ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 was one of the first laptops powered by Ryzen’s latest 4000 series of processors. The device has been widely hailed for its performance and battery endurance. And now, the company is coming with another laptop with Ryzen’s Renoir processor. The upcoming laptop is tipped to be the ASUS Zenbook 14 UX4341Q which will be powered by Ryzen 7 4700U.
ASUS Zenbook Overview
ASUS’ ZenBook series offers some of the best ultrabooks. These laptops are well known for being the sweet spot between performance, affordability, and portability. From the commencement of the lineup in 2011 to up until now, ZenBook ultrabooks have been powered by Intel’s Core processor. However, with the launch of the new Renoir processor based on 7nm nodes, ASUS has finally made the switch.
ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX4341Q) Overview
The new ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX4341Q) will be the successor to UX392FN. The most noticeable change has been in the CPU and GPU. Compared to last year’s Intel Core i7-8565U, the new ZenBook 14 comes with Ryzen 7 4700U. Though many manufacturers are still sticking to Intel’s Comet Lake H-series (based on 14nm nodes) for flagship laptops, there is nothing in the U-series that can battle it out against Ryzen 4000 U-series laptop.
Ryzen 7 4700U comes with 8 cores and 8 threads. The closest contender from Intel is the Core i7-10710U. It is part of Intel’s 10 Gen Comet Lake family of the processor. It is based on Intel’s 14nm node and has come with 6 cores and 12 threads. But Ryzen 7 4700 has faster base clock frequency @ 2.0Hz and is equipped with 7 core AMD Radeon Graphics. The 15W chipset comes with 12MB of L2/L3 cache size (4MB + 8MB). ASUS has also included GeForce MX350 GPU to aid the Radeon Graphics dring graphics intensive task. The device will come with 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 1TB of Samsung PM981 NVMe SSD.
Though Asus seems to have got the processor right, many are questioning the inclusion of MX350. The GeForce MX350 is an entry-level GPU. While it is an upgrade to last year’s MX150, many argue it wasn’t necessary as performance is nearly the same as that of the integrated GPU in the 4700U. Also, its inclusion means added cost and will affect battery endurance.
Many people are skeptical about how the new Ryzen processors are going to handle the thermals. We are not going to really know unless we test it out ourselves. However, these new chipsets are almost twice as power-efficient than the Ryzen 3000 series. And also, no one has reported an issue with the thermal in the Zephyrus G14 yet, which happens to be the only device with Ryzen 9 4900HS.
So what do you think of the new ASUS ZenBook 14? Has the leak excited you? Let us know with your comments.
Lately, HP is grabbing all the headlines for coming out with what it claims to be the most powerful workstations in the world. In an unexpected move, it also introduced the new Envy 15 2020 which looks to compete against the MacBook Pro 16. While it will take some time for the newly introduced laptop to hit the market, the HP Envy 17 2020, which was unveiled earlier this month, is now available for sale through the company’s official site. Let’s find out what improvements does the Envy 15 2020 brings compared to its predecessor.
HP Envy 17 2020 Overview
Design and Display
The latest iteration of the HP Envy 17 comes with the same 17.3-inch IPS FHD panel. but you can now bump the resolution to 4K UHD. Both the options come with WLED-backlit panel and edge to edge glass but with the former, you can also opt for a touch-enabled display. The device has a screen to body ratio of 86%. With the new dimension of 15.71 x 10.20 x 0.76-inches, it is smaller than its predecessor. HP has also managed to reduce the weight of the device to just 6.02lb.
The new Envy 17 comes with Intel Ice Lake processor which doesn’t make much sense as its predecessor came with Comet Lake processor. Both are part of Intel’s 10 Gen family but the former is based on 10nm node that Intel hasn’t crafted well. In contrast, Intel has worked a lot with Comet Lake’s 14nm nodes which makes the Comet Lake better optimized. Also, Comet Lake is better suited for activities that demand more power thanks to bigger cache, and higher clock speed. But the new Envy 17 comes with up to 4GB of GeForce MX330 graphics which is an upgrade to MX250 (2GB). You can get up to 32GB of DDR4-3200 RAM (two-channel) and 1TB NVMe M.2 storage. There is also an option for a combination of HDD and NVMe M.2 storage.
You can choose between Intel AC9560 WiFi 5 or the AX021 WiFi 6 adapter. As for the ports, you get an SD card reader, 3 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-A ports, 1 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-C port, an audio-mic combo jack, and an HDMI 2.0 port. The Li-ion battery is slightly bigger at 55Wh but the power adapter has remained the same at 65W. HP claims a battery life of up to 11 hours depending upon the usage. Thanks to the Fast Charge technology, you can charge the device from 0 to 50% in just under 50 minutes. HP has included a camera shutter along with the Wide Vision HD camera. There is also a dedicated mute button for the dual array digital microphone. It comes with a 3D fingerprint sensor for biometrics.
