Photography has gotten a lot, lot accessible to the masses, thanks to the innovation in the area of mobile photography. You can take portraits of yourself, gather up the gang into a single wide-angle shot, shine your pearly white teeth even in low-light situations, or even take a close-up of that ant carrying away a block of sugar, all from a phone that costs about a quarter of the flagship phones.
But of course, there’s a vast difference between mobile photography and photography in general. Carrying all that weight and the intricate settings within obviously give you a much better output compared to what you get from modern-day smartphones. However, not everyone’s an avid photographer who will walk around with a hefty camera on them just to take photos. For such people, mobile photography works just fine.
Team photo of the officials of the #vivographer campaign.
And now, with the vision to mold these two similar yet contrasting genres together, Vivo is launching the #vivographer campaign. With the “Visit Nepal 2020” fiesta just around the corner, this initiative hopes to promote & motivate local photographers and Nepal tourism in a single effort. Though #vivographer has already kicked off in India for some time now, Vivo Nepal is set to get this underway from 8th December 2019 in Nepal.
Remember, it is #vivographer. Singular. Not #vivographers.
Vivo’s phones have always been known for its great design and excellent camera performance. So it makes sense why Vivo would come up with a photography-driven campaign.
The first step…
In the initial stage, Vivo Nepal has handpicked 5 photographers from Nepal who excel in different areas of photography as its “vivographers”. With time, the company hopes to take this number to thousands or more.
First 5 vivographers for Nepal. (I didn’t make that typo btw)
Across the campaign, these vivographers will capture Nepali landscapes and whatnots using a flagship Vivo phone (most likely the V17 Pro), which will be shared through Vivo’s official account on multiple social networking sites. Other photographers and enthusiasts can join in on the action by uploading a photo using the #vivographer hashtag. Thus, your creation will reach a bigger audience and maybe, you’ll also turn a few heads along the way too. The ultimate goal here is to create an active and conjoined Nepalese community of photographers and mobile photographers.
It is good to see that a company is coming up with such ideas to promote local talents. I wish all the luck to Vivo Nepal and all the people in/directly involved in the campaign and hope it’s a staggering success!
What do you get when you cross a hypercompetitive market and an out-of-touch marketing team? Something so eerie that’ll have you cringing at the mere sight of it. Worldlink, the largest ISP of Nepal may just have achieved this inglorious feat with its latest Heaternet scheme.
You may have thought that you’d get past all the ridiculousness with that simplistically clever naming, but no, not on my watch. If we’re talking strictly money-wise, then the offer can somewhat be defended for its economical approach; a free heater, decent bandwidth, plus dual NETTV subscription is a good bundle. However, we have a bigger fish to fry here.
I mean, I’m definitely not alone in this. Briefly going through the comment section on Worldlink’s Facebook page, I found many people sharing the same belief. A heater with your internet? Truly a bruh moment. Is the stiff competition getting to you?
Worldlink Heaternet Offer – 25Mbps (1TV) Package
Duration
NETTV (All Channels)
GO Discount App
CG Blower Heater
Price
1 month
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 3,550
3 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 6,000
12 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 16,000
Worldlink Heaternet Offer – 40Mbps (2TVs) Package
Duration
NETTV
GO Discount App
CG Blower Heater
Price
1 month
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 3,850
3 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 6,400
12 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 17,500
Worldink Heaternet Offer – 40Mbps (3TVs) Package
Duration
NETTV (All Channels + YouTube
GO Discount App
CG Blower Heater
Price
1 month
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 4,000
3 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 6,800
12 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 18,500
Worldlink Heaternet Offer – 60Mbps (3TVs) Package
Duration
NETTV (All Channels + YouTube
GO Discount App
CG Blower Heater
Price
1 month
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 4,700
3 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 8,800
12 months
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rs. 26,000
ok boomer
Worldlink is most definitely fishing for an audience of the older generation with this offer. And no, that in itself isn’t any bad, at all! (the prices above are VAT-exclusive by the way) Maybe the company is struggling to make a mark on the younger crowd. But we’re not in days of old. If you gotta stay relevant in the market, you have factor-in the majority demographics. Ask yourself this, if you were in charge of selecting an ISP for the internet connection in your house, would this persuade you? Most likely not.
TVs with your internet was a decent offer, it made sense. You also got a free NETTV subscription as an added bonus. But a heater? Hmm… hold on a second here. Maybe Worldlink is onto something. Let me explain.
Are we overlooking something?
As I said before, the pricing of the offer isn’t entirely terrible. If one were to fully capitalize on the company’s offers of the past like the TV, you’d have to spend a hefty amount. That is certainly logical but only if you needed a new TV. On the contrary, if you’re not in the market for one, why even bother with the offer? However, the Heaternet doesn’t require you to pour in a ton of cash to benefit from the scheme. Pay a little more and you get a nifty little heater to keep you warm in this cold weather alongside other privileges.
“An inexpensive offer that most people can get behind.”
So yeah, maybe the offer isn’t that pointless after all. Although, other ISPs like Vianet and ClassicTech are coming up with even more outrageous offers with phones and subscription bonuses which are far more lucrative than that of Worldlink. The monthly bonus is absolutely terrific but what if I don’t need a phone; there’s no offer for me?
