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Acer Nitro 5 2020 Review: Best Budget Gaming Laptop?

GadgetByte

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December 21, 2020

Acer Nitro 5 2020 Review: Best Budget Gaming Laptop?

Acer’s Nitro 5 has consistently ranked among the best budget gaming laptops. We were hugely impressed with the 2019 model. It had great internals, a sturdy design, and offered great performance. But what about its 2020 model? Well, that’s what we are here for. Today we bring you the review of the Acer Nitro 5 2020.

Acer Nitro 5 2020 Specifications:

Display: 15.6″ IPS LCD display; 1920 x 1080 pixels
CPU: Intel Core i5-10300H @2.5GHz; Turbo up to 4.5GHz
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB GDDR VRAM
RAM: 8GB DDR4 2933MHz
Storage: 256GB SSD
Ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C port, 1 x Killer Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio jack, 3 x USB 3.0 Type-A port, and 1 x HDMI port
Battery: 4-cell Lithium-ion 3320mAh
Weight: 5.07 pounds (2.3 kg)
Dimensions: 14.3 x 10 x 0.94-inches
Price: NPR 112,000

Acer Nitro 5 2020 Review:

Let’s begin by talking about the configuration option. Our test review comes with an Intel Core i5-10300H processor, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 1650 GPU, and 256GB storage. Variants with AMD Ryzen 5 processor and RTX 2060 GPU are available in the international market. However, the one we have right now is the only one available in Nepal at the time of writing this review. And it is available for NPR 112,000.

Anyway, the configuration that we have, suggests that the laptop should be able to run most AAA titles with ease, albeit not at the highest of framerates. Furthermore, other CPU-intensive tasks should not be a problem either. However, limited storage does pose a problem. So, how does it all add up to? Well, we will have to dive deeper into our review of the Acer Nitro 5 2020 for that.

Design and Build

Angular indents for aggressive gaming aesthetics
Expectedly hefty with faux-aluminum sides

Measuring 14.3 x 10 x 0.94 – inches and weighing 5.07 pounds, the Acer Nitro 5 by no means is a thin laptop. However, considering how rare it is for a gaming laptop to be thin, the measurements of the Nitro 5 2020 are still passable.

A major design change can be seen on the lid of the laptop as compared to that of the last year’s model. Gone are the clean looks from the lid. Instead, you’ll now see angular indents on either side of the Acer label. And it gives the laptop a more aggressive look. The central part of the lid is made up of plastic and has a glossy finish. The sides, however, are of faux-aluminum. Despite comprising mostly of plastic, the laptop is quite sturdy. There’s very little screen flex and the overall build quality is quite decent.

Oh, and they have changed the color of the hinges too. They are now black too. So, that means that the entire shell barring the rear vent is now black. Sticking, to the vents, there are a total of 4 vents on this device. Two of them are on the rear and you’ll find one on the right-hand side and the other on the left-hand side.

Check out all the pricing and details of Acer Nitro laptops here

The glossy finish of the lid extends inside as the keys and the palm rest also get the glossy finish. There are sharpish edges towards the corner of the palm rest and they really hurt your wrist while you use the keyboard. I had many incidents when my hand accidentally brushed-off around those corners… and it did sting my hands. So, you’ll have to be careful about that.

The bezels get a matte finish as compared to the glossier keyboard deck. They are a bit thick, but you won’t be troubled by them. There is a 720p webcam at the top and it is average at best. And in the middle, is your 15.6-inch 1080p screen, which we will talk about in detail in a little while.

Ports

1 of 2

Port selection is quite good. The power adapter is now on the rear side in between the vents. All of the other I/O ports are on either side of the laptop. On the left side, you’ll find 2x USB Type-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Killer Ethernet port, and a security lock. Similarly, on the right-hand side, there’s an HDMI port, another USB Type-A port, and a USB Type-C port.

The device supports Wi-Fi 6, which is a welcome change in the budget segment, and one which I hope others will follow soon. Finally, on the bottom, you’ll find some air vents, speaker grills towards the edges, and four rubberized stands.

Keyboard, Touchpad, Nitrosense

A full-sized keyboard with a red backlight
Accented touchpad with integrated left/right keys

Red and black are the staple colors of the Nitro 5 series, and they have retained them on the keyboard. Acer has gone a step further this time and added the red accent to the side of the keys too. And the WASD keys are further highlighted by extra contrast.

Now, a pricier keyboard with 4-zone lighting is available in the international market. However, that’s not the case out here and thus, you’ll have to make do with a uniform red-lighting one as mine. It has 4 levels of brightness and can be adjusted by pressing down the Fn button and either F9 or F10.

It is a full-sized keyboard with a Numpad and a dedicated key for the NitroSense app. The keys have a travel distance of 1.6mm and you’ll feel the satisfying bump when pressing down. However, you have to really press down upon the keys while typing. Now, that’s not the case with my everyday laptop. Therefore, I was consistently missing a letter or two while using this laptop.

