Page 600 – GadgetByte Nepal

Honor 30S launched with Kirin 820 5G SoC and a camera module that supports 20x digital zoom

GadgetByte

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March 31, 2020

Honor 30S launched with Kirin 820 5G SoC and a camera module that supports 20x digital zoom

The past couple of weeks has been busy for Honor and company. Just last week, its parent company, Huawei, launched the P40 and P40 Pro/Pro+. Now, Honor itself has officially launched the new Honor 30S. This device becomes the first one to be launched among the Honor 30 series. Furthermore, it is also the first one that comes equipped with Huawei’s new Kirin 820 5G SoC. The device packs in a host of great features and is a proper upper-mid-range smartphone – at least on paper. Hopefully, the price of Honor 30S in Nepal will be competitive too.

Honor 30S Overview

Honor 30S is the successor to last year’s Honor 20S. This year, they have upgraded to the all-new Kirin 820 5G chipset as compared to the Kirin 810 used in the Honor 20S. It spells for a huge upgrade as previously leaked AnTuTu and Geekbench scores reveal that, it is capable of delivering flagship-level performance. As a matter of fact, it actually leads the way among the Kirin 980, SD 765G and the Exynos 980 chipset. Thus, performance-wise the device should deliver the best.

Upfront, the Honor 30S, sports a 6.5-inch IPS LCD screen with FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The LCD screen does not support an in-display fingerprint sensor, and thus, they have opted for a side-mounted one on the device. Moreover, Honor has gone with a small circular punch-hole on the upper right corner to house the 16MP selfie shooter.

On the back, you’ll find a quad camera setup in a square box. The primary lens is of 64MP. And it is complemented by an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and an 8MP telephoto lens. The telephoto module supports 3x optical zoom and up to 20x hybrid zoom.

Under the hood, as mentioned above, the device uses Kirin 820 5G chipset. For GPU it uses the six-core Mali-G57 and it also has the Kirin ISP 5.0 image signal processor. As for the power, it uses a 4000mAh battery that supports 40W wired fast charging.

Honor 30S Specifications:

Design: Glass body front and back, Aluminum frame
Display: 6.5″ IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2400 pixels)
Rear Camera: Quad, 64 MP primary lens with f/1.8 aperture & PDAF + 8 MP Ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.4 aperture + 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and f/2.4 aperture + 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
Front Camera: 16 MP with f/2.0 aperture
Processor: Octa-core 7nm HiSilicon Kirin 820 5G
GPU: Mali-G57
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X
Storage: 128 / 256GB onboard UFS 2.1 (expandable)
Battery: 4000 mAh, 40W Wired Fast Charging
Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Colors: Black, Blue, Green, Gradient

Honor 30S Price in Nepal, Availability

The pre-order for the device began yesterday (30th April 2020). However, official sales will commence only from April 7, 2020. The base variant of Honor 30S with an 8/128GB setup will cost CNY 2,399/$338. And the other one with an 8/256GB setup will cost CNY 2,699/$380.

As currently there is a global lockdown caused due to the spread of COVID-19, we cannot yet comment on the global availability of the device. The same is the case for Nepal as well. However, if the situation were to go back to normal, the device most probably would be available around late April to early March. Similarly, the expected price of Honor 30S in Nepal ought to be competitive too. We expect the 8/128GB variant of Honor 30S to be available for the price of NRP 45,000 in Nepal. And the cost of 8/256GB variant might be around NRP 55,000.

Model Name	Price in Nepal (Expected)	Availability (Expected)
Honor 30S (8/128GB)	NRs. 45,000	April – May 2020
Honor 30S (8/256GB)	NRs. 55,000	April – May 2020

Honor 9A announced: An entertainment powerhouse?

GadgetByte

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March 31, 2020

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Honor 9A announced: An entertainment powerhouse?

