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Realme 3 Pro and Realme C2 Launched – Head to head with the Redmi series?

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Realme 3 Pro and Realme C2 Launched – Head to head with the Redmi series?

With all the smartphone brands gearing up and launching their phones for the year, it’s now Realme’s turn. The year-old company has played its card – launched two phones, both of which, are a successor to last year’s devices. It’s the Realme 3 Pro and the Realme C2, successors to the Realme 2 Pro and the Realme C1. So, you can tell, the C2 is a budget option while the Realme 3 Pro is more mid-range.

Realme C2 Overview

The Realme C2, as expected comes with a plastic body and a design that’s all too generic. It doesn’t look like there have been many improvements in the design front. The Realme C2 features a 6.1″ IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution. That is to be expected of a budget phone, however.

realme c2

Camera wise, you get a dual camera setup of 13 MP and a 2 MP depth sensor. As for selfies, there is a 5 MP unit on the water-drop notch up front. Also, this phone runs on the Helio P22 as compared to last year’s Snapdragon 450. That does mean a slightly improved performance on paper, but let’s see how it fares, though. Storage wise, there are 2 variants. The base model comes with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage, whereas, another variant has a 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage. But if the storage is not enough, they are expandable via microSD card slot.

As for the battery, strangely, this phone sees a downgrade. The Realme C2 has a 4000 mAh, compared to 4230 mAh on the C1. And being a budget phone, I don’t expect it to have any kind of Fast Charging. It runs on ColorsOS 6 based on Android Pie and is priced at $86 (INR.6000) for the base model whereas the 3 / 32 GB variant costs $115 (INR.8000).

Realme C2 Specifications:

  • Display: 6.1″ IPS LCD panel with HD+ resolution (720 x 1560 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Rear Camera: Dual, 13 MP Primary with f/2.2 aperture and PDAF + 2 MP depth sensor
  • Front Camera: Single, 5 MP
  • Processor: 2 GHz Octa-core Helio P22
  • GPU: PowerVR GE8320
  • RAM: 2 GB / 3 GB
  • Storage: 16 GB / 32 GB, expandable up to 256 GB via dedicated microSD card
  • Battery: 4000 mAh
  • OS: Android 9.0 Pie, ColorsOS 6 on top

Realme 3 Pro Overview

This mid ranger packs no surprises as most of what it features were already on the rumors list. So, this one too has a plastic body just like its predecessor. However, the display has a Gorilla Glass 5 protection, which is an upgrade.

realme 3 pro

The display is 6.3″ Full HD+ IPS LCD panel. You still have the water-drop notch on it that houses the selfie camera. No surprises there! As for the cameras, you have a dual camera set up at the back. The setup comprises of a 16 MP primary camera along with a 5 MP depth sensor. But since it uses no pixel binning, maybe the image quality will be as good as that on the Redmi Note 7 Pro, if not better. The selfie camera, here, is a good 25 MP.

In addition, this phone runs on the Snapdragon 710, which is slightly superior to the Redmi Note 7 Pro‘s Snapdragon 675. With 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage on the higher-end variant, this might very well go head to head with the Redmi Note 7 Pro. As for the battery, there is a 4000 mAh unit along with a VOOC 3.0 Fast Charging, but still microUSB.

This phone is priced at INR.14000 ($200) for the 4 / 64 GB variant and INR.17000 ($244). Both the phones have launched in India only, for now.

Realme 3 Pro Specifications:

  • Display: 6.3″ IPS LCD panel with Full-HD+ resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 5
  • Rear Camera: Dual, 16 MP Primary with f/1.7 aperture and PDAF + 5 MP depth sensor
  • Front Camera: Single, 25 MP
  • Processor: Octa-core Snapdragon 710
  • GPU: PowerVR GE8320
  • RAM: 4 GB / 6 GB
  • Storage: 64 GB / 128 GB, expandable up to 256 GB via dedicated microSD card
  • Battery: 4000 mAh
  • OS: Android 9.0 Pie, ColorsOS 6 on top

These phones are, for now, only available in India. The global launch is not known for now. As for Nepal availability, you will have to wait. There are rumors regarding the change in distributors of the Realme brand in Nepal. And so, we might have to wait for some time. All we can say is that the Realme 3 Pro will make it to Nepal, but it is not certain as to when.

Samsung Galaxy S10e Review – Size matters not!

GadgetByte
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Samsung Galaxy S10e Review – Size matters not!

With smartphone companies focusing on getting large display experiences, I almost forgot what it was like to hold something that fitted snugly in my hands. Enter the Samsung Galaxy S10e! A phone that is just the right size, cuts just the right corners and does ALMOST everything right. Now, this is a semi-flagship phone, and it’s a nice concept to provide users a flagship experience for a not-so-flagship kind of money. And why should you choose this over the other larger variants of the Galaxy S10 series? Let’s talk about it.