Verdict
Gambling on a different marketing approach, the company is targeting inclusivity for the masses over a more lucrative offer which very few will benefit from. Anyways, I wish all the luck to them for the direction they’re heading towards. Also, if anyone from Worldlink is reading this, why does your website automatically refresh after a while to show the pop-up message? It totally ruins the user experience in my opinion.
Over the years, Xiaomi has solidified its name as a top smartphone seller in Nepal. Aptly priced mobiles that deliver a good performance. That’s what Xiaomi is known for out here. However, the brand is much more than that. Its product ranges from smart TVs to smartwatches. But most of them don’t get to see the light of the day in Nepal. However, things might get a little different now. That’s because the Xiaomi has finally launched its first Mi True Wireless TWS Earbuds in Nepal for an affordable price.
Yup! You can now get the Mi true wireless earbuds through official channels in Nepal too. Now, I know that just one new launch doesn’t really guarantee a big overhaul, but one can always hope! So, talking about the device, it is a high-quality product at an affordable price range. And this typifies what the brand is all about. You can find specific details about the devices down below.
Mi True Wireless Earbuds Overview
The Mi True Wireless Earbuds is a cheaper alternative to the Apple AirPods Pro or the Galaxy Buds Plus. Its design is similar to what Apple has to offer however, it is IPX4 rated. And also features noise-canceling technology. So, what’s the difference? Well for starters, the Xiaomi’s Earbuds are a lot cheaper.
It is one of the best alternatives for anyone looking for an affordable Earbud in Nepal. It has a plastic design and operates through touch sensors. The sensor in the Earbuds allows you to access your virtual assistant, answer calls, and toggle the noise canceling. Furthermore, the device has Bluetooth 5.0 meaning you can connect it with either iPhone or Android devices.
Meanwhile, check out all the latest prices and specs of Xiaomi earbuds here
Mi True Wireless Earbuds Cheaper Alternative
If you want a basic wired earphone, Xiaomi also has the Mi In-ear Headphones Basic. It is an affordable high-quality earphone. It comes with an aluminum sound chamber and has been anodized so that it suffers no corrosion. Furthermore, the device has a 3rd gen balanced damping system. This helps to improve the sound and air-flow into the device.
Moreover, its AUX jack is bent at a 45-degree angle for durability purposes. The headphone wire has an integrated remote that allows users to play/pause, and call controls. It also has a built-in mic. The in-ear headphones will cost you Rs. 649.
The Mi True wireless earbuds official price in Nepal is Rs. 4,799. This latest TWS from Xiaomi comes with a 6-month warranty and is available through mobile official channels.
Packing tons of improvements and loads of cool new features over last year’s HERO7, GoPro unveiled the HERO8 Black in the international back in October. And now, Icefall Technologies, the official distributor of GoPro products in Nepal has finally brought the HERO8 Black to the Nepalese market. Enough small talk, let’s know more about the Go Pro Hero 8 along with its official price.
GoPro HERO 8 Black Specifications
Dimensions: 2.61W x 1.91H x 1.12D-inches
Weight: 126gm (w/out frame)
Camera: 12MP lens with Digital lens (Narrow, Linear, Wide, SuperView)
Videography: Up to 4K/60fps (16:9 aspect ratio); Touch Zoom; 8x Slow-Mo; Pre-built Presets (Cinematic, Activity, Slo-Mo); 1080p Live-Streaming
HDR: SuperPhoto with improved HDR
Audio: 3 microphones with reduced wind noise
Stabilization: HyperSmooth 2.0
Timelapse: TimeWarp 2.0
Screen: Intuitive 2-inch LCD Touch Screen
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth
Battery: 1220 mAh Li-Ion
Waterproofing: Up to 33ft/10m
Expansion Mods: Media mod, Display mod, Light mod
Companion App: GoPro / GoPro Quik
SoC: GP1 Chip
GPS: Yes
GoPro HERO 8 Overview
While last year’s HERO7 came in three different variants, the HERO8 only comes in one (as of now). As its an action camera, let’s start by talking about its videography prowess.
Videography
GoPro HERO8 Black features the all-new “HyperSmooth 2.0“. Though last year’s HyperSmooth was received great regards, it didn’t work in all resolution of videos. But the new HyperSmooth 2.0 works in all resolution and all frame rates, including the 8x Slo-Mo. You can select from 3 options of stabilization – On, High, and Boost, with the latter giving you the most stabilized video. It should be noted that your videos will be treated with mild cropping when stabilized.
Also making its entry is a feature called “Horizontal Levelling“. What is does is level your videos in the horizontal axis, resulting in a smooth cinematic video with up & down movements still visible. The 12MP camera also features 4 digital lenses that let you take a wide range of photos and videos. They are – Narrow, distortion-free Linear, Wide, and SuperView. Apart from the resolution and aspect ratio, the HERO8 Black’s video frame rate also depends on the type of lens used. Additionally, you can choose from 3 built-in presets (Cinematic, Activity, Slo-Mo) for video recording depending upon your use-case so that you don’t need to meddle through the settings all that much.