We all were waiting for the unveiling of the Honor 30S but in the event, it was accompanied by Honor 9A. Honor 9A is a successor to Honor 8A and unlike the 30S we can expect it to launch here in Nepal. So, let’s check out the specs, expected price in Nepal and launch date of Honor 9A.

Honor 9A Overview

Honor 9A is a successor to Honor 8A. To recall, Honor 8A was a budget device whose design and entertainment options really impressed us. Let’s dive deeper into the specs sheet.

Design and Display

The new Honor 9A comes with a 6.3-inch IPS LCD display. The panel comes with HD+ resolution and a tall aspect ratio of 20:9. As with most of the budget devices, it comes with a notched display to house the selfie camera.

At the back, the capacitative fingerprint sensor’s placement is similar to that in its predecessor. What’s changed is the camera arrangement. Honor 9A comes now comes with a dual-camera setup which is housed inside a rectangular camera bump similar to that in the Honor 30S.

Performance and Memory

Honor 9A packs the same MediaTek Helio P35 SoC under its hood. The graphics are handled by PowerVR GE8320. The processor is backed by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. For those who find it insufficient, it is also available with 128GB of internal storage. The internal storage can be expanded up to 512GB via a dedicated microSD slot.

Check out our review of Honor 8A Lite

Camera

The 13MP primary camera on the back remains the same but it is now accompanied by a 2MP depth sensor. The two sensors are arranged inside a rectangular camera module which also houses the LED flash. We had problems with the image processing on the Honor 8A/Lite and we hope Honor has fixed this time. On the front, Honor has included an 8MP camera to quench your selfie needs.

Battery and entertainment

Honor 9A comes with a massive 5,000mAh battery but before you get excited you will have to charge it via a micro-USB port. And the device’s charging technology is limited to 10W. For entertainment, the device comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and an FM radio receiver. We were really a fan of the audio output of the Honor 8A receiver. To build on that, Honor has included Huawei’s Histen 6.0 audio tech. Thanks to Smart PA amp, the speaker on the device boasts up to 88db of music.

Honor 9A Specifications:

Display: 6.3-inches IPS LCD panel
Resolution: 720 x 1600 pixels; 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek MT6765 Helio P35; 12nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (4 x 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53 + 4 x 1.8Ghz Cortex-A53)
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64/128GB (expandable up to 512 via a microSD card)
Software & UI: Magic UI 3.0 (Pie) with EMUI 9 on top
Rear Camera:
– 13MP, f/1.8 primary shooter
– 2MP depth sensor
– Single LED flash
Front Camera: 8MP, f/2.0 aperture
Security: Fingerprint Sensor (rear-mounted)
Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, FM Radio, Histen 6.0 audio, Smart PA amp
Connectivity: MicroSD card, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/Beidou, MicroUSB 2.0
Battery: 5000mAh with 10W charging
Colors: Black Water Emerald, Jasper Green, Gold, Red

Honor 9A Price in Nepal, Availability

As of now, the device is available only in China where its price is 900 Yuan for 4/64GB variant and 1,200 Yuan for the 4/128GB variant. Honor hasn’t hinted anything about the international launch but since it is a budget device it will make its way into the South Asian market.

We expect the price of Honor 9A in Nepal to be around NPR 20,000 for 4/64GB variant and NPR 25,000 for the 4/128GB variant.

Model Name	Expected Price in Nepal
Honor 9A (4/64GB)	~NPR 20,000
Honor 9A (4/128GB)	~NPR 25,000

Apple MacBook Air 2020: Cheapest MacBook set for its Nepal Launch

GadgetByte

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March 30, 2020

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Apple MacBook Air 2020: Cheapest MacBook set for its Nepal Launch

MacBook Air is the series of entry-level laptops from which are targetted towards students and first-time users. It is a good option for anyone who wants to migrate from Windows and get a taste of Apple products. If you are thinking of making the switch, it is the perfect time as the MacBook Air 2020 is set to launch here with the most affordable price ever seen in MacBook in Nepal.