The touchpad, too, receives the red accents around the border and it is a fairly decent touchpad. For starters, it does not take false inputs, so that’s a good thing. And it does not feel wobbly at all. Its overall performance is quite decent. Also, while gaming you’ll probably end up using a mouse rather than the trackpad, so you are good anyway.

Talking about the NitroSense utility app, nothing much has changed in regards to the UI. It’s simple to navigate and you can use this app to change the fan control or the power plan as per your need.

You can keep it on auto mode while you go about doing your daily tasks and switch to the Max setting while playing games. By the way, on Max settings, the fans sound like jet engines. So, unless the laptop’s really heating up, I wouldn’t recommend you to turn on the Max fan speed. You can always turn on the CoolBoost on Auto settings to optimize CPU and GPU cooling by up to 9%.

Other than the fan speed, you can also choose your power plan from the app. I preferred to keep it on the balanced mode while on battery and high-performance mode while plugged in. On the upper right-hand corner of the app, you’ll find the shortcuts for audio presets, Nvidia GeForce Experience, and the settings for the sticky keys and keyboard backlight timing.

Speakers

2x 2W bottom-firing speakers
DTS:X Ultra optimization

Speakers on this laptop are nothing extraordinary. There are two 2W bottom-firing speakers on either side and they are surprisingly loud. However, audiophiles will certainly prefer using a headset that’s because the built-in speakers are thin on bass. Gamers too will be better off with a good pair of gaming headsets as the fans get very noisy.

Furthermore, you can fully utilize the DTS:X Ultra software for an immersive experience while using a headset. And it might also give an edge while playing FPS games.

Display

15.6-inches FHD IPS LCD panel
Standard 60Hz refresh rate
300 nits brightness, 63% sRGB

Coming to the display, the Acer Nitro 5 2020 has a 15.6-inch IPS LCD panel with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. Pricier and faster 144Hz panels have not yet made their way into Nepal. Thus, we have to make do with the standard 60Hz refresh rate.

The display is what you’d expect from a budget gaming laptop. It is rated for 300 nits brightness and my experience with this laptop suggests that it does hit that mark. However, you’d still face some difficulty while using this on a bright sunny day. So, you are better off using it inside rather than the outside.

I did notice some screen bleeding towards the side of the screen. However, the panel dimming isn’t clearly observable unless viewed from a more acute angle. So, the viewing angles are pretty good. The colors seem quite vivid. Although, while watching some colorful scenes the display did leave me asking for more. Don’t get me wrong, they are not inaccurate, but the colors did not pop out as much as I would have liked.

Talking about the color accuracy, the panel covers 63% of the sRGB color gamut. This is sort of an average for a budget gaming laptop. So, you can do light content creation on this one. However, for a more professional job, you’d want to look elsewhere.

The main downside of this screen is the limited 60Hz refresh rate. That means you’ll have a hard time getting anything above 60fps on AAA titles. And even if you managed to get above it, you’d probably suffer from screen tearing.

Performance

Intel 10th-gen Core i5-10300H CPU, GTX 1650
8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD (upgradable)

As mentioned earlier, our test review of the Acer Nitro 5 2020 comes with Intel Core i5-10300H CPU, Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. Barring the 10th Gen CPU, the rest of the internals are pretty much similar to that of the Nitro 5 2019 model.

Even the quad-core i5-10300H CPU is only slightly better than last year’s i5-9300H. Geekbench 5 (single-core) score of i5-9300H is 1036, whereas the i5-10300H scores 1065. So, it’s only an improvement of 3%. Similarly, the Geekbench 5 Multi-Core core result of the 9th gen processor is 6% higher than that of the 10th Gen’s, so, you wouldn’t expect much of a performance bump on this year’s laptop.

The major downside of the laptop (or better yet, this configuration) is the storage. Its 256GB SSD fills up pretty quickly. I had installed Battlefield 5 and The Witcher 3, and that’s it. The memory was already full. So, keep in mind that unless you increase the storage capacity, you’re not going to carry a game library with you on this one.

However, upgrading is quite easy, simply remove the 11 screws on the bottom, and bam, you get access to an open DIMM slot for memory expansion. Another thing that you’ll notice is that the RAM isn’t soldered in. This is a single-channel RAM and that does affect the gaming performance of the laptop. Other than the DIMM slot, there’s a 2.5-inch SATA drive bay in which you can add a hard drive. And I recommend you to add one.

Talking about the performance, simple everyday tasks such as web browsing, Netflix, and others are handled quite comfortably by the laptop. You won’t feel any sort of sluggishness while using it. At one point I had about 29 open tabs on Google Chrome and a myriad of other apps open, and at no point did I feel the laptop struggling. Furthermore, you won’t even feel the heat unless you go on a very long gaming session.

