Last week, we witnessed NVIDIA announce the RTX 30-series graphic cards with some major upgrades and astonishing pricing. NVIDIA’s only competition in the GPU market is the Radeon cards from AMD. AMD has now officially announced that it will be unveiling the RDNA 2 based Big Navi graphic cards next month. In a separate tweet, the company also confirmed that it will unveil the Ryzen Zen 3 CPU architecture before the RDNA 2. Let’s learn more about the AMD’s upcoming Ryzen Zen 3 and RDNA 2 architecture along with the launch date.
AMD Ryzen Zen 3 Rumor Roundup
AMD’s Ryzen has proven to be a game-changer in the computer chipset market. It has been so successful that AMD Ryzen is now the first choice for anyone looking for a higher price to performance ratio. The processors based on the Ryzen Zen 3 architecture is expected to help the company solidify the company’s position in the chipset market.
AMD’s Ryzen Zen 3 architecture will be based on one of TSMC’s 7nm. There are three major versions of TSMC’s 7nm process and the one used for the Zen 3 based Ryzen 4000 “Vermeer” desktop processors will be an improvement over the 7nm process used in the Zen 2.
According to a report by NotebookCheck, the Zen 3 architecture will feature an updated CTR overclocker, Curve Optimizer, and Infinity Fabric dividers. All these features are related to overclocking and the information comes from Yuri Bubliy, the man behind the ClockTuner application. It is also expected that AMD will improve the IPC performance by up to 20% making some changes to the cache memory.
Competing against NVIDIA’s RTX 30-series will be AMD’s Big Navi graphics card. Well, maybe not head-to-head on every grounds, but still. These graphic cards will be based on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture. The RDNA 2 architecture is also going to be featured in upcoming consoles such as Xbox Series X and Series S and Sony’s PlayStation 5.
RDNA 2 architecture will be compatible with Microsoft’s DirectX 12 Ultimate. Similarly, it will bring ray tracing, variable-rate shading, and other features to the Big Navi GPUs. The company has also hinted that the RDNA 2 will have up to 50% better performance per watt ratio than its predecessor.
AMD Ryzen 3 and RDNA 2 Official Launch Date
AMD will unveil the Ryzen Zen 3 architecture on October 8. Similarly, AMD will reveal its RDNA 2 architecture on October 28.
Motorola has launched the 2020 iteration of the Razr. With the latest foldable smartphone, the company is trying to solve all the problems of the last year’s Razr. Let’s check out the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Motorola Razr 5G (2020) in Nepal.
Motorola Razr 5G Overview
Design and Display
From the outside, the new Razr 5G looks similar to last year’s Razr. However, on a closer look, you can notice some minor differences. For instance, Motorola has moved the physical fingerprint sensor from the chin to the back of the device. Also, the edges and corners are more rounded and curved on the new Razr 5G. The frames are made up of aluminum while the hinges are built from stainless steel. Similarly, the body of the device is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Moto Razr 5G sports a 6.2-inch foldable pOLED panel with an HD+ resolution. It has a tall aspect ratio of 21:9. Similarly, it also has an external display that can be used to quickly access notifications. The gOLED “Quick View” display measures 2.7-inch and sports a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Performance and Memory
Under the hood, it packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G. Not only does the new processor bring improvement in the raw power, but it also has an integrated modem for 5G connectivity. It is to be noted that the device will only support the slower sub-6GHz 5G band. The inclusion of the latest processor will definitely help Motorola in the sales pitch.
Motorola has also installed a bigger memory on the device. Compared to the 6GB of RAM on the Razr, the 5G variant now comes with 8GB of RAM. Similarly, the brand has doubled the internal storage to 256GB. Similarly, there is now a dedicated slot for a physical SIM card while the original Razr from 2019 only supported eSIM.
Camera
Motorola has also improved the camera. The main rear camera now uses a 48MP sensor instead of 16MP. It now has a laser autofocus ToF sensor and OIS support. On the front, the company has bumped the size of the camera sensor from 5MP to 20MP.
Other than the change in the hardware, the new Moto Razr 5G also sees some improvement in the camera UI. It is the first device to feature Moto Camera 3.0. Similarly, the native camera app also supports new features such as Instant Review, External Review, and Camera Cartoon. To sum it up, the camera app on the Moto Razr 5G is optimized to make better use of the external Quick View display.
Rest of the Specs
Motorola has installed a slightly bigger battery of 2,800mAh battery on the new Razr 5G. A 15W charger will be included in the box. At first glance, the battery may seem insufficient for a 5G phone but the device is designed in a way that the user will be interacting with the smaller external display most of the time.
Thus, Motorola has improved the functionality of the Quick View Display. The device ships with Android 10. Motorola has promised at least two major Android updates.
