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Nubia Red Magic 3 Review: A gaming phone with a few magic tricks at its sleeves

Nikhil Shrestha

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October 31, 2019

Nubia Red Magic 3 Review: A gaming phone with a few magic tricks at its sleeves

Who would have thought in the past decade that mobile gaming would be where it is now. It has seen an exponential surge in popularity within the last couple of years, with the release of various FPS, MOBA titles with graphics on par to that of their PC/Console counterparts. To capitalize on the ever-growing market, many manufacturers jumped in headfirst and launched their own gaming phones like the Razer Phone, Xiaomi Black Shark and Asus ROG Phone.

And the list keeps on growing! Nubia also recently launched its new gaming phone – the Red Magic 3, which I have with me right now.

But, before going forward with its review, I’d like to say that this can also be taken as the newer Red Magic 3S review since the latter has a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 855+ chipset and comes in some new gradient colors while sharing the same specification as the Magic 3. So, without further ado, let’s get started with Nubia Red Magic 3 review.

Nubia Red Magic 3 Specifications:

Display: 6.65-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate, 430 nits brightness
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2340 × 1080 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Snapdragon 855; 7nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-Core (1 x 2.84GHz Kryo 485 + 3 x 2.42GHz Kryo 485 + 4x 1.80GHz Kryo 485)
GPU: Adreno 640
RAM: 6GB / 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4x RAM
Storage: 64GB / 128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.0) storage
Software & UI: Android 9.0 (Pie) with Redmagic OS 2.0
Rear Camera: 48MP 1/2.0″ Sony IMX586 sensor, 0.8μm pixel size, f/1.75 aperture, Dual LED flash
Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.0 aperture
Fingerprint sensor: Yes, Rear mounted
Audio: 3.5mm audio jack, Stereo front-facing speakers, DTS:X
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Dual 4G VoLTE), WiFi 802.11ac dual-band (2×2 MU-MIMO ), Bluetooth 5, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, USB Type-C
Battery: 5000mAh battery with 27W fast charging
Nubia Red Magic 3 Price in Nepal: Rs. 59,999

Design and Build

The Red Magic 3 is a gaming phone which is vividly reflected in its design. It has a robust full metal body which is IP55 resistant too. It is not as secure as the IP68, but it should protect the phone with minor dust and water sprays.

There’s a single 48MP camera on the back which we’ll get into later in the review. Under the camera, you’ll find a stylish grill which is the air-vent for the phone’s internal cooling fan.

This makes Red Magic 3 the first phone in the industry to feature an in-built cooling fan. And a fan without a good inflow of air is useless by itself.

For this, Nubia has cleverly implemented a grill on the side of the device just above the volume rockers. I didn’t find my fingers covering up the grill during my gaming sessions but I can’t say the same for people with larger hands.

Other notable gaming features of the phone include two Shoulder Buttons or Touch Capacitors which are very well positioned on the side. However, you might find some difficulty operating these capacitors while playing games with 3.5mm headphones plugged in. Additionally, the fingerprint sensor itself can be configured to function as a game touch button, allowing the Red Magic 3 to have 5 finger control in total.

Not something of a deal-breaker, but we had to mention it nevertheless. However, there’s a clever solution for it with Nubia’s proprietary modules which can be attached on the back of the phone.

Similarly, there’s a dedicated slider on the top-left portion of the phone which triggers Game Space. What it does, is basically shield you from notifications, calls, messages and other annoying alerts while you’re gaming.

The POGO pins down the slider facilitate the use of the aforementioned module, dubbed the Docking Station. Another accessory for the Red Magic 3 is Nubia’s Bluetooth Gamepad, which can be installed after slapping in a case on the phone.

Furthermore, the attractive RGB LED strip on the back completes the gaming aesthetic of the phone, which is customizable too. Also, there’s a handy option on the settings to toggle it on or off.

For me, I usually kept it turned off since you can’t personally see the LED strip on effect and only takes a toll on the phone’s battery.

You get a Type-C charging port on the bottom alongside the single speaker, which when combined with the earpiece on the front makes the Red Magic 3 a stereo speakerphone. For a mid-range phone, the speaker quality is surprisingly good.

Talking about security, there’s a physical fingerprint scanner on the back on a unique hexagonal shape. It is not the best-placed fingerprint sensor, neither is it the fastest. For a faster unlock, you can use the face unlock which doesn’t use 3D mapping, so it may not be the most reliable of the options.

And Unlike the flagships of the present, the Red Magic 3 doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint sensor.

While on the topic of design, it’s important to note that the Red Magic 3 is a tall phone so it may be very difficult for many people including myself to use single-handedly. Also, the design on the back makes the phone wobble when placed on a flat surface.

Display

On the front, you get a tall 6.65-inch AMOLED display with Full-HD resolution and yes, a 90Hz refresh rate. With this, you get a smooth viewing experience unlike the phones with the regular 60Hz refresh rate.

You’ve probably heard this from other reviewers but I’d say it as well. The difference a 90Hz display is astounding and you should experience it personally to know how much.