Gaming

Sticking to the gaming part, as I said I was not able to install a lot of games on the limited storage. However, the ones that I did install worked perfectly. The low-end GTX 1650 is not capable of ray-tracing or so, but it does the basics right.

I got the following fps while playing Battlefield V and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt:

	Ultra	High	Medium
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt	35	41	53
Battlefield 5	50	54	60

So, you can see that Acer Nitro 5 2020 does not bode well with triple-A titles played in the highest settings. However, if you choose your settings properly, you will reap the benefits.

Battery

4-cell 3320mAh battery

The 4-cell 3320mAh battery on the Nitro 5 2020 works wonderfully. I was able to get around 11 hours by keeping the laptop in power saver mode and doing non-gaming tasks. You can easily take this laptop on a field trip where you will only use the laptop for other productivity or light entertainment tasks.

While gaming though, the laptop gives away quite soon. However, you’ll probably play games with the laptop plugged in, so it shouldn’t be that much of an issue.

Verdict

Once again I find myself impressed by the Acer Nitro 5 series. It does everything that a budget laptop should do quite perfectly. Obviously, you won’t see high frame rates while playing games, but then again it is a budget laptop. One major downside is the storage capacity, however, if you can manage to extend its storage, then this is the budget gaming laptop that you should go for.

Buy Nitro 5 2020 here

Acer Nitro 5 2020 Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

Decent build quality with a gaming aesthetic
Excellent port selection and WiFi 6 support
A full-sized keyboard with a red backlight
Reasonable speakers, DTS:X Ultra on headsets
Passable display quality for a budget gaming laptop
Upgradable RAM and storage options
Acceptable gaming performance on AAA titles
Decent battery endurance under non-gaming tasks

Cons:

Requires you to really press down on the keys
Base variant only has 60Hz refresh rate
Not the most color-accurate of displays
Minor screen bleeding on the side of the screen
256GB SSD storage fills up pretty fast

Galaxy M01 Core buyer wins the grand prize in Samsung’s Dashain campaign

GadgetByte

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December 20, 2020

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Galaxy M01 Core buyer wins the grand prize in Samsung’s Dashain campaign

Like most of the brands during Dashain, Samsung too was running its campaign. Their “Bada Dashain, Big Dhamaka“ campaign started on October 2 and ended on November 17. People who bought a Samsung smartphone or a tablet, during these 6 weeks were eligible for the Lucky Draw. The prize included 10x Samsung Galaxy Note 20, 5x Honda Hornet 160 R. And one lucky winner under the said Samsung Dashain campaign was to receive Renault Duster SUV. Out of all the winners, the one who bagged the bumper prize has got the most exciting stories of them all.

A total of sixteen winners were announced during this campaign period. Each week, one lucky winner won the Honda Hornet 160R bike, whereas two others won the Samsung Galaxy Note 20. During the final week, the winner of the bumper prize, i.e. the Renault Duster SUV was announced. Here, the prize fell in the hands of Mr. Padam Bahadur Kumal, a humble driver from Tadi, Bharatpur.

Samsung “Bada Dashain, Big Dhamaka” campaign winner

He, in his own words, was in denial of the fact that he was the one who won the Renault Duster SUV. After all, he was a guy who had bought the Samsung Galaxy M01 Core, the most affordable Samsung smartphone on the Nepalese market. And he was getting a call saying he was the winner of the Renault Duster during the Samsung “Bada Dashain, Big Dhamaka” campaign. Furthermore, he is a humble car driver who was getting a call regarding winning a brand new SUV. Thus, the feeling that he was being pranked is entirely justified.

Also Read:
- Samsung Galaxy M51 with a 7000mAh battery launched in Nepal
- Samsung Galaxy M01s gets a price-cut in Nepal

However, once he affirmed his win, his happiness seemed no bound. From driving someone else’s car to owning one’s own. You really can’t write this stuff. I mean, he probably would have never thought about owning his own car. But here he is, a proud owner of a brand new Renault Duster. All thanks to one Samsung Galaxy M01 Core. He has vowed to use it fruitfully for his own business. Hopefully, he does it and keeps progressing.

Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.

A leak by WinFuture sheds more light on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

GadgetByte

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December 20, 2020

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A leak by WinFuture sheds more light on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S20 series was launched back in February earlier this year. The company is planning to replace it with the S21 lineup as early as January next year. Weeks ago Let’sGoDigital launched high-quality renders of the device and now WinFuture has added more information. And now, a leak from Winfuture adds to our knowledge of the S21 Ultra. Let’s check out all the rumors, leaks, specs, and expected launch date of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Rumors Roundup

Design and Display

Like its predecessor, the upcoming Galaxy S21 lineup will feature three devices. Among them, only the S21 Ultra will sport a curved screen. The device is said to feature a 6.8-inch Infinity-O-Edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. It sports a WQHD+ panel with 3200 x 1400 pixels. It will result in a pixel density of 515ppi. The Samsung Galaxy S1 Ultra will have a 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate. For the first time in the lineup’s history, the S21 will have support for S-Pen. However, the device won’t have any compartment to accommodate the pen. The display will be protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

At the back, the camera module will now be wrapped around the frame. The bump on the S21 Ultra is bigger than on the regular S21. It is because it is said to house more sensors (up to 5). The device will be available in two colors Black and Phantom Silver.