Motorola Razr 5G Specifications:
Body: Unfolded (72.6 x 169.2 x 7.9mm); Folded (72.6 x 91.7 x 16mm); 192 gm
Connectivity: Dual-sim (eSIM + Nano-SIM), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band (2.4 & 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS/AGPS/Galileo/GLONASS, USB 3.1 Type-C
Battery: 2,800 mAh battery with 15W TurboPower Charging
Motorola Razr 5G Price in Nepal and Availability
Motorola Razr 5G will first be available in the US where its price is $1,399.99. Though it won’t be launching officially in Nepal, Motorola Razr 5G could arrive here through unofficial channels for a price of around NPR 165,000.
Smartphone Model
Price (US)
Price in Nepal (Converted)
Motorola Razr 5G
$1,399.99
NPR 164,030
Also, check out our review of Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
Android 11 is finally here. Google has started rolling out the stable Android update for its Pixel devices. However, not every Android smartphone comes with a near-stock Android software. Different OEMs put their custom skin on top of Android making it challenging to roll out the latest update immediately after Google does. In this post, we are going to cover how far the popular smartphone brands are from releasing their own version of the stable Android 11 update. We have sorted out the smartphones that are eligible for the stable and beta versions of Android 11 based on the brand.
Google
It’s no brainer here. Google Pixel devices are always going to be the first in the race for the Android OS update. The company already rolled out the stable version of Android 11 for all the eligible Pixel devices.
OnePlus was the first smartphone brand other than Google that promised at least three years (or three major OS updates) for its smartphones. The company has also worked closely with Google to bring the Android Beta 11 to its smartphones on the day as the launch of Android 11. The company is yet to release a stable version of the latest OS. But the latest OnePlus 8 series is eligible for the Android 11 OxygenOS 11 Open Beta Program.
Earlier in August, Samsung announced it will be offering up to three years of software update support. The South Korean brand joined the party late but is expected to have the biggest impact. Regardless of the recent sales drop, it ranks among the biggest supplier of Android smartphones. Galaxy S20 series will get the One UI 3 update first. Right now, Samsung has announced the One UI 3 Beta Program for Developers for users in South Korea and the US. The company says it will soon be rolling out Public Beta Program for people in other regions as well.
Xiaomi is a brand that is really known for its budget and mid-range devices under the Redmi and Poco brand. However, it will be the premium Mi lineup that will receive the taste of Android 11 first. The Chinese brand has made the Android 11 Preview available for the Mi 10 lineup. Users with Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, and Poco F2 Pro can apply for the Android R Pilot Tester.
Xiaomi Smartphones Eligible for Android 11 Preview:
ColorOS 7.2 Beta based on Android 11 is available for limited devices. Oppo will be unveiling the ColorOS 11 based on Android 11 via an online event on September 14.
Realme UI Android 11 Preview if available for only for the X50 Pro. We are yet to hear bout the launch of the stable version or the inclusion of other devices in the Preview program.
Realme Smartphones Eligible for Android 11 Preview:
It just feels like yesterday that Google released Android 10. But in fact, it’s already been a year since the company abandoned its traditional naming scheme after a dessert, and came up with Android 10 in September 2019. The latest data from Statcounter shows that Android 10.0 has been installed in 29.04% of Android tablets and smartphones making it slightly ahead of 9.0 (Pie) at 28.19%. And just yesterday, Google rolled out the newest Android 11 update. Let’s check out what’s in store on the latest version of Android.
Android 11 Overview
As expected, Android 11 doesn’t bring a major visual overhaul (well, maybe in one area but more on that later). Instead, it’s more about under-the-hood and quality-of-life changes and some genuinely helpful new features I can’t wait to try out. Google is highlighting the upgrades to Android 11 into 6 different categories.
#1. Conversations
Google has baked Facebook Messenger’s “Chat Heads”-like feature directly into Android 11 and is calling it “Bubbles”. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of Messenger’s Chat Heads so I’m not sure how I feel about Bubbles yet. Here, different messaging apps like Messages, Telegram, Messenger, etc. are bundled into a little bubble that floats on your screen. As of now, not every chat app supports this feature but that should happen pretty soon. For people using multiple messaging platforms simultaneously, this multitasking feature is definitely going to be handy.
Google is calling Android 11 “the OS that gets to what’s important.” In this bid towards keeping a tight check on your precedence, the notification center now has a dedicated “Conversations” area for all your messaging apps. You can also mark certain contacts as priorities which will also show up on your lock screen in case there’s a new development in your chat history. This one’s a really well-thought-out feature I’d say.
Although Android 10 already introduced the option to enable/disable different categories of notification from installed apps, many people are still annoyed when a swarm of app notifications hit their device. In this horde of primarily unimportant alerts, one could easily miss out on new messages from someone. So, Google has found an ingenious solution against that with the separate Conversations tab.
#2. Content Capture
One of the most requested features on any Android update has been the built-in screen recording. Although Google had already attempted to bring this in Android 10 as spotted in many of its Developer Previews, the company ultimately couldn’t. However, Android 11 is finally including a fully-functional screen record function, eliminating the need for a third-party app. Here, you can easily record the content on your phone’s screen, including audio (from the mic, device, or both) and screen touches for visual cues. It also has a separate quick settings tile for quick access.
