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Here’s our pick for the top laptops showcased at CES 2020

GadgetByte

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January 11, 2020

Here’s our pick for the top laptops showcased at CES 2020

The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the largest technology trade fairs. It takes place every year in Vegas and serves as a global stage for innovators and breakthrough technologies. Laptops have become a popular business over the past few years at the CES, and this year was no exception. CES 2020 showcased many incredible designs and innovative ideas in mobile computing. So, here are the top laptops at CES 2020 (mind you, it is in no particular order!)

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold has one of the most impressive designs from a spectator’s point of view. It sports an OLED 4K screen which can be folded in half and used as a tablet or an e-reader. The keyboard too folds into the device itself making it portable and travel-friendly. The laptop, when completely unfolded works as an all-in-one computer with a 13.3-inch OLED display, complete with a kickstand to prop it in the back.

Foldable laptops are pretty rare but Lenovo will be setting a milestone when it releases in mid-2020. X1 Fold also comes with a Bluetooth keyboard and is compatible with styluses too. Other than that, it has been confirmed that X1 Fold will feature 8GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage and various ports including USB-C and a SIM card slot, for 5G connectivity.

Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel

The Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel has a distinct design created with a focus on digital artists and architects. The laptop screen can swivel for different usage cases, and be oriented in various viewing modes; like a tablet, tent, and laptop. The tablet comes with a Wacom EMR digital pen designed to use on the 15.6-inch 4K IPS touchscreen display.

The system houses a brand new 10th gen Intel Core H-series processor, Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics card, up to 32GB of DDR memory, and up to 2TB NVMe PCIe SSD. Also, the laptop integrates with its – two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an SD card slot, and an HDMI 2.0 port.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is incredibly light and slim for a gaming notebook. This is because they are made from fingerprint-resistant magnesium-aluminum-alloy that is cool to touch. All in all, it is a beautiful laptop complete with programmable glowing lights on the lid. But the real highlight would have to be AMD’s new processor.

It utilizes an 8-core processor and up to an RTX 2060 graphics card, all packed in a 3.5 pounds machine. That is serious power in a package that small. With all the impressive hardware it packs, it is one of my personal top pick for the laptops showcased at CES 2020.

Dell XPS 13 2020

Dell’s XP series is popular among the crowd. This new variant, Dell XPS 13 2020 showcases a new and refined design in a 13.4-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. This edition’s core specs include 10th gen Intel Core LCD Lake processors, up to 32GB of RAM and an option of Full HD or 4K displays.

There are no USB legacy ports included, but you do get a pair of USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm jack, and a microSD slot. Besides that, the new model also has a larger keyboard and trackpad.

Also read: The world’s first 7nm mobile processors are obviously from AMD!

Dell Concept Ori

The Dell Concept Ori (like “Origami” which is the art of paper folding) is another one of the foldable laptops on the list. It is a foldable 13-inch QHD+Ori tablet that folds in half to look like a book. This also features different use cases, such as using it as an ebook and for other multi-tasking functions. Other than that, not many specifications were revealed about the product. The company said that is a particular product is “just a concept”. But whatever it be, it’s still exciting to see top makers of laptops experimenting with the trends and showing them off at CES 2020.

Intel Horseshoe Bend prototype

The Horseshoe Bend is another laptop to jump into the foldable device bandwagon this year. When unfolded, it is a 17-inch monitor, with a kickstand in the back to make it an all-in-one desktop PC. The striking feature is that when folded in half, it allows watching videos on one half while reading an article on the other half of the screen.

The device includes Intel’s upcoming Tiger Lake chip, while other information on the processor was not provided.

Samsung Galaxy Book Flex Alpha

The Samsung Galaxy Book Flex Alpha offers high-end specs at an equally lofty price. It is a fairly standard 2-in-1 device, which can function as both a laptop and a tablet. Featuring a 13.3-inch QLED FHD display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, the device is powered by an Intel 10th Gen Core processor.

samsung galaxy book flex alpha screen 360 QLED

Furthermore, the Galaxy Book supports between 8GB and 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. Standard ports include one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a microSD card slot. It also has an impressive battery life of 17.5 hours.

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

The HP Spectre x360 15 has the same super-colorful 4K OLED display as that of the previous version. The difference is that HP has cut the bezels around the display significantly. It still has a gorgeous display, now in a far smaller and efficient laptop. This variant of HP’s mainstream laptops comes with 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512 GB of PCIe SSD storage.

The laptop’s screen covers a wild 258% of the sRGB color gamut he Spectre x360’s screen covers a wild 258% of the sRGB color gamut and also sports 8 hours of battery life.

MSI GS66 Stealth

Another impressive laptop showcased at CES 2020 was the MSI GS66 Stealth. Like the GS65 Stealth of last year, MSI’s gone with Intel-NVIDIA combo here as well so don’t expect anything AMD in this. It features a 10th-gen Intel Core H-series CPU and an NVIDIA RTX GPU, though the specifics of both are “locked” at this point.

