Someone has aptly said, “This is the age of misinformation”. And never has been a quote more relatable. Yes, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic took over the world, there have been countless numbers of fake news being circulated worldwide. Such news is articulated and shared in such a way that even the brightest of us are fooled by it. Also, shame on those who instigate such false rumors. However, there are people out there, who are working tirelessly, to provide you accurate information in these desperate times. Among them is Fusemachines. Yes, the team at Fusemachines is resolute on developing a platform to disseminate accurate information about COVID-19 in Nepal.
The rumor about the spraying of medicine via helicopter was circulated on various social media platforms yesterday. Fake news, obviously. However, the number of people who believed it was surprising. Moreover, there were lots of other baseless rumors about the number of affected people and those dead because of it.
So, what is the solution to it, where do we go seeking factually accurate information? Well, that’s exactly the question that Fusemachines is trying to solve through its COVID-19 information platform.
Basically, a team at Fusemachines has been working tirelessly for the last 90+ hours to build an open-source platform. The website’s prime objective is to bring together accurate information about COVID-19 in Nepal. In this website, they have tried to collect reliable data from multiple trusted sources such as WHO and so on.
The idea behind this website is to share only the factual data and nothing else. Moreover, during this lock-down, everyone needs to stay updated about the on-going situation around them.
So people, please don’t fall into the trap of fake news and rumors and seek information only from trusted websites. Furthermore, if you want to help Fusemachines on this cause, you can sign up at “[email protected]”.
The whole world is now at a risk due to the coronavirus outbreak. And we all need to act together to battle the virus. At a time such as today’s, we need the world-leading brands to lead this battle. Acknowledging a request from a follower, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Space X, has agreed to help with the supplies of ventilators to avoid shortage during the coronavirus outbreak.
When one of his twitter followers requested Elon Musk to repurpose his factories for producing ventilators, Elon Musk agreed to do so in case of shortage.
The Way Forward
Producing ventilators aren’t that difficult of a task for Musk as both of his companies have to deal with similar kind of technologies. Tesla’s cars come integrated with a sophisticated HVAC system (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems). Space X has been making spacecraft with a life support system. However, it will take time for both of the companies to start producing any ventilators. Until then, Elon Musk is identifying the hospitals and cities that are in need of ventilators.
The first batch of the ventilators produced is likely to be supplied to hospitals in New York. The mayor of New York, Bill de Bosio, has already been in talks with Musk for the purchase of the ventilators. According to him, the whole country is facing a shortage of ventilators and Elon’s initiation could help ease the situation.
It looks like Tesla will be working together with Medtronic for the production of ventilators to see to the demand created by the coronavirus outbreak. Medtronic has already announced to double its manufacturing rate in response to the current needs. And now, the two companies are working on new state-of-the-art ventilators. However, Musk still believes that his productions will not be needed. He fears the allocation of medical supplies, solely for coronavirus will impact the quality of treatments that the other medical conditions will get.
The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc worldwide and it’s high time that we start acting responsibly to fight it. The pandemic has not only taken lives but also the jobs of many people. With cities locked down and public places forced to shut down, people are missing out on their livelihood. In such a circumstance, Amazon has announced 100,000 new job vacancies for those who have lost their job to the pandemic.
Amazon New Job Vacancies
With the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon has seen increased traffic to its site. Since people can’t go out, they have now been exclusively relying on the online shopping site to have their products delivered to home. According to Amazon, demands for household and medical supplies are in increase and they have prioritized them over other supplies.
The increase in demand has resulted in a shortage of manpower in the company. So to overcome the labor shortage, Amazon has announced 100,000 new job openings in the US. People have options to work both part-time and full-time. It is a perfect opportunity for those who have recently lost their jobs due to coronavirus as they can work until their former employer welcomes them back.
Not only that, but Amazon has also announced to increase the pay salary of those working on an hourly basis. The company will invest over $35 million to compensate hourly workers in the US, Europe, and Canada. The company has also promised to prioritize the health of their workers and partners. Amazon workers can get up to 2 weeks of their pay in case they have to be isolated or quarantined.
