Despite the trade dispute with the US, Huawei isn’t backing down from the market. The company launched its latest flagship – Huawei Mate 30 Pro using AOSP and without any Google apps, which unsurprisingly saw great success in Huawei’s homeland China. Additionally, the company reported a 24.4% rise in revenue in Q3 2019 compared to last year. So it’s fair to say the Trump Administration’s actions haven’t made an alarming impact on Huawei’s business. And now, the company is adding another product to its mid-range line, labeled “Huawei Nova 5z“.
As suggested by the title, the Nova 5z looks almost exactly like the Nova 5i Pro launched in July of 2019, making it the 6th entry to the Nova 5 lineup. I was a little intrigued as to why Huawei would release so many phones under one banner which is very unlike its other series. So, I Googled to see if the number ‘5’ is associated with any positive stuff in Chinese tradition. However, that wasn’t the case. Maybe the company just felt like it, who knows?
Huawei Nova 5z Overview
Tailored for Generation Z (as Huawei says), the Nova 5z has a fashionable design and great specs.
Display & Design
As mentioned in the title, the Nova 5z features an identical design to that of the Nova 5i Pro. It has a 6.26-inch rounded LCD panel with a Full-HD+ (2340 x 1080) resolution. The phone has minimal side & top bezels and applies a punch-hole technology for the front camera. Similarly, there’s a quad-camera setup on the back and a fingerprint scanner underneath. Nova 5z falls under the lightweight category, weighing around 178 grams.
The back of the phone is made of 3D Hyperboloid Glass, with finishes of different shades. Talking about the color, the phone comes in three: Emerald Green, Aurora Blue, and Black.
Camera
The quad-camera on the back is placed in a 2×2 matrix layout, exactly like in the aforementioned Nova 5i Pro. There’s a 48MP f/1.8 main camera, followed by an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP macro, and finally a 2MP depth sensor lens. Coming to the front, there’s the 32MP f/2.0 selfie camera housed inside the punch-hole cutout on the top-left corner of the display.
Nova 5z comes with Night View for night photography, as well as Portrait Mode, and AI Beauty Mode. Embedded with Huawei’s DaVinci Architecture NPU (Neural-Network Processing Unit), the phone is capable of giving you excellent camera performance through the help of AI.
On the performance end, the phone is powered by Huawei’s Kirin 810 chipset (7nm) and the equally powerful Mali G76 GPU clocked in at 820MHz. The 810 is a great SoC especially for mid-range devices and easily outperforms the Snapdragon 730 (8nm) found in the regular Redmi K20. The fabrication process is where it’s at! Recently, Huawei has been coming up with some great mid-range devices. If only those were priced accordingly in the Nepalese market!
Additionally, the company’s Ark Compiler (which can also be used to port Android apps to Huawei’s Harmony OS) yields efficient resource handling for smooth app experience. On figures, there can be up to 29% app execution efficiency and 32.68% system response boost. Furthermore, the GPU Turbo feature enhances gaming performance even more. This is supported by 6GB of RAM and either 64 or 128GB of internal storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB using a Huawei NM memory card. Nova 5z runs Android 9.0 (Pie) with Huawei’s EMUI 9.1 on top.
Battery
Fuelled by a decent 4000 mAh battery, the phone supports 20W fast charging. It can tank up to 50% within 30 minutes of charge. On normal usage, the Nova 5z should easily last a day.
Miscellaneous
What else would a Gen Z want? Hmm? Yes, video editing of course. The phone is equipped with an AI video editing feature. It doesn’t support NFC and neither is it waterproof.
Huawei Nova 5z Specifications
Body: 6.15 x 2.91 x 0.33 inches; 178 gm
Display: 6.26-inches LCD display
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels)
Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 810; 7nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (2 x Cortex-A76 2.27GHz, 6 x Cortex-A55 1.88GHz)
GPU: Mali G76 (820MHz)
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 64 / 128GB (expandable up to 256GB via a Huawei NM memory card)
Software & UI: Android 9.0 (Pie) with Huawei’s EMUI 9.1
As of now, the Nova 5z is a China-exclusive phone. It retails for ¥1,599 (approx NRs 25,600) for the 6/64GB variant and ¥1,799 (Approx. Rs. 28,800) for the 6/128GB variant.