Ports: 1 x SD card reader, 3 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-A ports, 1 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-C port, 1 x audio-mic combo jack, 1 x HDMI 2.0 port
Check out the latest Lenovo Legion 5 lineup of gaming laptops
HP Envy 17 Price and Availability
HP Envy 17 2020 is listed on sale on HP’s official store where the price starts from $1099 for the base variant. As of now, the laptop is available in a few select markets including the US.
HP has pulled the curtain off its latest lineup of ZBook mobile workstations. The 2020 iteration of the ZBook series comes with two new laptops – HP ZBook Studio G7 and ZBook Create G7. They both offer a similar set of specs that appeals to professional users. HP has made some bold claims about the new series that are said to “Bring Creativity to Life”.
HP ZBook Studio G7, ZBook Create G7 Overview
What content creators require is a powerful setup but it also needs to be portable. Thus, manufacturers including HP, have invested a lot of time and energy in developing portable systems. However, with the portable form factor, users have always been compelled to compromise on power. The new HP ZBook series tries to overcome this gap between portability and power. HP has claimed to have developed these devices form ground up to better serve the professional content creators.
Design and Build
HP claims that the new HP ZBook laptops are the most powerful of their kind. The ZBook Studio G7 is said to be the most powerful workstation per cubic-centimeter and the ZBook Create G7 is being advertised as the world’s smallest 15″ notebook for creation and gaming. HP has reduced the size of the laptops to a great extent. Compared to their previous generation, HP has reduced the volume by up to 22% while still adding to the battery life. These are big claims even for a brand like HP so we will have to wait to see if they are true.
What we can say is that both the laptops share a similar design with an aluminum unibody. Instead of the company’s logo, the lid of the laptop features a Z branding to represent the lineup that they represent. Both the laptops have gone through the MIL-STD testing so they are bound to be tough and durable. HP has also claimed that these are the first workstations to make use of ocean-bound plastic.
For content creators, it is not only about the power and the form factor. A good workstation also needs to have a display that can view contents with great color accuracy. The ZBook 2020 lineup sports 15.6-inch 4K panel that comes with HDR support. The panel is Pantone-certified and thus promises accurate color reproduction.
For performance, the ZBook series comes with either of next-gen Intel Core i9 or the Intel Xeon mobile processor. The processors have been designed to handle multi-threaded content creator software such as the Adobe Premiere Pro. The ZBook Create G7 and ZBook Studio G7 come with different GPUs. The latter offers GeForce RTX Studio graphics which is better suited for starters and freelancers. With GPU such as RTX 2080 Super, you can even use the Create G7 for gaming. ZBook Studio, on the other hand, comes with up to GeForce Quadro RTX Studio 5000 and is better suited for professional content creators. You can have up to 32GB of RAM and 4TB of local NVMe storage.
You will have complete control over the system thanks to the Z Power Slider that you scale down the performance as per your requirement. Scaling down the performance will certainly keep the battery healthy. However, during the resource-demanding tasks, HP’s new vapor cooling system and the Z predictive Fan Algorithm will ensure the heat produced is uniformly transmitted for a cooler system.
HP claims a battery life of up to 17.5 hours on the new ZBook series. For connectivity, both the ZBook Studio and ZBook Create offer a wide range of ports which include an SD card reader, an HDMI port, 2 x USB Type C port, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A port, a nano-security lock slot, and a combo audio jack.
HP ZBook Studio G7, Create G7 Specifications:
Design & Build: 13.9W x 9.2D x 0.7H-inches; 3.96pounds
Display: 15.6-inches 4K screen; 87% screen to body ratio; Next-Gen DreamColor Display, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, HDR capability
Keyboard: Z Command Keyboard; 1.3mm key travel
Processor: Next-gen Intel Core i9 / Intel Xeon mobile processor
RAM: up to 32GB RAM
Graphics: up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 / up to NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000
Battery: up to 17.5 hours
Storage: up to 4TB local NVMe storage
Ports: 1x SD card reader, 1x HDMI port, 2 x USB Type C port, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A port, 1x nano-security lock slot, 1x combo audio jack
HP ZBook Studio G7, Create G7 Launch & Availability
The new HP ZBook Studio G7 and ZBook Create G7 will be available for sale through HP’s official site starting from August 2020. We are yet to hear about the price and availability of the device. But given the claims, they certainly won’t come cheap.
Model name
Launch Date
HP ZBook Studio G7
August 2020
HP ZBook Create G7
August 2020
So what do you think of the new HP ZBook lineup? Will it live up to the name that the brand claims it to be? Let us know with your comments.
It hasn’t been long since Oppo unveiled the Ace 2 but it has already launched yet another 5G device. The company has now quietly listed the new Oppo A92s for pre-order on its official site. Though Oppo is yet to make the complete specs official, we already have a rough idea about how the device specs sheet is going to look like. By the looks of it, Oppo A92s is an attempt from Oppo to deliver an affordable 5G device without missing out on the latest trends in the mid-range segment.
