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Vivo V20 Review: A Ballad of Beauty

Nikhil Shrestha
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Vivo V20 Review: A Ballad of Beauty

Vivo isn’t the first company that comes to mind when asked which OEM comes up with the best value-oriented smartphones. Because its offerings have traditionally ranked performance below good looks and better cameras, the aforementioned response seems reasonable. Having said that, this formula has undoubtedly worked for Vivo as it manages to enter the charts of the highest smartphone selling brands every quarter. So, obviously, what the company is doing—is working. And today, I have the new Vivo V20 in for review.

Vivo V20 Specifications:

  • Body: 6.35 x 2.92 x 0.29-inches, 172gm
  • Display: 6.44-inches AMOLED panel, 60Hz Refresh Rate, 83.70% screen-to-body ratio, 409 PPI
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (8nm mobile platform)
  • CPU: Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 465 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 465 Silver)
  • GPU: Adreno 618
  • RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x RAM
  • Storage: 128/256GB UFS 2.1 internal storage (expandable)
  • Software & UI: FuntouchOS 11 on top of Android 11
  • Rear Camera: Triple-camera;
    – 64MP, f/1.89 primary sensor, Motion AF, Eye AF, Body/Object AF
    – 8MP, f/2.2 multi-function lens (wide-angle, macro, bokeh), 120º FOV
    – 2MP, f/2.4 monochrome sensor
    – Dual-LED flash
  • Front Camera: 44MP, f/2.0 lens (notch), Eye AF
  • Security: In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
  • Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, Bottom-firing speaker
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS / Glonass / Glonass / Beidou / NavIC (India-only) , USB Type-C, 4G LTE
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, Proximity, E-compass, Gyroscope
  • Battery: 4000mAh with 33W Flash Charge (11V/3A)
  • Colors: Sunset Melody, Midnight Jazz, Moonlight Sonata
  • Price in Nepal: Rs. 47,990 (8/128GB)

Vivo V20 Review:

Design

  • Glass back, glass front, plastic frame
  • Slim and lightweight build
  • Fingerprint-resistant back panel
  • Enticing color tones

What is easily one of the most alluring mid-range smartphones I’ve ever seen or had the opportunity to review, the Vivo V20 is actually so much more than that. But let’s talk about the design for a minute. It’s gorgeous, it really is. Available in three color options altogether, fair to say that the Sunset Melody variant that I have with me is the best of the bunch.

Changing its hue, from golden to blue—ah, this gradient finish is mesmerizing.

Vivo V20 - Sunset Melody

And the matte glass back is all the rage as well. This AG (Anti-Glare) matte glass also makes for an exceptional grip and the phone is surprisingly not as slippery as one might think. Furthermore, the back is resistant to scratches, whereas the AF (Anti-Fingerprint) coating gets rid of most of the smudges that you would normally. And the ones that do manage to make their way on the panel can be taken care of with one swift wipe.

Similarly, the rectangular rear camera module at the back is something to talk about too. With its dual-layer structure for the sensors and the dual-LED flash, the V20 will wobble when placed on a flat surface. But all’s well by slapping in the clear case that comes inside the box. However, this thing is so darn pretty that it’s a pity that one would have to put on a case. Anyway, the phone has a plastic frame with a glossy finish, although something a little more subdued would’ve been my ideal choice.

Textured power button

On the right, you’ll find the power and the volume buttons. Interestingly, the power button is also textured, so you can always tell when you have your finger on it. Moreover, the buttons are incredibly well-placed and I could therefore easily reach them with no trouble. The top frame stays clean while the left side houses a SIM tray which can take two SIMs alongside a micro SD card. Finally, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port, and the speaker grille at the bottom.

All of this is packaged into a slim, lightweight body with a subtle 2.5D curve through the edges. Vivo V20’s weight distribution is excellent as well so… it looks like Vivo has nailed the design side of things on this phone. Only one other thing I wish it had was an IP rating of sorts seeing how the much cheaper POCO X3 manages to include an IP53 certification.

Display

  • 6.44-inches FHD+ AMOLED panel
  • No Gorilla Glass protection
  • Standard 60Hz refresh rate

Moving to the front, the phone has a 6.44-inches FHD+ AMOLED display. This is neither compact nor too big to be absolutely unpocketable which is another major win for the Vivo V20 I’d say. Still, the company could’ve definitely worked to bring down the bezels because frankly, they disturb the harmony of the phone’s overall aesthetics. Minimizing the considerably large chin and the bezels on the other sides would’ve been absolute icing on the cake.

Anyway, it’s quite odd that Vivo has gone with a traditional teardrop notch instead of how the cool kids on the block are rather going with a minimalistic punch-hole cutout. With this, Vivo V20 manages to achieve a relatively meager 83.7% screen-to-body ratio. And seeing how the company was arguably a pioneer in introducing innovative motorized mechanisms in its earlier V-series of smartphones, this feels like a blatant letdown.

Disregarding all of these, the display is excellent in itself. Since it’s an AMOLED panel, you will be able to enjoy darker darks and brighter whites thanks to the incredible 2 million:1 contrast ratio.

Likewise, the phone’s display is completely flat with rounded edges on all four sides. Also, it comes with a screen-protector pre-applied—which is always something nice to have. But that feels more like a mere compensation for the lack of a Gorilla Glass protection of any kind, than a cost-saving luxury to the users. Furthermore, V20’s display is also the house to an optical in-display fingerprint sensor.

Fingerprint, face unlock

It does demand a little bit of pressure to get it working but once you do, it works almost every time. The sensor is pretty fast and on a few occasions, I was surprised to see it work even when my finger was a little wet. You can also opt for face-unlock as your go-to biometrics option. Despite not being secure enough, it is respectably fast.

