Lucrative deals and schemes keep emerging in the market from time to time. And with the new year knocking at the door, we can only expect to have more deals to take advantage of. Talking about deals, Sastodeal has partnered with Cellpay to bring “SastoDeal New year’s Cell-A-Bration”. The campaign starts right from December 24 and will last till January 2, 2020.
Under this scheme, one can avail up to 40% discounts on your first purchase order through the e-commerce site. The discounted amount will be deposited as loyal points in your Cellpay’s account. The maximum discount offered is 1000 Loyal Points. What we need to know is one loyal point equivalents to Re. 1 Nepalese Rupees. They will also be providing an extra 10% discount on checkout and free delivery service on a few selected brands. Nothing further has been said about this particular scheme.
Cellpay
In case you are hearing about Cellpay for the first time, it is an e-payment system through which we can pay for our transactions online. In Nepal, the most popular means of paying online is through the available e-wallet system. Cellpay helps you pay directly from the bank without the intervention of any e-wallets. Since the money is going to stay in your bank account you’ll have better control of your money and you can avail advantages that the e-wallets deprive you of. But it isn’t free; you need to pay a nominal amount for the transaction fee depending upon the size of the transaction.
In order to take advantage of this offer, you need to link your Cellpay account to your bank account. You can download Cellpay’s app from the App Store or the Google Play Store. You can link your bank account by going over to the Manage Account section of the app. For this, you need to have subscribed to mobile banking service and the details you enter must match with the record at Bank. Further details can be found on Cellpay’s website.
Bluetooth. It’s safe to assume that most of us are plenty familiar with the technology which has been connecting our smartphones and so many other IoT devices for decades. Considering the bandwidth and speed, it’s surprising that some new innovation hasn’t completely replaced it by now. Anyhoo, today I’m talking about a new Bluetooth speaker from JBL, the Flip 5. Will it rock your world? Find out all about it in this review.
JBL Flip 5 Specifications
Dimension (W x D x H): 7.13 x 2.72 x 2.91-inches
Battery: 4800 mAh (LiPo); 3.6V
Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
Charging: Within 2.5 hours; 5V/3A
IP Rating: IPX7 (Up to 3 feet for 30 minutes)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6), USB Type-C
Transducer: 44mm x 80mm
Output Power: 20W (RMS)
Frequency Response: 65Hz – 20kHz
Signal-to-noise Ratio: >80dB
Weight: 540gm
Companion app: JBL Connect
Price in Nepal: Rs. 14,800
The Good
Audio Performance
For any speaker to be considered “good”, it has to… well, sound good. In the case of the JBL Flip 5, the audio quality is impressive. While the last-gen JBL Flip 4 came with two 8W drivers and stereo sound, the company has gone with a single 20W driver and a mono sound system on Flip 5.
Now, the switch from stereo to mono may already be an immediate turnoff for many. And normally, it would make sense. However, I think JBL made the right call by going mono on Flip 5. First of all, unless you are an audiophile or have an extremely keen pair of ears, the stereo sound can hardly be noticed and enjoyed on a speaker of this size. Therefore, due to the lack of use of different driver for each audio frequency range, for me, Flip 5 sounds more consistent and better than the Flip 4.
It. is. loud!
Add this to the bigger 20W driver, the Flip 5 gets loud – maybe too loud even. The volume level goes from silent, loud, louder, louder, to “in-the-middle-of-a-Newari-Jatra” loud. If it bothers you too much, you can turn on “Disable Absolute Volume” under your phone’s Developer options menu. The audio is clear, crisp, and the bass is commendable.
On the speaker’s end, you’ll find two passive radiators (rubber end caps) which are more rubbery than the ones in the Flip 4, which leaned on the plastic-y feel. These passive radiators are used to extend the low-frequency range (for soundwaves like bass) of the speaker.
JBL Flip 5 - Passive Radiators
1 of 2
Passive Radiators - 1
Passive Radiators - 2
If you’re still not sold on the Flip 5’s mono audio system, you can actually pair two Flip 5s and use them as a stereo sound system. But, most of us probably won’t be buying two units of the same speaker for a complete aural experience anyway.
