ZET has launched a new smartwatch in its home country of China. The company had grabbed headlines earlier this year becoming the first smartphone brand to implement an under-display camera in a commercial smartphone. In this post, however, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of ZTE Watch Live in Nepal.
ZTE Watch Live Overview:
Design and Display
The new ZTE Watch Live measures 40.6 x 34.6 x 10.8mm and weighs around 35.7 grams. It comes with a square screen that measures 1.3-inch with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. The downside here is that the company has opted for a TFT LCD screen instead of an OLED panel which we expect on such devices. ZTE has rounded the watch at corners and placed a physical dial on the right side of the watch. The wrist band is made up of silicon. The watch is IP68 certified against dust and splash.
Health & Fitness Monitoring
The watch supports 24 hours of heart rate monitoring. Similarly, you can use it to determine your blood oxygen (SpO2) level. It can even keep track of your sleeping habits and help you maintain your stress level. For fitness freak, the ZTE Watch supports up to 12 different types of activity tracking. This includes walking, skipping, cycling, swimming, etc.
Smart Features
ZTE Watch Live comes supports Bluetooth 4.2 wireless transmission that you can use to connect it to your smartphone. Once connected, it can remind you of upcoming notifications, calls, messages, and even weather forecasts. The watch even allows you to control music playing on your device. It can also be used at a remote camera shutter. It is equipped with Find My Phone function in case you have a habit of misplacing your device too.
Battery
ZTE has not revealed the exact capacity of the batteries used in the ZTE Watch Live. But the company claims that the watch can last anywhere between 15 – 21 days on a single charge. A magnetic charger is included in the box.
ZTE Watch Live Specifications:
Body: 40.6 x 34.6 x 10.8mm, 35.7gram
Display: 1.3-inches TFT LCD panel
Resolution: 240 x 240 pixels
Water Resistance Level: IP68 rating
Activity Tracker: 14 different modes
Battery Endurance: 15–21 days
Charger Type: Magnetic charger
ZTE Watch Live Price in Nepal & Availability
ZTE Watch Live is available for pre-order in China where its price is 229 Yuan. As of now, there is no hint of an international launch. However, we can expect the price of ZTE Watch Live in Nepal to be around NPR 5,000 if it launches here.
Apple launched the iPad 10.2 (2020), Watch Series 6, and Watch SE in the Time Flies event held in Sept. But it was the iPad Air 2020 that stole the show with its A14 Bionic chipset. With the fourth-generation iPad Air, Apple has bridged the gap between the iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup. Let’s learn more about the new iPad Air 2020 along with its specs, features, expected price, and availability in Nepal.
Apple iPad Air 2020 Overview
Design and Display
Compared to its predecessor, the new iPad Air 2020 features a larger screen that measures 10.9-inch diagonally. The larger display means the new iPad Air has an all-screen design like the premium iPad Pro. The Liquid Retina display has support for True Tone and Wide Color (P3). Similarly, the display is fully laminated and it has an additional coating to avoid fingerprints and reflection. Unlike the new 8th-gen iPad that only supports the first-gen Apple Pencil, the 4th-gen iPad Air supports the second-gen Apple Pencil.
Since the space around the screen has been reduced to a significant extent, Apple has moved the Touch ID toward the top right corner of the device. The Touch ID uses Secure Enclave and is both faster and smaller compared to the previous generation of biometrics.
Performance
The highlight of the device is the new A14 Bionic chipset. iPad Air 2020 is the first device to house the chipset that is expected to be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup as well. It is also the first chipset based on TSMC’s 5nm process node. With the new process, Apple has managed to fit in 11.8 billion transistors in the new processor (to compare, the A13 Bionic had 8.5 billion transistors).
It features an improved hexa-core CPU and quad-core graphics unit. With the new setup, Apple is claiming up to a 40% boost in CPU and a 30% boost in graphics performance compared to the last generation iPad Air that featured the A12 Bionic. The new 16-core Neural Engine is capable of completing up to 11 trillion operations in a single second. That is an astonishing 38% improvement over A13.
Here, the iPad Air 2020 features a 12MP wide camera with f/1.8 aperture at the back. If that spec sounds familiar, it is because it is the same one that Apple used in the iPad Pro and iPhone 11. Unfortunately, the ultra-wide shooter and LiDar scanner are not available in the iPad Air. It is capable of recording 4K videos at up to 60fps.