Vivo V20 - Display

Talking about the core panel itself, everything’s A+ here—although a higher 90/120Hz refresh rate would’ve been even nicer. I didn’t notice any sort of discoloration around the edges of Vivo V20 either. The colors are vibrant and the screen can get plenty bright even when you’re in a brightly lit environment. Compared to the OnePlus Nord, the color scheme of the Vivo V20 in its default setting is slightly cool, but maybe that’s the other way around. The Nord’s panel is a little warmer. But, you can mess around with the color levels in the settings.

The “Professional” color mode, in particular, caught my eye. To my surprise, watching sitcoms under this option with moderately muted hues was quite fun. Objects and the human subjects looked a lot more natural and easy on the eyes. So yeah, that’s neat.

Performance

  • Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G (8nm)
  • 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128/256GB internal storage (expandable)

While V20’s design and display are pretty stellar, if the history of Vivo is any indication, its performance wouldn’t follow suit. And in the strictest sense of words, that is still true. For instance, let’s take a look at a couple of similar-priced smartphones. The OnePlus Nord comes with a more powerful Snapdragon 765G SoC with an integrated 5G modem, whereas the Realme X3 comes with last year’s flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 855+.

Vivo V20 Benchmarks:

  • Androbench
    • Sequential Read: 501.27 MB/s
    • Sequential Write: 216.97 MB/s
  • AnTuTu V8: 280,294
    • CPU: 101,857 | GPU: 72,094 | Memory: 52,837 | UX: 53,506
  • Geekbench 5
    • CPU: (Single Core: 555 | Multi-core: 1,713)
    • Compute: 1,174 (Vulkan API)
  • PCMark: 6,939 (Work 2.0 Performance)
  • 3DMark:
    • Wild Life: 1,062
    • Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan): 2,452

Yep, Vivo V20’s Snapdragon 720G most certainly doesn’t compare against the competition—especially the Realme X3. Albeit comparatively underpowered, the V20 didn’t disappoint me in my day-to-day usage. Paired with 8GB of RAM and either 128 or 256GB of storage, memory on this phone wasn’t an issue either. But for some reason, I occasionally noticed how app installation takes a bit longer to complete.

Gaming

When it comes to gaming, the phone maxes out at the “High” frame rate and “HD” graphics in PUBG Mobile. And here, I didn’t notice any major stutter or lag, even though the way the game renders graphic elements feels a little weird. Other than that, the gameplay is pretty solid with an average of 40-45fps. On the other hand, OnePlus Nord can push to Ultra frame rate and HDR graphics—a tier above what the Vivo V20 can do.

Similarly, I also played Call of Duty Mobile for my review of the Vivo V20. It can be cranked up to Max frame rate and High graphics and the gameplay is extremely smooth. Other relatively lightweight games like PES 2021, Injustice 2, Clash Royale, etc. run without a problem either. And the heat management on Vivo V20 is fairly impressive as well, even though it doesn’t have a dedicated vapor chamber liquid cooling like its Pro sibling. The phone does get a little warm after about half an hour or more of gaming, but it cools off pretty quickly.

Software

  • Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11
  • The first phone in Nepal to ship with Android 11 out-of-the-box

Now, if you’ve read/watched our review of any Vivo smartphone in the past, you’ll remember how we’ve spoken critically of its software. Vivo’s custom skin to Android—Funtouch OS, has always received harsh words of criticism, and deservedly so. But surprise-surprise, the latest Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11 is ridiculously good. I mean, crazy good. It’s almost a complete overhaul from the previous version and to my liking, Vivo has heavily leaned into a stock Android look and feel, while being inspired by OnePlus’ Oxygen OS.

Vivo V20 - Funtouch OS 11

The phone has Quickstep as its default launcher and almost every other default apps are supplied by Google. While looking a lot like stock Android, Funtouch OS 11 sort-of manages to overcome one major criticism of its inspiration—about how drab or boring stock Android can get. There is a lot of customization, and helpful ones at that too.

Uninterrupted gaming experience

For instance, there’s the new Ultra Game Mode which optimizes system resources, blocks notifications, and better gameplay. There’s also a sweet shortcut where you can shake the phone to active the torch, just like on Motorola phones (but doesn’t turn it off… huh?). And because it is based on Android 11, you can enjoy different Android 11 exclusive features like Bubbles, built-in screen recording, etc.

Weird enough, the revamped power menu on Android 11 takes abnormally long to activate on this phone. I was also impressed with this feature called “Wisdom Engine”. What it does is give a notification whenever an app(s) consumes a more-than-usual level of the battery in the background, and you can choose to end its process. On top of the visual overhaul, it’s little features like this, that has really made me admire Funtouch OS 11 on the Vivo V20 during my review.

In the more recent news, Vivo has officially confirmed Origin OS, which is supposed to be a complete redo of Funtouch OS. I can only hope that the upcoming Android skin from Vivo abides by the current version of Vivo’s Funtouch OS, and doesn’t try & do anything extravagant.

Cameras

  • Triple-cameras at the back
  • (64MP primary, 8MP multi-function, 2MP mono)
  • 44MP front-facing camera inside the notch

Time to talk about the cameras. Vivo V20 has a triple rear-camera setup with a 64MP primary sensor that takes 16MP pixel-binned images by default. The 8MP multi-function sensor is responsible for wide-angle, macro, and portrait images, whereas the 2MP monochrome lens lets you take fun B&W photos & videos.

Normal Images

Here, the regular images from the 64MP sensor are great. They look vibrant with a hint of warm tone that looks pleasing to the eyes. Comparing it to the OnePlus Nord’s 48MP primary sensor, it’s neck-and-neck.

