Page 606 – GadgetByte Nepal

The new Dell XPS 17 is breathing life into 17-inch laptops!

Nikhil Shrestha

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May 14, 2020

The new Dell XPS 17 is breathing life into 17-inch laptops!

Quick, what’s the primary intent behind laptops juxtaposed to desktop computers? You’re right, portability. But if you were to look for one with a big screen real-estate and equally complementing hardware underneath, disappointments follow as they’re all but portable & lightweight in the most conventional sense of the word. The heft & bulk of the laptop itself paired with a sizeable power adapter and other accessories defeat the purpose altogether. In terms of screen size, modern laptops tap out at 17-inches; and that’s a niche group in itself. Well, the new Dell XPS 17 9700 is challenging the norm as it brings a big screen & powerful performance on a compact form factor. Let’s take a look at the specs, launch date, expected price in Nepal & more of the Dell XPS 17 9700.

Dell XPS 17 9700 Overview

Before you start making some false assumptions about the device, let me clear up something. While it is a pretty powerful laptop, it doesn’t compare to the performance from the most high-end & bulky alternatives. The main thing that it’s got going on for itself is its big 17-inch screen on a body akin to most 15-inch laptops.

Design

Like its new 15-inch counterpart, the Dell XPS 17 is also made from a single block of aluminum. Actually, the company already had a 17-inch XPS back in the day; almost a decade ago. With the new XPS 17, Dell says it’s the “smallest 17-inch laptop on the planet”. Thanks to its 4-side InfinityEdge display, Dell has managed to cram in such a large screen on the laptop. In fact, the XPS 17 is “smaller than 48 percent of 15-inch laptops” according to Dell. Insane! More importantly, the XPS 17 only weighs between 2.11 and 2.51 kg depending upon the configuration. Because of this, it retains the sleek design XPS lineup of laptops are famous for; while also being the most powerful one of the bunch.

XPS 17 - Thermal Design

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The next crucial breakthrough in XPS 17’s design is the thermal system. It includes a “vapor chambers” that covers the entire width of the laptop. Compared to the traditional heat pipes founding in cheaper laptops, vapor chambers have a very large (and usually flat) continuous area for a better thermal equilibrium (isothermalization) of the heat sink. Additionally, the XPS 17 has dual opposite outlet fans with big impeller & whirling blades. It can transfer much more air and thus get rid of the heat from the chassis more effectively.

Meanwhile, check out all the prices and specs of Dell XPS Series here

Display

Now let’s get to the main attraction of the Dell XPS 17 9700, which is the display. Before this, Apple’s MacBook Pro 16 had been able to establish itself as the go-to big-screen, powerful laptop. However, I’m sure the larger XPS 17 will be able to take the praise away from it now. Wait, I didn’t mean to imply that this is the only 17-inch laptop out there. As a matter of fact, Apple had a 17-inch MacBook Pro not so long ago and there are plenty of them from other manufacturers. But at the end of the day, none of them is as svelte and under a well-known lineup as the XPS 17.

Here, you can choose between two display options: a 17.3-inches InfinityEdge FHD+ (1920 x 1200) or 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) with touch support. Unfortunately, Dell has given up on OLED panel here, so no infinite contrast ratio & other goodies of OLED on the XPS 17. Yet, these IPS panels do come with 500 nits of peak brightness, 60Hz refresh rate, and what Dell calls “Eyesafe” feature on both models.

The FHD+ has 100% sRGB & 1650:1 contrast ratio, while the UHD+ variant comes with 100% Adobe RGB, 94% DCI-P3, 1600:1 contrast ratio, and HDR 400 support. Dell was able to deliver such an immersive display with a “new” 16:10 aspect ratio by completely cutting the bottom bezels. The XPS 17 thus achieves an incredible 93.7% screen-to-body ratio. Still, the top bezel still includes a 720p webcam alongside an IR blaster for Windows Hello login.

Performance & Memory

Though the large screen and vapor chamber cooling make a strong case for the XPS 17, it shares similarities with the redesigned XPS 15 in other aspects; like performance. You can choose somewhere from 10th-gen Intel Core i5-10300H, all the way to i9-10885H. Ever since the announcement of the device, people have already started nagging on how they would’ve preferred AMD’s Ryzen 4000-series CPUs instead. Maybe next time. Still, the top-end octa-core i9 variant can go up to 5.3GHz!

Getting to memory, the Dell XPS 17 9700 starts at 8GB of dual-channel DDR4 RAM clocked at 2933MHz. If that doesn’t seem sufficient, you can go all the way up to 64GB too. In terms of storage, the XPS 17 goes up to 2TB of PCIe SSD.

Finally, let’s talk about the graphics. Besides the integrated Intel UHD graphics itself, buyers can choose between a GTX or an RTX card; the first for XPS. Here, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti variant comes with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM while the RTX 2060 model has 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM. According to Donnie Oliphant (Senior Director, XPS Product Marketing), the company was able to pack an RTX card inside the XPS 17 only because of its new thermal design discussed earlier. As a result, the XPS 17 is capable of breezing through 4K video edits, or even triple-A gaming.

Keyboard & Audio

Moving on, there’s a slight upgrade on the keyboard as well (compared to previous XPS laptops). The edge-to-edge backlit keys themselves are about 10% larger and have a minimal 1.3mm key travel. More importantly, the palm-rest area is made from carbon fiber, giving you a comfortable feel while adding to the chassis’ strength. The trackpad is also a lot larger and supports Windows Precision Drivers as well.

The sides of the keyboard also feature a powerful upward-facing quad-speaker design (1.5W x2 tweeters, 2.5W x2 woofers). More impressively, the Dell XPS 17 is also the first laptop featuring Waves Nx® 3D audio for speakers. It can track your head movement to deliver a varying quality of sound, based on your point of view. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio.

Battery & Connectivity

Battery-wise, the FHD+ variant has a smaller 56Whr cell and Dell claims it can give up to 20 hours of battery life. Similarly, XPS 17 UHD+ comes with a much larger 97Whr battery though the company hasn’t specified its expected endurance. Let’s get into ports now.

Dell has gone entirely committed to USB-C on the XPS 17. Here, you get 4x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 ports (including power delivery), 1x full-size SD card reader, and 1x 3.5mm headphone jack. Not a single USB Type-A, nope. Still, the company is reconciling its lack by bundling a USB-C to USB-A v3.0 & HDMI v2.0 adapter with the purchase of the XPS 17.