The HERO8 Black also sees an improvement in GoPro’s TimeWarp effect department. Now equipped with TimeWarp 2.0, this camera can now adapt to your speed and you can also tap to slow down or speed up the video. So cool! GoPro also promises better audio capture though it features the same 3mic setup to the predecessor. For you streamers out there, the HERO8 Black can now push up to Full-HD(1080p) live-streaming through the app, which was limited to 720p in earlier models.
Photography
Now, let’s move on to photography. Unlike videography, there isn’t much to talk about here. GoPro’s SuperPhoto (aka HDR) has gotten slightly better with an improved HDR algorithm.
Normal Photo
SuperPhoto
Here, GoPro is debuting the “LiveBurst” feature. This lets you capture 1.5 seconds of footage (only from Wide lens) before and after hitting the shutter button. So, you have the option to pick the best still image from 90 of them or share a 3-second 4K video as is. For finetuning your capture’s settings, the HERO8 Black comes with GoPro’s signature “Protune” functionality. There are also “Burst” & “Night” photography features. Unfortunately, you can’t take photos from the camera’s “SuperView” lens.
Extension Mods
For the first time, GoPro is introducing “Extension Mods” for the HERO8 Black. You can attach 3 mods that extend the functionality of your camera.
Media Mod: Includes a 3.5mm mic input, an HDMI Out port, an additional USB Type-C port, shotgun-mic, and two cold-shoe mounts
Display Mod: Includes a 2-inch flip-up screen for framing the shots with an additional 680 mAh battery
Light Mod: Includes a light source that can be attached to a GoPro mount or used alone
Assorted features
As always, the GoPro HERO8 Black features a waterproof build. The limit here is up to 33ft (10m). Apart from having a rugged build quality, the company says that the HERO8 has a 2x stronger lens than the predecessor so this should be much durable in tough and taxing scenarios.
It features the same GP1 SoC and the 1220 mAh battery. Though the battery capacity of the HERO8 is the same as that of the HERO7 with the exact shape, it is through this new battery that the HERO8 is capable of HyperSmooth 2.0.
Using the companion app, you can view, edit, customize, and share your photos and videos which comes in very handy as well. The only compromise on the newer model is that you must buy the Media mod if you want HDMI output.
GoPro HERO 8 Black Price in Nepal [Updated 2020]
The official price of GoPro Hero 8 Black in Nepal is Rs. 51,500. You can purchase it from the likes of Icefall Technologies and Oliz Store.
Samsung is doing well in the budget and mid-range smartphone section. The overhaul of its budget phones with the new ‘A‘ & ‘M‘ series has yielded fruitful results for the South Korean conglomerate. The company launched Galaxy A30 back in March of 2019 and recently launched its ‘s‘ variant aka Samsung Galaxy A30s in India and other parts of the world. Launched about a month ago in Nepal, Samsung is now offering price-cut on the A30s as a part of its 50th-anniversary celebration.
Samsung Galaxy A30s Overview
The ‘s’ in these ‘s’ variant of smartphones seem to have a “slight” improvement over the ones without it rather than a “significant” upgrade. Is that it Samsung? Did I crack the code? Do I win something? Anyway, there aren’t many things to get excited about here. The one thing that would definitely catch your eye, however, is the new triple-rear camera setup.
A30 had a dual-camera setup on the back with a 16MP primary lens and a 5MP ultra-wide lens. This, to our joy, has been replaced with a triple camera setup with a 25MP main shooter, 5MP depth sensor and 8MP wide-angle lens in the A30s. Uninspiredly, there is no upgrade in the selfie camera.
Don’t expect any performance upgrades either since Samsung hasn’t bothered itself with fitting in a new SoC. And are you ready for the biggest disappointment of the A30s? Samsung somehow thought of the wonderful idea of downgrading the resolution of A30s to a measly 720 x 1560 HD+ display with 268 PPI density. This really doesn’t do justice to the phone’s capable 6.4″ super AMOLED display. Content consumption has really taken a hit here.
The A30s in Nepal comes in a single configuration with 4GBmemory and 128GB storage which can be expanded up to 512GB. A30s also has the same 4000 mAh non-removable Li-Polimer battery with 15W fast charging capability.
Another major change in the A30s can be seen on the security front. It has ditched the physical fingerprint sensor from the A30 to an on-screen scanner. Call me old school but I’d take the faster physical fingerprint sensor over a slower in-display screen one any day of the year.
Samsung Galaxy A30s Price in Nepal and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy A30s price was initially Rs. 31,890. However, Samsung is offering the Galaxy A30s in Nepal for a price of Rs. 27,499. You can redeem the offer from any Samsung retail outlets or from Smartdoko.com.
Personally, I still think Samsung is asking too much for this model. It sports HD display and a relatively slower processor, whereas you can get Redmi Note 8 Pro with FullHD+ display and a much powerful Helio G90T chipset for Rs. 29,999 (6+128GB variant).