Amazon is actively helping the communities in their fight against the pandemic. It recently donated $1 million to a COVID-19 response fund in Washington D.C and is working together with five food services in the region to help the community. Additionally, the company has created a $5 million Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund and has contributed $1 million for communities affected by the outbreak. The company has also launched the AWS Diagnostic Initiative for speed up diagnostic research, innovation, on a topic related to COVID-19. It has allocated an initial investment of $20 million for the same.
So, the world is in a state of a lock-down. With the uncertainty of how things are going to play out, one important question remains – will the COVID-19 continue to grow exponentially throughout the world, or will mankind tackle this issue as it has been throughout history? It really is a time of turmoil that has instilled a great fear among us. However, if there is one thing that each and every individual can do right now in the battle against coronavirus is to stay at our homes and maintain social distance. And that is basically what people are doing right now. They stay at home and use the internet all day long. But what if there is an issue with the internet itself during this pandemic?
Apologies, allow me to correct myself. It is not a question of what if, rather, there’s already a problem with the internet right now. With so many of us maintaining social distance, what else can we do right? Using the internet is great to pass-time. Choose a video on YouTube and get sucked into its loop of infinitely similar videos. Or, you can binge-watch your favorite show that you had been putting off until now due to your busy schedule. But wait, are you facing the problem of slow internet? Well, you’re not alone. And one does not need to be a rocket scientist to know why this is happening.
A sudden surge in traffic
With so many of us sitting at home using the internet all day, it is obvious that its speed decreases. In fact, as per ISPAN (Internet Service Provider Association of Nepal), internet usage has increased by 30% in Nepal right now, since people are stuck at their home due to the coronavirus outbreak. Not only that, but even the voice and data usage has also increased. And it is not just Nepal where the usage has surged dramatically. This past week, popular streaming services like Netflix and Amazon had decided to limit their streaming quality to SD (480p) for at least 30 days in Europe.
This lock-down has hugely affected our lives. Schools and offices have shut-down and employees are being instructed to work from their home. Moreover, the internet is the major source of our information (and misinformation!) right now, so don’t you think that one has to act responsibly right now. I mean our ISPs are not equipped to face this sort of internet usage prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Obviously, with the right equipment, they can improve their service, but it will take time.
In the meantime though, I request you to act and use the internet responsibly. There are people out there who are actually doing researches and more to fight the pandemic and their work requires the use of the internet. Now, I am no position to tell you to stop using the internet altogether. After all, you have paid for the service. However, there are certain things that we can do to help service providers maintain traffic.
ISPAN’s guidelines on using the internet amid the Coronavirus outbreak
These are some basic requests that ISPAN has made public through their press release and few tips from our side too that might be helpful:
Do not stream videos at the highest available quality during peak internet usage hours.
Do not change the internet settings right now, as ISPs may not be able to send their support staff for help.
No torrenting and try to possibly limit the live streams.
Please do not download huge files until absolutely necessary.
And be wary of fake rumors and news that’s floating around the internet. Wait for an official notice or news before forwarding anything to your WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber or other social platforms.
Try to limit your internet usage during peak hours (read books or watch TV maybe)
We don’t know how long this lock-down is going to last. And it is up to us to act as responsible citizens of the country and the world. Stay safe people!
During these troubled times, I’m sure most of us are just lying on the bed surfing the net. It might be great unless you have a shitty internet connection. A bad internet connection is simply frustrating. I mean one has to wait for a good three to four minutes just for a meme to load. And the solution that service providers give, ‘please try restarting the router’. The funny part is, I actually go and restart my router hoping it will magically make my internet connection fast. Fortunately, Worldlink has brought in a solution for it because starting from today they have launched the Worldlink 5G offer.
What is 5G Wi-Fi?