Design & Controls
Moving on to the design, the Flip 5 comes in a familiar wire-mesh grille body and has that rugged look and feel to it. You can also carry around Flip 5 with its lanyard that resembles a shoe-lace. Moreover, it is IPX7 waterproof so you rest assured taking it to pools or other similar environments. But, there is a 3ft/30minutes restriction, so do be careful.
On the front, there are four tactile buttons; from left to right – PartyBoost, Volume Down, Volume Up, Play/Pause. You can skip a track by double-pressing the play/pause button, and that’s about all it can do.
I had no problems operating the buttons since they are quite clicky and responsive. Also, you can easily distinguish which one is which, just by feeling them. On the back, you have the power and the Bluetooth button alongside an LED battery indicator and the USB Type-C charging port.
The indicator glows a single shade of white and fades as the battery wears down. I was a little skeptical about it at first, but with time, it has grown on me. Also, unlike Flip 4, there’s no flap covering these ports on Flip 5 which makes it a lot easier to get to.
Battery
The battery is another area where Flip 5 sees an improvement. Packing a bigger 4800 mAh unit, it now charges via a Type-C cable unlike Flip 4 which used MicroUSB for charging. Additionally, the charging time in Flip 5 has been reduced to 2.5 hours while the Flip 4 fully charged in 3.5 hours. Bravo JBL! In my time of testing, I played music through Flip 5 on moderate volume and it lasted me about 8 hours, in contrast to the advertised 12 hours. But of course – the louder you play, the lesser the battery life!
Companion App
“JBL Connect” is the companion app for JBL speakers. Using this, you can use the “PartyBoost” functionality which I’ll get into in heavy details later on. Also, you can pair two Flip 5s and use it as Stereo (L/R) channels through the app. There’s not much else you can do from JBL connect. It displays the battery level and you can toggle “Audio Feedback Sound” on/off.
The app isn’t required for using the speaker on a general basis. You can simply power on Flip 5, turn on the Bluetooth of your phone (or other input sources) and the speaker and then listen as you please. I did, however, notice that when the devices were already paired, if I tried accessing the app, it would still take some time to recognize that my pre-paired Flip 5.
The Bad
Had your fun? Now let’s get to the bad stuff.
No headphone jack!
There are plenty of feature omissions on Flip 5, which raises a major red flag for the speaker. First of all, it has no 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike its predecessor, thus making it a Bluetooth-exclusive speaker. What if you encountered some trouble with the connection but had a 3.5mm AUX cable laying around? Too bad!
Bye, bye miss speakerphone-ay!
Flip 5 also doesn’t have an in-built microphone so you can’t take calls or use voice assistant unlike Flip 4. Such a crucial feature, why’d they remove it?. Even though communicating with Google Assistant and Siri on a Bluetooth speaker suffers from a noticeable lag, calls aren’t. The ability to talk with the whole family through a speakerphone is not possible on Flip 5 and that plain sucks.
Older-gen Bluetooth and the basic codecs
Furthermore, Flip 5 still uses Bluetooth 4.2 like Flip 4. Why didn’t JBL make a jump to Bluetooth 5.0? It provides a better range and higher data rate as well. Obviously, I don’t mean Flip 5’s Bluetooth is downright miserable. In my time of testing, I barely noticed any audio delays but the in-house range was limited to about 5 meters, which is not that spectacular. Beyond that, the “kryek-kreyk” ensued!
Besides this, Flip 5 doesn’t support high-end Bluetooth codecs like aptX, aptX HD and is restricted to A2DP and AVRCP which as the most basic audio codec for any Bluetooth device. When connected, your phone may show you the option to toggle “HD audio: SBC” on or off, but don’t be blown away by that just yet. The Sub-Band Coding (SBC) delivers worse latency and audio quality than the aforementioned high codecs.
But no, once again, the Flip 5 will not give you unbearable latency and aural experience. I’m just saying JBL could’ve gone with Bluetooth 5.0 and some better codecs.