Other similarities include the 15.6-inches FHD IPS display, but what’s grand is that the screen goes up to 300Hz (there’s also an option with a 240Hz) refresh rate. More importantly, the new GS66 Stealth comes in a thicker form factor, which is thanks to the monstrous 99.9Wh battery. It also features a new cooling system called “Cooler Boost Trinity+” with 1mm thin fans for 10% better airflow.

Lenovo Ducati 5

Partnerships between automobile and smartphone companies are not new in the industry. There’s the OnePlus-McLaren, Huawei-Porsche combo, and a few more. Well, Lenovo is giving in to the trend as well as it’s partnered up with Ducati for its new notebook – the Lenovo Ducati 5. And like most products of such a venture, this one’s going to be a limited edition product only with 12,000 units.

The Ducati 5 features a “hint” of a red theme throughout the laptop with the design inspiration from the Ducati Panigale, while the exhaust on the rear is symbolic of the Ducati Monster frames. Apart from this, it features a 14-inch FHD IPS display with up to 10th-gen Intel Core i5 processors, Intel integrated graphics, up to 12 hours of battery life, Dolby Audio, 300 nits of brightness, WiFi 6, all on a thin bezel build.

So, that was our pick for the top laptops at CES 2020. Which device would you like to see come to Nepal?

CES 2020: Intel announces 10nm Tiger Lake mobile processors with Xe GPU

GadgetByte

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January 10, 2020

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CES 2020: Intel announces 10nm Tiger Lake mobile processors with Xe GPU

Intel has announced a new family of mobile processors with the code-name “Tiger Lake“, which the company demonstrated at CES 2020. We can hope to see this power some of the upcoming laptops, notebooks, and 2-in-1s.

Intel Tiger Lake Mobile Processors

The Tiger Lake is a successor to last year’s Intel’s Ice Lake. While the latter was based on Intel’s 10nm and 10nm+, the former is based on Intel’s 10nm++(third-generation 10nm process node). It will come integrated with GPU based on Xe architecture such as the newly-announced Intel DG1. It also comes with an AI accelerator and support for Thunderbolt 3.

As per Intel, Willow Cove architecture based Tiger Lake will replace Sunny Cove based Ice Lake starting from this year. Though detailed information about the new architecture is yet to be revealed, it is said to bring advancement in every vector and experience that matters. Results of internal tests performed by Intel have reported double-digit performance gains. It also boasts massive AI performance improvements and advancement in the graphics.

Thunderbolt 4

Tiger Lake comes with the support for latest Thunderbolt 4. It will be the successor to Intel’s Thunderbolt 3. Intel has reported 4 times the speed of USB 3 which isn’t a boost to Thunderbolt 3’s speed.

Xe based Discrete GPU

Tiger Lake will also feature the first Xe based discrete GPU. The first GPU based on this architecture is code-named “DG1“.

Project Athena

In the same event, Intel has provided updates on its “Project Athena“. As of now, Intel has verified 25 designs under this project and it is expecting to launch 50 more designs. Intel has announced expanded partnerships with companies like Google, Asus, and Samsung. The partnerships have resulted in two verified Google Chromebooks, the ASUS Chromebook Flip, and Samsung Galaxy Chromebook.

Intel has reported benefits like better battery life-span, consistent responsiveness, instant wake, application compatibility in the verified designs under Project Athena.

So what do you think of these announcements from Intel? Will it help Intel in the long run against the emerging AMD? Share your views with us.

Samsung is bringing back the battery swappability with its new Galaxy XCover Pro

GadgetByte

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January 10, 2020

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Samsung is bringing back the battery swappability with its new Galaxy XCover Pro

Not everyone is into pretty designs and we get it, sometimes your workplace demands a tough (or rugged) phone. And there is a big market for rugged phones with companies competing against each other to provide you the toughest of phones. And it looks like Samsung is joining the race too. First, Samsung announced Galaxy XCover FieldPro and it looks like it is working on a new device – XCover Pro. Though the XCover Pro will be the first of its kind with an IP69 rating, it won’t just be about toughness; Samsung is working on a phone to withstand pressures from both weather and your business.

Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro Overview

First thing first, the Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro will come with IP68 rating and MIL-STD-810G certification. With the MIL-STD-810G certification, your phone will be shockproof and drop-proof. In theory, it should be intact even after falling from a height of 1.5m. The IP68 is one of the highest ratings that a phone can get, which will ensure protection from dust and liquid-splash.

If you look at the specs XCover Pro is a mid-range phone at best. Inside the hood, there is Samsung’s Exynos 9611 which we have seen in mid-rangers like the Samsung M30s, A50s, and A51. There will be 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory onboard. You can expand it up to 512GB through the dedicated microSD card slot.