On the front, there is a 7MP FaceTime HD camera with an f/2.0 aperture. Both cameras use backside illumination technology and support Smart HDR and Auto Image Stabilization.
Rest of the specs
The new iPad Air 2020 is backed by a 28.6 Watt-Hour lithium-polymer battery which can last up to 10 hours of web surfing (Wi-Fi). It can be charged using a USB Type-C port which has been preferred over Apple’s proprietary Lightning port. There is also a magnetic connector to connect accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Smart Folios.
Apple iPad Air (2020) Specifications:
Body: 9.74 x 7 x 0.24-inches; 458gm (WiFi), 460gm (WiFi + Cellular)
Security: Touch ID integrated into the power button
Supported Accessories: Apple Pencil (second-generation), Smart Folio Keyboard, Magic Keyboard.
Battery: 28.6 Wh Li-Poly battery
Charger: 20W USB C charger
Colors: Silver, Space Gray, Rose Gold, Green, Sky Blue
Apple iPad Air 4 (2020) Price in Nepal and Availability
The Apple iPad Air (2020) is set to launch in Nepal with a starting price of NPR 95,000. It is expected to be available from the 3rd week of December from Oliz and Evo Stores.
iPad Air 2020 Model
Price in Nepal
Apple iPad Air (2020): 64GB, Wi-Fi
Rs. 95,000 89,000
Apple iPad Air (2020): 64GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular
Rs. 115,000
Apple iPad Air (2020): 256GB, Wi-Fi
Rs. 119,000 110,000
Apple iPad Air (2020): 256GB, Wi-Fi + Cellular
Rs. 138,000 135,000
Check out our review of Galaxy Tab S6 Lite and iPad 10.2 (2019).
Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi launched its first smartwatch alongside the Redmi Note 9 5G series. The Redmi Watch, as it is called, comes with some common smartwatch features. However, its pricing has caught many people’s eyes. Let’s look into the features and the expected price in Nepal, availability of the Redmi Watch.
Redmi Watch Overview:
Whether the Redmi Watch will be available elsewhere, we don’t know yet. However, speculation is that this watch could be available in the global market as Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite.
The Redmi Watch sports a rectangular 1.4-inch color display. It has a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels and 2.5D glass. The design of this watch is similar to the Apple Watch. However, the price… is miles apart. You can choose between Elegant Black, Ivory White, and Ink Blue colors for the watch. And the additional colors available for the TPU straps are Cherry Blossom Pin and Pine Needle Green.
The watch measures 41 x 32 x 11.9 mm in dimensions and weighs just 35g. However, don’t let its small size fool you as its 230mAh battery is rated to last for 7 days with normal usage—and 12 days with the power-saving mode on.
Health, Fitness Tracking
As with every other smartwatch, the Redmi Watch too comes with fitness-related features. The features include heart-rate monitor, sleep-tracking, breathing training, and more. But that’s pretty limited considering how its competitor like Honor Band 6 comes with a much more diverse set of health tracking features like blood oxygen level (SpO2) and women’s health tracking.
Additionally, it also includes seven different sport modes such as outdoor running, indoor running, outdoor cycling, indoor cycling, walking, swimming, and free activities. This number is also outshined by the Honor Band 6, which has 10 sports modes altogether. Also, the watch is water-resistant up to 50 meters.
Redmi Watch can be customized with over 120 watch faces with the help of the Mi Fit app (Android | iOS). For pairing, the device uses Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE) and it also comes with NFC. Other features include Xiao AI and Alipay support for Chinese users.
Redmi Watch Price in Nepal and Availability
Redmi Watch will be available in China from December 1, where its price is CNY 299 ($45). However, its promotional price is CNY 296 ($40). If it becomes available in Nepal, the Redmi Watch could come with an expected price of NPR 6,000.
Yesterday, Redmi launched the Redmi Note 9 series in China. The lineup consisted of three new devices different from the Note 9 devices available outside of China. The cheapest of the three is the Redmi Note 4G. It is also the only-non 5G device in the lineup. Let’s talk about the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Redmi Note 9 4G in Nepal.