… & The Ugly
Full disclosure, if you don’t own any other JBL speakers, you can just skip this part. Because the ugly I’m talking about is JBL’s yet another “PartyBoost” protocol for connecting it with other speakers from the company.
Previous JBL Bluetooth speakers used to come with the “Connect+” pairing protocol using which you could connect up to 100 devices at a time. The Flip 4 featured Connect+ as well. But no… JBL had to come up with yet another protocol titled “PartyBoost” which has basically the same functionality as Connect+ but is only compatible with other speakers with PartyBoost.
WHAT’S THE DAMN POINT?
Right off the bat, I didn’t know about this and tried pairing it with Flip 4. Then I noticed the different logo between the two and Googled to know what it was. As far as I can tell, the new JBL Pulse 4 comes with PartyBoost and maybe other upcoming speakers. So, if you were planning to have a sound system with your older JBL speaker(s) with the Flip 5 at the helm, the company’s probably like “Cry me a river!“. Maybe the future Flip 6 will have PartyBoost+, who knows?
Conclusion
The JBL Flip 5 is a terrific Bluetooth speaker with great audio performance, no doubt. With a bigger battery and a faster-charging speed than the predecessor, there are so many things to love. However, it is (or could be) equally bad in some other departments. The lack of a headphone jack and speakerphone is a bummer. Also, the non-backward compatible PartyBoost shouldn’t have existed, to begin with. Therefore, if you’re in the market of a standalone decent Bluetooth speaker, JBL Flip 5 is an excellent choice. However, for people with older-gen JBL speakers looking for a connected sound system, I would suggest they skip the Flip 5.
While it is keeping the world at wait for the Reno3 series which is said to be unveiled on December 26, Oppo has released the Oppo A91 in China. The company has started booking for the phone for the Chinese audience and should launch in south Asian markets including Nepal as well. Oppo A91 is the latest midrange phone in Oppo’s A-series of smartphones and it packs some promising specs.
Overview
The Oppo A91 comes with a 6.4-inches AMOLED display and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display, here, is a Full-HD+ panel with 1080 x 2400 resolution. Oppo has packed in features such as eye protection mode, DC dimming 2.0 too. There is a small waterdrop style notch inside which sits the front camera. It also comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner.
The phone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P70 which has also powered smartphones like the Vivo S1 and Oppo F11 Pro. So, it brings nothing new to the performance department. It is backed up by 8GB of RAM and massive 128GB internal storage which can be further expanded via a microSD card.
Talking about the camera, Oppo A91 features a quad-lens setup on the back. The primary camera on the device has a 48MP lens. In addition to this, there is an 8MP sensor for ultrawide shots, a 2MP depth sensor, and another 2MP sensor for taking macro shots. The selfie camera sports a 16MP sensor and it sits on the notch on the front.
The phone comes with a 4,000 mAh battery. And thanks to the VOOC 4.0 fast charging technology, the company claims that the 30W charger, which comes with the phone, can charge the device to 50% within 30 minutes. On the software side, we get ColorOS 6.1 based on Android 9 which is quite disappointing given that the company has already launched ColorOS 7.0 based on Android 10.
OPPO A91 Specifications
Display: 6.4-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED display
Chipset: Media Tek Helio P70; 12nm Mobile Platform
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 128GB internal, expandable via microSD card slot
Connectivity: Dual SIM (nano + nano/SD card), Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C
Battery: 4,000mAh with VOOC 3.0 fast charging support via the 30W charger
OPPO A91 Price and Availability
The Oppo A91 is open for booking in China. Its price is set at 1,999 Yuan which roughly equivalents to NPR 32,500. As of now, we are unsure if it is going to be launched in any other market other than China.
Will it launch in Nepal? Most likely. So stay with us on further updates regarding the Oppo A91’s availability in Nepal.
Oppo has launched the Oppo A8; a new budget-oriented member in the Oppo’s A-series of smartphones. As with most of the budget-oriented devices these days, the A8 comes with a big sized battery.
Overview
The Oppo A8 features a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS display. It packs in the resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels. The company has added an eye protection mode which protects the user from the harmful blue light. It has a waterdrop style notch on the front which encloses the front camera.