Let me clear out at the beginning itself, this 5G offer from Worldlink has nothing to do with the 5G cellular standard. Apart from the fact that both of them are used for wireless connectivity, they have nothing else in common. When people talk about 5G in terms of Wi-Fi, they are actually referring to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
Basically, there are two Wi-Fi frequency bands – 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. 2.4 is the one that’s abundantly used in most places and 5 GHz is the newer of the two. It is better than 2.4 GHz because it has more non-overlapping channels. As a result, it is less congested. So, using a 5 GHz internet would be highly beneficial in places where there are a lot of Wi-Fi congestions. And it is faster than 2.4 GHz too.
However, it does have its own drawbacks too. For a starter, it cannot cover a large area. Thus, to enjoy the benefits of 5 GHz Wi-Fi, one has to be nearby the router. If you’re looking to place your router on the ground floor, and plan to use Wi-Fi all the way up on the third floor, then you’ll probably have to opt for 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
Now the question remains, what exactly does this 5G offer from Worldlink mean? Well, the gist of the thing out here is that, one of the most popular ISPs in Nepal, is providing dual-band routers as a part of this offer. However, it is only limited to those with gold plans.
A dual-band router comes with 2 SSIDs (WiFi signals). One will be for 2.4 GHz and the other for 5 GHz. Basically, this offer is their take on providing a solution for slow internet. I mean there are times when I am inches away from my router and the connection is no better. Using a dual-band router would mean a solution for it.
When you are near to the router, you can switch to 5 GHz, which as mentioned above is much faster due to less congestion than the 2.4 GHz WiFi. And as your distance from the router increases, you can seamlessly switch to 2.4 GHz, which is available for a much larger range. However, the switching of the network needs to be done manually.
Obviously, there is going to be a pricing difference for first-time customers and those who want to renew their current status and take advantage of the offer. And naturally, we’ve compiled the price list for you, so do check them out!
For New Users:
40 Mbps (2 TVs)
Price
3 months
Rs. 5,800
12 months
Rs. 18,900
40 Mbps (3 TVs)
Price
3 months
Rs. 6,200
12 months
Rs. 19,900
60 Mbps (3 TVs)
Price
3 months
Rs. 8,100
12 months
Rs. 27,000
Set-up Charges
3 months
12 months
Drop Wire
Rs. 500
Free
Fiber Router Rental
Rs. 1,000
Rs. 1,000
Refundable deposit
Rs. 500
Rs. 500
NetTV
Activation charge
Deposit
Primary TV
Rs. 500 + VAT
Rs. 500
Secondary TV
Rs. 500 +VAT
Rs. 500
For Existing Customers:
An existing customer who uses 40Mbps or above internet package can upgrade to the Dual-band router by paying an additional Rs. 1000. And since the router itself costs above Rs.5000, it’s a wise decision to upgrade.
Is World link 5G offer with its dual-band routers the solution for bad internet connection?
Using a dual-band router would be one of the solutions to get the most out of your internet connection. After all, the speed of the internet depends upon a lot more things than just the router. One has to be wary of the router positioning, number of users connected, signal range and a host of other things. So, don’t just depend upon the dual-band router for a better internet.
Moreover, not all devices support 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Before, ordering the router be sure that your devices are compatible with it. On your laptops and desktops, first, confirm whether your adapter supports 802.11a or 802.11ac. Or simply Google your Network adapter name and you’ll find out about the compatibility. The same goes for your smartphones too. Check for 802.11ac or WiFi 5/WiFi 5G compatibility for your device by visiting their official website. Alternatively, it’s probably written somewhere behind the box that your device came with.
As you might have already heard, HMD Global yesterday launched a few of its new smartphones. A total of three smartphones were announced yesterday – Nokia 8.3, Nokia 5.3 and Nokia 1.3. Obviously, the highlight of the event was the company’s first-ever 5G smartphone, the Nokia 8.3 5G. However, the other two devices were intriguing too. Nokia 5.3 is the company’s latest mid-ranger whereas Nokia 1.3 will be an addition to its entry-level smartphone segment. And I expect the Nokia 1.3 to launch in Nepal soon at a very competitive price.