Performance

As with the latest flagship from the company, we expect the company to use different chipsets for different regions. However, it has been rumored that the difference in the performance between the Snapdragon and Exynos variant will not that great. Both Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100 will be based on Samsung’s 5nm process node.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra S21+ leak — Left: S21 Ultra | Right: S21+

They will also have the same 1+3+4 core configuration with the Cortex X1 core as the prime core. The rest of the setup will consist of Cortex A78 and Cortex A55 cores. Rumors suggest that the cores on the Exynos 2100 will be clocked at a higher clock speed than that of SD 888. The two will have different GPUs. While Snapdragon 875 will come with Adreno 660, the Exynos 2100 will house the Mali G78 GPU.

Camera

WinFuture reports that the S21 Ultra will have a 108MP primary wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture which looks almost similar to S21’s primary camera. It also contradicts earlier rumors that Samsung is replacing the ISOCELL HM1 on the S20 Ultra with ISOCELL HM3. The new sensor is reported to have the same pixel size of 0.8μm but will have 13% better light sensitivity. If it’s true, we can expect more detailed shots on the S21 Ultra. The primary camera will also have support for Optical Image Stabilization and Auto-Focus.

Samsung will be including a 12MP sensor for ultra-wide shots. The rest of the quad-camera setup includes a folded telescope with 10x zoom and another telescope with 3x zoom. The camera setup will also include PDAF, laser Auto-Focus and LED flash.

The selfie camera will have a 40MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. It will also have support for Auto-Focus.

Rest of the specs

S21 Ultra will feature the same 5,000mAh battery as its predecessor. It will have support for 45W fast charging. However, Let’sGoDigital claims that Samsung will only be including a 25W charger inside the box. On the other hand, there are also rumors that Samsung won’t be including any power brick in the box at all. Other feature includes Qi wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare. Connectivity options include dual-sim (nano+eSim), WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1. It will ship with OneUI 3.1 based on Android 11. Samsung will also be offering three major Android updates.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Specs (Rumored):

Display: 6.8″ QHD+ “Infinity-O” Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz; Gorilla Glass protection
Chipset: Exynos 2100 / Snapdragon 888 (5nm)
Software & UI: Android 11 with OneUI 3.1 on top
Primary Camera:
– 108MP primary shooter with ISOCELL HM3;
– 12MP ultrawide sensor
– 10x foldable telephoto lens
– 3x telephoto lens
– Laser AF
Front Camera: 40MP sensor
Security: Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner
Battery: 5000mAh; 45W fast charging
Colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver

Samsung Galaxy S21 Lineup Rumored Launch Date

According to Jon Prosser, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra alongside other entries in the S21 series will be launched on January 14, 2021, with the actual scales starting from January 29. A recent report by Beebom confirms this information.

Model	Announcement	Availability
Samsung Galaxy S21 lineup	January 14, 2021	January 29, 2021

Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+.

An unofficial review of Galaxy S21 Plus hints at its real-life performance

GadgetByte

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December 20, 2020

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An unofficial review of Galaxy S21 Plus hints at its real-life performance

It is speculated that Samsung will be launching its latest flagship series in January. While the Samsung S20 lineup was launched in February, its predecessor is expected to arrive a month early. Earlier this month, LetsGoDigital leaked high-quality renders of the upcoming S21 lineup. And now, an unofficial review of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus has surfaced on the internet. In this post, we will be taking a look at all the rumors, leaks, specs, features, and expected availability of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Series: What We Know So Far

S21 Ultra

The S21 Ultra is the only device on the list to come with a curved display. It will sport a QHD+ screen with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is said to measure 6.8-inch. However, there are other sources that claim the screen to be 6.9-inch. The screen will have a circular cut-out on the top center for the selfie camera.

The redesigned camera module is the biggest change in aesthetics. The camera bump in the new Samsung S21 lineup extends from the metal frame. Talking about cameras, the S21 Ultra will have an improved 108MP sensor, an ultra-wide sensor, and two telephoto lenses. It will also feature a laser AutoFocus unit.

Depending upon the region, the phone will be powered by either Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100. The device will ship with OneUI 3.1 based on Android 11. It will include a 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging. However, Samsung will only include a 25W charger in the box. Youtuber “sakitech” has also leaked a live picture of S21 Ultra and S21+.