Apple MacBook Air 2020 Overview

Apple MacBook Air 2020 was unveiled by Apple earlier this month. Prior to the previous models, this one comes with faster performance, better graphics, and the Magic Keyboard. Let’s dive deeper into its specs.

Quad-core Processors

Prior to this, MacBook Air came with dual-core processors. However, Apple has bumped it to quad-core this time. Apple MacBook Air 2020 features up to the latest 10th generation Core i7 processor. The clock speed can reach up to 3.8GHz using the Turbo Boost. Apple claims that it can perform twice as fast as any other previous iteration. On the graphics front, Intel’s Iris Plus Graphics has boosted the graphics performance by up to 80%.

Also, check out the latest iPad Pro 2020

Design and Magic Keyboard

Apple claims that the new MacBook Air is completely made of recycled aluminum. It is based on unibody wedge design and is available in three color options – Gold, Silver and Space Grey. There isn’t anything new in terms of both design and display. The display here is a 13-inch Retina display as seen in earlier editions. Finally, the Magic Keyboard has made its way to the MacBook Air series. With it, MacBook Air boasts a key travel distance of about 1mm.

Also, check out the price of Apple AirPods Pro in Nepal

Double Storage

The base variant of previous MacBook Air came with 128GB of SSD storage which maxed out at 1TB. However, the latest MacBook Air starts with 256GB of storage and maxes out at 2TB SSD storage. That’s double storage for both the base and maxed configuration.

Others

MacBook Air comes with Apple’s T2 chip for security. The chip makes sure the only non-tampered software is loaded on to the system during the boot. It also encrypts the data stored on the system. Other features include triple mic arrangement, Force Touch trackpad, Thunderbolt 3 ports, 6K external display support, and stereo speakers.

Apple MacBook Air 2020

Display: 13.3-inch Retina IPS display; True Tone technology
Resolution: 2560 x 1600 pixels; 16:10 aspect ratio
CPU: Up to 10th-gen Intel Core i7
RAM: 8/16GB; LPDDR4X
Storage: 256GB to 2TB PCIe-based SSD
Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics (support for Thunderbolt 3 enabled eGPUs)
OS: macOS Catalina
Ports: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0
Color options: Space Grey, Silver, and Gold

Apple MacBook Air 2020 Price in Nepal, Availability

Abroad, the Apple MacBook Air 2020 is available for purchase from Apple’s official site at a price of $999 for the i3 CPU with a 256GB SSD variant. As for Nepal, it will soon be available through Apple-authorized sellers like Oliz Store, Evo Store, and Future World. We expect the starting price of the new Apple MacBook Air 2020 in Nepal to be NPR 155,000.

Model name	Expected Price in Nepal
Apple MacBook Air 2020 (i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)	~ NPR 1,56,000
Apple MacBook Air 2020 (i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)	~ NPR 202,000
Apple MacBook Air 2020 (i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD)	~ NPR 2,16,00

Dell XPS 15 7590 (2019) now available in Nepal

GadgetByte

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March 30, 2020

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Dell XPS 15 7590 (2019) now available in Nepal

The XPS 15 from Dell is among the best laptops that money can buy. The flagship laptop offers the best in almost every segment from the display to performance. And the best part? Dell keeps updating the series adding more to its appeal. The latest laptop of the series is Dell XPS 15 7590 which is now available in Nepal. Two different shops have listed different variants of the device so, let’s find out the price of different variants of Dell XPS 15 7590 that are available in Nepal.

Dell XPS 15 7590 (2019) Overview

Dell XPS 15 7590 is an upgrade to Dell XPS 15 9570. As you may have noticed, Dell has changed its naming convention coming from 9570 to 7590. The 7-series, which the 7590 is a part of, represents the premium end of Dell laptops.

As of now, only two variants of the device are available in Nepal: i7 non-touch and i7-touch. The first one comes with a 15.6-inch FHD Infinity Edge IPS panel packing in a total of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage.

