such a thing would only be possible via a software OTA update. And smartphones manufacturer don’t roll out system updates that often. With the new Samsung Game Driver App, the company can optimize and improve the GPU faster and more efficiently.

Supported Games

At the launch, the Game Driver App improves the gaming experience in select gaming titles like Black Desert, Fortnite, and Call of Duty: Mobile. However, there is no information about what these improvements are and how they enhance the gaming experience. Samsung promises to expand the support to other games as well. Similarly, the company is also trying to make the app compatible with more Galaxy smartphones.

Samsung also promises to keep improving the gaming experience in its smartphones. The brand is promoting the inclusion of technologies like multi-thread rendering and Vulkan API in smartphones. Samsung is currently working with 50 different partners for the same. The list includes game studios, tool developers, game engine companies, and GPU vendors. Popular names in the list include Qualcomm, Google, ARM, Epic Games, Square Enix, Nexon, and Microsoft.

Samsung Game Driver App Availability

Users of the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 lineup can now download Game Driver App from the Google Play Store.

Galaxy Feature Compatibility Availability (variant)
Game Driver App Galaxy S20, Note 20 series Exynos | Qualcomm
  • Watch our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Moto E7 Plus with 48MP camera and 5,000mAh battery launched in Nepal

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Moto E7 Plus with 48MP camera and 5,000mAh battery launched in Nepal

Motorola launched the Moto E7 Plus in the global market back in September. And now, the device has officially made its way to Nepal as well, while going head-to-head against the likes of POCO C3 and Nokia 3.4. In this post, I’ll be discussing the Motorola Moto E7 Plus and its features, specs, official price, and availability in Nepal.

Motorola Moto E7 Plus Overview

Design and Display

Moto E7 Plus features an LCD panel with a diagonal length of 6.5-inch. The display features a waterdrop style notch to house the front-facing camera. The phone has a rather heavy chin at the bottom. Sadly, Motorola is still using an HD+ panel and it has a 20:9 aspect ratio. Thus, the company is calling this a Max Vision screen.

Moto E7 Plus Design

At the back, one can notice the square camera bump with rounded corners and edges. It houses the dual camera setup along with an LED flash. Just below the bump, is the iconic Motorola branding with a physical fingerprint scanner integrated onto it.

Performance and Memory

Moto E7 Plus packs Snapdragon 460 under its hood. It is an entry-level octa-core chipset from Qualcomm with a clock speed of up to 1.8GHz. So, there is nothing exciting about the performance of the device. However, Motorola has paired it with 4GB of RAM so we can expect it to perform decently in day to day usage. The 64GB internal storage can further be expanded by slotting in an external microSD card. It also has a dedicated Google Assistant button.

Camera

Moto E7 Plus flaunts a dual-camera setup on the back. Here, the primary camera makes use of a 48MP f/1.7 sensor, which is actually great given the rest of the specs. Motorola claims that it can capture sharp and bright capture in different lighting conditions. Users can also add the bokeh effect to their portraits using the 2MP depth sensor. The two sensors are arranged horizontally inside the bump. Above them is a flash that completes the triangular shape.

Moto E7 Plus Camera Setup

Rest of the specs

Motorola has fitted in a huge 5,000mAh battery which supports 10W charging via the micro USB port. There is a capacitive fingerprint sensor on the rear panel of the device. It is available in two color options – Misty Blue, Twilight Orange.

Motorola Moto E7 Plus Specifications:

  • Body: 6.50 x 2.98 x 0.36 inches, 200 gm, Water-repellent design
  • Display: 6.5-inches IPS LCD panel, 269PPI, 86% screen-to-body ratio
  • Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 (11nm Mobile Platform)
  • CPU: Octa-core (4×1.8 GHz Kryo 240 & 4×1.6 GHz Kryo 240)
  • GPU: Adreno 610
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 64GB internal storage (expandable up to 512GB)
  • Software & UI: Android 10
  • Rear Camera: Dual-camera;
    – 48MP primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture, PDAF
    – 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
    – LED flash
  • Front Camera: 8MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture
  • Security: Physical fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
  • Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, loudspeaker
  • Connectivity: Hybrid Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / LTEPP / SUPL, Micro USB, 4G LTE
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient Light
  • Battery: 5000mAh with 10W charging
  • Colors: Misty Blue, Twilight Orange

Motorola Moto E7 Plus Price in Nepal and Availability

Motorola Moto E7 Plus is now available in Nepal for the price of NPR 16,590. You can buy Moto E7 Plus in Nepal exclusively at Daraz.