Both lenses take 4-in-1 binned images by default, and the photos look almost indistinguishable with comparable dynamic range. However, images from the V20 tend to have slightly better sharpness and are less riddled with noise.

Similarly, the detail preservation and color balance are also better on the V20. But once again, let me remind you, the difference I’m talking about is marginal to the core.

Taking a look at the respective high-res shots from the two phones, one can clearly see how Vivo V20’s 64MP lens is capable of taking sharper, clearer images with incredible details.

Wideangle Images

The wide-angle images are similar on the V20 and Nord too.

Still, the latter maintains better highlights and has a wider dynamic range, while the Vivo V20 manages to generate photos with punchier colors like before.

Portrait Images

Moving on to the portrait shots, it’s a little daunting to see how the bokeh effect on the OnePlus Nord looks… unsettling. As you can see in these samples, subjects tend to look abnormally dark, although they don’t look as overprocessed & smooth like on the V20.

Similarly, the saturation is a little high on the V20 in comparison, but that could align with what one prefers. Personally, I’d take the smooth & punchier portraits from the Vivo V20 over the ghastly ones from the Nord any day—and this sentiment remained constant throughout the review period. 

Selfie Images

Coming to the front, Vivo V20 equips a 44MP selfie camera with eye AF, whereas the opposition has a dual-selfie-camera setup consisting of a 32MP primary and an 8MP ultra-wide lens.

V20 is a clear winner in terms of regular selfies as its background exposure is miles ahead and the photo looks lively with a warm color tone. Thanks to eye AF, the phone manages to lock focus quickly and the selfies come off looking pretty sharp as well. Portrait selfies, on the other hand, are alike on V20 & the Nord in terms of the bokeh effect and the overall image quality.

Nighttime Images

Let’s take a look at the nighttime images now. Here, the superior Spectra 355 ISP of the OnePlus Nord shows what it’s capable of.

As evident from these shots, both normal nighttime & the night mode images on the Nord have better sharpness with minimal noise.

This doesn’t mean the night shots are terrible on the V20 as it does have better colors and one can even say that the highlights are better maintained on it.

OnePlus Nord also wins out on wide-angle night mode images since V20’s results look a bit hazy.

Videos

Video-wise, the Vivo V20 can shoot 4K/30fps recordings from both front and rear cameras, and you can take videos from the wide-angle camera as well. It also has gyro-EIS on both lenses. While minimizing your field-of-view to the extreme, oddly enough, “Super Anti-Shake” mode from the back camera maxes out at 1080p/50fps, whereas the “Steadiface” mode on the selfie camera can be tuned to 4K/30fps.

The videos turn out well stabilized on the aforementioned resolution, so that’s nice. Making use of the 2MP monochrome lens, you can also shoot fun photos & videos where the subject stays in color while the background turns black-in-white. Throughout the review, I personally didn’t find these features of the Vivo V20 that enticing, to be honest. There’s also the option to take bokeh videos, and the dual-video mode lets you record footage from both selfie, and/or primary, wide-angle lens. All in all, the Vivo V20 is a capable camera smartphone for photos as well as videos.

Battery

  • 4000mAh battery with 33W Flash Charge

Getting to the battery, the phone equips a moderate 4000mAh cell. On paper, that doesn’t seem very impressive, I know. But, you’d be surprised to learn that I consistently managed to get 7–8 hours of screen-on-time on the Vivo V20 during my review. Normally, I’d have the phone at about 50–60% brightness with Always-on Display turned off, and my usage mostly consisted of gaming, binging YouTube, and switching between multiple social-media apps. So, suffice to say, the V20 can easily last you a day, with plenty of juice to spare.

Also, the overnight battery drain on the phone is pretty minuscule as I recorded a loss of about just 1–2% every day. When it comes to charging, the phone supports 33W FlashCharge which is super fast, adequately fast, I would say. At 1% juice remaining, I charged the phone and got to 50% in just 24 minutes. Similarly, Vivo V20 climbed to 80% in 42 minutes, and to the complete 100% in 1 hour and 3 minutes.

Audio

  • 3.5mm headphone jack, Single bottom-firing speaker
  • Wired headphone provided inside the box

In terms of audio, call quality on the Vivo V20 is great—no complaints there. The single bottom-firing speaker isn’t that impressive though. I mean, it is good enough for listening to podcasts and such, but don’t expect to enjoy any sort of deep bass or rich details from these speakers.

Vivo V20 - Box contents

Vivo also ships a wired earphone inside the box. The ear tips are shaped like Apple’s classic AirPods and there’s also a microphone and a playback control button. Its audio is decent—loud enough, with a fair amount of bass and details, although nothing mind-blowing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the V20 is a classic mid-range Vivo phone, done better—to the point where it almost makes perfect sense for the mainstream consumers. The keyword here being “almost” since the onboard Snapdragon 720G isn’t the ideal silicon for the price that Vivo’s asking for the phone. But that has always been an Achilles heel in the company’s portfolio—and one that it tries to make up from the phone’s other aspects like design and camera.

Well, the question remains, “has this tradition been executed to perfection on the Vivo V20?” The answer is going to vary a lot. To reiterate, the phone would’ve been an absolute steal had the company gone with Snapdragon 765G instead. Besides better performance, its inherent 5G capability is a big point in the bank at a time when the shipment of 5G smartphones is seeing a massive rise. Also, the regular 60Hz refresh rate and the teardrop notch feel like a big swing-and-a-miss on the V20. But if you can look past that and appreciate its design, camera prowess, and more, I feel like the Vivo V20 is an exciting device, and something worth checking out.

  • Watch our video review of the Vivo V20.

