Vivo has launched its new budget-oriented smartphone, the Vivo Y11 2019 in Nepal with major upgrades over its predecessors. It carries the modern design trends and brings Snapdragon chipset on a budget. Specs-wise Vivo Y11 2019 shares a lot of things with Vivo Y12 so it the better value for your money? Let’s find out.
Vivo Y11 2019 Overview
Display & Design
The Y11 2019 features a near-identical design with the Vivo Y12 (priced Rs. 21,990) which was launched a couple of months back. Both phones feature a 6.35-inch Halo LCD display with an HD+ (720 x 1544) resolution on a 6.28 x 3.02 x 0.35-inch body. There’s a significant bezel on the bottom despite a minimal one on the top. As with most of the budget-oriented phones, the new Y11 has a plastic build with a fingerprint sensor on the back. However, it is sizeably heavy thanks to its big battery and feels decently premium on the hands.
I remember the time when a phone’s color had simpler names. If it looked black, they’d be called black and the same rule went for other shades and hue. But OEMs have gotten a little more innovative now. Vivo, whose phones are known for their design and looks, has jumped in on the radical color scheme train too. The Y11 2019 comes in 2 color variants: Coral Red and Jade Green and gives off different vibrant colors when light hits it from different angles.
Camera
Additionally, there’s a small ‘V‘ shaped waterdrop notch on the front for the 8MP selfie camera with Vivo’s AI Face Beauty feature for you fashionistas out there. It also supports software-based face unlock. While the Y12 boasts a triple-rear camera, the Y11 2019 sees a downgrade and rather houses a dual-AI camera on the back with a 13MP primary lens and a 2MP depth sensor. You’ll have to get a little more creative to get those wide-angle shots with the Y11 2019.
Performance & Memory
Talking about the performance, Vivo has switched from the MediaTek Helio P22 (12nm) chipset on the Y12 to a slightly underpowered Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 (12nm) on the new Y11. This is complemented by a moderate 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded via a microSD card. On the UI side, the Y11 runs on Android 9.0 (Pie) with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 9.1 on top.
Battery
One area where Vivo has been very generous in the Y11 2019 is the battery. With the above industry average 5000 mAh battery alongside Vivo’s intelligent power management system, the phone should easily last you a day or two in a single charge. A budget phone with a big battery is something of a trend these days and we couldn’t be more grateful.
Miscellaneous
On a disappointing note, Vivo is still sticking with the older generation micro-USB port for charging and data transfer here, not that this is the first time the company has let us down that way. A much more expensive and celebrated Vivo V15 Pro also featured the same technology. Come on Vivo, get your head in the game and give us the USB Type-C already!
Vivo Y11 2019 Specifications
Body: 6.28 x 3.02 x 0.35 inches; 190.5 gm
Display: 6.35-inches “Halo” LCD display
Resolution: HD+ (1544 x 720 pixels)
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 439; 12nm Mobile Platform
At launch, Vivo has set the price of Vivo Y11 2019 in Nepal at Rs. 18,590 for a 3/32GB variant. It is available for purchase via both online and offline retail shops and the price could differ slightly from shop to shop.
Model Name
Price in Nepal
Vivo Y11 2019 (3/32GB)
Rs. 18,590
If you can live without the ultra-wide sensor, Vivo Y11 looks to be better than Vivo Y12 because of its price. However, if both of the devices don’t excite you, you can turn to devices like Realme C2 and Honor 10 Lite.
At MadeByGoogle 2019 event, Google showcased its new Pixel 4 and 4XL smartphones. These smartphones seriously have some amazing features. There are also some features, which are downright disappointing. Because of such quirks, Pixel 4 devices are not for everyone. Let me explain why.
Google Pixel 4 and 4XL Specifications
Specifications
Pixel 4
Google Pixel 4XL
Body
5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3-inches; 162gm
6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3-inches; 193gm
Display
5.7-inch flexible OLED panel; 90Hz Smooth Display
6.3-inch flexible OLED panel; 90Hz Smooth Display
Resolution
Full-HD+ (2280 x 1080); 19:9 aspect ratio
Quad-HD+ (3040 x 1440); 19:9 aspect ratio
Battery
2800 mAh with 18W Quick Charge 2.0; Qi Wireless Charging
3700 mAh with 18W Quick Charge 2.0; Qi Wireless Charging
Just Black, Clearly White, Oh So Orange (Limited Edition)
Design
Talking about the design, Pixel 4 comes with a somewhat retro feel. The huge bezels take us all back to 2017. But frankly, it looks better than last year’s bathtub style notch. But Google hasn’t just switched back to the bezels from notch to give a retro feel. It has incorporated quite a lot of hardware on the forehead to justify the bezels on the top. 3D Face Unlock, Soli RADAR Technology, Front camera, and Audio Port are a few of the many. But I will get into that later.
Continuing with the design, the phone features a matt black metal frame with the accented power button. In the past, Google was stuck with the dual-tone glass back. But this time, there is a single color unibody glass back with a square camera island and the Google branding near the bottom. And honestly, I really liked this minimalist approach.
The Matt finish on the Orange and White variants looks quite compelling. But surprisingly, the Black variant comes with a glossy finish.
Display
Just like last year, Pixel 4 and 4XL come with a 5.7 and 6.3-inch display respectively. They also respectively have a Full-HD and quad-HD panel just like last year’s models. But what’s different here is removable of notch and inclusion of 90Hz panel. With a 90Hz screen, you can get much smoother scrolling, video playback, and UI animations. The display is also said to be 10% brighter and slightly more accurate than the Pixel 3XL. So you get a fair bit of upgrade here.
But what’s really surprising here is the absence of a fingerprint scanner underneath the display. There is not on the back or on the side either. This time, Google completely obliterated the fingerprint scanner. And it did so in the favor of its Face Unlock feature.
Security
Talking about the Face Unlock feature, it’s faster and more secure than most of the Android phones out there. The sensors here create a 3D map of the face, which highly resembles with iPhone’s Face ID. But because of the Motion Sense technology and the wider field of view of the unlocking technology, Pixel 4 unlocks at a faster speed. And the security is ensured by the Titan M Security Chip, which safeguards Face Unlock data.
As far as the Motion Sense technology is concerned, it’s the same technology, which Google showcased in 2015 as Project Soli. The tech uses a physical RADAR chip, which creates a bubble around it and senses your presence. It creates a hemisphere of about 1-feet radius around it and detects your presence if you are somewhere nearby.
If you are near to the phone, it turns on Always-On-Display and if you’ve crossed the critical distance, it goes off. So when you are reaching out to pick up your phone, the display lights up and Face-reading sensors are triggered on. Whenever the phone reaches close to your face, it will automatically get unlocked. So you don’t have to press the power button that often. This technology also allows you to skip a track, dismiss a call or quiet the alarms with simple hand gestures.
We have seen a similar kind of tech in the LG G8 ThinQ. But this one looks more advanced and more reliable. But still, most of it still looks gimmicky, to be honest.
Google is also getting a fair bit of backlash because of this technology. Because of the Motion Sense RADAR spectrum issues, the new Pixel 4 devices won’t make it up to India – A land of around 1.3 billion population and the current smartphone powerhouse.