Dell XPS 17 9700 Specifications:

Design & Build: All-aluminum chassis; 14.74W x 9.76D x 0.77H-inches; 2.11kg (4.65 pounds) tp 2.51 kg (5.53 pounds)
Display: Two-variants;
– FHD+; 17.3-inches FHD+ (1920 x 1200) “InfinityEdge” IPS LCD panel, 16:10 aspect ratio, Dolby Vision, 500 nits, 94% DCI-P3, anti-glare coating, 100% sRGB color gamut, 60Hz refresh rate
or,
– UHD+; 17.3-inches 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) “InfinityEdge” touch IPS LCD panel, 16:10 aspect ratio, HDR400+ Dolby Vision, 500 nits; 94% DCI-P3, anti-reflective coating, 100% Adobe sRGB color gamut, 60Hz refresh rate
Keyboard: Edge-to-edge backlit (single color); 1.3mm key travel
Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core (i5-10300H, or i7-10750H, or i7-10875H, or i9-10885H)
RAM: 8 / 16 / 32 / 64GB DDR4 Dual Channel SDRAM @2933MHz
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics & 4GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti or 6GB GDDR6 RTX 2060
Battery: 56Whr or 97Whr; USB Type-C 90W to 130W charger
Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB PCIe 3 x4 SSD
Audio: 1.5W x2 tweeters, 2.5W x2 woofers; Waves Nx® 3D audio, Waves MaxxAudio Pro; Top-mounted mics
Connectivity: Killer WiFi 6 AX1650 (802.11AX), Bluetooth 5.0
Webcam: 720p HD camera (on top)
Ports: 4x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 (power delivery + DisplayPort), 1x Full size SD card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack, 1x USB-C to USB-A 3.0 & HDMI 2.0 adapter (included)

Dell XPS 17 9700 Price in Nepal & Availability

Dell XPS 17 9700 will be available for order from summer 2020, where the price starts at $1,499.99 for the base variant. The exact launch date hasn’t been specified and Dell hasn’t revealed the pricing for other models either. We expect the Dell XPS 17 9700 to launch in Nepal with the starting price of NPR 2,20,000 later this year.

Dell XPS 17 9700 Model	Price in Nepal (Expected)
FHD+ display, Intel i5-10300H CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage, 56Whr battery, 4GB GDDR6 GTX 1650 Ti	$ 1,499.99 (Rs. 2,20,000)

Check out our review of the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo!

Best Telecom Service Providers in Nepal [Updated]

Nikhil Shrestha

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May 13, 2020

0

Best Telecom Service Providers in Nepal [Updated]

Ever wondered which is the Best Telecom Service Provider in Nepal? When one thinks of Telecom service providers in Nepal, we can name only three: NTC, Ncell, and Smart Telecom. And the latter is in the dark for many, still. However, Smart Telecom has grown to the young generation of Nepalese audience with its affordable voice and internet packs. But there are actually three more such service providers in Nepal: Nepal Satellite Telecom, UTL, and CG Telecom. Of course, due to the lack of proper infrastructures and some regulations, these three don’t really come into the light. In fact, UTL is no longer operational in the country.

Therefore, we play with the major three; which was quite a break from the duopoly of NTC & Ncell. And even these major players were not able to meet the Quality Assurance Tests from NTA. Anyways, among the top players, these service providers vary from one another on many things.

Telecom service mainly depends on these things:

Coverage – The geographical areas from where the service (2G/3G/4G) is accessible and the difference of speed in various geographical locations
Cost – The cost of the service provided including regular tariffs, and cost of various offers inclusive of taxes
Speed – The connectivity of regular phone calls and the speed of the internet on mobile data
Offers – How often the company provides various offers and schemes for data plans and voice packs for cheap

To note, whenever I’m referring to any stat throughout this article, unless explicitly mentioned, it will be from the NTA MIS Report (Jan 2020).

Some users value cost, while speed matters the most for others. And of course, for those frequently on the travel, coverage is of utmost importance. According to the aforementioned report, there are 41,580,399 voice-based telephone service subscriptions in Nepal. That is roughly 40% more than the total population in the country. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at our pick for the best telecom service providers in Nepal.

Best Telecom Service Provider in Nepal [2020]

1. Nepal Telecom

Nepal Telecom, or properly called Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited (NDCL) is the first mobile telecom operator in Nepal established in 1960 AD. It was only in 2004 when Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) transformed from a corporation to NDCL. With 91.49% government share, Nepal Telecom is the go-to name in terms of telecommunication services in the country. It was also the most preferred service provider in 2017 (according to you guys). And well, it’s for good reason.

Services

In terms of services, Nepal Telecom provides all types of telephony services. These include GSM, CDMA, PSTN, WLL, and VSAT. However, the company is preparing to discontinue CDMA (Sky Phone) adhering to NTA’s directive by 2022. As of late, there are a total of 22,328,879 subscriptions to Nepal Telecom’s voice telephony services:

GSM (Global System for Mobile): 19,865,286
CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access): 1,679,201
PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network): 664,863
WLL (Wireless Local Loop): 118,948
VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal): 581

Moreover, Nepal Telecom was also the first to launch the 4G/LTE service (1800MHz neutral frequency band) in the country on January 1, 2017. While it was exclusive to Kathmandu and Pokhara in the initial days, the service coverage has since reached the entire 77 districts of the country. To check if your NTC SIM card supports 4G/LTE, you can dial *444# (and activate it if your SIM is compatible).

Now, let’s talk about the real-life performance & quality of voice calls and mobile data. An NTA-conducted test revealed that NTC has an acceptable level of call connection/setup and call drop; though exactly not up to the standard. NTC is also known for its cheap cost on calls & data, compared to Ncell. As of late, the company has also been able to come up with some really attractive data packs, including the “Zero Balance Package” for the needy.

e-Shikshya Package

Data Volume	Price	Validity	Subscription
6GB [3GB all time + 3GB (5 AM – 10 AM)]	Rs. 260	28 days	*1441#
15GB [9GB all time + 6GB (5 AM – 10 AM)]	Rs. 500	28 days	*1441#

StayConnected Package

Data, Call time Volume	Price	Validity	Subscription
1GB (All Network) + Bonus 3GB (4G)	Rs. 100	5 days	141510#
2GB (All Network) + Bonus 8GB (4G)	Rs. 200	7 days	141510#
40 minutes + Bonus 20 minutes	Rs. 25	1 day	141510#
190 minutes + Bonus 95 minutes	Rs. 100	7 days	141510#

All-Time Data Package

Data Volume	Price	Validity	Subscription
60MB	Rs. 15	1 day	14151*1#
250MB	Rs. 25	1 day	14151*1#
300MB	Rs. 60	7 days	14151*1#
700MB	Rs. 100	7 days	14151*1#
2000MB	Rs. 260	28 days	14151*1#
6000MB	Rs. 500	28 days	14151*1#
14000MB	Rs. 700	28 days	14151*1#

Other Assorted Packages

Data, Call time Volume	Price	Validity	Subscription
Social Media – 70MB	Rs. 10	1 day	14152#
Social Media – 250MB	Rs. 35	3 days	14152#
Social Media – 600MB	Rs. 65	7 days	14152#
Night Data Unlimited (11 PM – 6 AM)	Rs. 18	1 day	14153#
Night Data Unlimited (11 PM – 6 AM)	Rs. 90	7 days	14153#
1GB Per Day (1GB)	Rs. 45	1 Day	14156#
1GB Per Day (7GB)	Rs. 250	1 Day	14156#
1GB Per Day (28GB)	Rs. 850	1 Day	14156#
1 Hour Unlimited (Voice + SMS + Data)	Rs. 20	1 Hour	14158#
100 minutes voice (5 AM – 5 PM)	Rs. 10	24 Hours	14159#
Unlimited voice call (5 AM – 5 PM)	Rs. 15	24 Hours	14159#
80MB (6 AM – 6 PM)	Rs. 10	24 Hours	14159#
200MB (6 AM – 6 PM)	Rs. 15	24 Hours	14159#

All the above-mentioned prices are inclusive of taxes. You can also check the available volume of data in any package by dialing *1415*55# or use the app. The app has all kinds of information and also lets you subscribe to packages from there itself.

