Vivo has launched a new mid-range phone, the Vivo Y12 in Nepal. It is among the first device to flaunts a triple camera setup at this price range. But a lot of things have changed in 2020 and the smartphone market has been competitive more than it has ever been. So can Vivo Y12 compete against the new contenders in the market? Let’s learn more about the phone.
Vivo Y12 Overview
Design
The Vivo Y12 features a large 6.35″ IPS Halo Full View display with a tear-drop notch. The screen here comes with HD+ resolution, just like on the Y17. Even in terms of design and looks, it again highly resembles with the Y17. The screen is large but the limitation is its HD+ resolution. The company has not revealed any kind of Gorilla glass protection.
Camera
One of the exciting things about this phone is a triple camera setup for the budget price. The triple camera setup comprises of a 13 MP lens, an 8 MP ultrawide and a 2 MP depth sensor. Of course, even with triple lenses, we can’t expect very high results with a phone of this price range. Also, it’s selfie camera is an 8 MP shooter with AI support.
Performance and Memory
Furthermore, the phone runs on the modest Helio P22 chipset, and there are two memory options available – 3 / 32 GB and 4 / 64 GB. The version that’s launching in Nepal has 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with a dedicated microSD card slot.
Battery and others
And another nice feature about this phone is its 5000 mAh battery, which, with its specs should last more than 2 days easily. Charging is done via micro-USB and there’s no fast charging as well. In addition, there’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. On the software front, it runs on Android 9.0 Pie with VIVO’s custom UI FunTouch OS 9.0. Color Option includes Burgundy Red and Aqua Blue.
The new official price of Vivo Y12 in Nepal is Rs. 21,590. You can buy the device from both offline and online shops in Nepal and many of them do offer some discounts over the marked price.
Model Name
Old Price
New Price in Nepal
Vivo Y12 (3/64GB)
Rs 20,990
Rs.21,590
Although the phone offers a big battery and triple cameras, you will get better performance, high-res FullHD display, and better cameras with Redmi Note 8.
However, what do you think of Vivo Y12? Are triple cameras in a budget phone a very compelling feature? Or will you skip this because it’s not going to be good enough, anyway? Do let us know.
New teasers have started flowing in for the latest Vivo flagship. Labeled as the Vivo Nex 3, the device will probably launch sometime next month. But what’s the hype about this device you say? Well, for starters, the device sports the worlds first waterfall display.
Vivo Nex 3 Overview:
The waterfall display is basically a fancy term for a device with edge screen. Galaxy Edge devices have implemented such a screen for a long time. However, in a video, the popular Youtuber Mrwhosetheboss claims that the edged display is more in this device. In Nex 3 it is almost 45% more than devices that are already available. Now, that’s huge!
In the video, we can see that the device does not have any notch. So, sticking to the on-going trend, the device must have a motorized pop-up front camera. Furthermore, as one would expect from a Nex device, the bezels are all thinned out. And as mentioned before, the display is extremely curved. This thereby gives the device its prized “waterfall” effect.
Aside from its huge display, the phone does not have any physical buttons either. Their replacement? Capacitive buttons. These capacitive buttons have haptic feedback. No need for buttons. Pressing on the capacitive buttons supposedly gives one the feel of pressing an actual button. The haptic feedback in the specified place analyses your fingers motion when placed over them. And then perform the necessary task. However, there is a small power button on the top rim of the phone.
No particular details about the phone were disclosed in the teaser video by Mrwhosetheboss. However, he did test the devices 5G capabilities, camera, and its general performance. 5G as many of us no is really fast. And the Nex 3 has it. Furthermore, as the device has a waterfall display, anything you capture will seamlessly fit into your screen. Nevertheless, the camera details are not mentioned at all.
From the teaser, the device looks exciting to me. But the waterfall display comes with its own set of disadvantages too. Huge edge display probably means a lot of accidental touches. But we cannot say anything with certainty right, now can we? We’ll have to wait until the device officially launches before giving the final verdict.
Chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO has unveiled three variants of the OPPO Reno in India. The phones are named OPPO Reno 2, OPPO Reno 2Z and OPPO Reno 2F. The Reno 2 has the highest of the specs among the three followed by Reno 2Z and Reno 2F. The three phones differ mostly in terms of display size, processors and camera modules.