Nokia 1.3 Overview
The company has tried to provide the bare minimum with this smartphone. It has a meager 5.71-inch IPS LCD screen with an HD+ display. And I am really glad that it has an HD+ display despite being an entry-level smartphone. Anyway, the screen does have a water-drop notch that houses a 5MP selfie camera.
On the back, you get a modest single-camera setup with an 8 MP primary lens. However, the camera does focus on low-light and portrait images. All thanks to the Camera GO app by Google.
Under the hood, Nokia 1.3 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 SoC and the only RAM option you get is of 1GB. Now, in most cases I would have waited to express my personal opinion, however, I could not stop myself here. I mean, they have given just a single gigs of RAM that will run on Android 10 Go. If they really wanted to cut costs then they should have simply gone for a MediaTek processor than SD. I know this is an entry-level smartphone, but still, at least 2 GB of RAM would have been better.
Moving on, the device comes with 16GB of internal storage. However, it can be expanded up to 400GB as there is a microSD slot available. As for the battery, the new Nokia 1.3 has a 3000mAh battery that supports 5W charging over a micro USB cable.
Nokia 1.3 will be available globally from April 2020 at €95. As per the rumors, the price of the Nokia 1.3 in Nepal should be around Rs. 12,000. It is expected to arrive in Nepal around May unless any complications are caused by the coronavirus.
Samsung Galaxy M30s received good reviews when it was launched in Nepal. It had a humongous 6000mAh battery, a Super AMOLED display, and good cameras. Hence Samsung managed to generate good sales during the festive season of Dashain & Tihar in Nepal. Now, approaching its EOL (End of Life), Samsung has slashed the price of Galaxy M30s in Nepal, making it a great option for buyers.
Overview:
The Samsung Galaxy M30s has a large 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution and Infinity-U notch. It is one of the cheapest Android smartphones to feature a Super AMOLED display with full HD resolution. The camera setup is still a triple camera module, with the primary camera is a 48 MP one! The other two lenses are the ultra-wide-angle and the depth sensor. The Notch houses a 16MP selfie camera.
The Galaxy M30s is powered by the Exynos 9611, which is a huge improvement over the Exynos 7904 of the regular M30. It is available in two variants: One with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage and the other with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Both the variants have DDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. Furthermore, this one has a humongous 6000 mAh battery in it! It supports 15W quick charging but will still take around 2.5 hours to charge it.
The build is entirely made of plastic and feels bulky because of its bigger battery. The back houses a fingerprint sensor, so no in-display sensor on M-series yet.
Samsung Galaxy M30s Full Specifications:
Display: 6.4-inch (2340 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ Infinity-U Super AMOLED display
ROM: 64/128GB (UFS 2.1), expandable up to 512GB via micro SD card
OS: Android Pie 9.0 with One UI 1.5
SIM: Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)
Back Camera: 48MP rear camera with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, Samsung GW2 sensor, 8MP 123° ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture, 5MP depth sensor with f/2.2 aperture
Front Camera: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture, Samsung SK3P8SP sensor
Security: Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted), Face unlock
Audio: Dolby Atmos Support
Connectivity: Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
Battery: 6000mA with 15W fast charging (via Type C)
You can buy the Galaxy M30s in two variants: 4GB RAM/64GB Storage and 6GB RAM/128GB Storage. The price of Galaxy M30s (4GB/64GB) in Nepal is Rs. 24,899 and the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage will cost Rs. 28,699. It is available in 3 color options: Opal Black, Sapphire Blue, and Pearl White.
These days, Samsung is pretty busy announcing successors to devices under last year’s ‘M’ and ‘A’-series of smartphones. Just days ago, it announced the Samsung Galaxy M21. And now, it has announced Samsung Galaxy A41 in Japan which is set to launch later this year. Let’s take a look at the specs, expected price in Nepal and the official launch date of Samsung Galaxy A41.
Samsung Galaxy A41 Overview
Design and Display
Samsung Galaxy A41 is a successor to last year’s Samsung Galaxy A40. The device comes with a 6.1-inch Super AMOLED display, with an FHD+ resolution. Design-wise, there is nothing to write home about the device. It looks different from the earlier leaked renders and comes with a notched display as its predecessor. At the back, however, there are four camera sensors arranged linearly on the top left edge of the device. That’s two more sensors to last year’s A40. Also, the fingerprint sensor is now under the display.