I liked the display’s colors and contrast as well, though it doesn’t max out on brightness to my liking. While there was no problem using the phone indoors, I did face some inconvenience using it outdoors.

The Red Magic 3 has a notch-less display with slim bezels on top and bottom. The top one holds the selfie camera. A bezel-less display on a gaming phone wouldn’t have been the best design implementation since that would make the phone prone to accidental touches while gaming. So, I have to applaud Nubia’s design choice with the Red Magic 3.

Performance

Now, a gaming phone needs to perform well for which it needs the most powerful processors. And the Red Magic 3 have this part covered with the Snapdragon 855 chipset while the Red Magic 3S has a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 855+ chipset.

So, needless to say, I didn’t experience any hiccups in performance. Everything ran as smooth as smooth can get.

With a top-class processor, smoother 90Hz display, and an internal cooling fan, the Red Magic 3 is the ultimate mobile gaming machine. I played PUBG Mobile, Asphalt 9, and Mobile Legends Bang Band in the highest of the settings and faced no stutters of sorts. There was a minimal drop in frame-rates here and there but that’s not something to scratch your head over.

Similarly, the phone performed well in the thermal department as well. I witnessed no heating issue with the Red Magic 3, thanks to the internal fan which can be toggled on/off from the Game Space.

On a related note, Game Space offers control over lots of other gaming features on the phone aside from the internal fan. Its UI is pretty rad than a regular Android UI. Gaming aesthetics is embroidered throughout the UI where we can see all the games installed on our phone.

Meddling with the gaming controls like toggling CPU/GPU performance, fan controller, message, phone call, blocking notifications, configuring touch capacitors, etc. can be initiated by a simple swipe on the right of the phone.

All these features make you wonder if it’ll outperform a full-on gaming PC. But no, just no! That’s just an outlandish thought. Moving on, as I mentioned earlier, I have the 8/128GB model which is the only one available in Nepal.

However, there’s also 6/64 GB and 12/256GB variants available on other parts of the world. The latest in storage technology: UFS 3.0 finds a home in the Red Magic 3 as well. So Installing big apps/games is no sweat for this beast.

Software

It runs on the older Android 9.0 (Pie) with Nubia’s Redmagic 2.0 on top, which is very similar to stock Android with clean UI and a few translation errors here and there. Unlike other manufacturers, there are very few bloatware applications, so that’s great too!

Battery

The big 5000 mAh battery will also easily last you two days on normal usage. It supports 18W Quick Charge 4+ which isn’t that fast compared to Samsung’s 45W or OPPO’s 65W charging. Nevertheless, I got it to charge up to 60% from 0% within 30 minutes, which is commendable.

Camera

Let’s talk about Red Magic 3’s camera now. We’ve seen many gaming phones which excel at being a gaming device exclusively but skimp on camera performance. For now, Nubia has also honored this unfortunate trend.

There’s a single 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor on the back which can be found in other phones like the OnePlus 7 Pro and Redmi K20 Pro.

And I had hoped that Nubia would come up with a better camera configuration on the refreshed Red Magic 3S, but I was let down once again. As opposed to this, the new Asus ROG Phone II boasts a dual-rear camera setup with an additional ultrawide lens.

Red magic 3 Rear Camera (Camera Samples)

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But since it only has a single lens, it falls behind many photography metrics like ultrawide angle, portrait, telephoto, macro shots, to name a few.

Though the photos are decently detailed, the edges of the object focused aren’t that sharp and dynamic range is average. Similarly, I found that the color reproduction is slightly enhanced and unevenly distributed. We could’ve had it all, but Nubia made a trade-off on the camera department and polished the gaming features more.

Like the weak rear-camera, the single 16MP front camera is also average. The details are good and colors seem natural, but it lacks HDR so dynamic range takes a hit. There’s this “Pretty Mode” as the name implies lets you take selfies while making your face free of any acne marks, blemishes, and whatnots.

Selfie Samples

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On the videography end, isn’t something that’ll knock your socks off either. No OIS or EIS means videos from the Red Magic 3 are below average to put it nicely. You can, however, take HDR and 4K @60fps videos.

I was surprised to know that the phone can shoot 8K videos at 15fps, making it next to useless for me at least. Nubia will take the praise for introducing 8K video shooting capability on a phone nonetheless.

Verdict

Now keeping all these factors into consideration, would I recommend the Red Magic 3? Definitely, although only for a specific set of consumers. For most of the average consumers, the Realme X2 Pro or the Oneplus 7T would be a good investment as they have better cameras, provide regular updates, and has a cleaner design.

So, like every gaming phone out there, this too is a super niche product intended to someone who games a lot and photography isn’t their “thing”.