Oppo A92s Overview
Design and Display
Oppo A92s sports a 6.57-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The bezels around the screen are slim except for the bottom where it is more profound than on the other sides. On the top left corner of the screen, one can notice the pill-shaped cut-out which houses the dual selfie camera.
The main talking point of the screen has been the 120Hz refresh rate. Well, we are getting used to seeing a higher refresh rate in the mid-range segment but only a few Oppo products like the Find X2 Pro have it. Even the recently launched and comparatively more premium Ace 2 only has a 90Hz screen. That being said, Oppo has certainly cut some corners to make the 120Hz screen possible. If you have noticed there is no AMOLED display, and the touch sampling rate is just 120Hz which should have been higher than the refresh rate; usually, twice.
The back panel has a 3D glass design. We can’t help but notice the square camera bump. The bump has rounded corners and encloses the quad-camera setup and an LED flash. Two of the sensors along with the LED flash are enclosed inside a pill-shaped bump that stretches along with one of the diagonal lengths. As with the recent trend, the fingerprint sensor has been moved to the side to give the back panel a cleaner look.
Performance and Memory
The device is powered by MT6873V which we all know is the MediaTek Dimensity 800. It is an octa-core chip with 2x A76 cores and 6x A55 cores. Thanks to the integrated modem, the device will support 5G out of the box. It isn’t the processor that everyone is going with at the moment but I guess the choice was made to bring the cost down. You can choose between 6 and 8 of LPDDR4X RAM both of which will come paired with 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage.
Camera
The quad-camera setup on the back is led by a 48MP primary lens which we guess is the Sony IMX586. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, there is a dual selfie camera. The primary sensor is Sony’s 16MP IMX471 which is paired with a 2MP depth sensor for better selfie portraits.
Battery and Other
Though it hasn’t been official, Oppo A92s will have a massive battery of 3880mAh capacity. Oppo A91 came with support for 20W VOOC 3.0 fast charging and we expect the same on this device. The device will ship with ColorOS 7.1 based on Android 10.
Oppo A92s is available for pre-order in China with a price of 2,199 Yuan for 6/128GB variant and 2,499 Yuan for 8/128GB variant. It will go on sale starting from April 29, 2020. Oppo hasn’t spoken about the launch of the Oppo A92s in Nepal yet, but if it launches, we can expect it to carry a price of Rs. 40,000 for the base 6/128GB variant.
Model Name
Price in Nepal [Converted]
Availability
Oppo A92s (6/128GB)
2,199 Yuan (~NPR 40,000)
April 29 (China)
Oppo A92s (8/128GB)
2,499 Yuan (~NPR 45,000)
April 29 (China)
All in all, it is an affordable 5G device if you can live with the LCD panel and Dimensity 800 SoC. It has an interesting set of specs. But there is no denying that there have been compromises to keep the price down while incorporating the latest trend.
Check out our long-term review of Samsung Galaxy A51!
If you look up the best smartwatch to buy, chances are you’d wind up finding the new Apple Watch Series 5 on the top of the list of many websites. And there’s a reason for that. It builds upon the success of earlier generations of Apple’s Watch Series while bringing something new to the table itself. Though it’s already been quite some time since the company launched it, it’s finally available in the domestic market (but with a condition). So let’s check out the features, price, and availability of the Apple Watch Series 5 in Nepal.
Apple Watch Series 5 Overview
Basically, there are two variants available in the new Apple Watch 5 series: the GPS-only40mm model starting from $399 and the 44mm one costing around $429. Similarly, the 40mm and 44mm GPS + cellular models cost $499 and $529 respectively. Sadly, Apple hasn’t allowed the various authorized distributors in Nepal to officially bring the Watch Series 5 in the country. However, it is available on a per-order basis through “unofficial mediums” which means, the prices are going to be a little more expensive than usual.
Design & Display
100% recycled aluminum! Yup. that’s what these watches are made of. It’s great to see tech giants striving for environmental safety! However, buyers will have an option to go for the stainless-steel version for a higher starting price as well. Furthermore, there are a lot of options in terms of choosing the bands and loops too. Users can opt for a sport band, Milanese loop a leather loop and further Nike models with its own additional bands and loops.
A major upgrade that probably many Apple Watch users wanted in the previous iterations is finally included in this one. The Always-on Display (AoD). And it is as the name suggests – the Retina display never turns off. However, the screen dims out while not in use and you can also turn AoD off entirely for battery saving purposes.
This is all thanks to the all-new display driver that the watch integrates. It is power efficient and has ambient light sensors that help provide the always-on display. But the always-on feature is only on when the watch is on your wrist and with watch faces and Workout app. Furthermore, the power efficiency makes sure that despite the screen never shutting down, the Watch does provide its claimed 18-hour battery life.