Android 11 also allows you to select. copy text and images from different apps with ease. Something exclusive to Pixel phones (at least for now) is that you can copy, save, and share the selected info between apps. Another new area where you can select, copy, search, and share the selected text is the recent/multitasking menu. Users can drag text from apps even when they’re on the “recent apps” screen. Similarly, the recents menu sees a minor visual overhaul as well.
Starting with Android 10, Google ditched the idea of vertical recents layout. Instead, it switched to a horizontal look. Frankly, I wasn’t a fan of this change. The card of the apps open in the memory would take up a majority of the screen with a maximum of two apps being accessible at a time. Android 11 takes it a step further. The cards are now much larger, and you’ll still have to swipe to the far left to access the “Clear All” option. Additionally, it also adds “Screenshot” and “Share” on the bottom portion of the screen.
#3. Predictive Tools
Before getting into this, I should tell you that most of the features under “Predictive Tools” in Android 11 are exclusive to Pixel devices. Predictive texting has been a thing in Android for a while now. Yet in the latest update, Google has worked to make it a lot better, and thus, Gboard now gives much better suggestions including both text and emojis so that you don’t have to type out/speak the whole thing.
Another Pixel-exclusive feature is app suggestions. Depending on your usage pattern and routine, Android 11 will automatically suggest you apps on the bottom row of the home screen that you may want to use. Finally, the “Smart Folders” feature gives users the name suggestion for folders based on the type of apps included in them.
#4. Accessibility
Under this, Google says that it has greatly improved “Voice Access” in terms of ease and speed in Android 11. Using this, people can access menus, make selections using their voice instead of physical interaction with the phone. Available in English, Spanish, German, Italian, and French language, this feature now works in offline mode too.
Furthermore, Android 11 also includes a talkback braille keyboard using which you can type braille without requiring any additional software. Further assisting the visually impaired on the new version of Android is “Lookout” that has two new modes – Scan Document and Food Label. With this, people with low vision or blindness can still know what their document or food entails.
#5. Device Controls
Seamless control of all the AIoT products in your home using just your phone is another exciting new feature on Android 11. For this reason, Google has entirely revamped the power menu. The now drab-looking panel for powering off or restarting your phone has been replaced with a new design that takes up the entire screen. Accessing it is the same as it always has been (by long-pressing the power button) but you get a whole lot of options to play with.
The top portion includes the regular Emergency, Restart, and Power menus while the middle area is the home to Google Pay and other NFC bank cards that you’ve added. Finally, the bottom portion holds an easy control center for your smart home devices like a lamp, thermostats, etc. Moving on, media controls have been tweaked on Android 11 too.
Instead of taking up a large screen real-estate on the notification center, all the media playback apps now sit on the Quick Settings menu. You can also swipe through these apps for better control. On top of this, there’s also an easy way to switch between different audio output devices like Bluetooth speakers, TWS earphones, etc. to control the device that your phone’s media plays on. Android Auto is also fully wireless starting on Android 11 (but requires 5GHz WiFi connection). Bluetooth airplane mode also sees a quality-of-life improvement as BT headphones or hearing aids will now remain connected to the phone even when you enable Airplane mode.
#6. Privacy & Security
Google doubled down on user privacy starting Android 10 with stricter and more transparent privacy policies. It introduced options where users can specify how and when different apps can access the phone’s resources like camera, storage, microphone, etc. The company is introducing “One-time permissions” in Android 11 on top of “while in use” access in Android 10. With this, an app would have to ask for the required permission every single time it is launched. And when you deny certain permission several times, that app will be blocked from asking for it altogether.
Your phone will also automatically reset previously granted sensitive permissions, in case the apps haven’t been used in a while. “Project Mainline” for shipping security updates and privacy fixes via Google Play Store was introduced in Android 10 with 13 Mainline modules. Here, Google has mandated 12 additional Mainline modules taking the total to 25. Google Play System Update (GPSU) is downloaded & installed simultaneously and the phone will resume right after boot after rebooting for the update. Furthermore, apps with storage permission will only have limited access to the shared storage for better data protection.
Other assorted updates
Besides these major updates, there a lot of smaller improvements too.
The new 5G detection API recognizes if your device is connected to a 5G network and improves the phone’s performance.
Android 11 is also introducing “Wireless debugging” meaning you can run ADB commands on the device from your PC without having to use any wires. But, as one would imagine, both devices should be connected to the same network.
There is a subtle transition upgrade to keyboards on how they appear and minimize back – it’s a lot less janky than what we’ve been seeing so far.
There are also 117 new emojis including the wildly meme’d stereotypical Italian hand gesture.
Excitingly, Android 11 also has native support for variable refresh rates.
Android 11: Easter Egg
As far as I can remember (which is Android 2.3 Gingerbread), Google has sneaked in a certain easter egg in every forthcoming iteration of Android. Android 10 had “Nonogram” which I still haven’t figured out completely, to be honest. Now, Android 11 brings a familiar easter egg which is the “Neko Atsume”-like mini-game we first saw in Android 7 (Nougat).
