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Best 11 Tech Deals at Daraz 11.11 you may not wanna miss

Daraz online Shopping

Nikhil Shrestha

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November 11, 2019

Best 11 Tech Deals at Daraz 11.11 you may not wanna miss

The day is here! The Daraz 11.11 Sales Day is live, ladies and gentlemen…and it offers some sweet deals on various items. You better hurry up and grab them, because, apparently, the best of the deals are disappearing pretty quick. I was looking at a watch, and I added it to my cart, but it had already been sold out while I was reading the description. Things are being sold like hot cakes in there!

For those of you who are looking for deals on tech stuff, you won’t be disappointed either. But here are the Top 11 Daraz 11.11 Tech Deals you can find. These deals consist of phones, laptops, TVs and headphones. Some of these, you may know, some, maybe not. But here they are.

OnePlus 7 (8/256GB)

Kicking off the list is the OnePlus 7. A washed-down yet powerful brother of the OnePlus 7 Pro, this is a competitive device despite some major cutoffs. It features a smaller 6.41-inch FHD+ display with the regular 60Hz refresh rate. Talking about tradeoffs, the camera department has taken a hit as well. Here, you are offered a 48MP Sony IMX586 lens alongside a 5MP depth sensor.

Now let’s talk about how the OnePlus 7 is a champ when it comes to performance. It doesn’t skimp on the chipset as it features the powerful Snapdragon 855 SoC and the Adreno 640 GPU. Pair this with OnePlus’ Oxygen OS and the company’s commitment towards a faster device, the OnePlus knocks every task you throw at it out of the park.

As a part of Daraz’s 11.11 exclusive deal, the OnePlus 7 is now an excellent choice for people looking for a great phone.

MRP: Rs. 66,999 59,999
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 54,499

Huawei Nova 3 & Nova 4

Admittedly, the Huawei Nova 3 & Nova 4 are year-old phones. Nevertheless, they were some of the best premium mid-rangers devices of their time and the massive price drop as a part of the 11.11 deal makes them more attractive than ever.

Nova 3

The Nova 3 features a dual-camera setup on both front and back. You get a 24MP lens alongside a 2MP depth sensor for your selfies, while the back holds the 16MP main shooter and a 24MP monochrome sensor. It has a 6.3-inch LCD display and is powered by Kirin 710 chipset. Memory wise, you get 6GB of RAM with 128GB of expandable internal storage.

MRP: Rs. 59,900 37,450
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 33,450

Nova 4

It is the successor to the Nova 3, with a bigger screen and a triple rear-camera setup. It features a 6.4-inch LCD panel and is powered by the Kirin 970 chipset. Talking about cameras, you get a 20MP main lens, a 16MP wide-angle lens, and a 2MP depth sensor on the back. Coming to the front of the device, there’s a single 25MP selfie camera inside a punch-hole cutout on the top-left of the display. You get a single 8/128GB memory configuration which sadly isn’t expandable.

MRP: Rs. 64,900 45,100
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 39,600

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro (6/128GB)

Probably one of the best mid-range phones in the Nepalese market, the Redmi Note 7 Pro is now more appealing than ever because of the 11.11 deal. Equipped with a decent chipset and a compelling design, the phone has been a hit among the Nepalese audience.

The phone comes in a premium-y design with a glass back and some stunning colors. You get a dual-rear camera with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. Coming to the front, the Redmi Note 7 Pro has a 6.3-inch FHD+ LCD panel with a small teardrop notch for the 13MP selfie camera. Performance-wise, the phone is powered by Snapdragon 675 chipset with Adreno 612 GPU.

MRP: Rs. 28,999 27,199
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 23,699

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro

Also making an entry on our list is the former flagship killer, the Redmi K20 Pro. The phone managed to garner a lot of hype around the smartphone industry for its amazing design and performance ability.

Starting off, the Redmi K20 Pro has a vibrant 6.39-inch Super AMOLED bezel-less display. It is really something to look at and provides a clean viewing experience. To achieve this, Xiaomi has implemented a pop-up camera technology, which houses the 20MP selfie camera. The back of the device houses the triple camera with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens. However, their implementation feels underwhelming.

The headline feature of the K20 Pro is obviously the Snapdragon 855 chipset with Adreno 640 GPU. This is complemented by 8GB of RAM and 256GB of non-expandable storage. Unlocking the phone is bliss with its under-display fingerprint scanner.

MRP: Rs. 49,999
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 44,499

Canon EOS 4000D

Camera enthusiasts rejoice as the Canon EOS 4000D has received a massive price-cut as a part of the 11.11 deal. Alongside the price-cut, you are also eligible for a 16GB SD Card, a backpack, and a tripod for free.

The EOS 4000D has an 18MP APS-C sensor with 9 point autofocus. The monitor is a 2.7-inch or 6.8cm LCD screen. It can be an excellent DSLR option for people looking to start their photography journey. The camera weighs around 436 grams including battery and memory card. For wireless connectivity, the camera features WiFi but there’s no NFC here.

MRP: Rs. 75,000 41,500
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 36,000

Vianet Installation Offer

Vianet is also joining in on the 11.11 action and is offering a discounted price on its internet packages, both for new and existing users. All the offers below are eligible for the banking discount, which will vary according to the package. Thus, the final price has been marked with an ‘*‘.

For new users: 20 Mbps/12 months

People looking to install Vianet’s internet on their homes are in for a treat as the company is offering an exciting deal. The price below is inclusive of device deposit, wire, installation, other package charges, and 13% VAT. However, you don’t get free NETTV in this package.

MRP: Rs. 16,433 12,700
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 11,999*

For new users: 30 Mbps/12 months

The higher 30Mbps package comes with free NETTV as well. Like the previous one, the price below is inclusive of device deposit, wire, installation, package charge alongside NETTV activation, Set-Top-Box charge and the 13% VAT.

MRP: Rs. 18,515 16,500
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 16,500*

For existing users: 20 Mbps/12 months

Existing Vianet customers with 20 Mbps package can renew their package for a new and low price inclusive of the 13% VAT. However, akin to new customers for 20 Mbps package, you don’t get free NETTV with this.

MRP: Rs. 14,238 11,111
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 11,111*

For existing users: 30 Mbps/12 months

Unlike the previous offer, customers with 30 Mbps subscription looking to renew their service also get a year’s NETTV service free as well. The price below is inclusive of the 13% VAT. However, if you don’t already have the NETTV subscription, an additional Rs. 1065 is applicable if you wish to make one.

MRP: Rs. 15,255 13,800
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 13,800*

Videocon 43DN5-S 43″ FHD LED Android Smart TV

Looking to get a new TV this time around, well you’re in luck. Daraz 11.11 deal has brought the Videocon 43DN5-S 43″ LED TV for an attractive price tag.

It has a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution so content consumption will be desirable. Additionally, it is a smart TV that runs on Android 8 (Oreo) and is equipped with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. There’s 2x HDMI port, 1x USB port, and 1x VGA port. Also, you get a 1-year warranty with it.

MRP: Rs. 50,500 33,990
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 29,990

Samsung UA43N5300 43″ FHD LED Smart TV

Samsung TV has always been one of the best in the market though they’re not as affordable as the competitions. It features PQI (Picture Quality Index) of 500 alongside the HDR-enabled display panel.