Nubia Red Magic 3 Pros and Cons

Pros:

Great gaming performance
An appealing design for the gamers
enduring battery life
Immersive display with 90Hz refresh rate

Cons:

Wobbly back panel
Not many options on the camera front
Design may not be everyone’s cup of tea

Realme XT with Super AMOLED display, Quad cameras launched

Pratima Adhikari

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October 29, 2019

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Realme XT with Super AMOLED display, Quad cameras launched

Realme has launched its new mid-range smartphone — the Realm XT in India. It is nearly identical to the Realme X, except for some hardware internals and carrying a cheaper price-tag. But, will the Realme XT launch in Nepal? According to the official statement from Realme Nepal, they will not be bringing the Realme XT in Nepal.

Realme XT Overview:

Just while Xiaomi was hyping about the 64 MP cameras on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, Realme too plunged into the megapixel war. The XT comes with a whopping 64MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor for the primary camera module. The sensor uses pixel binning technology to deliver 16MP shots. Other cameras include an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP Macro lens.

The specs, however, makes the Realme XT similar to the Realme 5 Pro in many ways! The XT comes with the Snapdragon 712 chipset, 6/8 GB RAM with 64/128 GB storage, 4,000 mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 20-watt Fast charging and a 16 MP selfie camera with a waterdrop notch. Thankfully, the phone also comes with a headphone jack.

But the upgrades the XT has over the Realme 5 pro is in the display aspect with the XT featuring a 6.3-inches Super AMOLED screen and housing an in-display fingerprint sensor. Similarly, the XT comes bearing a glass design, which is the first time the company has provided a glass back!

Also Read: Realme Mobiles Price in Nepal

Realme XT Specifications:

Display: 6.3-inch Super AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
CPU: Octa-core Snapdragon 712 (10 nm)
GPU: Adreno 616
OS: Android Pie (v9.0) with ColorOS 6
RAM: 4/8 GB
Storage: 64/128 GB
Rear camera: Quad, 64 MP primary with f/1.8 aperture (GW1 sensor) + 8 MP ultra-wide with f/2.2 aperture, 2MP Macro lens+ 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 16 MP f/2.0 motorized pop-up selfie camera
Battery: 4,000mAh with 20-Watt VOOC 3.0 Flash charge
SIM(s): Dual Hybrid SIM
Sensors: Fingerprint (under-display), Accelerometer, Gyro, proximity, compass

Realme XT Price in Nepal and Availability

As mentioned earlier, Realme XT will not launch in Nepal. However, you can get Realme XT from un-authorized sellers from hamrobazar. The unofficial price of Realme XT in Nepal for the 4/64GB variant is Rs. 27,000.

Model Name	Price in Nepal
Realme XT (4GB/64GB)	Rs. 27,000
Realme XT (8GB/128GB)	Rs. 33,000

Motorola launches the all new Moto G8 Plus and E6 Play

Nikhil Shrestha

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October 25, 2019

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Motorola launches the all new Moto G8 Plus and E6 Play

Motorola is still kicking it in the smartphone industry. Primarily known for its mid-range and budget devices, Motorola phones embrace durability and core productivity in them, while also offering some unique features with a cool design. The company unveiled the Moto G7 series a few months ago and now, it’s back with two new devices: Moto G8 Plus and a cheaper Moto E6 Play.

Moto G8 Plus Overview

Worthy competitor for the Oppo A9 2020?

The G8 Plus is a good looking budget device with a decent chipset. It is equipped with Snapdragon 665 chipset (11nm) and Adreno 610 GPU. Thus, the phone is capable of handling daily needs while still sufficing to your average gaming requirements. Motorola has gone with a single memory variant for the G8 Plus. You get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which thankfully is expandable.

Let’s talk about the display now. There’s a 6.3-inch “Max Vision” LCD panel with Full-HD+ (2280 x 1080) resolution and a 19:9 aspect ratio. Motorola has managed to minimize side bezels here, though there’s a noticeable chin. For your selfies, you get a 25MP front camera on top inside a ‘U’ shaped notch.

On the topic of cameras, the G8 Plus boasts three of them in the back. The primary lens is a 48MP Samsung sensor which comes with Pixel Binning. So, night/low-light photography should yield satisfactory results. Similarly, you get a 5MP depth sensor and a 16MP ultrawide Action Camera. The 16MP lens with 117°F FOV is videography focused, letting you take wide-angle shots while holding the phone vertically. Also, the Laser Auto-Focus sensor complements the phone’s videography prowess. With its variety of camera features like Auto-smile capture, Cinemagraph, Night Vision, etc. the Moto G8 Plus is a camera-capable smartphone.

An on-screen fingerprint doesn’t debut in the G8 Plus, as it houses a physical scanner with Motorola branding on the back. It isn’t the fastest but does the job nonetheless. Powering the phone is an adequate 4000 mAh battery which supports 15W fast charging via USB Type-C out of the box. Additionally, the G8 Plus is water repellent so there’s that. Audio-wise, the phone has a stereo-speaker system. It runs on Android 9.0 Pie with a planned upgrade to Android 10 and gives you a clean Android experience. The 3.5mm headphone jack still lives on in the Moto G8 Plus.

