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

GadgetByte

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January 9, 2020

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:

OnePlus 8 Lite – all the rumors till now

GadgetByte

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January 8, 2020

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OnePlus 8 Lite – all the rumors till now

Will OnePlus try venturing into the mid-range market again? We’ve not seen such a handset from OnePlus since it launched the OnePlus X back in 2015. However, with the so-called OnePlus 8 Lite we might soon see a mid-ranger from OnePlus again.

Famed for offering premium features for a relatively cheaper price, OnePlus well and truly was the real “Flagship Killer”. So, widening the range of offered products is naturally the way to move forward. But will the OnePlus 8 Lite be a success? That only time can tell. For now, we’ve gathered all the rumors concerning the phone.

According to various sources, the OnePlus 8 Lite will sport a 6.4” OLED display panel with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The screen could also have a 90Hz refresh rate. We’ve previously seen the 90Hz screen in the OnePLus 7T too. So including such a screen in a mid-range phone could well be its USP.

Also Read: OnePlus mobile prices in Nepal

OnePlus 8 Lite Cameras

Furthermore, the display will also include a punch hole to house the front camera. Now that’s also something new. Previously, OnePlus favored the notch display. However, this change in design seems like a step forward. But then again OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro too is rumored to have a punch-hole display. And apparently, the front camera will be a 32MP selfie shooter.

Regarding the rear camera, however, there are multiple conflicting leaks. A leaked image showed only a dual-camera setup on the back. However, a previously leaked specs sheet suggested that there’s a triple camera setup on the back.

Subsequently leaked photos have however confirmed that three on the back rumor makes sense. The cameras are likely to be of 48MP (primary), 16MP (ultra-wide) and 12MP (telephoto).

OnePlus has decided to go with MediaTek this time around to make the device more affordable. They will probably go with the Dimensity 1000. It’s a 5G SoC thus the handset could be a great and affordable 5G handset. There’s probably going to be a RAM of 8Gb and 128/256GB storage.

As far as the battery is concerned, the rumor is that it is of 4000mAh. Also, other rumors suggest that it’ll support 30W fast charging.

Oneplus 8 Lite Launch Date & Price

The probable launch date of the Oneplus 8 Lite is going to be somewhere around May 2020. It is expected to cost US $399 (NRs. 45,000). Hopefully, it’ll launch alongside the relatively heavy priced OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. So, there’s still a lot of time left until the launch. However, with the CES this week, we’ll probably get to learn more about the OnePlus 8 Lite.

CES 2020: Alienware Concept UFO looks to “Switch” PC gaming up a notch!

Nikhil Shrestha

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January 7, 2020

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CES 2020 is upon us, ladies and gentlemen. And we’re getting to see so many new and exciting innovations this year, like the year before (you know the drill). Last year, Dell’s Alienware revealed the coveted “Area-51m” laptop with some serious power and more importantly, upgradability. Being able to replace the CPU and even the GPU (though of a non-traditional form factor) was something the world had yet to witness in a laptop but regardless was ready for. Well, Alienware has done it again – not release a similar laptop I mean, but the company has wowed us once more. Though it’s only a prototype at this point, the Alienware Concept UFO looks to make PC gaming more portable than ever with its design language similar to that of the Nintendo Switch.

Alienware Concept UFO

Before going deeper into the rabbit hole, let me make something perfectly clear. There have been similar (and I mean that in every sense of the word) products in the past but were far from being as practical as the Concept UFO hopes to be. The Razer Edge Pro and NVIDIA SHIELD K1 looked to make PC gaming portable with their sleeker and tablet-like form factor but ultimately failed to do so.

The Alienware Concept UFO on the other hand, from the early looks of it, feels promising to say the least. Unquestionably borrowing the design from the Nintendo Switch, this device runs on Windows 10. Woah, that idea in itself sounds otherworldly and maybe that’s why the company’s calling it “Concept UFO”. I kid of course.

While enthusiastic developers have worked to the bone to get Android and Windows running on the Switch (with some succeeding even), the Concept UFO changes the game altogether. Alienware looks to completely disturb the handheld gaming arena as it is, while additionally capitalizing on the limitations of the Nintendo Switch as well.