Unlike TVs from other brands, this one is feature-packed. It supports Dolby Digital Plus audio, Film mode, Contrast Enhancer, etc. It runs on Samsung’s own Tizen OS rather than Android. Talking about connection, you get one USB port and 2x HDMI port.

MRP: Rs. 86,990 55,250
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 49,750

Samsung RT28K3022SE 253L 2 Star Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator

In the market to buy a new refrigerator, well Daraz has got you covered on that as well. It is offering a big discount on Samsung RT28K3022SE refrigerator.

It features a double-door design with a capacity of 253 liters. The shelf is made of toughened glass. Similarly, its other features include recess handle, twist ice maker, easy-slide shelf, moist fresh zone, big bottle guard, digital inverter technology, and smart connect inverter (automatic). Additionally, the refrigerator comes with one year of warranty.

MRP: Rs. 47,990 35,299
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 31,299

Homeglory HG-007 Fusion Room Gas Heater

Stay warm this winter with Homeglory’s HG-007 room heater. Additionally, Daraz is kicking in a Homeglory HGI-110 Stella Dry Iron worth Rs. 1,200 for free with its purchase.

It has a Piezo Spark Ignition suitable for LPG and ceramic infrared burner. Also, it comes with a 1-year warranty as well.

MRP: Rs. 11,000 8,590
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 8,090 (excluding bank discount)

Black And Decker HM3000 900W Air Humidifier

Add moisture to the air this season with the Black And Decker HM3000 900 humidifier. You can grab one for yourself with up to 20% discount.

Air humidifier has many health benefits like preventing flu, reducing snoring, keeping the skin and hair moist, etc. The HM3000 has adjustable mist intensity with ultrasonic vibration and filter system. Furthermore, it doesn’t generate loud noise while running so it should be a perfect choice for your household or office environment.

MRP: Rs. 6,690 5,352
Final Price after card discount and voucher: Rs. 4,852 (excluding bank discount)

Super Affordable Redmi 8A Smartphone Launched in Nepal

GadgetByte

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November 11, 2019

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Super Affordable Redmi 8A Smartphone Launched in Nepal

Alongside the Redmi 8, Xiaomi has also launched the Redmi 8A in Nepal for a budget-friendly price. The Redmi 8A is a toned-down version of the Redmi 8 (Rs. 14,999). It is available for purchase from the 12th of November via 900+ Mi Stores and online e-commerce platforms like Daraz and Sastodeal.

Redmi 8A Overview:

Design & display

The most noticeable thing about the phone is its design. Unlike the Redmi 7A, there is no bezel on the top. You get a tiny waterdrop style notch on the display. And talking about the display, the Redmi 8A flaunts a 6.2-inch IPS panel, which is a decent upgrade over its predecessor. But in terms of resolution, it’s the same story. You get the same HD+ display. Despite that similarity, what’s genuinely impressive on the phone is the inclusion of Gorilla Glass 5. With this toughened glass atop the display, the phone is quite resistant to cracks and scratches.

Performance & Memory

On the performance front, there is Snapdragon 439 chipset, which was also used on the Redmi 7A. In terms of memory, there are 2/32GB and 3/32GB options. Both these variants are available in Nepal. Nonetheless, you get a dedicated SD card slot on the board, which lets you expand the memory up to 256GB.

Camera

Talking about cameras, the rear camera module uses a 12MP sensor. Since the rear camera uses the Sony IMX363 sensor with Dual phase-detection feature, Xiaomi is promising “flagship-level camera performance”, but we will see that on our review. The rear camera supports features such as digital zoom, auto flash, face detection and touch to focus.

Similarly, on the front, you get an 8MP selfie shooter. Since the phone lacks a fingerprint scanner, you will have to make use of the Face Unlock feature, which uses the selfie cam.

Software

When it comes to software, the phone boots on Android Pie out of the box with MIUI 10 on the top. But it’s will be only a matter of time that the phone will receive the recently announced MIUI 11 update. [Update: It has received the MiUI 11]

Battery

But the major highlight of this device is its massive battery. The phone houses a massive 5000mAh battery with 18-watt fast charging support. However, the phone comes with a 10-watt charger inside the box. And another impressive thing about the charging port is that there is a USB Type-C port thing time around. And it’s really impressive, especially, for a budget phone.

Further, the Xiaomi Redmi 8A is a splash-proof device with a P2i rating. The phone is also equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack and dual SIM support.

Xiaomi Redmi 8A Specifications:

Display: 6.2-inch IPS LCD with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Resolution: HD+ resolution (720 x 1520 pixels), 19:9 aspect ratio @ 271 PPI
Rear Camera: Single, 12 MP Sony IMX363 sensor with f/1.9 aperture
Front Camera: 8MP
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 439
CPU: Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 & 6×1.45 GHz Cortex A53)
GPU: Adreno 505
RAM: 2/3 GB
Storage: 32 GB, expandable up to 256GB via microSD card (dedicated slot)
OS: Android 9.0 Pie, MIUI 11
Features: 3.55 headphone jack, splash resistant (P2i Rating)
Battery: 5000 mAh; 18-watt fast charging support; USB Type-C Port
Color Options: Sunset Red, Ocean Blue, and Midnight Black

Also Read: Xiaomi Mobiles Price in Nepal

Xiaomi Redmi 8A Price in Nepal & Availability (2020)

The price of the base variant (2/32GB) of Redmi 8A in Nepal is Rs. 11,999. Similarly, the 3/32GB variant will set you back Rs. 12,999. The phone comes in Sunset Red, Ocean Blue, and Midnight Black colors.

Model Name

Price in Nepal

Xiaomi Redmi 8A

(2GB/32GB)

Rs. 11,999

Xiaomi Redmi 8A

(3GB/32GB)

Rs. 12,999

Watch our review of Xiaomi Redmi 8A here:

Redmi 8 Launched in Nepal: Best Budget Phone for the Price?

Pratima Adhikari

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November 11, 2019

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Redmi 8 Launched in Nepal: Best Budget Phone for the Price?

Xiaomi Nepal has officially launched the affordable budget-oriented Redmi 8 in the Nepali market. It is now available for purchase across 900+ Mi offline stores. Is this the best budget smartphone in Nepal? Let’s learn more about the phone along with its official price.

Redmi 8 Overview

The Redmi 8 offers some good upgrades over its predecessor the Redmi 7. It now offers a bigger 5000mAh battery as opposed to 4000mAh battery of the Redmi 7. There’s also USB Type C and 18W fast charging support, which is great to see on a budget phone. The screen size of 6.26-inches remains the same and there’s the same HD resolution at disposal. The design looks more refined and refreshing as compared to Redmi 7.

Camera-wise, there’s a dual rear camera on the back, the primary camera being the Sony IMX 363 with 12MP f/1.8 lens. The second lens is a 2MP depth sensor for portraits. In terms of selfies, you get an 8MP sensor residing on the notch. The Sony IMX 363 is the same sensor used on the Pixel 3, but don’t expect any Pixel like performance on the Redmi 8 as Google’s software processing, its dedicated Visual Core chip, and the ISP/DSP of the Snapdragon 845 makes Pixel camera outstanding.