Additionally, Oppo A8 comes with MediaTek Helio P35 chipset which is backed by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There’s a microSD card slot in case the 128GB internal storage seems insufficient.
Talking about the camera, it houses three cameras on the back arranged on linear fashion atop of an LED flash. The 12MP main camera is coupled with a 2MP lens for micros and a 2-MP sensor for better depths. At the front, there’s an 8MP selfie camera.
As far as the software is concerned, it ships with Android 9 with Oppo’s own ColorOS 6.0 on top. Oppo has also added The Breeno Smart Voice Assistant which was first introduced as an intelligent assistant for the era of 5G in Oppo Developers Conference 2018. It comes with a 4,230 mAh battery which the company claims to last 7 hours of gaming and 14 hours of online video watching.
As for security, there’s a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner on the back. It also comes with a micro USB port which is quite outdated as most of the phones nowadays come with Type-C port.
Connectivity-wise, it comes dual sim support, 4G Volte, dual-band Wifi, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3.5mm jack.
OPPO A8 Price And Availability
Oppo A8 is open for booking in China and is set to go on sale from December 26. It is priced at 1,199 Yuan which is roughly 19,500 in Nepalese currency.
As of now, nothing has been said about its release in other markets. However, looking back at the company’s history, it is safe to assume that the Oppo A8 will see its launch in Nepal for a not-so-comparable price.
OPPO A8 Specs Overview
Display: 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with waterdrop notch
A new report from Bloomberg suggests that the iPhone manufacturer is working towards building its own satellite technology. Through this, Apple could directly beam internet services to its ecosystem of devices, be independent of wireless network carriers, improve maps and tracking, and many more. At a time where tech-giants are aggressively working towards a more-or-less self-reliant future, it’s no wonder the most influential of them all is getting in on the action as well. Apple’s investment towards building its own satellites could be one of the company’s most aspiring projects to date.
With about a dozen engineers at its helm, Apple hopes to complete this project within the next 5 years. However, the report also says that the project is in the early stages and could very well be abandoned. But more importantly, the project has personally piqued the interest of Apple’s CEO – Tim Cook, who has been steadily upping the Research and Development (R&D) budget of the company. Satellites from Apple – man that’s got a nice ring to it!
Apple Satellites: The Team
The team comprising of engineers in the field of aerospace, satellite, and antenna design industries is led by Michael Trela and John Fenwick. These two were also a part of a software imaging company called “Skybox Imaging”, which was later acquired by Google, who then joined Apple in 2017. From their time in the company, the duo has been making a feasibility study of this potential project.
Apple’s CEO – Tim Cook
Moreover, Apple has hired Matt Ettus of “Ettus Research”, who is an expert in the wireless industry. Additionally, Ashley Moore Williams from Aerospace Corp. and Daniel Ellis from Netflix Inc., who’ve made their mark on the field of communication satellites and Content Delivery Network (CDN) respectively, have also joined Apple’s venture.
… not entirely a new concept
Well, “internet from space” is not entirely a new idea at all. Several companies like Iridium and Teledisc gave it a shot in the 90s but eventually failed due to the financial and technological constraints. However, that hasn’t stopped other visionaries from giving it a shot. In fact, you may be shocked to know that there are a handful of companies in the present day, marching forward to win the space-internet race.
You may have heard about Google’s Project Loon which aimed at delivering high-speed internet in the rural areas of the world via a gigantic helium-powered balloon. And in the most recent times, Elon Musk announced a successful trial of the space-internet via SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. While Google’s balloons operate on a mere height of 100km, these satellites from SpaceX have 550km orbital height. And then there are companies like Amazon, Virgin Airline, and Samsung with their own vision for the space-internet.
Credit: Mark Handley (YouTube)
While all this sounds interesting, we’re still not sure just how feasible the tech is and neither is Apple. As things stand, it’s a little ambivalent if Apple is looking to build satellites of its own, or it’ll just be building ground-based equipment to utilize the satellite data into its ecosystem of products. Cutting ties from the wireless carriers for a self-sufficient network sure sounds ambitious though!
Apple’s Endgame?