What does it pack?

The only thing we know about the Concept UFO regarding its specifications at this point is that it has an 8-inch Full-HD (1920 x 1200 pixels) touchscreen display, runs Windows 10, comes with two magnetically latched controllers, and weighs about 900 grams. Moreover, there’s also a controller hub where you can place the controllers to compositely use it as a… regular controller!

Alienware Concept UFO Controller Hub — Credit: Future (not the rapper)

And like the Nintendo Switch, you can also plug it into an external display source via a Type-C connector. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack and additionally, you can also rest the Concept UFO into a surface with its wide kickstand. On the back, there’s a honeycomb styled air vent.

More than a portable gaming machine

The Alienware Concept UFO is more than just a handheld PC gaming device (which is pretty impressive on its own if I haven’t mentioned that earlier). It has an 8-inch touchscreen display which means it’s a full-fledged tablet as well. Connect a keyboard and a mouse wirelessly and boom, now you can get to work on the go. To put it simply, it’s a small Windows tablet; there you go.

Alienware Concept UFO: What the future holds

With some international techies getting their hand-on on the Alienware Concept UFO, what we can derive is that it is a damn promising device. The games run smooth and the device is easy to hold on to as well. But of course, there will be some compromises in bringing a PC gaming experience on such a small form factor. First and foremost, it runs loud (maybe distractingly loud even). And there’s the question about battery. How long will it last?

Let me pull out from the bottomless freefall of these hordes of questions and once again remind you that the Alienware Concept UFO is just a prototype at this point. We don’t know when and if it’s going to come out, what will it cost, nothing. This thing’s not even in its beta stage as of now. If the company does decide to greenlight the project into commercial production, what’s clear is that there are a lot of things to work upon beforehand.

Realme X50 5G announced with Snapdragon 765G and 120Hz display

GadgetByte

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January 7, 2020

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Realme X50 5G announced with Snapdragon 765G and 120Hz display

Right now, there’s nothing that can overshadow the hype of 5G technology. In such a scenario, smartphone companies have started a trend to incorporate it into their products. Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, ZTE, among others have promised new 5G capable smartphones in 2020. And now there is a new brand joining the trend – Realme. After numerous leaks and teasers, the Chinese smartphone brand has finally launched its first 5G smartphone — the Realme X50 5G.

Realme X50 5G Specs Overview

The Realme X50 is powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 765G processor which comes with Snapdragon X52 5G modem. The chipset is featured in Xiaomi’s Redmi K30 and OPPO Reno3 Pro. Talking about the Snapdragon 765G, it is a 5G-ready chip just like the Snapdragon 765 but with further enhancement to improve the gaming experience. It comes with 10-bit HDR gaming support and high display refresh rates. Qualcomm also claims boosted clock speed of up to 2.4GHz on the chipset.

with the Snapdragon 765G, you won’t have to worry much about network compatibility, as it can support both SA (Standalone) and NSA (Non-Standalone) 5G standards, along with the mm-wave. There will also be a feature to allow you to connect to a 5G network and Wi-Fi simultaneously for better stability.

The display in the Realme X50 is a 6.57-inch 1080P IPS LCD panel with a smooth 120Hz panel. Weirdly, it lacks the Super AMOLED panel, considering all of Realme’s X-series had one. The display features a pill-shaped hole to accommodate the dual selfie camera of 16MP regular and an 8MP ultra-wide.

On the back, there’s a quad-camera setup that comprises of 64MP Samsung GW1 sensor, 12MP telephoto, 8MP wide-angle, and a 2MP macro. Battery-wise, you get a 4200mAh battery with enhanced VOOC 4.0 30W fast charging technology. The Realme X50 5G will ship with two color options: Polar White and Glacier Blue.

In terms of software, it runs on Android 10 with Realme’s custom UI. It’s the first Realme phone with its own Realme UI, after ditching the Oppo’s Color OS.

