Samsung has extended its lineup of Android tablet with the 2020 iteration of the Galaxy Tab A. It does not pack the same specs as the recently unveiled Galaxy Tab S7 series. Hence, is more affordable. Read along to know more about the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020 in Nepal.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020 Overview
Design and Display
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020 sports an 8.4-inch TFT display with a WUXGA resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. Talking about the dimensions, the body of the tab measures 201.9 x 125.2 x 70mm and weighs around 310 grams. There is nothing flashy about the design of the device. The screen is surrounded by traditional bezels, which are more prominent on the forehead and the chin. At the back, there is a square bump for the camera module.
Performance and Memory
Samsung has not explicitly listed the model of the chipset used but says that it is a processor with eight cores. The efficiency cores are clocked at 1.6 GHz whereas the performance cores are clocked at 1.8 GHz. The tablet comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. On top of that, only 20.5GB of internal storage will be accessible to the users. Fortunately, the storage can be expanded up to 512GB using an external microSD card. The memory looks insufficient for a Tab in 2020 and the lack of additional configurations makes the matter even worst.
Camera
Talking about the camera, Tab A 2020 features only two of them; one on the back and the other at the front. The 8MP rear camera comes with autofocus and supports FHD (1920 x 1080) recording at 30fps. It is not even accompanied by an LED flash. The 5MP camera on the front could turn out useful for online classes and meetings.
Rest of the specs
The tablet comes with a battery of 5,000mAh. Samsung claims that it can last up to 11 hours of internet surfing (LTE/Wi-Fi), or 12 hours of video playback or up to 99 hours of music playback. Galaxy Tab A supports 4G LTE, Wi-Fi ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth v5.0. Samsung has put a USB 2.0 port on this one.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020 Specifications:
Body: 201.9 x 125.2 x 7.0 inches; 310 gm
Display: 8.4-inches panel; 16M colors
Resolution: WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels);
CPU: Octa-core (1.8GHz, 1.6GHz)
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB (expandable up to 512GB using a micro SD card)
Rear Camera: 8MP lens
Front Camera: 5MP lens
Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, dual speakers
Connectivity: 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS, USB 2.0
Battery: 5,000mAh
Colors: Mocha
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020 Price in Nepal and Availability
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020 (8.4-inch) is available in select markets like the US and Canada for a price of $319.99. We can expect the price of Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020 in Nepal to be NPR 40,000.
Tablet Model
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2020
NPR 40,000
Check out our review of Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.
Smartphone manufacturers are now shifting towards making 5G available in their cheaper handsets. Recently, we saw Realme launch the V3, the cheapest 5G smartphone yet. And now, Samsung has followed the suit by announcing its own cheapest 5G smartphone. In a somewhat unusual announcement, Samsung unveiled some images and a few specs of the new Galaxy A42 5G.
Samsung Galaxy A42 5G Overview
The Galaxy A42 5G deviates from the small form factors that the previous Galaxy A40-series had. This device comes with a huge 6.6-inch Super AMOLED screen. For comparison, its predecessor, the Galaxy A41 had a 6.1-inch display. Now, we do not have much info about the resolution. However, considering the fact that the A41 had a 1080p display, the same is expected on this one too. The display also comes with a water-drop notch, which according to the rumors, will house a 20MP selfie camera.
Around the back, there’s been a slight design change. The panel is now divided into equal-sized segments, which frankly looks woeful. Anyway, the rear cameras are arranged in a square panel. And it is a quad-camera array. Currently, we don’t have any details about the camera modules. However, recent leaks suggest that it includes a 48MP primary sensor and a 5MP depth sensor.
Under the hood, the device will run on the Snapdragon 690 processor. And it will be complemented by 4GB of RAM. The storage offered will be 128GB. However, the rumor is that a 64GB variant will be available too. As for the battery, it supposedly has a 5000mAh unit.
Expected Specifications:
Display
6.6-inch Super AMOLED
Resolution
Full HD+
Chipset
Snapdragon 690 5G
GPU
Adreno 691L
RAM
4GB
Internal Storage
64GB, 128GB
Software and UI
One UI 2.1 on top of Android 10
Rear Camera
48MP primary camera
8MP Ultrawide sensor
5MP Depth sensor
5MP Telephoto sensor
Front camera
20MP selfie camera
Security
Fingerprint(in-display)
Battery
5000mAh
Samsung Galaxy A42 5G Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy A42 5G will be the cheapest Samsung device with 5G support. Now, their previous “cheapest” 5G device i.e the A41 5G was launched at a price of $499. However, considering the fact that, Samsung has called A45 5G the cheapest one yet, it will probably launch at a lower price. The details about the availability and the prices will be revealed in the near future. So, stay tuned!
ZTE has everyone talking with the announcement of the world’s first commercially available under-display camera smartphone. However, it was not the only device that was unveiled in the event. The company also unveiled a new TWS – ZTE LiveBuds with a total battery backup of up to 20 hours. Read along to learn more about the specs, features, expected price, and availability of ZTE LiveBuds in Nepal.
ZTE LiveBuds Overview
ZTE is not the name that appears in your mind when someone talks about audio accessories. The Chinese company mainly focuses on network technology and equipment. ZTE’s network business is even bigger than its smartphone business. The company currently offers services related to 5G and cloud computing. So, the introduction of the new TWS is a sign that the company is ready to step into the accessories business as well.