From a consumer standpoint, what Apple is trying to do is further lock its users into the “Apple experience”. We saw a similar approach reflected with the launch of “Apple Card” (credit card), “Apple TV+” (video streaming platform), “Apple Arcade” (game subscription service) and many more. You can read about them in detail by clicking here. Also, there have also been rumors of the company working on its own set of AR glasses. Should the “Apple satellites” project be successful, it’s only a matter of time that Apple becomes one of the most self-sustaining companies in the world.
Oppo Developer Conference (ODC) concluded last week in Beijing, China. “Innovation and Intelligence” was chosen as the central theme of this year’s edition of ODC. With this, Oppo has announced three new initiatives to co-build an intelligent service ecosystem together with partners and developers. The initiatives have been named “Gravity Plan 2.0“, “Five System-level Capability ExposureEngines” and the “IoT Enablement Plan.”
Oppo also boasted its capability of creating a new intelligent ecosystem. Currently, the company claims more than 320 million monthly active users on ColorOS, which is Oppo’s take on Android UI/UX. It has also claimed to have accumulated an enormous number of users across its applications, services, and content ecosystem. It is reported that more than 120,000 developers have joined the company’s open platform.
RMB 1 Billion towards “Gravity Plan 2.0”
The “Gravity Plan” was officially launched on the 2018 edition of the ODC. It was an RMB 1 billion program aimed at supporting outstanding developers worldwide. It has already catered resources for more than 2,000 applications, which has further resulted in 9.2 billion impressions and more than 180 million downloads.
And now the “Gravity Plan 2.0” will further enhance existing the developer support system and will continue to provide sustained and all-round support to partners in the field of applications, services, content, and global development.
Oppo has also launched the “Five System-level Capability Exposure Engines” which will serve to connect developers to the company’s system-level capabilities. The all-new Hyper Boost, Link Boost, CameraUnit, MediaUnit, and ARUnit capabilities are expected to provide a smoother experience not only to the developers but the overall users as well.
In the keynote, Vice President of the Software Engineering department said, “With the launch of the Five System-level Capability Exposure Engines, OPPO will help developers leverage creativity, explore scenarios, maximize value and build a world of intelligent connectivity in which reality and the virtual realm integrate.”
IoT Enablement Plan
With the “IoT enablement Plan”, Oppo has shared its view of the future and it seems it has a lot to do with IoT. The program is aimed at opening Oppo’s HeyThings IoT protocol, HeyThings IoT service platform and audio connectivity protocol for IoT partners. The service platform will be deployed through Oppo’s open platform around the first quarter of next year. While the audio connectivity protocol will be deployed in different phases with the first phase expected to be in service in June 2020.
Oppo also revealed that it is in plans of launching Oppo Watch, the first of its kind from the company, along with a health platform. Oppo plans to use it to create a robust ecosystem with its partner.
Further Plans …
Oppo plans to spend further RMB 50 billion inside the next 3 years for research and development of core technologies in hardware, software, and system in addition to other frontier technologies.
Looking at the announcements from the Oppo Developer Conference (ODC) 2019, the company is seriously looking to step up its game in the technology world. So what do you think of Oppo’s vision of the future?
Don’t forget to watch our review of the Oppo Reno2 F!
Samsung Galaxy M40 was unveiled in Nepal some 6 months ago. However, targetting Christmas and New year, Samsung is providing a crazy discount on M40 and is offering the phone at a discounted price.
Overview:
Under the hood, the M40 packs quite the specs to say at the least. It comes packed with Snapdragon 675 which is a very good performer. Talking about the software, it runs on the Android Pie with One UI on top. Samsung has also released the date on the availability of Android 10 with One UI 2 here. It flaunts a 6.3- inches FHD+ PLS display with a punch-hole just like the Galaxy S10. And if I remember correctly, we saw a PLS display in the Galaxy M20 and M10 as well.
The device packs a triple camera setup consisting of a 32 MP main camera module, an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5 MP depth sensor. As mentioned earlier, there is a punch-hole cutout instead of a notch in this phone which carries the 16 MP selfie camera.