As for the performance, the Redmi 8 is actually inferior when compared to the Redmi 7. The Redmi 7 featured a much powerful Snapdragon 632 chipset, and the Redmi 8 sports a Snapdragon 439. It is very strange to see Xiaomi take this move, as the company is usually known for providing “best performance for the price”.

Memory wise, Only the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage is available in Nepal. There’s a dedicated microSD card slot for memory expansion.

Also Read: Xiaomi mobiles price in Nepal [Latest]

Redmi 8 Specifications

Display: 6.22-inch (1520 × 720 pixels) HD+ 19:9 with Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Chipset: Snapdragon 439
CPU: Octa-Core (4 X 1.95GHz Cortex A53 + 4X 1.45GHz Cortex A53)
GPU: Adreno 505 GPU
RAM: 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, expandable up to 512GB with microSD (dedicated)
OS: Android 9.0 (Pie) with MIUI 10
SIM: Dual SIM (nano + nano)
Rear Camera: 12MP rear camera with LED flash, Sony IMX363 sensor, 1.4μm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, 6P lens, Dual PD autofocus, secondary 2MP depth camera
Front Camera: 8MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture, 1.12μm pixel size
Security: Fingerprint sensor, Face unlock
Dimensions: 156.48×75.41×9.4mm; Weight: 188g
Connectivity: Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
Battery: 5000mAh with 18W fast charging (10W charger inside the box)
Colors: Sapphire Blue, Ruby Red, Onyx Black

Xiaomi Redmi 8 Price in Nepal & Availability

The new price of Xiaomi Redmi 8 in Nepal is Rs. 15,999. This price is for the 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM variant.

Model Name	Old Price	New Price in Nepal
Xiaomi Redmi 8 (4GB/64GB)	Rs. 14,999	Rs. 15,999

The Redmi 8 is without a doubt the new budget king. It comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, which is a new benchmark for budget phones in Nepal. You get a good design, 19:9 display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, Type C port, Dual Cameras, and a big 5000mAh battery — All these add up to make the Redmi 8 a compelling budget phone.

Daraz 11.11 Sales Day 2019: All the deals & discounts we know so Far

Nikhil Shrestha

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November 10, 2019

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Daraz 11.11 Sales Day 2019: All the deals & discounts we know so Far

So, by now, you must have seen ads and banners regarding the Daraz 11.11 Sales Day all around. It’s appearing on the streets, your Facebook walls, and YouTube too! Yes, the hype is real, people. After all, the world’s biggest sales festival is coming to Nepal!

Now, if you’re a regular online shopper, then, this will be all too familiar. But if you’re not, then read on further to know what this Sales Day is all about.

Now Daraz is Nepal’s number 1 online marketplace connecting sellers and buyers. We know Daraz to be providing discounts and offers – small and big, regularly too. Two years ago, it brought Black Friday to Nepal, which was a huge success too. And after its acquisition by Alibaba – the world’s largest online marketplace, the world’s largest consumer festival saw its debut in Nepal as well.

How was 11.11 Sales Day Originated?

The Daraz 11.11 Sales Day as of now, is in its second stage here in Nepal, but it has a history. Started 10 years ago in China by Alibaba, it is known as “World’s Singles Day“, or “Anti-Valentines Day“. Since its initiation, it was China’s most significant consumer festival, and now it is the World’s biggest, taking over Black Friday too! Last year’s Singles Day achieved a record sale of $30.8 billion!

When is Daraz 11.11 Sales Day in Nepal?

The Daraz 11.11 Sales Day will kick-off at 12 A.M. on November 11 (Kartik 25) and last for 24 hours, i.e. 12 A.M. November 12. It will be a full day of exclusive product launches, flash sales, mystery boxes, brand vouchers and unbelievable deals with up to 80% discounts. Last year, Daraz exclusively launched the Pocophone F1 on the 11.11 sales day. Customers will be able to choose from over 1000 local and international sellers, and so, you’ll have access to an assortment of deals, never seen before in Nepal.

This will be Nepal’s own “Virtual Haat Bazaar”, and it will be accessible via the Daraz App. The app also offers a truly personal AI-driven experience and will show you the best of deals too. Truly, it might just introduce a new era of shopping.

This sales day will bring you the best in the industry. You will be able to get access to products from top international brands like MI, OnePlus, Samsung, Anker, Titan, Adidas, Nike, Reebok, etc. and top local brands like Goldstar as well as Holiday packages too. There will also be mind-blowing deals and additional vouchers. And the sales day covers every single category from smartphones to accessories, fashion, health, living, and all that you can imagine.

Daraz 11.11 Sales Day 2019: Bigger than ever?

The first edition of the 11.11 Sales Day was a huge hit for the company. According to the company, there was an 80% increase in sales on 11.11 compared to any other regular business day. More than 2 lakh people visited the Daraz mobile app and accessed a catalog of over 1000 sellers and brands.

Following suit to last year’s success, Daraz is all geared up to welcome an even larger pool of visitors onto its platform. This year, the company is expecting to garner 3.5 lakh potential buyers and is offering exciting deals on over 3 lakh products with up to 80% discount. This time around, Daraz has managed to cap the number of sellers to 3000, thus resulting in an even wider selection of products.

What’s new in Daraz 11.11 in 2019 for Nepal?

A company’s expansion is never an easy task. Additionally, Daraz hasn’t been free from controversies since the day it started operation in Nepal either. People have complained about its delivery schedules, inefficiency in handling customer orders, etc. to name a few. The overwhelming response from the first rendition of the 11.11 Sales Day was a wake-up call for the company to work on itself. And we’re happy to report that Daraz has incorporated multiple exciting tactics to counter the problems realized in last year’s event, and thus provide the customers with a satisfactory online shopping experience.

An increased number of delivery agents
- You might have heard of this. To ensure that the sheer volume of customer orders on the day is effectively fulfilled, Daraz has hired 400 additional Delivery Heroes. Therefore, getting your order delivered at the scheduled time should not be that big of an issue.
Partnership with different banks
- Daraz is now associated with 6 banks in total as “Payment Partners”. Customers of Nabil Bank, Nepal Investment Bank, Sanima Bank, NIC Asia, Mega Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank are compatible to grab up to 20% discount or NRs. 3,500 off on various items using their respective debit or credit cards. Similarly, Daraz is also introducing the feature to make digital pre-payment on customer orders.
Product collection points
- As discussed before, delivering a customer’s order in time has always been a significant challenge for Daraz. Thus, the company has come up with “Package Collection Points” in various cities. Such points facilitate the severance of interaction between customers and delivery agents. Customers can themselves pick up their package(s) from such points, and simultaneously save up on shipping costs while doing so.
Bigger warehouse for handling orders
- Another major complaint Daraz receives is that people’s orders are mismatched and they end up getting something they didn’t order. I personally have been a victim of this, twice! Thus, Daraz is implementing a bigger warehouse complemented by a bigger number of warehouse personnel to handle customer orders more efficiently.
Better review system
- Reviews are crucial when it comes to online shopping. It’s a common practice to check what other buyers have had to say about the product before buying one for yourself. Daraz now allows the users to attach product images in their reviews, facilitating a detailed exchange. Additionally, you can now directly chat with the seller to know more about the product.
Training to the sellers
- The sellers are one of the key players in online shopping and there has to be an understanding relationship between the sellers and Daraz. This is more important than ever since the company is the gateway to over 3000 different vendors. Therefore, Daraz has been continuously working to provide adequate training to its sellers to drive up online sales.