Samsung Galaxy S10e Specifications:

  • Design: Glass body, aluminum frame (Gorilla Glass 5 front & back), IP68 Water & Dust Resistance
  • Display: 5.8″ Dynamic AMOLED with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2280 pixels), 19:9 aspect ratio, 438 PPI pixel density
  • Rear Camera: Dual, 12 MP Primary lens with variable aperture (f/1.5 – f/2.4) and dual pixel PDAF & OIS + 16 MP Ultrawide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture
  • Front Camera: Single, 10 MP lens with f/1.9 aperture
  • Processor: Octa-core Exynos 9820 (8 nm)
  • GPU: Mali-G76 MP12
  • RAM: 6 GB
  • Storage: 128 GB internal, expandable up to 512 GB
  • OS: One UI based on Android Pie
  • Battery: 3100 mAh, 15-Watt Adaptive Fast Charging, Reverse Wireless Charging
  • Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
  • Colors: Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue
  • Price: $750 (international), Rs.73,9999 (offer price)

Design

I’ll start by talking about what I liked the most – its compact size, nifty design, and how perfectly it fits in my hand. Its small size is, surprisingly, one of its major attractive features. I don’t have anything against a big screen experience, but you need to hold it to believe it. It’s super manageable in the hand, yet doesn’t skimp on power!

Curved edges surround the phone, but it doesn’t have tapered sides of the more expensive Galaxy S10 models. Nevertheless, the flat screen works really well – if anything, I didn’t even feel its absence. With a Gorilla Glass 5 both front and back, the phone does look premium, but Samsung chose to go with a Gorilla Glass 5 instead of the 6 like on the larger S10 variants. I wonder how much money they saved with it…

Anyways, the power button on the right embeds a fingerprint scanner as well. It’s another cut-back, but no complaints. It’s faster than the in-display scanners, anyway. You still get the 3.5 mm headphone jack, and there are dual speakers on this thing – one at the bottom, and another one on the earpiece. And together, they make for some good stereo-like audio experience.

Overall, I think the best part about this phone is its form factor while still packing the power.

Display

However, having a smaller size also makes for a smaller display. The Samsung Galaxy S10e features a 5.8” Dynamic AMOLED punch-hole display. There are some bezels around the sides and a chin, but they’re not all that intrusive. If you’re coming from older Galaxy devices, then, it won’t even matter.

samsung galaxy s10e display

The display clocks at Full-HD+ resolution, not QHD like the bigger variants. But I feel like QHD is not even necessary. Yes, they do give you some wonderful experience, but all content is not QHD. Plus, it eats up your battery. I even set the display on the Galaxy S10 to Full HD+. So, for this small device such as this, a Full HD+ is more than enough. The Dynamic AMOLED does a great job with colors. Colors are vibrant, and the amount of details are great. Plus, having a smaller display makes for crispier pixel density! Samsung is on top of their game in displays, and it shows. Plus, it supports HDR 10+, meaning that you can watch selected contents with a wider dynamic range.

samsung galaxy s10e display punch-hole

The small punch-hole is also not very intrusive, and won’t affect your viewing experience all that much. With clever wallpapers, you can easily hide it. And most times, you won’t even notice it’s there!

Camera

As for the cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S10e packs a dual camera set up at the back – a 12 MP primary lens with variable apertures, and a 16 MP ultrawide-angle lens. These are the same lens as on the larger S10 variants, so, no compromises here either.

samsung galaxy s10e rear camera

And the photos look wonderful. In bright light, the camera performance is as expected: sharp, packing a lot of details, excellent dynamic range and noise-less. Colors are pretty accurate, too, and most of them feel true to life. There is a slightly warm tone on the images, that looks pleasing to the eyes, though.

With the Scene Optimizer on, images look a little more vibrant. Some colors look juicier, while others can look a bit too overboard. As it is with these AI image enhancements, you have to use it only when necessary.

The ultrawide-angle camera is a fun one – to say the least. You can capture panoramic scenes and get more in your frames, and this is the one to use when it comes to capturing sceneries or group photos. The image quality on this one is also as good as ultra-wide-angle lenses can get. Images from this one have good dynamic range and color reproduction, and to me, they didn’t look very different from the primary lens in terms of color accuracy. Also, the software deals with the fish-eye effect quite nicely.

Now, the main competitor of the S10e is the Huawei P30 for now – and the advantage the P30 has over this is a dedicated “Night mode” which this one doesn’t have…apart from the extra telephoto lens, of course. samsung galaxy s10e vs huawei p30

However, there is a sub-menu under Scene Optimizer which lets you take images even in extreme low-light conditions. The S10e might get a Night Mode in later updates, but until then, what it has is not as good as a dedicated Night mode on the P30. We’ll compare the P30 and S10e some as well soon, so stay tuned for that!

Samsung’s Live Focus is what makes for the portrait mode. And normal portrait images are as good as portraits go. The subject is detailed and edge detection works most times. There are also a few bokeh effects like Zoom, Spiral, and Monochrome. While I used the Zoom and Spiral effects very less, I liked the Monochrome a bit more. But its edge-detection needs some polishing. The good thing about its portraits is you can change the blur level and background effects after clicking the pictures as well.

The 10 MP selfie camera on the Samsung Galaxy S10e, mostly, does a good job too. samsung galaxy s10e front camera

Selfies are detailed and the skin tone looks almost natural. Facial features are well preserved, and the portrait selfies do a great job too, considering, there is no dedicated depth sensor. You also have a wide-angle option on the selfie camera which increases the field of view slightly. But without a dedicated sensor for it, I think this is just the regular camera with two different FOVs. Low light selfies are no use at all!

This phone is packing the same lens as the other S10, but I couldn’t get it to record 4K video on it as others claim. There is Full HD+ video with a full-fledged OIS at work, it does a great job of stabilizing! You also get the Super Steady mode, which uses the ultra-wide lens and captures a 1080p video, which is super smooth, but there’s no auto-focus in it.

So, in terms of cameras, Samsung delivers. But there are some aspects in which it needs work.