And even if you want Samsung phones under Rs. 30,000, I would recommend the Galaxy M40, Galaxy M30s, and Galaxy A50. They have superior performance, Full HD display, and high res cameras than the A30s. So, it would be wise if you choose them over A30s.
Honor had launched the 9X and 9X Pro in July 2019, which was exclusive to Chinese customers. Now, the Chinese brand launched the global variant of the Honor 9X in the Nepali market after a considerable duration of time. So, let’s check out the full specs, updated price in Nepal and availability of Honor 9X in Nepal.
Honor 9X Overview
Performance and Memory
The global and Chinese variants of the Honor 9X are different. While the Chinese variant was powered by a powerful Kirin 810, the global model will equip a less powerful Kirin 710F chipset with the Mali G51 MP4 GPU. The Kirin 710F is comparable to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 and it is disappointing in this price range. Compared to MediaTek’s Helio G90T featured in Redmi Note 8 Pro, the chipset disappoints in benchmarks tests. Real-life usage is fluid but games like PUBG in HDR setting will result in occasional lags and stutters.
Design and Display
The global model of Honor 9X will have the same form-factor as its Chinese variant. It has a 6.59-inch LCD panel with Full-HD+ (2340 x 1080) resolution and a tall aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Talking about the design, it has metal and glass build with a striking holographic ‘X’ reflection on the back. The fashionable design and the notch-less display of the phone should be appealing to young audiences the most. Likewise, there’s a pop-up mechanism for the 16MP selfie camera.
Camera
Similarly, the global variant will have a triple rear camera setup like the Chinese Honor 9X Pro. You get a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens with 120° FOV, and a 2MP depth sensor. The camera is satisfactory except for portrait selfies. The colors on the image impressed us thought shots from both primary and ultra-wide angle sensors lacked details.
Talking about similarities, there’s a 4000 mAh battery which supports 10W charging and a physical fingerprint sensor on the back. The battery can last you a full day on average usage. But the phone doesn’t support fast charging technology of any kind and you will get a 10W charger that takes around 2.5 hours to get the phone fully charged.
With the Huawei controversy, you might be worried about Android support on Honor phones. But fret not, the Honor 9X (IE) will run Android 9.0 (Pie) with EMUI 9.1 on top and have the full suite of Google’s applications. Additionally, there’s the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom of the phone alongside the Type-C port and the speaker.
Honor 9X International Edition Specifications
Body: 6.42 x 3.04 x 0.35 inches; 206 gm; front/back glass
Display: 6.59-inches IPS LCD panel
Resolution: Full-HD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels); 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 710F; 12nm Mobile Platform
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, AGPS/GPS/GLONASS/BDS, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery: 4000 mAh battery with 10W Charging
Colors: Midnight Black, Sapphire Blue
Honor 9X Price in Nepal: Rs. 29,999 (6+128GB)
Honor 9X Price in Nepal & Availability
The price of Honor 9X in Nepal is Rs 29,990 for its 6/128GB variant. The device is an average smartphone in this particular price range and it would have been a better choice if Honor had brought the Chinese variant of the device with Kirin 810.
Model Name
Price in Nepal
Available stores
Honor 9X (6/128GB)
Rs 29,990
Hukut
At the price of Rs. 29,990, the company is offering a pop-up selfie camera and a very good design. However, the big concern is it’s fairly average Kirin 710F chipset.
The wearables market, specifically smartwatches has seen major stride over the past couple of years. Companies like Fitbit, Apple, and Samsung are the top players in the arena, though there are many Chinese knock-offs as well. The thing with smartwatches from these top brands is that, well, they’re just too expensive for your average Joe (don’t ask who Joe is). On the other hand, the cheap Chinese replicas feel way too gimmicky and unreliable. Isn’t there a reliable yet fashionable smartwatch out there that is light on the wallet as well?
*thunderstorm in distance*
Why yes, there could just be one! The Blitzwolf BW-HL1 is a smartwatch that looks & feels premium on the hand while packing a ton of features as well. Priced at just a little over $20, the BW-HL1 might just be the one to beat in that price range. Let’s find out more about it in our review.
Blitzwolf BW-HL1 SmartWatch Specifications
Body: 1.65 x 1.38 x 0.43 inches; 49 gm
Battery: 180 mAh; 3.7V
Charging: 5V-1A; in 2 hours via a proprietary magnetic cable
Display: 1.33 inch IPS LCD panel
Resolution: 240 x 240 pixels
Control: Touch Button/Key
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0
IP Rating: IP68 Waterproof (max depth 1 meter, for 30 minutes)
The Blitzwolf BW-HL1 has a very premium looking build and I’m a little giddy when I say that few people even mistook it for Apple Watch. That should already tell you something about this smartwatch. Frankly, it does kinda look like the Apple Watch on a glance so I don’t blame them.
Similarly, it features a soft 20mm universal strap that is soft and easy on the hands. One of the unique features you get here is the mechanism to buckle up the strap into your hands.
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Unlike other watches, you don’t get a loop/band retainer here. Rather, there’s an additional hole in the strap, underneath which you pass on the excess strap after setting in the buckle tongue into one of the adjustment holes. Thus, you get a tighter and more secure fit.