To access this, select the “About Phone” menu under the settings and tap the “Android version” menu repeatedly (I’m assuming 8 times based on past trend). This will take you to the Android 11 dial that you’re gonna have to switch up a couple of times to unlock the “11” logo. Then, head on down to your power menu and from the three-dot cog, select “Add controls” then “See other apps”. This is where you should see the “Cat Controls” option. Kinda elaborate, but I don’t mind.
Android 11: Availability and eligible devices
Google has already started rolling out the Android 11 update for the entirety of its Pixel phone lineup excluding the first-gen Pixel and Pixel XL from 2016. Similarly, it is also available (but in Beta stage) to select OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, and Xiaomi smartphones. These include:
Samsung first announced its decision to extend software support for the Galaxy devices during the Unpacked Event in August. The Galaxy S20 lineup was announced to be the first Galaxy device to receive the Android 11 update. Samsung has now announced the One UI 3 Beta Program for the S20 series. Let’s learn more about the One UI 3 (based on Android 11), One UI Beta program, and devices that are eligible for the Android 11 update.
One UI 3 Beta Program
One UI 3 is available for select devices under Samsung’s One UI Beta Program. Developers from South Korea and the United States can apply for the program. Users who own devices under the S20 lineup can apply using the link. Each application will be processed within 5 business days. The following requirements have to be fulfilled or one to be eligible for the pre-beta program.
People outside the two countries will have to wait for the One UI Beta Program. In addition to the US and South Korea, it will be available to users in China, Germany, India, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Eligible Devices
Given below is the list of Galaxy devices that will be receiving the Android 11 update sometime in the future.
At the end of 2019, Nokia promised its users a 5G phone powered by Snapdragon 765/G, and the Nokia 8.3 was finally announced back in March. However, the phone did not hit the market right away. The smartphone is now available for pre-order in Belgium. We do have an official distributor of Nokia in Nepal and they have been pretty good with the pricing as compared to the global market, so let’s hope the Nokia 8.3 5G arrives in Nepal at an aggressive price.
Nokia 8.3 5G Overview
When Juho Sarviaks, Nokia’s Chief Product Officer, said that the company’s priority for 2020 was to make 5G technology more accessible, he really meant it. Nokia 8.3 is the company’s first 5G phone and it is calling it the first Truly Global 5G smartphone. The device supports a wider range of 5G bands than any other smartphone out there in the market.
5G Connectivity
Nokia 8.3 5G is powered by Snapdragon 765G mobile processor, which is not a flagship-grade chipset but is an excellent mid-range SoC regardless. But what makes the device special is that Nokia has partnered with Qualcomm and as a result, Nokia 8.3 supports 5G bands starting from as low as 600Mhz to up to 3.8Ghz. This is more than what the current smartphones are providing. Even in the countries where 5G isn’t available, Nokia believes this phone will futureproof you from the upcoming technology.
Design and Display
Moving on, the device features a 6.8-inch punch-hole display. The circular cutout for the front camera is on the top right corner of the screen. The panel here is FullHD+ and packs in a total of 2400 x 1080 pixels. Nokia claims that the display can upscale SDR content to HDR for a better viewing experience.
The bezel on the chin is quite big compared to the other three edges as it houses the Nokia branding. At the back, there is a quad-camera setup housed inside a circular camera bump and the dual high CRI flash resides on the side of it. Similarly, the fingerprint scanner is integrated into the power button.
Camera
The Pureview quad-camera setup on the back of the Nokia 8.3 consists of a 64MP primary sensor together with a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The primary lens promises detailed images using the pixel binning technique. However, the star of the show is the ultra-wide angle sensor which promises a better low light experience thanks to the 2.8-micron pixel size.
It also supports Video HDR and 4K Ultra HD. On the software side, Nokia 8.3 comes with Zeiss Cinema Experience which supports shooting at 21:9, blue flare effects among many others. For selfies, there is a 20MP camera inside the punch-hole on the front of the device.
Others
Nokia 8.3 comes with a 4,000mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging technology. It has a dedicated microSD card slot and supports WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack and support for OZO audio, which results in a better audio experience. The device retains the Google Assistant button that we have been seen in other Nokia devices like the Nokia 2.3 and Nokia 7.2. It runs on Android 10 and Nokia has promised 2 years of Android update alongside 3 years of monthly security update under the Android One program.
Nokia 8.3 5G Specifications:
Body: 171.90 x 78.56 x 8.99-mm; 220gm
Display: 6.81-inch Pure Display
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels); 20:9
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G (7nm mobile platform)
Nokia 8.3 5G is available for pre-order in Belgium where its price is €579 for the 6/64GB and €649 for the 8/128GB variant. We expect Nokia 8.3 to launch a bit later at a starting price of around NPR 78,000 for the 6/64GB variant.
The Mi Band series needs no introduction. Like its smartphones, Xiaomi’s Mi Band lineup is known for being feature-packed yet affordable. Xiaomi adds a new band every year to the lineup. This time it has launched the Mi Smart Band 5 which is finally here in Nepal. Let’s check out the specs, features, official price, and availability of Mi Smart Band 5 in Nepal.