Realme X50 Specifications:

OS: Android 10 with realme UI
Display: 6.57-inch (1080×2400 pixels) Full HD+ 20:9 IPS LCD with 120Hz refresh rate
SoC: Snapdragon 765G
CPU: Octa-Core (1x 2.4GHz Cortez A76 + 1x 2.2GHz Cortex A76 + 6x 1.8GHz Cortex A55)
GPU: Adreno 620
RAM: 6GB / 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X
Storage: 128GB / 256GB (UFS 2.1)
SIM Type: Dual SIM (5G)
Back Camera:
– 64MP rear camera with Samsung GW1 sensor, 0.8μm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, LED flash, EIS stabilization
– 12MP Telephoto lens with f/2.5 aperture for up to 20x hybrid zoom
– 8MP 119° ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.25 aperture
– 2MP 4cm macro lens with f/2.4 aperture, 960fps slow-motion
Front Camera:
– 16MP front-facing camera with Sony IMX471 sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 1.0μm pixel size
– 8MP 105° ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face-unlock
Audio: USB Type-C audio, 1216 Linear Speaker, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio certification
Dimensions: 163.8×75.8×8.9mm; Weight: 202g
Connectivity: 5G SA/ NSA / Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, NFC, USB Type-C
Battery: 4200mAh with 30W VOOC 4.0 flash wired charge

Realme X50 5G Price and Availability

Realme X50 5G (8GB + 128GB): 2499 yuan (US$ 359 / Rs. 41,500)
Realme X50 5G (6GB + 256GB): 2699 yuan (US$ 388 / Rs. 44,800)
Realme X50 5G (12GB + 256GB): 2999 yuan (US$ 430 / Rs. 49,800)

Realme X50 is already available in China. It is expected to launch in India next month. However, there’s no word on when it’s going to launch in Nepal as we haven’t seen any X-series phones being launched by Realme Nepal to date.

Also, Check out our review of Realme XT here:

Escobar Fold 1 continues to create controversies at CES 2020

GadgetByte

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January 7, 2020

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Escobar Fold 1 continues to create controversies at CES 2020

Last year, there was a lot of fuzz about foldable phones. With the leading smartphone companies going all-in to come up with the best design. Who won? That’s something we can sit down and discuss on. But everyone will agree that the foldable phones, with the price tag they came with, were more of a novelty item than a daily driver. But would our perspective change if the price were cheaper? Does a foldable phone under $400 excite you? Well, it does to me. Recently, a new phone-based on folding technology went on sale for $350 – Escobar Fold 1. When we thought that it has the potential to take the world by surprise, it has been denied a spot at the Consumer Electronics Show.

CES 2020 is officially underway and it is the biggest platform for innovators to showcase their products. Companies boasting about their new products of innovation often make the headlines. Recently, we told you about Samsung unveiling its “Odyssey” gaming monitors along with a new QLED 8K TV with integrated AI technology. Well, these were about the products which we are going to see in the event. Let’s talk about the Escobar Fold 1 and why it won’t be allowed entry in the CES. You may be surprised to know that Escobar Inc. has accused Samsung of the cause.

What’s in the name?

What’s in the name you may say. “A lot of things” would be the reply from the CES committee. You may have guessed right from the name that Escobar Fold 1 has some sort of ties with Pablo Escobar – the notorious drug dealer. His brother Roberto Escobar has joined hands with Swedish entrepreneur Olof Gustafsson to come up with the idea of Escobar Fold 1. Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has decided that it would not be “a good thing” if the Escobar Fold 1 is present in the show.

Escobar vs Apple?

When Escobar Inc announced their Escobar Fold 1, Roberto shared his plan to beat Apple. He even declared to sue Apple for deceiving people with their overpriced devices. But before that, he said he wanted to beat the top smartphone companies by introducing phones that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars at a fraction of the price.

While the name associated with the phone seems to be the problem, Olof Gustafsson has said that they are being suppressed because they possess a major threat to big companies. He even went on to name a specific brand behind the so-called suppression – Samsung.