The phone features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 20:9. The panel is based on LCD technology. It features a punch hole for the selfie camera, which I think is odd given the bezels on the phone.

On the back, we get a dual-camera setup. The primary camera comes with a 25MP sensor. The secondary camera is an 8MP ultra-wide sensor. On the front, There’s is a 13MP selfie camera under the punch-hole.

A fingerprint sensor has been mounted on the power button on the right side. The phone also includes a 4,050mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging through Type-C port. And surprisingly, the battery can be removed and swapped with a new one easily! The phone will come with two buttons that you can use to assign functions for your choice.

You can use this device as mPOS (mobile Point Of Sale) to your business’s advantage as it is secured by Samsung Knox.

XCover Pro Specifications

Body: 10nm thickness; 217 gm; IP68 dust/water-resistant; MIL-STD-810G certification
Display: 6.3-inches IPS LCD
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels); 20:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Exynos 9611; 11nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
GPU: Mali-G72 MP3
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB (expandable up to 512GB via a dedicated SD card slot)
Software & UI: Android 9 (Pie) with Samsung’s OneUI on top
Rear Camera: Dual-camera;
– 25 MP, f/1.8, PDAF primary shooter
– 8 MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens
– LED flash
Front Camera: 13MP lens
Fingerprint sensor: Physical (side-mounted)
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS with A-GPS, USB Type-C
Battery: 4050 mAh battery with 15W fast charging; swappable

Price and Launch

The phone will launch on January 31. It will first be made available in Finland with a price tag of €500(~NPR 65,000). However, we don’t have information about its international launch.

Don’t forget to check out our hands-on impression video of the Galaxy A51!

CES 2020: The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is the company’s latest flagship DSLR camera

Nikhil Shrestha

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January 9, 2020

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CES 2020: The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is the company’s latest flagship DSLR camera

Another camera manufacturer updating its DSLR lineup this year is Canon, with its new EOS-1D X Mark III. Four years seems to be the time period between the next iterations of the EOS-1D X Mark lineup as the first one was launched in 2012, followed by Mark II in 2016. The Mark III announced at CES 2020, is a professional grade flagship DSLR camera, which brings a whole lot of improvements from sensor, autofocus, videography and more.

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Overview

The EOS-1D X cameras have always been intended for sports, journalism, wildlife, wedding photography, and other fast-paced scenarios. The Mark III builds up to the legacy with its new and improved sensors. Here, you’ll be getting a new 20.1-megapixel full-frame (FX) CMOS sensor with the ability to capture up to 20 frames per second in “Live View” mode (in both RAW and RAW+ JPEG formats) using either mechanical or an electronic shutter. On the Mark III’s optical viewfinder, the continuous shooting rate goes to 16 frames per second. The shutter speed ranges from 1/8000th of a second to 30 seconds.

Both these continuous shooting modes come along with continuous AutoFocus (AF), AutoExposure (AE) and 1000+ shot image buffer. Moreover, on the optical viewfinder, you get 191 AF points (with 155 cross-type) and 3,869 manually selectable AF points (with 525 automatic areas) in live view shooting. For subject tracking, you get face detection, eye detection, and Canon’s own head detection AF.

EOS-1D X Mark III Design

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What’s improved?

Though the 20.1 sensor on the Mark III sounds similar to the 20.2-megapixel sensor on the Mark II, it has a Gaussian Low Pass Filter (LPF) which reduces the “moiré effect” for sharper and detailed images. Furthermore, according to the company, the new Digic X image processor provides up to 3 times faster image processing and 380x better Dual CMOS AF performance than the Digic 6+ on the Mark II.

Also read: Canon cameras price in Nepal [Updated]

Aside from faster performance, Digic X also improves battery life by almost twice. It also enables lower noise levels at all ISO sensitivities for sharper images. Talking about ISO, the EOS-1D X Mark III’s native range of 100 to 102,400 can be further expanded up to 819,200 for incredible low-light photography.

Canon has also improved autofocus with this DSLR camera as it comes with a dedicated CMOS imaging sensor exclusively for that purpose. In Live View mode, the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system facilitates autofocusing by turning virtually every pixel on the camera’s sensor into an imaging pixel and a phase-detection AF (PDAF) pixel.

Videography

Getting into videography prowess of the Mark III, the impressive performance continues on. It can shoot full-frame 4K videos at up to 60 frames per second, in which the camera will record the footage internally using the 10-bit HEVC/H.265 coded with Canon Log or 12-bit Raw. Such footages have intentionally low contrast and up to 12 stops of dynamic range, which the professional film-makers can benefit from.

The EOS-1D X Mark III can also record 5.5K (5472 x 2886 pixels) RAW video footage internally to its CFexpress cards. This file can be processed using the Digital Photo Pro software. Moreover, you can also shoot Full HD videos with DPAF.