Mi Smart Band 5 Overview
Bigger Display
Compared to last year’s Mi Band 4, the Mi Smart Band 5 has a bigger screen. Xiaomi has included a 1.1-inch AMOLED display. The new fitness band has five different brightness levels. Its brightness can reach up to 450 nits. There is a 2.5D glass on top of the screen for its protection.
Users can choose from over a hundred watch faces. Some of these watch faces are inspired by famous cartoons such as SpongeBob, Hatsune Miku, Case Closed, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Users can also choose between a wide range of colored wristbands, all of which are made up of TPU.
Xiaomi has added five new fitness activities – yoga, elliptical machine, indoor cycling, rope jumping, and a row machine. Mi Smart Band 5 supports a total of 11 different activities.
Xiaomi also claims that the PPG sensor used on the new Mi Smart Band 5 will result in 50% more accurate heart-rate monitoring. However, the new infrared detection is only supported in the NFC variant. Similarly, the Sleep Tracking feature has also been improved with added features such as REM eye movement detection. The new Band is also capable of evaluating PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence). With this, you can reflect on your lifestyle and make the necessary changes to make it more active. It also has female health monitoring features.
NFC and Remote Shutter and other feature
Mi Band has two variants – one that supports NFC and one that doesn’t. Up until now, global versions of Mi Band lacked NFC support, making the feature exclusive to the Chinese audience.
Mi Smart Band 5 can also be used as a remote shutter. Now you can click photos from your phone with a click on the band. The NFC variant can also be used to control other Mi AIoT products. Yet, the one that’s launching in Nepal won’t have an NFC connection.
Charge at your convenience
Xiaomi has changed the way you would charge the band. Up until now, you needed to detach the band from the strap to charge the band. But now, you can dock the new magnetic charger directly onto the back of the band.
Mi Smart Band 5 comes with a 125mAh battery that the company claims can last up to 14 days of normal usage.
Features: Sleep tracker, 24/7 activity tracker, music playback controls, notifications, alarms, reminders, etc.
Water Resistance: 5ATM (50m/164ft for 10 minutes)
Compatibility: Android 5.0+ or iOS 10.0+
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
Battery: 125 mAh
Charger: Magnetic
Mi Smart Band 5 Price in Nepal and Availability
Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 has been launched in Nepal for the price of NPR 4,499. Mi Smart Band 5 will soon be available in Nepal across various Mi stores and the company’s online partners.
Samsung concluded its Unpacked event last week unveiling 5 new products in total. While the standard Galaxy Note 20 feels like a hot mess (at least for the price), its Ultra sibling is something to look out for. Featuring a new design language, a proper flagship spec-sheet, and an unsurprisingly hefty asking price, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra represents Samsung’s premium Note experience for this year. And the good news is, it is available for purchase in Nepal officially with 1 year of breakage insurance.
The regular Note 20 left a lot to be desired and thankfully, that’s not the case in terms of the Note 20 Ultra. It features a full-fledged glass body with metal frames, so you need not worry about an inexpensive feel at all. As always, it is IP68 dust/water resistant too. But what’s exciting is that this phone also marks the debut of the all-new Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The successor to the Gorilla Glass 6, this new technology ensures more fall safety and scratch resistance than ever.
Precisely, it can survive a 2-meter drop while simultaneously also being impervious to various kinds of scratches. Moving on, the back of the phone has a matte finish and is available in three color options: Mystic Bronze, Mystic White, and Mystic Black. Similarly, there’s a huge rectangular camera bump housing the triple rear lenses. And the cutouts, yeah they’re more pronounced than ever with the backplate colored in a matching aesthetics of the rear panel itself.
Here, the new IP68-certified S Pen is now positioned to the left, which brings a couple of exciting features with it. Samsung has managed to reduce the input latency by nearly five times from 42ms to just 9ms on this stylus. With this, the writing experience should be near paper-like. It also supports new “Air Actions” using which you can navigate the phone, take screenshots, etc. without physically connecting the phone’s screen with the S Pen.
Display
Coming to the front, you get a giant 6.9-inches WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display. Unlike the Note 20, it is curved a bit though not excessively like we’ve seen in phones from companies like Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi, and Vivo with their “Waterfall Display”. In fact, its curvature is the same as in the Galaxy S20 series.
More importantly, Note 20 Ultra’s display has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. It also utilizes LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) technology using which the display can dynamically change its refresh rate. This should definitely help in maintaining good battery health. Just like the back of the phone, the display is also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.
The Infinity-O display houses a front-facing camera inside a small punch-hole cutout. Its diameter is noticeably smaller than the one on Note 20. Moreover, it is also HDR10+ certified and has a terrific 496 PPI of sharpness. All in all, the Note 20 Ultra is well on its way to bag the “best smartphone display” award for the year.