However, to me, it seems that the major change this time around is the OS. Apple Watch Series 5 uses watchOS 6. This OS brings to the user features such as an on-device app store, functionality options, multiple watch face customization and many more.
Another new addition in this year’s iteration is a magnetometer; one thing making use of it is the new Compass app. It provides information such as latitude, longitude, elevation, and incline. Furthermore, the new Map app update shows you the direction you are facing.
Apple claims that the Watch 5 series has an improved safety feature. The fall detection will come in handy in case of accidental slips. Whereas the emergency SOS feature seems pretty handy too. The cellular version of the device will be able to instantly call emergency services in many countries simply by holding the crown button.
Aside from these, the workout feature remains similar to its predecessor. However, there is a cycle tracking feature cratered for female users. It can track menstrual cycles, make predictions about fertile periods, and add details about things like ovulation test results, cervical mucus quality, body temperature, etc.
Besides this, the Apple Watch Series 5 also has the beloved FDA-approved ECG sensor that made its debut on its predecessor – Watch Series 4. With this, the watch can accurately track and record your heart rate accurately. Moreover, Watch Series 5 can also monitor your surrounding’s noise levels and warn you of any if it gets way too loud, remind you to take a breath, and much more.
Apple Watch Series 5 Specifications:
Dimensions: (40mm: 1.57H x 1.34W x 0.42D-inches); (44mm: 1.73H x 1.50W x 0.42D-inches)
Sensors: Built-in Compass, Barometer Altimeter, Optical Heart Sensor, Electrical Heart Sensor, Gyroscope, Accelerometer with up to 32 g-forces, Ambient Light Sensor
Apple Watch Series 5 Price in Nepal, Availability
As I’ve mentioned earlier, the authorized distributors of Apple products will not be bringing the Watch Series 5 officially in Nepal. However, sellers like Oliz Store will be making it available in the country through unofficial mediums on a per-order basis. Because of this, the price of Apple Watch Series 5 in Nepal will not nearly be comparable to the international like always in terms of any Apple product. Oliz Store has brought the “aluminum case” variants of both 40 and 44mm Apple Watch Series 5 in Nepal and we’ve listed the price below:
For years now, the Spectre lineup was HP’s premium laptop range. However, that is about change now. Today, the laptop manufacturer announced a host of laptops in its Envy lineup. There’s a redesigned Envy 13, Envy x360 15 and most importantly the Envy 15 2020. The new HP Envy 15 is a premium addition to the company’s usually affordable Envy lineup. Thus, it won’t come cheap, though the spec-sheet suggests that it will prove to be money well spent. I am excited about this device, so hopefully, the price of HP Envy 15 in Nepal will not be higher than its international price. We’ll get to the prices soon, but first, let’s see what this device brings to the table.
HP Envy 15 Overview
The HP Envy 15 has been retooled to cater to a very specific group of people, namely – content creators, videographers, photographers and so. This means that this laptop will be a competition for the likes of MacBook Pro 16 and Dell XPS 15. Now, these laptops that I just mentioned are some of the best out there. I mean the MacBook Pro 16-inch has been touted as the most powerful MacBook ever. Similarly, the Dell XPS 15 is said to be a monster of a laptop. So, it won’t be easy for the HP Envy 15 to compete with them. However, the specifications suggest that HP brings in its flare to the table and will probably be a worthy competitor for those two.
Design & Display
The design, for the most part, remains similar to the past Envy designs. It has a minimalist silver design with sharp corners and clear linings. This device weighs around 4.7 pounds and measures 14.1 x 9.3 x 0.7 inches. I have to say the uniform color does keep the aesthetics of the laptop pretty simple. Moreover, on the inside, there are silver keys that align perfectly with the single color tone of the laptop. And there are two Bang & Olufsen powered top-firing speakers on either side of the keyboard. Now, this design might remind you of the Razer Blade 15, which had a similar speaker and track-pad positioning.
Moving on, the display on the HP Envy 15 looks like a gem. It is a 15.6-inch 4K HDR AMOLED panel with narrow bezels. It has 100% DCI-P3 color calibration and Delta E < 2. This means the display will be excellent for its aimed customer group i.e. content creators. If the performance is as good as the specifications suggest, then it will probably end up attracting more customers than the MacBook Pro 16-inch.
Keyboard
As mentioned above, the color of the keys on the HP Envy 15 matches the overall tone of the device. It doesn’t have a Numpad. However, you do get dedicated keys for frequently used apps. The shortcut keys can be used to access the camera, HP Command Center, and more. Moreover, their placement of the fingerprint sensor on this one is also quite intriguing. It is now placed on the left of the arrow keys.
The HP Envy 15 contains the latest Intel 10th Gen Core i9 processor. It is complemented by 32GB DDR4 RAM and 2TB of RAID 0 storage. As for the graphics, the device packs in the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics.