Others

Now, let’s get into other assorted features of the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR camera. On the back, there’s the 3.2-inches TFT touchscreen with 2.1 million dots with 100% coverage and a viewing angle of 170º with illuminating buttons. It also has two slots for CFexpress 1.0 Type B memory card. The Mark III is also dust and water-resistant and is tough thanks to the magnesium-alloy exterior. It has built-in WiFi, an RJ-45 connection, and a port for Canon’s WFT-E9 wireless file transmitter. On to the battery, it is rated 2,850 shots per charge which is more than double from Mark II’s 1,210 shots.

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Specifications

Camera Weight: 1,250 grams (camera body only)
Dimensions: 6.22W x 6.60H x 3.25D-inches
Image Sensor: 36 x 24mm, 20.1MP CMOS, Full Frame (FX) format
Screen: 3.2-inch touch-sensitive TFT LCD panel with 170º viewing angle; 2.1 million dots; anti-reflection
Viewfinder: Eye-level Pentaprism Viewfinder with approx. 100% coverage
AF System: 191 Autofocus points (including 155 f/4 cross-type sensors; with 1 dual cross-type at f/2.8); -4 to +21EV
ISO Range: 100 – 102,400 (also up to 819,200)
Shutter Speed: 1/8000 – 30 seconds
Continuous Shoot: 16 frames/sec (up to 20fps in Live View mode)
Video Resolution: 3840×2160 Pixels (4K UHD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Video Frame Rate: 4K UHD (60/50/30/25/24fps), Full HD (60/50/30/25/24fps), MOV Full HD video at 100fps (recorded as 1/4-speed slow-motion movie)
Built-in flash: Yes
Environmental Sealing: Yes
Lens Mount: EF (excludes EF-S/EF-M lenses)
Connectivity: HDMI (mini), External mic, headphone jack, RJ-45, Flash PC connector, 20Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2, WiFi 5 (2.4GHz), Bluetooth, GPS
Battery Type: Li-ion, rechargeable; Model: LP-E19
Battery Life (Approx.): 2,850 shots
Companion App: Canon Camera Connect (available on both Android and iOS)

EOS-1D X Mark III Build

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Price and Availability

The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III will cost a whopping $6,499 (~NRs. 739,100) but that is to be expected as this is a flagship-grade DSLR camera. It will be available in mid-February of 2020. Similarly, the EOS-1D X Mark III is also going to be shortly available in Nepal. We expect it to be priced at around Rs. 8 lakhs or more.

CES 2020: Nikon finally updates its D750 with the new D780 DSLR camera

Nikhil Shrestha

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January 9, 2020

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CES 2020: Nikon finally updates its D750 with the new D780 DSLR camera

Nikon took it to CES 2020 to finally unveil the new D780 DSLR, which is an upgrade over the D750 launched way back in 2014. Aside from the expected improvements over the last-gen product, the D780 also borrows a few functionalities from its popular Z6 mirrorless camera.

Nikon D780 DSLR Camera Overview

The D780 is a full-frame (FX) format DSLR camera, which has a 24.5 megapixels sensor and comes with a similarly small and light body. Now, while the D750 only had the CMOS sensor, the one on the D780 is a backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor, which means improved light gathering for low-light photography. Furthermore, it comes with the EXPEED 6 image processor (the one in the Z6 and Z7) for faster speed, increased battery life, and improved low light performance.

Additionally, the D780’s native ISO range is from 100 to 51,200 while you can also crank it up to 204,800. Nikon says that it’s worked to improve the AutoFocus (AF) performance as well. It borrows the new AF algorithm from the company’s flagship D5 DSLR camera. When using the optical viewfinder, the D780 uses the 51-point AF system (and also the 15 cross-type sensors). The Eye-Detection AF introduced for the first time in a Nikon DSLR allows you to track multiple human subjects’ eyes in real-time for enhanced focusing.

Live View

In Live View, the camera is capable of detecting and tracking subjects throughout the entire frame in either photos or videos, thanks to the 273-point phase-detection AF system. And this is where the D780 DSLR shows off its “mirrorless” technology. Continuous shooting also sees an improvement to 7fps on the D780 from D750’s 6.5fps with increased buffer size to ’68’ 14-bit RAW files.

Nikon D780 Design

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On Live View, however, the continuous shooting speed goes up to 12fps. What’s more, the 180K-pixel Advanced Scene Recognition System optimizes the accuracy of the frame for exposure, focus, white balance, color reproduction, and more with the dedicated RGB sensor. Fast-paced photography is also upgraded to 1/8000th of a second, while you can also set shutter speed up to 900 seconds (15 minutes) on the D780 for the long exposure photography.

Also read: Nikon Camera price in Nepal.