As per the report, Pixel’s Motion Sense tech uses a 60GHz band of the spectrum. In the context of India, the frequency band of 57 to 64GHz is not available for public usage. So Google failed to get the license for it. As far as Nepal is concerned, it won’t make it to Nepal as there is no authorized distributor for Google products in Nepal.
Camera
Talking about the cameras, you still get the same 12.2MP Sony IMX363 sensor on the primary camera. Although the hardware is the same as last year’s, with improved HDR+, dual-exposure-control feature, and upgraded portrait mode, Pixel 4 will shoot better pictures now. Plus, there is also the much-hyped Astrophotography feature, which lets you capture the stars elegantly.
Alongside the main camera, there is a 16MP telephoto camera. The telephoto lens can optically zoom into the subject up to 2x. But due to Google’s Super Res Zoom technology, users can still obtain sharp images up to 5x zoom. Both the cameras have OIS for stabilization.
And that’s all the cameras you get on the back. You won’t get a wide-angle-lens or a 3D ToF sensor here. So although Google may be leading in computational photography, it’s far behind the competition in terms of camera hardware. Also with the existing cameras, you can only capture the 4K videos at 30fps. That means it has the same capability as the four-year-old Galaxy S6 and iPhone 7. And that surely is a huge bummer in 2019.
Image Credit: Droid Life
Onto the front, there is the same 8MP selfie snapper. Google has obliterated the ultra-wide-angle lens. Nonetheless, you can get a 90-degree field-of-view this time, which is good by the way. Plus, there is a ToF sensor for depth sensing. So you are going to get better selfie portraits as well.
Processor
Although SD55+ was already out, Google still used SD855 in Pixel 4. Since SD855 is a capable chipset, performance won’t be slouch here. With a powerful processor, you can perform everything with absolute fluidity. Plus, there is 6GB of RAM, which doesn’t sound crazy high as the competitors are offering. But it should be enough for most of all.
But where Google has been truly stingy is on the storage front. The phone ships with a base variant of 64GB, which you can get in a $150 dollar phone these days. And the maximum storage caps out at 128GB. Also, there is no SD card slot for memory expansion.
Furthermore, Google has stopped providing unlimited storage for full-res images in Google Photos. As a consolation, Google is providing Google One subscription for three months. After that, you’ll have to pay $2 each month. So it’s not for the ones, who happen to store a lot of files and photos on their phones.
Battery
Despite having clean and bloatware-free UI, Pixel is not known for great battery life. With that quirk on the side, Pixel devices still have smaller batteries when compared to its competitors. That went on this year as well. Pixel 4XL comes with a 3700mAh battery whereas the vanilla Pixel 4 has 2800mAh battery. And according to today’s standard, the capacity sounds underwhelming. With better software optimizations, you might get a few hours of surplus battery life but it will still struggle to last one whole day.
The charging speed is also rather slow. At a time when the midrange phones like Realme X2 Pro charges with 50-watt input, Pixel 4 still charges at 18-watt. And that’s really disappointing. But boasting a flagship status, it comes with Qi-wireless charging support.
Extras
Talking about the audio, the phones come with a single downward-firing speaker. The earpiece complements for the audio output and also for the stereo setup. So you can expect some loud and crisp audio. But the 3.5mm headphone jack is still absent. Pixel 4 also comes aboard with three in-built mics, which helps you transcribe the speech into text in real-time. You can do it offline as well. And that’s really cool. However, as of now, this feature is limited to the English language only. Similarly, we also get to witness the advanced Google Assistant in the event.
And since the phone is from Google, Pixel 4 also comes with the latest Android 10 OS. And as always, Google has promised for software updates for 3-years.
Conclusion
So what do I make of the Pixel 4? Well, it is rather complicated. If you want a clean Android UI, regular software updates, pro-level photography, and some advanced features, the Pixel 4 might please you. However, it costs you $799 for the base variant of Pixel 4 and $899 for the XL-variant. And you just get 64GB of internal storage for that price. For 128GB variant, you need out $100 more. This means, for a 128GB variant of the Pixel 4XL, you need to spend 1000 bucks. And even at such a premium price, there are a lot of compromises on the phone. Smaller battery, lack of wide-angle camera, no fast charging support, low storage to name a few.
If the competition is considered, there are amazing flagships from Samsung and Apple. even for a lesser price, there are amazing phones like iPhone 11, OnePlus 7T Pro and Realme X2 Pro, which is available for half the price. Google Pixel 4Xl & 4 surely have top-class hardware and some advance piece of tech. But because of some of the aforementioned tradeoffs, the smartphones are not for everyone.
It’s the tale as old as times. Every year sees smartphone manufacturers around the world bring out several devices in the market. But no new launch draws in more crowd anticipation and or excitement than Samsung’s new Note smartphone or Apple’s next-gen iPhones. And why would 2019 be any different? As expected, Samsung launched the next-in-line Note device, chronologically titled – the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and for the first time in Note lineup’s history, a beefier Note 10+. And in this article, we will be talking about how the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus fares on real-life use.
Design
So, the first thing you get with the Note 10+ is a bigger slab of meticulously crafted hardware. It’s truly the benchmark for big phones. With all the phones having 6.4 or 6.5-inches display these days, it was time the Note got a little bigger. After all, it has always been about big displays. And this time you get a big and bright 6.8-inch display here! Using the word “big” five times in a paragraph this small should tell you something about the phone as well.
However, if you prefer a smaller display and form factor, there’s the non-Plus variant – the Galaxy Note 10. It has got a smaller 6.3-inch display and a smaller battery and some minor changes here and there. So if you want a less chunky phone, which snuggly fits in the hands, you should go for the non-plus variant.
Moving on to the design of the phone, you get what you can expect from a flagship phone – an all-glass body with a metal frame. Like with any Note devices of late, the Note 10 and Note 10+ have a boxy form factor. The sharp edges on the top and bottom may not be everyone’s cup of tea since they’re objectively less comfortable than say, the Galaxy S10. But boy does this thing feel premium!
For a phone of this size, these handsets are surprisingly lightweight. The vanilla Note 10 weighs 168 grams whereas the beefier Note 10+ is 196gm, making it ergonomic for any given use-case.
Button placement has also seen some minor changes. The volume rockers are now on the left and the Bixby button here has been modified to a power button. You can set designated action to be performed upon long-press and double-press of the power button.
So long, accidentally launching Bixby!
On the bottom, there’s the coveted S-pen, a type C port, and a speaker. The speaker quality is top-notch. It’s the stereo speakers at work which produces excellent audio output. When compared to the S10, it’s definitely louder and crispier.
Samsung finally did it, they finally killed off the treasured headphone jack! Here at Gadgetbyte, we use Samsung phones to do live unboxing on our Facebook and Instagram pages and not having the 3.5mm headphone jack is a pain. Guess we will have to live the dongle life now!
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 & Note 10 Plus Specifications
On the front, the display’s bezels are as thin as bezels can go and on the top sits the notch. The Note 10’s notch feels much cleaner than the traditional ‘U’ or ‘V’ shaped notch out there in the market. No fancy sensors here, like with the iPhone 11 or the newly launched Google Pixel 4. Just a clean display with a tiny cutout for the front-facing camera.
Talking about the display quality, well, it’s the best display on any smartphone right now. That’s really no surprise since Samsung has been continuously bringing home the bacon for the best smartphone display for years. 90Hz display found in the likes of OnePlus 7 Pro is still not a thing in Samsung phones for now. Hopefully, a higher refresh rate Note is on the horizon.