It has an improved thermal design that helps to deliver the best performance even while using graphic-intensive apps. According to HP, this device will be 33% faster than the previous 15-inch MacBook Pro while editing videos via Adobe Premiere Rush CC. However, the Nvidia graphics will still not be enough to run every triple-A title fluidly at the max setting.
As the HP Envy 15 is going to be pitted directly against the MacBook Pro 16 inch, we’ve listed a spec-wise comparison between the devices down below.
Wi-Fi 802.11, a/ac/b/g/n/n 5GHz,, MIMO Bluetooth 4.2
Keyboard
Island-style full-size backlit keyboard
Chiclet style backlit keyboard
OS
Windows 10 Pro
Apple macOS 10.15 Catalina
Battery
83Wh
99.8Wh
Colors
Natural Silver
Silver, Space Gray
HP Envy x360 15
The other laptop that was announced today was the HP Envy x360 15. It is a much toned-down version of its standard Envy counterpart and as a result, will cost much less. The great thing about x360s is that they are convertible, i.e. you can bend them all the way and use it as a tablet.
The available CPU configuration for the lower end variant is either AMD Ryzen 4500U or Intel Core i5-1035G1. As for the higher end, you can fit it with either AMD Ryzen 7 4700U or an Intel Core i7-1065G7. The display can be configured with multiple 1080p options, however, the brightness level is a measly 250 nits as compared to the 400 nits of the standard version. The starting price of the HP X360 15 is $700 for the AMD version and $850 for Intel one.
HP Envy 15, Envy x360 15 Price in Nepal, Availability [Expected]
You can buy the new HP Envy 15 from the company’s official website and sites such as Amazon, Costco and more starting from June 2020. As for the pricing, the starting price, most probably for the Core i7 version, is $1349. We are still in the blind regarding the price of the higher-end variant.
With the lockdown in place for the foreseeable future, we can not exactly give a specific release date of the device in Nepal. But I guess that we should see this device in our market around late August. Talking about the cost, the price of the HP Envy 15 in Nepal should be around Rs. 180,000.
AMD is creating a lot of buzz in the gaming world with its latest Ryzen 4000 mobile chipset series. Although devices like Zephyrus G14 are getting good reviews from reviewers worldwide, it seems like it will still take some time for other manufacturers to incorporate it into their flagship products. At least this is what we think after the recent revamp of its Legion laptop series by Lenovo. The top of the line Lenovo Legion 7 comes with Intel’s 10 Gen Comet Lake processor that was launched earlier this month. Let’s dive deeper into the specs of the latest Legion 7 and see what it has to offer.
Lenovo Legion 7 Series
Lenovo has changed the naming convention for its laptop so that the users can reference a particular model more effectively. The upcoming laptops will have simpler names consisting of one or two letters with or without an “i” suffix. The presence of the “i” suffix would mean the particular variant pf the laptop incorporates an Intel’s processor and vice versa.
After the revamp, the Legion 7 series will be the flagship line up of gaming laptops from the company. The series will incorporate the latest and the most powerful chipset and GPU in the market alongside cutting-latest technology from the brand itself.
Lenovo Legion 7i is the upgrade to last year’s Lenovo Legion Y740 and as of now, it stands as the best premium laptop under the Legion series. It is powered by the latest Intel 10th Generation Comet Lake mobile processor. The maxed-out variant of the laptop will come with i9 – 10980HK processor which the users can overclock for greater speeds. As for the GPU, you now have the option to get the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q over last year’s RTX 2070 Super Max – Q. It may not be as powerful as the standard desktop RTX 2080 Super but given the size constraints of the laptop, it is the best that Lenovo could go with. You can pair the processor with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and 1TB of PCIe SSD storage.
The brand has tried to enhance the performance of the device by the use of Q-Control 3.0. It will help the system switch between Performance mode and Quiet mode. The former will boost the performance of the system while the latter will help reduce the battery drain and the fan noise. There is also a balanced mode which will automatically adjust the setting based on the tasks that the system is handling.
Lenovo Legion 7i sports a 15.3-inch display with FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The built-in 720p webcam resides on the top bezels whereas the bottom bezel shows off the Legion branding. Thankfully, the webcam now comes with a privacy shutter. The display in the base variant comes with a refresh rate of only a 144Hz but you can also opt for the 240Hz variant. The latter comes with NVIDIA G-Sync to avoid screen tearing and is Dolby Vision Enabled as well.
Legion 7 is also one of the first devices to feature NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus which allows seamless switching between the integrated and discrete graphics depending upon the intensity of the application being processed. Also, the GPU is now more closely linked with the display which will help reduce lag and allow G-Sync to function more efficiently.