Videography

Moving to videos, the D780 once again brings in the goodies from the Z6. It can shoot up to 4K UHD videos at 24 or 30fps and full HD slow-motion videos at 60 or 120fps. The Nikon D780 also for the first time introduces the ability to record HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) HDR videos. It also boasts 10-bit N-LOG when recording to an external recorder, focus peaking, highlight display, etc.

Coming to the back of the D780, there’s the familiar 3.2″ fully touchscreen LCD but Nikon has improved its resolution to 2.359 million dots. On to the storage, the Nikon D780 supports dual UHS-II SD cards. Here, the D780 is slightly chunkier than the D750 while the body is manufactured from the same weather-sealed lightweight magnesium alloy. The battery on the D780 can also shoot up to 2,260 shots per charge, which is significantly longer than 1,230 shots on the D750. Other assorted features include WiFi compatibility, USB Type-C connectivity, Creative Picture Controls, special effects, multiple exposure photography, and more.

Nikon D780 DSLR Camera Specifications

Camera Weight: 840 grams (camera body only)
Dimensions: 5.7W x 4.6H x 3D-inches
Image Sensor: 35.9 x 23.9mm, 24.5MP, BSI CMOS, Full Frame (FX) format
Screen: 3.2-inch tilting touch-sensitive TFT LCD panel with 170º viewing angle; 2.359 million dots
Viewfinder: Eye-level Pentaprism Single-Lens Reflex Viewfinder (FX – 100% coverage, 1.2x – 97% coverage, DX – 97% coverage)
AF System: 51 Autofocus points (including 15 cross-type sensors; f/8 supported by 11 sensors); -3 to +19EV
ISO Range: 100 – 51,200 (also up to 204,800)
Shutter Speed: 1/8000 – 900 seconds (long exposure M mode)
Continuous Shoot: 7 frames/sec (up to 12fps in Live View mode)
Video Resolution: 3840×2160 Pixels (4K UHD), 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Video Frame Rate: 4K UHD (30/25/24fps), Full HD (120/100/60/50/30/25/24fps), Slow-motion (120/100/60/50/30/25/24fps)
Built-in flash: Yes
Environmental Sealing: Yes
Mount Type: Nikon F bayonet mount
Connectivity: 3.5mm headphone jack, Type-C mini-pin HDMI connector, USB Type-C, WiFI, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
Battery Type: Li-ion, rechargeable (MH-25a Quick Charger); Model: EN-EL 15b
Battery Life (Approx.): 2,260 shots
Companion App: SnapBridge (available on both Android and iOS)

Nikon D780 Build

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Pricing and Availability

The Nikon D780 DSLR camera will cost you $2,300 (~NRs. 263,800) and will be available by the end of January. Furthermore, the D780 is also available bundled up with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens for $2,800 (~NRs. 321,150). We expect the Nikon D780 to be available in Nepal for around 3 lakhs or more.

CES 2020: Coolpad announces the sub-$400 Legacy 5G smartphone

GadgetByte

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January 9, 2020

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CES 2020: Coolpad announces the sub-$400 Legacy 5G smartphone

Coolpad has a reputation of coming up with smartphones that follow the latest trend; that too without breaking the banks of its customer. We saw the brand come to Nepal but their activity here was limited to a handful of devices. But now with the start of the new year, Coolpad has announced some new gadgets including the Legacy 5G smartphone.

Coolpad Legacy 5G smartphone

5G technology is hot right now. Even before the year started, numbers of smartphone brands had already announced to integrate it into their phones. These included ZTE’s Axon 10s Pro and Xiaomi’s Mi 10 series. And now Coolpad has joined the bandwagon by announcing a 5G phone to add to its Legacy series.

Coolpad hasn’t revealed the moniker of the smartphone but with the Coolpad’s “Legacy” attached to it, it will be a cheaper alternative for the 5G enabled flagship phones that will be launched this year.

Talking about the specs, we can confirm the presence of a 6.53-inch Full HD+ Display. It will come with Pixelwork’s HDR technology. For the processor, Coolpad may opt to go with Qualcomm’s new 7 series processor or even Mediatek’s new Dimensity 800 – we can’t say anything with certainty. On the camera side, it will feature a dual-camera setup on the back. The primary sensor will come with a 48MP sensor while the secondary camera will pack a 16MP sensor. It will come with a 4,000mAH non-removable battery to get you through the day.

Pretty standard, right? To differentiate from the pool of midrange 5G phones that are going to debut this year, Coolpad’s 5G smartphone will include Tempow multi-device streaming services in hand with Bluetooth 5.0 technology.