However, the AMOLED display here is bright with great colors and contrast. To make the display even livelier, you can change the display settings to “Vivid“. Although this mode is not very color accurate, the colors really pop-out.
Also, you get a 3K Quad HD+ display with 3040×1440 pixels in the Note 10+. A man needs his pixels yo! Nevertheless, downgrading the resolution to FHD+ would give you a better battery life. Like Thanos said, “A small price to pay for salvation“. Another class-leading aspect of this display is how bright it is. According to display mate, it has a record peak brightness of 1,308 nits, which is about 25% more than the Galaxy Note 9. Also, the display can get pleasantly dim too which makes using it at night much more easy on the eyes.
But on the Note 10, it’s a different story. The display here is Full-HD+. So the contents on it don’t look as crisp like on the Plus variant. But you won’t find any sort of pixelations there. So there is nothing much to worry about.
Not just in terms of resolution, Note 10 also falls behind the Note 10+ in terms of brightness level. Note 10 is dimmer than the Note 10+ while maxing it out to the full brightness level. While comparing it with the Redmi K20 Pro, I found the display on the Note 10 slightly dimmer than the K20 Pro. And that’s surprising as the Redmi device has used the display panel from Samsung.
Nonetheless, the display on both of these devices are HDR10+ compliant like the S10. However, there aren’t many HDR10+ videos.
Moving on, for protection you get the Corning Gorilla Glass 6on the front as well as back. Though they’re the latest and greatest and all, slapping in a case is highly advised. Having spent well over $1000 for the phone, don’t cheap out with a low-quality case. Samsung will only be $300 richer if you needed to replace the screen.
Having said that, there is a default screen protector that should do a decent job against scratches for like a month or so. Also, note that not all kinds of tempered glass work here, because of the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. And compared to the S10, it’s slightly more accurate and maybe a little faster too, but it’s still not as quick as the OnePlus 7 Pro or the Huawei P30 Pro.
But, Samsung here uses the Ultrasonic Sensor unlike the affordable optical ones so its 3D mapping makes the Note10+ more reliable. Also, this one works even when your hands are wet.
S-pen
Ok, now you must already be bored, so let’s talk about the S-pen! It’s a Note because of this tiny stylus! No smartphone has one, except for a knockoff from Infinix.
The S-pen has been slightly improved from last year’s Note 9! Looks-wise, it’s a little bit thinner and more comfortable to use. But that doesn’t make much of a difference. It does what the last year’s S-pen did. There’s now the “Air Gesture Mode“, which lets you remotely control your phone, like taking pictures. Maybe it’s fun for a couple of times, but it’s not something that will absolutely knock your socks off.
This feature is reminiscent of the Galaxy S4, launched like 6 years ago that had tons of similar gesture features but failed terribly. Here’s to hoping this lives on a little longer!
Another new feature or a fad rather is the AR doodle. But then again, you won’t be using this, like on a regular basis, but when you do, it’s fun!
Not everything about the S-Pen is hit or miss. “Handwriting to Text” is a really handy feature, which as the name implies converts your handwritings into Unicode texts. Like English conversions, it can even transform your Nepali handwriting into Nepali text. How cool is that!
Samsung, this time has also collaborated with Microsoft. Now you can send these notes directly into a Microsoft Word file. While sending handwritten text, it automatically converts your handwritten text message to a word format and you can share it with your friends and acquaintances.
Performance and Software
The Note 10 (and obviously Note 10+) is powered by the new Exynos 9825, which is based on a 7nm architecture compared to the 8nm architecture of S10’s Exynos 9820. The Exynos 9825 is not just energy-efficient but also offers higher CPU and GPU clock speed.
While this might not be that big of an upgrade to see a noticeable difference when compared to the S10 or even last year’s note 9, but there are some noticeable differences. It could also be because of the new UFS 3.0 storage. It’s significantly faster than last-gen UFS 2.1. From apps’ loading time to installing huge games, the UFS 3.0 storage does a better job.
But, the Exynos 9825 still falls behind the Snapdragon 855 and the recently announced Apple A13 and the Kirin 990. So, not the best performing flagship phone out there.
But don’t get us wrong, this thing can run anything you throw at it! From PUBG Mobile to all other high-end games, it can run in the highest of settings. The phone does heat up, but nothing to the level of frustration.
And One UI is something you will fall in love with. Samsung’s revamped UI is far better than the previous “Samsung Experience”. From the notification panel to settings to multitasking toggle, everything feels seamless. Most of the bloatware can be uninstalled or disabled, so that’s a good thing too!
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 One UI
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Camera
Let’s talk about the cameras now. Like the S10, we get a similar kind of setup on the back. There’s a 12MP dual-aperture primary lens, a 2X telephoto zoom, and a 16MP wide-angle lens. Also, an additional TOF sensor for AR and Depth sensing is available in the Note 10+, which is missing in the vanilla Note 10. But both of them flaunt a single 10MP camera on the front placed beautifully within a small cutout.
While many argue that the Note 10 has essentially the same camera setup as the S10, there’s definitely some differentiating superiority about the Note 10 camera.
Galaxy S10+ Vs Note 10+
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Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Samsung Galaxy S10+
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Samsung Galaxy S10+
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Samsung Galaxy S10+
It might be the same hardware, but the image and software processing on the Note10+ is polished and hence you get slightly better images. From colors to dynamic range, the Note 10+ is just better. The wide-angle lens also captures really great shots. There’s no color shift when setting it side by side with the primary lens.
Normal Vs Wide angle mode
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Normal mode
Wide angle mode
Normal mode
Wide angle mode
The portraits, now assisted with the TOF sensor, have better bokeh and edge detection. You can also take portraits from the wide-angle lens and it looks good too, but the edge detection is not as precise as done from the primary camera. Since the Note 10 lacks the ToF sensor, I have expected some differences in the portrait images. However, the portrait images from Note 10 and Note 10+ were barely distinguishable on my test.
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Normal Portrait
Wide-angle Portrait
Normal Portrait
Normal Portrait
To our dismay, Samsung hasn’t pushed its camera capabilities for superior zoomings like that of Huawei and OPPO flagships. Samsung is still sticking with its 2X zoom, and while the 2X zoom is of good quality, the 5X and 10X zoom is no match compared to the Huawei phones.
Zooming 1X vs 2X
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Zoom - 1X
Zoom - 2X
Zoom - 1X
Zoom - 2X
On to the low light performance, Samsung has managed to slightly improve its algorithm to get better images and you also get a dedicated “Night Mode” feature with the Note 10+. S10 did receive the feature with an update. But then again, the Note 10+ does a better job at taking pictures in the dark. Although it can’t match the details of the P30 Pro, the colors are better on the Note 10+.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Vs Huawei P30 Pro Night Mode
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Night Mode P30 Pro
Night Mode Note 10+
Night Mode P30 Pro
Night Mode Note 10+
However, it seems that Note 10+ can’t process flower images in night mode. It fails terribly, so maybe Samsung needs to improve this with a software update. Taking a photo using the Night Mode could be drab to some since it takes forever to process the shot. Samsung could’ve done a better job at processing long exposure shots.