Performance & Memory
Note fanatics on North America and a couple of Asian markets like China and South Korea will definitely be delighted to know that the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is powered by the new & mighty Snapdragon 865+. On the contrary, the rest of the market will have to make do with the objectively inferior Exynos 990.
Memory-wise, you’re getting 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM with either 128, 256, or 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage in the 5G variant. Similarly, the LTE models will pack in 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM with 256 or 512GB of storage. But unlike Note 20, you do get an SD card support which can take in up to 1TB of external storage. Note 20 Ultra also brings UWB (Ultra WideBand) technology that we first saw in Apple’s iPhone 11 Pro. Using this, this phone can be used as a digital key. Google’s latest Nearby Share data transfer feature also becomes much faster between UWB-enabled Galaxy devices.
Microsoft-integration
Samsung’s partnership with Microsoft has become more intimate than ever. You can run your Samsung phone’s app in a Windows PC, pin them to the taskbar, and more. Your documents inside the “Samsung Notes” will also sync to OneNote feed on Outlook; but not the other way around. The company is also offering 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free with the Note 20 series. Here, you can also opt for a bundle that offers a game controller and a clip with it.
Cameras
Moving to the cameras, Note 20 Ultra comes with a better triple-lens system compared to the standard Note 20. It has a massive 108MP main sensor with a small 0.8μm pixel size with PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultrawide camera with 120˚ FOV, and finally a 12MP telephoto camera that is capable of 5x lossless optical zoom and 50X digital Space Zoom. The rear camera arrangement is also aided by a dedicated Laser AF (AutoFocus) sensor. On the front, it has a 10MP selfie camera with Dual Pixel AF.
Seeing how the 108MP sensor on the S20 Ultra had focusing issues, it’s nice to see Samsung double-down on its performance by pairing in a Laser AF sensor. Toning down the unuseable 100X zoom to its half is also something to note. Since the new 12MP telephoto lens has a larger pixel size and a tighter focal length, it should theoretically give out good-looking telephoto images. As always, you can also record 8K videos at 24fps and Samsung has also worked on improving Live focus video.
Battery
Finally, the battery on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a sizeable 4500mAh unit that supports 25W fast wired, 15W wireless, and reverse wireless charging. At a time when triple-digit charging is getting more common, it is quite surprising to see Samsung shy away from its own 45W fast charging.
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Specifications:
Body: 6.49 x 3.04 x 0.32-inches; 208gm; IP68 certification
After a series of leaks, Huawei has finally unveiled the Y9a. The phone looks a lot like the Enjoy 20 Plus that was launched in China earlier this month. However, Huawei has made some changes to the internals. Let’s check out the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Huawei Y9a in Nepal.
Huawei Y9a Overview
Design and Display
Like the Enjoy 20 Plus, the Huawei Y9a features a 6.6-inch TFT IPS LCD panel with FHD+ resolution. The panel is void of notches and cut-outs as the selfie camera is integrated into a pop-up mechanism. The bezels around the screen are hardly visible except for the chin that is more apparent. Its Ultra FullView Display offers a 92% screen to body ratio.
The device tries to mimic the Mate 30 design. The back panel sports a 3D arc design and has a nano-textured surface. It also has the iconic halo design module for the quad-camera setup. It is available in three color options – Space Silver, Sakura Pink, and Midnight Black. Huawei has taken inspiration from changing hues of the sky and incorporated it with light and shadow effects.
Performance and Memory
Though it packs in the MediaTek’s Helio G80 chipset, performance is not Huawei Y9A’s strength. Thus, the company did not even bother to mention the budget-gaming chipset on the main product page. The chipset features two Cortex A75 (@2.0GHz) and six Cortex A55 cores (@1.8GHz). The graphics are handled by Mali G52 MC2. Huawei Y9a comes with 128GB internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB using Huawei’s NM card. However, the phone will feature either 6GB or 8GB of RAM based on the region.
On the software front, it will ship with EMUI 10.1 on top of Android 10. Like all the newer Huawei smartphones, it won’t be supporting Google’s GMS. Users will have to rely on Huawei’s App Gallery and HMS.
Camera
The Halo-module on the back encloses the quad-camera setup. It is led by a 64MP camera with a 1/1.7-inch sensor and f/1.7 aperture. Huawei has also included an 8MP sensor that provides up to 180-degree of Field Of View. The two are accompanied by a 2MP depth camera and a 2MP macro camera (4cm). The rear camera comes with 6-second exposure processing. Similarly, Huawei is claiming magical night shots because of the 51,200 ISO and noise reduction algorithms. There is EIS for users looking to record videos with it.
A 16MP pop-up camera has been hidden from plain sight and appears only when summoned. EMUI 10.1 has a feature called MeetTime that the company claims make video calls possible despite weak networks. It also lets users share what is on their screen.
Huawei Y9a packs in a decent 4,200mAh battery which supports 40W Huawei SuperCharge. It can refill the battery up to 70% in 30 minutes. However, it will be exclusive to Africa, the Middle East, and a few other countries in Middle Asia. The rest of the regions will receive a 4,300mAh battery with 22.5W SuperCharge support.
