It’s quite hard to cope with the freezing cool in the winter and scorching sun in the summer. And some of us might have even struggled with colleagues and siblings to maintain the temperature of AC, fan, and heaters according to our liking. But running the AC, fan, coolers, and heaters to obtain comfortable working temperatures is also creating quite a loss of energy loss. Such type of heating/cooling system heats/cools the entire room to make the people inside it comfortable, which is not by far an efficient means. More than 10% of the global energy consumption goes on heating and cooling the buildings. So as a means to develop an efficient means of maintaining an individual’s body temperature within comfortable limits, researchers created an Armband, a wearable band which can keep your body at a perfect temperature.
The armband works as a personal heater/cooler that heats or cools the body temperature so as to maintain a comfortable temperature of the body. The patch of the armband can lower the body temperature up to 10-degree Celsius (or 50-degree Fahrenheit). With the capability to maintain a constant temperature during various circumstances, scientists claim it to be an efficient and simpler solution to the central heating/cooling system.
Thermoelectric alloys are equipped in the arm patch. These materials use electricity to create a temperature difference. Researchers have built this kind of patch by soldering small pillars of the thermoelectric alloys into the thin sheets of copper electrodes. These are then assembled into two stretchy elastomer sheets. A battery has been included in the system to inject the power. The electric current from the battery flows across the pillars of the armband, which drives heat from one sheet to another. When the heat goes to the sheet closest to the user’s skin, it raises the body temperature. If it is transferred to the sheet furthest away, warmth is removed from their skin and they cool down. In a test performed on a person, the patch was successfully able to maintain the body temperature at 32-degree Celsius when the background temperature was varied from 22-degrees to 36-degrees.
The armband uses a 5cm patch, which happens to be flexible and lightweight. They are said not to cause any sort of discomfort on the use. Researchers further say a patch uses 26 watts of power to cool the body temperature in a hot day. However, the scientists also said that around 100 of such patches will be required to cool an individual in extremely hot days. And for that, it will require a vest to cover the cover and cool the parts of the body like back and neck, which are susceptible to overheating. However, this would cause hundreds of pounds to manufacture a single unit. And this surely won’t be affordable to most of the population. So the scientists are now more focused on the ways to develop the product, which could cut some manufacturing costs.
Spotify, the renowned music platform has yet again come into the limelight. And this time because of the recent hardware thing they developed. Dubbed as ‘Car Thing’, the device is an audio device for the cars, which can be controlled via voice commands.
The number of smart voice assistants is burgeoning. Because of their AI-packed capabilities and their voice commands recognizing prowess, they have somewhat made our tasks hassle-free. Since most of the smart voice assistants are also integrated with the Spotify, there seems barely any use of the Car Thing. And the company has also explicitly mentioned that this device won’t make a debut commercially. The music platform also clearly implied that they have no intentions of bringing hardware devices. The company says that Spotify will primarily focus on being the top music platform.
But why is the company spending so much of fund into a product that won’t release commercially? Well, the Spotify is trying to learn the music listening habits of people while they are driving. And to study the behavior, the company will be giving the device for some of its premium users for free.
How does Car Thing work?
The device plugs into the car’s 12-volt outlet for the power. It does not have its own data connection so it requires Bluetooth to connect with the user’s smartphone to access the music library. The device also pairs with the audio system inside the car. So if the users want to listen to the music using the audio setup inside the car, the Car Thing will allow that too.
Like most of the voice assistants, the Car Thing is easy to use. It can be triggered with the voice command “Hey, Spotify”. And according to the users’ needs and desire, they can play any specific music, skip it or pause it.
In terms of design, the device comes with a tiny remote. But unlike a remote, it comes with a circular screen at a side, which shows the music or audio track being played. Alongside the display, there are also four buttons, which can be used to access playlist presets.