Chipset and Software
The device comes with MediaTek’s Helio P65 under its hood. It is not the best chipset out there but is gaining popularity with devices like Vivo S1 using it. Galaxy A41 comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage onboard and will launch with Samsung’s One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10.
The camera arrangement on the back doesn’t align with the recent Samsung trend. Samsung has been including a rectangular camera array for most of its mid-range and high-end phones. Even the M21 with a similar camera setup has it. But the A41 comes with liner arrangement which reminds us of last year’s Samsung devices.
It comes with a 48MP primary camera which is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, a 5MP depth sensor. This particular setup looks similar to that of M21. For, selfies there is a 25MP camera setup. To recall, A40 also had a 25MP camera on the front.
Others
The device comes with a 3,500 battery which supports 15W fast charging. Other than that, the device is IP68 rated against damage by water and dust. This might give the phone an edge against other mid-rangers as the rest of the specs don’t sound that great.
Samsung Galaxy A41 Specifications:
Display
6.1-inch Super AMOLED
Resolution
Full HD+
Chipset
MediaTek Helio P65
CPU
Octacore (4 x 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53 + 4x 1.8GHz Cortex-A53)
GPU
PowerVR GE8320
RAM
4
Internal Storage
64GB
Software and UI
One UI 2.0 on top of Android 10
Rear Camera
48MP primary camera
an 8MP Ultrawide sensor
a 5MP Depth sensor
Front camera
25MP selfie camera
Security
Fingerprint(display)
Battery
3,500mAh with 15W fast charging
Samsung Galaxy A41 Launch Date
The price of Samsung Galaxy A41 in Nepal will depend upon the specs it lands with. The device might launch outside of Japan with different specs. Samsung Galaxy A41 will be launched in Japan in June through Docomo Networks. There is still enough time left for Samsung to make changes even in the Japenese variant.
Last September, Motorola had unveiled its Moto E6s in India. It was a somewhat decent smartphone in the entry-level segment. However, the smartphone makers have once again unveiled a new Moto E6s. So why is that? Basically, the device that was launched in India was nothing more than a rebranded Moto E6 Plus. However, this new one does have some changes.
Moto E6s Overview
This “new” Moto E6s has a 6.1-inch HD IPS LCD display panel with a resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. The phone has a plastic built and it is water-repellent too.
On the back, it has a dual-camera setup that includes a 13MP primary lens and a 2MP depth sensor. Moreover, just beside the camera array, there is a fingerprint sensor disguised as the Motorola logo. While the rear camera setup remains the same, a notable change is there in terms of the selfie camera. Upfront, it now has a 5MP selfie shooter only whereas the Indian E6s had an 8MP lens.
Under the hood, this “new” device still runs on the same Helio P22 chipset. The standard RAM available for the device is 2GB. And unlike the one Indian one, it won’t come with a 4GB RAM variant. The device’s storage capacity is not high either. It has only got 32GB of built-in storage. At least they have included a dedicated microSD slot for memory expansion.
In terms of battery too, there is a slight change as the 3000mAh one on the Moto E6s now charges at only 5W down from 10W. Moreover, connectivity-wise, it does not have NFC support either.
It has been said that the device will be available in Asia, Latin America and Europe in the upcoming week, though they are yet to announce any pricing details. However, a calculated guess tells me that the device will cost somewhere around $50-$60. As for its price in Nepal, I think the Moto E6s should cost around Rs. 10,000 if it hits the market.
Model Name
Expected Price
Availability in Nepal
Motorola Moto E6s
~Rs. 10,000
N/A
Also, do check out our long-term review of the Realme X2
So, with the recent launch of the “new” Realme 6 and 6 Pro, I wondered if the Realme X2 is still relevant to this day. This question is kind of weird because this phone is not that old, it’s just been like 3 months. Anyways, I have been using the Realme X2 for like a couple of months now and this is my long-term review.