Launches we’re excited about!

At this point, we’ve come to expect some exciting exclusive launches from Daraz on its 11.11 Sales Day, and it looks like we get to put on a happy face this time as well. Here are some of the new launches that have us excited!

Apple iPhone 11 Series Prebooking

New year, new iPhones. Apple launched 3 new iPhones in its 11th generation – iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. All these come with Apple’s all-new A13 Bionic chipset, which is the best in the business. While the cheaper iPhone 11 comes with a dual-camera setup, the “Pro” models are equipped with an additional telephoto lens.

The regular iPhone 11 starts at $699 while the 11 Pro and Pro Max start at $999 and $1,099 respectively in the international market. However, the Nepalese audience has always had to bear an additional 20 to 30% charge when buying an iPhone in the domestic market. So, we’re expecting the iPhone 11 to start at around NRs. 100,000 or maybe a little more.

OnePlus 7T Pro Exclusive Launch

We had previously reported that the OnePlus 7T Pro would be launching before Tihar in Nepal, but it looks like Daraz has snatched that opportunity. The phone will now be a Daraz exclusive and launch on its much anticipated 11.11 Sales Day instead.

OnePlus 7T Pro is an incremental upgrade over its predecessor, the OnePlus 7 Pro. It packs the slightly more powerful Snapdragon 855+ chipset, which features an overclocked GPU as well. Another notable upgrade in the 7T Pro is a slightly bigger 4085 mAh battery capable of charging 23% faster. On the memory front, the phone comes in a single 8/256GB model.

Also read: OnePlus 7T Pro along with McLaren Edition is on its way to Nepal

Redmi Note 7 Pro (6/128GB) Promo Offer

The Redmi Note 7 Pro is the top contender for value-oriented phones in Nepal. However, its launch in Nepal was considerably late than in India. The 6/128GB variant of the phone was launched for NRs. 29,999 which recently received a price drop and is now available for NRs. 28,999. However, Daraz is looking to shake things up with an even better deal on the Redmi Note 7 Pro.

Though there are a lot of things to talk about the device, its highlight feature definitely is the 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor. For your portrait shots, you get a 5MP depth sensor. For a budget smartphone, the Redmi Note 7 Pro has a premium-y feel because of its glass back. On the performance front, the Snapdragon 675 here is a decent chipset for a mid-range device.

Also read: Redmi Note 7 Pro Review: Still the best midranger?

Discount on Semi-Flagships

Semi-flagship phone’s like Oneplus 7, Huawei P30, and Nova 3 will be receiving big discounts in Daraz 11.11 sales day this year. The Oneplus 7 (8+256GB) is expected to be priced at just Rs. 60,000 and the Huawei P30 will only cost Rs. 70,000. A year-old Nova 3 will be available under Rs. 40,000. You can further get an Rs.3500 discount by purchasing from the above-mentioned banks.

Discounts on Canon DSLR

If you are thinking of stepping up your photography game and investing in a budget DSLR, look at the Canon’s entry-level DSLR 4000D. It is expected to get around a 30% discount.

The Extras

Yamaha Ray Zr Street Rally Giveaway

One lucky buyer during 11.11 sales day in Nepal will win a brand new Yamaha Ray Zr street Rally Scooter via a lucky draw.

Game Zone

Game Zone is an in-app mini-game, which is a gateway to gift vouchers from different brands and vendors. There are 3 games here: “Daz The Delivery Boy“, “Candy Poppin!“, and “Fishing Daz“. During its special event which will run from November 10 (00:00) to November 11 (17:00), Daraz has upped the prize pool, which now includes Fantech Products, Huawei Y Max, and Realme C2 smartphone.

Daraz साथी Program

This is a simple referral program from Daraz. Under this, a registered user can win gift vouchers up to Rs. 500 when anyone registers a Daraz account using the aforementioned user’s link.

Daraz Early Birds

The “Early Birds” offer allows a select number of shoppers to be eligible for limited-time offers on various products from 12 pm to 1 am. Early Birds are also eligible for free shipping.

Win Exciting Prizes

Daraz will also be displaying QR codes in various mediums such as banners, standees, and flyers in various places. You will be able to see them at various bank branches, and more than 100 restaurants, and even Human Billboards who will be strolling around at public places. They will also be placed on e-newsletters and Daraz Social Media pages.

All you have to do is scan the QR code and follow the simple instructions after that, which will make you a candidate for receiving exciting Daraz gift hampers!

With all that in tow, it really looks like we will see something that we’ve never seen before via the Daraz 11.11 Sales Day. The campaign is already in motion. Check the Daraz App to grab the latest and the best!

OPPO Reno2 F Review: Stunning Mid-ranger, But Ordinary Performance

Pratima Adhikari

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November 10, 2019

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OPPO Reno2 F Review: Stunning Mid-ranger, But Ordinary Performance

OPPO has some pretty interesting phones in their Reno line-up. In Nepal, OPPO has launched the Reno 2F recently. At first sight, I was particularly intrigued by the looks because it’s one of the very few phones with a seamless no-camera bump design.

But the upper mid-range smartphone segment has a lot for competition. So, can the Reno 2F stand tall among them? Let’s find out in our OPPO Reno 2F review.

OPPO Reno 2F Full Specifications:

Display: 6.53-inch (2340 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:5:9 aspect ratio AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Chipset: MediaTek Helio P70
CPU: Quad 2.1GHz Cortex A73 + Quad 2GHz Cortex A53
GPU: Mali-G72 MP3
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage: 128GB, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
OS: Android 9.0 (Pie) with ColorOS 6.1
SIM: Dual SIM
Primary Camera:
– 48MP rear camera with LED flash, Samsung ISOCELL GM1 sensor, 0.8um pixel size, f/1.7 aperture, PDAF, CAF
– 8MP 119° Ultra-Wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture
– 2MP Mono Lens
– 2MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture
Fingerprint scanner: In-display
Dimensions: 162 x 76 x 9mm
Weight:195g
Connectivity: Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS/GLONASS, USB Type-C, 3.5 mm audio jack, Dolby Atmos
Battery: 4000mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 fast charging
Price: Rs. 46,990/-

Design & Build

When it’s about designed, I can hardly remember times when OPPO did it wrong. And I feel like the Reno series, among other things, nails their designs.

I mean, the back is so minimalistic and seamless that the aesthetics look very good. And it feels good on the hands too. The Green color I have looks bold and classy and OPPO also has this distinguished green thing going on in the power button which I like. It’s a glass back with metal frames, so durability won’t be a problem unless you drop it.

The buttons are placed in a reachable position on both sides. Down below is the headphone jack and just beside it, you find the USB-C port and a single firing speaker grill.

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The fingerprint sensor is there on the front, an in-display one which is super-fast. Upwards, you only find a pop-up camera sitting in poise.

So, the design is something that has impressed me a lot. As I said, it’s minimalistic, it’s handy and all I can say is, this is one of the best designs I have seen so far!