First, let’s look at what’s similar in all three phones. All three of them come with 8 GB of DDR4X RAM. The Reno 2 and Reno 2Z comes with 256 GB memory respectively while the 2F has 128 GB storage. All three devices flaunt an ultra-fast UFS 2.1 storage. So you are gonna get better read/write speeds with these devices. All the phones also come with quad-camera setup at the back. But, these differ in the configuration and the sensor type.
None of the three have a notch for the selfie camera as all of them feature motorized pop-up selfie cameras. The OPPO Reno 2 has a shark fin-like selfie camera following the legacy of its predecessor while the other two, the Reno 2Z and Reno 2F have a centrally- faced pop-up selfie camera.
Likewise, the trio features Android 9 Pie out of the box with ColorOS 6 on top. All are backed by 4,000 mAh batteries and support 20-watt VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge technology.
But like mentioned earlier, there are slight differences between the three in terms of camera specs. The Reno 2 comes with optically and electronically stabilized 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, a 13 MP telephoto lens (that supports up to 5x Hybrid Zoom), an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2MP Monochrome sensor for capturing depth information.
The Reno 2Z however, has a quad-camera setup comprising of an electronically stabilized 48MP Sony sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, 2MP Mono lens, and a 2MP portrait sensor.
The Reno 2F sports a 48 MP Samsung GM1 sensor accompanied by the other three sensors same as the 2Z.
Power-wise too these three are different. The Reno 2 is powered by Snapdragon 730G, which is designed especially for gaming. The Reno 2Z and 2F are powered by MediaTek chipsets, namely the Helio P90 and P70 respectively.
Oppo Reno 2 Specifications:
Display: 6.5-inch AMOLED panel with Full HD+ resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 6
CPU: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
GPU: Adreno 618
OS: Android Pie (v9.0) with ColorOS 6
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB
Rear camera: Quad, 48 MP primary with f/1.7 aperture (Sony IMX 586) + 13 MP Telephoto with f/2.4 aperture, 8 MP ultra-wide with f/2.2 aperture + 2 MP depth sensor
Front Camera: 16 MP motorized pop-up selfie camera
The company has launched smartphones in India and are going to be sold through Amazon, Flipkart, and OPPO partner stores in India. As of now, there is no official confirmation on the pricing of these phones yet!
Also Watch: Oppo Reno 10X Zoom Edition Vs OnePlus 7 Pro camera Comparison
Nothing is 100% safe anymore. Researchers have found a Trojan-Dropper malicious virus hidden inside Cam scanner, an Android app with more than 100 million downloads on Google Play Store! The malware was found by two Kaspersky security researchers, Igor Golovin, and Anton Kiva. The app was following a series of negative reviews for the last few months and while researching for the cause, the team of two found the faulty virus.
Cam scanner is a free app on the Google Play store that turns an Android mobile device into a portable scanner. It scans and manages documents, receipts, bills, business cards, certificates and so on.
The intrusive module so identified in Cam scanner is a Trojan virus called Trojan-Dropper. It can extract and run a second malicious component accommodated within the app. This can be leveraged to infect people’s devices with other kinds of malware.
What happens when you download and run the Cam Scanner app is, the dropper decrypts and executes malicious code contained in a “mutter zip” file present inside of the app before downloading encrypted code from the control server.
The virus functions to download and launch a payload from other malicious servers, hence infecting your device. As a result, the owners of the malicious module can use an infected device to their benefit by showing the victim unwanted advertisements and maybe even stealing money from their mobile accounts by charging paid subscriptions.
But thankfully, the virus did not reside in the code of Cam Scanner app itself, instead, it’s part of a 3rd party advertising library that was recently included in the app.
After discovering such intrusive activities, the researchers promptly reported the findings to Google, who then removed the app from its Play Store. Similarly, the app developers have reportedly gotten rid of the virus and with the latest update of Cam Scanner. However, if you are running the previous version of the app, the virus might still be contained in the app, say the researchers.
But, if anyone is using the paid version of the app which does not include 3rd party advertising, then those people are safe from the infectious module as reported by the developers.
So, the conclusion that can be drawn from this is that any app, even if it is from the most trusted store, even the ones with trusted reviews can turn into malware overnight. So, your safety is in your hands. Everybody is strongly advised to always keep a good antivirus app on your Android device to detect and block such malicious activities before they can infect your device.