Design
ZTE LiveBuds comes with a cylindrical power case. The case features a curvy design. From a distance, it may look like the case of Sony WF-1000XM3. But it has ZTE branding on the front. The actual earpiece, on the other hand, has a very distinctive look because of the short stem and bulky head. It comes with replaceable ear tips for a better fit. When worn, most of the earpiece’s head is covered and only a small portion sticks out.
The part of the head that sticks out has a hollow surface. It is where the controls of the TWS is located. ZTE has inscribed “omthing” along the length of the stem.
Internal Specs
ZTE LiveBuds comes with touch-based controls. Users can tap on the hollow surface of each bud to control the music or receive/end call. It also comes with dual microphones that can be used for calls and interacting with the smart assistant. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 connection to receive and transmit data. Users can use the earbuds collectively or use them separately by connecting them to different devices at the same. ZTE claims that the Electronic Noise Cancellation on the TWS can reduce outside noise by up to 90%.
On a single charge, LiveBuds can offer up to 4 hours of continuous music playback. With the charging case, the number is bumped to up to 20 hours. The earbuds come with IPX5 certification against damage by water splashes. Thus, you can put it on during workouts without having to worry about sweats damaging the earbuds.
ZTE LiveBuds Specifications:
Weight: 4 grams (each earbud)
Connectivity: Wireless (Bluetooth v5.0)
Wireless Range: 10m
Codec: AAC
Battery Backup: 4 hours (earbuds); up to 20 hours (with charging case)
Control: Touch-based
ENC: Yes
Microphones: Yes, Dual-setup
IP rating: Yes, IPX5
ZTE LiveBuds Price in Nepal and Availability
ZTE LiveBuds is now available in China, where its price is 199 Yuan. We can expect the price of ZTE LiveBuds in Nepal to be around NPR 3,500 if it launches here.
TWS
Expected Price in Nepal
ZTE LiveBuds
NPR 3,500
Check out our review of the recent budget wireless earphones from OPPO!
Budget phones these days are nowhere near what they used to be, say about 5 years ago. Even with the most minimum of investments, you can take home a good-looking and a well-performing smartphone. We already know how synonymous the company Xiaomi and the phrase ”value-for-money” products are. And today, I have the new Redmi 9A with me which is one of the cheapest smartphones the company currently sells. Launched for Rs. 11,499 here in Nepal which nets out to around $95, how good is this device? Let’s find out more in this review of the Redmi 9A.
Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels); 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G25 (12nm mobile platform)
CPU: Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 2GB LPDDR4x
Storage: 32GB eMMC 5.1 (expandable with a dedicated microSDXC slot)
Software & UI: MIUI 12 on top of Android 10
Rear Camera: 13MP f/2.2 lens; Single-tone LED flash
Front Camera: 5MP, f/2.2 lens
Security: AI Face Unlock
Audio: Speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS with A-GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, micro USB 2.0, LTE
Battery: 5000mAh with 10W charging
Colors: Granite Grey, Sky Blue, Peacock Green
Price in Nepal: Rs. 11,499 (2/32GB)
Redmi 9A Review:
Design
Polycarbonate build material
Slight weight imbalance
Starting with the design, Xiaomi has once again blessed the market with a really attractive budget phone. While its predecessor the Redmi 8A had a gradient design with the rear camera module and a distinctive strip at the center, things are a little different on the 9A. Here, you’re getting a uni-tone design where the camera module and its reflective vertical strip have been shifted to the left. Personally, I’m fond of this design choice – looks quite neat. Available in either Granite Grey, Peacock Green, and Sky Blue color options, as you can see, the latter is what I have with me.
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Back Panel
Volume Rockers, Power Button
Speaker Grille, Micro USB port
The phone has a polycarbonate body and feels surprisingly good on the hands. Its rear panel features a ridged surface that holds up nice. The surface doesn’t attract fingerprints or smudges in any major way but I do have to warn you that small dust particles can get stuck between the ridges which are a little hard to get rid of. For this reason, I would suggest you get a decent case for the phone.
Fashionable device
Moving to the buttons & ports, the Redmi 9A covers all the sides with something. At the top is a 3.5mm headphone jack while the left frame holds the SIM tray. Similarly, you’ll find the volume rockers and the power button on the right alongside a micro USB port and the speaker grille at the bottom. Yep, Xiaomi has downgraded the Type-C connection from the Redmi 8A to a dated micro USB on the 9A which is a major bummer. All in all, the Redmi 9A is a fashionable and very well built device. The weight distribution is a little uneven with the bottom half of the phone feeling a little heavier, but that doesn’t really matter.
Display
6.53-inches HD+ IPS LCD panel
No protective glass of any kind
Wildly color inaccurate
In the display side of things, you’re now getting a bigger 6.53-inches IPS LCD panel. It’s still an HD+ display so the sharpness is definitely not gonna blow you away. Clocking 400 nits of typical brightness, Redmi 9A has no visibility issue indoors or cloudy outdoors. However, during my review, trying to get through Redmi 9A under direct sunlight was a struggle. The phone is also TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light certified to protect your eyes from prolonged exposure to its blue light.