Smartphone Model Price in Nepal
Motorola Moto E7 Plus NPR 16,590 (4/64GB)

  • Check out our review of Nokia 2.4.

Moto G9 Play launched in Nepal: Decent entry in the sub-20k market?

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Moto G9 Play launched in Nepal: Decent entry in the sub-20k market?

After weeks of teasers, Motorola officially bounced back in the Nepalese market and launched two phones during the Daraz 12.12 campaign. One of them is the Moto G9 Play, which looks to be a decent contender in the best phone under 20K market in Nepal. So, let’s take a look at the specs, features, official price, and availability of Motorola Moto G9 Play in Nepal.

Motorola Moto G9 Play Overview:

Design and Display 

Moto G9 design

Moto G9 Play features a 6.5-inch Max Vision display. The display is based on IPS LCD technology and sports an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels. There is a waterdrop style notch on the top that houses the front camera. The aspect ratio on this is 20:9.

The body of the Moto G9 Play is entirely made up of plastic. One can notice the square camera bump on the rear panel. The rear panel also houses a physical fingerprint sensor. Motorola has opted for a water repellent design to keep the device safe from minor spills and splashes.

Performance and Memory

Likewise, Moto G9 Play is one of the first devices to sport the Snapdragon 662 SoC. This chipset is based on the 11nm node and features eight Kryo 260 cores clocked at 2GHz. The graphics are handled by Adreno 610 GPU clocked at 950MHz. Similarly, the phone comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. With this, Moto G9 Play goes head-to-head against the likes of POCO M2 and Redmi 9/Prime. Users can expand the latter by up to 512GB using a microSD card. The device ships with near-stock Android 10 with default Google apps.

Camera 

Moto G9 camera placement

The G9 Play flaunts a triple camera setup on the back. Its 48MP primary sensor has a pixel size of 1.6micron and supports Quad Pixel technology. It is joined by a portrait and a macro lens; both featuring 2MP sensors. For videos, it can capture 1080P footage at 60fps. Similarly, slow mode, timelapse, and hyper-lapse videos are also supported. The waterdrop style notch houses the 8MP front-facing camera.

Rest of the specs

Motorola is claiming a battery life of up to 2 days with the 5,000mAh battery. A 20W USB Type-C fast charger is also included in the box. However, the phone only supports 15W charging. The device features a hybrid dual SIM slot. For connectivity, G9 supports dual-band Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth v5.0, and NFC.

Motorola Moto G9 Play Specifications:

  • Body: 6.50 x 2.98 x 0.36 inches, 200 gm, Water-repellent design
  • Display: 6.5-inches IPS LCD panel, 269PPI, 87% screen-to-body ratio
  • Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 (11nm Mobile Platform)
  • CPU: Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver)
  • GPU: Adreno 610
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 64/128GB internal storage (expandable up to 512GB)
  • Software & UI: Android 10
  • Rear Camera: Triple-camera;
    – 48MP primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture, PDAF
    – 2MP macro lens with f/2.4 aperture
    – 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
    – LED flash
  • Front Camera: 8MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture
  • Security: Physical fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
  • Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, loudspeaker
  • Connectivity: Hybrid Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / AGPS / Glonass / Galileo / LTEPP / SUPL, USB Type-C, NFC, 4G LTE
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Ambient Light, Sar
  • Battery: 5000mAh with 15W charging
  • Colors: Forest Green, Sapphire Blue, Spring Pink

Motorola Moto G9 Play Price in Nepal and Availability

Motorola Nepal has launched the 4/128GB variant of Moto G9 Play for the price of NPR 19,990. You can buy Moto G9 Play in Nepal exclusively at Daraz.

Smartphone Model Price in Nepal
Motorola Moto G9 Play NPR 19,990 (4/128GB)

  • Check out our review of the Redmi 9 (Prime).

Daraz 12.12 Sale is now live: Great offers and a chance to win Galaxy S20 FE!

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Daraz 12.12 Sale is now live: Great offers and a chance to win Galaxy S20 FE!

With the year coming to an end most of the shops are beginning their year-end sales. And it is no different for e-commerce platforms either. One such sale event that’s been making rounds on the internet is the Daraz 12.12 year-end sales. As with other sales events, 12.12 year-end sales offer customers a chance to get discounted items and win exciting gifts too. As the name suggests, Daraz’s 12.12 starts on 12th December and will end on 18th December. Let’s take a look at some of the exclusive launches and offers that are on the table during the Daraz 12.12 sales this year.