Also, one should keep a check for the latest reviews of the app and verify app permissions before installing any application.
Everything around us is turning smart these days. So, it’s not surprising that more and more number of Smart TV’s are being launched in the market. One such “smart” TV that was launched recently in Nepal is the Samsung RU7100 UHD TV. It was announced with the tagline “Unbox Magic Every Day”. But what exactly is the magic that’s packed into this TV?
Samsung RU7100 UHD TV Overview
The RU7100 is one of the devices from Samsung’s RU series of TVs. It is an Ultra-High-Definition TV that offers 4K resolution. It has an LCD screen panel and has HDR10, HDR10+ and Hybrid Log-Gamma HDR compatibility. The TV is available in 5 sizes: 75-inch, 65-inch, 55-inch, 49-inch, and 43-inch.
This TV has a built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity that helps users to connect to their favorite app and Internet contents. In addition to that, there’s the plus content sharing and screen mirroring features. It has three HDMI ports that provide video-source connecting options. Furthermore, the TV supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa functionality as well.
It has desktop capabilities as you can use the TV screen as a PC and work via a cloud computing option. Moreover, a big-screen experience can be achieved by mirroring your laptop on the television screen. The TV has external speakers that provide an external music experience.
There’s this Live Cast Feature that helps you to cast your smartphone screen to your TV. Through this, any live event captured in your smartphone can be viewed on the TV in real-time. The home cloud feature automatically backs-up the photos and videos from your smartphones to a password protected USB connected to the TV.
It’s been a long time since we have seen anything new from Lava in the market. However, with the launch of its new device, the Lava Iris 43, it is planning on making its comeback. Primarily focused on the budget segment, this device will certainly face a tough competition. But is it capable of doing so? Let’s have a look at its features and decide for ourselves.
Overview:
The device has a 5.0” screen that comes with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo Go and uses the Spreadtrum SC7731 processor. The processor is clocked at 1.30GHz and has 4 cores. In addition, an ARM Mali-400 MP2 GPU is also included in the chipset. It has 1 GB RAM and 16GB internal memory on board. However, the memory can be expanded up to 64GB through a dedicated microSD slot.
Talking about the camera, it comes with a 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The battery on this device is of 2000mAh. Considering the features in this device, the battery should actually be great. Also, this device comes with a Smart Face Unlock. Now, that’s interesting considering the device has been launched at a price of Rs. 5, 899.
Lava Iris 43 Specifications:
Dimension
141.50 x 72.30 x 10.30mm
Weight
147.00g
Display
5.00” TFT display with 480 x 854 pixels resolution
Display protection
None
Processor
Spreadtrum SC7731 (4x 1.30GHz)
GPU
ARM Mali-400 MP2
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo Go
RAM
1GB
Internal Storage
16 GB (Expandable up to 64GB through dedicated microSD slot)
Now considering the fact that the device is targeted for the lower-budget segment, the device certainly has a lot to provide. Furthermore, the addition of a Face Detector gives a nice touch to it. However, with better devices available from other brands for just two or three thousands more, attracting customers will certainly be a tough task for the company.
Vivo seems to have finally realized what it had been doing wrong all this time. Just roll back few months, they used to launch the Y-series which are overpriced and underpowered in many ways. So, the outcome is well, the Vivo Z1 pro and the Vivo S1. The Vivo S1 (Rs. 34,690) is slightly pricier than the Z1 Pro and is competing against the likes of OPPO F11 and the Galaxy M40. And looking at the specs, the Vivo S1 looks impressive, but is it any better than the competition? Let’s find out in our Vivo S1 review.
Sensors: UD Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Price in Nepal: Rs.34,690
Display
Okay, first thing, let’s get done with the display. It does not have a punch-hole display like the Galaxy M40 but the notch here is so tiny, it’s barely obtrusive. The bezels too are very less, overall the display looks clean.
It’s a 6.3 inches Super AMOLED screen so you can imagine how it is. The colors on it look vibrant and the blacks look dark making for very good display experience. And side by side with the IPS panel of the competitions, the display on it is far better.
And this AMOLED screen is a house for an in-display fingerprint sensor too which unlocks fast but don’t expect anything of OnePlus 7 Pro (Read review) kind. The sensor, I would say is fairly accurate, but I have had instances where it has not read my fingerprint altogether. But that has only happened a few times. So no worries!