Even with all this, Xiaomi has made a lot of cuts in the display front on the Redmi 9A. First off, the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection that we were impressed with on the Redmi 8 series is gone now. Yep, this phone doesn’t have any form of protective glass so that’s going to be worrisome to many. Furthermore, the display itself just isn’t that good – even for an HD+ panel on a budget phone.
Noticeable color imbalance
To start things off, it has a terrible color accuracy. Even in the default recommended settings, you’ll notice a slight greenish tint throughout the panel and everything looks unnatural and overly cinematic. This is most noticeable when watching videos where the content’s lighting scheme feels way too off if you’ve already watched the same video on some other display. And I’m not saying its color accuracy is inferior to an OLED or an AMOLED panel. The regular HD IPS LCD panels on other phones are enough to pin it down.
You can tweak around the color scheme but ultimately, Redmi 9A can’t deliver an acceptable level of color accuracy. Red, Pink, and Yellow are a little under-saturated at times while White has a more creamy and silvery finish to it. As expected, the sharpness isn’t that great and the contents on the screen (especially videos) look blurry and distracting if you’re used to an FHD or a QHD+ display. This could be a result of a larger display and a thin pixel density of just 269 PPI.
Performance
Octa-core MediaTek Helio G25 SoC (12nm)
2GB LPDDR4x RAM and 32GB eMMC 5.1 storage (expandable)
MIUI 12 on top of Android 10
Getting into performance, Redmi 9A is powered by the new Helio G25 chipset from MediaTek. Manufactured under the 12nm process node, it is gaming-oriented silicon with and a 64-bit octa-core CPU with all eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. Handling the graphics on this phone is the IMG PowerVR8320 GPU clocked at 650 MHz. With these, the Redmi 9A should outperform the Snapdragon 439 found in its predecessor even though by just a little bit.
Gaming
Because it has a gaming SoC, let’s discuss the gaming performance first. I tried out a bunch of taxing and lightweight games on the Redmi 9A during my review and got a mixed experience which mostly leans on the bad side of things. PUBG Mobile was pretty much unplayable even in Smooth graphics and Low frame rate with constant stutters.
So, I switched to its Lite version instead, and here, the game was well playable when meddling through the graphics settings. PUBG Lite can practically push through HD graphics and Extreme frame rate but I wouldn’t suggest you do so since the gameplay will be very laggy under these settings. Instead, I got a relatively smooth performance when switching it down to Balanced graphics and High frame rate.
Likewise, COD Mobile is maxed out at Low graphics while the frame rate can be bumped to High. You are also locked out from changing other settings like anti-aliasing, graphic style, etc. Under the High & Medium frame rate, the gameplay is filled with heavy stutters though it was a little bearable when tuning it to Low. Furthermore, all these FPS games have this fringy and aliased graphics and even the touch response would give up sometimes – but rarely. The phone also heats up after about 10 minutes of gameplay.
What about light games?
Moving to lightweight games, I tried out Clash Royale, Frag, and Bowmasters. Clash Royale ran smoothly with no issue and the same goes for Bowmasters. However, there were a few instances of stutters on the latter. Similarly, Frag is also playable though I’d advise against setting the graphics to High. Considering everything, Redmi 9A’s gaming prowess is quite admirable though Xiaomi could push an update for the issue of frequent stutters.
When it comes to normal usage, it is… fine. Redmi 9A has a single memory configuration with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC 5.1 storage. It runs on the full-fledged MIUI 12 on top of Android 10. But that memory confinement is a big let down which is reflected in the phone’s performance. A mere 2GB of RAM on a phone running one of the heaviest (if not THE heaviest) Android skins is not a good combo.
MIUI 12
Because of this, my experience with the phone was quite laggy. The extent of MIUI 12’s load is also explored on the system memory Redmi 9A occupies. Out of the 32GB, the system alone devours around 7.25GB which I feel is too much for a phone of this stature. To prevent all this, Google is stepping up by having OEMs from ship phones with 2GB RAM or less with a modified Android Go Edition instead – starting with Android 11. Seeing how Redmi 9A has turned out, I wholeheartedly agree with Google’s decision.
Having said that, using regular apps like Facebook, YouTube, Messages, etc. and even multitasking among them is fine. But that’s not gonna be the case when bringing in a few games into the mix. I’m a sucker for Android 10’s gesture navigation and when pulling up the list of apps in RAM, there is a noticeable lag almost every time.
You will get ads on this thing, yes but not something that totally ruined my time with the phone. Unlike how many have pointed out that they receive lewd ads on their different MIUI devices, all the ads I got were of one VPN app throughout my time with the device. Maybe Xiaomi has listened to all the backlash from the community.
In terms of pre-installed apps, I was quite surprised to see Google Phone, Messages, and Chrome instead of their Xiaomi alternatives. There are also a few bloatware apps & games but you can uninstall most of them including Mi Community. The phone just launched in India today, and for our Indian audience, you don’t need to worry about government-banned apps on it since Xiaomi just rolled-out a refined version of MIUI 12 for the country without any of the banned apps.
Camera
Rear: Single 13MP f/2.2 lens
Front: Single 5MP f/2.2 lens (teardrop notch)
Cameras
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Back Camera
Front Camera
Let’s talk about the camera now, shall we? It has a single 13MP lens at the back and a 5MP front camera inside the teardrop notch. With ample light, the images from the primary lens are quite good.