Moto G8 Plus Specifications

Body: 6.24 x 2.98 x 0.35 inches; 188 gm (water-repellent)
Display: 6.3-inches “Max Vision” IPS LCD panel
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2280 x 1080 pixels); 19:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 665; 11nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver)
GPU: Adreno 610
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB (expandable up to 512GB through shared SIM slot)
Software & UI: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Rear Camera: Triple-camera; 48MP f/1.7 Samsung sensor with Pixel Binning, 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide Action Camera, 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor
Front Camera: 25MP, f/2.0 aperture
Fingerprint sensor: Physical (rear-mounted)
Connectivity: Hybrid Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, AGPS/GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO/BDS, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery: 4000 mAh battery with 15W Fast Charging
Colors: Cosmic Blue, Crystal Pink
Price: €269 / £232 / INR 13,999 (~ NRs. 22,475)

Also read: Motorola phones price in Nepal

Moto E6 Play Overview

Take a trip down the memory lane.

Motorola’s ‘E’ series has catered to the budget smartphone audience. Some of them have entered the Nepalese market as well. The Moto E6 Play is another budget phone from the company that features a refreshed design than the predecessor: Moto E6.

Unlike the costlier G8 Plus, it doesn’t have a notched display. Rather, you get a big notch on top and bottom, with minuscule bezels on the side. Talking about display, it has a small 5.5-inch LCD panel with HD (1440 x 720) resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The E6 Play is light on the hands too, as it weighs only 140 grams.

Moving on, the phone is powered by MediaTek MT6739 chipset (28nm) and PowerVR GE8100 GPU. Don’t expect blazing fast performance here. Likewise, E6 Play comes on a single memory variant with 2GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

There’s a single 13MP camera on the back that can shoot 1080p videos at 30fps. Similarly, you get a 5MP camera on the front for your selfies. Powering all this is a good-enough 3000 mAh battery that charges via a micro-USB cable. For security purposes, there’s the fingerprint scanner on the back with Motorola branding. As with all the budget devices, the 3.5mm headphone jack is still present here. Moto E6 Play runs on Android 9.0 (Pie).

Moto E6 Play Specifications

Body: 5.77 x 2.79 x 0.33 inches; 140 gm
Display: 5.5-inches IPS LCD panel
Resolution: HD (1440 x 720 pixels); 18:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: MediaTek MT6739; 28nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: PowerVR GE8100
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 32GB (expandable up to 256GB via a dedicated microSD slot)
Software & UI: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Rear Camera: Single; 13MP f/2.2 sensor
Front Camera: 5MP, f/2.0 aperture
Fingerprint sensor: Physical (rear-mounted)
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, AGPS/GPS/GLONASS, MicroUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery: 3000 mAh battery with 5W Charging
Colors: Turquoise Blue, Anthracite
Price: €109 / £99 (~NRs. 14,490)

Moto G8 Plus & E6 Play Availability

Both devices are available in the UK and other European markets. However, the expensive of two: Moto G8 Plus is official in India too. On the contrary, these phones won’t be coming to the US. As for their entry in the Nepalese market, let’s mark it as “highly unlikely”.

Samsung launches Exynos 990 that supports 120Hz display

GadgetByte

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October 25, 2019

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Samsung launches Exynos 990 that supports 120Hz display

Samsung Tech Day is an event that provides a pretty good insight into Samsung’s innovation. For instance, in last year’s event, we got to witness various innovative products such as the SmartSSD, a 7nm EUV process node, and many more. Similarly, this year too the South Korean tech giants put forth a series of products for the world to see.

Samsung Exynos 990 Chipset Overview

One of the main highlights of this year’s event was the new Exynos 990 processor. Making use of Samsung’s 7nm process and an integrated Mali-G77 GPU, the processor should be a powerful one. In terms of power efficiency and performance, Exynos 990 should be about 20% faster than the previously launched Exynos 980.

Like me, I’m certain that the launch of the Exynos 990 came as a surprise for many. And that’s because, in less than two months, Samsung announced two flagship-level chipsets- the aforementioned Exynos 980 and the new Exynos 990. Now, it’s not that they are completely similar. Obviously, there’s some difference between them that suggests that the new chipset may target a slightly different market.

The Exynos 990 lacks an integrated 5G modem. However, the 980 does have it. So, probably this new chipset may target the 4G devices. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, it is faster than the 980. And if required, it can be paired with the 5G Exynos Modem 5123, which was also announced today.

Other than being a faster chipset, the Exynos 990 also boasts a support of 120Hz displays. Additionally, the support of up to six cameras (maximum resolution 180MP), is also one of its notable features.

For now, it still unclear about the device that will incorporate this new chipset. But as it is a flagship-level processor, the best guess would be that it will probably power the Galaxy S11 devices. And as its feature includes support for a powerful camera, we might get to see the ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor in the Galaxy devices next year. However, these are just speculation for now.

A new mid-range processor in the making?

Well, that was about one of the actual chipsets that launched. However, rumors were persistent about a mid-range processor to be launched too. Supposedly labeled the Exynos 9630, the processor should come as an upgrade to the existing Exynos 9610.