Download Nepal Telecom: Android | iOS

2. Ncell

NTC might be the first, but Ncell has quickly managed to become one of the largest telecom service provider in Nepal. Though it is mainly popular among the younger generation of audience, I won’t be surprised if many of them don’t know that the company was originally called “Mero Mobile”. Established in 2004, Ncell became a part of the Axiata Group Berhad since April 12, 2016. With its wide coverage and fast data, Ncell is popular even though it’s considerably expensive.

Services

Unlike the government-regulated NTC, Ncell only offers GSM voice telephony service. To make it more clear, every other telecom service provider except NTC only offers GSM. So much for ending the monopoly, huh? Anyway, Ncell’s number of GSM customers has gradually increased over time. Yet, it still comes second to NTC with 17,157,358 subscribers.

Additionally, Ncell also launched its 4G/LTE services since June 1, 2018, in the Kathmandu valley. And now, that service has reached all 7 provinces in the country. In terms of speed, Ncell was dubbed the one with the fastest internet by NTA. So, if speed is what you’re going for – you know where to look. To help its customers during the trying times of the ongoing lockdown, the company recently introduced the “Use Service, Pay Later” offer. This is a low-cost bundle of data, voice calls, and SMS. Let’s look at some other Ncell data packs.

Get More on 4G Offer

Validity	Price	Volume (all-time / 4G / night time)	Total Volume
1 Day	Rs. 11.49	35MB	105MB
1 Day	Rs. 19.15	75GB	225MB
3 Days	Rs. 37.03	120MB	360MB
3 Days	Rs. 44.69	200MB	600MB
7 Days	Rs. 88.11	300MB	900MB
7 Days	Rs. 95.77	500MB	1500MB
30 Days	Rs. 343.49	1300MB	3900MB
30 Days	Rs. 453.30	3GB	9GB

Data Pack with Video Offer

Validity	Price	All-time Volume	Video (1hr/day)	Nighttime Volume	Total Volume
1 Day	Rs. 49.80	750MB	1 Day	750MB	1.5GB
3 Days	Rs. 126.41	2GB	3 Days	2GB	4GB
7 Days	Rs. 254.10	4GB	7 Days	4GB	8GB
30 Days	Rs. 1020.24	16GB	30 Days	16GB	32GB

Mero Plan (weekly)

Price (per week)	Available Data	Free YouTube	Total Volume	Ncell to Ncell call rates (per minute)
Rs. 95.77	2GB	–	2GB	Rs. 1.28
Rs. 191.54	4GB	2GB	6GB	Rs. 1.28

Mero Plan (monthly)

Price (per week)	Available Data	Free YouTube	Total Volume	Ncell to Ncell call rates (per minute)
Rs. 254.10	1GB	1GB	2GB	Rs. 1.28
Rs. 381.79	3GB	3GB	6GB	Rs. 1.15
Rs. 637.17	6GB	6GB	12GB	Rs. 1.02
Rs. 1020.24	15GB	15GB	30GB	Rs. 0.89
Rs. 1275.62	25GB	25GB	50GB	Rs. 0.64

Likewise, all the prices mentioned in these packages are inclusive of taxes. You can dial *17123# to subscribe to them or use the Ncell app.

Download Ncell App: Android | iOS

3. Smart Telecom

Established on July 1, 2008, Smart Telecom is the third largest mobile network service provider in Nepal. Though the company has been in operation for very long, it hasn’t been able to penetrate the entire region of the country. However, Smart Telecom has become very popular among the younger crowd because of its aggressive pricing and value-oriented offers & schemes.

Services

Like Ncell, Smart Telecom also provides GSM services only. Its latest GSM-subscriber count has reached 2,091,257, ranking it behind NTC & Ncell. It started with the 2G network connectivity, while the company also launched 4G/LTE since October 28, 2017. At its inception, Smart’s 4G/LTE was limited to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur. And now, it has reached 19 districts in the country, while the company’s total nationwide presence remains in 45 districts in Nepal.

Unfortunately, Smart Telecom performed quite poorly in NTA’s test for call setup and call drop; way worse than NTC & Ncell. Therefore, if you need a stable connection wherever you go, this might not be a wise choice. But as I mentioned earlier, Smart has lots of affordable voice and data offers; the primary reason for its sudden outburst of popularity in the past couple of years. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Smart Data Packs

Data Volume	Validity	Price	Subscription
200MB	1 Day	Rs. 11.49	141316#
500MB + 500MB	1 Day	Rs. 37.03	141311#
1GB + 1GB	7 Days	Rs. 88.11	141312#
1GB + 1GB	15 Days	Rs. 113.64	141312#
2GB + 2GB	30 Days	Rs. 254.10	141314#
5GB + 5GB	30 Days	Rs. 407.33	141315#
20GB	30 Days	Rs. 509.48	141321#

Smart Voice Packs

Pack Name	Validity	Price	Subscription
Voice Unlimited – 1 Day	1 Day	Rs. 11.49	141123#
7 Days Unlimited Voice	7 Days	Rs. 37.03	141122#
Voice Unlimited – 30 Days	30 Days	Rs. 126.41	141121#
Daily Rental Voice Pack (All local calls @ Rs. 0.90/min)	1 Day	Rs. 3.83	141111#

Smart Recharge Packs

Recharge Amount	Main Balance	Additional Benefits	Validity
Rs. 100	Rs. 98.04	200MB + 200MB data, 10 min. talk time, 10 SMS	141123#
Rs. 200	Rs. 196.08	400MB + 400MB data, 20 min. talk time, 20 SMS	141122#
Rs. 500	Rs. 490.20	1.5GB + 1.5GB data, 100 min. talk time, 100 SMS	141121#
Rs. 1,000	Rs. 980.40	3GB + 3GB data, 200 min. talk time, 200 SMS	141111#

As you can see, Smart Telecom has quite a many attractive data and voice packs; including bonuses on regular recharge. That’s something you don’t get (or at least nowhere near this extent) with other telecom service providers. Also, all the prices are inclusive of taxes and these packs can also be subscribed to through its app.

Download Smart Cell Nepal: Android | iOS

Best Telecom Service Provider in Nepal [Summary]

S. No.	Mobile Network Operators in Nepal
1	Nepal Telecom
2	Ncell
3	Smart Telecom

POCO F2 Pro is finally official: Another Redmi rebranding!

GadgetByte

-

May 12, 2020

0

POCO F2 Pro is finally official: Another Redmi rebranding!

We had to wait for almost two years, but we finally have a successor to Poco F1. POCO took the world by storm with the introduction of Poco F1 back in 2018. Since then, the fans have been on their toes, waiting for its successor. The new POCO F2 Pro is the new flagship device from the company. But it isn’t a brand new phone as it is a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro that was launched some months ago in China. Let’s learn more about the POCO F2 Pro with its specs, features, and expected price in Nepal.

POCO F2 Pro Overview

Xiaomi had spun-off POCO as an independent brand in India a couple of months ago. But the tie between the two seemed too keen to get rid off entirely as the POCO X2 turned out to be rebranded Redmi K30. It led people to believe that the company will be releasing the Redmi K30 Pro as POCO F2, which the Poco India denied. That was correct though; it is actually the POCO F2 Pro that turned out to be the rebranded version of Redmi K30 Pro.