Daraz 12.12 Sale: Exclusive Phone Launches

This year’s 12.12 sales include some exclusive online launches of smartphones. In total, there are six smartphones to look out for. Customers can purchase them at a discounted price using collectible vouchers. Furthermore, bank discounts of up to 12% (Rs. 1,212) are also available if purchased through one of the partner banks. Smartphones that are receiving online launch during Daraz 12.12 include iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, and many more.

1. iPhone 12

iPhone 12 - Design

iPhone 12 is the latest flagship from Apple. It comes with a 6.1-inch (2532×1170 pixels) OLED Super Retina XDR display. There are two 12MP sensors on the back, one of them is the ultra-wide lens. Moreover, the front camera is also a 12MP sensor. It runs on A14 Bionic SoC which delivers a beast of a performance. You can check out our review of the iPhone 12 to get a better rundown about the device. Pre-booking of the device is available on Daraz and its shipping will start from 13 December. The 64GB variant of the iPhone 12 is priced at NPR 133,900.

2. OnePlus Nord N10 5G

oneplus nord n10 5g Midnight Ice

OnePlus Nord N10 5G is a slightly cheaper version of the original OnePlus Nord. It features a 6.49-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It runs on Snapdragon 690, which is a 5G-capable chipset from Qualcomm. Similarly, the phone features a quad camera setup on the back with a 64MP primary sensor. The device with a 6/128GB configuration is available for NPR 39,499. Currently, it’s only available for pre-booking. However, its delivery will start on December 14.

3. OnePlus Nord 5G

OnePlus Nord - Design [2]

The OnePlus Nord is a low-cost premium midrange alternative to the high-end OnePlus 8 series. The screen size of the device is of 6.44-inches. It is a Fluid AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, it is the first phone from the company to sport a dual selfie camera. It has an excellent quad-camera setup on the back with a 48MP primary sensor. You can check out our review of the OnePlus Nord 5G for more detailed information about the device. Its 12/256GB variant will be available during Daraz 12.12 sales for NPR 63,999.

4. Motorola Moto G9 Play

Moto G9 camera placement

Moto G9 Play features a 6.5-inch Max Vision display. It is based on IPS TFT LCD technology and sports an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels. It runs on Snapdragon 662 SoC. Its 5000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging is clearly the selling point. The device is priced at NPR 19,990 on Daraz.

5. Motorola Moto E7 Plus

Moto E7 Plus

The Motorola Moto E7 Plus is more of a budget offering from the company. It has a 6.5-inch LCD panel with HD+ resolution. It runs on the entry-level Snapdragon 460 SoC and flaunts a dual-camera setup on the back. However, it does have a big 5000mAh battery that supports 10W fast charging. The 4/64GB variant of the phone is priced at NPR 16,590 on Daraz.

6. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Galaxy S20 FE - Display [1]

Galaxy S20 FE is an affordable take at the flagship from Samsung with most of the essential specs intact. It has a flat 6.5-inch AMOLED display, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is the 4G variant that’s available in Nepal. Thus, it runs on the Exynos 990 chipset. 

Now, the device was already available on Daraz previously, so it’s not much of an exclusive launch. However, during 12.12 sales, you do get free shipping on a purchase of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. Furthermore, you also get a chance to win the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE for free as a part of the Mega Giveaway. All you got to do is make a purchase of any item during Daraz 12.12 Sale and you get registered as a participant for the giveaway. The checkout price of the 8/128GB variant during Daraz 12.12 is NPR 69,999, and that of the 8/256GB variant is NPR 74,999.

Tech Deals During Daraz 12.12 Sale

Tech deals, other than that of the aforementioned smartphones during Daraz 12.12 sales mostly include earphones, speakers, and power banks. Most of them are available at a discounted price. However, you can also make use of the Daraz collectible vouchers to slash down the price by a fair amount. Furthermore, a 12% card discount (max NPR 1,212) is also available. Some of the best tech deals of the Daraz 12.12 sales include:

  • X-AGE ConvE Stereo 6W Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – (XBS02): NPR 1,075
  • Digicom Flex 3 Bluetooth Neck Band In-Ear Earphone: NPR 1,575
  • X-AGE ConvE Flash 10000 Fast Charging Power Bank – (XPB01): NPR 1,400
  • Digicom K8 Bluetooth Stereo Over-Ear Headphone: NPR 2,327
  • X-AGE ConvE Twins Bluetooth Wireless Earbuds (XTW01): NPR 2,400
  • Anker 10000Mah PowerBank: NPR 1,999
  • Digicom Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard DG-IK8500: NPR 4,950
  • Anker Soundcore Spirit X2: NPR 9,999
  • Anker Soundcore Flare+ Speaker: NPR 13,990

Daraz Mission 12.12

As always, the Daraz app (Android | iOS) tends to include various games through which buyers can win exciting gift hampers. For the 12.12 sales, Daraz has introduced mission 12.12 alongside the One Rupee game. So, what is this mission 12.12?