Display:

The OPPO Reno2 F sports a 6.5 inches AMOLED screen with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a FullHD resolution. It’s clean because of the pop-up camera. Those thin bezels also add to the niceties. The good thing is that it has an anti-flicker mode to reduce the effects of PWM dimming

Since this is an AMOLED screen, you get an always-on display feature which I like keeping it on even though it chucks my battery a little bit. On to the core of the display, the colors are quite good, the contrast levels match my expectations and because it’s a notch-less screen I have loved playing games and watching my favorite YouTube channels.

One thing though, I have always wished for more brightness in the display while using it outdoors. So, sunlight legibility isn’t that great. Indoors, you will have no problems whatsoever but outdoors, you’d definitely wish for more.

Cameras:

Like other mid-range phones out there, you get 4 cameras at the back. A primary 48MP Quad-Bayer sensor, then there is the 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens, third we have a 2MP depth sensor and a final 2 MP mono portrait lens.

Okay first off, what this mono lens does is help the black and white portrait images look good. And if it helps you understand, it’s the same as what was there on the A9 2020 which we reviewed a while back. And though I really don’t understand the purpose of it, it’s there!

oppo reno2 F portrait lens Camera Sample

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Now, the ultra-wide-angle images are good looking and nice. There is a slight color shift in the wide-angle images from that of the normal ones but that should not be a problem considering the images look good anyways.

Normal Image Vs Wide-Angle Image

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The normal images have a good balance of colors and saturation. Most of them have a cooler tone to them but it really depends on the situation. The HDR function works well which is a thing I like and dislike at the same time because it works very properly in the shadow areas whereas it tends to make the colors look slightly unnatural.

OPPO Reno2 F Camera Samples (Primary Camera)

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However, in the end, what matters is how the images come out and it’s not bad at all. Details, on the other hand, are well preserved too. Now, portrait images are not bad, but not very good either. I must say that I have missed a Telephoto lens here as the portraits from the telephoto lens have better subject focus.

OPPO Reno2 F Portrait Sample

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Selfies are also something I have liked a lot about the cameras of the 2F! They look natural and very pleasing. The HDR in selfies works very well too. You get a mixture of good colors and a good skin tone in the images.

OPPO Reno2 F Selfie Camera Samples

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There’s also a portrait mode for selfies and does a decent job. You also get tons of fun stickers like this one so it’s really interesting using this camera when you are bored or something.

Oppo Reno2 F Selfie Portraits

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There’s also a Night mode that adds exposure and details to night time images. The night time images aren’t that great, as you find on a midrange phone.

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Videos are also something the phone could have done better. And it’s not because the phone has a bad video camera or as such. In fact, the company advertises the phone to have ultra-steady videos which is true. You get good stabilized videos from this phone. But only in 1080p at 30 fps! You don’t get a 4K option here neither you can shoot videos in 60 fps!

Overall, the OPPO Reno2 F is a great camera phone for the price.

Performance:

The performance is not one of Reno 2F’s strongest suits. The device gets its power from a mid-tier MediaTek’s Helio P70 chipset. And if you remember, the last generation OPPO’s F- series phones also came with this chipset, so maybe OPPO should have gone with a better one on this one.

With the Helio P70 chipset, you only get an okay-ish performance. Normal everyday tasks like messenger, WhatsApp runs fine. Opening of light Apps is fast, and multitasking 3 to 4 apps won’t be an issue as this one has 8GB of RAM.

However, once you start gaming, you will then see the significant difference between a top-tier chipset and a mid-tier chipset like Helio P70. And Although Low to mid-tier games on the Reno 2F run without any issue, it’s high demanding games like PUBG that has stuttered in high settings with HD graphics. The best PUBG gameplay on the Reno 2F would be in medium settings, which I think is a let-off considering its price.

So, obviously the Reno 2F is not the best “price to performance” midrange phone out there. And this is where its competition has an edge with Snapdragon 855 on the K20 Pro (Read review) and Kirin 980 on the Nova 5T (Read review).

Software and UI:

Talking about the software, the Reno2 F runs on Android 9 pie with Color OS 6.1 on top. And I like how much improvement this UI has got compared to its previous version. The Color OS seems better optimized than before, the transitions have gone through improvements and the overall experience feels better if not the best.

The only thing that’s missing is dark mode here which is weird considering it has an AMOLED display and could have saved some battery.

Battery:

You get a good endurance with its 4,000 mAh battery on the Reno2 F. It might sound as if it’s the usual 4,000 mAh battery but in fact, the battery life has been very good in my usage. It gave me a full day of battery even with all my gaming and social media.

And impressive is the fact that it charges very quickly with its VOOC 3.0 charger. It took about one hour and 20 minutes to get charged form 0-100% which I think is very impressive.

Extras:

The RENO 2f has a facial unlock feature for biometric security done by the pop-up selfie camera and although it is fast enough, I preferred the fingerprint option instead for security reasons.

Coming back to the Reno 2F, the speakers at the bottom do a good enough job although they are not very loud and it’s not stereo. The much cheaper OPPO A9 2020 had a stereo speaker, and this one doesn’t, which is again weird in my opinion.

Conclusion:

To conclude, I would say that the Reno 2F is a very good smartphone. Performance, as I mentioned earlier, is not its strongest suit but the other aspects are very well covered by this phone. The cameras are impressive, the design one of the best I have seen so far, it has a good battery life, so it ticks almost all the boxes. Sure, if you want better gaming performance, you can go for the K20 pro but if that’s not the case, the Reno 2F can be a very good option.

Oppo Reno2 F Pros and Cons

Pros:

Great design
Excellent cameras
Excellent display with a fast in-display fingerprint sensor
Good Battery with 20W fast VOOC charging

Cons:

Average Performance
No Telephoto Zoom camera

HP Omen 15 2019 Review (RTX 2070): The best of their lot!

GadgetByte

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November 9, 2019

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HP Omen 15 2019 Review (RTX 2070): The best of their lot!

With the carbon-fiber-isque converging pentagons, the HP Omen 15 does stand out among the crowd of gaming laptops. However, this one is much more than just design. Under the hood, it packs the latest i7 9^th gen processor, Nvidia’s RTX 2070 max-q design, and much more.

These specs promise a high-end performance capable of satisfying every gamer’s cravings. But does its performance match up to what we see on the paper? So, without any delay let’s jump straight into our review of the HP Omen 15 2019 edition.

HP Omen 15 2019 (RTX 2070) Specifications:

Dimension: 36 x 26.3 x 2.6 cm
Weight: 2.25 Kg
Display: 15.6″ Full-HD IPS display (1920 x 1080 pixels), 93% sRGB & 66% Adobe sRGB, 3000 nits peak brightness, 144 Hz refresh rate
Processor: Hexa-core 9^th gen i7-9750H processor, 2.6GHz base-clock
Graphics: NVidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8GB VRAM
RAM: DDR4 16 GB (Dual channel, upgradeable up to 32 GB)
Storage: 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Ports: 3 x USB 3.0 Type A, 1x USB 3.1 Type C (thunderbolt), 1 x ethernet, 1 x mini-display port, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DTS headphone: X dual audio jack, 1 x microphone jack, 1 x card reader, 1 x power connector
Keyboard: Full-Size, Four zone backlit
Connectivity: Intel Wireless-AC 9560 802.11b/g/n/ac (2×2) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 Combo
Webcam: 720p Webcam, 88-degree FOV
Battery: 70 Watt-hours Lithium-ions, six cells
Price in Nepal: Rs. 240,000

Design and Ports

The HP Omen 15 2019 does have a decent build quality. It feels sturdier despite most of its parts have a plastic build. Also, it falls on the lighter side, considering the fact that most gaming laptops are beasts when it comes to weight.