Battery- wise, it’s a 3,500 mAh unit in the M40 and comes with a Type-C port and 15W fast charger inside the box. Talking of ports, the headphone jack seems missing on the phone. The phone has 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. This makes the Galaxy M40 the cheapest Samsung phone in Nepal with a 6/128GB configuration. The memory is further expandable up to 1 TB via a microSD card slot.
Samsung Galaxy M40 Specifications:
Display: 6.3-inch PLS LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Samsung Galaxy M40 Price in Nepal [Updated]: Rs. 25,999
Samsung Galaxy M40 Price in Nepal and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy M40 was launched in Nepal for the ballpark price of Rs. 36,190. However, as a part of the New year 2020 Offer, Samsung is offering a huge discount on the Galaxy M40. Hence, the new price of the Samsung Galaxy M40 in Nepal is Rs. 25,999. Buyers can redeem this offer from all the offline mobile stores in Nepal.
After about three months of its launch, the OnePlus 7T finally makes its way into Nepal. When it launched, the device sort of came as a surprise for many. And many people even felt that there won’t be major upgrades in the OnePlus 7T considering a 7Pro model already existed. However, doubters were left stunned by the subtle but considerable changes that OnePlus 7T brought.
Oneplus 7T Overview
First of all, let’s start with the camera update. Though the triple camera setup on the back has a similar 48MP primary sensor as before, the photos from it will turn out much brighter. And that’s because the aperture has been bumped up from f/1.6 to f/1.7. Thereby matching it with the existing OnePlus 7 Pro. However, the sensor on it is the same Sony IMX586.
Moving on to the telephoto lens, OnePlus 7T has a 12MP telephoto lens with a 2x optical zoom. Now, that’s small in comparison with the 7 Pro’s as it provides 3x optical zoom. However, it had a lower resolution as it used an 8MP sensor. Also, a noteworthy fact here is that the 7T’s telephoto lens unlike 7 Pro’s does not have Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). The ultra-wide lens, however, remains the same. OnePlus 7 Pro and 7T both have a 16MP ultra-wide lens with 117-degree FOV. Regardless, the 7T still boasts a few updates here too. It has a macro mode that helps to shot from 2.4cm away. Additionally, it also provides 960fps slow-mo mode at 720p.
Another key area in which the 7T has upgraded is its display. The 7T boasts a 6.55-inch FHD display with a 90Hz refresh rate. This inclusion propels the OnePlus 7T’s display into the same category as few gaming-centric smartphones. The notch up-top is also said to have further decreased by a third of the actual devices’ notch. However, the front camera housed inside the notch has not been changed. It is still a 16MP selfie shooter.
You can also see that the peak brightness in the display has been upgraded too. The peak brightness in 7T is 1000 nits. This surpasses the 7 Pro’s 800 nits peak brightness by a margin and outshines the OnePlus 7’s 453 nits (643 nits in auto mode) by a mile. Furthermore, it also includes a new haptic driver which helps the device to get a stronger and more natural vibration.
Nevertheless, despite an increase in the refresh rate, it seems the 7 Pro still leads the way in some aspects. Though the 1080p+ resolution of the new 7T is no joke, the Pro version boasts a QHD display. Well, for that all I can say is you can’t have it all, can you?
With the inclusion of Snapdragon 855+, OnePlus has brought an expected chipset upgrade. This update seems rather mandatory as the screen boasts a 90Hz display. So, a boosted GPU for playing games in the 90Hz supported display is not surprising. Furthermore, 7T comes with 8GB of RAM. And as for the internal storage, buyers have the option to choose whether a 128GB variant or a 256GB variant.
Talking about the battery, the OnePlus 7T is powered by a 3800mAh battery that supports Warp Charge 30T. Now, it slightly smaller than the 7Pro’s 4000mAh battery, the charging speed has been upgraded. It now charges 23% faster than the existing 30W Warp charge. Meaning, the device can reach a 70% charge in half an hour. However, there’s still no sign of the wireless charging in this device either.