TrueStrike Keyboard
Another key feature of the laptop is the new TrueStrike Keyboard. Lenovo says it is designed for professional gamers and will yield better typing productivity. Lenovo has managed to include a full-sized keyboard along with the numeric pad and a trackpad. As if the 1.5mm key travel wasn’t enough, the company claims that the second transition curve design will contribute to a more tactile experience. And for the aesthetics, you can illuminate the keys in utilizing the Corsair iCUE system Lighting technology.
Battery and Other
The device is powered by an 80Wh which is an upgrade to 57Wh battery in the Legion Y740 which can be charged up to 50% in just half an hour of charging, thanks to the Rapid Charge Pro capabilities. Under non-gaming scenarios, Lenovo claims that the battery can last up to 8 hours. As far as the port goes, you get 3x USB Type-A ports, 2x USB Type-C ports, an HDMI port, an ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device comes with support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5 and is lighter than its predecessor at just 2.1kg.
Lenovo Legion 7 Specifications:
Design & Build: 14.1W x 10D x 0.8H-inches; 2.1kg
Display: 15.6-inches FHD (1920 x 1080); up to 240Hz refresh rate, 100% Adobe sRGB
Graphics: up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
Battery: 4-cell 80 Watt-hours battery
Storage: 256 / 512 / 1TB PCIe SSD
Webcam: 720p Webcam with privacy shutter
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 ax (WiFi 6), Bluetooth 5.0
Ports: 1x Thunderbolt 3 USB-C, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 2, 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 2x USB 3.1 Type C, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x Audio jack, 1x DC-in, 1x Kensington Lock, 1x RJ45 Ethernet jack,
Lenovo Legion 7 Price and Availability
Lenovo Legion 7 will be available on sale from next month. As of now, the company hasn’t given any information about the price and availability of the device. The price of the Legion 7 will start from $1,599.99 for the base variant.
Remember the ASUS ZenBook Duo/Pro Duo from last year? It had that crazy dual display integrated on the upper half of the keyboard deck, which to some extent, delivered on its promise of enhanced productivity. Having said that, the secondary screen was not free from compromises. Our two major complaints were how it lacked proper support from Windows and its visibility. Though the entire chassis would lift when opening the laptop but still, you’d have to reposition yourself to properly access contents on the smaller screen. Well, ASUS is not backing down on the dual-display trend as its new ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 improves upon the legacy of its ZenBook counterpart. Let’s check out how.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15
Design
Starting with the design, the Zephyrus Duo 15 comes in a premium all-metal chassis and the lid has that classic ROG logo as well. Though it’s a gaming-centered laptop, it doesn’t have that aggressive design approach compared to other high-end ROG Zephyrus laptops we’ve seen in the past. That actually maybe because of the potentials of this beast. It’s got the latest & greatest internals with an embedded secondary display that can come handy in use cases other than gaming. So, the company has been marketing the Zephyrus Duo 15 towards both: content creators and gamers.
Display
Obviously, the display is the most interesting thing about this laptop. There are two variants of the Zephyrus Duo 15; one with a 15.6-inches 4K UHD 60Hz LED-backlit IPS panel&100% Adobe RGB, or a 15.6-inches FHD 300Hz IPS panel & 100% sRGB. These touchscreen supported primary screens have minimal bezels all around and surprisingly, a webcam is missing. Anyways, the secondary display is what we’re excited about so let’s talk about that instead.
It is a 14.1-inches 4K-ish (3840 x 1100) touchscreen panel in both variants, which is supported by a hinge that lifts the panel in the same motion as lifting the lid. The screen (ROG Screenpad Plus) is tilted at 13º for a more comfortable viewing than the one on the ZenBook Pro Duo. Similarly, ASUS has utilized the space underneath the 14.1-inch display by integrating a large 28.5mm air intake for which allows for the inflow of cool air and reduction of fan noise.
You may already have some ideas about how to utilize that ROG Screenpad Plus. Enjoy your game on the main screen and launch your Discord, Twitch or other apps on the secondary screen. It can also act as an extension of one single program like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, etc. for a larger & more comfortable working space. So many possibilities!
Performance & Memory
Seeing how the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, it is powered by the latest Intel processor & NVIDIA graphics. In terms of CPU, you can choose between two high-performance Intel Comet Lake processors – Core i9-10980HK or i7-10875H. Coming to the graphics, you get NVIDIA‘s latest Turing-based RTX SUPER cards; either RTX 2070 or 2080 SUPER, both with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
Getting to memory, the top-end configuration will have up to 32GB of DDR4 SDRAM clocked @3200MHz. However, depending upon the model, you can also choose between either 8 or 16GB of RAM with the same clock speed. Moving on to storage, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 can hold up to 2TB of SSD in RAID 0. Wait, are your eyes glowing with excitement? I kid, of course. ASUS is also particularly proud of how they put together all these components inside an ultra-slim gaming laptop. According to the company, its “easy-upgrade” design, as the name implies, lets you upgrade components like RAM without any unnecessary hassle.