The test is supposed to start within the next few weeks. Spotify has mentioned that the test will only run in the US as of now. Although there is not a specific timeline about the test period, the test is said to be small and may not take place for a long duration. Apart from the Car Thing, Spotify has also trademarked Home Thing and Voice Thing. Since the company has already explicitly explained that it has no plans to release hardware devices commercially, we are still unsure how the company will use these test devices in the future.
It’s not just the Samsung, who is expanding the A-series lineup. This year, there has been quite an expansion in Oppo’s A-series lineup too. Till the date, we have already seen the devices like Oppo A1k, A5s, A7n, and A9. And this time, the company has added a new handset, Oppo A9x in their portfolio.
Overview:
In terms of specs, it looks vaguely familiar with the Oppo A9, which was launched last month. The smartphone comes with a 6.53-inch display with a water-drop notch on the top. The display on this device comes with a 90.7% screen to body ratio and features Full-HD+ resolution to ensure sharp contents.
Powering the device is a MediaTek Helio P70 chipset, the same chipset we saw on the Oppo F11 Pro and Vivo V15. To complement the processing, the device is mated with 6GB of RAM. On the storage front, the Oppo A9x flaunts 128GB of onboard memory, which can be expanded up to 256GB via micro SD card. Understanding the burgeoning gaming craze, Oppo has also included a Game Boost 2.0 feature to enhance the performance during gaming sessions.
In the imaging part though, the A9x has received a fancy upgrade over the A9. The rear camera on this device comes aboard with a 48MP main camera, which comes paired with a 5MP depth sensor. And a 16MP selfie shooter dwells on the notch up top.
Like most of the recent Oppo phones, this one too also gets a sizable battery. With a humongous 4020mAh battery, the phone promises a prolonged endurance. And to speed up the charging process, Oppo has also included its proprietary VOOC 3.0 fast charging support on the phone.
Color Options
1 of 2
Ice Jade White
Meteorite Black
Talking about the software, the A9x boots on latest Android Pie with Color OS 6 on the top. Wrapped around with a plastic back, Oppo has included a sophisticated 3D gradient colors. And like most of the midrange phones, this one too also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Oppo A9x Specifications
Display: 6.53-inch IPS LCD Full HD+ display, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
CPU: Octa-core MediaTek Helio P70
PU: Mali-G72 MP3
OS: Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6 on top
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB, Expandable up to 256GB via SD card
Battery: 4,020 mAh with VOOC 3.0 Flash Charging technology; Micro USB charging port
Oppo A9x Price & Availability
The phone comes in two color options: Meteorite Black and Ice Jade White. It is priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$289) and will go sale in China starting from May 21. Since this is basically the rebranded version of the Oppo F11, it won’t make a debut outside of China as Oppo A9x.
These days, smartphones of the budget segment are more sought out than ever. Gone are the days when low budget phones were a synonym for lags and stutters. The phones available at affordable prices right now are more than capable of running the heaviest of the applications. On our tests, some of the phones below Rs. 20,000 have been capable of running PUBG without any issue.
Keeping this in mind, a lot of people are opting for phones that don’t put a hole on their pocket. And keeping the same thing in mind, Daraz is currently offering discounts on budget phones with up to 66% discount on the selected device(s).
There are also other smartphones from various companies that are available at a cheaper price on Daraz. A lot of phone companies don’t offer discounts on their products like they previously used to. So, with the discount offer at the helm, it might actually be a sound decision to buy a phone on Daraz right now.
So, are you planning to buy a phone from Daraz? Let us know in the comments below.
With the full-view and notch-less displays gaining momentum, almost every company is trying to be a part of that. And Oppo – the company that gave us the slider cameras with the Oppo Find X, decided that it was too much work. So, they opted for a pop-up selfie camera just like everyone else. And here’s the phone which did that – the F11 Pro. But other than the selfie camera, what are the striking features of the phone? Let’s find that out in this Oppo F11 Pro review.