You also get a dark mode that helps save your battery and protect your eyes, so that’s a handy feature to have. You have different modes from where you can choose the screen color and make it bright or slightly warmer and such. It’s totally up to your preference.
The display indoors is bright obviously but even outdoors, it’s moderately bright. There’s an Always-on display feature too, which makes sense on this AMOLED panel. Apart from your usual date, time and battery percentage, you can get a messenger badge if you get messages and such as well.
Overall, I have liked the display experience on this one. But, moving on to the back, things don’t look that great.
Design
The Vivo S1 has a plastic back and the sides are plastic too. So, durability could be a concern in a long run. But the design is nothing to complain. It’s appealing, feels good to hold and will not disappoint you.
However, smudges are something that is inevitable and I am not someone who likes casing up their phones, so I’ve had a tough time. But usually, people case their phone up so it should not be a huge problem for most.
More about the design, you have these diamond-shaped patterns at the back which looks very unique and I think will appeal to most people. The vertical camera array at the back has this golden lining surrounding it which kind of make the cameras stand out in the overall design.
You get the power and volume buttons on the right and an AI button on the left. It can be used to trigger Google assistant or google search whatever you so prefer. On pressing it twice, however, you can trigger either Google search, google assistant or image recognizer. While I don’t use it that much, it can come in handy sometimes. Although, I wish the buttons could be more tactile. It’s plastic and you will know it right away.
Down below, you get the same old Micro USB like in most of Vivo smartphones, a single firing bottom speaker and a headphone jack.
The output from the headphone jack and the mono speaker is nothing to well write home about. It’s pretty average like what you get with other midrange phones. So, overall, the build is plastic, but the design I think is good enough, it looks good, so I am okay with it.
Performance
In terms of performance, the Vivo S1 has the new MediaTek Helio P65 chipset. It does offer improvements in the CPU performance compared to last-gen Helio P60 and P70, but strangely, the GPU performance has been down-graded. This one uses the Mali G52 GPU while the P60 and P70 use a much powerful Mali G72. Strangely, the chipset does not support UFS storage but has Bluetooth 5.0 support.
And as a matter of fact, we know we get phones with Snapdragon 712 and Snapdragon 675 in this price range whose performance is, well, better than the Helio P65. But, the real-life performance has been good I must say. Day to day tasks run as they should.
AnTuTu v7: 146,499
CPU: 62875, GPU: 31572, UX: 41769, Memory: 10283
AndroBench:
Sequential Read: 303.55 MB/s
Sequential Write: 189.27 MB/s
Geekbench 4
Single-core: 1850, Multi-core: 6047
RenderScript Score: 4741
PC Mark
Work 2.0: 6858
3D Mark
Slighshot Extreme OpenGL ES 3.1: 1097
Slighshot Extreme Vulkan: 1098
I have never faced a single problem in my everyday usage. It has taken up the most intensive of the tasks very well, so I will not complain. PUBG runs in HD in High settings with some stutters here and there. But I preferred medium settings as it gave me smoother performance.
While we are talking about PUBG, Vivo seems to be really focused on giving their users the best experience. If you have watched my Z1 Pro review, I had mentioned that there are several features like being able to reply to texts on the screen while playing games, being able to run the game in the background while it loads and reminds you with a timer, etc.
The phone also has this exercise where it trains you with the help of sounds so that you can better locate your enemy. Some of these features are PUBG exclusive wholesome are for other games too.
But again, if the choice of chipset would have been better, I would have loved the device more. Take gaming for example. Not that there is a problem while playing PUBG or other high-end games, but it would run much smoother with Snapdragon 712 and Snapdragon 675.
Talking about the memory, you get of 6 GB DDR4X RAM and 128 GB of EMMC storage which you can expand up to 256 GB via a dedicated slot.
Software and UI
The phone comes with the latest Android 9 Pie with its own Funtouch OS 9 on top. I used the Vivo Z1 pro read the review of it, you would know how not so fun Funtouch OS is for me.
But, if you are a Vivo user, you should have no difficulty using it. It has this upward swiping toggle menu which I had the most difficulty getting used to initially. Also, the arrangement of things in UI could be implemented better.
Software UI
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Since the display is AMOLED, I have applied this dark mode which has made the entire theme dark which looks good normally but it’s kind of weird on WhatsApp and Instagram.