S21+

Unlike the S21 Ultra, the Galaxy S21+ will have a plastic body. It looks like the glass rear panel will be a feature exclusive to Ultra devices. Earlier we saw Samsung do a similar thing with the Note 20 lineup. At least, the device will retain the metal frames. It will have a 6.7-inch FHD screen. The flat panel will support 120Hz but it won’t be adaptive as in the S21 Ultra. Few real-life images and videos of the phone have emerged over the week that shows S21’s chin to be relatively smaller than that of S20+.

As with the Ultra, the S21 Plus will come with Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100. Compared to its predecessor, the device will have a larger battery of 4,800mAh. The device will support 25W fast charging.

There is a triple camera setup on the back of the phone. The 12MP primary camera will be accompanied by a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Completing the triple camera setup is the 64MP telephoto lens that boasts an optical zoom of up to 3x. The camera setup along with Samsung’s SuperHD technology has been tested against iPhone 12 Pro in an unofficial review by Random Stuff 2. However, it’s too soon to comment on the real-life performance of the device as we are several weeks away from the launch of the device, and Samsung still working on optimizing the device’s software.

S21

Galaxy S21 will have a smaller display of 6.2-inch FHD+ display. Design-wise it looks a lot like the S20+. However, it will be available in more color options. It will have the same processor as the other two in the lineup. On the memory-side, the base variant will feature 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The triple camera setup will include a 12MP primary sensor, another 12MP sensor for ultra-wide, and a 64MP telephoto lens. If the setup sounds familiar, it is because the same setup was in Galaxy S20. The device will have a 4,000mAh battery as in the S20.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Series Expected Launch Date

Samsung is expected to host a Galaxy Unpacked event in January 2021 where it will launch the Galaxy S21 series.

Smartphone Lineup	Launch Event
Samsung Galaxy S21 series	Galaxy Unpacked Event (January 2021)

Watch: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE review

WhatsApp is adding voice, video call on its desktop and web client

WhatsApp

GadgetByte

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December 20, 2020

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WhatsApp is adding voice, video call on its desktop and web client

Over the last year, we saw a spike in the popularity of video calling apps because of the ongoing pandemic. Among these apps, Zoom is the name that stands out the most. It has been the most popular choice for businesses and educational institutions that are moving online. Companies like Google and Microsoft are promoting their products (Google Meet and Microsoft Teams) to compete against Zoom too. The two companies will now be joined by Facebook, as it is currently testing voice and video call services in desktop and web clients of WhatsApp.

Video Calling feature in WhatsApp desktop

For years, WhatsApp has been a popular platform for users to send and receive messages instantly. The company also offers video and voice calling features for its users. However, this feature is limited to the Android and iOS platforms. The mobile application also allows users to switch between the two. And now, the feature is finally making its way into the desktop world.

Initial Rumors

Back in October, WABetaInfo reported that version 2.2304.7 of the WhatsApp desktop client came with integrated support for voice and video calls. And the same source reports that WhatsApp is rolling out the feature to select users. The feature is still in its beta stage so only users who have signed for the beta program will be able to receive the update.

Call Feature in WhatsApp Desktop App

Those users who have received the feature have buttons for voice calls and video calls on the chat header. It is placed beside the search button.

When a user makes a call or receives one, it will open up a separate window. If you are at the receiving end, you get options to accept or decline the call. You can even ignore the call.

The size of the window is even smaller while making a call. It has options to switch to video, mute, and end call.

Back in October, WABetaInfo mentioned in its report that the new update had support for group calls (voice and video) as well. However, it is not available for users right now.

WhatsApp Call for Desktop, Web Availability

The support for WhatsApp call was included in version 2.2043.7 of the desktop client. The company is now rolling out the feature for select desktop beta users. WABetaInfo reports that more users will be getting the feature in the future.

So what do you think about the latest feature in WhatsApp desktop, web clients? Will it be able to compete against Zoom and other video calling desktop apps? Let us know in the comments section below.

Check out our review of the Nokia 3.4.

Lava launches four new Benco series of budget smartphones in Nepal

Benco
Lava

GadgetByte

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December 18, 2020

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Lava launches four new Benco series of budget smartphones in Nepal

Even though we don’t get to see new launches from Lava that often these days, the company is not done with manufacturing phones. This Indian smartphone brand recently launched four new budget phones under the Benco series in Nepal. Today we will be taking a look at the specs, features, price, and availability of Lava Benco Y40, Y30, Y50, and Y50 Pro in Nepal.

Lava Benco Y40

Benco Y40 is the cheapest of the bunch. It sports a 5-inch FWVGA panel with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The forehead and chin of the device look outdated for a phone in 2020, but we guess that’s acceptable for a budget device. It is powered by Unisoc SC9832e SoC, which is a quad-core processor with four Arm Cortex A53 cores. The graphics are handled by Mali T820 GPU. The device comes with 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The latter can be expanded up to 256GB using an external microSD card.