Redmi Note 4G Overview
Design and Display
If you look at the spec-sheet, the Redmi Note 4G is similar to the recently launched Poco M3. However, Redmi has made some changes to the Note 4G in order to differentiate it from the M3.
The biggest change is in the design. In fact, from the back, the Redmi Note 4G looks nothing like any previous device from the company. The textured “Star Man” (machine-translated) looks something out of Realme’s design page. The latter happens to be Redmi’s biggest competition in the market.
On the front, there is an FHD+ IPS LCD screen with a diagonal size of 6.53-inch. It has a waterdrop notch on the top to house the selfie camera. Redmi is claiming a screen-to-body ratio of 90.34%.
Performance and Memory
Redmi Note 9 4G is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC. It has a maximum clock speed of 2.0GHz. The graphics are handled by Adreno 610 GPU. It is available in three RAM options – 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB. Also, one can choose between 128GB and 256GB of internal storage. The company is betting on the UFS 2.2 technology for faster read and write speed.
The phone flaunts a triple camera setup on the back. The 48MP primary camera and the 2MP depth sensor is the same that we saw in the Poco M3. However, Redmi has opted for an ultra-wide camera for the third sensor. It has a Field of View of 120-degree. In the Poco M3, there is a 2MP macro lens in its place. Using the rear cameras of the Redmi Note 4G, one can shoot 1080p videos at up to 30fps. On the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera. It is also capable of shooting 1080P videos at 30fps.
Rest of the specs
Redmi Note 9 4G is backed by a massive 6,000mAh battery. The phone also supports 18W fast charging. The fingerprint sensor is mounted on the side of the device. It also comes with dual stereo speakers. The phone ships with MIUI 12 based on Android 10.
Security: Fingerprint sensor (side-mounted), Face unlock
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo
Battery: 6000mAh with 18W fast charging
Redmi Note 9 4G Price in Nepal and Availability
Redmi Note 9 4G will go on sale in China starting December 1, whose price starts at 999 Yuan. As of now, Redmi has no intention of making the device available outside of China. So, if and when it launches here, we expect the starting price of Redmi Note 9 4G in Nepal to be NPR 20,000.
Redmi Note 9 4G variant
Price (China)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
4/128GB
999 Yuan
NPR 20,000
6/128GB
1099 Yuan
NPR 22,000
8/128GB
1299 Yuan
NPR 25,000
8/256GB
1499 Yuan
NPR 28,000
Also, check out our unboxing and review of Redmi 9.
Daraz Nepal has started its latest campaign to help aid customers with their Christmas shopping. Black Friday sales day, is observed traditionally in the United States only. However, over the years, its popularity has grown around the world, including in Nepal. Thus, it’s not surprising to see e-commerce platforms take this opportunity to boost sales. And that’s where Daraz Black Friday 2020 comes in. Starting from 27th November to 30th, this 4-day event has a lot to offer.
Daraz Black Friday 2020 New/Exclusive Launches
Infinix Smart 5
Infinix Smart 5 will be exclusively launched during Daraz Black Friday 2020. It sports a 6.6-inch IPS display with an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. The phone runs on the MediaTek Helio A20 chipset clocked at 1.8 GHz. The available memory/storage configuration of this device is 3GB/64GB. It is being launched for NPR 12,990.
Realme 7
This is one of the two recently launched devices from Realme that will be available during Daraz Black Friday 2020. Realme 7 has a 6.5-inch display with a circular cut-out on the top left corner. Furthermore, it refreshes at 90Hz and packs in a total of 2400 x 1080 pixels resulting in a 405PPI density. Powering the device is the gaming-centric MediaTek Helio G95 chipset. It is available for NPR35,990.
Realme 7i
Realme 7i is the most affordable smartphone in Realme’s 7-series. It has a 90Hz display and a quad-camera setup on the back. However, unlike Realme 7, it only has an HD+ resolution. Moreover, the chipset on this one is the Snapdragon 662 rather than Helio G95 or the G90T. It is available for NPR 29,990.