“Samsung is afraid, afraid of us being present at the same event side by side while we present a much superior product, sold at a better price. In fact, they use their power to silence us. They forget that Pablo Escobar was there long before them and will be there long after”

We are yet to hear anything from Samsung on this matter.

The story of Escobar Fold 1

If you find this saga strange enough let me tell you the story of how Escobar Fold 1 came to be. Down to the bare bones, Escobar Fold 1 is nothing but a variant of the Royole FlexPai with some new elements. But at the time of its announcement, Escobar Fold 1 is priced at $350; which makes it about $950 cheaper than the FlexPai. Strange? I haven’t even talked about the marketing strategy they adopted to advertise the phone. The team behind the marketing campaign at Escobar Inc. published clips of women wearing lingerie with the Escobar Fold 1. These clips were part of a rather strange and controversial promotional campaign.

Escobar Fold 1 Specifications

Body: 7.49 x 5.28 x 0.30 inches; 320 gm (with battery)
Display: 7.8-inches Flexible AMOLED panel
Resolution: Full-HD+ (1920 x 1444 pixels); 4:3 aspect ratio; 308ppi
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855; 7nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (Up to 2.8GHz)
GPU: Adreno 640
RAM: 6 / 8GB
Storage: 128 / 512GB (expandable up to 256GB via a dedicated SD card slot)
Software & UI: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Camera: Dual-camera; 16MP f/1.8 + 20MP f/1.8; Dual LED Flash; OIS
Fingerprint sensor: Yes (Physical)
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), Dual-Band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS with BDS, USB Type-C
Battery: 4000 mAh battery with 25W fast charging; 5V/5A
Colors: Black

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 will lead the gaming smartphone lineup of 2020

GadgetByte

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January 7, 2020

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Xiaomi Black Shark 3 will lead the gaming smartphone lineup of 2020

Xiaomi launched the original Black Shark way back in 2018. With the Black Shark, Xiaomi had a handset to compete against Razer’s Razer Phone in a rather new segment of Gaming Smartphones. Xiaomi’s efforts were well appreciated. The company now has a good number of smartphones under its gaming sub-brand – Black Shark. The Black Shark Helo, Black Shark 2, and Black Shark 2 Pro have all received positive responses from the users. And now, Xioami looks to add to that number with Black Shark 3.

Early Rumors

With the success that the company had with the Black Shark series of gaming smartphones, it was only logical to launch the Black Shark 3. Last month, the certification of a phone, which was thought to be the new Black Shark 3, grabbed attention. The phone with the model name SHARK KLE-A0 was certified in China on the 20th of December. The certification didn’t reveal much but the 5G support for the device.

Xiaomi Black Shark 3 Leaks

If the recent leaks are to be believed, the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 will hit the market as early as February. Xiaomi is already working on the phone and many of the phone’s hardware has already been finalized.

According to the leaks, Xiaomi’s new Black Shark 3 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865. To recall, the latest flagship processor was launched in December at the annual Tech Summit of Qualcomm. It won’t be the first device to feature the device. It isn’t even the first device from Xiaomi to come up with the chipset. Xiaomi had announced Mi 10 series to feature the chipset during the launch of SD 865.

Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro - Gameplay — Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro

2020 is going to the year of 5G. Almost every smartphone manufacturer is working to integrate it into their new offerings. As Qualcomm has already announced that the SD 865 will come bundled with the X55 modem, we can confirm the 5G connectivity on the new Black Shark.

Also, read about the best mid-range gaming smartphones

The phone is also set to feature a 4,700 mAh. Well, phones with battery over 4,000mAh aren’t something new, Black Shark will come with 30W Flash Charge. According to leaks, Xiaomi is working on even more rapid charging technology and if it were to be a success, it would land on the Black Shark 3.

The new year hasn’t even started properly we already have so much to look forward to in terms of gaming smartphones. Whether it be the first gaming phone under Lenovo Legion or the new iteration of Xiaomi’s Black Shark, 2020 will be a memorable year for the mobile gaming segment.

Launch

The phone is expected to launch in February. The details about the pricing of the phone will be clear once the full specifications are out.

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