Realme X2 Specifications:
Body: 6.25 x 2.96 x 0.34 inches; 182 gm
Display: 6.40-inches Super AMOLED panel; 403 PPI; 91.9% screen-to-body ratio
Resolution: FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G; 8nm Mobile Platform
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), microSD card, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BDS, USB Type-C
Battery: 4000 mAh with 30W VOOC Fast Charge 4.0
Colors: Pearl Green, Pearl White, Pearl Blue
Realme X2 Price in Nepal: Rs. 35,990
Realme X2 Review!
Design
Starting with the build, I don’t have any problem with it, to be honest. It still looks like a new phone. Despite having this white variant with me, there’s no sign of the phone looking outworn. I haven’t had any scratches on the back, so the Gorilla Glass 5 has done a good job so far.
It feels good on the hand too, although it’s a little heavier as compared to say, Galaxy A51. The only thing that I wish was better is the side frames, which are made of plastic. It’s not that of a big concern if you are using it with a good phone case, but as I’d been using my Realme X2 without one during the review period, the plastic frame has worn out a little.
A different design choice would’ve been better
By the way, the clear case that came along inside the box should do a good job for like a month, until it starts looking pale. And unlike the POCO X2, this phone comes with an in-built screen protector which has helped me a great deal because I carry my phone with my keys and other stuff. So, along with the Gorilla Glass 5, the screen protector has been my savior.
Ports & Buttons
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Speaker, Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
SIM Slot, Volume Keys
However, In the future, I would certainly like to see a different design language from the company because this quad-camera layout and an ever so slightly boxy design is what we have been seeing in a lot of Realme phones to date.
Display
At the front, there’s a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED panel with a Full-HD+resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. And yes, it’s just a regular 60Hz panel instead of a smoother 90Hz or 120Hz.
But should it make that big of a difference in your purchase decision? Well, it totally depends upon your usage. Sure, a higher refresh rate display makes everything smooth and if you are someone who games a lot, the 120Hz screen might be of some significance to you. Otherwise, I believe a 60Hz panel will do just fine.
As I have been saying in many of my reviews, one should not fall for the buzz created by the manufacturers, especially in things that you might not even need.
Regardless of that, the panel is a nice one. Not the Samsung level nice, but nice. One little thing that has bothered me, however, is that this display inordinately exaggerates the red hues which I don’t quite understand why. In comparison, the yellows and the greens are a little subdued.
The brightness of the X2’s display is good in indoor situations, though you want it to be just…just a little bit more when heading out. There’s a U-shaped notch on the top that houses the single front-facing camera. As traditional as it might look, I surely do prefer it over the dual punch holes of the POCO X2. Don’t judge me, but that’s what I’d choose.
Cameras
Which brings me to the quad-cameras. I am going to repeat the same thing that I said in the POCO X2 review about the macro and the depth-sensing lens in this review of the Realme X2 as well. I think the addition of these lenses is just for marketing purposes and nothing else, considering how impractical & gimmicky at best they are.
And maybe Realme understood this and thus have given a telephoto zoom lens in the Realme 6 Pro.
I just hope, more and more brands in 2020 will follow Realme’s step.
Cameras
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Rear
Front
Now, onto the core camera performance, the 64 MP primary Samsung GW1 sensor has been doing a good job. I like how Realme works on image processing to bring the best out in images. However, I must admit some of the images are not very color accurate and oversaturated at times. And this has still remained the same despite Realme sending OTA updates.
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This means, we know it and Realme knows it as well, yet feels like they don’t want to. Maybe it’s because their study tells that the Realme users, in fact, prefer over-saturated images to color accuracy. I don’t know, just my assumption.
Normal Images
With the 64MP sensor, details are on point in most of the images although I did notice some softness in shadowed corners. Also, I found the dynamic range and details to be better on its closest competitor, the POCO X2.
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Realme X2
POCO X2
Realme X2
POCO X2
Regardless, I think the Realme X2 is a great point-to-shoot camera phone if you are someone who does not like to meddle so much into editing affairs.