There is a single 5MP camera on the back with an aperture of F/1.7. It is accompanied by a flash. On the front, Lava has included a 2MP sensor with an f/2.8 aperture on the Benco Y40. The phone ships with Star OS 5.1 based on Android 9.0 Pie (Go Edition). It includes a 2500mAh battery. Connectivity-wise, it supports 4G LTE, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth. There is a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics as well.

Lava Benco Y40 Specifications:

Display: 5″ FWVGA display
Rear Camera: 5MP, f/1.7 with rear flash
Front Camera: 2MP, f/2.8
Processor: Quad-core, Unisoc SC9832e with 4 x ARM Cortex-A53
GPU: Mali T820
RAM: 1 GB
Storage: 32 GB onboard, expandable up to 256 GB
Battery: 2500mAh
Sensors: Fingerprint, G-sensor, Light

Also Read: Lava Pulse announced with heart rate and blood pressure monitoring.

Lava Benco Y30

Interestingly, the Lava Benco Y30 is a superior model to the Y40 despite bearing a lower number in its moniker. It sports a 5.71” IPS panel with HD+ resolution. There is a waterdrop notch on the screen to house the 5MP selfie camera. On the back, the 5MP rear camera is accompanied by another sensor of unspecified nature. The device is powered by Unisoc SC7731e.

Other specs are similar to that of Y40. It is available in 1GB + 32GB memory configuration. The device packs in a 2500mAh battery, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor as well. However, this doesn’t support a 4G LTE connection.

Lava Benco Y30 Specifications:

Display: 5.71″ HD+ display
Rear Camera: 5MP, f/1.7 with rear flash
Front Camera: 5MP, f/1.7
Processor: Unisoc SC7731e
GPU: Mali T820
RAM: 1 GB
Storage: 32 GB onboard, expandable up to 256 GB
Battery: 2500mAh
Sensors: Fingerprint, G-sensor

Lava Benco Y50, Y50 Pro

For the most part, the Becno Y50 is similar to the Y30. There is not much difference in the price tag too. Unlike the Y30, the Y50 supports 4G LTE connection too. It is powered by Unisoc SC9832e. The company has also dropped the auxiliary camera sensor on the back. The rest of the specs have remained intact.

On the other hand, Lava Benco Y50 Pro comes with a bigger battery of 3100mAh. The internal storage is also scaled down to 16GB. Other than that there is no difference between the Pro and vanilla Benco Y50.

Lava Benco Y50, Y50 Pro Specifications:

Display: 5.71″ HD+ display
Rear Camera: 5MP, f/1.7 with rear flash
Front Camera: 5MP, f/1.7
Processor: Unisoc SC9832e (4 x ARM Cortex-A53)
GPU: Mali T820
RAM: 1 GB
Storage: 32 GB onboard, expandable up to 256 GB
Battery: 2500mAh / 3100mAh
Sensors: Fingerprint, G-sensor

Lava Benco Y40, Y30, Y50, Y50 Pro Price in Nepal

The Lava Benco Y40, Y30, Y50, and Y50 Pro are now available in Nepal and their respective price tags are summarized in the table below:

Lava Smartphone Models	Price in Nepal
Benco Y40	Rs. 7,499
Benco Y30	Rs. 8,299
Benco Y50	Rs. 8,599
Benco Y50 Pro	Rs. 9,899

Check out our review of Lava Benco V8.

Samsung Galaxy M01s gets a price cut in Nepal

GadgetByte

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December 18, 2020

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Samsung Galaxy M01s gets a price cut in Nepal

Just a couple of months ago, Samsung launched its budget-oriented Galaxy M01s smartphone. It is a decent entry in the budget-segment with a matching spec-sheet. And now they have dropped the price of Samsung Galaxy M01s in Nepal, making it even more affordable.

Samsung Galaxy M01s Overview

Being the bigger sibling to the Galaxy M01, the M01s has a bigger display than that of the M01. It comes with a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution. The display has an Infinity-V notch to house the 8MP front camera.

Around the back, it has a dual-camera setup which has been arranged in a pill-shaped module. The primary lens is a 13MP sensor and the second one is a 2MP depth sensor. Furthermore, there’s a fingerprint sensor on the back too.

Also Read:
- Samsung Galaxy M51 with a 7000mAh battery launched in Nepal
- Upcoming Samsung Galaxy M12 to feature a massive 7000mAh battery

Under the hood, the device runs on MediaTek Helio P22 SoC. Complementing the silicon is 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (which can be further expanded using a dedicated micro SD card). The surprising thing, however, is that it still runs on the dated Android 9 Pie out-of-the-box. However, the M01 does run on Android 10 out of the box. Other than that, it has a 4000mAh battery that charges over MicroUSB.

Specifications:

Display: 6.2-inch Infinity-V display
Resolution: HD+
Chipset: MediaTek Helio P22 SoC
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB, expandable up to 512GB via micro SD card (Dedicated slot)
OS & UI: Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI Core 1.1
Rear Camera: Dual; 13MP primary sensor, 2MP depth sensor, LED Flash
Front Camera: 5MP
Colors: Grey, Blue
Security: Fingerprint Sensor (rear-mounted)
Battery: 4,000mAh battery, micro-USB port, 10W charging

Samsung Galaxy M01s Price in Nepal and Availability

Galaxy M01s was launched in Nepal for Rs. 15,999. However, under the new “Mazzako Winter Offer” you can get the Samsung Galaxy M01s in Nepal for the price of Rs. 14,999 right now.

Smartphone Model	Old Price	New Price
Samsung Galaxy M01s	Rs. 15,999	Rs. 14,999

In the meanwhile, watch our review of the Samsung Galaxy M11.

JBL TUNE 220TWS with a 12mm dynamic driver now available in Nepal

JBL
TWS

GadgetByte

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December 18, 2020

0

JBL TUNE 220TWS with a 12mm dynamic driver now available in Nepal

Alongside the JBL GO 3 and JBL Live 300TWS, the JBL TUNE 220TWS is now available in Nepal as well. It has an earbuds-like design and comes with the standard Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. Let’s check out the rest of the specifications, features, official price, and availability of JBL TUNE 220TWS in Nepal.

JBL TUNE 220TWS Overview:

Design

The design of the JBL TUNE 220TWS is similar to that of Apple’s AirPods. However, it comes with a rather cheap matte finish. It has an earbud design and weighs just 57 grams. So judging by its weight, it should not bug you or feel uncomfortable to wear. However, it’s completely made up of plastic. The charging box comes in a round pebble design and has an arc-shaped flip. The flip makes it easier to quickly remove the headphones.

Sound

JBL TUNE 220TWS comes with a 12mm driver and features JBL Pure Bass Sound. It is tuned by Harman Acoustic Engineers and offers low distortion with good precision reduction. Furthermore, it also features an array of double beamforming noise cancellation microphones to reduce ambient noise.

Controls

The right earbud acts as the master and can be used in a single mode. You can manually switch it on and off by long-pressing the button. Furthermore, the controls can also be used to answer/end calls and to activate voice assistant. Similarly, the controls on the left earbud let you change audio tracks. The earbuds, however, do not have a dedicated companion app for EQ settings.

Battery

JBL claims up to 3 hours of battery life on the TUNE 220TWS. You can further add 16 hours of juice with the charging case. However, it does not support wireless charging. Rather, it needs to be charged through a Micro USB cable and takes up to 2 hours to fully charge.

JBL Tune 220TWS Specifications:

Weight: 57 g
Driver: 12mm dynamic driver
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
Battery: 22mAh (earbuds), 410mAh (charging case)
Playback Time: 3 hours (earbuds), 16 hours (with charging case)
Charging: Micro-USB port (inside 2 hours)
Features: Voice Assistant control, JBL Pure Bass Sound, Built-in Microphone
Colors: Black, White

JBL TUNE 220TWS Price in Nepal and Availability

The official price of JBL TUNE 220TWS in Nepal is NPR 13,000. You can buy the JBL TUNE 220TWS Bluetooth earbuds from EvoStore or its online partner Daraz.

TWS Model	Price in Nepal (Official)	Availability
JBL TUNE 300TWS	NPR 13,000	Hukut

In the meanwhile, watch our review of the Sony WH-1000XM4.

Second-gen Bose Frames Audio Sunglasses land in Nepal

BOSE

GadgetByte

-

December 17, 2020

0

Second-gen Bose Frames Audio Sunglasses land in Nepal

Frames by Bose are not your typical sunglasses. First launched in 2018, it is a lineup of sunglasses with speakers integrated into them. These are targeted towards individuals who are looking for a brand new experience of listening to music. The company added three more sunglasses to the Frame lineup back in September, which are now available in Nepal. Let’s learn more about the specs, features, expected price in Nepal, and the availability of second-gen Bose Frames sunglasses (Tenor, Soprano, Tempo).

Second-Gen Bose Frames Sunglasses Overview

There are altogether three variants of the second-gen Bose Frames sunglasses – Tenor, Soprano, and Temp. While the first two are fashionable sunglasses for interested people, the Tempo has been designed for sports and fitness enthusiasts. You need to set these up for first-time use via the Bose Connect app (Android | iOS).

All three sunglasses have polarized lenses capable of blocking up to 99% of UV rays. Similarly, they are also claimed to have superior sound quality. Bose has used installed dual-beaming forming mics on all three sunglasses. The Volume-Optimized EQ is claimed to cover wider frequency response while limiting distortions at a higher level.

Bose Frames Tenor and Soprano

Tenor and Soprano are more stylish of the three and can be used for day to day usage. The two differ in their style and are available in different color schemes. Bose Frame Tenor is available in Mirror Blue and Silver while the Soprano is available in Rose Gold and Purple Fade.

Bose says that the two feature the thinnest speakers ever in a Bose product. However, they still look bulky than normal sunglasses. They come with 16mm drivers, which the company claims to offer better bass than the first-gen Bose Frame glasses. The lenses are scratch and shatter-resistant. Both offer a battery life of up to 5.5 hours and can be charged using Bose’s custom pogo-pin charger. They are IPX4 rating against sweat.

Also Read: Bose QuietComfort and Sport Earbuds launched in Nepal

Bose Frames Tempo

For the same price as the Tenor and Soprano, Tempo offers better performance but users have to trade the aesthetics for functionality. It sports a bigger driver of 22mm. Bose claims that the driver can produce a sound that can be heard even when cycling at 25 miles per hour. Users can also choose between different shapes of nose pads. It gives you up to 8 hours of battery backup and you can charge them using a USB Type-C charger. It is also IPX2 certified.

Second-Gen Bose Frames Price in Nepal & Availability

The audio sunglasses under the second-gen Bose Frames (Tenor, Soprano, Tempo) all bear a price tag of NPR 35,000 in Nepal. You can buy Bose Frames Tenor, Soprano, and Tempo at EvoStore in Nepal.

Second-gen Bose Frames Model	Price in Nepal (Official)	Availability
Bose Frames Tenor	NPR 35,000	EvoStore
Bose Frames Soprano
Bose Frames Tempo

Check out our review of the Insta360 One R camera.

JBL Live 300TWS in-ear earphones is now available in Nepal

JBL
TWS

GadgetByte

-

December 17, 2020

0

JBL Live 300TWS in-ear earphones is now available in Nepal

JBL has launched a new TWS earphone in the Nepali market. The JBL Live 300TWS was launched alongside the JBL Go 3. Let’s learn more about the specs, features, official price, and availability of JBL Live 300TWS in Nepal.

JBL Live 300TWS Overview:

Design

There is nothing to write home about the design of the JBL Live 300TWS. It sports a plastic construction. The in-ear earphones come with silicone ear tips. There are three pairs of ear tips inside the box. For a better fit, JBL has also included four pairs of wing fins. The earphones are lightweight and IPX5 certified.

The charging case is a rectangular box with curved edges and corners. There is JBL branding on the front of the case. Inside, the letters “L” and “R” have been embedded to indicate the place for left and right earbuds, respectively. There is also a button and an LED light inside the box.

Also Read: Bose QuietComfort and Sport Earbuds launched in Nepal

Features

Here, JBL Live 300TWS is equipped with 5.6mm sound drivers with an impedance of 16 Ohm. The driver can cover the full range of audible sound frequencies. The earphone connects to other devices via Bluetooth 5.0 connection. JBL has also included support for Fast Pairing. There is touch-enabled control that supports single tap, double-tap, triple tap, and tap-and-hold. The touch control can also be used to activate voice assistant (Google Assistant or Alexa).

Companion App

Moving on, JBL Live 300TWS boasts JBL Signature Sound technology. However, users can tweak the sound with the equalizers available in the My JBL Headphones app. The app also lets users customize the controls. Other features in the app include Ambient Aware and TalkThru. The former allows the user to focus on the surrounding. Similarly, one can talk with people without the need to remove the earphone using the TalkThru function.

Battery and Charging

Each earbud features a 55mAh lithium-ion battery. JBL claims a battery life of up to 6 hours on a single charge. With the 450mAh battery of the charging case, one can expect up to 14 hours of playback time. It takes two hours to charge the earbuds and charging case from 0 to 100% using the Type-C charging case provided in the box.

JBL Live 300TWS Specifications:

Weight: 67.3 g
Driver: 5.6mm dynamic driver
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
Control: Touch
Battery: 55mA (earbuds); 450mAh (charging case)
Playback Time: 6 hours (earbuds), 14 hours (with charging case)
Charging: Type-C port (inside 2 hours)
Water Resistant: IPX5 certification
Companion App: My JBL Headphones (Android | iOS)

JBL Live 300TWS Price in Nepal and Availability

The official price of JBL Live 300TWS Bluetooth earbuds in Nepal is NPR 19,500. You can buy JBL Live 300TWS in Nepal at EvoStore or its online partner Daraz.

TWS Model	Price in Nepal (Official)	Availability
JBL Live 300TWS	NPR 19,500	Hukut

Check out our review of the Sony WH-1000XM4.