Normal Images
They are well detailed and the color-reproduction is fairly accurate albeit it leans on the under-saturated side.
Normal
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The dynamic range isn’t that great as the white balance on sky and such is pretty terrible – which has been the case with many budget and mid-range Redmi phones.
HDR & Pro mode
Turning on HDR does help a little bit with the dynamic range but oversaturates the images in the process. This is especially noticeable when shooting images in close range though landscape photos turn out quite pleasing to look at. It takes around 2 – 3 seconds to process so if your hands aren’t adequately still, images might come out blurry.
HDR
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Off
On
There’s also a “Pro” mode that lets you play around with ISO, White Balance, Exposure, etc. The camera UI is simple to use and it even has the Google Lens integration.
This lens also has AI scene detection which recognizes things like flowers, buildings, scenery, etc. and optimizes the image. But most of the time, all it does is over-saturate the primary colors in the shot. There’s also the beauty mode and filters using which you can give your image a different color tone at the time of the shooting.
Portrait & Selfie Images
You can also take portrait shots using both front and rear camera but the edge detection isn’t that great as it misses out on the bokeh effect in many sections of the subject.
Portrait
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Moving to the selfie images, they’re OK for the price, I guess. However, images end up looking pale and lifeless at most times. If there’s ample light, it takes acceptable selfies with a good focus on the subject.
Selfie
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Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Also, Redmi 9A supports Face Unlock which takes at least a second to unlock the phone when it accepts your face. But around 30 – 40% of the time, the phone fails to recognize altogether.
Nighttime Images
Like it is with every budget phone, this one doesn’t have a dedicated night mode either. As a result, shots in the dark are way too grainy, with terrible sharpness. Should there be some decent lighting in the environment, the photos will turn out to be somewhat acceptable.
Nighttime
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In terms of videos, Redmi 9A tops out at 1080p/60fps from the main and 1080p/30fps recordings from the front camera. The videos from the main sensor look eerie and over-sharpened. Also, you can shoot time-lapse and a 15-second short video on this phone.
Battery
5000mAh battery with 10W charging
Micro USB 2.0
Powering the phone is a massive 5000mAh battery. This is easily a 2-day device under light and medium usage which was reflected well during my review period of the Redmi 9A. There’s also an “Ultra Battery Saver” mode which is similar to Samsung’s “Maximum Power Save” mode which confines you to the most basic of tasks on the device.
But charging the phone is a pain as it only supports 10W wired charging via a micro USB cable. This is a major setback considering how the Redmi 8A supported 18W fast charging and had a USB Type-C port. With this, it took me about 2 hours and 50 minutes to fully charge the phone from 0 to 100%.
Audio
Bottom-firing speaker
3.5mm headphone jack
When it comes to audio, Redmi 9A has a single bottom-firing speaker and its output is decently loud and sharp. However, I felt that the sound quality is quite shallow and has a shrieking feel when maxing out the volume. The audio from the headphone jack, however, is pretty decent though it doesn’t get loud enough. Call quality is equally great and I received no complaints regarding my voice or sound level – and neither was there any call-drop issue.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, the Redmi 9A is an okay phone for the price as we’ve discovered throughout this review. Compared to its predecessor the Redmi 8A, I don’t understand why Xiaomi decided to compromise such crucial aspects like the Gorilla Glass 5 protection and a faster charging via Type-C. The HD+ display would’ve been fine had the company worked on better color accuracy. Despite this, Redmi 9A is a decent value for money with acceptable gaming performance and cameras. Likewise, the battery life on this phone is really amazing which will easily last you a day even with the heaviest of workload.
Watch our unboxing & video review of Redmi 9A!
Redmi 9A Review: Pros & Cons
Pros:
Great design and feels good on the hand
Excellent battery life (2-day phone)
Exciting gaming probabilities with the Helio G25
Decent camera performance under sufficient lighting
ZTE has beaten other smartphone brands in the race to launch the first commercial device with an under-display camera. ZTE Axon 20 5G is the name that will go down in history as the first device to boast this feature. Let’s learn more about the specs, features, expected price, and availability of ZTE Axon 20 5G in Nepal.
ZTE Axon 20 5G Overview
Let’s start with the feature that everyone is talking about. Under-display cameras are not entirely a new thing. Numerous smartphone brands are working on their version of the tech and some of them have even launched working prototypes. However, with issues related to pixels and camera performance they never made it to the market.
Under-Display Selfie camera
The 32MP under-display camera in the ZTE Axon 20 5G makes use of five different technologies. First is the high transparency material for the panel. The micron-level material makes sure that the display allows enough light to pass through it. It solves the performance issue that the earlier prototypes were facing. It is further aided by ZTE’s new selfie algorithm that refines the pictures taken. Similarly, the dual-control drive and drive circuit work together to solve the problems related to colors and synchronization. ZTE has used a special pixel matrix to make the pixels look uniform throughout the panel.
Expect for the under-display camera, ZTE Axon 20 5G does not look any different to other devices available in the market. It comes with a 6.92-inch Full Display OLED panel with FHD+ resolution. It has a tall aspect ratio of 20.5:9. Following the recent trend in the smartphone industry, ZTE has included a 90Hz panel aided by a 240Hz touch sampling rate. The panel covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and has support for 10-bit color depth.