Oppo F11 Pro Specifications
Display: 6.53-inch LTPS IPS LCD Full HD+ display, 19.5:9 aspect ratio
CPU: Octa-core MediaTek Helio P70
PU: Mali-G72 MP3
OS: Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6 on top
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB, Expandable up to 256GB via SD card
On the design front, Oppo has done it again – fooled me into thinking that it was a glass back, even though it’s plastic. Maybe it’s the color scheme, that looks different even though it follows a triple-gradient color pattern. This, here, is the Thunder Black, which comes in a pretty unique color pattern – a blue, black purple blend. And this does look stunning. I liked it, but if I had my way, I’d definitely go for the Marvel Avengers edition, which is a tad bit expensive.
The rest of the design is pretty standard, though. A rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, volume rockers on the left and a power button on the right. There’s a headphone jack and a micro USB port. I disdain the micro USB port, but I don’t get it why the companies like Vivo and Oppo are still on it.
1 of 3
Ports
Buttons
Sim Card Tray
Build quality is pretty standard for a plastic phone. It’s got some heft, and an okay feel in the hands. The plus side, here, is the pop-up camera comes with a Fall Protection – if it’s out, it just slides back in case you drop it!
Camera
The design is one of the phone’s strongest suits. But here’s something it missed out – cameras. The F11 Pro packs a whopping 48 MP primary camera and a secondary 5 MP depth sensor. But while every other mid-ranger these days are packing an ultra-wide angle sensor, this one doesn’t. And, for a company that prides itself in having one of the best cameras around, they missed out on that. Is it deliberate? I don’t know. But I just think that they should have made some kind of upgrade from the Oppo F9. After all, the F9 had the same camera configuration.
Still, I had quite a bit of expectation from the camera. Too bad, I was somewhat let down. Don’t get me wrong – the camera is not that bad, it’s just my expectations, because when we did a camera comparison between the Oppo F9, Nova 3i, and the Vivo V11, last year, Oppo was the clear winner. But now, I doubt the F11 would perform the same way.
Some images come out good enough in well-lit conditions. But for others, the dynamic range is not very good. Many photos come out over-processed, and for some reason, it kind of messes with the intensity of blacks. That is not really noticeable, though, only when you compare it with other phones, for instance, the Vivo V15 Pro. Bright colors like greens and reds can come out a bit too over-blown.
1 of 9
However, close up shots in well-lit environments can be great. Similar is the case with portrait shots. The colors are good, details are there, and the edge detection is better than what you regularly see on phones of this caliber. The blurs and subject focus on the bokeh is on point, and so, the portrait images are better than your regular images.
1 of 5
There is, however, a dedicated Night Mode. And just like any other, this is a long exposure shot of about 5 seconds. The colors it produces are a bit too smooth, but it kinda lacks some details and texture. But of course, that is to be expected of a Night Mode in a camera.
Normal Vs Night Mode
1 of 6
As for the pop selfie camera, it is a 16 MP unit. And the selfies are a lot better than the normal photos.
Selfie images pack good details, good colors and the dynamic range is balanced too. Portrait selfies, even though they’re purely software is pretty good too. My only complaint is that it cannot recognize multiple faces in a portrait selfie.
1 of 5
Portrait Selfie
Portrait Selfie
Normal Selfie
Normal Selfie
Portrait Selfie
As for videos, it can record Full HD videos at 30 frames per second – not even 60. And this is something that is available in other more affordable devices as well. So, nothing impressive here. Also, the video quality is not something I’d like to go on about – the details are about average, colors are the same…sometimes, even unnatural. The low light video quality is even worse. However, there is Electronic Image Stabilization, so, this is your better-than-average video camera, to be blunt.
With the pop-up selfie camera, the display here is notch-less and bezel-less. There is a small chin at the bottom, but nothing I can’t live with. And as it is with these full-screen displays, it was fun to use. You get a lot of room to work with, for almost anything – watching videos to playing games, or just casual browsing.
The display is big, too. A 6.5 inch IPS LCD display with a 19:9 aspect ratio greets you and I’ve loved the sheer size of it. There’s just so much room. And with 90% of screen to body ratio, the phone does not feel so big in the hands. The screen has some good colors, great viewing angles, and ample brightness. The pixel density, is great too, but what I will say, though, is the competitors, in similar price range, offer AMOLED or at least OLED displays. This doesn’t and so…it feels like a letdown.