Display: 6.55-inch (2400 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 20:9 aspect ratio Fluid AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ sRGB color gamut, DCI-P3 color gamut, 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection
SoC: Snapdragon 855 Plus
CPU: Octa-Core (1 x Kryo 485 at 2.96GHz + 3 x Kryo 485 at 2.42GHz + 4 x Kryo 385 at 1.8GHz)
GPU: Adreno 640 GPU
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage: 128GB (UFS 3.0) storage
SIM: Dual SIM (nano + nano)
Primary Cameras:
– 48MP rear camera with Dual LED Flash, f/1.6 aperture, 1/2.25″ Sony IMX586 sensor, 0.8μm pixel size, OIS, EIS, 4K 60fps, Super Slow Motion 1080p at 240 fps, 720p at 960fps
– 16MP 117° ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture, 2.5cm macro
– 12MP telephoto lens with f/2.2 aperture for 2x optical zoom
Front Camera: 16MP front-facing camera with Sony IMX471 sensor, f/2.0 aperture
Fingerprint sensor: In-display (optical)
Dimensions: 160.94×74.44×8.13mm
Weight: 190g
Audio: Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos
Connectivity: 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz) 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C
Battery: 3800mAh with Warp Charge 30T fast charging
Colors: Glacier Blue, Frosted Silver
OnePlus 7T Price in Nepal & Availability
iHub, the authorized distributor of Oneplus smartphones in Nepal, has launched the Oneplus 7T in Nepal for a price of Rs. 67, 000. With this, you get the standard variant 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Also, Oneplus is offering 1-year breakage insurance.
Model Name
Price in Nepal
Available Stores
Oneplus 7T (8GB,128GB)
NPR 67,000
Hukut Store
That’s a fairly reasonable price for a device with these specs, considering internationally, it is available for $599 (Rs. 68,000 approx). This means Oneplus 7T is cheaper in Nepal as compared to the US.
However, I don’t really think that OnePlus 7T will dethrone iPhone in West. That’s just a 100 bucks shy of what iPhone 11 costs. The case here in Nepal is totally different. As mentioned above, the price of OnePlus 7T in Nepal is Rs. 67, 000 and an iPhone 11’s starting price in Nepal is Rs.115,000. That’s a gap of around 50K. And in a price-sensitive market such as ours, I would place my bet on the OnePlus 7T to prevail over the iPhone. But that’s completely down to personal preference. Nevertheless, I still believe that the OnePlus 7T has launched with a great price tag in Nepal.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has made its way into Nepal. It is the successor of a 6-months old Galaxy Watch Active which was launched for Rs. 29,490 some 6-months ago. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 offers an updated design with new features over Watch Active. Anyways, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is here and its official price in Nepal has been unveiled too.
Though Galaxy Watch Active and Watch Active 2 may look similar, some minor changes await under-the-hood. Changes such as the presence of ECG tracker and digital bezels would be a few of the many. These changes might just pull you away from the Fitbitsand Apple Watches.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 Overview
Basically, the Galaxy Watch Active two is available in two variants. A Bluetooth model and a Bluetooth + LTE model. They both are available in 40mm as well as in 44mm sizes. Only the Bluetooth 44mm version is available in Nepal
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active didn’t have a rotating bezel, despite its large bezel size. And that omission disappointed a lot of people. After all, the rotating outer dial is what most people love in the Galaxy watches. Without the rotating bezel, users had to rely solely on the touch screen for navigation. Obviously, it was going to result in clumsy navigation as many actions required double taps.
Fortunately, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 does include that feature. However, it’s not a physical one, but a touch-sensitive one. The black border surrounding the screen is actually touch-sensitive and acts as a bezel – kinda like those old iPods, we used to have. Samsung is calling it the new “Digital Bezel”. Moving the finger over the bezel creates a haptic buzz that simulates the clicks of a physical wheel. Aside from that, the design of Watch Active 2 looks similar to its predecessor.
The new Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes with an improved heart rate monitor and accelerometer. In addition to that, it also includes an ECG tracker. However, it will not be available at launch as Samsung is yet to receive the FDA’s approval. Furthermore, the device comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC.