Design and Display

The phone comes with a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen. Compared to the predecessor, F2 Pro doesn’t feature any notch. For this true full display experience, POCO has moved the front camera on the top. Thanks to the motorized mechanism, you can summon it when you need it. The fingerprint sensor is now under the display. The screen supports HDR+ content and can be as bright as 1200 nits. It has a refresh rate of just 60Hz, which is a disappointment when cheaper POCO X2 has a 120Hz screen. Because of the 60Hz display, the 180Hz sampling rate on the POCO F2 Pro seems more like a consolation than an actual upgrade.

Performance and Memory

POCO F2 Pro has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 under its hood. The SoC is bundled with an X55 modem for 5G connectivity that is on-trend these days. The device is available in two memory configurations – 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128GB UFS 3.0 storage and 8GB LPDDR5 RAM plus 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. Interestingly, the company claimed that can the new POCO F2 Pro can outperform both Samsung S20+ (Exynos 990) and OnePlus 8 Pro (SD 865). To keep the device cool during intensive gaming sessions, the device comes with LiquidCool 2.0 Super Large VC. The chamber has a surface area of 3,435 square millimeters.

Camera

The phone flaunts a 64MP quad-camera setup on the back. The primary camera utilizes Sony IMX686 sensor. It is accompanied by a 13MP ultra-wide sensor, a 5MP telephoto-macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The four cameras are housed inside a circular camera bump on the back. On the front, there is a 20MP selfie camera attached to a pop-up mechanism.

Battery and Others

Poco F2 Pro has comes with a 4,700mAh battery with support for 30W charging. It s available in four different color options – Neon Blue, Phantom White, Electric Purple, and Cyber Gray.

Talk of India-exclusive Poco Device

Last month, popular tipster Xiaomishka claimed that the device that is set to launch in India would be different than what the brand will launch elsewhere. It was also said that the global variant of the device wouldn’t have 5G connectivity. Since then, POCO F2 has appeared in TKDN certification with 4G (and without 5G) in Indonesia.

Xiaomishka initially claimed that the Indian version would be a lot like the new Redmi Note 9 series but then corrected it with the next tweet, which said it would be a “truly unique” POCO phone.

Read about the upcoming POCO TWS Earbuds

POCO F2 Pro Specifications:

Display: 6.67″ AMOLED display; 1080 x 2400pixels; HDR10+
Rear Camera: Quad;
– 64MP Sony IMX686, 1/1.72-inch, f/1.9
– 13MP Ultra-wide (FOV 123-degree)
– 5MP telephoto macro lens
– 2MP depth sensor
Front camera: 20MP pop-up camera
Chipset: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
CPU: Octa-core (1x 2.84Ghz Kyro 585 + 3x 2.42Ghz Kyro 585 + 4 x 1.8Ghz Kyro 585)
GPU: Adreno 650
RAM: 6GB LPDDR4x / 8GB LPDDR5
Storage: 128GB UFS 3.0 / 256GB UFS 3.1
Battery: 4700 mAh, 30W Fast Charging
Sensors: Fingerprint (in-display), accelerometer, gyro, compass, proximity, IR blaster
Other features: Wi-Fi 6, NFC, 3.5mm headphone jack

POCO F2 Pro Price in Nepal & Expected Availability

POCO F2 Pro is already available for pre-order from AliExpress and Gearbest, where its price is 499 Euro for 6/128GB and 599 Euro for the 8/256GB variant. The company will start delivering the order from May 19.

There is no official distributor for POCO products in Nepal yet. Still, we expect POCO F2 Pro to be available in Nepal for a price of Rs. 76,000 for the 6/128GB variant and Rs 86,000 for the 8/256GB variant via unofficial sources.

Model Name	Expected Price in Nepal
POCO F2 Pro (6/128GB)	€499 ~ NRs.73,000
POCO F2 Pro (8/256GB)	€599 ~ NRs.86,000

The POCO F2 (Indian variant) won’t launch anytime soon, given the recent Coronavirus outbreak. Numerous launches have already been withheld, and we will have to wait for the situation to get healthy for new smartphone launches, including the Nepalese market.

Check out our long-term review of Poco X2!

Bose Headphones Price in Nepal [Updated]

GadgetByte

-

May 11, 2020

0

Bose Headphones Price in Nepal [Updated]

From their audio sunglasses to their high-quality earphones, Bose is a company that’s synonymous with high-quality audio equipment. Thus, it’s not surprising that many people opt for Bose headphones. Here, we’ve compiled a list of all Bose headphones currently available in Nepal along with their price.

You can purchase Bose headphones in Nepal from EvoStore. They are the authorized distributors of Bose headphones. Hence, you can visit their various stores located. Either that or you can simply visit their official website.

Bose QuietControl 20 Earphones

The QuietControl 20 is the first in-ear noise-canceling from Bose. It comes with features such as noise cancellation and Aware mode. The aware mode allows you to hear the surrounding sounds. Furthermore, being a wired headphone, it has an inline microphone and remote that allows you to control calls and other certain functions.

These in-earphones are not going to come cheap. At Rs. 35,000, this is one of the more expensive ones available in the market. However, it feels very comfortable. And offers an immersive noise cancellation. Moreover, at 1.5 oz, the earphones are very light and they come with their carrying case. That makes these pair of earphones pretty useful for daily commuters who don’t want to bother themselves with a bulky noise cancelling headphones. So, if you want a lightweight earphones with an immersive noise cancellation, then the QuietControl 20 is just for you. However, be wary of the fact that its battery are not replaceable. And you will find other earphones at this price range which offer a better sound quality.

Specifications:

Design: In-ear; wired
Weight: 1.55 oz (44 grams)
Connector Type: Headphones (mini-phone stereo 3.5mm 4-pole); USB (5 pin Micro-USB Type B (power only))
Sound Output: Stereo
Charging Time: 2 hours
Battery Life: 16 hours (per charge)
Features and Accessories: ANC, Aware mode, StayHear+ tips, clothing clip, carrying case
Color: Black
Price: Rs. 35,000

Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II

The next entry on this list is the QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II. In addition to active noise cancellation, this headphone also offers Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility. And it is also integrated with Bose AR. You can remap the functions of the action buttons by using the Bose Connect+ app and use it to control the active noise cancellation.

Design-wise, the Bose QuietComfort 35 is not awe inspiring. Nevertheless, it gets the job done. It offers a good noise cancellation coupled with a balanced sound. However, having said that, the dynamic range is a bit limited and that might frustrate a few. Still, for most, it should not bother that much. Other than that, there’s a dedicated button through which you can activate Google Assistant. It is a good feature to have, however, the trade off is that it doesn’t offer the auto play/pause feature. Overall, the Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II is a perfect suit for commuter and everyday music listeners alike.

Specifications:

Design: Over-ear (Circumaural); wireless
Weight: 10.9 oz (309 grams)
Connector Type: Headphones (mini-phone stereo 3.5mm 4-pole);
Bluetooth Version: 4.1
Charging Time: 2.3 hours
Battery Life: 20 hours (per charge); 2.5 hours (15 minutes Quick charge)
Features and Accessories: ANC, Google Assistant and Alexa compatibility, Bose AR, carrying case
Color: Black, Midnight Blue, Rose Gold
Price: Rs. 39,500 (Rose Gold); 47,000 (Black, Midnight Blue)

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is the company’s answer to Sony’s award-winning WH-1000XM3 headphones. It offers premium quality sound, touch-sensitive gesture pads, and is integrated with Bose AR. This lightweight headphones are well built and easy-to-use. However, it does not have a folding hinges.