Performance

Moving underneath its skin, it packs the same Exynos 9820 chip as on the other variants. Even though the Samsung Galaxy S10e is small, it does not compromise on power. And coupled with 6 GB RAM, there’s nothing it can’t handle. I don’t even think I need to talk a lot about it…everything is solid!

Here are the benchmark scores:

  • Geekbench 4:
    • Single-Core: 4378
    • Multi-core: 9813
    • Compute: 10164
  • AnTuTu:
    • 325888
  • 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme
    • OpenGL ES 3.1: 4397
    • Vulka: 4270
  • PC Mark
    • Work Performance 2.0: 7858
  • AndroBench
    • Sequential Read: 787.02 MB/s
    • Sequential Write: 194.06 MB/s

Gaming on it is a breeze, too! I played PUBG before it was banned, sadly. It ran on the highest of settings available, at HDR and Ultra frame rates, and there were no lags or stutters of any kind. The game-play is so smooth, that it makes you want not to stop playing at all. Other games like Asphalt 9 are also super smooth.

But one thing that got me concerned is the heating issues. There were instances it heated up while charging and gaming. Maybe it is to be expected of a powerful phone of such size, but sometimes, it also heated up when it was just lying idly in my pocket! I wouldn’t be so concerned if not for the Galaxy Note 7 Battery Gate! If you’ve faced any such issues, let us know too.

Software and UI

samsung galaxy s10e software

You know what else is hot, though? It’s Samsung’s One UI. Based on Android Pie, this OS is a lot better than previous Samsung Experience UI. It is more user-friendly, too, and just easier to do stuff with. Some settings have changed headings, but you can easily find them with the search option.

It really makes one-handed usage easier, too. You can simply swipe up or down anywhere on the screen to pull up the app drawer. You also get the sidebar for the shortcut to some apps.  There’s also a lot of customizations available. Plus, the gestures are a lot easier to use… They’re just revampings of Samsung’s on-screen buttons, actually, but that makes it all the better

Battery

This part of the Samsung Galaxy S10e, however, is the deal breaker! The battery. It has a 3100 mAh battery, which, to be honest, is not enough. It is barely enough to last you through the day, and you will be looking for your charger by the end of the day.

Plus, you get no LED notification lights, so, you kind of have to keep the Always-On display on. And that chugs your battery even more. Now I get that the small size cannot accommodate a very large battery, but maybe just a teeny increment? I mean, this is basically a powerhouse in chains!

It does have fast charging, though. But with the 15-Watt Adaptive charging, even this small battery takes about 1 hour and 35 minutes to fill up…which is not very impressive is it? Anyways, if you don’t mind carrying your charger around, and are not too much of a heavy user, this might not bother you.

Conclusion

Okay, what to make of the Samsung Galaxy S10e? Besides the battery, everything on this phone seems stellar, or close! And all I can say about this phone is that size doesn’t matter! All that you want – the latest of hardware, top quality display, stellar cameras are packed in this small but premium and snug body. And if you can get all of that in such a comfortable size, do you really need to go big that won’t even fit in your pocket?

samsung galaxy s10 series

And that brings me to another question – with flagships getting bigger and more expensive, are these semi-flagship phones starting to make more sense? I mean, if you look at Huawei P30 Pro and P30, the latter packs much of the same stuff in a smaller and more affordable body as well. And it seems to me that these are the better value for money devices.

Moreover, this phone is really an answer to the iPhone XR, and while the XR may beat it in performance, the S10e leaves the XR in the water, in other aspects. Top of the line AMOLED displays and 2 cameras are enough to make a gap between those two devices. However, there are other phones like the Xiaomi Mi 9 with similar hardware, AMOLED display, and similar camera for a much lesser price. And probably the OnePlus 7 will surely be a better value for money.

But would I recommend this? For a difference of $150 in price with the S10, it has its fair share of compromises. One less camera, small battery and a slightly lesser build. But while I think the S10 is a great phone, you won’t go wrong with this $750 semi-flagship phone either. Especially, when you get great offers on it in Nepal!

Pros:

  • Nice compact design
  • Good build quality
  • Stellar Performance
  • Highly optimized UI

Cons:

  • Poor battery life
  • Price could have been better

Vivo V15 receives a price drop – Keeping it fresh

GadgetByte
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Vivo V15 receives a price drop – Keeping it fresh

Vivo V15, the company’s crowned jewel just received a price cut of Rs 3,200 in Nepal. Now, that might not sound a lot but consider it’s targeted audience and it’s competition, this should help bump its sales. Plus, price drops are never a bad thing, I mean have you heard someone complain about it? Sure, apart from the owners of the said device, but, well, you can’t keep everyone happy.

Also Read: Vivo V15 review: Overshadowed by the better sibling

Vivo V15 Overview

With the Vivo V15, you are getting some good hardware, backup by the motorized selfie cam implementation. To quote our own review “Except for the UI, I have no complaints what so ever”, followed by the fact that it was a bit overpriced. But now, well you have one more reason to opt for it. Especially if you were torn between the Pro version or this one.|

vivo v15 popup selfie

So, for a new price of Rs 41,990, this phone seems like a better deal, more so for Vivo fans. Now consider the 5% sales discount and you should end up paying just under Rs 40k. As for its competitors, the Huawei P30 lite costs less and provides a similar hardware setup. But for all you pop-up selfie camera lovers or just that full uninterrupted display, you guys can rejoice.