At the back, the smartphone comes with a 3D glass panel with a nano-level texture. it also houses the rectangular camera bump. Overall the body weighs 198 grams and has a slim body of 7.98mm.
Performance
ZTE Axon 20 5G is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G. The 7nm processor comes with an integrated modem for 5G connectivity. The phone comes features a 360-degree surround antenna setup with PDS antennas. Users will be able to switch between 5G and Wi-Fi according to their needs. The AI performance engine in the device supports pre-loading of application, fragment processing, and F2FS file system.
The cooling system in the Axon 20 5G consists of three major components. It includes liquid cooling circulation, carbon nanofiber thermal pad, and graphite layers.
Rear Cameras
The quad-camera setup on the back is led by a 64MP primary camera. It has an aperture of f/1.8. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera that offers up to 120-degree of Field of View. The setup is completed by two additional 2MP dedicated sensors for portraits and macro photography, respectively. The rear camera setup is capable of recording 4K videos at 60fps. Similarly, it comes with dedicated vlog shooting and movie mode. Other features include real-time HDR for Video and Speech subtitles.
Rest of the specs
The 4220mAh battery on the Axon 20 5G supports 30W Quick Charge 4+ fast charging. Similarly, ZTE has included a 5G smart power-saving feature for better efficiency. It supports DTS:X Ultra for a better sound experience. The device ships with MiFavor 1.5 bases on Android 10. This new version of ZTE’s Android skin comes with a new game assistant and smart screen case features.
ZTE Axon 20 5G Specifications:
Design: 3D Glass back Cover with nano-level textures
ZTE Axon 20 5G will go on sale in China with a starting price of 2,198 Yuan for the 6/128 variant. If it arrives in Nepal, we expect the price of ZTE Axon 20 5G to start at NPR 38,000.
Smartphone Model
Price in China
Price in Nepal (Expected)
ZTE Axon 20 5G (6/128GB)
2,198 Yuan
NPR 38,000
ZTE Axon 20 5G (8/128GB)
2,498 Yuan
NPR 43,000
ZTE Axon 20 5G (8/256GB)
2,798 Yuan
NPR 48,000
Check out our review of Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
After weeks of teasing, Realme has finally unveiled the new X7 series. The new lineup consists of two new 5G smartphones – X7 and X7 Pro. And to clear things off, the Realme X7 series is a completely new lineup and it has no connection with the previously launched Realme devices under the X-series. Let’s take a look at the specs, features, expected price, and availability of Realme X7, X7 Pro in Nepal.
Realme X7 Pro Overview
Design and Display
Prior to its launch, the Realme X7 Pro was teased as a light-weight flagship smartphone. The body of the phone measures 160.8 x 75.1 x 8.5mm. Similarly, it weighs around 184 grams. Realme X7 Pro sports a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution. There is a circular cut-out on the top left corner of the screen to house a selfie camera. It has resulted in a 91.6% screen to body ratio. As promised, it supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz. Similarly, the display covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
On the back, there is a rectangular module for the camera setup. It is available in three color options of which the company is promoting the C-bit variant. Unlike the other two options, it really grabs attention because of the gradient design. Similarly, C-bit color comes with double-layer coating and AG glass. However, the company’s decision to stamp the “Dare to Leap ” slogan stamped in big letters may not be liked by everyone.
Performance and Memory
Realme has decided to go with Dimensity 1000+ SoC. It is a flagship chipset from MediaTek with an integrated 5G modem. Even with the boosted clock speed of 2.6 GHz, it cannot match the performance provided by its Qualcomm counterpart. However, the use of MediaTek processors helps smartphone manufacturers to keep the price down. It comes with a Vapor Chamber-based cooling system that is said to bring down the temperature of the device by up to 10-degree Celcius. Realme has paired the Soc with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
Camera
The quad-camera setup on the back of the device is led by a 64MP primary camera. It comes with an aperture of f/1.8 and offers an 80.7-degree of Field of View. Similarly, there is an 8MP ultra-wide sensor offering up to 119-degree of Field of View. A macro and a monochrome portrait lens complete the whole setup. Upfront, Realme X7 Pro has a 32MP selfie camera.
Rest of the specs
The device is backed by a 4,500mAh battery. Realme has provided support for 65W fast charging. X7 Pro features an under-display fingerprint sensor for biometrics. In terms of connectivity, the phone supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.1, and dual-frequency NFC.
Battery: 4500 mAh battery, 65W fast charging (100% in 35 minutes)
Realme X7 Overview
The Super AMOLED panel has been reduced to 6.4-inch in the vanilla X7. It packs in a total of 2400 x 1080 pixels. Unlike its bigger sibling, it does not support a higher refresh rate. However, users can use the display’s 180Hz touch sampling rate for gaming. The screen covers 90.8% of the body. Like the Pro variant, the vanilla X7’s display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It has been advertised to be 8.1mm thick. Similarly, the smartphone weighs 175 grams.