As with Exynos 9610, the new 9630 would also be deployed in the mid-range phones from Samsung such as the Galaxy A series. And we might get to see this integrated into the so-called Galaxy A51 soon. However, much detail about the chipsets is not yet made public. But the rumor is that it is made on a smaller process. This means that the Exynos 9630 should provide higher efficiency.

So, a flagship-level processor and a mid-range processor. They should probably be the main highlights of this year’s Samsung Tech Day. However, the news about the new mid-range processor is nothing more than rumor right now. Thus, my advice would be to take it with a pinch of salt. And stay put for an official announcement.

Google introduces new apps under “Digital Experiments” to help you stay more focused

Nikhil Shrestha

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October 24, 2019

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Google introduces new apps under “Digital Experiments” to help you stay more focused

Ding!
What’s that? Ah, I can save up to 50% on select items on Daraz? But I don’t need anything from the bundle!

Ding!
Hm? Wait, what? I don’t care if my friends posted a Facebook story!

Ding!
What now? Are you kidding me? No, I’m not interested in joining r/funny, Reddit. Lay off me!

Phew!

Technology has made our lives simpler and easier, there’s no argument there. With the simplicity it brings to the table, comes unnecessary interferences too. Though Android has come a long way to managing our phones to prevent it from a flush of annoying notifications, let’s admit it, we’re pretty much hooked on to our phone for hours on a daily basis. Google thinks and rightly so, that such a habit is ruining people’s personal life. To counter this, it introduced the “Digital Wellbeing” feature alongside the launch of Android 9.0 (Pie) back in 2018.

It’s an initiative by Google to help users track their smartphone usage and hopefully achieve personal wellbeing goals. Additionally, the company is also putting its foot down by mandating all Android phone manufacturers to include the Digital Wellbeing app on their devices. Now, Google is doubling down on this initiative as it launched 5 new apps under “Digital Experiments” banner to shield you from unnecessary distractions and keep you reasonably distanced from your phone.

The original Digital Wellbeing was embedded into the Settings menu and it included functionalities like:

A Dashboard that shows your total smartphone usage time (including individual apps)
An option to set “App Timer” which would prompt the app to be non-functional for the day if used up to the set time duration
“Wind Down” for keeping you relaxed and undisturbed at night

Digital Wellbeing

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I’ve been using Digital Wellbeing from the day it came out and I admit that it has helped me from getting distracted to a certain extent. However, it seems that not many people are making use of the feature as Google would like. Thus, the company has launched 5 dedicated apps with a similar premise of Digital Wellbeing.

Also read: Google Pixel 4XL Review

Apps on Digital Experiments

Unlock Clock

Do you frequently unlock your phone, be it to check the time, use a certain app, or to avoid awkward situations like me? Well, Google has an app against that. “Unlock Clock” is a live wallpaper app that updates your phone’s home screen with the number of times you’ve unlocked your phone during the day. Though Digital Wellbeing could already show the same data, this is an in-your-face approach to remind you how often and possibly unreasonably you take your phone out of the pocket.

You’re greeted with the unlock number on a giant font on a pale gray background. Google could’ve gone with a subtler approach about displaying the count, but this could be much more effective I think. A large number blaring at you, showcasing your dependence on the machine could very well be the formula to get people to stop using their phones at all times.

Post Box

I’ve already discussed how annoying and inconsequential notifications on your phones can get. Well, Post Box looks to face that problem head-on. Basically, it is a notification scheduler app that bundles-up all your phone’s notifications and shows it to you on the set time.

Post Box

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As you can see, it’s a simple app that groups all your notifications. The UI is pretty minimal (which is the point of all these apps) to my liking. It prevents your phone from buzzing time & again and allows you to stay vigilant and active in your life rather than have you check up on your phone periodically.

We Flip

Smartphones have also degraded the quality of group gatherings. People are glued to the screen of their phones rather than engage in conversations with others. Wow, that may be the most boomer sentence ever! We Flip is Google’s attempt to minimize the use of phones when you’re in company. It connects all the phones in the group and turns on the “Do Not Disturb” mode in all of them. When anyone unlocks his/her phone, the session ends for everyone.

We Flip

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However, it seems that the app isn’t fully polished since I received a “Connection Error” message when trying to pair with other phones.

Desert Island

Another app on the list is titled “Desert Island”. As the name implies, the app deserts absolute connection to your phone, by limiting your access to a handful of apps from the entire library of them. Here, you get to select 7 of them to use during the day. After selecting the desired apps, your previous launcher is changed to Desert Island, which has a minimal UI with the list of selected apps.

Desert Island

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This is a tough one, I know. How do you limit yourself to only 7 apps when you’ve spoiled yourself by installing 100s of them on your phone? In case of an emergency, you can use other apps by clicking on the tree icon on the top right. But give it a go and see how long you can last being jailed on your own device.