Specifications:

  • Display: 6.53-inch Full HD+; 91.64% screen to body ratio; Corning Gorilla Glass 5
  • CPU: Octa-core MediaTek Helio P70
  • RAM: 6GB
  • Storage: 128GB; Dedicated SD card slot for memory expansion up to 256GB
  • OS: Android 9 (Pie) with FunTouch OS 9 on the top
  • Rear Camera: Triple camera – 12MP primary with f/1.78 +  8MP Ultra-wide-angle with f/2.2 aperture + 5MP depth sensor with f/2.4; LED flash
  • Front Camera: 32 MP pop-up selfie camera
  • Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
  • Battery: 4,000 mAh with dual engine fast charging technology
  • Colors: Topaz Blue, Ruby Red

Vivo V15 Price in Nepal [Updated 2020] 

Vivo V15 was launched in Nepal at a price of Rs. 45,190. However, Vivo is offering the V15 in Nepal for Rs. 41,990 for a limited period. This new price of Vivo V15 is for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Model Name Old Price  New Price
Vivo V15 (6/128GB) Rs. 45,190 Rs. 41,990

Nepal’s space dream is finally true but there is still a lot to be done

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Nepal’s space dream is finally true but there is still a lot to be done

On Thursday morning, at 2:31 AM NST, as a lot of Nepali people were in their deep sleep, an Antares rocket carrying a lot of cargo launched up into space. This spacecraft holds a special Nepali dream as it is carrying Nepal’s first ever satellite – NepaliSat-1.

The nano-satellite went up into space from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, USA. It will reach the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday.

A nano-satellite is a satellite that weighs somewhere between 1 kg to 10 kg. NepaliSat-1 has a weight of 1.3 kg and is cube-shaped. Scientists hold plans to release the satellite into the lower orbit of ISS in the second week of June.

NepaliSat-1 has been developed by two Nepali scientists, Hariram Shrestha, and Aabhas Maskey, under the investment of Nepali Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), and the help of other scientists. This tech was developed under the BIRDS project of Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology. The BIRDS project is its collaboration with the United Nations. It basically holds the objective of helping various countries develop and launch their first satellite.

In his tweet, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli was quick to praise the scientists and institutions that were involved in the feat.

The cargo spacecraft is also carrying satellites made by Japanese and Sri Lankan scientists along with supplies and gears for the crew residing in the ISS.

NepaliSat-1 has been built mainly for two major sectors among others – Remote Sensing, and Communication. With the help of a multispectral camera, the remote sensing system will capture photos in RGB color from 400 km away. Likewise, for communication, it will gather data related to Nepal’s temperature, water level, soil, humidity, and SOS. The collected data will be sent to NAST’s Ground Station which is currently under construction.

Talking to the BBC Nepali Service, Aabhas Maskey said, “This has been possible due to the investment from the Nepal Government. We still face the challenge of running a satellite for a longer period of time. This is our first step.

He also added that there is still a lot of work to be done to make huge strides in the satellite technology for Nepal.

Since it’s a nano-satellite, NepaliSat-1 won’t remain in the space for long. Maskey has predicted it to stay in space for 3 months to a year.

For Nepal to actually run a satellite that actually stays in the space for a long period of time, investment from all sectors is necessary. The government should also work to produce a workforce meant for the purpose. There also is a necessity of building the essential science an technology to run and make satellites from Nepal itself.

Vivo V15 review: Overshadowed by the better sibling

Pratima Adhikari
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Vivo V15 review: Overshadowed by the better sibling

The pop-up selfie camera is quite on trend. The technology debuted last year on the flagship Vivo Nex. With pop-up selfie camera on the board, the phone lacks any sort of bezels, notches or hole punch cutouts. And such type of An immersive display definitely looks attractive. However, the phone didn’t land in Nepal. So we were unable to feel the tech and test the device. But recently, Vivo launched the mid-range phone with an elevating selfie camera. When it launched it was one of the very first phones in Nepal with such type of feature. The elevating selfie camera definitely looks fancy. But other than that, what does the phone packs inside. And how does it fares in real-life use? Let’s find out in this Vivo V15 review.

Vivo V15 Specifications:

  • Display: 6.53 inches IPS LCD screen with FHD+ resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio
  • Platform: Android 9.0 Pie with Funtouch 9
  • CPU: MediaTek Helio P70
  • Back camera: 12 MP f/1.8 + 8 MP f/2.2 (13 mm ultra-wide sensor), 5 MP f/2.4 depth sensor
  • Front camera: 32MP motorized pop-up camera
  • Video: 1080p@30 fps, 2160@30 fps
  • RAM: 6 GB RAM
  • ROM: 128 GB; expandable up to 256 GB (dedicated slot)
  • Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery, Micro USB with Dual-engine fast charging
  • Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass, gyro
  • SIM (s): Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
  • Connections: Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, and hotspot
  • Colors: Topaz Blue, Glamour Red
  • Price: Rs. 45,190 41,990 (new price)

Design

As usual, let’s start with the design. The design is more or less like the Vivo V15 Pro, except for a fingerprint sensor at the rear side. You get a vertical camera setup tucked neatly inside a black surface that creates a noticeable bump while placed on a plane surface.

Vivo V15 price in nepal

By looks, this gradient Blue color seems good to the eyes but the phone does feel very heavy on the hands. However, the weight seems evenly distributed in all parts, so the phone does not feel hollow.