Others
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 has a decent audio system as well. It supports Hi-Res audio, which is delivered by ESS Sabre HiFi DAC, for an immersive virtual surround sound. In terms of the speakers itself, it has 2x 4W speakers with Smart AMP technology. Moreover, it has two audio jacks, one of which is for plugging in dedicated mic for streaming, voice recording, and whatnot.
This laptop has a 90Whr battery and supports USB Type-C PD 3.0 (up to 65W) charging or via the good-ol’ fashioned power adaptor which is a 240W juggernaut. Though a 90Whr battery sounds amazing, given the 4K dual-display & other power-hungry components, the actual endurance may not be that exciting. Now the keyboard on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is a full-sized backlit chiclet keyboard with per-key RGB lighting & a 1.4mm travel distance. The device doesn’t skimp on connectivity options either, though I would’ve loved to see a separate SD card reader as well.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 Specifications:
Design & Build: All-metal chassis; 14.17W x 10.55D x 0.79H-inches; 2.4kg (5.29 pounds)
Connectivity: Intel WiFi 6 with Gig+ performance (ax), Bluetooth 5.0
Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C with DisplayPort 1.4 (Thunderbolt 3 & Power Delivery (PD) 3.0), 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack, 1x 3.5mm microphone jack, 1x RJ45 (LAN) port
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 Price, Availability
Having discussed all its high-end specs, you already know this thing is gonna cost a fortune. And it rightfully does. The most capable model with i9-10980HK, 4K main display, 32GB RAM, 2TB of storage, and RTX 2080 SUPER goes for $3,699. Similarly, the one with the same display, processor, & graphics but only 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage will retail for $3,499. Finally, the cheaper $2,999 configuration has the i7-10875H processor, RTX 2070 SUPER, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. ASUS will be bringing out the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 from July 2020 in the market.
Model Name
Price
Availability
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (4K primary display, i9-10980HK, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD in RAID 0, RTX 2080 SUPER)
$3,699 (~NRs. 452,400)
July 2020
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (4K primary display, i9-10980HK, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, RTX 2080 SUPER)
$3,499 (~NRs. 427,940)
July 2020
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (FHD primary display, i7-10875H, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD in RAID 0, RTX 2070 SUPER)
$2,999 (~NRs. 366,790)
July 2020
In terms of their Nepal availability, there’s no confirmation yet. However, the launch of ZenBook Duo/Pro Duo is a positive sign that the Zephyrus Duo 15 could hit the domestic market as well. But seeing the trend in pricing, we expect the base model to start at over Rs. 4 lakhs, if and when it launches in Nepal.
After the launch of Honor 30S, the company has now added three new devices to the Honor 30 series. The Honor 30, Honor 30 Pro and Honor 30 Pro+ are the top of line smartphones that feature a similar design and a similar set of specs with some tweaks in between them. Let’s take a deeper dive into what the latest additions to the Honor 30 series have to offer in terms of their specs, features, and pricing.
Honor 30 Pro, Pro+ Overview
Design and Display
Both the Honor 30 Pro and Honor 30 Pro+ feature 6.57-inch OLED panels with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. The screen is curved at both edges of the devices. While the Pro+ model supports a refresh rate of up to 90Hz and a response rate of up to 180Hz, the Pro model is stuck with the industry-standard 60Hz refresh rate. They both feature a pill-shaped cut-out for the dual selfie camera. An optical fingerprint sensor has been adjusted under the display of both the devices for biometrics.
Performance and Memory
The device is powered by HiSilicon Kirin 990 which is a flagship chipset based on the 7nm+ EUV2 process. It is paired with Mali G76-MP16 GPU. It is a 5G ready SoC with support for both NSA and SA bands. For the Pro+ model, users can choose from 8GB and 12GB of RAM both of which will be paired with 256GB of internal storage. The Pro model is available with only 8GB of RAM which can be paired with either of 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. You can expand the storage using Huawei’s proprietary NM (Nano Memory) card technology.
On the back, the devices flaunt a triple-camera setup. The primary lens in the Pro+ model is a 50MP sensor while it is a 40MP sensor in the Pro model. The RYYB filter promises better low-light photos on both devices. It is supported by an 8MP periscope lens that supports up to 5X optical zoom. There is also a 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The camera setup comes with support for OIS and can shoot RAW photographs. It can also record 4K videos at 60 fps.
On the front, there is a 32MP primary selfie camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens.
Battery and Others
The devices get their power from a 4000mAh battery which supports SuperCharge technology. Unlike the Pro model, the Pro+ comes with support for 27W wireless charging. Both the devices support WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 LE and are rated IP54 against dust and splash damage.