Check out the price of XPS 13 2-in-1 in Nepal

The latter flaunts a 15.6-inch 4K UHD Infinity Edge Touch panel with 3840 x 2160 pixels. It comes with 16GB of RAM paired with 512GB SSD storage.

Other than that, the specs are similar. With both, you get Intel’s 9th Gen i7- 9750H processor. For graphics-intensive works, it has NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 card. Connectivity-wise, it features an HDMI v2.0 port, one Thunderbolt 3 port, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 port and a 3.5mm audio jack. The device is powered by a 97Wh six-celled Lithium-ion battery and features a 720p webcam for video calling. A fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button.

Also, check out the price of Dell XPS 13 7390

Dell XPS 15 7590 Specifications:

Display: 15.6-inch InfinityEdge Non-Touch / Touch display
Resolution: FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) / 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
CPU: 9th Generation Intel i7-9750H processor
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB RAM GDDR5)
RAM: 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM
Storage: 256/512GB M.2 PCIe SSD
Connectivity: 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 1 Thunderbolt 3 port, 1 HDMI v2.0 port, 1 universal audio jack, MicroSD slot, 1 wedge-shaped lock slot
OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit Operating System
Battery: 6-Cell 97WHr

Dell XPS 15 7590 Price in Nepal, Availability

Though newer iterations of XPS 15 have launched already, you can still find the XPS 15 7590 in select stores. The price of Dell XPS 15 7590 in Nepal is NPR 235,000

Dell XPS 15 7590 (2019)		Price in Nepal
FHD Non-touch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, i7-9750H, NVIDIA GTX 1650		NPR 235,000

NTC and Ncell’s heavy bonus on recharge during the crisis making people upset?

GadgetByte

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March 29, 2020

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NTC and Ncell’s heavy bonus on recharge during the crisis making people upset?

The outbreak of coronavirus has disrupted our daily routine. The subsequent lockdown caused by this outbreak has forced us to stay put inside our houses. One can’t venture out unless it is an absolute emergency. Thus, it was a great move by telecom providers such as NTC and Ncell to bring a suitable offer for its customers. Obviously, this fell under their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) too. Currently, the aforementioned telecom providers are bringing up various schemes and offers. And one of the offers by Ncell and NTC right now is of giving out a bonus on balance recharge.

Right now, we’re unable to simply go out and purchase recharge cards on our will. So, it made sense that NTC and Ncell we’re giving out bonuses for recharge. The percentage varies though, NTC is offering a 100% bonus whereas it is 120% in case of Ncell. Moreover, this offer applies to both recharge done through cards and MPoS.

In a time of crisis, this seems like a great offer right. I mean you buy to put in Rs. 50 and voilà, you get a recharge of Rs. 100 instead (in case of NTC). So, why is this seemingly great offer a cause of irking for so many consumers?

Well, there’s a catch. There’s always a catch! Go through the Facebook pages of NTC and Ncell and you’ll see so many people complaining about this offer. I looked around a bit and it was easy to see why people were dissatisfied or even felt cheated by it. For starters, the bonus balance can be used within their respective network only. That is, you can use the bonus amount to call or send messages between NT-NT users or Ncell-Ncell users only. Furthermore, you cannot buy any data packs with this bonus amount. You’ll have to “pay as you go“, in case you want to use mobile data.

Also read: Jack Ma & Alibaba Foundation medical donation to Nepal

Additionally, another reason why it is causing so much irk is the validity period of the bonus amount. For Ncell users, no matter the recharge amount, the bonus will be available for 3 days only. However, for NTC users, the amount varies as per the recharge amount. We’ve listed down the details of the bonus amount for NTC users down below.