Performance
Now, let’s talk about performance. And here’s a bit of a downer. This because it still packs MediaTek Helio P70 processor, which can be compared to the Snapdragon 660. But the competitors like the Galaxy A70 is packing a Snapdragon 675. And that kinda bothers me.
Go by the benchmark scores, and you’ll find other phones with better benchmarks out there. Of course, the scores are not the whole story. Regular performance is snappy. Apps open and load fast, and you can also do multitasking with a lot of apps in the background. Gaming is also pretty breezy. It will handle all kinds of games unless you want to play PUBG in the highest settings, it’ll do for the most part.
It’s just that for the price, there are other options out there. So, for me, the performance is a mixed bag.
Software & UI
And making it more of a mixed bag is Oppo’s not-so-good UI. Oppo’s phones are not known for their UIs, they’re mostly horrible, but this time it’s a bit different. Based on Android Pie with Color OS 6.0, the user experience has improved quite a bit.
There are small improvements like an app drawer option, and it also allows you to access the Developer mode without the constant reminder that you’re on Developer mode and you need to turn it off. To say the least, the UI, although bad, is not an eyesore this time around.
Battery
Also, the battery is the phone’s strong suit. With a 4000 mAh battery, you can get 2 days of battery life easily with normal usage. And even under extreme usage, you can end up with about 25 to 30% battery left at the end of the day.
What’s more impressive is the charging times – the VOOC Charge 3.0 does a great job when it comes to charging. The phone charges from like 2% to 90% in under an hour. The only thing is, I’d have liked to see a USB-C port.
Extras
So…what did I miss? Ummm…the speaker quality is good. It’s a mono speaker, but it sounds good actually. It gets 128 GB of storage, which is good. But in case you need a micro SD card, you have to sacrifice your second SIM. Also, the fingerprint sensor is quite fast. Given that it is a traditional physical sensor; it works as expected. The Face Unlock with the pop-up camera is fast, too, and apart from pitch black conditions, it works almost all the time.
Conclusion
As it stands, the Oppo F11 Pro is a good phone, with respectable performance, a good display, okay cameras, great battery, and some great design choices. For a standalone device, it is a good phone, no doubt. But when you start comparing it with others, that’s when things don’t look so good. It’s rivals, in the same price category, offer many other traits – like AMOLED displays, better processors, in-display fingerprint scanners and one that I miss the most – an Ultra-wide angle lens.
So, this is something that you won’t go wrong with. It’s just that it kinda fails to transition from the traditional to the modern trend in some ways.
Redmi teased a particular smartphone with a 48MP camera which we now know will be called the Redmi Note 7s. We have very little detail, but we do know it’s going official on May 20, or this Monday in India. The only other thing we know for sure is the phone’s dot drop notch, similar to one on the Redmi Note 7.
The 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor will be aided by another lens, a dual camera setup of some sort. Internal specs could include something like a Snapdragon 670. That should be a perfect upgrade from the SD660 (Note 7), but not quite an SD675 (Note 7 Pro). So it’s a superior version of the Note 7, but an inferior one compared to the Note 7 Pro.
The newfound Redmi series is getting a new member. Redmi will be placing the Note 7s right in between its two siblings. The phone’s placement in Redmi’s lineup should open it up to a new set of potential buyers. Plus with the Redmi K20 and its Snapdragon 855 SoC soon to launch in India, both these two smartphones might just launch on the same day.
So we've decided to get you both! ?#RedmiNote7S – An all-new SUPER Redmi Note for all our India Mi fans is coming! #48MPForEveryone unveils on 20th May. Mark your calendars! ?️
Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi’s Note 7 has been a huge success since it’s launch, pulling in big sales numbers for the company. It’s ‘Pro’ version has also received good feedback from the fans and reviewers alike. Both worthy options for anyone looking to buy a smartphone in the overpopulated overcrowded budget segment i.e Indian market.