Vivo V20 Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

  • Beautiful design—an eye candy
  • Excellent AMOLED display
  • Funtouch OS 11 is simply too good
  • Best cameras in the segment
  • Surprisingly good battery life
  • 33W Flash Charger inside the box

Cons:

  • Not the best value for money
  • Snapdragon 720G isn’t that powerful
  • No higher refresh rate (90/120Hz)
  • Teardrop notch could be a turn-off to many

Sony announces Airpeak brand for its professional drone projects

GadgetByte
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Sony announces Airpeak brand for its professional drone projects

In a recent press release, Sony has announced that it is not entering the drone market. The company will be conducting its drone business under the Airpeak brand. Let’s learn more about Sony’s latest decision to step into the professional drone business with the Airpeak brand.

Airpeak: Sony Drone Project

When it comes to consumer electronics, Sony ranks among the biggest and most popular brands in the world. It manufactures smartphones, TVs, audio accessories, cameras, and so much more. Even when it comes to cameras and imaging technology, the Japanese company is among the world leaders. Not only does it manufacture its own cameras, but it also develops imaging solutions for brands like Apple. Sony looks to take it to the next level by integrating it into a drone.

Technologies involved

Airpeak is the company’s latest project in the field of AI robotics. Sony acknowledges that drone technology in recent years has contributed to workflow efficiency and energy saving in the industrial sector. And now, the company wants to do its part in the evolution of the technology using the 3R technology (Reality, Real-time, and Remote) along with its imaging and sensing technology.

Who is this for?

With Airpeak, Sony is targeting professional video creators. Thus, we might not see any consumer drone under the Airpeak brand. Airpeak aims to promote the use of drone technology in fields where it was challenging in the past. And it wants to do so with the highest level of safety and reliability. The brand will also be collaborating with professional creators for the same.

Market Competition

Sony Drone patent

The drone market isn’t entirely new to the company. Sony has worked with another Japanese company ZMP for Aerosense back in 2015. Earlier this year, Sony Alpha Rumors spotted a drone patent from Sony. That being said, it will not be easy for the company to penetrate into the drone market, which, as of now, is dominated by the likes of DJI. Sony should also look into GoPro’s Karma drones that tried to challenge DJI but failed miserably. However, many see this as the perfect time for Sony to announce itself in the drone market given how the American and European markets are getting cautious about the use of Chinese technology.

Sony Airpeak Launch and Availability

Sony will be officially launching products under the Airpeak brand starting from next year. The company says it will be updating customers about the project from Airpeak’s official website.

Drone Technology Launch Date
Sony Airpeak 2021
  • Check out our review of the POCO X3.

Nepali team Abrupt Slayers wins PUBG Mobile Pro League South Asia S2: Take home $40k!

GadgetByte
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Nepali team Abrupt Slayers wins PUBG Mobile Pro League South Asia S2: Take home $40k!

Even after the delay caused by the game’s ban on India, the Season 2 of the PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL) South Asia has finally concluded. For four weeks, the top twenty teams from South Asia faced off each other for the chance to take part in the PUBG Mobile Global Tournament. Teams from Nepal have performed exceptionally well in the PUBG Mobile Pro League South Asia bagging both the first and first runner up. Let’s learn more about the concluded PMPL South Asia gaming tournament, including its duration, format, winners, and prize pool.

PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL) South Asia Overview

To begin with, Season 2 of the PMPL South Asia was initially set to start in September. However, the Indian Government’s decision to ban the game in the country affected the tournament. As a result, Tencent decided to not allow any Indian players to take part in the competition. According to a report by AFK Gaming, as many as 17 teams based in India were affected by the decision. However, three of them were able to get their place back after recruiting players from other South Asian Countries, mainly from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The three teams were Element Esports, Future Station Esports, and Stalwart Esports.

Format

Talking about the actual tournament, the regular season kicked off on October 15 and concluded on November 1. There were five groups with four teams in each of them Five games were played on each game day in Round Robin format. At the end of the third week, the three best teams from each group qualified for the finals with the best performing team from the remaining joining them.

Winners

Out of the 16 teams that made it to the finals, ten were from Nepal, and the rest were based on Bangladesh and Pakistan (3 each). The Grand Finals of the PMPL South Asia Season 2 ran from November 8 to November 11. At the end of the fourth day, Abrupt Slayers became the winner with four chicken dinners and 91 kills. The team had a bright start to the finals with three chicken dinner on the first day.

On the final leaderboard, they managed to score 212 points. Another Nepali Team DRS Gaming managed to score 207 points to rank second. A1 eSports was the second runner up with 189 points. Similarly, Nima Tamang from DRS Gaming won the MVP award after ending the tournament with 30 kills (7 headshots, 5953 damage).

PMPL South Asia: Prize Pool

Abrupt Slayers won $40,000 for securing first place in the tournament. Similarly, second-placed DRS Gaming and A1 Esports won a cash prize of $20,000 and $14,000, respectively. Similarly, Nima won $5000 for its MVP performance. The top three teams have also secured their place in the PUBG Mobile Global Tournament. It will take place between 24th November and 20th December. In that tournament, 24 teams will battle each other for the $2 million prize pool.

  • Also, check out the review of the best gaming phone in Nepal.

Samsung Galaxy M21s with 64MP triple camera launched

GadgetByte
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Samsung Galaxy M21s with 64MP triple camera launched

Samsung has just unveiled its latest mid-range M-series smartphone in Brazil. The new smartphone is no one other than the Galaxy M21s. Let’s take a look at the specifications, features, expected price, availability of Samsung Galaxy M21s in Nepal.

Samsung Galaxy M21s Overview

The model number of the M21s (SM F415FZKBZTO) confirms that it is indeed the Galaxy F41 in a 4/64GB memory configuration. Both the device are rebrands of the Galaxy M31 that is available in Nepal.