Through recharge card:

- - Rs. 50 & Rs. 100 – 2 days
  - Rs. 2000 & Rs. 500 – 4 days
  - Rs. 1000 – 6 days

Through MPoS:
1. Rs. 10 & Rs. 99 – 2 days
2. Rs. 100 & Rs. 499 – 4 days
3. Rs. 500 & Rs. 999 – 6 days
4. Rs. 1000 & above – 10 days

Oh and not to forget this bonus balance cannot be used for balance transfer and the validity of the offer is until April 1, 2020, only (for NTC).

Now, I’m not saying that these telecom companies should not have placed any sort of conditions for this offer. Cause, at the end of the day, they are a business entity and they have to look after their profits. But I can also relate to consumer’s complaints too. What I believe is that they should have been flexible with the validity of the bonus amount and its usage in terms of internet data. I mean we’re in a lockdown for a foreseeable future, who knows when can we once again go out to buy a recharge card. Thus, being flexible about the validity period would have made sense. But that’s just my thought, what do you guys think about it? Should the bonus in recharge of NTC & Ncell SIMs be more flexible?

First lot of medical equipment donations from the Jack Ma & Alibaba Foundation arrive Nepal

Nikhil Shrestha

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March 29, 2020

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First lot of medical equipment donations from the Jack Ma & Alibaba Foundation arrive Nepal

With the entire world struggling to battle against the recent outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the situation seemingly doesn’t have an end date yet. The initial epicenter of the outbreak – Wuhan, China has been a paragon of hope to the entire world. That’s because the situation there has been controlled to the point where the city health officials have declared the risk level of the pandemic from “high” to “medium”. However, it’s still wreaking havoc across other parts of the world. Italy, which has the world’s second-best healthcare system, and the USA – who was deemed the most prepared to deal with a pandemic, are overrun with patients. It’s scary times – not gonna lie.

What would happen to Nepal?

Now let’s imagine what would happen if the virus spread in Nepal at the same rate as in the aforementioned countries. Our healthcare system is nowhere near capable of dealing with an epidemic of such magnitude. That’s just how it is. Lack of adequate healthcare officials, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kits, and the overall incompetent infrastructure means COVID-19 would absolutely cripple our country if not contained. So, I hope every single one of us is doing our absolute best in minimizing the spread of the virus.

Social distancing? → Practice it!
Hands? → Frequently wash it!
other preventive measures? → just do it!

Because of what Nepal is working with, it doesn’t take an expert to figure out that there’s a big danger lurking around. With our limited resources, we absolutely CANNOT afford to have our healthcare workers fall in sick, or God forbid, worse. Local manufacturing of masks through the collaborative venture of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce & other prominent industrialists has begun. Also, the National Innovation Center (NIC) led by Mr. Mahabir Pun, received Nepal government’s approval for producing PPEs. However, the harsh reality is that it’s simply not enough. We need more; more PPEs, more masks, more everything!

Also read: Alibaba’s AI-powered diagnostic system that detects COVID-19 infection in just 20 seconds

Jack Ma Foundation, Alibaba Foundation assists!

Well, times like these are when the big corporates should step in and help out in any way they can. And one (or in this case, two) such two philanthropic organizations helping Nepal with medical equipment in the case of the COVID-19 crisis are the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation. Nepal is one of the 23 Asian countries (and other regions) to receive the essential medical supplies by these two foundations.

The total donation includes a total of 7.4 million masks, 485,000 test kits, 100,000 sets of protective clothing, and other assorted medical equipment. And the first batch of the donations arrived at Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) today (29th March 2020), which was received by the Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal.

this delivery to Nepal is a part of the donation of medical supplies to 10 Asian countries including a total of 1.8 million masks, 210,000 testing kits, and 36,000 protective clothing.

Mr. Lino Ahlering (Daraz Nepal, MD) and Ms. Hou Yanqi (Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China for Nepal) were present in the brief ceremony of handing out the contributions to Mr. Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal (Minister for Health and Population, Nepal).

Thank you!