Talking about the software-based Facial unlock, it’s fast like all Vivo phones and the in-display fingerprint sensor is also swift and mostly accurate. So, this was my primary security unlock option.
Cameras
The S1 comes with a triple camera setup at the back. The primary is a 16 MP f/1.8 lens, the secondary is an 8 MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens and the third is a 2 MP f/2.4 depth sensor.
And let me tell you one thing, although the camera setup of the S1 looks similar to that of the VIVO Z1 Pro, it isn’t. From colors to details, the S1 captures better photos. The S1 also has slightly more saturation in pictures but that looks good when compared to undersaturated images from the Z1 pro.
Vivo S1 Vs Vivo Z1 Pro
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VIVO S1 Sample 1
VIVO Z1 Pro Sample 1
VIVO S1 Sample 2
VIVO Z1 Pro Sample 2
VIVO S1 Sample 3
VIVO Z1 Pro Sample 3
VIVO S1 Sample 4
VIVO Z1 Pro Sample 4
On to the wide-angle images, they are equally impressive. The colors look good the same as the primary lens though if you compare the details, you will find the primary lens doing a better job.
Normal Vs Wide-angle Shots
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Normal
Wideangle
Normal
Wideangle
For portraits, you get two options, one is portrait lighting and other is aperture mode. In the aperture mode, you can change the blur and focus after taking pictures while in the portrait mode you cannot. And talking about the portrait images, well, they look slightly saturated. The color tones in the skin looks somewhat unnatural. And the edge detection is not very proper either.
Portrait Samples
1 of 2
But the good thing is, you can choose from various different types of background blur which is fun sometimes.
Portrait Effects
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Effects: Studio Light
Effects: Studio Light
Effects: Rainbow Light
Effects: Rainbow Light
Effects: Normal Light
Effects: Normal Light
Effects: Monochrome Light
Effects: Monochrome Light
Selfies from the 32MP camera look good. They have a good balance of colors and maintain exposure levels very well. But I have to say again, the skin tone is not very natural. Talking of skin tones, there is AI beauty option which basically makes you look prettier.
Vivo S1 selfie samples
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Vivo S1 selfie sample 2
Again, comparing the selfies of the Z1 Pro and S1, it shares the same story as the rear camera. The S1 clicks pictures with the richer color tone, making it look better than the Z1 Pro.
Vivo S1 vs Z1 pro selfie samples
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Vivo z1 pro selfie sample 1
Vivo s1 selfie sample 1
Vivo s1 selfie sample 2
Vivo z1 pro selfie sample 3
Vivo s1 selfie sample 3
There is also something called Fun videos in the cameras which are basically like what we get on Instagram. But the quality is far better than on Instagram. You get a lot of filters to choose from. Plus, it can be fun sometimes when you are in a mood to play around.
You have a portrait feature for selfies as well. You get tones of options for background blurring which is a feature not so useful but still nice to have. Edge detection is a slight problem as the blur is purely software. Otherwise, it does a good enough job.
Selfie portrait effects sample
1 of 6
Effects: Loop Light
Effects: Monochrome Light
Effects: Normal light
Effects: Rainbow Light
Effects: Stereo Light
Effects: Studio Light
Talking about night time images, there is no night mode feature here, which is strange, because even all the midrange phones have one. So, maybe that will arrive with a software update. And standard night time images are well, grainy and muddy and lacks maintenance of exposure.
Vivo S1 night time samples
1 of 3
As for videos, I was disappointed to not see a 4K option. There’s only 1080p, 720p and 480p. And its video recording capabilities are not so good I have to say. Videos in 1080p look wobbly, they are not stabilized. 720p videos are better stabilized than the 1080p option. But, overall this is not your ideal video camera as I have found on my tests.
Battery
The Vivo S1 comes with a sizeable 4,500 mAh battery whose endurance has impressed me a lot. You can get over a day on normal usage. Plus, you can use various battery saver modes to increase endurance further.
And, I am a pretty heavy user and if the battery lasted me for some time over a day, then a normal or moderate user can expect their battery to last even longer.
You get a Fast charger inside the box with the Vivo S1. It’s an 18-watt charger that can take your battery from 0-100% in around two hours.