Design and Display

Design-wise, there is not much that separates the new Galaxy M21s from the vanilla model. Both feature a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ panel with Infinity-U notch that holds the front camera. The display is housed inside a polycarbonate body. The volume rockers and power button are on the right side while the SIM card tray is on the left side of the phone. Samsung Galaxy M21s Design

At the back, we get to see the rectangular camera bump on the top left corner. It’s home to a triple camera setup. Even though the device has a Super AMOLED display, Samsung has still gone with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Performance and Memory

Nothing has been upgraded in the chipset department as well. Samsung has gone with the same Exynos 9611 chipset that it has used in the majority of its mid-range phones in 2020. The chipset based on the 10nm FinFET process consists of four Cortex A73 cores (up to 2.3GHz) and four Cortex A53 cores (up to 1.7 GHz). It can get you through the day to day tasks. However, when it comes to gaming, it is well below the Helio G90T and Snapdragon 720G which the competitors are offering in the mid-range segment.

Talking about the memory, only the 4+64GB variant has been confirmed now. However, we expect Samsung to release a 6+128GB variant as well. The storage can be expanded up to 128GB using an external microSD card.

Camera

Galaxy M21s features a triple camera setup on the back. The primary here has a 64MP sensor instead of the 48MP one that is on the regular M21. The rest of the setup has remained unchanged. There is an 8MP camera with a wider FOV. There is also a dedicated 5MP sensor for the depth sensor. On the front, Samsung has upgraded the 20MP selfie camera to up to 32MP. Samsung Galaxy M21s rear panel

Rest of the specs

Samsung Galaxy M21s has a monstrous battery of 6000mAh with support for 15W fast charging. There is a rear-mounted physical fingerprint sensor for biometrics. Connectivity options include USB 2.0 Type-C port, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

Samsung Galaxy M21s Specifications:

  • Body: 159.2 x 75.1 x 8.9mm; 191 gm
  • Display: 6.4-inches Super AMOLED panel
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Exynos 9611; 10nm Mobile Platform
  • CPU: Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • GPU: Mali-G72 MP3
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 64GB UFS 2.1 (expandable using SD card)
  • Software & UI: Samsung’s One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10
  • Rear Camera: Triple camera;
    – 64MP primary shooter
    – 8MP ultra-wide lens
    – 5MP depth sensor
    – Single LED flash
  • Front Camera: 32MP
  • Security: Physical fingerprint scanner
  • Audio: 5mm headphone jack, Dolby Atmos
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo, USB Type-C
  • Battery: 6000mAh with 15W fast charging

Samsung Galaxy M21s Price in Nepal and Availability

Samsung Galaxy M21s is now available in Brazil for R$1,699 for the 4/64GB variant. The company recently dropped the price of Galaxy M21 in Nepal. We think Samsung is preparing for new launches which in this case could be the Galaxy M21s. We expect the price of Samsung Galaxy M21s in Nepal to be under Rs. 30,000.

Smartphone Model Price in Brazil Price in Nepal (Expected)
Samsung Galaxy M21s R$ 1,699 NPR 30,000
  • Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy M31. 

Samsung Nepal announces a price drop of up to Rs. 1,500 on Galaxy M21 and M31

GadgetByte
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Samsung Nepal announces a price drop of up to Rs. 1,500 on Galaxy M21 and M31

On the occasion of Tihar, Samsung Nepal has announced a cashback offer of up to Rs. 1,500 on two of its most popular mid-range smartphones. Under this scheme, Samsung Nepal has announced a price drop on Galaxy M21 and Galaxy M31.

The new starting price of the Samsung M21 and M31 in Nepal is Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 29,999 respectively. Since the two devices are nearing their End of Life (EOL) period, we expect the price cut to be permanent. It may even be a hint that Samsung is preparing new smartphones in Nepal. Because of it, Galaxy M21 and M31 are even more affordable making the deal even more tempting for potential buyers.

Overview

For the most part, Samsung Galaxy M21 and M31 are similar devices. The only major difference is the camera setup. Samsung Galaxy M21 flaunts a triple camera setup on the back. It consists of a 48MP primary camera accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 5MP depth sensor.  The M31 betters it with a 64MP primary sensor and an additional 5MP macro sensor. Similarly, it has a 32MP front camera compared to a 20MP camera on the Galaxy M21.

The two devices are powered by Exynos 9611, which actually falls behind what the competitors are offering at the price range. Other than that, the M21 and M31 are a good overall package. Both device sports 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. The displays are Widevine L1 certified. M21 and M31 ship with One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10.

Both phones come with a big 6,000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging via Type-C port. For biometrics, they have a rear-mounted physical fingerprint scanner. They also support Dolby Atmos via the 3.5 headphone jack.

Samsung Galaxy M21, M31 Specifications:

  • Display: 6.4-inches Super AMOLED panel; 403PPI; Gorilla Glass 3
  • Resolution: FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Chipset: Exynos 9611; 10nm Mobile Platform
  • CPU: Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • GPU: Mali-G72 MP3
  • Software & UI: Samsung’s One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10
  • Rear Camera:
    – 48/64MP primary shooter
    – 8MP ultra-wide lens
    – 5MP depth sensor
    – 5MP macro sensor (only in M31)
  • Front Camera: 20/32MP lens
  • Security: Physical capacitative fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted)
  • Audio: 5mm headphone jack, Dolby Atmos
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BDS, USB Type-C
  • Battery: 6000mAh with 15W fast charging

Samsung Galaxy M21, M31 Price in Nepal

After the price drop, the new price of the Samsung Galaxy M21 in Nepal is Rs. 21,999 and Rs. 25,999 for the 4/64GB and 6/128GB, respectively. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy M31 starts at Rs. 29,999 for the 6/128GB variant, while the 8/128GB has a price tag of Rs. 34,499.