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Normal Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
Note 10+ Night Mode
S10+ Night Mode
Talking about the selfies, they have good colors in them and look fairly sharp. I was a little worried before as Samsung has shrunk the aperture here (compared to S10). But the pictures have got better here nonetheless. Talking about the selfie videos, you can shoot 1080p and 4K videos at 30fps. There is no 60fps option as of now. But Samsung could release that feature as well through the software update.
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The video capabilities are also really great on the Note 10+. You can shoot 4K @ 60fps which looks really stabilized. And if you are thinking of making vlogs, the Note 10+ is a great option. There is also a super steady option that uses a wide-angle lens for those wide footages, but then you are restricted to 1080P.
On a different note, the iPhone’s 11 video mode has the ability to change from primary to wide-angle modes while shooting videos. Maybe Samsung will bring that too with a software update.
Like with the S10, you get tons of features like Super slow-mo and slow-mo, which could be fun when you are bored. The “Live Focus Video” however, isn’t all that great.
Also, the “zoom-in-mic” feature is not to be very effective as advertised. What it does is increase the audio level of the sound source when you zoom in the videos. Someone who goes to concerts frequently and wants to record the audio coming from a particular instrument can possibly benefit from it.
All in all, the Note 10+ is one of the best point-to-shoot cameras you can find on a phone right now. Maybe the new upcoming Pixel 4 is going to be better, but don’t expect radically different performances.
Samsung has done a commendable job by making the base variant of the device with 256GB storage. There’s also a version with a 512GB on the Note 10+, but the 256GB should do just fine for most of us, and yes this one also has a microSD card slot (only on the Note 10+) so your storage hunger is pretty much covered.
Take note, Apple!
Dex
Now, the Galaxy Note 10+ is a powerful phone and a productive device. It’s been a while since Samsung launched DeX that lets you connect your phone with a PC.
When DeX was first announced with Galaxy S8, you needed a DeX Station. Then with Galaxy S9 and Note 9, you needed an HDMI to Type C cable. But on the Note 10 and Note 10+, you can connect using the Type C to Type C cable that comes inside the box. So, it’s really easy to use DeX now. Just install the DeX app on your laptop, use the cable, and you are good to go.
But with the cable, there’s a noticeable drop in FPS, making it very unpleasing to use. The same issue isn’t present while connecting it with Type C to HDMI cable. It runs smoothly at 60fps. Though DeX has many useful features, it’s fair to say not everyone will be using it on a frequent basis. However, Note 10+ owners with powerful PC or Ultrabook can definitely benefit from DeX with the Microsoft integration where you can directly copy Office files and edit in DeX.
Battery
The battery life on the Note 10+ (4300mAh) has been impressive. Coming from the S10, the Note 10+ has a much more enduring battery. Apart from the bigger screen, the sizeable battery life on the Note 10+ is another major difference compared to the regular Note 10 (3500mAh).
You also get a faster 25W charging out-of-the-box. In our previous reviews, we’ve been constantly complaining that Samsung should bring a faster charging tech as they were still sticking with 15W.
This 25W charger has a USB Power Delivery tech that uses a USB-C to USB-C cable to connect to phones. Since its Power Delivery 3.0 at work, the charging much faster here, faster than 27W Redmi K20 Pro and 30W OnePlus 7 Pro.
Also, it supports the “Programmable Power Supply” mode, which allows the phone to control the power output of the charger for optimal charging that keeps the battery cool.
Moreover, you can also get the 45W Charger that Samsung sells for like $50, which should charge it even faster. However, 45-watt fast charging is only supported by the Note 10+. So that’s one more tradeoff for the Note 10 users.
The Note 10/10+ also supports 15W wireless charging and 6W reverse wireless charging which is well, slow compared to the 25W wired charging.
Conclusion:
So, when it comes to Samsung’s flagship phones that we have reviewed, our verdict has always been the same – great phones, pricier (of-course), best display and one of the best cameras but not much of an upgrade from the last generation.
And same is with the Note 10+. It’s a great flagship, really great flagship. But if you are using the Note 9 or the S10, you won’t find too much of a difference. Your phone already runs on the One UI at this point so the experience is more or less the same. But there are surely some tradeoffs on the Note 10. It’s smaller display, lower resolution, smaller battery, lack of ToF sensor and a micro SD card slot. But if you want a new Note device in 2019 with most of the functionality of the Plus variant. You cannot go wrong with the Note 10 as well.
And what’s great with Samsung phones is that you get a good price drops and offers after it reaches its EOL, so if you are reading this article like in 2020, chances are its available for 30-40% off.
We’ve moved on from big bezel housed cameras (except Google!) to the punch-hole ones, but does that mean the end of innovation for smartphone makers? Certainly not. Because as per the recent reports, Samsung is all set to bring out a smartphone with an under-display camera. We’ve already seen fingerprint sensors and front-facing speakers incorporated into the display. So, the under-display camera is probably the future for smartphone makers.
Like many others, Samsung has also invested in developing a technology to house the front cameras under the display. However, as the reports suggest, Samsung seems to be leading the race for it. Speculation is that if everything goes well, the rumored smartphone will be given a green light for production. And we’ll probably get to see it sometime next year.
However, there remain some lingering issues regarding the technology in the rumored device. Previously, we had seen a similar concept in a prototype from OPPO. And the main issue it had was the photo quality. A yellowish tinge along with a significant level of blurriness was seen in the photo taken from OPPO’s prototype device. So, a lot of AI optimization work is needed to remove the tinge and reduce blur. And same seems to be the issue for Samsung as well.
It is nice that smartphone makers want to bring a device with no compromise in the screen size. But what would be the point of having an under-display front camera that struggles to capture good selfies? Thus, Samsung has to find a way around this technological obstacle. And quickly too. Otherwise, they’ll find themselves behind in innovation as compared to their competitors.
Another question that many had after the reports surfaced online was that which line of the device would get this under-display camera first. Will it be the S11, the next-gen Galaxy Fold to or a completely new pricey flagship? Or as the recent trend, we’ll get to see the latest innovation on a mid-range handset. Well, the latter does not seem a viable option to me, so it’ll probably be either the S11 or the Galaxy Fold 2.
The Galaxy Fold has a total of six cameras including two selfie shooters. The inclusion of all this camera means that the device seems a bit bulky. Thus, a proper way to reduce all that bulkiness would be to slide those front cameras under the display. It makes sense, doesn’t it? But whatever it may be, all these are just speculations for now. And if the rumors do have some truth to it, we should probably get to hear more about this in the coming days.
Just over a month ago, Vianethad introduced a similar festive offer in its internet package to rival the competition – Worldlink’s scheme. At the time, Vianet bundled up its services with a 32-inch or a 40-inch Skyworth LED TV alongside a year’s NETTV subscription. And now, Vianet has upped its game by introducing an even more rewarding offer with Palsonic LED TVs ranging from 32-inch to 55-inch and the usual NETTV subscription with its different internet packages.