Conclusion
So, what do I think about the Vivo S1? Well, before I started reviewing this, I used the cheaper Vivo Z1 pro and as expected, the Vivo S1 is a better phone. This one comes with better features like an AMOLED display, better cameras, an in-display fingerprint scanner, and a better design. So, in many ways, this one is a slightly upgraded version of the Z1 pro, except for the performance; that was better on the Z1 pro.
But Should you buy the Vivo S1? It depends on where you live! If you are from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan or Philippines, where the S1 is available, it’s a good offering for some Rs. 34,690 (US$300).
However, if you are from India, you have the option to get the Realme X, which I personally think is a way better option. The only thing that’s missing with the Realme X is the wide-angle lens, which the VIVO S1 has, but apart from that, the Realme X is better in almost every aspect.
Be it for giving project overview in college or for demonstrating the plans and visions in the office conferences, we often need the help of a projector. The scope of the projector doesn’t quite end there. Some of the projectors can also be used as a home theatre. In recent days, projectors are also getting popular on screening grand events amongst a large mass of people. So for their portability and widespread use, people’s preference for the projectors is growing at a rapid pace. Since it’s getting so popular we thought why not do some review on the projectors. However, there are too many tech jargons associated with projectors. So we thought we should get started by simplifying all those terms and helping people decide the best one for them. So here is our very first projector buying guide.
Throw Ratio
While choosing a projector, one of the very first things to consider is the throw ratio. The throw ratio means the ratio of the distance between the projecting surface and the projector tip to the width of the image on the screen. Similarly, the throw distance is the distance between the tip of the projector’s lens and the screen or wall you are projecting.
So if a projector casts a big image while keeping it closer to the projector surface, then it’s a short-throw projector. Similarly, if a projector requires a long distance to project a large image, then such type of projector can be understood as a long-throw projector. If you have a small meeting or conference hall, then a short-throw projector can be a good fit. However, a long-throw projector would be a fine choice, if you have to install a projector in large classrooms.
Long Throw (Left) | Short Throw (Right)
Even if you are choosing a projector to create a home theater, you need to determine one understanding the size and structure of the theatre room.
Zoom
If the lens of the projector has a fixed focal length, you need to change the projector position itself to alter the size of the image on the screen. And that can be frustrating at times. But if your projector has a zoom capability, you can alter the throw distance and size of the image.
It also offers better flexibility as it lets you alter the size of the image depending upon the size and distance of the screen. So if you are getting a new projector, make sure it has a zoom capability.
Projection Technology (DLP Vs LCD Vs LED)
Although all the projectors may look similar in terms design, the technology used to project the image into the screen could vary from one projector to another. And there are mainly three projecting techniques broadly used on the projectors: DLP, LCD, and LED.
Let’s talk about DLP technology first. DLP or the digital light processing technique uses millions of microscopic mirrors to generate an image. Each mirror is associated with a light point and the mirror corresponds to the source with a tilting movement depending on the color of light it’s emitting. Since a mirror is microscopic and the movement is so subtle, the movements are not visible to the naked eyes.
The advantage with the DLP projectors is that they can deliver sharp images, don’t need any filters, have a better response time and can project 3D images. However, most of the DLP projector comes with color ghosting effect. Also, the effective life of a lamp on a DLP projector is only 2000-5000 hours.
Since the DLP projectors use microscopic mirrors, it requires relatively smaller spaces. That’s the reason why the modern-day ultraportable projects often come with DLP technology.
On the other hand, LCD projectors use liquid crystal displays, so no moving parts are involved while projecting an image into the screen. Even on the LCD category, you can find 1-chip and 3-chip LCD. Single-chip LCD is the most basic type of LCD projecting technology, which is used most on the inexpensive projectors. On the other hand, 3-chip is a more sophisticated type. It offers better color saturation, lower noise levels and works better for the movies. However, LCD projectors output less contrast and require constant filter maintenance. So there is a fair bit of tradeoff as well.
Talking about the LED projectors, they use physical light-emitting diodes. Since the LEDs are proficient when it comes to portraying deeper blacks, the contrast ratio is usually impressive on these models. Since the LED projector consumes less power, generate less heat, delivers better colors, and has a long lifespan, they are usually the best in the business. However, these kinds of projectors have limited brightness. So we do not recommend it in the rooms with a lot of ambient light.