Honor 30 comes with a similar design. However, the screen here is a flat one which is also reduced to 6.53-inches. The OLED panel comes with a slightly bigger aspect ratio of 20:9. There is a single circular cut out on the top left corner of the screen and the fingerprint sensor is under the display.
The biggest change is in the chipset. Unlike the other two, Honor 30 is powered by the latest Kirin 985 chipset. It is a 5G chipset based on the 7nm process. This time, Huawei has opted for 1+3+4 core configuration which is quite popular with other manufacturers such as Qualcomm and Samsung. Initial benchmark results have shown that the chipset performs better than the Snapdragon 765G. It is available in three memory configurations – 6/128GB, 8/128GB and 8/256GB.
Honor 30 features a quad camera setup on the back. The primary camera here is a 40MP sensor. Other camera sensors are the same including an 8MP telephoto lens, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera. Additionally, it also has a dedicated 2MP macro camera.
It features the same 4000mAh battery with support for 40W SuperCharge. Connectivity-wise, it will support both WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 LE. It ships with Magic UI 3.1 based on Android 10.
Connectivity: Dual Nano-SIM slot, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.1 LE, AGPS/GLONASS/Galileo, USB Type-C
Audio: Huawei Histen
Battery: 4000 mAh; 40W SuperCharge
All the devices under the Honor 30 series are promising, especially with their camera prowess. However, we still have to wait to see how it fares outside of China since it doesn’t come loaded with Google’s GMS services.
As of now, the Honor 30 series is only available for pre-order in China and will go on sale from April 21. The brand hasn’t committed to an international launch yet.
The Honor 30 Pro+ comes with a price tag of 4,999 Yuan for the 8/256GB variant and 5,499 Yuan for the 12/256GB variant. The price of Honor 30 Pro is 3,999 Yuan for 8/128GB variant and 4,399 Yuan for 8/256GB variant. Similarly, the Honor 30 is available for a price of 2,999 Yuan for 6/128GB variant, 3,199 Yuan for 8/128GB variant and 3,499 Yuan for 8/256GB variant.
Model Name
Price in Nepal [Converted]
Availability
Honor 30 Pro+ (8/256GB)
4,999 Yuan (~NRs. 86,550)
April 21 (China)
Honor 30 Pro+ (12/256GB)
5,499 Yuan (~NRs. 95,200)
April 21 (China)
Honor 30 Pro (8/128GB)
3,999 Yuan (~NRs. 69,235)
April 21 (China)
Honor 30 Pro (8/256GB)
4,399 Yuan (~NRs. 76,160)
April 21 (China)
Honor 30 (6/128GB)
2,999 Yuan (~NRs. 51,920)
April 21 (China)
Honor 30 (8/128GB)
3,199 Yuan (~NRs. 55,385)
April 21 (China)
Honor 30 (8/256GB)
3,499 Yuan (~NRs. 60,580)
April 21 (China)
Check out our long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy A51!
If you thought that flip-phones are so 2000, then think again. Last year we saw the revamped Motorola Razr, and it successfully brought up some nostalgic feeling. Now, LG has decided to tap into the same market as they have launched the new LG Folder 2. No, it’s not some foldable all-screen smartphone, rather it looks much more of a retro device with smart features. And according to the company, it is designed for people on a tight budget who require a phone that’s easy to use.
LG Folder 2 Overview
Let’s jump into what this device has for offer. It has a 2.8-inch QVGA screen with 240 x 320 pixels resolution. There’s a secondary 0.9-inch screen on the lid, which will display notifications for text, calls, battery life, signal strength and time. This secondary screen is a monochrome panel.
A great feature of this device is the SOS key that is placed on the back beside the 2MP camera. This key allows you to pre-register a number that you’d want to contact in case of an emergency. All you’d have to do is press the button three times in quick succession within 1.5 seconds. And other than connecting you to the number, it also shares your with the number through a text message.
There’s another useful Hotkey upfront too. It’s placed right above the call button and can be used for AI voice service. This service basically allows you to ask questions about weather, time, simple calculations and so on. Moreover, LG Folder 2 also has a data security lock function that helps prevent unintentional data charges.
Under the hood, it has Snapdragon 210 SoC coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage. Furthermore, there’s a microSD slot that allows you to expand the memory up to 32GB. The device supports 4G, Wi-Fi, and GPS. And power-wise, it has a 1470mAh battery inside.
Specifications:
Display: 2.8″ IPS LCD screen with 240 x 320 pixels resolution
The device will go on sale from April 17 and for now, it will only be available in South Korea. As far as the pricing is concerned, the LG Folder 2 will cost $160. As of now, there’s no information about the international availability of the device. Overall, this looks like a good device that mixes nostalgia and smart features just fine. However, I feel that the pricing could have been a bit less considering the offered specs. Because, you see the device more or less resembles the Samsung Galaxy Folder 2. And that one offered more, albeit at a slightly more price. So, pricing-wise, this phone is not convincing at all.