“We hope this donation will help Nepal contain the spread of COVID-19. We are making our best effort to support the global community. It is not easy to source and transport medical supplies to where it is needed the most, but we are working hard to get it done,” said the Jack Ma Foundation.

This is a great deal, really. Not only Nepal, but the Jack Ma Foundation & Alibaba Foundation is also involved in donations of valuable medical resources to other parts of the world too, like Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. Additionally, the two foundations are likely to announce more initiatives and donations in the coming days.

Now, how those resources will be utilized is entirely up to the Nepal government. We hope that it finds the most efficient and effective way to distribute these throughout the country.

Apart from the donations of the physical materials, the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have also supported the publication of a handbook. It includes key findings from all the healthcare workers associated with the treatment of COVID-19 in China at its peak. You can check it out here.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite announced: Most affordable 5G phone?

GadgetByte

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March 29, 2020

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Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite announced: Most affordable 5G phone?

Major smartphones brand have already unveiled their top-tier flagship 5G smartphones and now their focus is on the mid-range market segment. The latest brand to follow the road is Xiaomi which has recently announced Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite, an affordable 5G phone for the masses. Let’s check out the specs, expected price in Nepal and official launch date of Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite Overview

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite will be the cheapest offering under the Xiaomi Mi 10 series and will feature specs inferior to both Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro. However, it is a great device considering its price. So, let’s dive deeper into what we can expect from the device.

Display

To start, Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite will come with a 6.57-inch AMOLED display. While both of the other two Mi 10 series devices feature punch-hole display, this one features a water-drop style notch on top-center part of the screen. An optical fingerprint sensor has been fitted under the display. The display misses out on the trend of higher refresh rate we’ve seen in other mid-range devices.

Chipset

Xiaomi Mi Lite will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G. It has been the go-to 5G chipset for midrange devices lately. The chipset features an integrated 5G modem. In terms of RAM and storage, the device may be available in 6GB and 8GB RAM variants with storage starting from 128GB, though exact detail is yet to be revealed. Xiaomi has included its liquid cooling technology to balance the heat during intensive gaming sessions.

Also, Check out Nokia 8.3 5G powered by Snapdragon 765G

Camera

On the back, there is a quad-camera setup. At first glance, the arrangement of the four camera sensors looks similar to that on the Redmi Note 9 Pro series. However, on this device, the camera module is on the top-left edge of the back panel. The primary camera is a 48MP sensor and it comes with AI capabilities. The details about other lenses have not been officially mentioned by Xiaomi but we suspect they include an 8MP ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 5MP macro lens. Upfront, there’s a 16MP selfie camera inside the notch. On the software side, Xiaomi has teased Vlog mode, Night mode 2.0, 120fps slow-motion video and other camera features.

Check out the camera setup on Redmi Note 9 Pro Max

Others

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite will feature a 4,160mAh battery with support for 20W fast charging. The color options on this one are White, Gray and Green.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G Specifications (confirmed):

Display: 6.57-inches AMOLED panel; 60Hz refresh rate
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G; 7nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver)
Back Camera: 48MP main sensor (other lenses not confirmed)
Front Camera: 16MP front-facing camera
Security: Fingerprint sensor(Under-display, optical)
Battery: 4,160mAh cell; 20W charging

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5G Price and Availability

Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite will only hit the market outside China. It will first hit the European market in May 2020 where its starting price is set at 349 euros. Unlike the previous two devices in the series, this could launch here in Nepal and we expect the price of Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite in Nepal to be NPR 48,000 for 4/64GB variant and NPR 54,000 for 6/128GB variant.