Vianet Dashain Tihar Offer with 40Mbps & 60Mbps Internet Package
Subscription duration
NETTV (All Channels)
UltraBoost
Palsonic 32” LED TV
Palsonic 40” LED TV
Palsonic 43” Android Smart LED TV
Palsonic 55” Android Smart LED TV
1 month (40 Mbps)
Free
1 GB
Rs. 15,359
Rs. 25,359
Rs. 33,359
Rs. 56,359
3 months (50Mbps)
Free
3 GB
Rs. 18,634
Rs. 28,634
Rs. 36,634
Rs. 59,634
6 months (50Mbps)
Free
6 GB
Rs. 21,884
Rs, 31,884
Rs. 39,884
Rs. 62,884
12 months (50Mbps)
Free
15 GB
Rs. 26,999
Rs. 36,999
Rs. 44,999
Rs. 67,999
Vianet Dashain Tihar Offer with 60Mbps Internet Package
Subscription duration
NETTV (All Channels)
UltraBoost
Palsonic 32” LED TV
Palsonic 40” LED TV
Palsonic 43” Android Smart LED TV
Palsonic 55” Android Smart LED TV
1 month
Free
1 GB
Rs. 15,809
Rs. 25,809
Rs. 33,809
Rs. 56,809
3 months
Free
3 GB
Rs. 19,984
Rs. 29,984
Rs. 37,984
Rs. 60,984
6 months
Free
6 GB
Rs. 24,084
Rs, 34,084
Rs. 42,084
Rs. 65,084
12 months
Free
15 GB
Rs. 30,839
Rs. 40,839
Rs. 48,839
Rs. 71,839
Though it seems that Vianet has updated its website with information about the specifications of the TVs, we weren’t able to see them as the hyperlink redirected to the same page.
So what do you think? Will it finally persuade you to shift to Vianet provided that you’re subscribed to a different ISP? Honestly, we think Vianet is really up to something here since its schemes are really exciting, especially if you’re in need of TV as well.
Google’s newest Chromebook – the Pixelbook Go is now official. The company unveiled the device on its “Made by Google ’19” event alongside other products. The Pixelbook Go is an affordable iteration to the original Pixelbook from 2017. But does the affordability justify its worth and will it hold out against the competition? Let’s find out!
Google Pixelbook Go
Thin, light, and fast – for a price.
Credit where credit is due; the Pixelbook Go is a welcome upgrade to its predecessor. Sporting a bigger 13.3-inch touchscreen display with a 15% larger battery, while simultaneously weighing less than the original Pixelbook is an amazing feat achieved by the company. The Pixelbook Go now comes in a magnesium chassis to Pixelbook’s aluminum with Grippable finish on the bottom making it easier to hold and carry. On a related note, it ditches the 360° hinge mechanism of the former Pixelbook and feels more like a premium laptop rather than a convertible.
Affordability is another hurdle that Google hopes to kinda-sorta pass through with the Pixelbook Go. The base model starts at $649 which is less than the asking price for the base model of Pixelbook but admittedly, is still expensive than Chromebooks by other manufacturers like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Samsung. You get to choose between 4 models of the Pixelbook Go with varying processors, display quality, and memory configurations.
Okay, so what’s the catch here?
Performance level, of course. The cheapest variant is equipped with an 8th Gen Intel Core m3, 8GB of RAM, and a meager 64GB of SSD storage which cannot be further expanded using a microSD card. Bummer! Google really skimped on storage options this year. The Core m3 is a fairly powerful chip considering it’s a Chromebook, but I’d rather have an i5 or an i7. For $200 more, you can get the Pixelbook Go with 8th Gen Intel Core i5 and an upgraded 128GB storage.
Furthermore, $999 gets you the same Pixelbook Go with the i5 processor with 16GB of RAM. The top-tier variant has 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 256GB storage, and a 4K UHD display. Unlike the predecessor, there’s no NVMe SSD storage option.
Similarly, the Pixelbook Go’s Chrome OS hasn’t nearly been around as long as Microsoft’s Windows OS has. From the familiar UI to app support, the superiority of the latter is astounding. However, Chromebooks have come a long way since the days of supporting only web applications. Chromebooks support Packaged Apps (Chrome Apps), a select arsenal of Android apps and since 2018, Linux apps too.
Google Pixelbook Go Specifications
Google Pixelbook Go
Body
12.2 x 8.1 x 0.5-inch; 1.061 kg
Display
13.3-inch LCD touchscreen panel
Resolution
Full-HD Display (1920 x 1080) / 4K Ultra-HD Molecular Display (3840 x 2160); 16:9 aspect ratio
Battery
47-Watt hour (FHD panel) / 56-Watt hour (4K UHD panel); Up to 12 hours of usage in a single charge
Processor
8th Gen Intel Core m3 / i5 / i7
RAM
8 / 16GB
Storage
64 / 128 / 256GB SSD
Audio
Dual front-firing speakers; 2mics for noise cancellation
Security
Titan C security chip; Built-in FIDO authenticator
Camera
Duo Cam; 2MP f/2.0 aperture
Keyboard
Full size with 19mm pitch; Hush Keys, Google Assistant Key; Backlit
Ports
2 USB-C charging and display output; 3.5mm headphone jack
On an obvious note, the Google Pixelbook Go isn’t for the most hardcore users who need to run the most intricate of software or play AAA title games. Chances are, Pixelbook Go doesn’t even support those high-end softwares and AAA games.
The Pixelbook Go is perfect for those looking for simple low-end computing, web browsing, and media consumption on an ultra-thin, beautiful, lightweight, and power-efficient build. If you’re embedded into Google’s ecosystem and its products, the Pixelbook Go is the way to go.
Google Pixelbook Go vs the options
A quid pro quo!
As mentioned earlier, there are tons of other Chromebooks or Windows laptops you could go for instead of the Pixelbook Go. Consequently, there will be some trade-offs in either of the options. The Pixelbook Go will give you a clean UI, advance security through its Titan C chip, a quieter “Hush” keyboard, and an all-day battery. On the contrary, other Chromebooks can give you 360° flip for tablet mode, a better value for your investment, so on and so forth. Similarly, a Windows machine will give you more power and versatility at a similar cost.
For instance, you could get the Asus Chromebook Flip (C302CA) which has similar specs at a lower price than the base model of the Pixelbook Go. Comparatively, the Dell XPS 13 or the recently launched Surface Laptop 3 proves to be a better and more powerful machine, though unescorted by the Pixelbook Go’s battery performance.
As soon as I hear Huawei, I remember the US-Huawei ban controversy and I guess it’s the same for most people. It was a huge setback for the company followed by all the havoc for customers. But now that the uncertainties are somewhat lower, Huawei has brought out some interesting phones in the South Asian market, like the budget Y9 Prime with pop-up camera and the upper mid-range Nova 5T with flagship Kirin 980 chipset. It’s been launched for some $400 in the international market and seems to have good specs on paper. But does the performance follow suit? Let’s find out in this Huawei Nova 5T review.
Huawei Nova 5T Specifications:
Display: 6.26-inch IPS LCD display with a punch-hole cutout
Resolution: Full HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio @ 412 PPI
First off let’s get done with performance. As mentioned earlier, the phone has Huawei’s own Kirin 980 chipset. It’s actually the same chipset used on the much expensive P30 Pro, so needless to say it’s a great performer.
But, it’s 2019, and you do get a fair share of competition. The Redmi K20 pro, for example, for a similar price is a direct competition to the Nova 5T. For everyday tasks, there is no huge difference between the two. But with higher benchmarks and better gaming performance, the SD855 does prove its slight edge over the Kirin 980.
Don’t get it wrong, both chipsets can handle everything you throw at it. However, SD855 just does the gaming part a little better. For instance, while you play PUBG, you have the option for going to extreme settings with the K20 pro whereas the Nova 5T lacks that. However, for the settings the phone offers, games have run smoothly in the Nova 5T.