Display
Moving on, the display is good, but not something that’ll blow your socks off. The 1.3-inch IPS LCD panel is fairly bright. Though I personally had no problem accessing the smartwatch in any situation including outdoors, I wish it was just a little brighter.
There are 6 levels of brightness you can choose from and I set my unit to the second-highest option. The 3 in-built watch faces are pretty attractive and equally informative too, but I wish they were customizable like in Xiaomi’s Mi Band 4.
Control
There’s a single touch key for control. I found it fairly easy to operate since it’s just:
Short press to toggle menus
Long press (1 – 1.5 seconds) to select the menu
I’m a long time Mi Band 3 user, which has swipe gestures for navigation. However, since the BW-HL1 features a single touch key mechanism, it can sometimes be annoying when you have to select a menu that you just passed. Gotta take another round trip through the menus to get there! Similarly, I compared the “Raise to Activate Screen” feature in both devices simultaneously. Here, I found that my Mi Band 3 was fairly easy to turn on while the BW-HL1 demanded a little more aggression when lifting the hand.
Battery
The 180 mAh battery fares well as advertised. According to the company, it can give you up to 15 days standby and 7 to 10 days of working time. In my case, I was prompted to charge my BW-HL1 in 10/12 days’ difference.
Health-tracking & Sensors
Now let me talk about its health-oriented features since the BW-HL1 has a handful of them. Sleep tracker, step counter, calorie counter, heart rate monitor are the standard ones that you’ll find in most of the fitness trackers or smartwatches. Additionally, it also has blood pressure and a blood oxygen monitor. Though they seem fairly accurate, I wouldn’t bet on it for absolute accuracy.
Talking about sensors, I’m a little on the fence about the pedometer. I found my BW-HL1 to overstate the number of steps I took. When directly comparing it with my Mi Band 3, its step counter would show approximately 10% higher value. This could very well be fixed with a firmware update but I’m yet to receive one in my days of using.
While on the topic of inconvenience, I would also like to point out that the touch key is fairly prone to accidental touches as well. The thing is, long-pressing the key on the home screen displays the Bluetooth name and the MAC address of the watch. And I constantly found my BW-HL1 going into the aforementioned screen, especially if I’m laying down under a blanket. When exposed to the softness of the blanket with a little pressure, it would register as a click. As a result, I would take off the smartwatch when going to sleep. I hope the company rolls out a firmware update with a fix since this is quite annoying.
Furthermore, the “Training” mode allows you to track your performance under 8 different sports, which includes walking, running, cycling, skipping, badminton, basketball, football, and swimming. I’m not much of a fitness freak so I didn’t bother diving deep into this feature.
Notifications
The notification reminder on the BW-HL1 is something to appreciate. You can get notifications for calls, messages, and a handful of social networking apps like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Skype, Instagram, etc. You can also receive notifications from other apps of your phone directly in the smartwatch.
Extras
Similarly, BW-HL1 also has a “Music control” feature. You can play/pause a song along with skipping tracks forward or backward. When connected, this feature works even if the phone is locked.
Another handy feature here is the “Remote Camera“. You can take pictures simply by long-pressing the “Shutter” menu. However, for this to work, you have to have your phone unlocked. To my dismay, I found out that you can’t trigger your phone’s camera app and this option only works with Blitzwolf’s in-built camera app. Thus, you are restricted from tweaking any camera settings when taking pictures via the smartwatch.
App
Finally, let’s get into BW-HL1’s companion app named “Da Fit“. It has a pretty basic UI and feels lacking in polish, but does the job nonetheless. The welcome screen shows all the basic data like steps, sleep, heart rate, blood pressure, etc. A slide to the right takes you to settings, which also displays the connection as well as the battery level. I wish I could check the battery level directly in the watch, but I have to meddle through the app to get that information.
Blitzwolf BW-HL1 Da Fit app
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Da Fit - Intro screen [1]
Da Fit - Intro screen [2]
Da Fit - Settings menu
Da Fit - Watch Faces menu
Da Fit - Notifications menu
Da Fit - Alarms menu
Da Fit - Others menu
Da Fit - Upgrade screen
Da Fit - My screen
Here, you can change the watch face, toggle notification options, launch the camera, set alarms, and tweak other settings of the watch. An additional slide to the right takes you to your profile. Here, you can view/edit your personal info that you’d previously entered. Similarly, you can also view/edit your goal for the number of steps to be taken on a day.
Conclusion
All in all, the Blitzwolf BW-HL1 is a banger of a smartwatch for its price. At just over $20, you can get a premium smartwatch experience. It has a decent weight to it as well and doesn’t feel like a cheap plastic toy, unlike the cheap Chinese knock-offs in the market. Battery life and brightness for outdoor usage are decent as well. The only complaints I have are the excess step counting and accidental touches, which should be fixed by a firmware update. Other than that, the BW-HL1 is an absolutely amazing value smartwatch and should be on the watchlist of every smartwatch enthusiast.
The gag-inducing TouchWiz and Samsung Experience have been gone for a while now. Samsung’s new and refreshing approach to its smartphones’ UI, dubbed the “One UI“, was a welcome change. Introducing streamlined ways of interaction with one’s smartphone and emphasizing ease of use with one hand, the One UI presented itself as a compelling selling point of Samsung’s latest smartphones.
Introduced in last year’s Galaxy S9 and Note 9 series of Samsung smartphones, One UI made it to the older generation of the company’s flagship devices as well. While the original One UI was a total overhaul to its earlier UI, the forthcoming One UI 2.0 (based on Android 10) will only come with smaller, quality-of-life changes, while embracing the principles of the latest Android Q (10).
The Samsung Android 10 One UI 2.0 update is already live in Germany, Panama, and South Korea for the Galaxy S10 series. However, from the looks of it, Samsung smartphone owners in other countries will have to wait a little longer until 2020 for the update. Samsung India has posted the Android 10 Update Roadmap on the “Samsung Members” platform. Let’s have a look.
Samsung One UI 2.0 (Android 10) Update Roadmap in Nepal
Like I said before, there won’t be any radical changes from the earlier versions to One UI 2.0. Mostly, there’ll be subtle upgrades to accessibility and usability, while simultaneously embracing the features of Android 10. Here are some of the most significant changes coming to One UI 2:
More Quick Settings items visible on the Notification panel, with the date and time size, minimized and shifted to the left.
When using other apps, the incoming call and volume toggle UI’s screen size has been further shortened.
Vivid moving icons with more vibrant hues
Systemwide “Dark Mode”
The camera app now categorizes multiple camera modes into a folder called “More”
New and redesigned “Device Care” option
So, did your device make the list? Comment down below!
Confusion, confusion and more of the same. Yup! Every time I decide that the time has come for me to replace my old accessories with a new one, all I’m met with is confusion.
Should I finally go for that product which will certainly empty my entire pocket? Or, get one from the same old range of shops near a certain shrine (you guys know what I’m talking about!), save money and settle for somewhat of lower quality. There’s no middle ground that I can choose from.
Well, not until now that is, because a certain OEM that goes by the name of Accurate has unveiled a host of “high-quality” mobile accessories at an affordable price. They have unveiled products such as Power-banks, Fast charger, neckbands, and many more, of seemingly high quality, at a very affordable price. You can find the details about its product right below.
Power-Banks:
Accurate I8 10000mAh POWERBANK:
Capacity: 3.7V/10000 (37Wh)
Input: 5V
Output: 5V/2.4
2 x input supporting micro USB and Type-C, 1 x USB output
Price: Rs. 1999
Accurate L10 10000mAh POWERBANK:
Capacity: 3.7V/10000 (37Wh)
Input: 5V
Output: 5V/2.4
2 x input supporting micro USB and Type-C, 2 x charging output
Price: Rs. 1999
Accurate X20 20000mAh POWERBANK:
Capacity: 3.7V/20000 (74Wh)
Input: 5V
Output: 5V/2.4
2 x input supporting micro USB and Type-C, 2 x charging output
Price: Rs. 2999
Accurate X11 10000mAh POWERBANK:
Capacity: 3.7V/10000 (37Wh)
Input: 5V
Output: 5V/2.1, Fast Charging
2 x input supporting micro USB and Type-C, 1 x USB output
Price: Rs. 1499
Chargers:
Accurate AC-01 Apple Fast Charger
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
appropriate for Apple Products, 2A
Price: Rs. 899
Accurate AC-02 Micro USB Fast Charger 2.4
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
2.4A Quick Charger
Price: Rs. 599
Accurate AC-03 Micro USB Fast Charger 2.0
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
2.0A Quick Charger
Price: Rs. 399
Accurate AC-04 Type-C Fast Charger 3.0
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
3.0A Qualcomm Quick Charger
Price: Rs. 799
Accurate AC-05 Micro USB Fast Charger 3.0
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
3.0A Qualcomm Quick Charger
Price: Rs. 799
Accurate AC-07 2 in 1 USB Charger
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
2.1A Quick Charger
Price: Rs. 825
Accurate AC-06 USB Fast Charger
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
2.1A Charging output
Price: Rs. 350
Accurate AC-05 Type-C Fast Charger 3.0
USB Port: 1
Cable length: 100 cm
3.0A Qualcomm Quick Charger
Price: Rs. 799
Data Cables:
Accurate AK-1 Micro USB Fast Charging Cable 3.0
Fast Charging 3A data Cable
100 cm
Price: Rs. 299
Accurate AK-1 Type-C Fast Charging Cable 3.0
Fast Charging 3A data Cable
100 cm
Price: Rs. 324
Accurate AK-1 IOS Fast Charging Cable 3.0
Fast Charging 3A data Cable
100 cm
Price: Rs. 349
Accurate AK-2 IOS Fast Charging Cable 3.0
Fast Charging 3A data Cable
100 cm
Price: Rs. 349
Accurate AK-2 Type-C Fast Charging Cable 3.0
Fast Charging 3A data Cable
100 cm
Price: Rs. 324
Accurate AK-2 Micro USB Fast Charging Cable 3.0
Fast Charging 3A data Cable
100 cm
Price: Rs. 299
Headphones:
Accurate Al-36 Bluetooth Neck Band Headphones
HD stereo sound with super bass on middle and high pitch
Innovative Magnetic Earbuds
Bluetooth Version: 4.2