Model name	Expected Price in Nepal
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite (4/64GB)	~ NPR 48,000
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite (6/128GB)	~ NPR 54,000

Huawei being pressured into “helping less” in Europe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

GadgetByte

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March 28, 2020

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Huawei being pressured into “helping less” in Europe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Cisco was kind enough to invest $225 million for the fight against the coronavirus. Similarly, Facebook too has pledged around $100 million for a similar cause. In a similar move, Huawei too had announced that it would be donating masks to multiple European countries. It seemed as if all the tech giants were in, on this battle. However, a recent update suggested that due to certain remarks made by EU’s foreign Chief, Huawei will lower its efforts for help for the COVID-19 outbreak.

The outbreak of COVID-19 started in China. However, currently the number of new cases there is down to a single figure there. Thus, factories there have slowly started to return to their normal workflow. Now, the new epicenter for this virus is Europe & the US. Daily cases and the number of deaths are increasing there. Thus, Huawei rightly tried to support Europe in this battle by donating a large number of masks.

But the situation has changed now, and Huawei reportedly will decrease its donation of masks to Europe it provides for the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. This comes after a recent comment made by Josep Borell, the EU’s Foreign Chief.

According to him, Huawei is doing all this just to push a Chinese agenda.

China is supposedly trying to prove that it is much better than the US in dealing with such a crisis and is a better and reliable partner for Europe. Furthermore, he also threw allegations that China has tried to discredit the EU too.

Now, this is nothing more than a new chapter in the trade war between China and the US. Huawei has already suffered a lot due to this. Their current devices do not support Google app services. Even their latest device, the P40, and P40 Pro only have Huawei’s custom AppGallery. Thus it makes sense that the smartphone makers do not want to get dragged further into this conflict. Even so, Huawei has stated that it will still help health authorities in Europe if a discussion is done. Moreover, the company further states that this donation in no way was a promotional campaign of Huawei in Europe.

What do you think about it people? Is this really the correct time to dive into politics? Or would it be much better if we ward off this pandemic unitedly? Do comment your thoughts!

KGH initiates Free Food Distribution Camp in Kathmandu

GadgetByte

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March 28, 2020

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KGH initiates Free Food Distribution Camp in Kathmandu

We all know about the current situation of the world due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak and it’s time that we start doing what we can from our side to help ease the current situation of fear and panic. Today, we will be writing about a free food distribution camp that going on in the valley. This initiation from the Kathmandu Guest House (KGH) Group hopes to help the needy ones.

Learn how to use internet intelligently in this lockdown

KGH Free Food Distribution Camp

This Free Food Distribution Camp is supported by Kathmandu Guest House Nepal and it was scheduled to start from March 27. But considering the circumstances, it initiated early on and is still going on. As part of the initiation, each individual will be provided a 300gm packet of food. Each pack will include beaten rice, peanut, potato bhujiya, instant noodle and a packet of biscuit. Free food will be distributed from the west gate of Kathmandu Guest House form 11:00 am to 11:30 am. For those, we are unfamiliar with the venue, it is located at Saat-Ghumti Nepal.

Check out the Nimbus Bazaar and its services during the pandemic

Though the organizers had decided to distribute food from two other locations, it hasn’t been possible because of the lockdown. The duration of the camp is not certain but the organizers are determined to carry it out as long as they can. As of now, a thousand packets have already been distributed.

Our responsibility

Due to the pandemic, people are hesitating to get out of the house. It may not sound like a problem to many but the working-class people without steady income have greatly been affected. This initiation doesn’t require any volunteers but it requires people that can make this accessible to the targetted group. We need to make sure this reaches out to those people who are really in need of it. And we believe all of us will play our part in this.

Let’s act responsibly in this time of emergency. Keep yourself and your family safe, and take every precautionary measure possible.

Huawei P40 launched: Has a 50MP “Ultra Vision” camera and supports 30x Max Zoom

GadgetByte

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March 27, 2020

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Huawei P40 launched: Has a 50MP “Ultra Vision” camera and supports 30x Max Zoom

The Huawei P40 series is finally here. Yesterday, in an online-only event, Huawei launched what it hopes to be the competitor for the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. With all the trade war with the US, last year was certainly difficult for Huawei. However, with the launch of the P40 series, the company hopes to make a strong comeback in 2020. The three devices that launched yesterday were the Huawei P40, P40 Pro and P40 Pro+. And honestly, all three of them look great. Obviously, the current lockdown will hinder the availability of these devices worldwide. However, once this chaos passes, they will certainly be available in the market. These are top-end devices so don’t expect the price of Huawei P40 in Nepal to be any cheaper.