There is also something called performance mode here that optimizes your device settings to deliver maximum performance, meaning the gameplay will be a little smoother and background processes are not limited. The downside to this is that you will experience battery drainage and also some heating.
Normal day to day performance is smooth and multitasking has never been a problem thanks to 8GB RAM. You get 128 GB storage but no MicroSD expansion, which could be a bummer for some.
In conclusion, the Nova 5T, along with the K20 Pro, is the best value for money smartphones in terms of performance.
Software
The performance is also complemented by Huawei’s EMUI. This phone runs on EMUI 9.1 based on Android 9 Pie. And because the latest Mate series also came with Android 10, there are chances that this phone will get it.
Now Talking about the EMUI 9, you do get some unwanted apps pre-installed here. You can delete 90% of them, so that’s not going to be trouble at all. However, I am not really a fan of the icons on EMUI. But the good thing about EMUI is that it’s not heavy like MIUI, so, transitions around the phone are smooth.
You also have dark mode here dubbed as color inversion feature. This feature is for people who are in love with dark mode.
The phone’s UI also does limit background processes properly, so you won’t notice lags while app opening or switching between the apps.
Design
Okay now, moving on to the design, one thing that’s consistent with Huawei phones is that they have good design. The Nova 5T follows the same story! With metal frames and a glass body, the phone looks good and feels even better on the hands. What I like about this phone is how snuggly it fits on the hands. You get a fingerprint sensor on the right which is also your power button. It’s just like what we saw on the Galaxy S10e but the only difference being the fact that the sensor here is blazing fast.
The back has many things going on. I have this Blue one which looks very shiny, thanks to its glass back. The Nova branding has been revamped to something like this. The purple variant has “Nova” written all over the back, which seems to me, a little bit crazy.
The left-top of the phone has a triple camera setup with an LED flash right below it. Down below, you see a USB-C port and a single firing speaker. The phone does not miss out on an IR Blaster which is good to know. But, sadly, you don’t have a headphone jack here. You get headphones inside the box, which have a type-C outlet.
I haven’t yet shifted to earbuds so, this is sort of a bummer for me. The single firing bottom speaker is however average to my liking.
So, summing up, the design aspect has been well covered by Huawei on the Nova 5T, except for the absence of a headphone jack. The phone is light yet feels premium on the hands and I love the design.
Display
I am not known to Huawei having AMOLED displays ever in it’s mid-range or even upper mid-range phones. So, yes, the 5T has an IPS LCD screen. It’s 6.26 inches in measurement and flaunts a punch-hole display on the top left corner. Now, this reminds me of the S10e again!
Now coming back to the Nova 5T, the display looks clean with minimal bezels. The punch hole is not obtrusive at all, so viewing content in it is a pleasure.
The display looks quite good, it has good viewing angles, sufficient brightness in outdoor conditions and nice color and contrast levels. For those who want to get more battery life, you have an option to downscale the display resolution to 720p. I really liked this feature and I think other phones too should implement this.
Side by side with the K20 Pro’s display, the Nova 5T is slightly less bright, just slightly so. Of course, the 5T’s blacks are not as good as the K20 pro’s OLED but the difference is not so huge to make a fuss about.
There is a tiny LED notification light in the speaker grills up top which is always a welcome addition.
Cameras
The Huawei Nova 5T has a quad-camera setup at the back like a lot of smartphones these days. We get a primary 48MP sensor, a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens, then a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens.
The extra macro lens is a gimmick if you ask me. The images are void of details. It’s only that the lens lets you get really close to the subjects, otherwise, it’s hardly any good.
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For portraits, the Nova 5T uses the primary camera and when put in comparison with the K20 Pro’s portraits from the Telephoto lens, subjects do not seem to be distinguished well. But you can click portraits from the 2X zoom option as well if you wish to go closer to the subjects.
Huawei Nova 5T Vs Redmi K20 Pro Portraits
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Huawei Nova 5T
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Side by side, K20 pro’s portraits look better in terms of color and background blur.
If you are satisfied with the portrait mode, there’s also this aperture mode, which is basically a portrait mode that lets you change the amount of blur and focus on the subject before and after taking portraits, which is nice to have.
Now normal images are pleasing to look at. Previously, photos from Huawei phones looked heavy on contrast but this time, the colors look almost natural. While I compared its images with the K20 Pro, the K20 pro’s looked to have slightly more saturation in them. When you look at the samples on the phone screen, K20 pro’s normal images look better, but in reality, both the phones give more or less similar outcomes.
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Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Huawei Nova 5T
Redmi K20 Pro
Having said that, in terms of dynamic range, Nova5T does better than the K 20 pro. Wide-angle images look similar in terms of quality. But K20’s wide-angle images are a little wider than Nova 5T’s.
Huawei Nova 5T Normal VS Wide-angle Mode
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Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
Normal Mode
Wide-angle Mode
For selfies, we have a 32 MP shooter. And this is the aspect that I have liked a lot about the cameras. The selfies are very good.
There is no in-built beautification here and the skin tone looks natural. Portrait selfies too look nice and pleasing. Again, comparing the selfies of the K20 pro with the Nova 5T, we can see that Nova 5T’s certainly looks better.
Huawei Nova 5T Vs Redmi K20 Pro Selfies
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Nova 5T Normal Selfie
K20 Pro Normal Selfie
Nova 5T Normal Selfie
K20 Pro Normal Selfie
Nova 5T portrait Selfie
K20 Pro Normal Selfie
Nova 5T Portrait Selfie
K20 Pro Portrait Selfie
Nova 5T Normal Selfie
K20 Pro Normal Selfie
Nova 5T portrait Selfie
K20 Pro Portrait Selfie
Nova 5T portrait Selfie
K20 Pro Portrait Selfie
The phone does, however, struggle at night time photography as all the midrange phones do. There is Night mode to compensate for that. Details and exposure improve a lot with Night mode on. I compared the Night mode of K20 Pro with Nova 5T and both do good. There is not much difference, to be honest.
Nova 5T Normal Vs Night Mode
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Normal Mode
Night Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
Normal Mode
Night Mode
On a similar note, there is Gyro EIS in Nova 5T’s cameras so the videos are very stable and have good quality in them as well.
Though you don’t have a 4K 60fps option like the K20 Pro, the 4k 30fps option does good too. It’s stabilized and has good colors. You can even switch from normal to wide-angle to 2X zoom option in the same video, which is a feature I have liked a lot and I think this feature can be useful many times too.
So camera wise, you can say the Nova 5T’s camera is more or less similar to Redmi K20 Pro, with Nova 5T offering you better selfies and K20 Pro offering you 4K 60fps videos and 2X telephoto lens.
Battery
With the Huawei Nova 5T, you get a decently sized 3,750 mAh battery that gives a whole day on moderate usage.
And since I am a heavy user, I have to charge the phone at the end of the day, so Battery wise it’s like 8 out of 10 in my opinion. And one thing I noticed is the phone does a good job in idle standby.
If you want to improve your battery life, you can turn on the smart resolution option that automatically adjusts the screen resolution to save battery power.
Charging is done very fast. The phone takes you one hour and 21 minutes to get from 0-100% with its 22.5-watt charger that comes inside the box.