Basically, buyers will have to complete 12 different missions before the Daraz 12.12 ends i.e before 18th December. After the completion of the missions, users become eligible for a lucky draw that includes gift vouchers from some top brands. However, you also become eligible for a guaranteed reward once you complete 11 of the 12 missions.

To play Mission 12.12, all you got to do is log in to your Daraz app and click on the Mission 12.12 banner. Then you’ll be able to start your missions. The missions include:

  • Open Daraz App for 7 days till the 18th of December
  • Search for 12 products in your shopping list
  • Add 5 products to your cart
  • Follow 5 Daraz Mall stores
  • Share a product review on Daraz
  • Click on any 5 Daraz app notification
  • Place an order for any dMart/dFresh product
  • Play any 5 different games on Daraz First Games
  • Participate in the One Rupee Game
  • Collect 5 Vouchers
  • Place an order of NPR 1212 or more
  • Share 3 mega-deals with your friends

Bank Discounts

daraz 12.12 Sales Banks

As mentioned earlier, you can get up to 12% (max NPR 1212) off when you make payments from one of the partner banks. The partner banks include:

  • Sanima Bank
  • NIC Asia – Credit card only
  • Machhapuchhre Bank
  • Citizens Bank
  • HBL Bank – Credit and prepaid cards only

So, are you excited about the Daraz 12.12 end of year sale 2020? And will you be purchasing anything? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Samsung looking to make things right with the upcoming Exynos 2100

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Samsung looking to make things right with the upcoming Exynos 2100

Earlier this month, Qualcomm introduced its latest flagship processor – the Snapdragon 888 SoC. And it looks like it’s Samsung’s turn to unveil its premium SoC. Yesterday, Samsung Exynos thanked its fans via a tweet. The message was paired with a YouTube video titled Thank You (Trailer). This could be a hint for the launch of the much-anticipated Exynos 2100 SoC. Keep reading to learn more about Samsung Exynos 2100 SoC including its launch date.

Samsung Exynos Thank You Message

As mentioned earlier, the official Twitter handle of Samsung Exynos uploaded a video to thank its fans. It has been mentioned in the video that Samsung has created something small for its fans who have been supporting it through this tough year. This year has been tough for everyone because of the outbreak of COVID-19.

But there is more to it. Throughout this year, Samsung’s Exynos chipset has faced harsh criticism from fans and enthusiasts alike. Numerous tests conducted between Exynos 990 and Snapdragon 865 showed the former was behind its rival in almost every aspect. Thus, through this video, Samsung Exynos team are apologizing for all the shortcoming of the company’s recent chips.

Exynos 2100 Snapdragon 888 Core Setup

The animated video shows a rather depressed-looking cartoon character going through stuff at his house until he finds something of interest. It is only at the end that the character is shown smiling, after making the discovery. Samsung Exynos may be hinting that the upcoming SoC will re-ignite interest in our products.

Also Read: Samsung announces 5nm Exynos 1080 5G SoC with Cortex-A78 cores.

Rumored specs

Throughout this year, several sources have claimed that Exynos 2100 will be as capable as its Snapdragon counterpart. We also saw different leaked benchmark tests showing close competition. Still, all these tests were conducted on prototype models. And as Ice Universe puts it – Geekbench results are not usually accurate before the official release. He rather encourages comparison based on the architecture.

The Exynos 2100 is expected to be based on Samsung’s 5nm process on which its rival SD 888 is also based on. Like the SD 888, it will have a three-tier core architecture with Cortex X1 as a prime core, three Cortex A78 cores for performance, and three Cortex A55 cores for efficiency. However, the cores on the Exynos 2100 will have a higher clock speed. The comparison graph below was published before the announcement of SD 888.

Exynos 2100 Snapdragon 888 Core Setup

Samsung Exynos 2100 Launch Date

If the date in the description is any clue, Samsung will unveil the Exynos 2100 on 15th December. Samsung Galaxy S21 series powered by Exynos 2100 is most likely to launch in January 2021.

Samsung Mobile SoC Launch Date
Exynos 2021 December 15
  • Watch our review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 10.4 (2020).
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