Smartphone Model
 Old Price New Price
Galaxy M21 (4/64GB) NPR 22,999 NPR 21,999
Galaxy M21 (6/128GB) NPR 27,499 NPR 25,999
Galaxy M31 (6/128GB) NPR 30,999 NPR 29,999
Galaxy M31 (8/128GB) NPR 35,699 NPR 34,999

Poco launches C3 in Nepal: Best phone under Rs. 15,000?

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Poco launches C3 in Nepal: Best phone under Rs. 15,000?

Just some days ago, Poco teased that it is making a return to the Nepali market. The company today announced two devices that will soon hit the stores around you. The cheapest of the two is the Poco C3. In this post, we will be taking a look at the specs, features, official price, and availability of the “Game Changer” Poco C3 in Nepal.

Poco C3 Overview

Design and Display

Poco C3 DesignPoco C3 features a 6.53-inch HD+ display. It sports a waterdrop notch to house the selfie camera. The panel sports an HD+ resolution and a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. The display on the Poco C3 is reading mode certified by the TUV Rheinland.

At the back, Poco has included a dual-tone color scheme. It also houses the square camera module. Unlike the Redmi 9C that the device is based on, the Poco C3 does not have a fingerprint scanner. Similarly, the device is P2i certified against minor splashes.

Performance and Software

Here, the phone packs in Helio G35 SoC. It’s a budget-oriented gaming chipset from MediaTek. Thus, it supports HyperEngine Technology that manages the resources intelligently for a lag-free experience. As of now, only the 4/64GB variant will be available in Nepal.

MediaTek Helio G35

Poco C3 ships with MIUI 12 based on Android 10. The highlight here is the Poco Clean Experience which provides an ad-free experience to the users. Also, the company claims to have optimized the MIUI launcher and improved the responsiveness of the system animation.

Camera

Poco C3 camera setup

At the back, the triple camera setup is enclosed inside the square camera module along with the LED flash. The setup is led by a 13MP camera sensor. It is joined by a 2MP portrait camera and another 2MP sensor for macro shots. The rear camera setup supports Phase Detection AF, AI Scene Detection, and Face Recognition. On the front, the waterdrop notch encloses the 5MP selfie camera.

Rest of the specs

The whole setup is powered by a 5,000mAh battery, which the company claims can deliver up to 2 hours of battery endurance on normal usage. Poco is also claiming a 25% longer battery lifespan on this device because of the Better Battery 2.0. The device supports 10W charging and Poco has included a 380V surge protection charger with the device. Similarly, the ports are also made from corrosion-proof materials. Poco C3 Better Battery 2.0

Poco C3 Specifications:

  • Dimension: 164.9 x 77.1 x 9mm; 194g
  • Display: 6.53-inch In-cell LCD display; Panda Glass Screen Protection
  • Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels); 20:9
  • Chipset: Mediatek Helio G35
  • CPU: Octa-Core (8 x 2.3 GHz Cortex A53)
  • GPU: Imagination PowerVR GE8320
  • RAM: 3/4GB
  • Storage: 32/64GB eMMC 5.1 (expandable with SD card)
  • OS: Android 10 with MIUI 12 on top
  • Rear Camera: Triple;
    – 13MP rear camera, f/2.2, 1.0μm
    – 2MP macro camera, 1.75μm
    – 2MP depth sensor, 1.75μm
    – LED flash
  • Front Camera: 5MP front-facing camera, 2.2μm
  • Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, Micro USB 2.0, A-GPS/GLONASS, Beidou
  • Battery: 5000mAh, 10W charging via Micro USB
  • Colors: Arctic Blue, Matte Black, Lime Green

Poco C3 Price in Nepal and Availability

The official price of Poco C3 in Nepal is Rs. 14,999 for the 4/64GB. Similarly, the low-end 3/32GB variant of the Poco C3 costs Rs. 13,999,

Smartphone Model
 Price in Nepal (Official) Availability
Poco C3 (3/32GB) NPR 13,999 Offline & Online markets
Poco C3 (4/64GB) NPR 14,999 Offline & Online markets

Yes—you read that right. Poco, an online-exclusive brand up until now, will cater to its customer via the offline market in Nepal. With this, we have another contender for the best smartphone under Rs. 15,000 in Nepal. The device is a rebranded version of the Redmi 9C, which has been our top pick in that particular price range.

Users will have to decide on which features they want the most. Poco C3 comes with an extra gigabyte of RAM, an ad-free UI experience, and Better Battery 2.0. On the other hand, Redmi 9C comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, which is absent on the C3.

  • Check out our review of the Poco X3.

Razer Book 13 launched as the brand’s first ultrabook for productivity

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Razer Book 13 launched as the brand’s first ultrabook for productivity

There is no doubt Razer is among the biggest gaming brand out there. It specializes in gaming hardware, software, and system. However, the company has now launched a new its first non-gaming laptop—the Razer Book 13. With this, it looks like Razer is trying to penetrate into the Ultrabook market. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Razer Book 13 in Nepal.

Razer Book 13 Overview

Design and Display

Talking about the design, Razer Book 13 looks quite similar to Blade Stealth 13. It sports a portable unibody design. The chassis is made from CNC anodized aluminum, while the whole thing weighs around 1.34 kg. Razer Book 13 Design

As the name implies, Razer Book 13 features a 13.4-inch display with a four-sided thin bezel. Users can choose between FHD and UHD resolution. Further, there is a touch and non-touch option for the FHD variant. On the other hand, the UHD variant only has the touch option. Irrespective of the configuration, the display in the Razer Book 13 comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection.