Tempow Audio Profile (AUP)

To begin with, Tempow is a rather-young French startup that works to create powerful audio devices by pushing the limits of the existing Bluetooth platform. The feature that Coolpad has included in its 5G phone is the Tempow Audio Profile (AUP). With this feature, you get to stream the audio content of your phone up to 4 different audio devices using Bluetooth. Impressive concept! But will it really work? The TAP has already been deployed in a number of devices like the Motorola X4 and TCL Plex where it received decent response from the users.

Also, read about TCL’s new 10 series

Price and Availability

The phone won’t hit the market before the second quarter of 2020. The Coolpad Legacy 5G smartphone is expected to cost around $360(~NPR 41,500). It will be cheaper alternatives for people who want to get hands-on 5G without spending a lavish amount.

So will it launch in Nepal? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but we won’t see it in the local market. The last Coolpad device to hit the Nepali stores was the Coolpad Cool Play 6 and that was like 2 years ago. Even before that, the brand wasn’t consistently active in Nepal.

Coolpad Dyno 2

Coolpad has also launched Dyno 2. It is a successor to Dyno smartwatch which was launched at last year’s edition of CES. To recall, Dyno 2 was a smartphone aimed at kids. It came with support for 4G and features such as location tracking, messaging (text and voice) and safe zones. Dyno 2 will come with some improvements over the original Dyno.

It will launch in April with a price tag of around $190.

So what do you make of this news? Will Coolpad lead the line of affordable 5G smartphones with its new 5G handsets? That is something the time will tell.

Don’t forget to watch our long term review of the OnePlus 7T:

CES 2020: OnePlus unveils the Concept One with disappearing cameras

GadgetByte

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January 8, 2020

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CES 2020: OnePlus unveils the Concept One with disappearing cameras

At the end of 2019, the Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus confirmed its presence in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020. It was going to be OnePlus’ first appearance on the show. Amidst all the speculation of what they would bring to the show, the company broke the silence by releasing a sneak peek video of the upcoming OnePlus Concept One. Video revealed the invisible triple camera setup.

OnePlus Concept One Teaser Video

The teaser showed a phone with a gold plated frame. The screen seemed too-curvy at the edges. At the back, it showed a triple camera setup placed vertically in the middle. Though initially hidden, the camera module appeared magically at the end of the video. it was followed by two texts reading “Alternate Design” Alternate Future”.

OnePlus Concept One as of now…

In the latest video, OnePlus has confirmed a collaboration with McLaren for the Concept One model. The design of the phone is inspired by McLaren 720S Spider sports car. With the notch-less display and a pop-up camera, it is difficult to distinguish between OnePlus Concept One and Oneplus 7T Pro. However, the former comes with Orange leather back.

As for the rear camera, the triple camera setup is well hidden under a layer of glass. It appears only when the camera app is launched. However, if you look closely under sufficient light, you can notice the outline of the to-be-hidden camera. The transition from opaque to transparent and vice verse takes about 0.7 seconds.

Science Behind the Hidden Camera

You may be wondering how Oneplus managed to pull off the hidden camera trick. It is due to the layer of electrochromic glass on top of the camera setup. Though it is the first time it has appeared in a smartphone, the electrochromic glass has been used extensively by McLaren in its car for sunroofs. Don’t discredit OnePlus too soon. While the sunroof takes about 5 seconds to make the transition between opaque to transparent, OnePlus has reduced it to 0.7 seconds in Concept One.

The electrochromic glass is a special type of glass which switches between opaque to transparent and vice-versa based on the exposure to current. When current is applied to the glass it becomes transparent and remains as long as the effect of current lasts.

The future form factor

Still in its infancy, the Concept One will still need further enhancement and development before it becomes a finished product. But we have already thought of where it can be useful.

As you may have noticed, there has been a trend of launching phones with multiples cameras. The growing number of the camera has been sort of an issue for smartphone designers. The electrochromic glass can stop smartphones from getting ugly.

OnePlus Concept One Camera Display — Credit: The Verge

The glass can also profit the photographers. Under the semi-transparent state, the glass can be deployed as a neutral density filter under bright light.

Challenges

While the new-technology sounds interesting, it comes with its own challenges. First of all, the phone with electrochromic glass will definitely be more expensive than a phone without it. It may seem like a marketing gimmick to many of the users.

Technically, there are two things to be taken care of – time and power management. As we stated earlier, an average electrochromic glass takes about 5 seconds to make the transition from opaque to transparent and vice versa. It is an awful lot of time to wait for the camera to be usable.

The electrochromic glass mechanism is based on the flow of current. So, it is extremely important to make the phone power-efficient as smartphones don’t come with supercars’ batteries.

So what do you make of the OnePlus Concept One? Do you think phones with a hidden camera will be the next big thing? Let us know in the comment section below.

Also, check out our unboxing video of the OnePlus 7T!