Offers from other brands
Samsung: Up to 35% off
Whirlpool: Up to 18% off
Dell: Up to 11% off
Baseus Nepal: Up to 25% off + free delivery
UGREEN: Up to 25% off + free delivery
My Power: Up to 20% off
Digicom: Up to 60% off
Corn Nepal: Up to 31% off
Lenovo: Up to 17% off
Home Glory: Up to 20% off
Discount Vouchers For Daraz Black Friday 2020
FRIDAY2K: Rs. 2000 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 40,000
FRIDAY1500: Rs. 1500 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 30,000
FRIDAY1K: Rs. 1000 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 15,000
FRIDAY400: Rs. 400 off on minimum purchase of Rs. 5,000
After all the leaks and teasers, Redmi has finally launched the Note 9 lineup in China. The new lineup consists of three phones. In this post, we will take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G in Nepal.
Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G Overview
Design
The device sports a 6.67-inch FHD display. It is an IPS LCD panel with a punch-hole on the top center to house the selfie camera. The screen is slightly bigger than its smaller sibling Redmi Note 9 5G.
The major talking point of the device is its 120Hz refresh rate. Similarly, the touch sampling rate here is 240Hz. The screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. As with the Redmi Note 9 5G, the brightness can get as low as 1 nit for comfortable viewing at night time.
At the back, Redmi has included a circular camera module that houses the triple camera setup. The rear panel has a gradient finish to it. The Redmi branding towards the bottom is also subtle which is not the case with the Redmi Note 9 4G.
Performance and 5G
Under the hood, the new Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G features Snapdragon 750G. It features 2 Cortex A77 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six Cortex A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. The graphics are handled by Adreno 619. The chipset also has Qualcomm’s 5th Generation AI Engine. The chipset features the same integrated 5G modem as in the Snapdragon 765G. The 360-degree antenna setup includes 11 different 5G antennas placed around the body of the phone.
While the Redmi Note 9 5G comes with 7 different temperature sensors, the Pro variant comes with three more sensors. The intelligent system on the phone samples the device temperature against the test data and applies the optimal thermal solution. Similarly, Redmi claims that the three-dimensional liquid cooling system on the Pro variant can keep the temperature down by up to 5-degrees Celsius.
Another talking point of the device is its 108MP quad-camera setup. Xiaomi has opted for Samsung Isocell HM2 sensor for the primary camera. It is a 1/1.52” sensor with support for the 9-in-1 pixel binning technique. The device has dual-native ISO and an improved night mode (Super Night View 2.0) for better low light photography.
It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor. Completing the quad-camera setup are two 2MP cameras, one for portrait and the other for macro photography.
On the front, there is a 16MP selfie camera that can take 1080P videos at up to 30fps. It also comes with an EIS stabilization.
Rest of the specs
Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G is backed by a 4,820mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. The 33W fast charger can charge the device from 0 to 100% in just 58 minutes. The fingerprint sensor is mounted on the right side of the device. As with most of the Redmi devices, it comes with an IR sensor. The phone also has dual-stereo speakers and a linear motor that is optimized for 100 different scenarios.
Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G Price in Nepal and Availability
Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G will go on sale in China starting from December 1, where its price for the base variant is CNY 1,599. As of now, there is no hint of an international launch. However, if it were to launch here, we expect the price of Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G in Nepal to start at NPR 32,000.
Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G Variants
Price (China)
Price in Nepal (Expected)
6/128GB
1,599 Yuan
NPR 32,000
8/128GB
1,799 Yuan
NPR 36,000
8/256GB
1,999 Yuan
NPR 40,000
Here’s our long-term review of the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi is known for its incredible value-for-money smartphones. Recently, the company crossed a big milestone by selling 140 million units of Redmi Note series of phones since the company’s early days in 2014. And today, the much-leaked Redmi Note 9 series went official in China, where it showcased a total of three new phones. Here, I’ll be discussing the Redmi Note 9 5G including its specs, features, expected price, and availability in Nepal.
Redmi Note 9 5G Overview:
Redmi Note 9 5G is currently exclusive to China and the company has revealed that it doesn’t have any plan to launch the device globally for now. However, rumors suggest that it could launch in the international market after a while under the Redmi Note 9T disguise.
Design & Display
Starting with the design, the Redmi Note 9 5G sports a very Redmi-esque, a very familiar look. From its circular camera module to a similar color scheme, the phone is quite reminiscent of the Redmi K30 Pro and K30 Ultra. But while those devices come with a motorized selfie camera, the Note 9 5G settles for a punch-hole cutout instead.