Performance and Memory

The base variant of Razer Book 13 is powered by Intel’s Tiger Lake Core i5-1135G7. It should be the first time that the brand is offering the option of Core i5 on its laptop. Thus, the company is advertising it as an exclusive variant. The other two models are powered by Core i7-1165G7.

There is no discrete graphics and users have to make use of the Intel Xe Graphics that comes with Intel’s 11 Gen Core 5 and Core 7 processors. While it may not match more powerful discrete GPUs, Intel claims that the new Xe graphic units are up to twice as powerful as its predecessor. Users can also buy Razer Core X separately to connect an external GPU to the laptop.

Razer has also included a Vapor Chamber cooling system that cools the device as you go through more demanding tasks. As far as the memory is concerned, the laptop will come with 16GB of RAM (dual-channel) and 512GB SSD storage. The Exclusive version has only 8GB of RAM that is paired with 256GB of SSD.

Intel Evo certification

Talking about productivity, the Core i7 models of the Razer Book 13 are Intel Evo certified. The Exclusive model doesn’t have it as the certifications require the laptop to have a touch display. Evo certification ensures longer battery life (Razer claims endurance of up to 14 hours), instant wake and resumes feature, quick recharge (30 minutes ~ 4 hours usage), and best-in-class connectivity (Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4).

Rest of the specs

Like the Blade Stealth 13, the Razer Book 13 comes with the Per-Key RGB Backlit Keyboard. The keyboard is powered by Razer Chroma RGC and users can personalize the lighting of each key as per their style. The sound system on the laptop is backed by THX Spatial Audio. For biometric, the laptop comes with Windows Hello facial recognition. Getting to I/O, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, a full-size HDMI port, a MicroSD slot, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo port. Per Key RGB Backlit Keyboard

Accessories

If users want to make the most out of the Razer Book 13, they can also buy separate accessories from Razer. The company is promoting the Razer Laptop Stand and Razer Core X on the product page of the Razer Book 13. The former offers an inclination to up to 18-degree, while the latter uses one of the Thunderbolt ports and allows users to connect a discrete GPU.

Razer Book 13 Specifications:

  • Design and Build: Anodized Aluminum unibody, Mercury with Tone-on-tone Razer logo
  • Dimensions: 15.15 x 198.50 x 295.60 mm
  • Weight: 1.34 kg (6.06 pounds)
  • Display: 13.4″ 4-sided Slim bezels, touch/non-touch display, 60Hz, 178-degree viewing angle
  • Resolution: FHD / UHD
  • Keyboard: Pre-Key RGB Keyboard powered by Razer Chroma
  • Processor: Intel 11 Gen Core i5 – 1135G7 / Core i7 – 1165G7
  • Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
  • RAM: 8/16GB (dual-channel, fixed)
  • Storage: 256/512GB SSD
  • Webcam: 720p Webcam with IR for Windows Hello
  • Audio: 2 speakers + Smart AMP, THX Spatial Audio, 4 mic Array
  • Connectivity: Intel Wireless-AX 201 (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ax), Bluetooth 5.1
  • Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1x USB Type-A port, 1x HDMI port 2.0, 1x MicroSD slot and 1X 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo port.
  • Battery: 55 Watt-hours
  • Adapter: 65 Watts

Razer Book 13 Price and Availability in Nepal

Razer Book 13 has been launched with a starting price of $1,199.99 for the base variant. The Core i7 variants costs $1,599.99 and $1,999.99 for UHD and FHD (touch) variant respectively. We can expect the price of Razer Book 13 in Nepal to start at NPR 1,50,000 if it launches here.

Razer Book 13 Variants Price (US) Price in Nepal (Expected)
FHD non-touch (Core i5-1135G7, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, FHD non-touch) $1,199.99 NPR 1,50,000
FHD Touch (Core i7-1165G7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Intel Evo) $1,599.99 NPR 2,00,000
UHD Touch (Core i7-1165G7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Intel Evo) $1,999.99 NPR 2,50,000
  • Check out our review of the MSI GE66 Raider gaming laptop.

Xiaomi launches Mi Box 4S Pro with support for 8K video playback

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Xiaomi launches Mi Box 4S Pro with support for 8K video playback

Xiaomi launched Mi Box 4S just a few months ago and the company has already launched its Pro variant in China. The Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Pro improves on some aspects over the vanilla variant, of which the most notable is the support for 8K video playback. Let’s learn more about the new Mi Box 4S Pro, including its specs, features, expected price, and availability in Nepal.

Mi Box 4S Pro Overview

Design

The design of the Mi Box 4S Pro is quite similar to the Mi Box 4S. However, the former is only available in White color option. It is a square box with its corners round. Mi logo is stamped on the top surface. One can also notice the groove that goes around the box except for the back where Xiaomi has included all the ports. Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Pro Design

Internal Specs

The main talking point of the new box is the 8K video decoding capability. The Mi Box 4S Pro supports 8K video playback. The vanilla model only supported 4K video playback. Similarly, Xiaomi has also upgraded the HDMI interface from 2.0 to 2.1. The company has not talked about the processor and GPU so, it is likely to be the same Quad-core A53 cores paired with Mali 450 that was on the Mi Box 4S. The RAM has remained the same at 2GB but the internal storage has been bumped from 8GB to 16GB. Since Mi Box 4S Pro is only available in China, it ships with MIUI for TV. However, the company should switch to Android TV, if and when Xiaomi launches it outside the domestic market.

Ports Selection

While Xiaomi has not provided any further details, the listing of the product in Xiaomi’s Chinese store confirms the presence of a USB port. The USB port along with the HDMI port, AV port, and power-in is placed at the back of the device. Mi Box 4S Pro Port Selection

Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Pro Price in Nepal and Availability

Mi Box 4S Pro is now available in China where its price is 399 Yuan. According to Android Authority, the company is not planning to launch it outside anytime soon. However, should it launch here in Nepal, we expect the price to be around NPR 8,000.