For any more information on the Redmi Note 7s, we will have to wait till May 20, that’s when the product launch is taking place. Redmi India’s official twitter handle announced the date of the launch through a post.
Sony, when announcing the Xperia 1, also hinted at a mid-range phone, Sony Xperia XZ4 Compact. But it didn’t show up…at all. Even when two other new phones showed up, the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Plus, this phone didn’t see the light of day. That is, until now. A very similar device dubbed the Sony Xperia Ace is now available in Japan.
Sony Xperia Ace Overview
The Sony Xperia Ace, as Sony promised, is a compact phone. Well, compact in the sense that it still has a small footprint and decent hardware. But of course, this looks nothing like a 2019 phone…or even 2018 for that matter.
Because, what you get is a small 5″ screen, with the huge bezels, top, and bottom. The display is Full HD resolution with 18:9 aspect ratio. But the large bezels house Sony’s dual speakers, which are well-known in the smartphone world. However, the Sony Xperia Ace features single cameras, both front, and back. The rear camera is a 12 MP sensor whereas the front is an 8 MP one. So, I guess cameras are not a strong suit.
Internally, it runs on the Snapdragon 630 alongside 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. The storage is expandable via microSD card. However, the battery is pretty flimsy at 2700 mAh and there’s no word on Fast Charging. But despite its 2016 – 2017 looks, it has NFC, USB-C, and water-and-dust resistance as well. In addition, there’s a fingerprint sensor on the right side.
Pricing and Availability
The phone is not available anywhere else, except for Japan. And that, too, is courtesy of the company’s network Docomo. But even if it was available, I doubt it would be anyone’s favorite at a price tag of JPY 48,600, which is equivalent to over $440. Because, well, there are better devices, for cheaper. For instance, the Google Pixel 3A. Maybe, it would be more affordable if it was launched globally. But that, is only a guess, after all.
ASUS is a household name when it comes to computers and laptops. But their smartphones don’t get enough recognition, probably because of their poor software. And maybe, most of them fail to stand out in any way. But that’s all in the past. Because with the ASUS Zenfone 6, it actually teaches the big players how to rock an all-screen display!
ASUS Zenfone 6 Overview
Upon first look, the ASUS Zenfone looks like any other flagship of today – a glass body with a rear-mounted fingerprint screen and a big screen with that edge-to-edge display. There is no selfie camera on the front. You must have guessed it, but the way it achieves it is very interesting. This ain’t your regular pop-up camera…it’s more like a “Flip Camera“. This means, that its rear camera module flips out to double as the selfie camera!
This concept is not new, though. The Samsung Galaxy A80 introduced this, but it was a slider and a rotating mechanism. This, however, looks much cleaner. In addition, the flip camera has got quite a few tricks up its sleeve! First, the camera setup is a 48 MP primary and a 13 MP ultra-wide setup. Getting to use the same for your selfies is great enough, but you can also control the angles of the camera. Meaning, you can use it to take panoramic shots without moving and some weird-angled selfies, if you so fancy. Furthermore, you can also take 4K videos at 60 fps, which not all flagships can give you.
The rest of the phone seems pretty standard. It checks all the boxes for a flagship. There’s Snapdragon 855 processor, with up to 8 GB RAM, and up to 256 GB storage. Plus, there’s expandable memory in the form of a triple-slot, which allows you to store dual SIMs and a microSD card. Also, it packs a mammoth 5000 mAh battery and has 18-Watt Fast Charging. That’s not the fastest, especially, for a battery that size…but it’s good enough. Software-wise, it runs on Zen UI 6. And while Zen UI wasn’t received well, this iteration is one of the closest to Stock Android experiences you’ll get.
And all of this is at the starting price of €499, for the base model…which starts at 6 GB RAM configuration, and 64 GB storage. That’s just a bit higher than the Xiaomi Mi 9 but considerably less than other flagships. For all that it packs, it’s certainly a very interesting combo, to say the least.