The device comes pre-attached with a screen protector, it is not noticeable though. This is a very nice touch because there are many people out there, who do not like putting a tempered glass on the phones’ screens.

vivo v15 buttons

However, the buttons are not tactile enough to my liking. And talking about buttons, you also get a dedicated button for Google assistant that comes handy only when you get used to it. But, you don’t have any option to remap to other apps.

And just above it, you have the SIM slots alongside a dedicated Micro SD card slot.

The material on this one looks like Glass, but this is plastic, unfortunately. The problem with glass looking plastic backs is they tend to start pigmenting even when you use it with covers. On the brighter side, this is something Vivo can take as feedback and get it right the next time.

Display

Upfront, you have a 6.53-inches IPS LCD display that looks quite good. Of course, when you place it beside the Super AMOLED display of the Vivo V15 pro, you can spot the difference right away. But for the display this one is, we can’t call it bad. Outdoor too it fares quite well and you get quite the brightness. There are minimum bezels around the screen except for the chin.

vivo v15 display

But then again, the company has put in a lot of efforts in making this screen look like it’s bezel-less however, if the chin would have been a little smaller, the display would look even better.

And if you ask me about the quality of the display, as I said earlier, I would say it’s nothing to complain about. You get a vibrant one here and it’s large, so watching movies or playing games has been quite an experience. And while playing PUBG you get enough space for you to rest your fingers without obstructing the game. Viewing angles are great and you will love the display overall.

Camera

It’s a Vivo smartphone we are talking about, so explaining about the cameras in detail is a must. The phone has a 12 MP primary camera, an 8 MP secondary Ultra-wide-angle lens followed by a 5 MP depth sensor. And as the specs go, the images follow the similar performance. They look good and have good color reproduction if not the most accurate.

But one thing I have noticed having used the ‘Pro version’ too is that because it uses pixel binning to give 12MP shots, the pictures are much much better on the higher end variant.

Back to talking about the V15’s cameras, the pictures are bright and vibrant, no doubts on that, but when you zoom in, the details are just average. But in the perfect light, you can get some dope pictures.

The ultra-wide-angle lens is something you can brag about in this smartphone. Sometimes the wide-angle shots have better colors than the normal ones, which was surprising but its a welcome feature. And I also compared some of those wide-angle shots with the Galaxy A50 and found the V15’s camera to have better details and colors. So, the secondary lens does justice to the cameras.

The third Depth sensor is average in performance though! It misses out on edge detection part most of the times and although the different portrait lighting effects seem fun, they have been inconsistent on my use.

A perfect example of this is the Monochrome effect which has only worked like 2 times on my use, other times it has failed to deliver! And other than the rainbow effect, there is no particular difference between other options, except for some changes in the skin tone.

Having said that you have options to adjust the background blur after taking pictures like the Vivo V11 and even the V9, so nothing head-turning here as well.

The pictures in artificial lighting turn out good. They look nice to the eyes and have good details. There is also a dedicated night mode here that uses a long exposure, which works to preserve some details but nothing to go on about. Normal nighttime pictures have grains to them and look no good.

Selfies appear nice from the 32MP pop-up camera. It is very fancy taking selfies in public because people look at the phone and make a perplexed expression looking at the alleviating camera which has been fun for me.

The selfies are bright and colorful and on par with what we expect from a Vivo smartphone. I would not say that the skin tone is the most natural, but they do not look bad if you ask me.

There’s the infamous beauty mode too which is aggressive only if set to the highest numbers. Other times, if you get almost natural looking selfies. And as mentioned in the impressions video, there are tons of photoshop features in this one, which may come to the liking for many people.

There are portrait selfie features too, just like the main camera and the pictures look beautified to some extent, not sure why and how but I am pretty sure I turned off the beauty mode while taking those selfies.

I have also compared the selfies of the A50 and V15 and while the details are preserved well in the V15, the A50 has a much natural looking color.

For high-res images, Click Here.

Performance

Okay, let’s go to the performance side of things. This phone uses the Helio P70 and 6GB RAM to power itself and does a pretty good job. It is definitely an upgrade over last year. The same chipset is also there on the OPPO F11 Pro and it’s going to be an interesting battle as to which phone has optimized it better.

On to real life performance, with this one you can play PUBG on medium settings in HD in high frame rate settings pretty smoothly. There are minor stutters and slight drops in frame rated that will go unnoticed. Plus, the display is large and the control buttons don’t obstruct your gaming experience.

Normal to even heavy tasks run well but messenger on top of heavy games makes the phone panic sometimes. Other than that, multitasking has been smooth, app opening is fast and switching in between apps is fairly smooth.

Vivo V15 Benchmarks

  • AnTuTu v7: 143,452
    • CPU: 61967, GPU: 33668, UX: 37715, Memory: 10102
  • AndroBench:
    • Sequential Read: 307.35 MB/s, Sequential Write: 179.11 MB/s
  • Geekbench 4
    • Single-core: 1542, Multi-core: 5751, RenderScript Score: 5253
  • PC Mark
    • Work 2.0: 8226
  • 3D Mark
    • Slighshot Extreme Vulkan: 1253

Software

On to the software, this one comes with Android 9 Pie which is pretty standard in 2019. I have received altogether three updates during my time with the phone which I appreciate. But what I don’t appreciate is the Funtouch OS that’s there on this phone.

The major problems I have with it are: 1. The upward swiping taskbar. 2. Those cartoonish and large weird looking icons.

Users have no control over the taskbar settings. However, what you can do is change the theme and make the icons look a bit better. And there is a search button inside the settings menu now which has made using this phone easier in comparison to its predecessors.

But one thing is, as long as I have used the phone, I still get confused on whether to swipe down or up for the taskbar and I really hope Vivo brings an update to change that or get it right the next time.

Battery

The battery on the V15 is a bigger 4,000 mAh and this is one of the things that sets it apart from the pro model. Although the battery has to power an IPS display which consumes more power, I am very well satisfied with the back up it gave me.

I am a pretty heavy user with most of my day spent on YouTube and Facebook and Gaming. And even so, the device held up very well for an entire day. On normal usage, the days that don’t involve much gaming, the battery even lasted for more than a day.

And the phone is enabled with an 18-Watt fast charging that does not take even 2 hours to get your phone fully charged which is a bonus if you ask me.

But, the Micro USB port is a minus to the device. Last year, we had the same story and even now, in 2019, there is the same thing all over again. I think there are some things that companies need to understand themselves, things about being updated to trends, things about evolving!

Security & Audio

Now let’s talk about the fingerprint sensor. It is fast and accurate gets it correct 9 out of 10 times.

Strangely, There is no Facial Unlock feature though but it’s okay considering the selfie camera pops out each time you look at the Vivo V15 pro and that was annoying. Also, this phone does not miss out on the headphone jack so this one’s a plus. The single firing speaker at the bottom does an average job.

Conclusion

So, my conclusion about the phone is, this one looks good overall. Except for the UI, I have no complaints what so ever. Having said that a price of Rs. 45,190 in Nepal, it is a bit too much.

vivo v15 popup selfie

I mean, you can get the 128GB version of the Huawei P30 Lite or the Galaxy A50 for less price. And even if you are into Pop-up camera and love VIVO, you should get the Pro version that comes with a Super AMOLED display, superior Snapdragon 675 processor, and better cameras.

Honestly, with the Vivo V15, you are paying the extra price for the pop-up camera! And until and unless, you don’t absolutely want that, I think the device is asking for a little premium price than it should.

ASUS is coming to Nepal with two midrange phones

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ASUS is coming to Nepal with two midrange phones

ASUS smartphone has got quite a fan base. It has been releasing value for money devices because of which it’s making quite a mark in the midrange and budget territory. But sadly, ASUS phones weren’t available in Nepal up until now. But things are going to be different from now on. ASUS phones are finally making a debut in Nepal through the authorized channel. And Prism Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is going to make that happen. Prism Technologies was the authorized distributor of Infocus smartphones in Nepal. And the company has now been nominated as the authorized distributor of ASUS smartphones for Nepal. And the company has plans to release ASUS Zenfone Max M2 and Max Pro M2 in the initial phase.

Asus Zenfone Max M2 Overview:

When it comes to the specs, the Zenfone Max M2 is vaguely similar with the Xiaomi’s Redmi 7. It comes with the 6.26-inch IPS display featuring HD+ resolution. But unlike the Redmi 7, the Max M2 comes with a wide notch on the top, which can be obtrusive while viewing the contents.

The phone is powered by Snapdragon 632 chipset. On the memory side of things, the phone comes in two storage formats: one with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage whereas the higher end variant gets the 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard memory. User will also get a dedicated SD card slot in order to expand the storage further.

asus zenfone max m2 price nepal

Moving on to the imaging department, there lies a dual camera setup at its back. A camera pair with a 13MP primary shooter and 2MP depth sensor has been tucked inside the rear panel. On the front lies an 8MP shooter, which takes care of the selfies. The front camera also comes into action while unlocking the device via face unlock feature. The phone also embraces a fingerprint sensor at the back to ensure fast and accurate means of unlocking the device.

Apart from that, the Zenfone Max M2 enjoys a gigantic battery. The device comes aboard with a 4000mAh battery, which ensures a prolonged endurance.

Asus Zenfone Max M2 Specifications:

  • Display: 6.3-inch IPS LCD display
  • Resolution: HD+ (1520 × 720 pixels), 19:9 aspect ratio @269PPI
  • Rear Camera: Dual camera setup – (13MP, f/1.8, PDAF) + (2MP depth sensor), LED flash
  • Front Camera: 8MP, f/2.0
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 632
  • CPU: Octa-core (4×1.8 GHz Kryo 250 Gold & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 250 Silver)
  • GPU: Adreno 506 GPU
  • RAM: 3/4 GB
  • Storage:32/64 GB storage, expandable with micro SD up to 512GB (dedicated slot)
  • OS: Android 8.1 (Oreo); Upgradeable to Android Pie (v9.0)
  • Sensor: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
  • Battery: 4000mAh non-removable battery

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Overview:

The Max Pro M2 is the better of the two with more capable hardware on the inside. And the major highlight on this device has to be its processor. The phone flaunts Snapdragon 660 chipset, which is a capable performer in the midrange territory. And coupled it with 4GB of RAM, the device performs fluidly while multitasking and switching between the apps. The Max Pro M2 also comes aboard with 64/128GB of onboard memory to let you store all your files and photos.

On the display front, the Max Pro M2 looks fancier than the Max M2. The 6.3-inch IPS display has a slightly smaller notch when compared with the Max M2. The screen on the Max Pro M2 features Full-HD+ resolution and is capped with Gorilla Glass 6 for protection.

asus zenfone max pro m2 price nepal

The camera is another selling point of the device. The phone packs a pair of cameras on the back. And the primary shooter here employs the 12MP Sony IMX 486 sensor, which does a decent job. The secondary shooter employs a 5MP depth sensor. When both cameras come active, they can capture portrait images as well. Talking about the selfie shooter, a 13MP lens remains embedded in the notch up top.

Talking about the battery, there is a massive 5000mAh non-removable battery. With such an enormous battery on the board, the device stays alive for a considerate amount of time.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 Specifications:

  • Display: 6.3-inch IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection
  • Resolution: Full HD+ (2280 × 1080 pixels) 19:9 aspect ratio @403PPI
  • Rear Camera: Dual camera – (12 MP Sony IMX486 sensor, f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, EIS, PDAF) + (5MP, f/2.4 depth sensor), LED flash
  • Front Camera: 13MP, f/2.0 aperture, LED flash
  • Chipset: Snapdragon 660
  • CPU: Octa-core (4×2.2 GHz Kryo 260 & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260)
  • GPU: Adreno 512
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage:64GB; expandable up to 512GB with micro SD (dedicated slot)
  • OS: Android 8.1 (Oreo) upgradable to Android Pie (v9.0)
  • Sensor: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
  • Battery: 5000mAh non-removable battery; Micro USB 2.0 port

Entry-level Color Pride 1E launched in Nepal with 18:9 display

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Entry-level Color Pride 1E launched in Nepal with 18:9 display

Colors, the Nepali smartphone seems to be always on the pursuit of bringing trendy features on the table. The smartphone maker has already introduced a dual-camera setup and a fingerprint sensor on the entry-level. And this time around, Colors has brought the trendy 18:9 display in an entry-level. Colors Pride 1E is the new hotshot in town to feature that trendy display.

Colors Pride 1E Overview:

The display being the major attraction of the phone, let’s talk about it first. The handset comes with a 5.45-inch IPS panel. The screen of the device comes with HD+ resolution. If the price is considered, the presence of an HD display is absolutely commendable.

The phone is powered by a 1.3GHz Quad-core processor and comes aboard with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. On the software side, the phone has got the Android Go Edition of the Android Oreo. With optimized software on the board, the phone doesn’t devour much RAM and storage to install and run the apps and games. There is also an SD card slot if one wishes to expand the storage according to their needs.

colors pride 1e specs

Talking about the camera, the phone has got a 5MP shooter at the back. There is also a 2MP selfie camera on the front. Both of these cameras are accompanied by an LED flash.

The phone supports dual SIM cards and is compatible with 3G and 4G. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

As far as the price of the device is concerned, the phone demands Rs. 7,000 on the purchase. Alongside the phone, you will also get a free safety case, which ensures protection for your device.

Colors Pride 1E specifications:

  • 5.45-inch IPS LCD display; HD+ (720 x 1440 pixels) resolution @ 18:9 aspect ratio
  • 1.3GHz Quad-core processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB internal storage; expandable with Micro SD Card
  • 5MP rear camera with LED flash
  • 2MP front camera with LED flash
  • Android Oreo (v8.1); Android Go edition
  • Connectivity: Dual-SIM (4G + 3G), GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
  • 2500mAh battery
  • Price: Rs. 6,999 (Free Safety Case included)

Samsung Galaxy Fold – The future seems fragile

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Samsung Galaxy Fold – The future seems fragile

So after a lot speculating and waiting, foldable phones became a reality with the Royale Flex Pai coming out first. And then, it was the Huawei Mate X that showed up. Shortly thereafter, Samsung Galaxy Fold made its presence known, and probably, that was the most anticipated folding smartphone ever. And it was one of the futures of smartphones it seems. But with reports that the Galaxy Fold is unfolding its durability issues, the future seems fragile!

I don’t want to be too dramatic about this. But what happened to it, for such an expensive phone is, kind of, a cause for alarm. Some reviewers, reportedly, faced screen issues. And by issues, I mean, rendering the displays useless. Reviewers like MKBHD, Dieter Bohn of The Verge, Steve Kovach of CNBC, and Mark Gurman of Bloomberg faced such issues. And that happened in two different ways.

First was, what can be considered a user error. There is a thin plastic film on the inner foldable display of the Galaxy Fold that not only protects its display but is actually the part of it. And while the retail units do have a warning on the packaging telling users not to remove it, the ones reviewers received did not have it. So, like any other sensible person, they removed the film, mistaking it for a screen protector of sorts. Also, that is one easy mistake to make. Immediately after removing it, they began to face problems, and the displays became useless.

samsung galaxy fold breaks warning

Another kind of problem, happened, on its own apparently. By which, I mean, no removing of the coating was involved. But there is also a small gap underneath the plastic coating right at the hinge, through which dust or air can enter easily. And maybe due to that, the displays stopped working.

After these incidents went public, Samsung did release a statement which claimed they would investigate the problem. In addition, it is also a warning about not to remove the coating after purchase. Now, of course, what’s happened has happened. There are no two ways about it. For consumers, Samsung might replace the faulty units, while other retailers like AT&T and T-Mobile claim to be making contingency plans for consumers.

Nevertheless, this is, as I said, raises some concern. For such a highly anticipated device and an expensive one at that, to break so easily is something else entirely. Sure, this is a first-generation device. The very first foldable phone for Samsung. So, there are bound to be trials-and-errors and those sort of things. But, maybe, is there a possibility that, in a hurry to get a foldable phone out, did Samsung produce something half-baked?

You be the judge. Do let us know your thoughts, if you have any, on this. Also, would you, if you get to buy a foldable phone, go for it?