As for the software, it will use the Tizen-based platform. The watch will be compatible with both Android and iOS phones. Along with that, the watch supports offline syncing of Spotify playlists. Surprisingly, users can even play YouTube videos on the tiny screen.
Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-fi b/g/n, NFC, A-GPS/Glonass/Beidou
Software
Tizen OS
Compatibility
Android: 5.0 or higher, RAM 1.5GB and above,
iPhone: iPhone 5 and above, iOS 9.0 or above
Dimension and weight
Aluminum 44mm: 44x44x10.9T, 30g
Aluminum 40mm: 40x40x10.9T, 26g
Colors
Aluminum: Cloud Silver, Aqua Black, Pink Gold with FKM
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 Price in Nepal
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 official price in Nepal is Rs. 38, 999. This price is for the 44mm non-LTE version. It is available from official Samsung outlets and mobile retail shops all over Nepal.
No, Tesla didn’t make it and neither did any other multinational vehicle manufacturer that may come to your mind. “Project Zero” is the outcome of all the conjoined efforts, hardship, knowledge, and energy of Yatri Motorcycles; a Nepali motorcycle manufacturing company founded in 2017 by Ashim Pandey. The company strives for improved individual mobility, while simultaneously making an impact on environmental protection. But what is Project Zero exactly, you might be wondering. This is the company’s first and consequently Nepal’s first electric motorcycle as well. Taking inspiration from the classic “Café Racer” bikes, Project Zero (P0) features a bold, futuristic, and contrasting design with an impressive spec-sheet too.
Yatri Motorcycles: Project Zero
Nepal Government has been pretty “vocal” about its stance on electric vehicles in the country. It wants more of it, and fast. In order to persuade people towards owning EVs (Electric Vehicles), the government imposes a mere 10% excise duty (for private usage) or a minuscule 1% for public EVs, while regular non-electric vehicles are subject to up to 240% import tax. This makes the ownership of EVs all the more logical in a price-sensitive market like Nepal.
So take pride and be glad to know that Yatri Motorcycles’ Project Zero is an electric motorcycle, designed, assembled entirely in Nepal while a few of the complex parts have been imported from abroad. Specifically, these complex components include the “Brembo Brakes”, “Metzler tires” to name a few.
Project Zero’s First Test Ride. [Credit: Ashim Pandey (u/maverickasim), Reddit]
Having to assemble imported components isn’t that big an issue for the team at all. What hurt the process the most (at least financially), is the fact that Yatri’s custom-designed parts manufactured abroad (because of the production constraints in Nepal) is recognized as “spare parts” and not “raw materials”. With this, Yatri is compelled to pay a hefty 30-35% tax for importing something of their own design. A little leeway would’ve been better, but here we are.
What’s Underneath?
Now let’s get into what Project Zero is packing. I should remind you that the company isn’t taking a page out of your regular affordable bikes with compromises here and there. This is a premium EV with a powerful performance which is likely to cost a lot as well. The majority of the bike has been manufactured using the lighter and stronger carbon fiber in spite of metal.
“Through this elegant design, we aim to reach not only the environmentalists but ultimately those who care about owning an inspiring product.”
Yatri Motorcycles: Project Zero
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Project Zero - Design [1]
Project Zero - Design [2]
You will not be sacrificing any degree of performance with Project Zero. Here, its powerful 30kW motors will give you 42BHP (Brake Horse Power) and 120NM torque. Furthermore, this bike has a top speed of 120km/hr.
The battery on this thing is nothing short of impressive as well. Upon a full charge (which will take 2 hours or more), Project Zero can last for 230km. According to the company, a full charge under alternate current (AC) will cost you around NRs. 70.
Similarly, the bike incorporates a big 7-inches Full-HD display which will be how you’ll access the company’s Yatri Hub app. Apart from displaying the regular data like speed and GPS, you can also check intricate details like approximate money you’ve saved by switching to an EV.
Can I buy it now?
Unfortunately not yet. Yatri hasn’t yet revealed what Project Zero will cost but has said that test rides will be open come March 2020. In the congested and inconsistent roads of Nepal, Yatri’s Project Zero looks to provide a premium riding experience, with something to show for environmental protection too.