Bose was known for the world-class active noise cancellation that its headphones offered, that was until Sony stepped up with its WH-1000X lineup. However, this Nose Cancelling Headphone 700 tries to bring everything back to track. It is equipped with a very powerful noise cancelling system and feel comfortable. Moreover, the touch controls are super easy to use and you get hands-free access to Alexa and Bose AR. Even at a very high volume, the headphones driver will stand strong and you get a crisp sound. However, considering the price range and feature, you might be better off getting the Sony WH-1000XM3 rather than this headphone. That’s unless you prefer Bose over everything else.

Specifications:

Design: On-ear; wireless
Weight: 8.89 oz (309 grams)
Connector Type: USB Type-C (headphone side), USB-A (source side)
Bluetooth Version: 5.0
Microphones: 8 mics; 6 for ANC; 4 for Voice Pickup
Charging Time: 2.5 hours
Battery Life: 20 hours (per charge)
Features and Accessories: ANC, Alexa compatibility, Bose AR, IPX4 compliant, carrying case
Color: Black, Soapstone, Luxe Silver
Price: Rs. 58,000

Bose Headphones Price in Nepal [summary]

Bose Headphone Model Name	Price in Nepal
QuietControl 20	NPR. 35,000
QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II	NPR. 39,500 (Rose Gold), NPR. 47,000 (Black, Midnight Blue)
Noise Cancelling Headphones 700	NPR. 58,000

Xiaomi launches Mi True Wireless Earphones 2; Coming soon to Nepal too

Pratima Adhikari

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May 11, 2020

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Xiaomi launches Mi True Wireless Earphones 2; Coming soon to Nepal too

Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2. It also goes by the name Mi Air 2s in China. It is one of the budget TWS earbuds form Xiaomi and will go against the Realme Buds Air. Anyways, let’s know more about the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and its expected availability and price in Nepal.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Overview:

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 is the successor of the Mi True wireless. It features improved 14.2mm drivers for louder and better sound. According to Xiaomi India, they have specially customized the sound for the Indian audience by tuning it for Bollywood and other heavy Bass music. Furthermore, the earphones feature proximity sensors. This allows for automatic pausing when you either earphone out of your ears. Also, you get a rigid design here that lacks any kind of cushioning.

Taking of battery, it has two 30 mAh batteries in the earphones and an additional 250mAh battery in the charging case. Also, the earphone supports Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri, for which they have touch-sensitive controls. The controls can also be used during playback.

Additionally, the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 comes equipped with dual-mic noise cancellation and an algorithm that works together to cancel out ambient noise from the surroundings. Xiaomi claims that it can reduce the noises by 90%

Also Read: Best TWS to buy in every price range in Nepal

Specifications in a nutshell:

Weight: 50gram (with earbuds & case)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C
Speaker impedance: 32Ω
Battery: 30 mAh battery each (earphones) and 250 mAh (charging case)
Battery Life: 14 hours approx (with charging case)
Charging time: 1 hour approx.
Wireless Range: 10m
Audio codecs: LHDC/SBC/AAC
Bluetooth protocols: BLE/HSP/HFP/A2DP/AVRCP

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Price, Availability

Talking of price, the Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 has been launched in India for a price of INR 3,999. As for the price of Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 in Nepal, it is expected to be around Rs. 7,000.

TWS Model Name	Price in Nepal [Expected]
Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2	Rs. 7,000

Honor Magic Earbuds with Hybrid ANC launched at a competitive price

Pratima Adhikari

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May 11, 2020

0

Honor Magic Earbuds with Hybrid ANC launched at a competitive price

At a time when all the smartphone brands are getting rid of the headphone jack, it’s only reasonable for them to jump into the wireless earbuds game. Joining the league is Honor who has launched its first truly wireless earbuds dubbed Magic Earbuds. The earphones come with hybrid active noise canceling technology. Let’s know more about the Honor Magic Earbuds along with its price and availability in Nepal.

Honor Magic Earbuds Overview:

First of all, Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling technology is basically having two microphones on the inside and outside of the ear cup. It is a rather expensive form of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that can suppress noise at a broader range of frequencies and thus is a more expensive technology.

Apart from having Hybrid ANC, magic earbuds have a 10mm unit driver that consists of a highly-sensitive composite diaphragm. What that does is, it helps for a seamless transmission of audio for clear, vibrant, and well- balanced audio experience. The driver will also help create strong bass and clear trebles.

About the Earbuds, they weigh just 5.5 grams. They come in a charging case that weighs 51 grams. With these, Honor claims around 3 hours of music playback with ANC on and around 3.5 hours when you turn off ANC on a single charge. Likewise, you get around 12 days of standby time. With the case, this can go up to 14.5 hours. The charging time of both the earbuds and the case is around 114 minutes.

Further, the earbuds are equipped with a touch control mechanism. Double-tap on either earbud will play/ pause music or answer/ end calls in their respective mode (music or call). Similarly, long-press turns noise cancellation on and off.

Also Read: Best TWS earbuds to buy at every price range in Nepal

Double-tap on either earbud	Music mode: Plays/pauses music
	Call mode: Answers/ends calls
Long press on either earbud	Turns noise cancellation on and off

Specifications:

Weight: 51 grams (charging case) and about 5.5g (per earbud)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C
Battery: 31 mAh (per earbud) & 410 mAh (charging case)
Playback time : 3 hours playback with ANC & 3 hours without ANC
Charging time: 114 minutes hour charging time (both case and buds)
Bluetooth protocols: A2DP1.3, HFP 1.6, AVRCP 1.5

Honor Magic Earbuds Price, Availability

Talking of price, the Honor Magic Earbuds costs €99.90 in Europe and £89.99 in the UK. We can expect the Honor Magic Earbuds to launch in Nepal for a price of around Rs.13,000.

TWS Model Name	Price in Nepal [Expected]
Honor Magic Earbuds	Rs. 13,000

Realme Narzo 10A unveiled: Will launch as Realme C3 in Nepal

GadgetByte

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May 11, 2020

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Realme Narzo 10A unveiled: Will launch as Realme C3 in Nepal

After two unsuccessful attempts to launch the Narzo series because of the COVID 19 lockdown, Realme has finally launched the Realme Narzo 10 and 10A in India. In this post, we will be taking a look at the Realme Narzo 10A. While the Narzo 10 is a rebranded Realme 6i, the Narzon 10A is the global variant of Realme C3. Let’s dive deeper into the specs and features of Realme Narzo 10A along with the price at which we can expect it to launch in Nepal.

Realme Narzo 10A Overview

Design and Display

Realme Narzo 10A features a 6.5-inch In-cell LCD screen. The display has a mini-drop screen which the company claims is smaller than the dew-drop notch on other similarly priced devices. The device comes with a screen to body ratio of 89.8% and an aspect ratio of 20:9. It comes with an Eye-Protection feature that will reduce eye strains.

As far as back design is concerned, Realme has taken a bold step by including Realme’s “big and iconic logo“. The back panel features Radium logo texture, which the company claims is both scratch and fingerprint resistant. The device does stand out with the reflective textured finish; however, it is yet to be seen how users will respond to the big and iconic logo.