Performance and Camera
Realme X7 is powered by Dimensity 800U. It is another mobile chipset from MediaTek from an integrated 5G modem. Realme X7 features a copper heat dissipation system but it is not as fancy as the one in the Pro variant. It comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
The company has made some changes to the camera setup as well. The primary camera still has a 64MP sensor but Realme has not listed its name as in the Pro variant. We believe Realme has used a different sensor on this one. Though the aperture is the same, the focal length and FOV of the two lenses are different. Similarly, the 8MP ultra-wide camera comes with a slightly smaller aperture. In addition to them, the device features a 2MP monochrome camera and a 2MP macro camera.
Rest of the specs
Realme has included a slightly smaller battery of 4,300mAh battery on the Realme X7. However, it retains the 65W (10V/6.5A) fast charging. Users will have to satisfy with the ultra-linear speaker as it doesn’t come with stereo speakers. It is Hi-Res Audio certified but misses out on Dolby Panorama Sound Effect.
Realme X7 Specifications:
Display: 6.4-inches AMOLED panel; 180Hz touch sampling rate; 90.8% screen to body ratio; Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Resolution: FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels)
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 800U; 7nm Mobile Platform
Connectivity: 5G (SA/NSA), Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo/QZSS
Audio: Ultralinear speakers, Hi-Res Audio
Battery: 4300 mAh battery, 65W fast charging (100% in 35 minutes)
Realme X7, X7 Pro Price in Nepal & Availability
Realme X7 and X7 Pro are available for pre-order in China where the starting price is 1,799 Yuan and 2,199 Yuan, respectively for the base variant. We expect the starting price of Realme X7 and X7 Pro in Nepal to be NPR 31,000 and NPR 38,000, respectively. However, it’s highly unlikely it will debut in Nepal.
Alongside the premium Realme X7 series, the company today launched the Realme V3 too. It is an ultra-affordable smartphone with great specs. Moreover, the Realme V3 is the cheapest smartphone to date that comes with 5G support. Though the device may have been overshadowed by the fancier X7 series, the V3 is no slouch either. So, let’s get into the crux of what the Realme V3 has to offer and also look at its expected price in Nepal.
Realme V3 Overview
The device sports a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen with HD+ resolution. The screen is surrounded by thin bezels on the side and the top. However, the bottom chin seems too thick. There’s a waterdrop notch up top to house the 8MP selfie camera.
Around the back, the triple-camera sensors are arranged inside a square module along with the LED flash. The camera module includes a 13MP primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. Along with the camera module, the back panel also features a fingerprint sensor.
Under the hood, the Realme V3 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 720 SoC. Customers can opt to choose between three configurations; 6/64GB, 6/128GB, and 8/128GB. As for the color option, you get Blue and Silver. Talking about the battery, the device is backed up by a 5000mAh unit. The phone charges through a USB Type-C port and the device also supports 18W Fast Charging.
Realme V3 Specifications:
Display: 6.5″ IPS LCD with HD+ resolution (1600 x 720 pixels)
Rear Camera: Triple, 13 MP primary lens with f/2.2 aperture & PDAF + 2 MP Macro lens with f/2.4 aperture + 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
Currently, the Realme V3 is available for pre-order in China. However, the sales will only commence from September 17. The price for the base variant i.e 6/64GB configuration is CNY 999. Similarly, the price of the 6/128GB variant and 8/128GB variant is CNY 1,399 and 1,599 respectively.
There is no word about the global availability of the Realme V3 right now. However, if it becomes available in Nepal the price of the base variant Realme V3 will be around NPR. 17,000.
Qualcomm has now announced the successor to 2019’s Snapdragon 730G. We saw the chipset being featured in some of the popular non-5G mid-range devices like the POCO X2 and the recently launched Google Pixel 4a. The newly announced Snapdragon 732G looks to build on that popularity. Read along to know more about the specs, features, and availability of Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G Overview
To clear things off, Snapdragon 732G is not a chipset that Qualcomm has built from the ground up. It’s more like a refinement of the existing Snapdragon 730G rather than a complete overhaul of the same mobile chipset. Qualcomm has made the same kind of changes that it did to differentiate the Snapdragon 865+ from the Snapdragon 865.
Upgrades
The first change is in the Prime core. The 730G comes uses two 470 Kryo cores as performance cores. One of the two cores (referred to as Prime core) is now clocked at 2.3GHz compared to 2.2GHz on the 730G. The rest of the core configuration has remained the same. The other performance core is still clocked at 2.2GHz. Similarly, the rest of the Kryo 470 cores (efficiency cores) are clocked at 1.8Ghz. The GPU remains the same Adreno 618 that we earlier saw in both Snapdragon 730G and 720G. However, Qualcomm has figured out a way to boost the performance by up to 15%.
With these changes, there will be no noticeable performance difference in normal tasks. However, users could enjoy a slightly better gaming performance with the 732G because of its higher-clocked Prime cores.
Things Unchanged
The rest of the specs are similar to that of Snapdragon 730G. It is manufactured under an 8nm process node and is equipped with Qualcomm’s fourth-gen AI engine and Snapdragon X15 LTE Modem. The chipset is Wi-Fi ax-ready. Like the 730G, it also comes with select Snapdragon Elite Gaming features such as support for Vulkan 1.1 API, Game Junk Reducer, HDR10 gaming, and physically-based rendering for a smoother gaming experience.
Similar chipsets
With the latest 732G, we have a number of chipsets that are almost similar in terms of their specs. To start off, SD 730G is SD 730 but with gaming-centric improvements including the Elite Gaming features. Similarly, there is no much difference between the 720G and 730G as well.
720G
730G
732G
Performance/ big Cores
2 x 2.3 GHz Kryo 465
2 x 2.2 GHz Kryo 470
(1 x 2.3 GHz Kryo 470) + (1 x 2.2 GHz Kryo 470)
Efficiency / little Cores
6 x 1.8 GHz Kryo 465
6 x 1.8 GHz Kryo 470
GPU
Adreno 618
Adreno 618 (15% performance boost)
Fast Charging
Quick Charge 4
Quick Charge 4+
Modem
Snapdragon X15 Modem
Process Node
8nm
Elite Gaming Features
Yes (select features only)
Image Signal Processor
Qualcomm Spectra 350L
Wifi/Bluetooth Subsystem
Qualcomm FastConnect 6200
Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G Availability
POCO will be the first brand to incorporate the new chipset in its smartphone. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G will be used in the upcoming POCO X3 NFC.
Apple’s iPads are the benchmark for any and all tablet makers in the industry. The company’s iOS platform (which has since ventured into the separate iPadOS for tablets) is just unsullied when it comes to user experience, design, and support. Every now and then, Android tablet manufacturers throw their hat in the ring to try and rattle the iPad dominance. So far, none have succeeded although Samsung’s efforts are commendable. And now, Lenovo has launched a couple of tablets – one for the grownups, and one for the kids. Let’s find out more about the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro & Tab M10 HD (2nd gen).
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Overview
Here, the Tab P11 Pro is more exciting than the M10 HD (2nd gen) as it is the first premium Android tablet from Lenovo in years. It is especially interesting seeing how the company chose now of all time to re-enter the industry as the global tablet market saw a record 18.6% YoY growth in Q2 2020 (IDC Worldwide Quarterly PCD Tracker). Since most people are stuck in their homes and with the rise in popularity of video conferencing tools, a tablet is exactly what’s remained in high demand.
Meanwhile, check out all the prices and specs of tablets from Lenovo here
Design & Display
The Tab P11 Pro’s premium-ness is most well reflected in the design front. It is made out of aluminum alloy and has a great looking dual-tone finish at the back. Tab P11 Pro is also remarkably slim at just 5.8mm at its thinnest and 7.7mm at its thickest point. It is not going to be a productivity powerhouse as we’ll discover in just a bit but Lenovo has included support for external accessories like a separate keyboard that attaches to the POGO pins on the side. Other accessories for the tablet include the new Lenovo Precision Pen 2 stylus and a case with a kick-stand.
Moving to the display, Tab P11 Pro boasts a gorgeous 11.5-inches 2K (2560 x 1600) OLED panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio which is quite rare for the price. On the brightness front, you’re looking at 500 nits of peak brightness. Considering its competitors like Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S7 and Apple’s iPad Air (2019), both of which have an IPS LCD display, we can clearly see how impressive this one is. Furthermore, it also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision for superior image quality. There’s a uniform 6.9mm slim bezel all-around the display. With this, the tablet achieves an 87% screen-to-body ratio. While the panel is great and all, it does miss out on trends like a smoother 120Hz refresh rate.
Performance & Memory
Even though Lenovo is marketing the Tab P11 Pro has a premium Android tablet, the chipset selection suggests otherwise. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 730G which has an octa-core CPU and is based on the 8nm process. It is available in either 4 or 6GB RAM options with 128GB of internal storage. One can also choose to expand that using the dedicated microSD card slot. We’re well aware of the abysmal state of Android as a platform for tablets in general.
However, Lenovo says the tablet can intelligently deliver a more desktop-like usage experience once you attach the additional keyboard accessory. So that’s something. Additionally, because of the chipset restriction, the Tab P11 Pro is also void of 5G connectivity. But depending upon the region, one may be able to choose between a WiFi only or an LTE variant. In terms of security & unlocking, its fingerprint sensor has been baked right into the power button.
Camera & Audio
Getting to the cameras, the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro has 4 of them altogether. The two rear-facing lenses are arranged inside a pill-shaped module at the top-left corner. These consist of a 13MP primary and a 5MP ultrawide camera. Similarly, there are two 8MP cameras at the front alongside a ToF sensor. With these, Lenovo also allows you to use face unlock as a biometrics option. Also, the front cameras can automatically blur the background whenever you’re in a video call.
Now, the audio prospect of the Tab P11 Pro is also something to be excited by. There are 4 JBL speakers altogether – two at the top and two at the bottom frame of the tablet. They have large 2.5cc chambers and are Dolby Atmos-certified too. According to Lenovo, the company has also worked in an intelligent algorithm for a better listening experience. What it does is tune the audio depending on how the user is holding the tablet to deliver a consistent cinematic surround sound effect. So far, the Tab P11 Pro is shaping up to be quite the media consumption king.
Battery
Powering all this is a massive 8600mAh battery which the company says can offer up to 15 hours of screen-on-time. It is charged using a USB Type-C cable although whether it supports fast charging or not remains a mystery for now.