Wide-angle Images
Ultra-wide images have a slightly inferior dynamic range and details as compared to the primary one, but look good nonetheless.
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Portrait Images
I have liked the portraits from the Realme X2. The dynamic range and subject look pleasing and the depth in the background looks good too.
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Selfie & Portrait Selfie Images
Selfie portraits share the same story although it’s done via software. However, the dynamic range that works so well for the back cameras is not the same on the front camera. Selfies from the X2 yield good outcome in terms of skin tone, details, and colors.
Selfie v Portrait Selfie
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Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Nighttime Images
Normal night time images are not as bright as you would expect it to be, but they’re not downright miserable too. There’s the nightscape feature that lets you rectify the imbalance of exposure to a good extent.
Normal Nighttime v Nightscape
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Normal Nighttime
Nightscape
Normal Nighttime
Nightscape
Normal Nighttime
Nightscape
Video-wise, it is on par with what the competition is offering, you can go up to 4k@30fps which result in fairly stabilized videos. But I think the best stabilization is definitely at 1080p/30fps if you are not using a gimbal or any other physical video stabilizer.
So, overall, this is a good enough camera for an average person. And if you are a geek, you can install the latest GCam and get the best out of this camera.
Performance & Software
Performance-wise, you get the same chipset as the POCO X2, the Snapdragon 730G. And as I said in that phone’s review, it’s an excellent mid-range chipset.
You can crank up the game to high settings in graphic-intensive games and play in an almost stutter-free manner. Everyday tasks are a piece of cake for the phone. Similarly, the smooth performance is also aided by the 8GB of RAM version that I have with me.
But I think RAM management is something Realme could work a little more on. For the 8GB config, it’s not a big issue. However, if you opt for the 4GB RAM variant, multitasking is most definitely going to take a hit.
Also, I have the 128GB storage with faster UFS 2.1 read & write memory. You get a dedicated microSD card slot here as well, which is always great to see.
The in-display fingerprint sensor has been consistently performing well. And this is an advantage over the POCO X2 or the Realme 6 Pro because they have a capacitive fingerprint sensor. So, Realme X2 does feel a bit modern.
Not so good software experience
Now about the software, the Realme X2 is still running on the older ColorOS 6.1, although I’ve got February’s security patch already. And I haven’t received the new Realme UI based on Android 10 yet, but it won’t change the fact that this is not one of my favorite skins.
I feel like it’s too cluttered with bloatware, which if not uninstalled, keeps sending you notifications and that’s annoying.
This skin is lighter than MIUI though and it’s got a lot of things to play around with, so that’s a good thing. And if dark mode is your thing, the X2 has got it covered, even for the apps that don’t natively come with it. It has also got the side navigation thing that I have come to be a fan of.
Battery
Getting to the battery life, it has been above average on my use. The phone’s got a standard 4,000 mAh cell which lasts you for a single day. And since the screen is a 60Hz panel, you won’t have to worry about excessive battery drainage.
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30W VOOC 4.0 Fast Charge
Charging
Furthermore, what’s excellent is how fast it charges! The 30Watt VOOC Fast Charge 4.0 fills up the battery in just around 75 minutes.
While we are talking about the good things, the speakers on the phone are impressive too. Though it falls just slightly behind the POCO X2 in terms of loudness, the Realme X2’s audio sounds better with good depth and an overall balanced sound than the POCO X2.
Realme X2 Review – Conclusion
Overall, I’ve had a very good time with the Realme X2. And although you get new phones like POCO X2 and Realme 6 Pro with a higher refresh rate and slightly better cameras, the Realme X2 does have an advantage with its Super AMOLED display and an in-display fingerprint sensor, as I’ve discovered during my review.
Apart from that, there isn’t any big difference between these phones. If you look at the pricing structure, it makes it even more confusing about which one to pick. To add to the confusion, Realme is still selling Realme X and Realme XT. But newer is always better in most cases and is future-proof when it comes to software updates too. So, at this time, until and unless Realme drops the price of X2, I strongly think you should get a newer phone instead.
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