It is still not the thinnest out there as you’ll find the Zephyrus M series we reviewed a while back to be much better in terms of portability.

Meanwhile, check all the prices and specs of HP Omen laptops here

Talking about the design, nothing much has actually changed from its previous iterations. There’s still the dual-hinge support and the plastic-metal mix combined with the carbon fiber finish.

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You’ll find the omen logo on the upper case with its signature red coloring. As a matter of fact, the colored logo is complemented by leading red lines in the pentagonal shapes up top.

And despite having a similar look as of previous years, its looks still manage to stand out among the rest and as a personal preference, I found the laptop to be quite stylish. However, that’s the matter of personal preference.

As there isn’t a major design overhaul, the ports are placed in similar spots as before. On the rear, there are RJ-45 LAN port, a USB 3.1 gen1 Type A, an HDMI port, a mini display port, a USB 3.1 gen1 type C and the Kensington lock slot. Then there is the gen 1 Type-A USB port on either side along with the headphone, microphone, and the SD card reader slot on the left-hand side.

HP Omen 15 2019 Ports

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Overall, I felt that the placements of the ports are well thought as you’ll not face the problem of tangled wires.

On the inside there’s sort of a matte finish which looks neat however is very much smudge susceptible. So, if you have are the sort of person who likes to keep their laptop always shiny, then you’ll probably have a very hard time maintaining it in the Hp Omen 15.

There’s also a full-sized keyboard with 4 zone RGB lighting accompanied by a trackpad. The 15.6” screen is surrounded by thin bezels with the bottom one being the thickest of them all. Up top, there’s the 720p webcam. It is not something that will woo you but still, it serves its purpose.

Display

The 15.6-inch full HD display with a native 144Hz refresh rate is easily one of HP Omen 15 2019’s main attractions. The Panel is fairly color accurate with 93% SRGB color gamut and 60% Adobe RGB. However, the contrast ratio isn’t that great.

So, personally, I wouldn’t recommend this to the graphic designer and video editors. Also, the brightness peaks at around 300 nits, which isn’t great for outdoor.

However, thanks to the IPS panel, the laptop provides stable viewing angles. The color distortion from even acute angles is barely noticeable. Thus, you should not have any difficulty in viewing what’s on your screen from any angle.

Performance

As mentioned earlier, the Hp Omen 15 has the Intel Core i7-9750H processor which is backed up by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics.

I have the 16GB Single channel DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD. It has a Samsung SSD which, trust me, works wonder in terms of speed.

If you want better performance, you should definitely add 16GB RAM in its second vacant slot. Now as expected, the 9^th gen intel processor and RTX graphics are a powerful combo. The high refresh rate display along with the powerful internals means you’ll experience smooth gameplay while playing any triple-A titles.

I played PUBG and Apex legends in it, and gosh it ran smoothly. For instance, while playing Apex Legends on maximum settings, the average framerate was 110fps. As for PUBG, the ultra-settings resulted in up to 140 fps with the average being somewhere around 120fps.

Well, it was able to handle the likes of PUBG and Apex Legends pretty well. But what’s the use of having an RTX graphics and not utilizing it to the fullest. So I went ahead and played the gruesome game that is Battlefield 5. Now, this game does allow users to either enable or disable the RTX. At first, I played without enabling this feature and the laptop provided a reasonable 90 fps on average.

Then after was the turn for enabling RTX. And as expected the magic happened, in terms of the visuals that is. This feature brings forth ray tracing, which improves the reflection of the surrounding in the game. So, no wonder it proved to be a visual treat. However, the downside is that you’ll get a reduced framerate. On average it gave me 50fps with this feature enabled. Now, that is not bad considering you are getting improved visuals. So, I guess the trade-off is quite reasonable.

So, there are Minimal frame drops and no lags. Basically, this setup is just perfect for playing any modern triple-A titles on maximum settings. That too without any compromises.

Well, if it can easily handle AAA games, then it should face any difficulty in performing everyday tasks. And that’s certainly the case. Even while running multiple tasks, the laptop easily blazed past everything. So no complaints whatsoever in terms of its performance.

So, is it the perfect gaming laptop? Well, everything has a catch and what is it in this case you ask? For that, I would have to say the minor heating issue that exists.

After just around half an hour of gaming, I felt the palm-rest, as well as the front section of the laptop, started to heat. It’s certainly not uncommon for laptops to heat while playing high-end games, still, I didn’t find the thermal performance of this device to be best out there.

Add to that, the decent but not up to the notch Bang & Olufsen speakers. Though they provide a decent sound you might just want to use headphones while gaming in order to feet that extra punch in the sound.

Keyboards, Performance Control, and battery life

HP Omen 15 also features a full-sized keyboard that has 4-zone RGB lighting. The keys are of perfect size and it is comfortable to type on. Thankfully the keyboard includes a numpad too.

Now, as far as the backlighting of the keyboard is concerned, it can be easily controlled with the HP Omen Command Center.

The command center can be used for a detail adjustment of the backlight, however, for a simple toggle of the light, you can use the function keys. However, you do not get any option to adjust the brightness of the backlight.

Furthermore, the preloaded Omen Command Center also helps users to optimize and monitor. For performance optimization, you can choose either comfort, default and performance mode. There’s also an added network booster option which you can adjust to reduce latency while playing online games.

The other aspect that I found disappointing in this device is its battery life. The HP Omen has a 6-cell 70Wh lithium-Ion battery. And it comes with a 200W AC power adapter.

Now, the charger on this one is not as heavy as you would find on other gaming laptops but compromising on the charger weight is not an excuse for a meh-sort of battery life.

On standard use, I got around one and a half hours of battery life. Even turning the backlight off didn’t help that much in terms of battery life.

Verdict

HP Omen 15 with its stand out looks and accomplished performance is certainly a great gaming laptop. Now, for the asking price of NRs. 240, 000 might just be a little too much for many out there. However, the specs that this device packs more than justifies its price tag.

I honestly enjoyed using this laptop and if I had to niggle into some minor things that might make give me not want to recommend this laptop would be its battery life and the heating issue.

The standby battery life should have been at least 2 and a half hours. But then again it is a gaming laptop and you would probably use it most often whilst it is plugged in.

Then there’s the thermal issue as mentioned above. So, you probably will have to use an external cooler if you’re planning on playing games all night.

Other than that, the HP Omen 15 is undoubtedly a powerful gaming laptop. And I would certainly recommend this laptop for those users who want to upgrade from their entry-level laptops or even some of the seasoned gamers out there.

Pros:

Fantastic super-smooth display
Great performance
Good gaming frame-rates

Cons:

Poor thermal management
Poor battery life

“We can survive very well without the U.S.” says Huawei

Nikhil Shrestha

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November 7, 2019

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“We can survive very well without the U.S.” says Huawei

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Huawei’s founder and CEO, Ren Zhengfei has stated that the company could very well operate sans American technologies and the Trump Administration’s actions have only motivated Huawei to survive by themselves.