Connectivity: Nano-SIM (LTE only), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS with A-GPS, USB Type-C
Battery: 8600mAh
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Price & Availability
Here, Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is priced at €699 for select European, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets where it will be available starting November. Similarly, it will retail for $500 in the US.
Tablet Model
Price
Availability
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (Europe, Asia, Middle East)
€699 (~NPR 98,055)
November 2020
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (USA)
$499 (~NPR 58,460)
November 2020
Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) Overview
Besides the Tab P11 Pro, Lenovo also announced a more family-centric tablet which is the Tab M10 HD (2nd gen). It is much less powerful than the P11 Pro and is geared towards households with children as the tablet debuts Google’s all-new “Kids Space” feature. This curates and recommends different content for kids and directly ties up with Google’s “Family Link” app for seamless parental control.
Kids Space
Here, all the apps and games are teacher-approved and Google has worked with multiple experts to help determine what’s best for the kids. There are also a bunch of free books for kids under the “Read” section. In terms of video content, Kids Space takes you to YouTube Kids.
Moving on, the Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) comes with a modest 10.1-inches IPS LCD TDDI display with a wide viewing angle and an HD (1280 x 800) resolution. It features TUV Rheinland eye protection against exposure to the harmful blue light. Performance-wise, the tablet is powered by MediaTek’s Helio P22T chipset with either 2/4GB of RAM and 32/64GB of expandable storage. There’s a single camera setup at the front and the back which compromises an 8MP and a 5MP sensor respectively. On the battery front, it gets its juice from the 5000mAh cell.
Variants
Besides the memory configuration itself, it is available in three variants: one with Google Assistant integration, one with Amazon’s Alexa, and one without both. They differ in the audio & microphone department – the regular Tab M10 HD has dual mic & dual speakers (Dolby Atmos-certified) whereas the one with Google Assistant comes with a single mic.
Finally, the one with Amazon Alexa also supports a Smart Dock on top of the dual-mic & speaker setup. These digital assistant able variants double as a smart display and have POGO pins in them for charging.
Resolution: HD (1280 x 800 pixels); 16:10 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Helio P22T (12nm mobile platform)
CPU: Octa-core 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB (expandable using micro SD card)
Software & UI: Android 10
Rear Camera: 8MP lens
Front Camera: 5MP lens
Security: Face unlock
Audio: Dual-speakers (Dolby Atmos)
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C
Battery: 5000mAh
Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) Price & Availability
Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) costs €159, €179, and €199 for the standard, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa variants respectively. They will be available starting in September 2020.
Tablet Model
Price
Availability
Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen)
€159 (~NPR 22,300)
September 2020
Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) – Google Assistant
€179 (~NPR 25,110)
October 2020
Lenovo Tab M10 HD (2nd gen) – Amazon Alexa
€199 (~NPR 27,915)
November 2020
Watch: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite vs Apple iPad 10.2 (2019)
Tecno has re-entered the Nepali market with a couple of new smartphones. The cheaper of the two is the Spark 5 Pro. It’s a nice looking device with a massive battery that costs under Rs. 20,000. Read along to know more about the specs, features, official price, and availability of Tecno Spark 5 Pro in Nepal.
Tecno Spark 5 Pro Overview
Design and Display
Tecno Spark 5 Pro comes with a 6.6-inch Dot-in Display with 720 x 1600 pixel resolution. There is a circular punch-hole cutout on the top left corner of the screen that houses the selfie camera. The screen-to-body ratio on this device is 90.2%. Tecno claims the brightness level on the Spark 5 to be around 400 nits.
On the back, there is a rectangular camera module that encloses the quad-camera setup. Design-wise, it’s one of the best-looking devices at its price range. The gradient design on the rear panel is eye-catching. Upon closer inspection, the panel has textural lines as well. It is available in four color options in total.
Performance and Memory
Spark 5 Pro is not a phone you will buy if you are looking for a high-performance budget device. The company has not specified the chipset used on this device but says it’s an octa-core processor. It’s more likely to be MediaTek’s Helio A25. It’s a 12nm based chipset that features eight Cortex A53 cores. Talking about the memory, Tecno has paired it with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Users can expand the storage by slotting in a microSD card into the dedicated slot.
Tecno Spark 5 Pro flaunts a quad-camera setup on the back of the device. The 13MP primary camera has an aperture of f/1.8. Similarly, it is accompanied by a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth lens. The company has not listed anything about the nature and function of the fourth lens so we believe it’s a marketing gimmick. It comes with Tecno’s AI camera 3.0 support, which has improved Scene Detection, HDR, and Bokeh effect. The rear camera setup comes with a Body Shaping feature that the company says can alter the body shape of the person in the picture.
Upfront, there is an 8MP selfie camera with dual-flash. It supports AI Beauty mode, Bokeh effect, AR shot, and Wide-selfie. The latter when active will provide instructions to users on how to hold the phone for a wider view angle.
Rest of the specs
Tecno Spark 5 Pro features a massive battery of 5,000mAh battery. The company claims it can provide up to 430 hours of standby time. However, there is no mention of support for any fast-charging technology. There is a capacitive fingerprint sensor on the back panel for biometrics.
Not to forget, Tecno is offering 100 days of replacement guaranty for Tecno Spark 5 Pro. Additionally, users can also enjoy 13 months of warranty.