Performance and Memory

Powering the device is MediaTek Helio G70 which is an octa-core processor based on the 12nm production process. It is the best budget gaming chipset available on the market today. The device comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage onboard.

For a budget device, Realme Narzo 10A can support PUBG in High graphics out of the box. And if Realme C3‘s performance is any indication, the gaming experience in the Narzo 10A won’t be disappointing. Realme claims that the device can outperform the Redmi Note 8, which is equipped with Snapdragon 665.

Camera

Realme Narzo 10A flaunts 12MP triple camera setup on the back. The 12MP primary camera has an aperture of f/1.8 and is equipped with PDAF. Similarly, it also has a portrait lens with an aperture of f/2.4 and a 4cm macro lens. All the lenses are enclosed inside a pill-shaped camera module. An LED flash is on the side of the camera module. The rear camera setup supports HDR, 4X zoom, Slo-mo video, and video recording ar 1080P. On the front, there is a 5MP (f/2.4) selfie camera with AI beautification.

Battery and Others

Realme Narzo 10A comes with a 5,000mAh battery which boasts a standby time of up to 30 days. The device also supports reverse charging. For biometrics, it has a capacitive fingerprint sensor mounted on the back, which can unlock the device in just 0.27s. It also has a face unlock feature.

Realme Nazro 10A Specifications

Display: 6.5-inches “Mini-drop” In-cell LCD panel
Resolution: HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels); 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G70; 12nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.7 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU: Mali G52 (@820MHz)
RAM: 3 GB
Storage: 32 GB (expandable up to 256 via a microSD card)
Software & UI: Android 10 with Realme UI on top
Rear Camera: Triple-camera;
– 12 MP, f/1.8 primary shooter
– 2MP depth sensor
– 2MP macro sensor
– Single LED flash
Front camera: 5MP, f/2.4 aperture
Security: Face-unlock, Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: Dual Nano-SIM + MicroSD card, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BDS, MicroUSB 2.0
Battery: 5000 mAh with 10W charging; 5V/2A; reverse charging
Colors: So Blue, So White

Realme Narzo 10A Price in Nepal [Expected]

Realme has launched the Narzo 10A in India where its price is INR 8,499 for the 3/32GB variant. We expect Realme Narzo 10A to launch as Realme C3 global variant at a price of around Rs.16,000. The Nepali variant will differ in design as it features sunlight design in contrast to Narzo 10A’s big and iconic design.

Model Name	Price in Nepal [Expected]
Realme Narzo 10A (3/32GB)	Rs. 16,000

Check out our video review of Realme C3:

MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ 5G SoC brings improved gaming & display technologies

Nikhil Shrestha

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May 11, 2020

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MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ 5G SoC brings improved gaming & display technologies

The mobile chipset game has gotten crazy competitive lately. Well, that’s mainly because of how MediaTek has been able to redeem its position in the market; with its new gaming-centric ‘G’ series and the high-end Dimensity series of SoC. While we’ve seen multiple phones with the former in various budget & mid-range devices, the Dimensity has almost been an absolute no-show in the international market; with the only exception being the Chinese variant of the OPPO Reno3. That phone came with the Dimensity 1000L, which has a little lower clock speed than the regular Dimensity 1000. And now, MediaTek is going down the Qualcomm lane. The company has announced an upgraded version to it called the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 Plus (or 1000+).

MediaTek Dimensity 1000 Plus Overview

At its core, it is very similar to its non-plus counterpart. Yet, it brings some cool new features in terms of display technology, network connectivity, etc. Let’s dive in and find out more!

Still no mmWave 5G!

Like how I said the Dimensity 1000+ is a very Qualcomm-esque move from MediaTek, don’t expect any sort of wild upgrade between this and the standard Dimensity 1000. It is built on the same 7nm lithography process. It also has the same Helio M70 5G modem integrated inside of it. Well, that was a given. But I’m a little let down how the company still hasn’t been able to integrate the higher-band mmWave of 5G into the Dimensity 1000 Plus. While sub-6GHz is the slower and also the more widely available of the two spectrums of 5G connectivity, if MediaTek wishes to dethrone Qualcomm from the top spot, it’s going to have to work a little harder than this.

Hey, maybe it’s not a matter of doability and rather the ultimate cost. Because they’ve done so damn good lately, I can certainly give them the benefit of the doubt.

Having said that, it’s so transparent that MediaTek wants to wear the market crown and is just itching to move up the ladder. For that, however impractical and niche, if your direct competitor is offering it, you gotta join in on the action. With the X55 modem, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 boasts a whopping 7.5Gbps & 3Gbps of peak download and upload speed respectively thanks to its mmWave 5G support. Yet, that is simply not possible on the Dimensity 1000+ thanks to its sub-6GHz (in both SA & NSA mode) exclusivity like every other SoC in the lineup. Therefore, it caps out at just 4.7Gbps peak download and 2.5Gbps upload speed.

MediaTek 5G UltraSave

Interestingly, the company has introduced the “MediaTek 5G UltraSave” feature into the 1000+. It is a built-in power-saving technique that can dynamically adjust the 5G modem’s power configuration and operating frequency according to the network conditions and user activities.

That’s a crucial thing to have since it also supports dual-SIM 5G connectivity and a uniformly continuous voltage supply could eat up the battery by quite a lot. The chipset can also automatically switch between 5G & 4G networks depending upon the requirement. Allegedly, there have been speculations that all these features will grant the Dimensity 1000 Plus an upper hand in terms of power efficiency against the Snapdragon 865. But we’ll have to check that for ourselves when we get our hands on one.

Not much of a CPU improvement

Getting to the core performance itself, MediaTek hasn’t disclosed the specific details. Therefore, for now, we can assume that the Dimensity 1000 Plus bears a similar octa-core CPU with a big.LITTLE architecture – four high-performance ARM Cortex-A77 clocked at 2.6GHz and four low-power Cortex-A55 cores at 2GHz. In the GPU front, it should have the same Mali-G77 MP9. Although, the company could further bump the clock frequency by a bit or even go with a heavy/medium/light core arrangement.

But the latter seems very unlikely since the wafer production of Dimensity 1000 Plus most necessarily won’t be an entirely new process.

Despite this, there is a performance-oriented feature upgrade coming to the Dimensity 1000+ and that is the second generation HyperEngine; aka HyperEngine 2.0. It aims for a smooth and lag-free gaming experience. And the most exciting new update it brings is the on-demand overclocking of CPU and GPU on top of network optimizations like changing connectivity status across 5G NR, 4G LTE, and WiFi.

Improved gaming performance

This resource handling and multi-network concurrency is the result of Resource Management Engine 2.0 and Intelligent Multi-Network Prediction Engine 2.0 respectively. Furthermore, the dual-SIM 5G is also capable of maintaining a 5G data connection used by a game even when receiving 5G/4G/3G/2G calls via either SIM (Call & Data Concurrency 2.0). Say goodbye to the days of having to reject incoming calls so you won’t lose connection to the server and get booted out of the game.

Let’s talk a little more about the gaming possibilities on the Dimensity 1000 Plus. You already know how higher refresh rates and touch sampling rates have become such a big thing in modern smartphones.