Huawei P40 Overview

The Huawei P40 comes as a direct successor of the Huawei P30 that launched last year. Unlike the Pro and the Pro+ models, the standard Huawei P40 only has a 6.1-inch screen with 2340 x 1080 pixels resolution. On the left top corner, you’ll see the cutouts for the selfie camera. Punch-hole cutouts are the way to go, and I’m glad that it is successfully replacing the notch display. Disappointingly, the screen only has the standard 60Hz refresh rate. The display panel is OLED, thus it supports in-display fingerprint. And apparently, this sensor is 30% faster than that of the P30.

New cameras!

The biggest improvement that this phone has over its predecessor is the camera. The P40 Pro+ might be the best of the lot, though the setup on this one is no joke either. It comes with a 50MP RYYB primary lens, a 16MP ultra-wide shooter and an 8MP telephoto lens. Its telephoto lens is capable of offering 3x optical zoom and probably more in terms of digital zoom.

Upfront, the selfie camera is a powerful 32MP shooter. However, this standard variant unlike the other two does not have a ToF sensor. Also making a debut on the Huawei P40 series is the company’s new voice assistant – Celia.

Under the hood, this device runs on the Kirin 990 5G chipset. Now, it is the same one that we saw in Mate 30, so performance-wise, it should be smooth. Moreover, the company has claimed that this chip is good for power-optimization too. The standard memory/storage option you get with the P40 is 8GB/128GB. And as for the battery, it is powered by a 3800mAh one which supports 22.5W wired charging.

Now, the device still doesn’t support Google Play Services. Thus, you’ll have to rely on Huawei’s AppGallery to download apps.

Also read: Huawei’s journey ahead, without Google

Huawei P40 Specifications:

Body	5.86 x 2.80 x 0.33 inches; 175 gm; IP53 certification
Display	6.1-inches OLED panel; 60Hz refresh rate; 422 PPI; 86.3% screen-to-body ratio
Resolution	FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Chipset	HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G; 7nm+ Mobile Platform
CPU	Octa-core (2×2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2×2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU	Mali-G76 MP16
RAM	8GB
Storage	128GB UFS 3.0 (expandable up to 256GB via an NM card)
Software & UI	Android 10 (AOSP + HMS) with Huawei’s EMUI 10.1 on top
Rear Camera	Triple-camera (Leica); LED flash – 50MP, f/1.9 primary wide shooter, OIS, PDAF – 16MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide sensor – 8MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom, 5x hybrid zoom, 30x max zoom
Front Camera	32MP, f/2.0 aperture; Dual Pixel AF; IR camera
Security	Infrared face recognition, Optical in-display fingerprint scanner
Connectivity	Hybrid dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, sub-6GHz 5G, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NavIC, NFC, USB Type-C
Battery	3800 mAh; 22.5W Huawei SuperCharge
Colors	Silver Frost, Deep Sea Blue, Bluish Gold, Ice White, Black

Huawei P40 Price in Nepal, Availability

In the international market, the Huawei P40 will be available for purchase from April 7, 2020. However, as mentioned above, due to the current lockdown, it will not be available immediately in stores in Nepal. Still, it should arrive pretty soon. Price-wise, the P40 will cost €799 (~NRs. 1,05,540). The price of Huawei P40 in Nepal will probably around the same range i.e MRP. 1,00,000 – 1,10,000.

Model Name	Price in Nepal (Expected)	Availability (Expected)
Huawei P40	Rs. 1,10,000	April – May 2020