CES 2020: Samsung’s “artificial human” NEON disappointingly is just a digital humanoid avatar

Nikhil Shrestha

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January 8, 2020

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The tech world was recently taken by surprise and intrigue with the rumors of an “artificial human” NEON from Samsung. A few leaked videos on the internet had most people (including me) fooled about just how futuristic the tech would be. Then again, those photo-realistic artificial beings might’ve fooled anyone. But let me rip that band-aid right off before the cup of expectations overflows.

All the promotional videos leaked or used officially by STAR (Samsung Technology and Advanced Research) Labs were actually just simulations, filmed using real person and the final product is nowhere near what we were led to believe. A few live interactions with NEON at the CES 2020 objectively prove that the project has got a long way to go before it meets its goal; the goal of being a virtual companion. Ah man, I had so many Westworld puns for this, but alas!

Samsung NEON – A human, far too artificial

Let’s try to understand what NEON actually is. First and foremost, it’s not an AI assistant, no sir. There’s no Google Assistant, Alexa, Bixby, Siri or any of those other thingamajigs. According to STAR Labs (which coincidentally happens to be the name of a science and research lab is DC universe as well), NEON is merely a human companion. It can make and build a conversation with you alongside “realistic” emotions, in multiple languages too; like English, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese, etc. Unlike a digital assistant, it will not tell you if Nepal has the most unique flag in the world or which country is the home to the tallest mountain on Earth.

NEON avatars

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While the company’s obvious goal is to make the tech as realistic as possible, a few live demos show just where it stands as of now. A conversation‘s got to be fluent and quasi-instant but a NEON will not deliver you that, not yet. The time it takes is too slow and the facial expressions and the body language will book you a trip to the uncanny valley for sure. Go watch CNET’s video to actualize my disappointment. The tech would have absolutely wrinkled everyone’s brain had it been remotely close to what we were alluded to. Do you remember Sophia – the AI robot? Yeah, the NEON could be called a virtual Sophia at this point.

How they work

The Samsung “artificial human” NEON is powered by the Core R3 platform (which stands for Reality, Realtime, and Responsive). On the other hand, its intelligence, learning, emotions, and memory are powered by SPECTRA, the detail of which remains a mystery.

“In the near future, one will be able to license or subscribe to a NEON as a service representative, a financial advisor, a healthcare provider, or a concierge. Over time, NEONs will work as TV anchors, spokespeople, or movie actors; or they can simply be companions and friends.”

Now that… is just a far-fetched goal but not unaccomplishable in any way. Your personal teacher, gym instructor, health advisor, who you can get in touch with at any time? Where do I sign up? However, STAR Labs was insistent on how NEON is not meant to be an alternative to a real person, no. Sure it can form memories, acquire skills, develop a personality, but replace a human it shall not.

And let me also point out how NEON is just… extra sci-fi; know what I mean? From the tech itself to the company’s statements regarding it, the NEON Artificial Human from Samsung eerily walks that line. Allow me to quote Pranav Mistry, CEO of the Project NEON and the head of STAR Labs:

“There are millions of species on our planet, and we hope to add one more.”

Doesn’t that feel, weirdly and uncomfortably progressive? For me, it sounded like something Niander Wallace from Blade Runner 2049 would say.

CES 2020: The world’s first 7nm mobile processors are obviously from AMD!

Nikhil Shrestha

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January 8, 2020

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CES 2020: The world’s first 7nm mobile processors are obviously from AMD!

AMD is just absolutely slaying Intel at this point and the competition has no trick up its sleeves against Dr. Lisa Su and company. While Team Blue was busy demonstrating its AI capabilities on “Selections” on Adobe Photoshop (and I’m pretty sure the dude from Adobe showing off the tech was on coke, or God is dead) at CES 2020, and the impressive Ghost Canyon NUC modular PC, AMD wowed us all with its 7nm Zen 2 Ryzen 4000 mobile processors, a new Radeon RX 5600 XT graphics cards for 1080p gaming, the monster Threadripper 3990X and more.

AMD Ryzen 4000 APUs

2019 was when AMD finally pulled itself by the bootstraps and offered stiff competition to Intel and NVIDIA, who had basically been hogging the CPU and GPU market for years. And now, the company is looking to replicate its success of desktop business onto laptops as well. Codenamed “Renoir“, the new 7nm Ryzen 4000 series mobile processors will go head to head against Intel’s 10nm Ice Lake mobile CPUs (and also surpass them while they’re at it).

Based on the new Zen 2 architecture, these APUs contain up to 8 cores/16 threads on both 15W and 45W TDP. But like the last-gen Ryzen 3000 mobile processors, the new ones’ GPU is based on the Vega architecture as well. Despite this, AMD has optimized it on the 4000 series to have 59% better performance than the last-gen processors with the same Vega architecture.

‘U’ Series

Let’s talk about the ones with 15W TDP first. These processors with ‘U’ moniker suffixed to them as you can expect are designed for light, thin, and portable laptops. Here, AMD is keeping the naming convention to Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 akin to its predecessors and Intel’s Core i3, i5, and i7.