Here, the Rapid Response Engine 2.0 facilitates a direct chip-level connection to the touchscreen at a minimum of 240Hz sampling rate. And talking solely about mobile gaming, a higher sampling rate is more important than a higher refresh rate because the former means quicker response to your touch input – thus resulting in reduced latency, which is what gamers need. It also allows for multi-peripheral co-existence to avoid any interference and ensure Bluetooth/WiFi can transmit simultaneously void of any lag.

Multi-peripheral co-existence is when some smartphone gamers invest in and use accessories like gamepads, controllers, headphones, etc. over Bluetooth or WiFi connection in their gaming session. So, it is critical that they don’t interfere with each other to invoke any level of latency. MediaTek also claims that the Bluetooth Audio Latency is faster by up to 60% compared to the competitor alternatives; thanks to Rapid Response Engine 2.0.

144Hz refresh rate display support

Besides improved touch sampling rate, the Dimensity 1000 Plus also supports ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate display; most likely in FHD+ resolution. To recall, the standard Dimensity 1000 capped out at 120Hz refresh rate in FHD+ and 90Hz in QHD+ resolution.

Sadly, this isn’t a breakout feature from MediaTek as there already are a couple of devices in the market featuring 144Hz screen – namely the RedMagic 5G & iQOO Neo3, both of which are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. Talking about the display, the Dimensity 1000 Plus also marks the debut of MediaTek’s MiraVision display technology into smartphones.

MiraVision Display

It is MediaTek’s display enhancing tech found in high-end TVs to improve per-frame image quality in real-time. The chipset’s AI processing unit – APU 3.0 with up to 4.5 TOPS performance combined with MiraVision Picture Quality Engine, the Dimensity 1000 Plus is capable of dynamically adjusting per frame contrast, sharpness, dynamic range, and color levels in real-time. As a result, you can enjoy a better picture quality of 4K contents on your device.

Additionally, MediaTek also says the resulting picture quality due to MiraVision’s per-frame adjustment of different variables delivers better picture quality compared to the standard HDR10+. That is some bold claim and we hope the company delivers on it. Finally, the MiraVision Picture Quality Engine can also intelligently upgrade SDR videos and streams into HDR.

What about cameras?

And those are all the upgrades MediaTek is bringing forward with the Dimensity 1000 Plus – at least the ones that have been publicized. Notice a disturbing lack of camera improvements? Maybe there isn’t one.

The OG Dimensity 1000 supported up to 80MP single lens and 32 + 16 MP dual camera setup with up to 4K UHD @60fps recording; which we’re guessing is mirrored on the 1000+. Frankly, that’s okay because all the buzz about 108MP cameras and 8K videos are next to impractical right now. But like how Qualcomm displays its dominance with mmWave 5G, its support for larger camera sensors are other factors befitting the company’s ongoing market superiority.

MediaTek Dimensity 1000 Plus – Conclusion

So what does it say about the cost? Looking at the past trend, we can say with great confidence that the MediaTek Dimensity 1000 Plus will cost significantly less than its competing chipset. Consequently, more OEMs will be willing to consider the Dimensity series of chipset instead of the top-end Snapdragon counterpart; for cost-saving purposes. After all, Qualcomm’s rigidity of bundling the cost-adding external 5G modem on the Snapdragon 865 is already driving manufacturers away from the chipset. Therefore, more and more are opting for the Snapdragon 765/G instead.

And that right there is an excellent market for MediaTek to exploit with its Dimensity series of mobile chipsets. Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO has already announced iQOO Z1; the first phone to equip Dimensity 1000 Plus. The phone will launch on May 19. So, we won’t have to wait very long to check out the chip’s real-life performance.

Check out our comparison of the Dimensity 1000L & Snapdragon 765G!

Microsoft Surface Laptop Price in Nepal [Updated 2020]

GadgetByte

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May 11, 2020

0

Microsoft Surface Laptop Price in Nepal [Updated 2020]

Are you thinking of getting a new windows laptop? Why not get one made by Microsoft themselves? Microsoft’s Surface lineup series has everything from earbuds, tablets to whatnot, but its the Surface laptops that make the headlines. These laptops are rare commodities in Nepal. However, they keep popping up on the market now and then. In this post, we will be taking a look at some of the most popular Microsoft Surface Laptops along with their specs, and the price that you can expect to buy them in Nepal.

Surface Laptops were first announced in 2017. There are 5 range of series right now: Surface Go series, Surface Book series, Surface series, Surface Pro series, and Surface Pro X series. The recently announced Surface Go 2 and Surface Book 3 has not been launched yet in Nepal.

Talking about Nepal, Microsoft doesn’t have any official distributor for its Surface products in Nepal. But even so, many of Microsoft’s products are available in Nepal through unofficial channels. The price of Microsoft Surface laptops listed here is based on what we have seen them go for in Nepal. Hence, we can not guarantee that the price is 100% correct. But, you can consider them as a close approximation.

Microsoft Surface Laptops Price in Nepal [Summary 2020]

Microsoft Surface Products	Price
Microsoft Surface Pro X (8GB RAM, 128GB Storage, LTE support)	Rs. 1,60,000
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 ( Core i3, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD)	Rs. 1,17,000
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 ( Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD)	Rs. 1,42,000
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 ( Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)	Rs. 1,88,000
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 ( Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)	Rs. 2,28,000
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13-inch ( 13.5-inch PixelSense display, Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD)	Rs. 1,59,000
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15-inch ( 15-inch PixelSense display, Ryzen 5 3580U, Radeon Vega 9, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD)	Rs. 1,87,000

Microsoft Surface Pro X

Microsoft Surface Pro X is an ultra-thin 2-in-1 laptop from Microsoft. It features a 13-inch edge-to-edge display in a body that is just 7.3mm thick. This makes it the slimmest laptop in the Surface lineup.

The Surface Pro X is powered by a custom Microsoft SQ1 processor. This processor is built in collaboration with Snapdragon, an SoC manufacturer known for making smartphone CPUs. The focus is not on the processing power but the portability. With the Surface Pro X Signature Keybaord and Slim Pen, this could be the productivity device for your office. Connectivity-wise, it supports LTE and comes with two USB-C port. Microsft claims a battery life of up to 13 hours, and the device does support fast charging.

There’s only one variant of the Surface Pro X laptop which is currently available in Nepal. It comes with LTE, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage for a price of Rs. 1,60,000.

Surface Pro X Specifications & Price:

Dimension: 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.28-inches
Display: 13-inch PixelSense Display with 10-point multi-touch
Resolution: 2880 x 1920 pixels, 267 PPI, 3:2 aspect ratio
RAM: 8/16GB LPDDR4x
Processor: Microsoft SQ1
Graphics: Microsoft SQ1 Adreno 685 GPU
Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB Removable SSD
Camera:
– 5.0MP front-facing 1080p FHD video camera with Windows Hello
– 10.0MP rear-facing camera with autofocus 1080p FHD & 4K video
Audio:
– 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos Premium
– Dual far-filed Studio mics
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 4G LTE Modem, Assisted GPS and GLONASS support
Ports: 2x USB-C, 1x Surface Connect port, 1x nano SIM, Surface Keyboard connector
Battery life: up to 13 hours
Accessories: Signature Keyboard, Slim Pen (Sold separately)
Color option: Matte Black

Surface Pro X Variant	Price in Nepal
8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, LTE	Rs. 1,60,000

Microsoft Surface Pro 7

If you want the portability of the Pro X but with more power, you should check out the Surface Pro 7. It is an ultra-light 2-in-1 laptop featuring a 12.3-inch touch-enabled screen. The built-in kickstand that can be used to position the device in a different angle as per users’ convenience. Battery life on this one can go up to 10.5 hours as it comes with the low-powered 10th-Gen Intel processor.