Conclusion
So, overall, I really liked the Nova 5T. The design is good, the cameras are good, and the phone is, well, really fast. The only thing I wished this phone had is an OLED display because it’s the closest competitor, the K20 Pro and Vivo V17 pro have OLED displays. But despite all the shortcomings, I would still recommend the Nova 5T for some 400 dollars.
But, here in Nepal, the price of Noa 5T is Rs.53,900 which translates to some 475 dollars and for the lesser price, you get the 256GB version of the Redmi K20 pro. So, maybe Huawei Nepal could do some price revision to make the Nova 5T a bit more compelling.
Vivo V17 Pro is the successor of the Vivo V15 Pro which was one of the highest-selling smartphones in the mid-range price segment in South Asian markets including Nepal. Vivo aims to repeat similar success with the Vivo V17 Pro. The highlight of the phone is its dual selfie camera with a pop-up mechanism. Let’s find out more about the Vivo V17 Pro along with its price and availability in Nepal.
Vivo V17 Pro Overview
Display
The Vivo V17 Pro has a 6.44-inch FullHD+ display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Super AMOLED display covers 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Also, it is also protected by Schott Xensation UP glass. On the back, there’s a Gorilla Glass 6 protection too.
The front is nearly bezel-less and Vivo calls it Ultra FullView Display. There’s a pop-up selfie camera which is twice as wide as other popup cameras. It houses a dual camera of 32MP primary and 8MP ultra-wide. The front camera is also covered by sapphire glass. There’s an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is fast and accurate like the Vivo V15.
Cameras
The back houses quad-camera setup. The first sensor is a 48MP Sony IMX582 lens, the same lens seen on the Redmi K20. The second lens is an 8MP 120° ultra-wide sensor which can also do 2.5cm Super Macro shots. The third lens is a 13MP 2X telephoto zoom lens, and the fourth one is a 2MP depth sensor.
Performance & Battery
Powering the Vivo V17 Pro is an underwhelming Snapdragon 675 SoC which is the same one found in the V15 Pro, so no performance leap. This is one area where Vivo could improve on, maybe include a Snapdragon 730 or Helio G90T. For instance, you can get Snapdragon 855 powered Redmi K20 Pro at a similar price range. In terms of memory, there’s 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Running the show is the Funtouch OS 9.1 based on Android 9.0 Pie.
There’s 4100mAh battery and Vivo has finally included a Type-C port with 18W fast charging. It is available in two color options: Midnight Ocean and Glacier Ice colors.
Back Cameras:
– 48MP primary camera with f/1.78 aperture, Sony IMX582 sensor, 0.8μm pixel size, 6P lens, Dual LED flash
– 8MP 120° ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture with 2.5cm Super Macro
– 13MP Telephoto lens for 2X optical zoom, 10X digital zoom, f/2.5 aperture
– 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
Front Cameras:
– 32MP wide-angle front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture, LED flash
– 8MP 105° ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture
Security: In-display fingerprint sensor
Dimensions: 74.7x159x9.8mm
Weight:201.8gms
Connectivity: Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac dual-band, Bluetooth 5, GPS/GLONASS, USB Type-C port, 3.5 mm audio jack, FM Radio
Battery: 4100mAh with 18W Dual-Engine Fast charging
Vivo V17 Pro was launched in Nepal for a price of Rs. 52,490 for 8/128GB variant. However, the new discounted Vivo V17 Pro price in Nepal is Rs. 49,990. You can redeem the offer through various online retailers in Nepal.
Well well, it’s now official! Redmi has formally announced that they have come up with an agreement with AMD. This agreement facilitates the launch of Redmi’s firs AMD powered laptop. Labeled as the RedmiBook Ryzen edition, the laptop will launch on the 21st of October in China.
This agreement actually marks a big achievement for AMD. Previously, we had seen an AMD powered laptop in Microsoft’s upgraded Surface lineup. And now that it has also secured a deal with Redmi, I’m certain AMD will cause a lot of headaches for Intel in the coming days. Usually seen as an underdog, the chip manufacturer has now made its way into the big league. And with the already existing fabrication advantage over its competitors, hopefully, AMD will not disappoint us.
Now coming back to the RedmiBook Ryzen, the official sources have revealed further details about the device on Weibo. The base variant of sorts will have the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U chipset whereas in the top-end model we will get to see the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U chipset.
Ryzen 5 3500U and Ryzen 7 3700Y overview
Talking about the Ryzen 5 3500U, we can probably say that it is one the best budget solution for gaming laptops. That’s because it comes with Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics. Furthermore, it packs in four cores with the maximum clock speed being 3.7GHz. Moreover, it shows no issue while running multiple apps simultaneously.
Moving on to the Ryzen 7 3700U, the processor has four Zen+ cores with 8 threads clocked at 2.3 – 4GHz. Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics clocked at up to 1400MHz come integrated with the processor. So basically speaking, it is a processor designed to deliver top performance for mid-range laptops.
So far the best processor made available by AMD, these chipsets are all manufactured using the 12nm process. With its inclusion in the RedmiBook Ryzen edition, Xiaomi aims to bring balance back to the laptop market. People these days have to pay a ridiculous amount for laptops whose performance does not justify their price. And there’s where Xiaomi aims to strike and try to balance price to performance ratio in laptops.
That’s that right now about the RedmiBook Ryzen edition. Even though we got to hear about the processors on them, no further details about the devices’ specifications have yet been made public. Rumor is that the specifications will not be that different than the recently launched RedmiBook 14. However, as there are still some days left before the launch, we’ll certainly bump upon further details about the device.
Google wrapped up the “Made by Google ’19” event yesterday in New York City. This annual event is where the company showcases its latest hardware ranging from phones, Chromebooks to other household devices. Unarguably, this year’s main highlight was the new Pixel 4 & Pixel 4XL. With Google itself kicking off the leak train, there was little left to imagination since every key prospect of the device had already made its way on to the internet before the official launch.
Google Pixel 4 & 4XL
An expensively helpful phone.
For the past 4 years, Google has embodied the tradition of bringing out smartphones of its own design and build to the consumers. The original Pixel phone saw moderate success in the company’s home market and other regions. However, every iteration of the phone has shared the same success story. A major contributing factor to this could be the imbalance among the overall build of the device. Pixel 1 had a solid build but a dated design, the Pixel 2 on the other hand, had display issues and last year’s Pixel 3 XL had a hideously large top bezel. While the new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL come with some of the most amazing features you could find on a phone, it still follows suit to the maladies of the past.
In a time where the entire industry is pushing towards a full-screen display and fancy curvatures, Google isn’t kowtowing to the design trends of the present. Both phones from the company have a flat OLED panel with a noticeable bezel on the top and bottom. Personally, I’m not a fan of bezel-less and curved displays since they’re more prone to damages from slightest drops and also comparatively exacting to operate. Looking at a bigger picture, replacing the screen is expensive while also contributing to electronic pollution. So I praise Google for going with the old-school design with the Pixel 4 & 4XL. Kudos!
The smaller Pixel 4 has a 5.7-inch FHD+ flexible OLED panel while the Pixel 4XL has a larger 6.3-inch QHD+ flexible OLED panel. Apart from this, both devices share the same display properties; a 19:9 aspect ratio, Smooth Display with up to 90Hz refresh rate, HDR support to name a few.