Huawei was placed under the “Entity List” by the US back in May, which essentially forbids any and all US-owned company to do business with the Chinese telecommunications manufacturer. Foreseeing potential spying from the Chinese government via Huawei’s networking equipment, the US enforced the blow against the company. Despite this, the company reported an increase in revenue and has been winning 5G contracts throughout the world.

Nothing’s stopping the Huawei train!

Ren Zhengfei: The Valiant Warrior for Huawei

Regarding the ongoing US-China trade negotiations, “We won’t be used as a bargaining chip.” said Mr. Ren. He emphasized that Huawei can survive whether or not it was allowed to buy components from US-based companies.

The company’s CEO diplomatically praised the US’ innovative capacity as well, saying that it will have no problem catching up with Huawei if they went ahead to develop 5G on their own.

When asked about his cross country road trip to the US in 1992, he expressed his surprise about the size of the US companies and drew attention to the fact that he doesn’t see America through an angle of hatred. Furthermore, he stated, “Since Huawei was founded, the spirit of Silicon Valley, the sleepless Silicon Valley spirit, has been imprinted in the mind of all our employees.”

The Elephant In The Room

The main reason for this whole debacle is the potential ability of the Chinese government to use Huawei’s assets to surveil the public. Defending against this argument, Ren Zhengfei compared the company to an automobile manufacturer. He said “What we sell is just the bare equipment. It is up to the clients to decide what to put in the trunk. The car factory doesn’t know what goods the car will carry.” He added that the carriers would be in charge of how they operate and not Huawei or the Chinese government.

Taking a dig at the US government, he said “I don’t even know who is monitoring my phone. I don’t know which country, maybe America is eavesdropping on my phone calls.”

Also read: Huawei’s getting sick of it! Questions US “What are the rules?”

What’s next for 5G?

As things stand, Huawei is the unrivaled champion in the 5G arena, able to manufacture the technology at the lowest cost. US companies like Oracle and Cisco have openly admitted that they’re not on the same page as Huawei and it would be way too expensive and time-consuming to catch-up with the Chinese firm.

There have been ideas floating around that the US firms could hopefully license Huawei’s IP (Intellectual Property) in order to get the much-required boost in the 5G market. However, Huawei CEO mentioned that the company had yet to receive such a proposal from any US firm. Since the US has been inefficacious in persuading its allies against using Huawei’s 5G technology, the world is heading towards a telecommunication future supplied by the Chinese manufacturer.

So Where Exactly Is Huawei Hurting? (If At All)

Now this question has an obvious answer, unlike the US’ ambiguous and secretive approach to unsuccessfully hammering Huawei.

Google.

The entry in the entity list meant Huawei couldn’t buy components from any US companies. Though the company has managed to find solutions for most, Google and its suite of applications is one thing it doesn’t have the answer for. Despite this not being a problem in Huawei’s homeland China where most of Google’s services are already banned, the company needs Google if it wants to sell its smartphones in other markets.

Huawei unveiled its homegrown “Hongmeng/Harmony OS” to rival Android but admitted that it’s far from ready to hit the market, and it would rather ship its smartphones with Android and Google Mobile Services (GMS).

What Now?

It is obvious that the US’ attempt to crack down Huawei has been unsuccessful. The company is performing better than ever and slowly washing away its dependence from US companies. Ren Zhengfei has made it clear that Huawei can survive and effectively operate without the US. However, the company is still opening its arms to the US for resolving the whole situation.

Xiaomi launches MI Watch: A feature-packed smartwatch which could possibly come to Nepal

GadgetByte

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November 7, 2019

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Xiaomi launches MI Watch: A feature-packed smartwatch which could possibly come to Nepal

If you thought that Xiaomi was going to just sit back for this week after launching the Mi CC9 Pro, then you were wrong. They still had something up their sleeve. Yup! Xiaomi also unveiled the new Mi Watch alongside the Mi CC9 Pro. In fact, this is the first-ever smartwatch that has MI branding.

With the launch of the Mi Watch, Xiaomi too has entered the foray of smartwatches. And it is not there just for the sake of it. This device actually has some serious features packed into it. So much so that Xiaomi has labeled it as “small phone on your wrist”.

Basically, Xiaomi Mi Watch has a 1.78-inch AMOLED display. And it has the always-on capability. It comes in a 44mm casing and the rear is made up of ceramic. For easy control, there’s a button and a crown on the right-hand side. And on the left, there’s the speaker and a microphone. The watch supports the usual smartwatch features such as Bluetooth, NFC, and eSIM support. These features allow the Mi Watch to operate autonomously.

Also Read: Xiaomi MI Band 4 Review: Same Old Flesh With a New Spirit!

In addition to the fitness apps in the smartwatch, the Mi Watch also includes swim tracking. Furthermore, it is compatible with Firstbeat’s performance analytics. This means that depending upon you’re exercise routine, the smartwatch is capable of giving you a detailed break down of your heart rate.

As for its UI, the watch uses the Xiaomi’s native MIUI specifically developed for watches. It functions on top of Google’s Wear OS. With over 40 built-in apps and an exclusive app store in which third-party developers can contribute, the potential for this watch seems unlimited. Theoretically, that is!

Moving on, the watch runs on Snapdragon Wear 3100 4G chipset. It has 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage. Talking about the battery, its 570 mAh battery can last for up to 36 hours. That too with 4G turned on! Furthermore, the 570 mAh battery is the biggest ever battery in a smartwatch.

Pricing and Availability

The Mi Watch will be available in the Chinese market from the 11^th of November. The retail price for a standard version of the watch will be CNY 1,299 ($185). The Premium Edition will, however, will be available at the price of CNY 1,999($285). This Premium Edition Mi Watch has a sapphire crystal screen. Moreover, it comes with a stainless-steel frame and band.

Talking about its availability in Nepal, or the lack of it, there’s no official statement yet. In fact, there has been no word about Xiaomi Mi Watch’s international availability.

However, for the hardcore fans of Xiaomi, you might just get to buy them from the grey market. The same was the case for the Mi Band 4. So, don’t be disheartened so soon. Who knows you might just get your hands on them!

What’s the point of the ‘s’ variants of A series, Samsung?

Nikhil Shrestha

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November 6, 2019

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What’s the point of the ‘s’ variants of A series, Samsung?

What’s a company gotta do these days to stay competitive in business, huh? There’s no one definitive answer to that question it seems. The smartphone industry has gotten crazy competitive in practically every price segment. “Oh, let me just launch a budget phone with dual cameras. I mean that’s pretty impressive, right?” Nope, here come a bunch of competitors with same or at times even better camera setups and/or improvements in other aspects. All this sounds eerily similar to what Samsung’s going through right now. The South Korean conglomerate has been losing its dominance in markets around the world, which as a result is hurting its business. Let’s see why.

In recent times, the smartphone industry has seen a new and positive trend – great phones at an affordable price. You no longer have to spend a fortune to own a decent smartphone. This is thanks to the ever-growing market and the Chinese manufacturers’ production capability. Budget and mid-range devices now generate as much hype and devotion as flagship devices. It’s a win-win situation! While Samsung still wears the crown in the flagship market, OEMs like Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme are absolutely dominating the mid-range section. Heck, even Apple released a cheaper iPhone 11!