Moving on, the phone is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides and even though it doesn’t come with an official IP rating (which is unfair to ask from a device of this stature anyway), it does come with anti-splash coating. This should at least keep you from worrying in case of accidental water splashes. Redmi Note 9 5G includes a linear vibration motor as well, for better haptic feedback on your gaming or typing sessions.
Getting to the display, you get a 6.53-inches FHD+ IPS LCD panel here. With minimal bezels and the aforementioned cutout, the phone manages an impressive 90.8% screen-to-body ratio. Another feature I’m impressed by is its ability to dial down the brightness to as low as 1nit. Add that with the TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification, the Redmi Note 9 5G is very easy on the eyes. Unlike its Pro sibling, this panel still refreshes at 60Hz only.
One of the major headlining features of the phone lies in its performance. Powered by the Dimensity 800U, the Note 9 5G is an incredibly powerful device. This 7nm silicon from MediaTek consists of 2 high-performance Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and six efficient Cortex-A55 cores @2.0GHz. Handling the graphics is Mali-G57 MC3 GPU. As the phone’s name itself implies, this is a 5G-ready device since the 800U has an integrated 5G modem.
Redmi Note 9 5G supports dual-5G mode (meaning standby 5G connectivity in both SIMs), and the company has included a 360-degree antenna for optimum signal reception. All this is complemented by 6/8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of a faster UFS 2.2 internal storage. Besides, there are 7 intelligent temperature sensors that facilitate an effective cooling mechanism.
If you’re eager for a benchmark, Redmi says the Note 9 5G managed to score a whopping 345,370 on AnTuTu, which is a massive leap from the global variant of any of the Note 9 series. The phone runs on the latest MIUI 12 based on Android 10 out-of-the-box.
Cameras
When it comes to cameras, the phone packs a triple-lens setup at the back. There’s a 48MP primary lens, an 8MP ultrawide sensor (with 118-degree field of view), and a 2MP macro lens.
Apart from taking regular photos, Note 9 5G includes various productive camera features like Document mode and ID photocopying mode, which lets you take pictures as a document scanner or get a printable A4 file, respectively. Similarly, the cutout at the top-left corner of the display houses a 13MP selfie shooter.
Battery & others
Redmi Note 9 5G gets its juice from a big 5000mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging via USB Type-C connection. And with features like 5G Ultra Save (that automatically toggles between network to save power), Smart Switch, etc. you should easily get more than a day’s power from the 5000mAh cell. Other notable features of the phone include a 3.5mm headphone jack, dual stereo speaker setup, IR blaster, etc. For security, Note 9 5G comes with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Redmi Note 9 5G Specifications:
Body: 6.38 x 3.04 x 0.36 inches, 200 gm, Gorilla Glass 5, Anti-splash coating
Colors: Cloud Ink Gray, Flowing Shadow Purple, Castle Green
Redmi Note 9 5G Price in Nepal and Availability
Redmi Note 9 5G is already up for pre-order in China where its price is ¥1,299 for the 6/128GB variant. We expect the price of Redmi Note 9 5G in Nepal to be around NPR 26,000, if and when it launches later on.
The Dell XPS 13 9300 that was launched at the starting of 2020 is finally available in the Nepali market. Click here to check out the specs, features, price, and availability of Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020) in Nepal.
Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020) Overview
The Dell XPS 13 9300 comes with a machine-milled aluminum chassis made using a CNC machining process. The surface is anodized but Dell has gone further by dipping the edge a second time for added durability. It comes with a 13.4-inch display with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on top for protection. The base variant comes with an FHD non-touch panel while the top-end model has a UHD+ touch panel. Compared to its predecessor, the Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020) has a taller screen with an aspect ratio of 16:10. For this, the company has significantly reduced the bottom chin.
The laptop comes with a touchpad that is bigger than that on its predecessor. The keyboard is also stretched across the length of the device. Its edge-to-edge backlit keyboard also sports larger keycaps. The laptop comes with either a carbon fiber-based palm rest or the artic white woven glass fiber palm rest.
Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020) is powered by 10th-gen Intel Core processors with integrated Iris Plus graphics. One can choose between Core I5, Core i7, and Core i3 processors. The laptop comes with a minimum of 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. However, the storage can be maxed to feature up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD.
For connectivity, there is a pair of USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD slot. There is also a Developer Edition of the laptop. However, it is not available in Nepal as of now.
Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020) Price in Nepal and Availability
Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020) starts at NPR 2,19,000 price tag for the Core i5 model with an FHD non-touch display. Similarly, the Core i7 model of Dell XPS 13 9300 costs NPR 2,70,000. You can get it from UG Bazaar or other computer shops across the country. However, the stocks are limited given XPS 13 9310 has already arrived.
Dell XPS 13 9300 (2020) model
Price in Nepal
FHD display, Core i5-1035G1, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
Rs. 2,19,500
FHD display, Core i7-1065G7, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
Rs. 2,70,000
Check out our review of the Acer Swift 3 (Intel) Ultrabook.
Unless you are a hardcore gamer, Dell’s XPS series provides some of the best Windows experiences for the consumer market. The fact that XPS is compared to Apple’s MacBook Pro series says everything about the lineup itself. The 2020 iteration of the Dell XPS series has finally arrived here in Nepal. Today, we are going to take a look at the new Dell XPS 15 9500 (2020) along with its specs, features, price, and availability in Nepal.
Dell XPS 15 9500 (2020) Overview
For years, XPS 15 has been the best offering by Dell in the consumer market. This is no longer the case today, thanks to Dell’s decision to summon the XPS 17 after almost a decade. It doesn’t mean that the new XPS 15 9500 is a dull device.
For the first time in years, we have seen Dell build the XPS 15 from the ground up; the last few iterations carried only minor upgrades compared to their predecessors.
Meanwhile, check out all the specs and prices of Dell XP here
Design and Display
The XPS 15 9500 comes with a chassis carved out of a single body of aluminum with carbon fiber laid on the palm rest. It comes in a smaller form factor than its predecessor. Dell has managed this feat by getting rid of the bezels, especially the chin on the bottom of the screen has been reduced significantly.
As a result, the 15.6-inch edge-to-edge infinity display extends on all four sides giving rise to an even taller 16:10 aspect ratio. It is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The panel also comes with Eyefeature that will intelligently reduce the emission of harmful blue light while painting vibrant colors.
The screen-to-body ratio on this machine is around 92.9%. Users can choose between an FHD panel (1920 x 1200 pixels) and a 4K UHD panel (3840 x 2400 pixels). The slim bezel on the top houses the webcam along with an infrared camera. The diamond-cut walls on the side are said to protect the device from wear and tear by frequent plugging and unplugging of USB devices.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Dell has brought changes in the keyboard as well. The palm-rest comes with carbon fiber that provides a balance between strength and weight. Dell has increased the size of individuals keys which now come with a key travel of around 1.3mm.
The fingerprint sensor is now on the keyboard, and the track pad’s surface area is more prominent. The two up-firing speakers of the quad-speaker setup are on either side of the keyboard.
The new XPS 15 9500 comes equipped with 10th-gen Intel 45W laptop processors. As of now, it is available with up to Core i7 – 10750H (8 cores and 16 threads), but the company claims that a variant with Core i9 – 10885H processor is also on the way.
Similarly, you can get up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q graphics, 32 GB DDR4 RAM, and 1TB SSD. Shortly, Dell will be offering up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage too. The laptop is primarily for creative content creators. However, with such top-notch specs, you can even game if you like.
You are not going to get the Vapor Cooling that Dell has included in the XPS 17 9700. It could be because of the size restraints on the XPS 15. Still, it has a better cooling mechanism compared to its predecessor which the company claims is as good as it can be in a laptop of this size.
Battery, Ports, and Security
Dell is claiming a battery life of up to 25 hours on the FHD model, which comes with a six-cell 86Wh battery. Interestingly, the base variant comes with a much smaller three-cell 56Wh battery. We will have to wait to see the actual battery performance in each model. As for ports, Dell has got rid of both USB-A ports and HDMI ports.
As far as ports are concerned, the new XPS 15 9500 comes with 2 x USB C Thunderbolt, 1 x USB – C 3.1, 1 x wedge lock port, and a card reader. For security, Dell included a fingerprint sensor, which is now on the keyboard. The IR camera also supports Windows Hello login.
Dell XPS 15 9500 (2020) Specifications:
Design and Build: Unibody Aluminum chassis with carbon fiber palm rest
Dimension: 13.7 x 9.06 x 0.71-inches, 1.83 kg / 2.05 kg
Battery: Up to 6-cell 86 Watt-hours (up to 25 hours of backup)
Storage: 256GB to 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Webcam: Widescreen HD 720p Web-cam with two digital array microphone
Audio: Quad-Speaker (2 x 2.5W up-firing woofers + 2 x 1.5W down-firing tweeter)
Connectivity: Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5, on-button Fingerprint Scanner
Ports: 1 x USB A 3.1, 2 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3 support with 4 PCIe lanes), 1 x wedge lock port, a card reader
AC adapter: 90W or 180W AC adapter
Adapters: USB-C to USB-A v3.0 adapter, HDMI v2.0 dongle
Dell XPS 15 9500 (2020) Price in Nepal and Availability
The price of Dell XPS 15 9500 (2020) starts at NPR 174,800 and goes all the way up to NPR 268,800 for the Core i7 variant with a 4K touch screen. You can Dell XPS 15 9500 from Bigbyte. Other stores are currently out of stock.
This year’s ABU Robocon 2020, which was supposed to take place in Fiji, has been suspended because of the situation caused by the ongoing pandemic. However, the organizer has decided to host an online Robocon Festival instead. Though it’s not an official contest, the ABU Robocon Festival provides participants from different countries to showcase their robotics skills. Representing Nepal in the ABU Robocon Festival 2020 is a team from the Robotics Club of Central Campus, IOE (Pulchowk Robotics Club).
ABU Robocon in brief
ABU Robocon or the Asia-Pacific Robot Contest is an annual robotic competition in which participants from different colleges from the Asia-Oceania region compete against each other. The contest is hosted by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and hence the name ABU Robocon. The competition that we know today evolved from NHK Robocon which was first held in 1991.
In ABU Robocon, participants are asked to build robots, usually two, that will complete certain tasks in a game. The game is played in two between a red team and a blue team for a duration of three minutes. The ABU Robocon Festival 2020 has replaced the official ABU Robocon 2020 which was supposed to take place in Fiji.
ABU Robocon Festival
The theme of this year’s contest is Rugby which is also the national game of Fiji. Participants are asked to build two robots – Pass Robot and a Try Robot. These robots can either be manual or automatic. The game is played in a pre-determined field which consists of two halves divided. Each half consists of a passing zone, kicking zone, and receiving zone.
The Pass Robot (PR) and Try Robot (TR) start from their respective start zones. The PR picks one ball at a time and passes it from the Passing zone to TR which is at the receiving zone. The TR then scores the ball into one of the five Try Spots by avoiding obstacles. After a successful Try, the ball is to be kicked from any of the three kick zones towards the conversion post. The game lasts for 3 minutes but can end early if a team utilizes all of its seven balls.
Pulchowk Robotics Club in ABU Robocon Festival
Pulchowk Robotics Club has been representing Nepal in the ABU Robocon since 2002. It was chosen by National Broadcaster and ABU members. This time too, Team Nepal has sent videos of its take on Pass Robots and Try Robots.
The Pass Robot built by Team Nepal features an arm that is capable of pulling the ball from the rack. The ball is then pushed to a roller by a guide and passed using rotating rollers which provide the necessary momentum to the ball. It has been designed to take the kick as well. The kicking mechanism of the Pass Robot has two sections that mimic the human leg. Each section of the leg has a pneumatic actuator.
On the other hand, the Try Robot is capable of catching the ball and dropping it in the try zone. The robot resembles a basket with its front and the top left uncovered. After the robot catches the ball, the horizontal guide stops it from rolling off. When the robot reaches the try zone, the guide is lifted with respect to a pivot causing the ball to fall to the try spot.
The demonstration video sent by the Pulchowk Robotics Club has already been listed on the official page of the ABU Robocon Festival. The video will now be evaluated by other participating teams. The teams will be asked to vote to pick the top three teams. The participating teams will also be able to interact with each other in December through a planned Zoom event.