TV Box Price (China) Price in Nepal (Expected)
Mi Box 4S Pro 399 Yuan NPR 8,000
  • Check out our review of the Poco X3.

Daraz announces South Asian Ludo Tournament among other contests for 11.11

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Daraz announces South Asian Ludo Tournament among other contests for 11.11

As Daraz is getting ready for the biggest online shopping festival of the year, the e-commerce platform has announced many promotional campaigns and contests. One of them being the Ludo Tournament where competitors from four different countries including Nepal will compete against each other in a game of Ludo for exciting gifts. Let’s learn more about the South Asian Ludo tournament and other contests by Daraz, including the dates, rules, prizes, and the rest of the terms and conditions.

South Asian Ludo Tournament by Daraz

Daraz will host the inter-country Ludo tournament between November 11 and 13. The competition will take place on Daraz’s official Android app. The entry is open for nationals from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

Talking about prizes, the winner (if from Nepal) can win Daraz vouchers up to NPR 15,000. The best performing player from Nepal will win a new Titan watch worth up to 25K. Similarly, the second-best performing player will receive exclusive gifts from Vans and Erke. Finally, the third-best performing player will win gifts from Alpha Home.

You can register for the tournament by clicking on the Ludo tournament banned inside the Daraz app.

Mission 11:11

Daraz Mission 11.11 2020

Under Mission 11:11, users will be assigned 11 daily tasks, which upon completion, will yield different rewards and prizes. The Mission 11.11 section on the Daraz app will have the list of the missions between 1st and 13th November. To take part, login to Daraz App, click on the Daraz Mission 11.11 banner, and start completing the listed missions. Note that you can only complete one mission per day. Users can track their progress by entering their email address. Grand Prizes include Whirlpool Microwave (worth Rs. 19,000) and Xage Tablet (worth Rs. 8500). To be eligible for the grand prize, users must have completed at least 11 missions.

Add To Cart & Win

Daraz Add to cart and win contest

The third contest on this list is the Add To Cart & Win. Under this scheme, customers will have to add products for their desire from the “Add to Cart and Win” page to their cart. Daraz will select 7-11 winners on a daily basis. These winners will take home the product for free. It is valid from November 1st up to November 12th. Winners will be announced on Add to Cart Page on the Daraz app.

  • Check out our review of the POCO X3.

Do Your Data Overview: Data Recovery Tool for Windows and MacOS

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Do Your Data Overview: Data Recovery Tool for Windows and MacOS

I bet that every one of us has been in a situation in which we have lost important data from our computer. Be it a result of human error, malware attack, or system/software failure we have all been there. There are plenty of tools on the internet that claims to fully recover your data. But not every one of them tend to keep up their promise, and some are too complex for normal people to use. In this post, we’ll be taking a look at the Do You Data Recovery Tool—a fast and easy tool that you can use to recover your lost data.

What is Do Your Data Recovery Tool?

Do Your Data is a premium data recovery tool that is available for both Windows and Mac users. It can recover a wide range of files such as photos, videos, emails, archives, audio, folders, and documents. The tool can come in handy in case of data loss due to accidental deletion, formatting, partition loss, software crash, power failure, and even virus infection.

File Types Supported:

File Type Supported Formats
Document DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, PDF, CWK, HTML/HTM, INDD, EPS, etc.
Image JPG/JPEG, TIFF/TIF, PNG, BMP, GIF, PSD, CRW, CR2, NEF, ORF, RAF, SR2, MRW, DCR, WMF, DNG, ERF, RAW, SWF, SVG, etc.
Video AVI, MOV, MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, MKV, ASF, FLV, SWF, MPG, RM/RMVB, MPEG, etc.
Audio AIF/AIFF, M4A, MP3, WAV, WMA, APE, MID/MIDI, OGG, AAC, RealAudio, VQF etc.
Email PST, DBX, EMLX, EML, MSG etc.
Other Such as Archives(ZIP, RAR, SIT, ISO etc.), EXE, html etc.

System Requirement:

Windows Mac
OS version
  • Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000
  • Windows Server 2019, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2003
  • macOS 11.0, 10.15, 10.14, 10.13,10.12
  •  Mac OS X 10.11, 10.10, 10.9, 10.8, 10.7
  •  OS X Server
File System FAT 12/16/32, exFAT, NTFS, NTFS 5, ext 2/3/4, ReFS FAT 12/16/32, exFAT, HFS+, HFS +, NTFS/NTFS +, ext 2/3/4, APFS
Disk Space at least 60 MB at least 60 MB

How to use Do Your Data Recovery Tool?

First, head over to the official site (Windows, Mac) and download the appropriate version of the tool depending upon your computer’s OS platform. Or, you can use the link given below:

Download Do Your Data Recovery Tool for Windows Here
Download Do Your Data Recovery Tool for Mac Here

Complete the installation process and launch the software. You will be prompted to select the hard drive that housed your lost data. After selecting the drive, hitting scan will complete a quick scan of the device. For better results, you will have to select the advanced scan option. The scan will take some time to conclude but it will give better results. However, users are allowed to pause and even stop the scan process as per their convenience.

Once completed, the search results can be filtered according to the path, file type, and time. Users can select the files that they need and hit the Recover button. The tool does not recommend saving files on the same drive where they were originally saved. Users can even choose to store the recovered files on a storage media.

The neat thing about this tool is that you can export your search result whenever you don’t have enough time to go through all the search results. Whenever you are free, you can import the search result and recover items that you couldn’t recover during the initial search.

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