Now let’s get to Samsung. The company has admittedly never been known for its budget and mid-range devices. Though its flagship devices are really something, Samsung has always struggled in the lower-end market. ‘J’ and ‘A’ series smartphones of the past were really weird and underwhelming as to what they packed for the price, with far better options widely available in the market. In a time where the mid-range market was getting more and more crucial, the company was failing at just that.

As a countermeasure, Samsung did an overhaul of its budget and mid-range devices in late 2018. It scrapped the dreaded ‘J’ series for an all-new ‘M’ series, while also revamping the ‘A’ lineup with the latest design trends and new naming convention.

Another complaint about Samsung’s phones was the UI – Samsung Experience. Despite being noticeably better than the predecessor, it was still not everyone’s cup of tea. Hence, the company did an overhaul of its mobile UI as well and introduced “One UI” which has gotten praise for its simplistic approach.

Moving on, Samsung’s new releases were honestly quite refreshing. The company ditched the old-design model with big bezels and hardware buttons and rather went with minimal bezels and a cleaner display; something you’re used to seeing in a much expensive phone. All hard work should pay, now shouldn’t it? Though Samsung wasn’t able to take the budget and mid-range market by storm, these tactics saw significant success for the company. As a result, it had something to show for even in the non-flagship territory.

Months later, ‘s’ iterations of the ‘M’ and ‘A’ series began hitting the stores.

So you see, that’s where the trouble began.
Those upgrades. Those damn upgrades!

I don’t know who thought of it, or who approved of it. But I do know this, they are bad phones for “an upgrade”. Samsung should’ve put a lot more effort into coming up with the next iteration of these smartphones. Because the predecessors were the hit that they were, people obviously expected Samsung to do an even better job but boy were we in for a surprise.

It seems as if the company is only trying to push out new phones while thinking little to nothing about their specs. Let’s just look at the handy table below which lists major differences between the ‘s’ variant of the ‘A’ series from the non-‘s’ variant.

Phone	Most significant differences from its non-‘s’ predecessor
A10s	A slightly better chipset; an additional depth sensor; a slightly bigger battery
A20s	A downgraded LCD panel from AMOLED; an additional depth sensor
A30s	A downgraded HD+ panel from FHD+; an additional depth sensor; optical fingerprint scanner to physical; a slight bump in camera specs
A50s	The main shooter on the back upgraded to a 48MP one; selfie camera upgraded to 32MP
A70s	The main lens on the back upgraded to a 64MP one

4 words – “It’s not enough, Samsung!“

Are we being unfair to and unreasonable against Samsung here? No, I don’t think so and I reckon the table speaks for itself. Just imagine how the tech world would react if the only upgrade in the next Galaxy S11 was a slight bump in camera spec and literally nothing more. The revamped product line had managed to garner a certain level of following and I feel Samsung has let them down.

In a time where manufacturers are coming up with more and more competitive devices, Samsung will once again have to come up with some radical changes to stay in the market, should the current strategy follow suit. The company has been consistently losing its market share in many parts of the world including Nepal. Take our neighboring country India for example. Samsung’s market share shrunk down to 20% in Q3 2019 from 23% in Q3 2018, while Realme managed to leap ahead to 16% from 3% within the same time period.

samsung vs realme 2019 market share — Credit: 91Mobiles

Companies like Xiaomi, Realme have been delivering top-notch smartphone upgrades time and again. Let’s take a look at Redmi’s Note line of smartphones. Why does every new iteration in this series manage to be a huge hit in the market? It’s because the company does something sensibly new with every addition, be it design, camera, or other aspects.

The thing is, we as an audience are already bored of the smartphone industry. Thus, it’s a real challenge for the manufacturers to get us hyped for new phones. Only some head-turning features grab our attention, like the new Xiaomi Mi Note 10 with an industry-first Penta-camera setup. It is up to the manufacturers to keep the consumers’ attention alive towards its products and when Samsung went on and soul-crushingly failed to do that in its mid-range series, it broke our hearts.

Xiaomi unveils Mi Note 10 / Mi CC9 Pro with 108MP camera lens

GadgetByte

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November 5, 2019

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Xiaomi unveils Mi Note 10 / Mi CC9 Pro with 108MP camera lens

It had been coming for a while. Rumors were rife all over the internet. And now it’s finally official. Yes! the highly anticipated Mi CC9 Pro is finally official. The official statement also confirmed that the device will have five cameras on the back with the primary being a massive 108MP. The Mi CC9 Pro is also called the Mi Note 10 in Nepal. The good news is the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 could launch in Nepal as early as March.

Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Specs Overview

The Mi Note 10 has a big 6.47-inch Super AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution. And an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Furthermore, it has curved edges which means users will find it easier to hold the device despite its size. There’s also a waterdrop style notch upfront which houses the 32 MP selfie camera.

Moreover, the device runs on Snapdragon 730G. This is an octa-core CPU with two cores running at 2.2GHz. So, theoretically, there shouldn’t be any sloppiness in terms of performance.

The main highlight of this device, however, is undoubtedly its array of five cameras on the back. Not just five cameras, there are two pairs of LED flashes on the back too. The main 108MP lens uses the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. Furthermore, it has been announced that there will be an F/1.7 8P lens too. However, that’s limited to premium editions only. Nevertheless, it still makes the Mi Note 10 the first-ever smartphone to feature such a lens.

In addition to that, there’s a telephoto lens with OIS. It can provide 5x optical zoom which can reach 50x once it enters the digital mode. There’s also a 20 MP ultrawide lens with 117-degree FOV. The tiniest lens of the lot is a 2-10 cm macro lens. This along with the other cameras provide closeups of details from 1.5 cm distance. This is another feet altogether. That’s because it is the closest-ever distance achieved by a smartphone.

The five-camera array is completed by a portrait lens. Now, this too is not your everyday 2MP depth sensor. It can work as a 12MP telephoto lens with a 2x zoom. All these suggest that this camera setup gets you 50mm focal length which spells for a great perspective.

The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 also tops DXOMark rating with an overscore of 121. However, DXOMark scores heavily rely on the number of cameras the phone has and its zoom capabilities. So, you can take the score as a grain of salt. In the raw camera comparison, the iPhone 11 or the Pixel 4 still outperforms the Mi Note 10.

Another highlight of the Mi Note 10 is its huge 5260 mAh battery. Now, this one is the biggest of the lot among the 2019 edition Xiaomi phones. This large battery implies that you should get around two days of normal usage on a full charge.

Bigger battery means that you’ll have to wait a considerable amount of time for the device to charge. However, this problem is also taken care of. You get 30W wired charger that helps the device to charge up to 58% in just 30 minutes. And charging it to 100% should take about 65 minutes. Now, though it is not the fastest out there, it’s still a great achievement considering the huge battery.

Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Price & Availability

Mi Note 10 is already available in China as Mi CC9 Pro. The available variants are 6/128GB and 8/256GB. Their respective prices are CNY 2,799 ($400) and CNY 3,099 ($440). The aforementioned Premium Edition, however, has 8/256GB storage and is priced at CNY 3,499 ($500) Official sales, however, will only begin on November 11 from Xiaomi’s official channels in China.

In Nepal, Xiaomi might launch the Mi Note 10 as early as March of this year. Since Mi Nepal is honest with their pricing, the base variant should not exceed Rs. 55,000.