Talking about the similarities, the new phones from Google run on the quasi-neo, yet still a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset and Adreno 640 GPU. This is complemented by 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM. Pixel phones have never been known for a blazing fast performance to the likes of the OnePlus devices and the story continues with the new Pixel 4. It has an older-generation UFS 2.1 storage technology on a disenchanting 64/128GB option. Insult to injury, you now don’t get to back up all of your photos in original quality for free on Google Photos like last year’s Pixel 3. However, you do get the Google One subscription free for 3 months.
Moving on, while other OEMs came up with dual, triple, and quad-camera setups, Pixel phones still hogged the title for the best smartphone camera with its single camera. With the help of machine learning and computational photography, Pixel phones delivered the best photos, especially Selfie Portraits and Night Sight. The Pixel 4 & 4XL hope to take things to new heights with the dual-rear camera; a first on a Pixel phone.
Both phones have a 12.2MP Dual Pixel PDAF f/1.7 sensor and a 16MPf/2.4 telephoto lens with OIS and EIS on the back. Prof. Marc Levoy from Google Research took the time to specifically point out why the company prioritizes telephoto to wide-angle shots. On the front, there’s a single 8MP f/2.0 sensor with a 90° field-of-view. The most standout camera features of the Pixel 4 are as follows:
Live HDR+ with dual exposure controls
Learning-based white balancing
Wider-range portrait mode
Night Sight with astrophotography
On a related note, there’s not much to get excited about the videography capabilities of the Pixel 4. The rear camera can shoot 4K videos at 30fps and slo-mo 240fps videos at 720p. The front camera, on the other hand, is capable of 1080p videos at 30fps.
Now to the exciting part. Google finally managed to strap in a radar sensor on to a Pixel phone, which is also an industry-first. We finally get to see Project Soli embedded into a phone. The Soli Radar Chip facilitates Motion Sense which can detect the user’s proximity around the phone and behave accordingly. For instance, reaching your hands towards Pixel 4 after an alarm goes off will trigger it to reduce the volume. There are other use-cases of this technology as well like skipping music, managing calls, etc with a wave of your hand.
On the topic of sensors, Pixel 4 also features an array of them specifically for face-unlock. There are two face-unlock IR cameras, a Dot Projector and a Flood Illuminator. After setting up, Pixel 4 unlocks in a blink of an eye. The aforementioned Motion Sense using the Soli Radar chip knows when you’re near the phone, unlocking the device post-haste amidst picking it up. All your face unlock data is locally stored and secured by the Titan M security chip. Face unlock replaces the physical fingerprint sensor or an in-display one on Pixel 4, which can be also used to make payments and sign in to different apps.
Google Assistant is now faster than ever with an on-device version of language model (English) embedded into the Pixel 4. The hybrid model of the assistant can fulfill on-device requests locally while requiring an internet connection for other requests.
There’s now an Audio Recorder app made by Google, which can record and transcribe the audio in real-time. Additionally, the saved recording can be searched using metrics like file name, or word(s) recorded. Like the Google Assistant, the Recorder app transcribes audio locally too. Furthermore, the 3.5mm headphone jack is still absent.
You’d think Google would pack a bigger battery to power all those sensors and the 90Hz display. But nope, there’s a measly 2800 mAh battery on the Pixel 4 and a slightly bigger 3700 mAh one on the bigger Pixel 4XL. What was Google thinking, we may never know. Both phones support Qi-wireless charging and 18W fast charging, which is not that great either considering there are phones with 45W, 50W and even 65W charging in the market. Battery life is going to be a major headache for the Pixel 4 users for sure.
Pixel 4 runs on the latest Android 10 OS. When it comes to software updates and security patches, Pixel phones have always been the first to get them. Google’s Project Mainline can now deliver the monthly security patches through the Play Store without requiring a hard reboot of the device. It will receive a minimum of 3 years of OS and security updates.
Let’s take a deeper look at the specifications of the Pixel 4 & Pixel 4XL.
Google Pixel 4 and 4XL Specifications
Specifications
Pixel 4
Pixel 4XL
Body
5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3-inches; 162gm
6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3-inches; 193gm
Display
5.7-inch flexible OLED panel; 90Hz Smooth Display
6.3-inch flexible OLED panel; 90Hz Smooth Display
Resolution
Full-HD+ (2280 x 1080); 19:9 aspect ratio
Quad-HD+ (3040 x 1440); 19:9 aspect ratio
Battery
2800 mAh with 18W Quick Charge 2.0; Qi Wireless Charging
3700 mAh with 18W Quick Charge 2.0; Qi Wireless Charging
Just Black, Clearly White, Oh So Orange (Limited Edition)
Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL Pricing & Availability
Google will not be releasing the Pixel 4 & 4XL in India which is a major surprise. Since the Soli Radar Chip operates on the 60GHz spectrum which is prohibited for public use in the country, Google failed to license it with the Indian government. There may be other factors at work too since Pixel 4 & 4 XL is launching in Japan without Motion Sense there. The phones are up for pre-order now while shipping starts from October 24.
Pixel 4: $799 (64GB) / $899 (128GB)
Pixel 4XL: $899 (64GB) / $999 (128GB)
The Public Opinion
People are divided over the latest Pixel phones. Some argue Google could’ve done a better job by pricing it a little lower, using a newer chipset and adding a wide-angle lens, while some think it’s good as is.
It’s important to remember that selling smartphones is not Google’s primary business, nor is it the company’s main source of revenue. Google is a software company and has repeatedly proven how good phones can get when complemented by excellent software.
Google isn’t looking to sell millions of units of the Pixel phones to the likes of Samsung Galaxy S10, nor does it hope to clear the stock minutes after being up for pre-order. It isn’t deliberately trying to lose money either, don’t get me wrong. Pixel phones represent how beautiful, stable, helpful, and productive Android can be while also setting the benchmark for smartphone photography.
Now there’s a swarm of people complaining about the availability and pricing of the phone. One of the main standout features of the phone isn’t compatible in many regions of the world and hence will not be available for purchase. Also, the pricing is fairly on the expensive end when looking at the specs.
For almost half the cost of a Pixel 4XL, you can buy the latest Realme X2 Pro which has an upgraded chipset, a quad-camera setup, and a near bezel-less display. Google knows its production capability, it knows it can’t compete with OEMs like Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, etc. to make its flagship Pixel phone cheaper. Simply, Google isn’t that big of a smartphone manufacturer and you know what, it’s okay. And as I mentioned earlier, it’s not aggressively pushing to become one either.
When purchasing the Pixel 4, you won’t just buy a smartphone, you’d also be directly supporting a cleaner cause. Impressively, Google’s operations have been carbon neutral since 2007 and all of its energy consumption since the past two years have been fulfilled by renewable energy sources. Also, the company uses recycled materials for manufacturing several parts of its devices. I’m a sucker for environmental protection, sue me! Now does that absolutely justify the cost of Pixel phones? Maybe, maybe not! That’s a subjective opinion. For me, I think it’s reasonably priced considering all the factors involved though I’d like to voice my small protest regarding the storage and battery capacity.
But hey, don’t you think it’d be even better for Pixel phones to be easily accessible to the masses at a cost they can afford?
Of course! And for this to come true, I hope Google eventually launches budget-friendly Pixel 4a and 4aXL with the sensors and whatnots compatible everywhere in the world for people looking for the cleanest Android experience and an excellent camera on a budget.