Samsung is not only known for their great phones but also providing deals and discounts often. And so, another cashback offer, or simply, discounts on phones are upon us. They’re offering discounts on three of their products, and some of them, are indeed heavy discounts!
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018)
The first discount is on the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018). And this phone is something I had high expectations with, back when it was launched. Yet, it didn’t really deliver. And at 2019, I doubt it’ll be able to do so. Because, well there are other phones, even from Samsung themselves, that are better.
After a New Year’s discount on the same phone, it was available for Rs.33,990. And with this latest cashback of Rs.3000, the phone is available for Rs.30,990. Just after a few months of the offer, for another offer to come up should make it obvious that there are other better phones out there. I’d rather get the Galaxy A50, even for a slightly higher price!
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018)
Here’s another phone that promised a lot of fancy stuff when it came with 4 cameras. And back in 2018, 4 cameras were a big deal! And yet, the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) failed spectacularly in our review. Its 4 cameras proved to be nothing but gimmicky features.
Well, after the negative reaction on the cameras, we had hints that after software updates, the camera has improved a lot. But still, a cashback/discount of Rs.10,000 kinda means the phone is not really selling. I wonder why… Anyways, the phone, initially costing Rs.53,990 is not up for grabs at Rs.43,990. This large discount only proving that this phone is not that good. Because for a little more, you can get the Galaxy A70 itself, or the Oppo F11 Pro!
Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5
Tablets are, well, already growing less and less popular. Despite that, Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab A 10.5 last year, for quite a heavy price. For all that it packed, the price seemed too high, both internationally, and here, in Nepal as well. Because who’d pay around Rs.55000 for something with a plastic body and Snapdragon 450 processor?
And I guess, that’s the reason it didn’t really sell well. And here, it is now, after a discount of Rs.12000! That makes its new price Rs.42,490! And yes, the amount of discount and the new price makes it appear tempting. But remember, this one is more like a flop product, and also last year’s…plus not something you can call powerful.
Samsung Super Summer Offer only seems to be providing discounts on those products that didn’t sell well. And even though these discounts are large, there are a lot of other better phones out there to buy!
If you’ve even been a smartwatch enthusiast, you know that there are quite a few options available here in Nepal as well. From the Huawei Watch GT to Samsung Galaxy Watch, there’s a lot to choose from. But Apple watches have always been among the top options even though they’re quite expensive. And the new Apple Watch Series 4 has just landed in Nepal.
Apple Watch Series 4 Overview
The Apple Watch Series 4 sees quite a bit of improvement over the Apple Watch Series 3. For starters, the design and build quality are also a lot better as it’s got a ceramic and sapphire back that helps in better conduction of radio waves, which makes for better connectivity. Also, it features a 30% bigger display than the previous generation at 1.78″. The LTPO OLED Retina TouchScreen display also supports 3D Touch functionality, and brightness can go up to a 1000 nits!
In addition, there’s an improved speaker which is 50% louder for better calling capabilities. There’s 16 GB storage in it and connects to your phone via Bluetooth. However, in terms of battery, it’s no different than before, it’s still at 18 hours.
But what makes this device interesting is the number of features it packs! It features a built-in Heart Rate Monitor, which is a given, of course. But it also notifies you about the changes in real time. There are all kinds of security measures like Fall Detection and SOS Emergency call. Apple Watch Series 4 has already saved a life with its features! And of course, the most revered feature is that it enables you to draw a complete ECG of yourself. So, it is quite the health monitor!
Price and Availability
This smartwatch is an almost complete health monitoring device. The only weakness is its short-lived battery life. But it, still, is one of the best smartwatches money can buy.
This watch is now available in Nepal. But, it only seems to be available in the larger 44 mm version. Also, there seem to be only two variants to choose from – a regular Black Band variant and a Summit White Nike Sport Band variant. However, both cost the same, so, you can choose from any without hesitation. The Apple Watch Series 4 is priced at Rs.68,000 and you can buy it from Oliz Store.