Bluetooth Distance: 10 meters / 33 ft
Talk Time: 8-10 hours, Music Time: 8-10 hours
Charging Time: 2-3 hours
Speaker Unit: 10mm high fidelity
Price: Rs. 2000
Accurate AE-02 YS Universal 3.5mm Earphone
Stereo Sound Earphone With 3.5mmJack
130cm length
Noise Cancelling
Price: Rs. 299
Accurate AE-04 Universal 3.5mm Earphone
Super Bass Perfect Sound Track Earphone
3.5mmJack
120cm length, Noise Cancelling
Price: Rs. 199
Accurate AE-05 Earpods with 3.5mm Headphone Plug Call Answering
3.5 mm Jack Connection
HD Sound Quality
White Soft Rubber Support FM Antenna, Earbud (In Ear) – Volume Control and Mic – Fit Design: In-Ear only
10mm Speaker Size, 130cm Cable Length
Price: Rs. 550
Accurate AE-01 Earphone
3.5mm Jack
Stereo Full Bass Sound, Built-in Mic
Price: Rs.325
Accurate AE-03 Earphone
3.5mm Jack
Circular Earbuds, Unique in-ear design With Call Answer/End/Mute And Volume Button
Price: Rs. 375
If they do deliver what the have claimed then they certainly will hit the right note in the market. Because in all honesty, we really do not have much to choose from in the market when it comes to finding the perfect balance between quality and price of mobile accessories. Furthermore, there’s even been talks about them launching other gadgets such as smartwatches in the near future. Hopefully, we’ll get to see more from them in the future.
So, when it comes to gaming laptops, you either get an intel-Nvidia combo or a complete AMD setup. However, ASUS is one of the few companies that is actually pushing for something different on that front. With its TUF FX505 series, Asus is offering an attractive combination of a Ryzen processor with the Nvidia graphics. The FX505 series comes in three different variants — the FX505 DD, FX 505 DT, and FX 505 DU. The one that I’ve been using for the past couple of weeks is the ASUS TUF FX505 DD model.Specs-wise, this one falls on the lower end with AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and the GTX 1050 graphics card. If you want more power, you can get the top-of-the-line FX505DU with Ryzen 7 and GTX 1660Ti.
On a different note, we all know AMD has made quite a progress with their Ryzen processor for the desktop, but I actually don’t know how these mobile chipsets from AMD perform. So, like after ages, I was genuinely really excited to test this device. So, without further ado, let’s begin with the review of ASUS TUF FX505 DD.
Graphic: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM
RAM: 16GB DDR4 2400MHz
Storage:256GB PCIe Gen3 SSD
WebCam: HD 720p CMOS module
Wi-Fi: Integrated Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac)
Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.0
Battery: 3-Cell 48 Wh Battery
Dimensions: 360.4 x 262.0 x 25.8 ~26.8 mm (WxDxH)
Weight: 2.2 kg ~ 2.3 kg
DESIGN
Starting off with the design, for the most part, the FX505’s design is similar to the last year’s FX504. Just cut the side bezels of the 504 chassis a tad bit and there you have it, the end result is the FX505.
On the lid, you can see that converging speed lines are now part of the design with the ASUS logo in the middle. It has an all-plastic built and that certainly gives away that this device is, in fact, a budget laptop.
However, despite having a plastic built, the laptop feels sturdy and durable. And why not, the TUF moniker does not come without some durability test. And this one has gone through the military-grade MIL-STD-810G certification. This certification ensures that the device can withstand high altitudes, radiation, and a few knocks. So be assured that the laptop is robust enough for the long run.
Now, talking about its relative size, I felt that it falls somewhere in the middle. It is not super slim as the ROG Zephyrus series nor is it bulky like the usual gaming laptops that we are used to seeing. And with a weight of 2.2kg, it would be safe to say that it will not be much of a hassle for you to carry this laptop around every day.
You get a sole combo audio jack, a Type-A USB 2.0, two Type-A USB 3.1 (gen1), an RJ45 LAN port, an HDMI port, and a charging port. And all these interface ports are located on the left-hand side. I felt it was a convenient location to place all the ports as you don’t get confused about which sides have what ports. However, on the downside, having all the ports on the same side might lead to a few tangled wires.
Talking about the placement of fans, a major concern for any gamer or for that matter any gaming laptop, the TUF FX505DD has two rear-facing vents. Their performance can be controlled through the function buttons and you can either choose silent, performance or the turbo option.
Further down the line on both sides, you get 2W Stereo Speakers aligned at 45 degrees. And its performance as expected with a gaming laptop is okayish. You get decent sound quality with enough clarity; however, you’d certainly want to use a headphone for better experience while gaming.
Now, inside, the 15.6-inch screen offers an immersive display with thin bezels surrounding the screen. ASUS las labeled it as “Nano Edge display”. That’s because the bezels are really really thin-6.5mm to be exact. However, the top bezel is thicker in comparison. And that’s because it houses an HD 720p webcam right at the center.
The other half of the device houses a full-size keyboard with single-zone RGB lighting. However, the WSAD keys do have a special mention here as those keys are transparent, highlighting their importance.
With the Aura Sync technology option, you can actually sync compatible games and music with the RGB keyboard. You can access this option via the armory crate and tweak the lighting of the keyboard as per your preference.
While pressing the keys you get a satisfying soft tap sound which yields a quick response. Thus, typing with this keyboard really feels great. And talking about the trackpad, it is a smooth one with no physical keys, not my favorite though!
The other thing that I liked with the design is the placement of led indicators for charging, battery and stuff. It is placed above the power button and is visible even with the lid closed. I’m certain that it’ll come handy for many out there.
So, Overall, I felt that even though it is a budget gaming laptop, its design does not disappoint you. Rather, it fits perfectly everywhere. It is not that shiny or extravagant that you’ll feel out of place while taking this to your office. And the inclusion of the stylized keyboard will get you going with your gaming groove. So, design-wise, for the price, it’s a good offering from Asus.
DISPLAY
Talking about the display, the FX505DD has a 15.6-inch LED-backlit screen. It has an FHD resolution with 1920 x 1080 pixels and offers a 60Hz refresh rate. And unlike those budget laptops with TN panel, this one has an Anti-glare IPS-level Panel. So, the display is not compromised in this one.
However, having said that, its display is not something that will leave you mesmerized. Nevertheless, its good contrast ratio and above-average brightness will suffice for your daily needs.
Maybe it’s a budget factor is what contributes to a mere color space coverage of only 60% of sRGB. Now, most expensive gaming laptops these days have around 90% sRGB coverage. So, don’t expect a very deep and accurate color with this one. Still, this limited color space will not hinder the gaming experience so much.
The other thing that did not sit well with me regarding its display was its outdoor visibility. It turns very dim when used outdoor. Then again it is a gaming laptop and you’ll mostly use it for playing games while plugged in. Viewing angles are great though. And that is what we can always expect from an IPS panel.
PERFORMANCE
Under the hood, the FX 505DD has an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H processor with 8 cores clocked at 2.1GHz. It basically is comparable with intel’s Core i5 8300H and core i7-7700HQ. And despite this AMD processor running at a lower TDP than its intel counterpart, it can still compete with them.
As for the memory, you have 8GB DDR4 RAM. There’s also a vacant slot for expansion. The Gen 3 SSD here offers a fairly decent sequential read and write speed. So, not the quickest out there but still workable.
And for graphics, it offers the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM. So, this combination of the Ryzen 5 CPU and NVIDIA graphics is something that I was actually quite excited to put to test. But, after using it as my daily driver for almost 2 weeks now, it left me wanting a tad bit more.
Don’t get me wrong, the Ryzen 5 is excellent for your normal usage like surfing the web or watching movies. But that is not why one buys a gaming laptop. People buy it to play games on, and on that front, the end result still gave me a feeling that it could have been a lot better.
I played Apex legends on this one and the fps that I got was around 32 in high settings. Now, this high setting means that the device is already punching above its weight as it requires 4GB VRAM and this one’s only got 3GB. In a medium setting, the recommended one, you get around 40 fps, which despite not being that grate is still acceptable. For casual gamers or even those who are sort of veterans, I guess this should be enough. And as usual, you can always tweak the visual settings here and there in order to get high frame rates in middle-tier games.
Another game that I tried was Battlefield 5. I know it is a triple-A title and the result was as expected. A laggy-bumpy ride around WWII war zone which is guess is best not to venture out to. The 40 fps on the minimum setting were quite surprising however if you switch to ultra, the fps drastically decreases to around 20-25.
Thus, suffice to say, the FX 505DD is simply not built to push beyond what its price limits it to. All the while I was playing games, I switched my fan to the turbo mode. This mode through appropriate resource allocation helps you boost the performance. But it does come at a huge cost of the loud whirling noise. So, this is something you should certainly look out for.
BATTERY
Now moving on to the battery, this device is powered by a 48Watt hour Polymer Battery. And I have to say the battery life isn’t good. On normal web browsing, I got around 3 hours of battery with brightness set to 50%. And while watching movies it dropped drastically to 1 and half hours.
Now, I know that this laptop is meant for gaming and while doing so you’d obviously stay connected with the plug. Still, the average backup that it gave seemed subpar to me. The charging adaptor is slimmer in comparison with those of other gaming laptops. So carrying it alongside the laptop is not a hassle.
VERDICT
So, to buy or not to buy, that is the question. At the price tag of NRs. 95, 000 or around 700 dollars internationally, the FX 505DD is certainly an enticing entry-level gaming laptop. And add to that the unique AMD-NVIDIA combo, this is one laptop I do see myself reaching out for.
I know that its hardware is not built to run Triple-A titles on high settings but then again, I am not one of those hardcore gamers. But from my experience with this laptop, I would recommend it for those looking to move out of their current setting for a gaming laptop at a reasonable price, go for it.