Samsung is known for providing price drops from time to time. This time, Samsung is offering a cash discount on its latest budget phone, the Galaxy A10s. With the new price cut, Samsung Galaxy A10s is one of the best budget smartphones to buy in Nepal.
Overview
The Galaxy A10s has a lot of improvements over its predecessor A10. And they’re noticeable right away! First off, the Galaxy A10s features dual cameras at the back. The A10 had only a single primary camera, but the A10s adds a new depth sensor for better portraits. This may not be much, but it at least, means that you can take portrait shots from the phone on the hardware level. Also, the selfie camera has improved. It’s now an 8 MP shooter.
Another change that’s visible right away is the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The A10 didn’t have any, nor did the Galaxy M10. But this one does, making a pretty good case for a budget smartphone.
Other external features stay pretty much the same. The display is still a 6.2″ IPS LCD with that Infinity-U display and HD+ resolution. Also, the design language isn’t much different. But there are other changes inside. The Samsung Galaxy A10s runs on the Helio P22 chipset, which is slightly inferior to the Exynos 7884 on the A10 – at least on paper. In addition, there is an increase in battery size. The Samsung Galaxy A10s features a large 4000 mAh battery, compared to 3400mAh on the A10.
That is pretty much it for the Galaxy A10s. I can’t say how much of a difference will it make in terms of processing power, but other things considered, it is a good improvement over the Galaxy A10.
Samsung Galaxy A10s Specifications:
Display: 6.2″ IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution (720 x 1520 pixels), Infinity-V notch, 19:9 aspect ratio
Storage: 32 GB internal, expandable via microSD card up to 512 GB
OS: Android 9.0 (Pie) with One UI
Features: Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor,
Battery: 4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A10s price in Nepal:Rs. 16,790 Rs. 13,999
Samsung Galaxy A10s Price in Nepal, Availability
Samsung Mobiles Nepal was launched the Galaxy A10s for the price of Rs. 16,790. However, it is now available for Rs. 14,999. It goes head to head against the Redmi 7, which is still one of the best budget phones to buy at the price range of Rs. 17,000.
Oppo A5 2020 is the toned-down version of the previously launched Oppo A9 2020. The device is finally available in Nepal in two different memory configurations – 4/128GB and 3/64GB variant. The Oppo A5 2020 packs in some capable hardware but in a price-sensitive mid-range market like that of Nepal it hardware alone isn’t enough. Read along to find out more.
Oppo A5 2020 Overview:
The Oppo A5 2020 has the same 6.5-inch HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels) display as the Oppo A9 2020. And just like the A9 2020, it is powered by Snapdragon 665 processor. There are two variants of OPPO A5: One with 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage, and the other with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
The A5 2020 features a Quad-camera setup on the rear with a 12MP primary camera. An 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor are added to its rear camera setup. There’s an 8MP front camera residing inside the notch of the display.
The Oppo A5 2020 is certainly a power-house; boasting a 5000mAh battery with reverse charging. Talking about the body, the phone has a plastic body with gradient colors. The phone packs a stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos sound.
There is no in-display fingerprint sensor, instead, you will be getting a rear-facing fingerprint sensor. Thanks to the big battery, the phone weighs around 195g and is relatively thick at 9.1mm. The phone runs on Android 9.0 with ColorOS 6.0 on top.
Connectivity: 3.5 mm audio jack, FM Radio, Dual 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/ GLONASS/ Beidou
Battery: 5000mAh battery with reverse charging
Oppo A5 2020 Price in Nepal
The updated price of OPPO A5 in Nepal is Rs. 22,990 for a 3/64GB variant and Rs. 25,490 for 4/128GB. The device is available through both online and offline retailers in Nepal.