Battery: 4300mAh battery with 40W SuperCharge / 4200mAh battery with 22.5W SuperCharge
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, USB 2.0 Type C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Huawei Y9a Price in Nepal and Availability
Huawei Y9a will be available for pre-order in Iraq with a price tag of $239 from September 12. We can expect the price of Huawei Y9a in Nepal to be around NPR 30,000.
Smartphone Model
Price in Iraq
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Huawei Y9a
$239
NPR 30,000
Check out our long-term review of the iPhone SE 2020!
Hey guys, so today I will be talking about the long-term review of the iPhone SE 2020. I bought it like 3 months ago and have been using it since, alongside other devices in our review pipeline like the OnePlus Nord and the Samsung Galaxy A71. And we know that initially, the $399 price-tag for the phone made a lot of headlines during its announcement. But like I said in my initial review, the iPhone SE 2020 is priced way higher in the Asian market.
Let’s just look at the list of the prices of iPhone SE in different regions. In fact, other than the US and some European countries, its retail cost averages to some $545, which does not make it so cheap as Apple would like you to think.
Country
Local Price (64GB)
Equivalent USD
Bangladesh
BDT 45,000
$529.45
India
INR 37,900
$516.66
Nepal
NRS 67,500
$575.80
Philippines
PHP 26,490
$545.36
UK
GBP 419
$557.37
Average: ~$545
Still, I got it as I was eager to know & review what this 2020 Special Edition (SE) iPhone had to offer and also wanted to know how it stood against the other upper-mid-range smartphones in the market.
iPhone SE 2020 Specifications:
Body: 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29-inches; 148gm; IP67 dust/water resistance
Glass front/back with aerospace-grade aluminum frame
Big bezels on top and bottom (for Touch ID)
IP67 protection against splash, water, and dust
Design
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Rear Panel
SIM Tray, Lock Key
Volume, Ring/Silent Key
Lightning Connector, Speakers
Let’s pick things up from the design. Now, what you have to understand is that this phone is not made for someone who likes to have a big device because it is small, it’s compact, and feels great especially for someone with small hands like me.
The aluminum curves give quite a grip too. As for durability, I used this device quite carefully and haven’t come across any scratches. I used it without a case, so it’s quite good that the device is durable enough to handle my usage. Also, its IP67 rated so I haven’t had to worry about the drizzles in Kathmandu this time around. But one thing I’ve noticed is that the display becomes completely unresponsive when the phone is drenched in water.
An uninspiring design
But the usability aside, something that has disappointed me is that this is not a trendy-looking design and I know that most of you would agree with me. It has borrowed the looks from 2017’s iPhone 8, which is uninspiring from a brand like Apple.
I do kinda understand this choice since using the same old design makes the manufacturing process easy for a company as it saves you on engineering man-hours. But, when you are launching a product of a different price category and competing against the midrange Android smartphones, Apple should’ve given us a design overhaul just to make matters a little bit interesting at least.
My suggestion? Maybe get rid of the Touch ID and those bulky bezels. Make the display a little bigger with a trendier aspect ratio, while maintaining the same form factor. I wouldn’t have even cared if it had a plastic back, to be honest. With this, I actually don’t know what Apple is going to do in terms of design with the next year’s iPhone SE?
Display
4.7-inches Retina HD IPS LCD panel
True Tone Display; Dolby Vision, HDR10
So, with the mere 4.7-inches IPS LCD display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, watching videos was not that great of an experience for me. Even while watching videos on Facebook, 9:16 videos cover up the entire screen which looks a little weird. And the cons for a smaller display does not quite end there. When you are browsing the web, you will have to be very careful not to click the wrong link if they are placed very close to one another.
In terms of sheer quality, iPhone SE 2020 has an HD panel but it looks quite good. It’s bright and has good color accuracy, so no complaints on that side. Having said that, I would go for the 90Hz AMOLED panel of the OnePlus Nord any day of the week if I had to choose.
Performance
Hexa-core Apple A13 Bionic SoC (7nm+)
3GB of RAM and up to 256GB of NVMe internal storage (fixed)
But you know where the iPhone SE 2020 shines the brightest: the performance department. The A13 Bionic chipset practically beats almost all the phones in that price range and with a good margin too. I have installed so many apps in here, and I’m yet to record even a single instance where I noticed the slightest of lags – under both normal & demanding usage. So, I’m very impressed with its performance.
Gaming
Also, the gaming on this phone is stellar. It’s not a complete package like other Android alternatives with an AMOLED screen & a smoother display but when it comes to pushing the fps in the highest of settings, this is the phone to get. In reality, it’s gaming performance is better (in terms of pushing graphic settings to the max) than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (Exynos) which is one of the most expensive phones of 2020.
Under PUBG Mobile, you can push to Extreme frame rates with HDR graphics and still get respectably smooth performance whereas the max you can go on the OnePlus Nord is HD graphics coupled with High frame rates. But it’s a real shame that everything is squeezed in this small display wherein you won’t have a lot of space between controls making it a bit uneasy during your gaming session.