Morph

By looking at the name, what do you think this one does? Shapeshift like Mystique from X-Men into other apps? Not quite. Rather, it lets you assign various modes/premises your phone will be in and morph your phone accordingly.

Morph

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Here, I’ve added two modes. I’ve assigned time and day schedule to both of them and selected some apps which I’ll be using during that time. Morph seamlessly transitions your phone from one state to another depending upon the time of the day. Similar to Desert Island, Morph is a launcher app that gives you just the right apps, at just the right time.

Download

App	Link
Unlock Clock	Play Store or APKMirror
Post Box	Play Store or APKMirror
We Flip	Play Store or APKMirror
Desert Island	Play Store or APKMirror
Morph	Play Store or APKMirror

Meizu expands its budget flagship lineup with Meizu 16T

GadgetByte

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October 24, 2019

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Meizu expands its budget flagship lineup with Meizu 16T

Since the premium flagship devices usually hover around the $1000 territory, there has been a huge gap between the mid-range and premium flagship handsets. To fill that gap, smartphone manufactures are quite focusing on the budget flagship devices, which costs less but offers more. And in that context, Meizu has already launched Meizu 16s and 16 Pro. And to complete its budget flagship trifecta, the Chinese smartphone maker launched Meizu 16T this time around.

Overview

Going by the design, the Meizu 16T looks vaguely familiar with the earlier devices in its Meizu 16-series lineup. It comes with thin bezels on the bottom. Unlike most of the smartphones in 2019, it also lacks a notch or punch-hole style cutout. The Chinese company has rather included a thin bezel on the top to incorporate the front camera, earpiece, and the necessary sensors. But unlike the Pixel 4/4XL, the top and bottom bezel are similar in size. So the front part of the phone looks quite symmetrical.

In between the bezels, there is a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display, which comes with Full-HD+ resolution. The display here is TÜV Rheinland certified for low blue light emissions. Underneath the display, you can also find an optical fingerprint scanner.

Since Meizu has already used Snapdragon 855+ chipset on Meizu 16s Pro, we were expecting the same from on this one. But with Snapdragon 855 chipset on the board, the 16T joined the league with the Meizu 16s. The performance on this device is complemented by either 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. And talking about the storage, the phone ships with either 128GB or 256GB of onboard memory. However, the phone lacks a Micro SD card slot. So you won’t be able to expand the storage any further.

On to the camera front, the front packs a triple camera setup on its rear panel. The camera module comprises of a 12MP main shooter, which is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5MP depth sensor. Flipping to the front, there is a 16MP selfie snapper buried underneath the top bezel.

A massive 4500mAh fuels the battery, which should provide a long-lasting battery life. The battery on this handset also comes with 18-watt fast mCharge support. As for the software, the phone boots with Android 9 Pie with Flyme 8 UI on top of it.

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As mentioned in the title, the Meizu 16T is a budget flagship device. The company has priced this produced aggressively despite incorporating flagship-grade specs. The base variant costs CNY 1,999, which roughly translates to $280 (approx. NPR 32,620). Similarly, the beefier 8/128GB and 8/256GB variants are priced at CNY 2,299 ($325, NPR 36,800) and CNY 2,499 ($355, NPR 40,200) respectively.

The phone is only available in China as of now. The company hasn’t yet spoken if they have any plans to launch this handset overseas.

Meizu 16T specs:

Display: 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display, 430 nits of brightness
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2232 x 1080 pixels), 382ppi
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
CPU: Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485)
GPU: Adreno 640 GPU
RAM: 6GB/8GB of LPDDR4X RAM
Storage: 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage: No SD card slot for storage expansion
Rear Camera: (12MP, f/1.9 Sony IMX362 main camera) + (5MP Samsung 5E9 f/1.9 sub-lens) + (8MP, Samsung 4H7 f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera), LED flash
Front Camera: 16MP, f/2.2 aperture
OS & UI: Flyme 8 UI based on Android 9 Pie
Battery: 4,500mAh battery with 18W mCharge support, USB Type-C port
Extras: Stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
Sensors: Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Color Options: Lake Light Green, Whale Blue, Daylight Orange

Netflix account sharing days coming to an end?

GadgetByte

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October 23, 2019

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Netflix account sharing days coming to an end?

I have planned my perfect weekend. Stay in my bed all day long and binge through the Netflix series that I haven’t been able to catch up to. If that isn’t the ideal weekend, then I don’t know what is? I mean I get to enjoy all those mind-boggling series from the comfort of my home. And I don’t even have to pay for it. No, I don’t download them from torrent rather I use my sister’s account.

She studies abroad and has shared her Netflix credentials with me. I’m pretty sure that for most of you the case is similar. One would have a hard time finding a Nepalese household that doesn’t have at least a single member who lives abroad. And at some point in time, you probably have asked them to subscribe to Netflix and share the credentials. I mean that’s the least they can do right. However, the days of sharing Netflix accounts might just be coming to a close.

As per reports, Netflix has been monitoring people who share the credentials between there friends and family. The reason for that is quite obvious. Its basic plan costs around $8.99 per month going up to $13.99 for the premium plans. And as long as friends and family feed off of a single user account, Netflix will not have gained other subscriptions. And that clearly shows less money earned. Thus, it is logical that Netflix would want to crack down on users who share their Netflix account.

However, Greg Peters, the chief product officer of Netflix, revealed in a video interview that they are not planning to take any action immediately. They are still in the monitoring phase. And if they do plan on doing something about this, they would do so in a very consumer-friendly way.

$9.9 billion loss. Yup, reports suggest that the credential sharing will account for that amount of loss of pay-TV revenue by 2021. So, if any actions were to be taken by Netflix or any other streaming services, I think that it would be justified.

But how on earth are they going to track all those users who share their accounts? Well, a possible solution for this would be to use AI. (AI seems to be the solution for everything nowadays!). For instance, in this year’s CES, an AI system was unveiled that could track account sharing. It uses behavioral analysis and ML to flag shared accounts.

So, what happens when the day finally arrives when you won’t be able to use your friend/family member’s Netflix account? Do you stop bingeing through Netflix shows completely? Probably not. An alternative would be to pay a bit extra and use the same account on multiple screens. Although it too comes with its constraints. And that is, you won’t be able to use all the screen at the same time. But something is better than nothing. However, you can always subscribe to your independent account. But until the time comes, keep enjoying what you’ve got!

We could get the next-gen AirPods by the end of October

Nikhil Shrestha

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October 23, 2019

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We could get the next-gen AirPods by the end of October

When Apple launched the first AirPods back in 2016, it received a lot of mixed reactions from the crowd. Though many admired its superior audio output, the original AirPods faced a lot of hate for its looks. Due to the bulkier form-factor, it was deemed ugly.

Coming back to the present time, they are a cultural sensation. Youths around the world have embraced the AirPods cult and I bet you notice someone with AirPods or similar-looking knock-off earbuds on them every day. Rumors from Apple’s supply-chain information has it that the company is going to launch the next generation of AirPods by October, which will be called “AirPods Pro“.

Apple AirPods Pro case design leak — Credit: Slashleaks

Since Apple named its latest iPhones with “Pro” tag in them for the first time, it only makes sense that the new AirPods have “Pro” in their name too. From the leaks, it looks like the Apple AirPods Pro may have an in-ear design and feature noise-cancellation. Additionally, it may come in a waterproof design too, making it ideal to use in rainy weather. It is expected to be much more premium than the current AirPods in the market. With a price tag of $260, it’s almost 40% higher than the current-gen AirPods 2.

Possible AirPods Pro icon leaked from iOS 13.2. Credit: Guilherme Rambo (9to5Mac)

While the market is already flooded with many true-wireless earbuds, the new AirPods will be Apple’s just the right asset to compete. Samsung launched the Galaxy Buds, which was pretty much hit-or-miss among the audience. Microsoft went tribal on the design of its Surface Earbuds which was announced on the Surface Event 2019. Similarly, Google announced the Pixel Buds, which look very minimal and pack a lot of eye-catching features. How well the newest AirPods will fare against the current king of the truly wireless earbuds industry: Sony WF – 1000XM3 is yet to be seen.

Do you need some space-internet? ‘Cause Elon Musk’s got them!

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Nikhil Shrestha

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October 23, 2019

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Do you need some space-internet? ‘Cause Elon Musk’s got them!

SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are a success! Self-proclaimed “meme necromancer” and the company’s CEO Elon Musk posted a tweet yesterday, essentially confirming that the satellites are functional. Minutes later, he followed up to the tweet saying “Whoa, it worked!!”

In case you didn’t know, Starlink is the name for SpaceX’s constellation of low-orbit satellites designed for high-speed and low-cost space-based internet. The company launched a batch with 60 of these satellites in May of 2019 on its own Falcon rocket.

For now, SpaceX says the project’s main aim is to provide a fast broadband internet connection with low latency to every nook and cranny of Earth. Elon Musk had announced the Starlink project back in 2015 with a plan to launch two orbital satellites by 2016. However, the first prototype satellites named “Tintin A” & “Tintin B” were launched by the end of 2018 only after receiving approval from FCC (Federal Communications Commission) for deploying additional 7,518 satellites on top of already existing 4,425.

Furthermore, SpaceX has filed an application for the launch of an additional 30,000 satellites with the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). These satellites will have the final orbital height of 550km.

How is it faster?

Unlike fiber optical cables here on Earth, each Starlink satellite is equipped with 5 individual lasers which will use light pulse to communicate with other satellites. Through this, each of them will have a laser-link with 5 of the nearest satellites.

Speed of light in vacuum vs glass — Credit: Real Engineering (YouTube)

What’s interesting about this, is the varying speed of light between mediums. Using lasers, the Starlink satellites will be able to transfer data faster. This is because light travels 47% faster in the vacuum of space than on the glass used in optical fiber connection.

Why so many satellites?