Model Name
Old Price
New Price in Nepal
Oppo A5 2020 (3/64GB)
NPR. 22,990
NPR. 22,990
Oppo A5 2020 (4/128GB)
NPR. 27,990
NPR. 25,490
The hardware is appealing but not that the price that the Oppo A5 2020 bears. With a similar set of specs, Redmi Note 8 brings greater value for money.
Man is the smartphone industry competitive! With manufacturers bringing out new phones way too often nowadays, we as a consumer get lots of options to choose from. People are getting great performing phones even on a budget. And that’s a good thing. Vivo just launched the all-new Vivo U3 in China at a ridiculously impressive price, which may just make it the new king in the budget smartphone arena.
Vivo U3 Overview
A tall, thin, and heavy phone on a budget.
The Vivo U3 is a fine upgrade to last month’s Vivo U3x (also known as Vivo U10), with a powerful chipset, more RAM, and more.
Display & Design
“An incremental update” would describe the Vivo U3 the best. Despite a taller 6.53-inchFull-HD+ (1080 x 2340) display and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, it is thinner than its predecessor. While Vivo has managed to minimize the size bezels, there’s still a formidable chin on the bottom. Similarly, the 90.3% screen-to-body ratio assures a more pleasant viewing experience.
With a 3D curved design, the Vivo U3 has a pleasant grip and hand-feel. The back of the phone is made of polycarbonate material and houses the fingerprint sensor and the Vivo logo on the bottom left corner. The phone comes in 3 colors: Porcelain Black, Blue, & Green.
Camera
There’s a triple camera setup on the back next to the fingerprint sensor. Arranged vertically are the 8MP super wide-angle camera, a 16MP primary lens, and a 2MP macro lens for close-up shots of objects as near as 4cm. The Vivo U3 also features Super Night View 2.0 for night-time images and HDR shots with Super Backlighting.
Vivo U3 Camera setup
1 of 2
Triple-rear camera
Selfie camera
Coming to the front of the device, there’s a 16MP AI selfie camera that supports “Face Wake”, which is Vivo’s name for its face-unlock technology. And of course, there are multiple beautifying features as well.
Performance & Memory
While you’ll find a MediaTek chipset in most of the budget phones, the Vivo U3 boasts the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chipset based on the 11nm process, which is about 20% more powerful than the older Snapdragon 665 in the U3x. Similarly, there are two memory variants of the U3 – 4GB and 6GB, both with 64GB of internal storage. You get a dedicated microSD card slot which can be used to expand the storage up to 256GB.
Vivo has been nailing its starter phones by shipping them with huge batteries. The U3 follows suit with a big 5000 mAh battery which supports 18W dual-engine fast charging out-of-the-box. However, Vivo is still manufacturing its phones with Micro-USB in 2019 which we’ve complained about a lot! If you’re already knee-deep in the Type-C ecosystem, the Vivo U3 will take you back in time to the days of using multiple cords and plugs.
Miscellaneous
You also get a decent gaming experience with the Vivo U3. The company’s “Vivo Multi-Turbo” technology accelerates the performance of the device with app response time increased by up to 20%. Background processes are optimized for better resource management while gaming.
Vivo U3 Specifications
Body: 6.38 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches; 193 gm
Display: 6.53-inches TFT LCD panel
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 675; 11nm Mobile Platform
CPU: Octa-core (Up to 2.0 GHz)
GPU: Adreno 612
RAM: 4 / 6GB
Storage: 64GB (expandable up to 256GB via a dedicated microSD card)
Software & UI: Android 9.0 (Pie) with Vivo’s Funtouch OS 9.1
Pre-orders for the Vivo U3 is already up in the Chinese e-commerce site JingDong, while it’ll be available on Vivo China’s official site from October 21.
Vivo U3 (4/64GB): ¥999 ~ (NRs. 16,065)
Vivo U3 (6/64GB): ¥1,199 ~ (NRs. 19,280)
As for the phone’s official availability in Nepal, we haven’t received any words from the company’s official distributors in the country. Stay with us for further updates.
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.