Samsung Galaxy A10 Launched in Nepal for a budget friendly price

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Samsung Galaxy A10 Launched in Nepal for a budget friendly price

Despite having the Galaxy M10 and M20 for budget-conscious buyers, Samsung launched the Galaxy A10 is here in Nepal. For a price of Rs.13490, it is slightly more expensive than the Galaxy M10. And for that price, it seems to have a bit of improvement as well as downgrades.

Samsung Galaxy A10 Overview:

Samsung’s old days of the J-series and On-series were pretty confusing. There were tons of phones and people had a hard time deciding which one to get. With the new A-series and M-series fiasco, we thought it was over. Well, guess what? It’s not! Originally the A-series was intended for mid-range phones. But with the likes of Galaxy A80 coming out, it moved to premium mid-range as well. And now with the Samsung Galaxy A10, it’s moving to budget as well? Now, this is definitely a head-scratcher.

Anyways, let’s talk about the Galaxy A10. It is a budget phone, and hence has a plastic body, on which, you get a 6.2″ IPS LCD screen with an HD+ display. Also, it has the same 19:9 aspect ratio with the V-shaped notch. So, this is Samsung’s Infinity-V display.

It is strange that this one gets only a single camera at the back while the M10 features a dual one. So, it misses out on the ultra-wide-angle lens, which is a downgrade for the device. Also, the primary camera is a 13 MP lens while the selfie camera is a 5 MP one.

samsung galaxy a10 display

The performance side is what sees an improvement, however. An octa-core Exynos 7884 chipset powers the phone, with 2 GB RAM. 7884 is a slight improvement over the 7870 of the Galaxy M10. In terms of battery, it has a similar 3400 mAh battery and there seems to be no Fast Charging. Also, it has 32 GB storage, which is expandable. In addition, it does come with One UI based on Android Pie out of the box.

Also Read: Samsung Mobile Price in Nepal

Specifications:

  • Display: 6.2″ IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution (720 x 1520 pixels), Infinity-V notch, 19:9 aspect ratio
  • Rear Camera: Single, 13 MP with f/1.9 aperture
  • Front Camera: 5 MP with f/2.0 aperture
  • CPU: Octa-core Exynos 7884
  • GPU: Mali-G71 MP2
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Storage: 32 GB internal, expandable via microSD card up to 512 GB
  • OS: Android 9.0 (Pie) with One UI
  • Battery: 3,400 mAh
  • Colors: Red, Blue, Black
  • Samsung Galaxy A10 Price in Nepal [Updated]: Rs. 13,490

With all these phones Samsung is throwing at the consumers, it’s starting to get back to the old days again – when Samsung had so many to choose from! And so, Samsung is now one step closer to having its own football team, it seems.

Samsung Galaxy A10 Price in Nepal & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy A10 was launched in Nepal for the price of Rs. 13,490. However, the phone is currently out of stock and is replaced by Galaxy A10s.

Model Name Price in Nepal Availability
Samsung Galaxy A10 (2/32GB) Rs. 13,490
  • Out of Stock

Galaxy S10 5G ties with P30 Pro as best camera phone in DxOmark’s leaderboard

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Galaxy S10 5G ties with P30 Pro as best camera phone in DxOmark’s leaderboard

Since last year, Huawei has been on the leaderboard of the DxOmark website. Last year there was Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro. But Samsung evened the gap when it launched the Galaxy S10 Plus. Shortly after, Huawei P30 Pro took a leap and regained the unrivaled top spot with 112 points. But Samsung didn’t remain behind much longer. When the DxOmark tested the Galaxy S10 5G, it granted 112 points for the camera prowess of the phone. And with that score, the Galaxy S10 5G is jointly on the top spot alongside the P30 Pro.

The regular Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus had with a 12MP wide-angle lens, 16MP ultra-wide angle, and a 12MP telephoto lens. The S10 5G, however, has an additional ToF sensor due to which it enjoys a quad-camera setup on the back. With triple cameras, S10/S10+ had score 109 points. So is it the extra ToF lens that has added full three points in the scorebook? Well, no. DxOmark has explicitly said that they do not value the ToF lens. So what made the differences then you might wonder. Well, it’s the software. DxOmark’s website has clearly said that the software on the units they test can be different from the units on sale. And the software here clearly looks better than that on the S10/S10+. So Samsung could roll out an OTA update to make the necessary amendments on camera’s software part.

DxOmark disclaimer
Note Written on DxOmark’s website

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G camera specifications:

  • Quad-camera setup, including a dedicated TOF sensor
  • Primary: 12MP sensor with 1.4µm pixels and 26mm-equivalent, f/1.5–2.4 aperture lens, dual-pixel AF, OIS
  • Ultra-wide: 16Mp sensor 1.0µm pixels and 13mm-equivalent, f/2.2-aperture lens
  • Telephoto: 12Mp sensor with 1.0µm pixels and 52mm-equivalent, f/2.4 aperture lens, PDAF, OIS
  • 2160p/60fps, shoots 4K video at 30fps by default

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Camera Prowess:

On the photography side, the S10 5G score 117 points lagging behind the mighty P30 Pro by merely two points. On the videography side, however, S10 5G leads remains on the top spot in the leaderboard with a whopping 100 points leading P30 Pro by a clear 3 points.

On the selfie side, S10 Plus was already ahead of its competitors with 96 points. And that got even better on the S10 5G. With 97 points, S10 5G leads the selfie game with quite a ton of margin when compared with the P30 Pro. P30 Pro has only 89 points in the DxOmark’s track records.

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