Sweet-sweet iOS
Yet, the cherry on top is the iOS 13 that the iPhone SE 2020 runs on. If you are someone who uses apps like Facebook Page Manager, Ads Manager, or Instagram, they run better on an iPhone. Apple is also famous for its years of software updates on its products. Even the original iPhone SE from 2016 is running the latest iOS 13.7 updates that came out just a couple of days ago.
But, with an outdated design and a small display, I think with every iteration of an update, the new features will be limited with the iPhone SE. Like, with the upcoming iOS 14, you definitely won’t be able to enjoy the picture in picture feature or those cool widgets on a screen this small. While we are talking of performance, the stereo speakers here have colored me impressed for a long time now. They are definitely one of the best things about this device.
Cameras
Rear: 12MP f/1.8 lens
Front: 7MP f/2.2 lens
Camera
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Back Camera
Front Camera
Okay, now let’s get to how the cameras have held up! As we know, it’s got a single 13MP camera at the back and a 7MP shooter at the front. And the best thing about the rear camera is the fact that it produces such natural colors.
Normal Images
I have especially loved the shooting images for flowers from this phone because most of the other phones like the OnePlus Nord or the Galaxy A71 bring out a bit saturated colors.
Normal
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Other than colors, the images are fairly sharp and have a good dynamic range.
Dynamic Range
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Also, I love the fact that the autofocus on this device works incredibly well.
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iPhone SE 2020
OnePlus Nord
Nighttime Images
However, the night time images are not that impressive when comparing it with the Nord as it brings out better exposure and detailed pictures.
Nighttime
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iPhone SE 2020
OnePlus Nord
iPhone SE 2020
OnePlus Nord
iPhone SE 2020
OnePlus Nord
What’s worse is that there’s no dedicated Night Mode on the iPhone SE either.
Selfie Images
And despite receiving a few updates, Apple hasn’t improved the selfie department.
Selfie
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The phone brings out a little weird brown tone on my face which does not look so good.
Portrait Images
Portraits are okay though.
Portrait
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Here, the subjects look a bit dark but other than that, things are pretty balanced and edge detection is okay too.
Videography
But the best thing about the iPhone SE cameras is the videos as you can get stabilized and good quality recordings in 4k/60fps too. Having shot a lot of videos from the SE, I can definitely vouch for it being one of the best cameras for vlogging in the upper mid-range price category.
Overall, I feel that the rear camera on the iPhone SE is quite reliable and is consistent for photos as well as videos. The shutter speed is excellent, and images generally don’t come out blurry.
Battery
1821mAh with 18W fast charging
Qi Wireless Charging
What’s next, yes the battery. As expected, it’s pretty bad for a heavy user like me. And the caveat here is once again – the design. Since Apple has used the same chassis as the iPhone 8, it can’t fit in a bigger battery in here.
Hence, the iPhone SE 2020 is probably one of the least enduring phones I have reviewed in a while. A few sessions of PUBG, an hour of YouTube and social media and that’s all the screen-on-time I got. On heavy usage, I’ve had to charge the phone even in mid-day. But unlike Samsung phones, it does have a good standby time though. Yet, that, by no means covers up for the poor endurance.
Similarly, you get a 5-watt charger inside the box. I am using my iPad’s 12W charger right now, so I didn’t have to buy a separate fast charger. But, if you are buying an iPhone SE right now, you gotta add another 30-40 dollars to the already excessive price tag, which is quite ridiculous if you ask me.
Conclusion
So, that was all for my long-term experience with the iPhone SE 2020 – having used the device for 3 months now, my impression remains unchanged from my initial review.
iPhone SE 2020 is a stellar phone for $399 in the western market. But, for buyers in regions like Asia, it is priced exorbitantly and there are so many Android alternatives to choose from too. Still, I do understand the sentiments of Apple fans and someone who has been using Apple products.
At the end of the day, I strongly feel like you should give the OnePlus Nord a try for those who’re looking for a good iPhone SE alternative. Here in Nepal, it is like Rs. 17,000 cheaper compared to Apple’s 2nd gen iPhone SE. Or, if you want a more powerful phone, there’s the OnePlus 8 with Snapdragon 865, a gorgeous display, and excellent battery life for a little extra cash.
Watch our view review of the iPhone SE (2020).
iPhone SE 2020 Review: Pros & Cons
Pros:
Durable, compact design and a pocketable form-factor
Surprisingly vibrant display thanks to Dolby Vision & HDR10
Top-notch performance because of the A13 Bionic
The swiftness of iOS, combined with years of software updates
Excellent videos and good photos (in a well-lit environment)
Cons:
The phone’s size may be unacceptably compact for many
Small display so the overall viewing experience isn’t great
Not the most dynamic of camera arrangements
Terrible battery life & only 5W charger provided inside the box
![Apple iPhone SE 2020 - Design [1]](https://cdn.gadgetbytenepal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Apple-iPhone-SE-2020-Design-1.jpg)