Brightness
Since the brightness such an important aspect, let’s talk about it now. Every projector has a light intensity while projecting an image into the screen. They are generally specified in terms of ANSI lumens.
Higher the value, brighter the images you can get. If you had to install the projector in the rooms with already an ambiance in them, you need to go for the one with a brighter one.
Contrast Ratio
While looking for a projector, you might as well come across the term “contrast ratio”. It describes the difference in the brightness of blacks and whites in the images while portraying them on the screen. So higher the contrast ratio, higher will be the depth in the images and the dark scenes also look lively.
Although the contrast ratio may not be an important factor while looking for general-purpose projectors, having a higher ratio is crucial in the home theatre projectors. So you need to focus on that as well!
Resolution and Aspect ratio
Now let’s talk about one of the major aspects of a projector. It’s obviously the resolution. Resolution determines how sharp an image can look while casting it on a big screen. Usually, in school, colleges, and in the offices, projectors are generally used to show the powerpoint presentations. So it will not matter much. Even the low-res XGA projectors can suffice your needs.
But while watching movies and casting the gaming screen of a PlayStation or Xbox, having a high-res projection is a must. So you should at least for a Full-HD resolution. If you don’t want any sort of compromises in terms of sharpness, you can even upscale it to 4K Ultra-HD resolution.
Lamp Life
The lamp is an integral part of any projector. And if you are hearing this first, you might find it strange that the lamps on the projector have a limited life. Generally, the life of the projector is between 2000 to 4000 hours. Once a lamp completes its life cycle, you need to replace the lamp, which will require an extra cost. So if you are going to use the projector on a daily basis, make sure that the lamp is more. In a typical LED or Laser-LED hybrid projector, the lamp life can get high up to 20000 hours.
But if you already have a projector and willing to extend life, you might use in-built various lamp modes. In case of BenQ projectors, there are Eco mode, Smart Mode, and Lamp Save Mode with which you can extend the lamp life from 4000 to 15000 hours. These modes actually lower the brightness level. So if you are okay with slightly lower brightness, you should try it more often.
Ports & Connectivity
Although things like resolution, brightness level, and contrast ratio primary determine the quality of a projector, a projector remains inherently incomplete if there are not enough input/output ports.
A good number of RS 232 ports and HDMI ports is necessary for better flexibility. For the uncompressed and high bandwidth signal transmission, you might as well have to look for the projectors with MHL and HDCP ports.
Some of the projectors also come with USB Type-A, which lets you show your powerpoint without the use of a laptop or PC. Some modern projectors also feature wireless dongle. With such port on the board, you can cast the screen on your laptop or smartphone wirelessly in a hassle-free way. You can find such kind of port in the BenQ MX731 projector. Plugging in a wireless dongle and using the BenQ Qcast app, you can display the contents on your smartphone or PC directly on the projector.
Controls
For the easier operation of the projector, a projector does require a fair number of control buttons. In that case, the option to adjust the keystones, easy selection of the source, and the option to adjust the projecting table are necessary.
Since the lamp has a fixed life and needs replacement after its lifespan, there must also be an option to view the period of operation of the lamp. Make sure the projector has such an option if you are planning to get one.
Interactive Features
While giving presentations, you might have to describe the points with elaborate explanations. In such cases, having interactive features on the projector is really essential. A projector enabled with the interactive features comes with an interactive pen. The interactive pen works like a stylus with sensors on them. Such kind of pens lets you draw on the projecting screen. So that it will be easier to highlight the points.
Audio Quality
Some projectors also come with the in-built speakers. If you are not planning to invest extra on the soundbars after purchasing the projector, ensure that the in-built speakers produce loud, sharp, and crisp audio.
Conclusion
Well, I guess, you understood all the major things to consider while buying a new projector. If you are still having a hard time deciding the best one for you, let us know in the comments. We will surely try to help you decide one.
Intel has released quite a few things in the past couple of weeks. The new models from the 10th Gen Core CPU lineup come first in that context. And now, it has announced chips in the new Comet lake family. Though it is based on a different architecture, the targeted segment is the same. The previously announced chips based on Intel’s Ice lake architecture will be the first 10nm process chips to be mass-marketed from the company.
However, these newly announced Comet Lake chips will use quite antiquated 14nm process. Both the CPU’s will be sold as the 10th Gen Intel Core U-series and Y-series models. Furthermore, the chips are aimed at the thin and light notebook segment.