Starlink was originally supposed to have a final orbital height of 1,150km and a coverage radius of 1,060km. This would mean that the project would be completed with far fewer satellites. However, the higher orbital height would also result in increased latency which consequently defeats the purpose of space-based internet.

SpaceX Starlink satellites in orbital planes — Credit: Mark Handley (YouTube)

Thus, SpaceX is deploying a large number of non-geostationary satellites, each with an 81º field-of-view and a circular coverage radius of 500km for low-latency communication.

On its first phase with 1,584 satellites, 66 of them will orbit in one of 24 orbital planes inclined at 53º. As the satellites are constantly traveling in their dedicated orbital plane, it could result in an unsteady connection between neighboring satellites. To counter this, SpaceX has equipped each Starlink satellite with 5 optical communication systems, which will maintain a steady connection with 4 satellites at all times.

Any competition?

Unsurprisingly yes. The CEO of Virgin Airlines – Richard Branson announced an investment in OneWeb which is a similar venture, with approximately 700 satellites already having acquired license for operation. This announcement was eerily contiguous with Musk’s announcement in 2015.

Similarly, Samsung had also announced a 4,600 satellite constellation orbiting at 1,400km but as of now, that’s all we know about it. Amazon also put its hat in the ring and announced to launch “Project Kuiper“, with a constellation of 3,236 satellites in the next 10 years.

Prepare to surf the web faster and hopefully at a low cost in the coming years with the space-internet. However, experts have voiced their concerns saying that it will result in space and light pollution. Also, the signals transmitted by thousands of these satellites could also interfere with scientific researches. Whether this technology will cause more harm than good, only time will only tell.

Google Pixel 4 underperforms on DxOMark test: Falls behind the OnePlus 7 Pro

Nikhil Shrestha

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October 23, 2019

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Google Pixel 4 underperforms on DxOMark test: Falls behind the OnePlus 7 Pro

Smartphone manufacturers have been using DxOMark scores lately to flaunt their phones’ photography prowess. It is an independent benchmark score for a camera-equipped product, which tests image and video quality of lenses and camera on the phone.

While last year’s Pixel 3 outperformed many flagship phones of the time with its single-camera setup, Google has tried to out-do itself by introducing a dual-camera setup on the latest Pixel 4. However, the latest figure on DxOMark’s website shows the device ranked 8th with a score of 112. It is right below OnePlus 7 Pro, Honor 20 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S10+. Huawei’s latest Mate 30 Pro tops the chart with 121 points.

The Pixel 4 comes with a 12.2MP f/1.7 main lens and a 16MP f/2.4 telephoto lens on the back. Both of these boast OIS and EIS. For selfies, there’s a single 8MP f/2.0 camera on the front.

Google Pixel 4: Photo performance

As with all the Pixel phones, Pixel 4 has a great camera performance. It has an accurate level of exposure in good lighting conditions and gives good details as well, especially indoors. Google emphasized its new telephoto lens on the phone’s launch event claiming the Pixel 4 was capable of preserving fine level of detail in long-range zoom too. DxOMark’s test is a testimonial to this claim.

Similarly, color reproduction on Pixel 4 is commendable as well. Its photos aren’t over-saturated and rather have pleasant colors and accurate white balance. Night Sight is another flaunted feature of the Pixel phones. Pixel 4 shoots excellent photos at night with its dedicated night mode. The images are well lit and details are preserved. Additionally, Pixel 4’s PDAF sensor allows for accurate in-focus shots in almost all lighting conditions.

As expected, Pixel 4 shoots the best selfie portraits. The portrait shots from rear-camera give excellent photos as well, though edge-detection is still not perfect. Talking about drawbacks, testers at DxOMark found images from Pixel 4 less detailed in short-range zoom. Also, some artifacts like Moiré effect (odd stripes & patterns in the image) and some ringing along the edges were found in some of the photos.

Google Pixel 4: Video performance

Moving on to video, Pixel 4 is capable of 4K videos at 30fps. However, the test was conducted on 1080p/60fps videos. The phone ranked top in DxOMark’s list of 1080p HD video performance.

Pixel 4’s videos are smooth with great stabilization, vibrant color, and accurate white balancing. The automatic adaptive frame rate allows switching between 30 and 60fps, which helps result in a smoother and stabilized video. Similarly, the phone’s video autofocus is fast and accurate too. Pixel 4’s dynamic range in videos is fairly appreciable alongside noise control.

Due to its excellent stabilization, videos from the Pixel 4 have less Judder effect (uneven or jerky video playback from the movement of camera or objects between frames) when panning.

Why such a low score?

With all the praise for its excellent photo and video performance, you might be wondering why Pixel 4 ranks 8th on the list. Well, the thing is, Pixel 4 only has two cameras on the back compared to competitors’ triple or quad-rear camera setup. Due to this, the phone is bound to suffer a low score since it doesn’t get any score on wide-angle and bokeh testing from DxOMark’s tests, unlike the competition. Thus, Pixel 4 falls short on its overall score.

You can read DxOMark’s full review of the Pixel 4 here.