The top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 4800U comes with 8 cores and 16 threads with base clock of 1.8GHz and a boost clock of 4.2GHz. What’s more, this APU comes with AMD Radeon Graphics with 8 GPU cores at 1750MHz. During the keynote, the company put the 4800U to comparison against Intel’s Core i7-1065G7, where AMD claims the Ryzen 7 4800U delivers 4% higher single-thread, a whopping 90% better multi-thread and 28% graphics performance. This is all the more impressive considering the fact that both of them are 15W chips.

Additionally, all mobile processors under the new Ryzen 4000 series are bound to have a better battery life thanks to the efficient 7nm lithography compared to 12nm of the old 3rd-gen mobile processors (more than twice as the company claims). One of the first laptops making use of the Ryzen 7 4800U will be Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7.

‘H’ Series

Now let’s get into the ones with 45W TDP rating. These high-performance processors are designed for gaming and content creation. Apart from the 4800H and 4600H, there’s also the Ryzen 7 4800HS, which is exclusive to ASUS with a 45W performance on a 35W envelope. This processor will debut on the company’s upcoming Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop.

Here, the Ryzen 7 4800H comes with 8 cores and 16 threads as well, with the base clock of 2.9GHz and max boost clock of up to 4.2GHz. It’s got 7 Radeon cores with 1600MHz frequency. Moving to comparison, the Ryzen 7 4800H outperforms the Intel Core i7-9750H in almost every single metric. Moreover, it is also faster than the desktop Intel Core i7-9700K! Wow! Talking statistics, the Ryzen 7 4800H is 39% faster in 3DMark FireStrike Physics test, and 46% faster in Cinebench r20.

Dell’s G5 15 Special Edition (SE) will be the first of devices to incorporate the Ryzen 7 4800H, as well as the Radeon RX 5600M (Navi architecture). All these processors are expected to ship within Q1 2020 in over 12 new models. Furthermore, AMD plans to make more than 1000 models and 100+ systems under the Ryzen 4000 Mobile family available by the end of 2020. Also later in the year, the company is launching Pro Series Ryzen 4000 series processors for the enterprise market.

Realme drops the price of Realme C2 in Nepal amidst Redmi 8 dominance

Pratima Adhikari

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January 8, 2020

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Realme drops the price of Realme C2 in Nepal amidst Redmi 8 dominance

Realme C2 has had quite a success in the Nepali market. It was well-received by the Nepali audience in the budget segment. However, last month, Xiaomi launched the Redmi 8 and Redmi 8A which outperformed all the variants of Realme C2 in every aspect. Hence, Realme Nepal has dropped the price of the Realme C2 to compete against Xiaomi.

Overview:

The Realme C2 features a 6.1-inches display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. You get 2 or 3GB DDR3 RAM and 16 or 32 GB eMMC internal storage expandable up to 256 GB via a dedicated slot.

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Also read: Realme Mobiles Price in Nepal

The best thing about it is the huge 4,000 mAh battery. Likewise, the dual 13+2 MP cameras also steal a lot of light. The selfie camera is a 5 MP shooter. Performance is backed by the Mediatek Helio P22 chipset, which is an entry-level processor but still acceptable for the price.

The back of the Realme C2 is made of a textured plastic and looks good for the budget price-tag. It comes with a micro-USB port with 10W charging and hence lacks the fast charging tech.

Realme C2 Specifications:

Design: Plastic body with plastic frames
Display: 6.1 inches (720 x 1560 pixels), 19.5:9 ratio
OS: Android Pie (Color OS)
Rear Camera: Dual 13 MP f/2.2 + 2 MP f/2.4 depth sensor
Front Camera: 5 MP f/2.0
Processor: MediaTek Helio P22
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 2 or 3 GB
Storage: 16 or 32 GB onboard, expandable up to 256 GB, dedicated slot
Battery: 4000 mAh non-removable
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Colors: Black Diamond and Blue Diamond
Read the review of Realme C2 here

Realme C2 Price in Nepal [Updated 2020]

Here is the new updated price of Realme C2 in Nepal:

Model Name	Old Price	New Price in Nepal
Realme C2 (2GB/16GB)	Rs.14,290	Rs.12,990
Realme C2 (2GB/32GB)	Rs.13,999	Rs.14,390
Realme C2 (3GB/32GB)	Rs.15,990	Rs.15,990

Despite the marginal price drop, I still think the Redmi 8 (Read review) is the best phone under Rs. 15,000. The Redmi 8 offers 4+64GB RAM/ROM, a bigger battery, a Type-C port, and a much capable camera. Similarly, the Redmi 8A is also a better choice as it shares the same DNA with the Redmi 8 in terms of features and performance.

Watch our review of Redmi 8 here: