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Anker Soundcore Icon Mini Review: Small, but Loud!

GadgetByte
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Anker Soundcore Icon Mini Review: Small, but Loud!

Anker Nepal recently refreshed the portfolio of Anker and Soundcore-branded products in Nepal. Among the products that are available in the Nepali market right now, is the Anker Soundcore Icon Mini. It is the cheapest Bluetooth speaker under the Anker Soundcore brand in Nepal. Today, I will be discussing how this portable Bluetooth speaker performs in real-life usage in this detailed review of Anker Soundcore Icon Mini.

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini Specifications:

  • Body: 3.7 x 2.9 x 1.4-inches; 215 gm
  • Battery: 900 mAh (up to 8 hours)
  • Charging: Around 3 hours; 5V/1A
  • IP Rating: IP67 (Up to 3 feet for 30 minutes)
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2, Micro USB, AUX-in
  • Range: 30 m / 99 ft
  • Driver: Elliptical driver
  • Output Power: 3W (RMS)

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini Review:

Design

  • Compact squarish design
  • IP67 dust, water-resistant

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini sports a square design with curved edges. The corners are also rounded. The speaker grill is placed on the front and in the middle of it, with the Soundcore logo painted on top. The LED light is placed under the top center spot of the grill, which I think is a weird choice. Anker could have easily placed it on another spot making it more visible.

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini - Design [3]

The cord on the top right corner of the speaker can be used to hang it to a sturdy surface. It has its own length adjusting mechanism with the Soundcore logo on it. The cord is robust and doesn’t look out of place. The speaker is IP67 rated against dust and water.

Dimension-wise, the Anker Soundcore Icon Mini measures 3.7 x 2.9 x 1.4″. Because of the small size, it easily fits in the palm. It weighs around 215 grams. Thus, I did not have any problem carrying it around in my pocket. However, the speaker is designed to be placed flat with the grill facing the sky. The side opposite of the grill has four tiny feet to support the entire speaker.

Connectivity

  • Bluetooth v4.2 (30 m / 99 ft)

You can connect the speaker to your music player in two ways. Since it is advertised as a portable Bluetooth speaker, the first way is through a wireless Bluetooth connection. For the initial pairing, turn on the speaker and press the Bluetooth button on the top of the speaker. The speaker should now be visible to nearby Bluetooth devices. Turn on the Bluetooth on your phone, and search for Soundcore Icon Mini, and hit connect. The speaker gets automatically after the initial pairing.

Anker Soundcore Icon MIni - AUX, Micro USB

The speaker also supports wired connections through a headphone jack. The port for the 3.5mm headphone jack resides on the right side of the speaker just below the micro USB port.

Controls

  • Dedicated buttons for volume, playback control
  • Plus, a power and Bluetooth button

As for controls, there are five buttons raised from the top surface. The one with the Soundcore logo is the multi-function button. A single press on the button plays or pauses the current content. A double-tap skips the current content for the next one. A triple tap brings back the previous content to play.

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini - Buttons

A long press activates the default voice assistant of your device. Similarly, there are buttons for turning the speaker on/off and changing the volume. The fifth button is used when connecting to a device for the first time.

Sound Performance

  • 3W power (with a loudspeaker and a passive radiator)
  • Built-in microphone for calls and voice assistant

For a speaker so small, Anker Soundcore Icon Mini can get very loud. This makes it a perfect companion while going out on a picnic, hiking, or other similar activities. Other than that, the speaker does not offer much to audiophiles. The bass is decent at best and the vocals are not that accurate.

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini - Design [1]

The vocals feel rather heavy and get grainy with an increase in volume level. At the highest volume, you might even notice the speaker creaking. It is more evident while listening to the final chorus of Green Day’s Know Your Enemy. For a better experience, users can connect two Soundcore Icon Mini speakers for a stereo sound effect.

Battery

  • 900 mAh with 5W charging (Micro USB)

Anker is claiming up to 8 hours of music playback on Soundcore Icon Mini in a single charge. That is true if you keep the volume at around 50%. The battery endurance will decrease if you turn the volume up. At max volume, I was only able to get about 3 hours of playback. The thing that annoyed me is that the low battery life is indicated only using a small flash of red light, which itself is hard to notice. A voice prompt would have been a lot better here.

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini - Design [2]

It takes around 180 minutes to get the speaker from 0 to 100% using a 5W (5V, 1A) charger. The micro USB port is hidden at the right side of the speaker.

Conclusion

As a portable speaker, the Anker Sound Core Icon Mini has a lot of things going for it, including its size and the price. On a single charge, it can last up to 8 hours. The cord comes in handy when you are trying to hang it on something. However, sound quality needs improvement. Similarly, the brand could also improve the location of LED light and add voice warning for low battery level.

Anker Soundcore Icon Mini Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Small, lightweight, and robust body
  • The cord is durable and functional
  • Both wireless and wired connection
  • Microphone for calls and voice assistant
  • IP67 rating against dust, water
  • Up to 8 hours of battery life

Cons:

  • The sound quality is not great
  • 3 hours charging period
  • The location of the LED can be improved
  • Micro USB connection

Anker Soundcore Icon Review: Setting The Bar

Nikhil Shrestha
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Anker Soundcore Icon Review: Setting The Bar

Anker deals in a whole different range of products – and under different brand names. Here, “Soundcore” is the company’s sub-brand dealing in audio accessories. From TWS earbuds to a home audio system, they’ve got it all (almost). And today, I have the Anker Soundcore Icon in for review. I realize it’s a fairly old product since it came out back in Q1 of 2019. In fact, even its successor, the Icon+ which brought a bigger battery, larger audio driver, and faster charging, is already a year old. So, how does the Anker Soundcore Icon fare in daily usage – let’s discover in this review.

Anker Soundcore Icon Specifications:

  • Body: 7.2 x 2.4 x 2.4-inches; 349 grams
  • Battery: 2600 mAh (up to 12 hours)
  • Charging: Around 4 hours; 5V/1A
  • IP Rating: IP67 (Up to 3 feet for 30 minutes)
  • Durability: Shock resistant
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, Micro USB, AUX-in
  • Range: 20 m / 66 ft
  • Driver: Elliptical driver with BassUp
  • Output Power: 10W (RMS)
  • Price in Nepal: Rs. 5,799 4,999

Anker Soundcore Icon Review:

Design

  • Rugged build quality
  • IP67 dust, water-resistant
  • Shock resistant

Starting with the design, the Soundcore Icon is incredibly well-built. Its capsule-like body feels really tactile on the hand and it has a wire-mesh grille build; as you’d expect from a Bluetooth speaker that is targeted towards outdoor usage. Yes, Soundcore wants you to take the Icon in your hikes, or any other adventure that may be headed your way. Such usage demands some durable design choice backing it up and the Icon has everything you’d wish for.

For starters, it is IP67 dust, water-resistant. So, even in rough, windy outdoors, you needn’t worry about dust particles getting in the speaker, while its waterproof certification means the Soundcore Icon can be completely submerged in water (up to 1m/3ft) for a maximum of 30 minutes. I didn’t test that out personally so I’m just gonna take the company’s word for it. Furthermore, it even floats on the water making, it an ideal audio partner when you feel like chilling in the swimming pool. Once wet, the fabrics dry out pretty quickly as well.

Anker Soundcore Icon - Design [1]

All-around durable

But things don’t end there as the Icon is also shock resistant. Although Soundcore hasn’t gone with an official certification of any sort, this should more than easily minor drops every now and then. I tried throwing it from yay height of about 1 meter a couple of times to a fairly compact surface and the Soundcore Icon remained unhinged. Even if you don’t see yourself taking your speaker out and about, having a durable one in the house is still a major win. Sure, to achieve this, the company has compromised on visual aesthetics. But, considering its pros, I can easily look past that.

Likewise, it also comes with a rubber strap/loop that you can use to attach on a thin-enough surface like a tree branch, bicycle handle, etc. Having said that, when you’re in a room by yourself, the sound quality is equally great even when placing it flat or on its sturdy base. Anyway, the strap is fairly easy to attach/detach to/from the circular disks at the top, and holds the speaker firmly against the surface. But, I must say that swiveling the strap on the side is quite a bit flimsy.

Pairing

  • Bluetooth v5.0 (20 m / 66 ft range)

Getting to pairing, the Soundcore Icon comes with a Bluetooth v5.0 connection. Yes, you heard that right. While JBL’s much more expensive current-gen speakers like the Flip 5 and Pulse 4 come with Bluetooth 4.2, Anker’s cheaper alternative boasts a faster Bluetooth protocol. It doesn’t necessarily make the sound quality better or worse, but it does improve on data transfer speed and coverage area – all while using up less power.

Pairing the SoundcoreIcon with your Bluetooth-enabled device is fairly easy. First, you gotta power-on the speaker by pressing the dedicated power button. After you hear the brief power-on tune, you can now press the Bluetooth button on the opposite side. The LED indicator next to the button starts flashing blue once it is discoverable. And after successfully pairing it to a phone (or tablet, laptop, etc.), it will glow a shade of purple.

Anker Soundcore Icon - Design [2]

Soundcore has rated Icon’s Bluetooth range at 20m/66ft. But obviously, this number comes from testing in an unobstructed open environment. In my test, it was able to maintain a solid connection up to approximately 6 – 7 meters from my phone (Nokia 2.4) before audio would start to break down and ultimately disconnect. With walls, doors, and other physical obstructions between the speaker and the phone, I gotta say the Anker Soundcore Icon has a pretty good Bluetooth range.

Controls

  • Dedicated buttons for volume, playback control
  • Plus, a power and Bluetooth button

Now moving on to controls, I’ve already talked about the Power and Bluetooth button. Besides these, you can find a volume up, volume down, and a multi-function button. All of them are arranged neatly within a ribbon-like strip at the opposite side of the base. The volume buttons are self-explanatory while the multi-function button lets you control playback, calls, or even summon a digital assistant.

Molded into Soundcore’s logo, singly clicking this button plays/pauses your audio. Similarly, you can double click it to skip a track or triple-click to go to the last-playing file. It also lets you answer or end a call by clicking it once or reject the call altogether by holding it for about 2 seconds. Additionally, long-pressing the multi-function button triggers the voice assistant. Once you’ve set the volume to max, the power LED indicator flickers for a brief amount of time to indicate the 100% volume level.

Here, although the buttons are fairly well-spaced and respond excellently, I wish they were etched a little better – just a little. And on rare occasions, a triple-click triggers actions of a double-click command instead. I wouldn’t say this is something alarming since it only happened like two-three times during my 2 weeks of usage. But what’s really disappointing is the fact that you can’t customize the buttons in the Soundcore app as the Icon isn’t listed for app-support.

Audio

  • 10W power (with a loudspeaker and a passive radiator)
  • Soundcore BassUp technology
  • Built-in microphone for calls and voice assistant

Okay, let’s dive-in to the audio performance of the Soundcore Icon. To put it in a word, the Icon’s sound reproduction is “astounding” and it’s most likely the best speaker for the price. It has a 10W “oversized” elliptical loudspeaker on the front and a passive radiator at the back. According to the company, the elliptical design makes it possible to jam in “even more sound-blasting hardware”. Moreover, this audio setup is complemented by Soundcore’s BassUp technology too, which uses Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and other controllers to analyze and boost bass frequencies in real-time.

Anker Soundcore Icon - Attaching Strap

The Soundcore Icon is an absolute delight to listen to. It produces punchy bass while not shadowing the mids and highs. Up until, say 80% volume, the bass reproduction is enjoyable. But when maxing out the loudness, you can’t feel the bass as much. I listened to “Reflection Eternal” by Nujabes where the bass was absolutely overwhelmed by other beats. Other than this, Icon managed to deliver good details.

Saint Pepsi’s “Enjoy Yourself” (which contains samples of “Off the Wall” by Michael Jackson) sounded a little sharp in high volume. I have to once again remind you that all these songs sound excellent when shying away from 100% loudness. And my god, the detail on instrumental, lofi, acoustic, jazz music is ridiculously amazing considering its price. Gil Scott Heron’s “Whitey on the Moon”, Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” both sounded awesome and dare I say – as the artist intended.

The difference

However, you’re gonna have to be in direct horizontal line-of-sight of the speaker to enjoy the best of Soundcore Icon. If you sway to the side, things are gonna sound a lot different. On top of this, the audio sounds… in a way – compromised, when you’re facing the passive radiator side of the Icon, instead of the opposite.

While the Soundcore Icon sounds great and all, it still has a few shortcomings. I’d categorize them as nitpicking instead of an actual defect as most of these are quite dismissable. First, I noticed how there’s a slight feedback noise when meddling with the sound level. I first witnessed this during the first 12 seconds of “Space Lion” by The Seatbelts – but if you’re a bit far away from the speaker, you won’t even notice it. Also, say you want to connect the Soundcore Icon with a different device and thus turn off Bluetooth in of the currently connected phone, the speaker’s Bluetooth is powered off as well – making you once again turn on Icon’s Bluetooth. Rarely, when loading up a new track or when resuming the audio after having it paused for a while, there’s a bit of a stutter too.

Anker Soundcore Icon - Base

Apart from songs, watching movies, shows, documentaries, and other videos on the Icon is excellent as well. I watched an episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country (a show I highly recommend, btw) where the vocals and details in other SFX were excellent – all without any noticeable audio latency. I also listened to a chapter of “The Sandman” audiobook and everything sounded fantastic. Although I will say in certain portions, the speaker overcompensates on bass.

Built-in microphone

If you recall, I’d mentioned earlier that you can interact with your phone’s voice assistant from the Soundcore Icon. That is possible thanks to its built-in microphone, using which you can also make phone calls. The call quality is decent, but you’ll have to have the speaker very close by your side for your voice to be clearly heard by people on the receiving end. Otherwise, the loudness doesn’t quite get to the acceptable level.

In terms of gaming, I played a couple of sessions of PUBG Mobile. And even though there is a minute delay, I got used to it in a matter of minutes. Similarly, you can also play music on the Soundcore Icon using an AUX connection. There’s a 3.5mm AUX alongside the Micro USB port at the bottom of the speaker, secured by a rubber flap.

Battery

  • 2600 mAh with 5W charging (Micro USB)

When it comes to battery life, the Anker Soundcore Icon is a champ as well since it gave me hours of endurance during my review. It has a decent 2600mAh battery and Soundcore claims that it can last up to 12 hours. I gotta admit – it was almost a challenge to drain its battery and in the first charging cycle, I managed to net out around 9 hours of playback. On a second charge, I’ve played it for approximately 6 – 7 hours and it still has 30% battery left.

Anker Soundcore Icon - AUX, Micro USB

The charging, on the other hand, is pretty slow. The 5W (5V/1A) power takes nearly 4 hours to fully juice of the Soundcore Icon. And like I mentioned earlier, it has a Micro USB connection instead of USB-C.

Conclusion

All in all, the Soundcore Icon is probably the best Bluetooth speaker for the price. It has an excellent audio, rugged, durable design, and exceptional battery life. So, if you’re looking for a terrific speaker on a budget, this should definitely be on the top of your list. I’ll admit it’s an older model, but considering its price-performance ratio, it simply doesn’t get better than this.

Songs referenced in the Anker Soundcore Icon review:

Anker Soundcore Icon Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Excellent build quality
  • Terrific audio with punchy bass
  • Control buttons work great
  • Long battery life

Cons:

  • Slow 5W charging
  • No Soundcore app support

Apple launches “HomePod mini” smart speaker alongside the iPhone 12 lineup

GadgetByte
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Apple launches “HomePod mini” smart speaker alongside the iPhone 12 lineup

In addition to the new iPhone 12 lineup, Apple has unveiled a new smart speaker. The latest smart speaker is the HomePod mini. It is the smaller version of the original HomePod that was launched in 2018. Let’s check out the specs, features, expected price of HomePod mini in Nepal.

HomePod mini Overview

Design and Control

At just 3.3-inch, the new HomePod mini is smaller than the 6.8-inch original HomePod. It sports a spherical design with a flat base and top. The speaker is 3.9-inches wide and weighs around 345 grams. It is covered with a mesh fabric all around and is available in two color options – White and Space Gray. Apple HomePod Mini Touch Controls

The top of the speaker has a backlit surface for touch controls. A single tap plays or pauses the current content. Similarly, a double-tap skips it for the next content whereas a triple tap returns to the previous content. Users can summon the Siri voice by holding the touch surface. The surface can also be used to toggle the volume levels. Another way to control the speaker is with an iPhone. iPhones offer instant controls even when unlocked.

Internals

HomePod mini comes with a full-range driver accompanied by dual passive radiators. Apple is promising deep bass and crisp high frequencies with this setup. The Apple S5 chip is behind all the computational audio. The HomePod mini also uses an acoustic waveguide for the 360-degree sound effect. Apple HomePod Mini Internal

Features

As you would expect from an Apple device, the HomePod mini supports Siri. The speaker can recognize the voice of up to six family members. It offers a personalized experience to each of the six members. Three external microphones activate the voice assistant every time they hear “Hey Siri”. There is also an additional inward-facing microphone that improves voice detection. What it does is isolate the sound coming from the speaker. Apple HomePod mini Compatible devices

Users can two HomePod minis together for a stereo effect. Similarly, if there are several HomePods in a house, users can use it as an intercom where users can send voice messages to all the HomePods or to an individual HomePod mini. This also works with other compatible Apple devices. Other notable features of the speaker are listed below.

  • Users can access Siri shortcuts on the speaker that they create on the iPhone and iPad.
  • HomePod mini can play ambient sound for pre-determined sound to help users sleep.
  • Find My feature to help locate misplaced iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, or Apple Watch.
  • Music alarm for the morning.

HomePod mini Specifications:

  • Dimension: 3.3mm (H) x 3.9mm (W); 345 grams
  • Chipset: Apple S5 chip
  • Drivers: Full Range drivers with dual passive radiators
  • Microphone: Yes, 3 + 1 (inside-facing)
  • Control: Backlit touch surface
  • Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, Direct guest access, Bluetooth 5.0, Thread, Ultra-Wideband chip
  • Voice Assistant: Siri
  • Companion App: Home
  • Extra features: Stereo pairing, Intercom

HomePod mini Price in Nepal and Availability

HomePod mini bears a price tag of $99 and will be available for pre-order on November 6 with the sales starting from November 16. We expect HomePod mini to be up for pre-order in Nepal at the end of November for an estimated price of NPR 15,000; with availabilty starting December.

Smart Speaker Price (US) Price in Nepal (Expected)
HomePod mini $99 NPR 15,000
  • Also, check out our long term review of iPhone SE 2020.

Realme introduces three new affordable 5G smartphones under Q-series

GadgetByte
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Realme introduces three new affordable 5G smartphones under Q-series

Realme has updated its portfolio of smartphones with three new releases. The three new smartphones launched today will be part of Realme’s new Q lineup. The Realme Q2, Q2 Pro, and Q2i are limited to the Chinese market for now. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, expected price & availability of Realme Q2, Q2 Pro, and Q2i in Nepal.

Realme Q2 Pro Overview

Design and Display

Let’s start with the top of the line Realme Q2 Pro 5G. It is the only device in the lineup to sport a Super AMOLED display. The display here measures 6.4-inch. There is a circular cut-out on the top left corner of the device inside which lies the front-facing camera. The phone boasts a screen to body ratio of 90.8%. Similarly, the display supports the 180Hz touch sampling rate. However, there is no sign of a higher refresh rate. Other notable feature of the display includes the 60000:1 contrast ratio, 600 nits of peak brightness and the under-display fingerprint sensor. Realme Q2 Pro Vegan Leather Finish

Realme Q2 Pro is offered in two finishes – one with eco-friendly leather and another with the C-bit color scheme. If you recall, the company recently launched a “Sun-kissed Leather” edition of the Realme 7 Pro as well. Likewise, we saw the C-bit color scheme with double-plated AG technology in the Realme X7 Pro.

Performance and Memory

The performance of the device is backed by MediaTek’s Dimensity 800U chipset. This 5G-enabled chipset features two Cortex A76 ‘Big’ cores clocked at 2.4GHz and six Cortex A55 ‘small’ cores clocked at 2.0GHz. The graphics are handled by Mali G57. The integrated modem in the chipset supports 5G + 5G dual Sim stand by, NSA/SA network but only on the sub-6GHz band. MediaTek Dimensity 800U

In terms of memory, it comes with only 8GB of RAM. Users can choose between 128GB and 256GB of internal storage.

Camera

Realme Q2 Pro flaunts a quad-camera setup at the back, which along with the LED flash is enclosed inside a rectangular camera bump. The 48MP primary camera has a 6P lens combination and an aperture of f/1.8. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide angle that boasts 119-degrees of Field of View. In addition to them, there is a 2MP sensor for macro shots (4cm) and a monochrome portrait sensor (f/2.4). The device can record 4K videos @ 30fps, and 720p slow-mo videos at up to 240fps.Realme Q2 Pro Camera Setup

Similarly, there is support for both UIS and UIS Max video stabilization. Other important features of the rear camera setup include Super Night Scene, Time-lapse photography, background virtualization, and human distortion correction. On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera with an aperture of f/2.5 which can record 1080p slow-motion videos up to 120fps.

Rest of the specs

It features a 4300mAh battery that supports 65W (10V/6.5A) fast charging. The company claims the 65W fast charger can charge the device completely in 33 minutes. Similarly, only three minutes of charging will add one hour of screen on time or 2 days of standby time. Realme Q2 Pro has ultra-linear speakers and Hi-Res Audio certification. It ships with Android 10 with Realme UI 2.0 on top.

Realme Q2 5G Overview

Moving on, the Realme Q2 5G on the other hand features a slightly bigger display that measures 6.5-inch diagonally. While it comes with the punch-hole cut-out, Realme has used an LCD panel here. As compensation, the device features a 120Hz refresh rate and a touch sampling rate of 180Hz. It is an FHD+ panel with screen to body ratio of 90.7%. It comes with the same processor but users can choose between 4GB and 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM.Realme Q2

Irrespective of what RAM you go for, you get 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage. Similarly, the camera setup also remains the same, except for the exclusion of the monochrome portrait sensor. It features a bigger battery of 5,000mAh. But, Realme has included support for up to 30W fast charging only on Q2 5G.

Realme Q2, Q2 Pro Specifications:

  • Display:
    – 6.4-inches AMOLED panel; 180Hz touch sampling rate; Corning Gorilla Glass protection (Q2 Pro)
    – 6.5-inches LCD panel; 120Hz refresh rate; 180Hz touch sampling; Corning Gorilla Glass protection (Q2)
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels)
  • Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 800U; 7nm Mobile Platform
  • CPU: Octa-core (2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
  • GPU: Mali-G57
  • RAM: 
    – 8GB LPDDR4X (Q2 Pro)
    – 4/6GB LPDDR4X (Q2)
  • Storage:
    – 128/256GB UFS 2.1 (Q2 Pro)
    – 128GB UFS 2.1 (Q2)
  • Software: Android 10 with Realme UI 2.0 on top
  • Rear Camera:
    – 48MP primary shooter
    – 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens (119-degree FOV)
    – 2MP monochrome portrait lens (only Q2 Pro)
    – 2MP macro lens
  • Front camera: 16MP sensor, f/2.1
  • Fingerprint sensor:
    – Under-display (Q2 Pro)
    – Side-mounted (Q2)
  • Connectivity: 5G (SA/NSA), Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo
  • Battery:
    – 4000 mAh battery, 65W fast charging (Q2 Pro)
    – 5000 mAh battery, 18W fast charging (Q2)

Realme Q2i Overview

Finally, Realme Q2i is the entry-level option in the Q series. It comes with a 6.5-inch LCD  display with an HD+ resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels. Unlike its premium siblings, it features a waterdrop style notch to house the 8MP front camera. The device also supports 5G connectivity but with a less powerful Dimensity 720 chipset. Realme Q2i is available in a single memory configuration – 4GB +128GB. Realme Q2i

At the back, the square camera module encloses the triple camera setup led by a 13MP primary camera. The primary camera is accompanied by two 2MP sensors for macro and portrait shots, respectively. The 8MP selfie camera has an aperture of f/2.0. Similarly, it features a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging technology. The fingerprint sensor is on the rear panel of the device.

Realme Q2i Specifications:

  • Display: 6.52-inches LCD panel
  • Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels)
  • Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 720; 7nm
  • CPU: Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
  • Storage: 128GB
  • Software: Android 10 with Realme UI 2.0 on top
  • Rear Camera:
    – 13MP primary shooter
    – 2MP portrait lens
    – 2MP macro lens
  • Front camera: 8MP sensor
  • Fingerprint sensor: Yes, rear-mounted
  • Battery: 5000 mAh battery, 18W fast charging

Realme Q2, Q2 Pro, Q2i Price in Nepal & Availability

As of now, the Realme Q2 lineup’s availability is limited to China. The starting price of Realme Q2 Pro, Q2, and Q2i is 1,299 Yuan, 1,799 Yuan, and 998 Yuan respectively. We expect the starting price of Realme Q2 Pro, Q2, and Q2i in Nepal to be around NPR 33,000, NPR 24,000, and NPR 19,000, respectively if in future they get launched here.

Model Price in China Price in Nepal (Expected)
Realme Q2 Pro 1,999 Yuan (8/256GB) NPR 36,000
1,799 Yuan (8/128GB) NPR 33,000
Realme Q2 1,399 Yuan (6/128GB) NPR 26,000
1,299 Yuan (4/128GB) NPR 24,000
Realme Q2i 998 Yuan (4/128GB) NPR 19,000
  • Also, check out our review of Realme 7.

Sastodeal announces “Big Deal @Sastodeal” campaign for the festive season

GadgetByte
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Sastodeal announces “Big Deal @Sastodeal” campaign for the festive season

Excluding Daraz which is backed by the Alibaba group, Sastodeal is probably the biggest online shopping venture in the domestic market. The e-commerce platform has now announced the “Big Deal @Sastodeal” Dashain campaign which kicks off from today till October 17th. Let’s check out what kind of deals is the company offering in this festive season.

“Bid Deal @Sastodeal” Dashain campaign

Through its latest campaign, Sastodeal is offering numerous offers to lure customers to its platform. The major highlights of the campaign are the “Scratch & Win” offer, brand and wallet specific discounts, Dashain Coupon Center. Sastodeal Dashain Big Deal Highlights

Scratch and Win

Throughout the period of the Dashain Big Deal campaign, the e-commerce platform will be including a Scratch & Win card in each of the parcels being delivered. By scratching the card, customers will stand a chance to win a MarQ 49” TV or coupon worth up to Rs.1 0,000. There is also a coupon worth Rs. 100 as a sureshot gift for everyone.

Dashain Coupon Center

There is a page on the Sastodeal’s site that is dedicated to coupons. These coupons are categorized into different groups and each coupon comes has its own minimum purchase limit.

Dashain Coupons

Coupon Code Minimum Purchase Discount
BIGDEAL5000 Rs. 99,999 Rs. 5,000
BIGDEAL3000 Rs. 50,000 Rs. 3,000
BIGDEAL1750 Rs. 25,000 Rs. 1,750
BIGDEAL900 Rs. 10,000 Rs. 900
BIGDEAL600 Rs. 5,000 Rs. 600
BIGDEAL325 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 325

Coupons on TV

Coupon Code Minimum Purchase Discount
TV4000 Rs. 75,000 Rs. 4,000
TV3000 Rs. 45,000 Rs. 3,000
TV2000 Rs. 25,000 Rs. 2,000
TV1000 Rs. 10,000 Rs. 1,000

Coupons on Home Appliances

Coupon Code Minimum Purchase Discount
LHA4500 Rs. 60,000 Rs. 4,500
LHA3500 Rs. 40,000 Rs. 3,500
LHA2500 Rs. 20,000 Rs. 2,500
LHA1000 Rs. 8,000 Rs. 1,000

Bank and Wallet Specific Discount

Sastodeal is also offering some discount on payments made through partner banks and e-wallets. It has partnered with five different banks and one e-wallet to offer 25% cashback up to Rs. 2,500. Sastodeal Dashain Big Deal banking partners

Partner Bank and E-wallet Cashback Valid Platform Payment Method
NIC ASIA 20% up to Rs. 2000 Website Debit & Credit Cards
Sanima Bank 25% up to Rs. 2500 Sanima Mobile Banking Scan & Pay
NMB Bank 25% up to Rs. 2500 Website Debit & Credit Cards
Nepal Investment Bank 10% up to Rs. 1000 Website Debit & Credit Cards
Himalayan Bank 25% up to Rs. 1000 Website Credit & Pre-paid cards
IME Pay 25% up to Rs. 2000 Website & App E-Wallet

Lucky Draw

If we order anything from Sastodeal during the campaign, you will automatically be included in the lucky draw for that specific date. As per the company, 12 different gifts will be handed out through lucky draws. The winner will be announced on the company’s official Facebook page at 7 pm.

On top of everything, Sastodeal is also offering various discounts (up to 80%), gift hampers, flash sales, and brand day sales. The company is also providing free delivery services to select certified products.

Sastodeal “Big Deal @Sastodeal” Validity Period

Sastodeal “Big Deal @Sastodeal” Dashain offer will be effective from October 13 to October 17 for a period of four days.

Marketing Campaign Validity Period
Sastodeal “Dashain Big Deal” October 13 to October 17 (4 days)
  • Check out our review of Realme 7.

Huawei FreeBuds 3i launched in Nepal: A cheaper alternative to AirPods Pro

GadgetByte
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Huawei FreeBuds 3i launched in Nepal: A cheaper alternative to AirPods Pro

Huawei announced the FreeBuds 3i for the European market back in May 2020. And it comes as a competitor for Apple’s AirPods Pro, albeit for a cheaper price! Now, it is available for purchase in Nepal as well. Let’s learn about the Huawei FreeBuds 3i features along with its official price, and availability in Nepal. 

Huawei FreeBuds 3i Overview

Design-wise, the new FreeBuds 3i looks similar to the FreeBuds Lite of last year. And that itself was similar to the AirPods Pro. Thus, you can see why many comparing these new truly wireless earphones to the AirPods. It measures 41.8 x 23.7 x 19.8 mm (per earbud) and comes with a total of 3 mics.

In its 3-mic system, two of them are outward-facing mics. They pick up your voice from among the surrounding noises. The third mic is an inward-facing one and it receives the voice conducted inside the user’s ears for improved call quality.

As for the controls, the earbuds support tap gestures. A long tap can be used to toggle Active Noise Cancellation and a double-tap can be used to toggle music and answer calls. Moreover, the music automatically stops when you take out the earbuds from your ears. And the reverse also happens i.e. the music resumes once you reinsert the earbuds.

Huawei FreeBuds 3i case

Inside, it has a 37mAh battery (per earbud) that offers 3.5 hours of continuous music playback. Moreover, that time lowers down to 2.5 hours when it comes to calls. Now, that’s the cost you’ve to pay to achieve active noise cancellation of up to 32dB. However, the charging-case does add 14.5 hours of music and 10.5 hours of talk time. As far as charging is concerned, each earbud takes up to 1 hour to charge and the case takes up 1.9 hours.

FreeBuds 3i Specifications:

  • Dimensions: 41.8 x 23.7 x 19.8 mm (per earbud); 80.7 x 35.4 x 29.2mm (charging case)
  • Weight: 5.5g (per earbud); 51g (charging case)
  • Type: In-ear/True wireless/Bluetooth
  • Noise Cancellation: Active noise cancellation, Call noise cancellation
  • Charging Time: 1hr(earbuds); 115min(case)
  • Battery: 37mAh (per earbud); 410mAh (charging case)
  • Battery Life: 3.5hr playback/ 2.5hr talk time, up to 14.5 hr playback and 10.5hr talk time with charging case
  • Driver: 10mm dynamic
  • Bluetooth: version 5.0
  • Features: Wearing detection (requires EMUI 10 or above), 3-mic system, ANC, IPX4 water resistance
  • Companion App: Huawei AI Life (Android)

Huawei FreeBuds 3i Price in Nepal & Availability

Huawei FreeBuds 3i is now available in Nepal for the price of NPR 14,900. You can buy the FreeBuds 3i noise-canceling TWS earbuds in Nepal from different Huawei authorized showrooms across Kathmandu. Or, you can contact them on their social media (Facebook, Twitter) for more details.

TWS earbuds Model Name Price in Nepal (Official)
Huawei FreeBuds 3i NPR 14,900
  • Watch: Best wireless earbuds [by smartphone brands]

Realme C12 with 6000mAh battery, Helio G35 launched in Nepal

GadgetByte
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Realme C12 with 6000mAh battery, Helio G35 launched in Nepal

Realme Nepal has been constantly adding new devices in its affordable C-series of smartphones. Few months ago, we saw the Realme C11 and Realme C3 and now, the company has added Realme C12. Both these phones share most of the similarities, but there are some minor changes here and there. 

Realme C12 Overview

In Realme C12, you get a 6.5-inch IPS LCD with HD+ resolution. The display features a waterdrop notch and it houses a 5MP selfie camera. 

realme c12 display price nepal

On the back, it has a triple camera setup. It consists of a 13MP primary lens. The primary lens is complemented by two 2MP auxiliary cameras. The camera module is nicely packed in a square-box. And the LED Flashlight contained alongside the lenses. Also, the rear panel features a fingerprint reader, which the Realme C11 lacked. 

realme c12 battery

Similar to the recent C-series devices, the C12 too uses MediaTek Helio G35 chipset. The SoC is paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB onboard storage. And a huge 6000mAh battery powers the device. However, on the C12, the charging is at 10W only. 

Realme C12 Specifications:

  • Display: 6.5-inch IPS LCD; HD+ (1560 × 720 pixels); 20:9
  • Chipset: Mediatek Helio G35
  • CPU: Octa-Core (8 X 2.3GHz Cortex A53)
  • GPU: Imagination PowerVR GE8320
  • Memory: 3GB RAM; 32GB Storage (expandable)
  • OS: Android 10 with Realme UI on top
  • Rear Camera: Triple, 13MP primary lens with f/2.2 aperture + 2MP B/W lens with f/2.4 aperture + 2MP lens with f/2.4 aperture
  • Front Camera: 5MP with f/2.0 aperture
  • Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
  • Battery: 6000mAh; 10W wired charging

Realme C12 Price in Nepal and Availability

The Realme C12 is now available in Nepal for a price of Rs. 14,990. This price is for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant.

Smartphone Price in Nepal 
Realme C12 Rs. 16,990 Rs. 14,990

Realme Buds Air Neo Review: Things (Should) Have Changed

Nikhil Shrestha
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Realme Buds Air Neo Review: Things (Should) Have Changed

Realme followed up the launch of its first TWS earbuds – the Buds Air with Buds Air Neo back in May of 2020. While one won’t be able to tell these two apart from a quick glance, the Buds Air Neo comes with a bunch of downgrades and therefore is a cheaper offering from the company. But, does the feature sacrifice and its lower price make sense? Let’s find out more in this review of the Realme Buds Air Neo.

Realme Buds Air Neo Specifications:

  • Dimensions:
    • 51.3H x 45.25W x 25.3D-mm (case)
    • 40.5H x 16.59W x 17.7D-mm (earbuds)
  • Weight: 4.1 grams (each earbud); 30.5 grams (charging case)
  • Driver: 13mm Large Audio Driver; PU & Titanium Composite Diaphragm
  • Connectivity: Wireless (Bluetooth v5.0, Google Fast Pair); 10 meters range
  • Bluetooth profiles: HSP/HFP/A2DP/AVRCP
  • Chipset: Custom R1 chip
  • Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Sensitivity: -88dB (-80 to -92)
  • Speaker Impedance: 30Ω± 15 %
  • Music time: 3 hours playback, 17 hours (with charging case)
  • Audio codec: AAC, SBC
  • Control: Touch (customizable via the app)
  • Battery capacity: N/A (each earbud); 400mAh (power case)
  • Charging time: 120 minutes (with charging case)
  • Noise-canceling: No, Single microphone
  • IP rating: IPX4 protection against water splashes
  • Power case charger: Micro USB
  • Color: Pop White, Punk Green, Rock Red
  • Companion app: Realme Link
  • Price in Nepal: Rs. 5,599

Realme Buds Air Neo Review:

Design

  • AirPods like design, build quality
  • Half in-ear buds that won’t fit all ears
  • Squarish charging case with a glossy finish

Like I said earlier, the Buds Air Neo is almost indistinguishable from the Buds Air in terms of a visual perspective. Heavily inspired (that’s putting it lightly, to be honest) by the first two generations of Apple’s AirPods. Compared to its predecessor, Realme has managed to make the Air Neo considerably more compact and lightweight. Doesn’t sound like much but it actually makes a lot of difference when storing it in your pocket.

Realme Buds Air Neo - Charging Case

well toTo compare, the charging case of the Buds Air weighed 42.3 grams whereas this one is about 30% lighter at just 30.5 grams. Similarly, the earbuds themselves see a slight weight-loss but I doubt that’s practically unnoticeable. While sharing the same dimension, each Buds Air Neo weighs just 4.1 grams to Buds Air’s 4.2 grams. I’d already praised their lightweight build and that opinion is borrowed here on the Buds Air Neo as well.

Personally not fond of this design

Here, it has a plastic build material with a glossy finish. As a result, it’s going to attract a lot of smudges and fingerprints when you’re taking it on/off or using its control mechanism. Also, it comes with a flat stem and a half in-ear design that’s meant to fit all ear sizes – quite like its inspiration. I’ve time and again mentioned how I’m not fond of this design choice and just wish the TWS industry collectively retires it.

In my case, these earbuds fit fine inside the ears which resulted in a fair bit of passive noise isolation too. But I must say, when you’re jogging, walking, or even chewing your food, the Realme Buds Air Neo readjusts itself. Because of this, I often had to reposition the earbuds in my ears. Moving on, it is indeed IPX4 rated against sweats, water splashes which is actually a one-up from the first-gen Buds Air as that didn’t have any sort of IP certification.

Charging Case

Likewise, even though Realme has managed to bring down the weight of the charging case, it still has a rather shiny design; and thus attracts a ton of smudges. Its hinge is quite solid while the magnets hold the earbuds pretty firmly as well. There’s an LED indicator up front which has a slightly muted glow. Similarly, there’s also a pairing button up front and a Micro USB port at the bottom for charging. I would’ve preferred a USB-C connection instead but I guess Realme had to go down this path for cost-saving purposes.

Pairing

  • Bluetooth v5.0 wireless connection
  • 10 meters / 30 feet effective range
  • Google Fast Pair Service (GFPS) enabled

Realme Buds Air Neo - In ear

When it comes to pairing, things are fairly standard on the Buds Air Neo. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, you’ll need to press the aforementioned button for a while, for first-time pairing. It’ll then make the earbuds visible to other Bluetooth-enabled devices and you’re good to go. It has a rated wireless range of 10 meters (30 feet), but that sadly doesn’t translate to actual usage. Moving from one room to another would result in signal loss and would eventually disconnect altogether.

Impressively, just like the Buds Air, it comes with Google Fast Pair Service (GFPS) for quick pairing too. With this, every consecutive pairing will occur in an instant; turn on your phone’s Bluetooth, open Buds Air Neo’s lid, and bam – they’re connected just like that!

Control

  • A touch-based capacitive sensor on each earbud
  • Double/triple-tap for playback control/trigger voice assistant
  • Customizable via the Realme Link app

The similarities between Buds Air and Air Neo extend to the controls as well. There’s a capacitive sensor on both earbuds that you can tap to trigger different actions. You can customize them under the Realme Link app (available only for Android devices) but there’s not a whole lot of options to play around with. I have set the audio to play/pause with a double-tap on either side, whereas a triple tap on the left earbud returns to the previous track.

Additionally, a triple tap on the right earbud skips the currently playing track. Realme Buds Air Neo also has a built-in microphone that you can use to make calls or interact with Google Assistant. Here, you can long-press either earbud to trigger the voice assistant. Still, it doesn’t have an optical sensor for wear detection like Buds Air. The touch sensor recognizes user inputs nicely, but there is a latency of about 300 – 400ms between the request and its execution.

Audio Quality

  • 13mm Large Audio Driver with Dynamic Bass Boost (DBB)
  • Polyurethane (PU) & Titanium composite diaphragm
  • 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response
  • 119ms super low-latency gaming mode

Realme Buds Air Neo - Buds

Let’s get into the audio now. Realme Buds Air Neo has a 13mm large driver with high-quality Polyurethane (PU) and Titanium diaphragm. The company has also complemented this setup with a Dynamic Bass Boost (DBB) algorithm which, as the name implies, increases the bass output. Furthermore, Air Neo can reproduce audio frequencies between 20Hz and 20kHz (20,000Hz). In terms of audio codecs, it doesn’t support Qualcomm or Sony’s high-end protocols and only features the basic AAC, SBC codecs.

I gotta say, the overall sound quality of Realme Buds Air Neo is not that bad. It doesn’t get loud enough and therefore I could comfortably put the volume to the max at all times. Moreover, there isn’t much loss in quality even when you’re listening at 100% volume so that’s absolutely great. Relative to Buds Air’s smaller 12mm driver, the larger 13mm audio unit on Air Neo, unfortunately, doesn’t compare as much.

Insufficient bass

First off, bass enthusiasts won’t find it particularly enjoyable under the default setting. Yet, I did manage to squeeze out slightly more bass using Viper4Android FX equalizer. Likewise, the mids and highs are relatively not that great in comparison either. The vocals themselves sound pretty nice, but treble and high frequencies sound rather inadequate. Therefore, you don’t get to enjoy the cohesive details in certain genres of music.

For instance, I listened to the “Black Hole Sun (Westworld)” soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi. In this, the music sounds very clear but in a couple of instances, the piano keys sound slightly shrieky. Similarly, I thoroughly enjoyed Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”. Here, the vocal is clear, and the Buds Air Neo managed to efficiently reproduce low-frequency drum beats too. In “Redbone” by Childish Gambino, there was a hint of bass every now and then, but nothing to the extent that would have me grooving to the tune.

The trinity of my “Hans Zimmer sound test” for the review concludes with Realme Buds Air Neo. And just like the Buds Q and Air, the audio from Air Neo too flails during the first ten seconds of “Beautiful Lie”. Finally, “ミスターWICKED” by ECD sounds a little muffled, and lacking in detail, despite the rap portion alone sounds clear enough.

Realme Buds Air Neo - Design

119ms Super Low Latency Gaming Mode

In addition, Buds Air Neo boasts the 119ms super low-latency gaming mode as well. Promising “perfect sync in audio & visuals”, you can turn on the 119ms mode by long-pressing both earbuds at the same for about two seconds. There’s an audio of a car revving up to indicate you’ve entered the low-latency mode. When watching videos, I didn’t notice any sort of audio delay from Realme Buds Air Neo during my review – in both regular and 119ms mode.

But in competitive gaming, especially RPG, FPS games where there’s a lot going on at once, having the lowest possible audio delay could very well determine whether you win the game or not. To test it out, I played Call of Duty: Mobile and Mobile Legends Bang Bang and switched between the Realme Buds Air Neo and my Philips SHE3000BL/10 wired earphone.

Just like the Buds Q and Buds Air that feature the same 119ms mode, it doesn’t make much sense here either (in terms of gaming that is). Although this mode noticeably reduces the audio delay compared to regular mode, the latency still feels way too uncanny in the aforementioned games. Every in-game interaction and their respective SFX is heard just a little late; which then has you lose your edge in the gameplay.

I also tested out how much of Realme’s claims of 119.2ms latency under the “Earbuds Delay Test” app. On average, I managed to record +284ms delay in normal mode, whereas the number came to around +156ms in low-latency mode.

Call Quality

Now, the call quality on Buds Air Neo isn’t that great compared to the Buds Air. That’s mainly because of its single microphone setup while Buds Air had two mics in total – with Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC). Overall, calls sound pretty decent but audio pickup from the microphone isn’t that great at all times. So oftentimes, I would get complaints about how my voice lacked loudness.

Battery

  • 400mAh (charging case)
  • Micro USB charging connection

Getting to the battery, once again, Realme hasn’t disclosed the exact capacity of each earbud. We do know that the charging case is equipped with a 400mAh battery. And unlike Buds Air, Realme hasn’t been deliberately deceptive enough to claim double-digit hours of continuous playback. Instead, the advertised level of battery life is 3 hours (single music listening time), 1.5 hours of single calling time, and up to 17 hours with the power from the charging case.

Realme Buds Air Neo - Watching video

For me, battery endurance was especially disappointing since I’m used to listening to music for hours at a time; usually longer than 3 hours. So, when putting on the Buds Air Neo at about 100% volume at all times and with 119ms mode turned on, I only managed to get 2 hours of playtime. So, allow me to point out the obvious and say that it is ideal for casual listeners only. Charging them was a pain as well since it takes nearly 2 hours to juice it up to 100% via the Micro USB connection.

Conclusion

To wrap it all up, the Realme Buds Air Neo is a confusing pair of TWS earbuds considering its spec-sheet and the meager price difference with the standard Buds Air. The overall audio and low-latency performance between the two is quite neck-to-neck and thankfully, it also introduces IPX4 water resistance. However, it’s battery life and call quality isn’t that great and the Buds Air Neo also skips on some premium features like wireless charging – or something simple like USB-C connection.

Songs referenced in the Realme Buds Air Neo review:

Realme Buds Air Neo Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Decent audio quality with clear vocals, mids
  • Google Fast Pair Service (GFPS) enabled
  • Customizable, responsive controls
  • Not ideal for heavy listeners
  • IPX4 water-resistant against splashes

Cons:

  • Bass reproduction could’ve been a little better
  • 119ms low-latency mode isn’t ideal for gaming
  • Battery life isn’t that great
  • Call quality is inconsistent (no noise reduction)

OnePlus Buds with up to 30 hours of battery life launched in Nepal

GadgetByte
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OnePlus Buds with up to 30 hours of battery life launched in Nepal

This year, we witnessed OnePlus’s transition from a flagship killer to a flagship itself. However, with the launch of OnePlus Nord, maybe the company is finally returning back to its roots. But, it wasn’t the only product that was launched in July’s AR event. The company also launched its first wireless earbuds, which is now available here in Nepal as well. Read along to check out the specifications, official price, and the availability of OnePlus Buds in Nepal.

OnePlus Buds Overview

These buds were initially expected to release alongside the OnePlus 8 series. However, back then we got the Bullet Wireless Z instead. But hey, it’s finally here. And its design very much resembles Apple’s AirPods. However, there’s a slight difference here. These buds have a flat back that is touch-capacitive whereas the AirPods have a rounded back.

There are sensors inside the buds that automatically detect if the buds are in your ears or not. That means once you pull it out of your ear, your music will pause automatically. The buds come with a sleek case that is similar to that of the Google Pixel Buds case. And there as status light on the outside that helps to know whether the buds are fully charged or not.

oneplus buds

Features

Sadly, the OnePlus Buds do not come with active noise cancellation. However, it does have environmental noise cancellation. Basically, while on a call, this helps to reduce the background noise that the other person hears. 

Similarly, the device currently does not support Google Assistant services on devices other than an OnePlus phone. Also, it does not have features such as aptX HD and LDAC codecs. It supports only SBC and AAC. Now, it does deliver a decent sound, however, it will obviously not sound as good as say the Sony WF-1000XM3.

One of the best things about these buds is its batteries. It comes with Wrap Charging. The first earbuds to have these features. It helps the device to achieve 10 hours of battery life in just 10 minutes. In total, the device lasts for 30 hours. That’s 7 hours in the Buds and 23 in the case. 

Another redeeming feature of this device is its find my bud feature and the IPX4 rating. The IP rating makes these buds the perfect gym companion.

OnePlus Buds Price in Nepal and Availability

OnePlus Buds retails at $79 in the US. Here in Nepal, Oliz Store has brought the OnePlus Buds in two color options: Gray, White for the price of NPR 12,500.

TWS Model Price in Nepal Availability
OnePlus Buds NPR 12,500 Hukut
  • Check out our list of best wireless earbuds by smartphone brands

Acer Swift 3 2020 (Intel) Review: Best budget ultrabook of 2020?

Yural Maskey
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Acer Swift 3 2020 (Intel) Review: Best budget ultrabook of 2020?

Hello everyone, today I have the Acer Swift 3 with me and it’s one of the cheapest thin and light ultra-book you can buy in the market right now. Actually, there are 2 variants of the Swift 3, one with AMD’s Ryzen 4000-series and the other with Intel’s 10th-gen Ice Lake processors. I’ve got the Intel variant with me that I’ve been using for quite a while now. So, let’s get on with the Acer Swift 3 review.

Acer Swift 3 Full Specifications:

  • OS: Windows 10 Home
  • CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-1035G4 processor Quad-core 1.10 GHz
  • GPU: NVIDIA MX350 2GB GDDR5 (dedicated) | Intel® Iris Plus Graphics (integrated)
  • Display: 14″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS
  • RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4
  • Storage: 512 GB SSD
  • Connectivity: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, WiFi 5.0
  • Webcam: HD
  • Battery: 48Wh; 65W charger
  • Buy here (ITTI Nepal)

Design

The first thing I immediately liked about this laptop is how thin and light it is. Here you don’t get the ultra-premium materials like on the MacBook Air or Dell’s XPS series, and it feels a little plasticky too. Although it’s indeed made using magnesium alloy material which helps to bring down the net weight to just 1.18kgs.

acer swift 3 LID design

Similarly, in my months of use, I’m yet to notice any scratches, dents, or dis-coloration so far, which is great. The lid also doesn’t flex as much and this wide hinge helps keep the whole device sturdier. You can also rotate the hinge to 180-degree, though its use case is pretty limited – at least for me.

acer swift 3 180 degree rotation

Right inside the hinge, there are 2 exhaust vents, but only the one on the left actually works. Sadly, the one of the right is just there to make the device look more symmetric and therefore aesthetically pleasing.

Getting to the back of the device, you will see air intake vents and 2 speakers right below it.  These speakers’ audio output is quite low and it might not be sufficient while watching movies and such with friends.

Memory & Connectivity

Moving on, there are 12 screws holding the chassis in place, and getting inside the Swift 3 is pretty swift. You can upgrade the SSD and WiFi card, but the RAM has been soldered in.

And I have also seen some configurations of Swift 3 with a mere 4GB of RAM, so try avoiding that variant altogether. BTW, the one I have with me has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The WiFi card is the latest Intel AX201 WiFi 6 module, and I had no issue with the WiFi connectivity.

As for ports, you get a charging power connector, an HDMI port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port with Thunderbolt 3 support.

acer swift 3 ports left

You can also use this Type C port for charging, provided you have a 65W or higher USB Power Delivery charger. You might be wondering if you can charge with the 65W charger you find these days in Realme and Oppo phones but sadly, you can’t.

Anyways, looking at the right side, you will find a headphone jack, another USB 2.0 Type-A port, and LED indicators.

acer swift 3 ports right

Display

As for the display, you get a 14-inch FullHD 16:9 IPS panel. As you can see, the bezels are thin on the sides and top but at the bottom, it’s pretty thick. You can also get a 13.5-inch variant with a trendier 3:2 aspect ratio, but it’s not available yet in south Asia.

acer swift 3 Display

Getting into the display quality of this variant, it’s quite good. Obviously, the color coverage isn’t wide enough for professional creators, but for general usage like web browsing and watching movies, it is completely fine. This an IPS panel, so the viewing angles are great too. Brightness wise, it might not be enough for a fairly well-lit room, or outdoors, but is adequate enough for indoor use.

The top bezel houses an HD webcam and it’s not total garbage. It gets the job done for Zoom meetings and such. However, the audio from the microphone isn’t great. As a result, you gotta invest in a decent headset to get a better audio output.

Keyboard & Trackpad

Now, let’s talk about the keyboard. It has good key travel and I really enjoyed typing on it.

It gives soft feedback and therefore is not very loud while typing. This chiclet-style keyboard has a single-color LED backlighting, which is pretty basic. You can configure between 2 levels of brightness, but only the topmost level is only any good.

acer swift 3 Keyboard

The only thing I don’t like about the keyboard is the fact that the Page Up and Page Down keys are right beside the arrow keys. And there have been so many instances where I would accidentally click them. Down below the arrow keys, you will find a fingerprint sensor, which is pretty reliable. On the other hand, its plastic trackpad is pretty average too. It is not as responsive as glass trackpads you get on other premium Ultrabooks.

Performance

In terms of performance, my review unit is powered by the quad-core Intel i5 1035G1 CPU and the entry-level NVIDIA MX350 dedicated GPU with 2GB of GDDR6 VRAM. You can also configure the Intel variant with up the i7-1065G7.

Similarly, as I told earlier, you can also go with the AMD Ryzen 5 4700U variant, which has a much better performance & efficiency than its Intel counterpart. But, with the Ryzen chipset, you get an integrated Radeon RX Vega GPU, which isn’t as good as having a dedicated GPU that you get here.

With the MX 350, don’t expect anything spectacular gaming performance though – after all, the Acer Swift 3 is an Ultrabook.

Casual gaming is possible as I got a respectable 100 fps in medium settings in CS: GO. Similarly, I was able to play FIFA 20 in medium settings at HD resolution smoothly.

However, with prolonged gaming sessions, its single fan couldn’t keep up, although Acer has optimized this laptop to not produce too much fan noise. So, you will start to notice CPU/GPU throttling, resulting in degraded gaming performance.

To solve this, you can get yourself a decent laptop cooler pad, which will help for smoother gameplay. But again, if you want to play games, even the light ones like FIFA, it’s better you get something like the Acer Nitro 5 or the Dell G3 which retails at a similar price as the Swift 3.

As for my daily regimes like simultaneously using Google Chrome with 10-12 tabs open and Adobe Photoshop for light editing/cropping photos for Instagram feeds, it served me well without any hint of lags or stutter. So, if you fall in this or similar category of users, the Acer Swift 3 should serve you well.

Battery

Lastly, let’s talk about battery life. It has a 3-cell 48Wh Li-Ion battery, which I think is a little bit low for an Ultrabook. The endurance is good, but not that great.

Usually, I would not bring the charger with me at the office and all I do is watch YouTube videos and write scripts and it lasted me like 5 hours of SOT under the “Better Performance” setting. So, had Acer provided a slightly bigger battery, the Swift 3 2020 would have been absolutely stellar.

Acer Swift 3 Review Conclusion

All in all, the Intel variant of the Acer Swift 3 is a respectable Ultrabook for the price. It has got a decent display, the typing experience is also great which matters a lot if you’re someone who types a lot, and the performance is sufficient enough for anyone who’s not into playing demanding games or has an extensive workload like designing, video editing, etc. Having said all this, I still wish Acer had worked on improving in 2 aspects: the speakers and the trackpad – and maybe even the battery as well.

Pros:

  • Good keyboard typing experience
  • Good Performance
  • Thin & Light

Cons:

  • Battery Life could have been better
  • Plastic Trackpad is average
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