Both the U-series and Y- series have 4 Comet Lake models. 15W nominal TDP for the U-series and 17W nominal TDP for the Y-series is claimed by the company. However, OEMs have the option to configure them as per requirements. The U-series models can be configured up to 25 W. Whereas the models in the Y-series can be configured between 4.5W-9W considering the thermal environment.
A detailed comparison between the Ice Lake and the Comet Lake processor is given below.
Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake Vs Ice Lake Processors
Platform
Ice Lake
Comet Lake
Process
10nm
14nm
Brand
Intel Core i3, i5, i7
Intel Core i3, i5, i7
Thermal Design Power
9W, 15W, 28W
7W, 15W
Cores/Threads
Up to 4C/8T
Up to 6C/12T
LL Cache Size
Up to 8MB
Up to 12MB
Max Turbo Frequency
Up to 4.1GHz
Up to 4.9GHz
Graphics Configuration
Intel Iris Plus up to 64EU,
UHD graphics
Intel UHD graphics
Graphics Frequency
Up to 1.1GHz
Up to 1.15GHz
Integrated Wi-Fi
Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+)
Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+)
USB Type-C
Up to 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports
Up to 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports
Memory
LP4/x-3733, DDR4-3200
LP4X-2933, LPDDR3-2133, DDR4-2666
Laptops based on this newly announced series should arrive sometime around the late Q3 or early Q4. It is being speculated that those devices could probably launch during the IFA 2019 trade show. These models should reap the benefit of Intel’s Project Athena. This initiative promises better battery life, improved responsiveness, and connectivity. Hopefully, the devices will live up to their billing.
Gaming smartphones are very much on the rise. With the spending on mobile gaming being at least 2.3 times lower than that of the spending on a gaming PC, it’s an obvious rise. The ROG Phone series and the Black Shark dominate this segment. However, Vivo is not far behind either. iQOO, Vivo’s gaming-focused brand, just today released a new smartphone.
Overview:
Labeled as Vivo iQOO Pro, the device comes in two variants. One supports 4G connectivity whereas the other one comes with 5G support. However, other than the network connectivity, both the devices are almost identical. They have a 6.41” Super AMOLED screen with resolution 1080 x 2340 pixels. And as it is with devices with an AMOLED screen, the device supports an in-display fingerprint.
As for the processor, the device runs on Snapdragon 855+ chipset. The processor has 4 x Kryo 485 Silver cores operating at 1.8GHz, 3 x Kryo 485 Gold operating at 2.42GHz. The third and the final set of the CPU core is 1 x Kryo 485 Gold core operating at 2.84GHz. Furthermore, the chipset integrated the Adreno 640 GPU. The Snapdragon 855+ is probably the best gaming chipset from Qualcomm. And both the variants of the iQOO Pro packs this chipset.
Talking about the camera, it has a 48MP f/1.79 primary rear lens. Additionally, it comes along with a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide lens and a 2MP depth sensor. The selfie shooter is a 12MP f/2.0 lens. The battery on this device is a 4,500 mAh battery that supports 44W ultra-fast charging.
Both the version will run on Android 9 Pie with Funtouch 9 on to. He 4G variant of the device will have a base version with RAM 8GB and 128 GB storage. The other one will have 12GB RAM. Prices for the 8GB variant and the 12GB variant are $451 and $493 respectively.
The 5G version, however, will have three versions. A 8GB/128GB available for $536, a 8GB/256GB priced at $564 and a 12/128GB for $578. Both the devices have the same dimension: 158.77 x 75.73 x 9.325mm. Though they differ in weight by 2 grams. The 4G one weighs 215g whereas the 5G version weighs 217g.
As for their availability, the iQOO Pro 4G is available for pre-order in China. Its shipping will start from August 30. However, the 5G model will be available for pre-sell from tonight. Also, its availability will be limited too. It will officially release on September 2. A full list of their specifications can be found below.
With iQOO Pro, Vivo aims to make its mark in the gaming device segment. However, already existing players in this segment will make this one a tough task. Furthermore, ASUS has just recently released its ROG Phone II. So, usurping that will certainly be difficult.
But nothing can be said with certainty right now. The actual evaluation of those devices can only be said after using them. Moreover, their release might also be only China limited. Which further makes the task of evaluating them a lot more difficult.