It is available in Nepal in i3, i5, and i7 variants. The base i3 variant of the Surface Pro 7 starts at Rs. 1,17,000.

Surface Pro 7 Specifications & Price:

Dimension: 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33-inches
Display: 12.3-inch PixelSense Display with 10-point multi-touch
Resolution: 2736 x 1824 pixels, 267 PPI, 3:2 aspect ratio
RAM: 8/16GB LPDDR4x
Processor: Dual-core 10^thGen Intel i3-1005G1 / Quad-core 10^th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G4 / Quad-core 10^th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics (i3) / Intel Iris Plus Graphics (i5, i7)
Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB Removable SSD
Camera:
– 5.0MP front-facing 1080p FHD video camera with Windows Hello
– 10.0MP rear-facing camera with autofocus 1080p FHD & 4K video
Audio:
– 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos Premium
– Dual far-filed Studio mics
Ports: 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect port, Surface Type Cover Port, MicroSDXC card reader
Battery life: up to 10.5 hours
Accessories: Signature Type Cover, Surface Pen, Surface Arc muse (Sold separately)
Color option: Matte Black, Platinum

Surface Pro 7 Variants	Price in Nepal
Core i3, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD	Rs. 1,17,000
Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD	Rs. 1,42,000
Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD	Rs. 1,88,000
Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD	Rs. 2,28,000

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

Surface Laptop 3 is a laptop for business professionals and comes with a superior PixelSense display. It is available in two screen sizes – 13.5 and 15-inch. It is powered by 10th Gen Intel Core Processors with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD.

The device boasts a battery life of up to 11.5 hours. Thanks to the Fast Charging technology, you can get the battery to 80% with just an hour of charging. Unlike the two, it comes with its won keyboard. The keyboard is more durable, and the new glass trackpad is 20% larger compared to that of the Surface Laptop 2.

Surface Laptop 3 Specifications & Price:

Dimension: 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.57-inches (13.5″) / 13.4 x 9.6 x 0.57 (15″)
Display: 13.5-inch PixelSense Display (13.5″) / 15-inch PixelSense Display (15″)
Resolution: 2256 x 1504 pixels 13.5″) / 2496 x 1664 pixels (15″)
RAM: 8/16GB LPDDR4x
Processor:
– Quad-core 10^th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G7 / Quad-core 10^th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 (13″)
– AMD Ryzen 5 3580U Microsoft Surface Edition / AMD Ryzen 7 3780U Microsoft Surface Edition (15″)
Graphics:
– Intel Iris Plus Graphics (13′)
– MD Radeon Vega 9 Microsoft Surface Edition / AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 Microsoft Surface Edition (15″)
Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB Removable SSD
Camera: Front-facing 720p HD (f/2.0) camera with Windows Hello
Audio:
– Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Audio Premium
– Dual far-filed Studio mics
Ports: 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x Surface Connect Port
Battery life: up to 11.5 hours
Accessories: Signature Type Cover, Surface Pen. Surface Arc muse (Sold separately)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 Variants	Price in Nepal
13-inch ( 13.5-inch PixelSense display, Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD)	Rs. 1,59,000
15-inch ( 15-inch PixelSense display, Ryzen 5 35820U, Radeon Vega 9, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD)	Rs. 1,87,000

Realme Narzo 10 Launched: Just a rebranded Realme 6i

GadgetByte

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May 11, 2020

0

Realme Narzo 10 Launched: Just a rebranded Realme 6i

Realme has been creating a lot of hype around its new Narzo series in India. Though the brand was all geared up with the launch, it had to postpone the launch event, not just once but twice due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Finally, Realme has dropped the Narzo 10 and Narzo 10A in India. However, it seems the Narzo 10 and 10A are indeed the same Realme 6 and Realme C3 global variants with just a different badge at the back. Anyways, let’s take a detailed look at the specs and features of Realme Narzo 10, along with its expected price in Nepal.

Realme Narzo 10 Overview

Design and Display

Realme Narzo 10 features an IPS LCD screen with a diagonal length of 6.5-inch. It has a water-drop style notch on the top center to house the front camera. The bezel on the bottom of the screen is quite evident as compared to the rest of the sides. Realme claims a screen to body ratio of 89.8% on this smartphone.

On the back, we get to see what the company calls the Master Design. The plastic panel has several vertical lines that run from top to bottom. The credit for this specific design goes to Naoto Fukasawa, a Japanese industrial designer who claims the design emphasizes the relation between the product, its user, and the surrounding environment.

Performance and Memory

Realme Narzo 10 comes with MediaTek’s Helio G80 chipset. MediaTek’s Helio G series chipset offers optimized gaming performance for the budget segment phones. The series has been widely popular after the inclusion of Helio G90T in the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

Helio G80 consists of two powerful Cortex-A75 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz and six low energy Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. Helio G80 isn’t as powerful as G90T, and its closest competitors would be Snapdragon 665. As for memory, it comes with 4GB of RAM that is paired with 128GB of internal storage.

Camera

The Narzo 10 flaunts a quad-camera setup on the back. The four cameras are arranged in a vertical line at the top left side of the rear panel. The 48MP AI primary camera is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP monochrome portrait sensor, and a 2MP macro sensor. An LED flash resides on the right side of the pill-shaped camera module. There is a 16MP sensor on the front with an aperture of f/2.0.

Battery and Others

Realme Narzo 10 gets its juice from the massive 5,000mAh battery. Fortunately, it comes with support for the 18W Quick charge through the USB Type-C port. There is a capacitive fingerprint sensor mounted on the rear panel for biometrics—the phone ships with Android 10 with Realme UI on the top.

Realme Narzo 10 Specifications:

Display: 6.5-inches IPS LCD, HD+, 89.8.5% screen ratio
Chipset: MediaTek Helio G80
CPU: Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 cores + 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A75 cores)
OS: Android 10 with Realme Ui on top
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB (expandable)
Rear camera: Quad camera
– 48MP primary lens
– 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens (119-degree FOV)
– 2MP monochrome lens
– 2MP depth sensor (4cm)
Front camera: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture
Battery: 5,000mAh battery with 18W Quick charging
Security: Fingerprint (rear-mounted)
Color Options: That Green, That White

Realme Narzo 10 Price & Availability

Realme Narzo 10 is now available in India at INR 11,999 for 4/128GB. We expect the Realme Narzo 10 to launch in Nepal with Realme 6i branding for a price of around Rs. 24,000. This price is for the 4/128GB variant.

Model Name	Price in Nepal (Expected)
Realme Narzo 10 (4/128GB)	Rs. 24,000

As it stands, Realme Narzo looks to the new budget lineup from the company for India only. Instead of launching the Realme 6i, they have launched a completely new series. Hence, the Narzo 10 is an upgrade to Realme 5i. That being said, it is a cheaper alternative to Realme 6, which carries better specs at a slightly higher price. We will have to see if it can compete against the likes of Redmi Note 9 and other devices from rival brands.

Check out our long-term review of Realme 6: