A few days back, South Korean tech company Samsung awe-inspired the world with its new flagship devices. And it did not take long for another South Korean smartphone maker to unveil its products. Yes, you guessed it right. LG also hit the MWC 2019’s big stage with its three new smartphones. Namely known as the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, G8 ThinQ, and G8s ThinQ, these smartphones come with LG’s new quirky Hand ID and Air Motion Gesture features.
LG V50 ThinQ 5G
The LG V50 ThinQ 5G is the company’s first take in the 5G ecosystem. Since the smartphone manufacturers are releasing a 5G phone every other day, LG also went on with the flow and dropped a flagship device embedded with a 5G modem. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 855 chipset and has been enriched with Qualcomm X50 modem to unleash its 5G potentials. On the storage front, the phone’s got 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard memory with a dedicated SD card for memory expansion.
On the design side, it looks blatantly similar to the last year’s LG V40 ThinQ. The phone is encased with Corning Gorilla on the front and back and comes encapsulated with an aluminum frame. It also comes with a 6.4-inch QHD+ OLED display. The display here is an HDR 10 compliant. So we can expect an amazing dynamic range of colors on the screen. But what doesn’t look cool about the display is a wide notch up top. While most of the other smartphone manufacturers are playing with the waterdrop style notches and punch hole display, LG followed last year’s bandwagon and implemented a wide notch on the top. And this doesn’t look so fascinating in 2019.
The notch has been home to two selfie cameras – an 8MP primary shooter and a 5MP wide-angle one. The setup was present on the V40 ThinQ as well. And talking about the cameras on the back, the phone is showered with three cameras of various focal lengths. The primary one is a 12MP, 27mm, f/1.5 wide-camera, which comes equipped with a 3-axis OIS. There is also a 12MP telephoto shooter, which comes with f/2.4 lens and OIS. The telephoto camera on this device is capable of capturing images with 2x lossless optical zooming. A 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera completes the triple camera setup on the device. The ultra-wide-angle camera stretches the field of view and users can accommodate more portion of the subject into the images.
Like the last year’s device, the LG V50 ThinQ 5G also comes 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, so it may please a fair number of audiophiles. Plus, there is a big 4000mAh to provide long-lasting backup.
Recently, we are seeing many smartphone brands bringing out foldable devices. But LG decided to skip that concept for a while. but as an answer to the trend, LG rather brought a dual screen accessory. The accessory is basically a case with a 6.2-inch secondary OLED display with Full-HD+ (1080 x 2160 pixels) resolution. The second screen comes alive when the pogo pins on the smartphone’s back connect with the accessory. The Dual Screen can come handy for multitasking and gaming. You can use the phone as a controller and the display on the accessory as the screen to view the contents. With these features, the device gives a vibe of the foldable smartphone of sorts.
LG G8s ThinQ and LG G8 ThinQ
Alongside the V50 ThinQ, LG also unveiled the LG G8s ThinQ and LG G8 ThinQ. Both of these smartphones feature the flagship Snapdragon 855 chipset and comes aboard with 6GB RAM. And as cued by their names, these smartphones do not come with the 5G capabilities.
LG G8s ThinQ
In terms of display, the G8 ThinQ rocks with a 6.1-inch QHD+ OLED display whereas the G8s has got a 6.2-inch Full-HD+ OLED panel. In terms of power, a 3500mAh non-removable battery fuels the G8 ThinQ whereas it’s a block of 3550mAh battery on the G8 ThinQ.
On the optics front, the LG G8 ThinQ flaunts a 12MP standard + 12MP telephone + 16MP ultra-wide setup just like on the V50 ThinQ. However, there is a slightly different setup on the G8s ThinQ. The G8s ThinQ features a triple camera setup with 12MP standard + 12MP telephone + 16MP ultra-wide combo.
But the triple camera setup on the G8 ThinQ is location specific. In some regions, the handset ships with only two cameras on the back.
LG G8 ThinQ
Talking about the selfie camera, the phone comes with an 8MP standard selfie camera accompanied by a ToF (Time of Flight) 3D camera. In addition to gathering depth information while capturing portrait selfies, the ToF camera also authenticates the Hand ID of the users. It reads and acknowledges the thickness and characteristics of the veins in the palm of the users and unlocks the device accordingly. The 3D ToF camera also does 3D mapping of the face to enhance the security strength of Face Unlock feature. So it cannot be fooled with 2D photos to unlock the device.
Apart from that, users will also be able to control the phone through air gestures also known as Air Motion gestures. With this feature, users can wave a hand or pinch the air to take calls, to increase and decrease volume. This feature can also be used to take screenshots without even touching the screen.
Price & Availability of LG V50 ThinQ, LG G8s ThinQ & LG G8 ThinQ
In the launch event, LG didn’t reveal anything about the pricing. And no words were spoken about its availability. But we can expect the device any time on the Q2 of 2019.
After Samsung announced the Galaxy Fold, Huawei seems to be at its work as the company showed off its new foldable smartphone at Mobile World Congress (MWC). The smartphone-cum-table looks as refined as Samsung’s foldable device but will run for over $600 more than its competitor.
While the Samsung Galaxy Fold has dual displays, the Huawei Mate X boasts a single display that folds on the outside to give it a more smartphone-ish look. This display, when unfolded, measures 8-inch. In folded position, the front-facing screen is 6.6-inch tall while the rear screen is 6.38-inch.
The Mate X comes with a strip on the back which houses the camera setup of the device. Huawei has added in a “wing” that, according to the company, will help in the better holding and handling of the device. And unlike the Galaxy Fold’s hinge which is a little curved when laid out flat, this device comes with a hinge that is even.
The Huawei Mate X has a bezel-less display and it certainly looks a tad bit attractive than Galaxy Fold’s side-notched display. This device’s screen is made up of a polymer as glass can’t be bent in such a way. This is a disappointment considering the price tag it has, but still, this is the first generation of foldable smartphone, and it will take a bit of time before manufacturers add glass that can actually bend time and again.
In terms of optics, the device that Huawei showed off has triple cameras. However, according to Huawei’s consumer CEO Richard Yu, the Mate X will pack four cameras during the launch of the P30 series.
Another major USP of this device is that it supports 5G connectivity. Samsung has already stated that it will be launching both the 4G and 5G variants of the Galaxy Fold, so, if you opt for the Mate X, you will have to get the 5G-enabled version. Under the hood, the Huawei Mate X is powered by the company’s own HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset that is coupled with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal memory.
The Huawei Mate X is backed by a large 4,500 mAh battery which is certainly a good addition considering it has to power a large display, that can be used in three forms. To charge up this large battery, the Chinese company has introduced a 55W charger that can apparently charge 85% of the battery in just 30 minutes.
Huawei Mate X vs Samsung Galaxy Fold Specifications
Huawei Mate X
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Display
8-inch OLED (6.6-inch + 6.3-inch) display, 2480 x 2200 pixels
4.6-inch Super AMOLED, 7.3-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED
Chipset
HiSilicon Kirin 980
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
RAM
8
12
Operating System
EMUI
Android v9.0 with One UI as skin
Storage
512 GB
512 GB
Front Camera
Unspecified
Dual; 10 MP + 8 MP 3D depth
Rear Camera
Quad cameras
16 MP ultra-wide + 12 MP wide + 12 MP telephoto
Battery
4,500 mAh with 55W fast charging
4,380 mAh with fast charging
Huawei Mate X Pricing and Availability
According to Huawei, the Mate X will start shipping in selected regions starting June or July. This is a thoughtful step as 5G is yet to make its way to the consumers. The Huawei Mate X will go on sale for €2,299 which is roughly $2,600. The Samsung Galaxy Fold will go on sale for $1,980.
Nokia 9 PureView is one of the showstoppers of the MWC 2019 event. The phone packs an awe-inspiring five cameras at the back. And is the first smartphone to do so. But that’s not all about Nokia in the grand Mobile World Congress event, the smartphone maker also unveiled four other mobile devices. Among the bunch, the Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and the Nokia 1 Plus are the budget-centric smartphones whereas the Nokia 210 is a bar phone.
Nokia 210
At the unveiling event, Nokia claims to be the world’s top feature phone maker. Being the leader in the feature phone department, Nokia has yet again dropped a feature phone to expand its lineup.
And talking about the Nokia 210 feature phone, the handset looks quite sturdy in its toughened plastic attire. The phone packs a 2.4-inch QVGA color display with a clicky number pad beneath it. With the small QVGA display and a numpad, the phone looks antiquated. But unlike most of the retro phones, the Nokia 210 houses a 0.3MP rear camera at its back. The camera on the back is accompanied by an LED flash.
On the software side, the phone boots on Nokia’s S30 software. The phone also comes pre-installed with apps like Opera Mini, Browser, Facebook, and the Snake game. On the top, the phone also comes with Mobile Store for app downloads. But the sad part is the phone only comes with 16MB of internal memory, which is non-expandable.
Nokia 210 Specifications:
2.4-inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) TFT display @167PPI Pixel density
Toughened plastic body
VGA (0.3MP) Rear camera
No front camera
Nokia Series S30 OS
MT6260A Processor
Dual SIM, 3.5mm headphone jack, Micro USB connectivity
16MB internal storage; Non-expandable (No SD Card Slot)
FM and Flashlight functionality
Removable 1020 mAh battery
Charcoal, Red, and grey colors
Price: 30 euros ( Approx. $34)
Nokia 1 Plus
Nokia 1 Plus is the successor to the Nokia 1, which was launched last year. The phone comes with a 5.45-inch display, which is taller than the last year’s Nokia 1. Although the hype of 18:9 aspect ratio is no longer the same in the smartphone market, Nokia has yet implemented that display form factor in its budget offering.
The phone also comes with Android Go version of the Android Pie out of the box. And being the Android Go device, the phone will also receive regular updates and security patches. Other than that, the Nokia 1 Plus comes with an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, and a decent 2500mAh battery.
Nokia 1 Plus specifications
Display: 5.45-inch IPS LCD display
Resolution: 960 x 480 pixels @ 197PPI Pixel density; 18:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Mediatek MT6739WW
CPU: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: PowerVR GE8100
OS: Android 9.0 Pie (Android Go version)
RAM: 1 GB
Storage: 8/16 GB, expandable up to 128 GB (dedicated slot)
Rear Camera:8MP with LED flash and Autofocus
Front Camera:5MP with Beauty mode
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity
Battery: 2,500mAh Removable battery
Colors: Black, Red, Blue
Price: $89 (8GB), $99 (16GB)
Nokia 3.2
Last year, we got to see Nokia 3.1 and the Nokia 3.1 Plus. This year, Nokia unveiled the Nokia 3.2 as a successor to both the aforementioned devices.
It features 6.26-inch display, which makes it taller than both the Nokia 3.1 and 3.1 Plus. On the top of its display, the Nokia 3.2 also features a tiny water drop style notch. The notch houses an 8MP selfie shooter, which also doubles as a Biometric authentication tool while unlocking the device via Face unlock feature. On the back, resides a 13MP shooter, which is accompanied by an LED flash.
On the performance front, the Nokia 3.2 has got a new Snapdragon 429 chipset. In terms of memory, the phone comes in two variants: one with 2GB RAM and 16GB of onboard memory whereas the other one comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. And the good thing about the higher memory variant is that the phone also comes aboard with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, which lacks on the 2/16GB variant.
The phone comes with a sizeable 4000mAh battery and boots with Android Pie right out of the box.
Nokia 3.2 Specifications:
Display: 6.26-inch TFT display with a 2.5D arc on the top
Resolution: HD (720 x 1520 pixels) @ 269 PPI Pixel density
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 429
CPU: Quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
OS: Android 9.0 Pie, Android One
RAM: 2/3 GB
Storage: 16/32 GB, expandable up to 400GB via SD card
Rear Camera:13MP with f/2.2, Autofocus & LED flash
Among four of the budget-friendly devices unveiled in the event, the Nokia 4.2 is the most premium one. Not just on the price, the Nokia 4.2 looks premium in the design and looks side as well. The phone comes wrapped with glass both on the front and on the back. And polycarbonate material has been used on the frame.
Standing out from the rest of the budget smartphones, the Nokia 4.2 also comes with dual camera setup at the back. The phone houses a 13MP and 2MP camera duo at the back. It means that the phone is capable of capturing portrait images as well. On the front lies an 8MP selfie shooter. The selfie camera resides meticulously on the notch, which resides atop of the 5.71-inch HD+ display.
The phone is powered by Snapdragon 439 chipset, which we saw on the recently launched Vivo Y95 as well. And just like the Nokia 1 Plus and Nokia 3.2, Nokia 4.2 also comes with Android Pie on the software front. Being an Android One device, the Nokia 4.2 also gets regular software updates and security patches from Google. As far as the battery is concerned, a 3000mAh non-removable battery keeps the device all juiced up.
Nokia 4.2 Specifications:
Display: 5.71-inch TFT display
Resolution: HD (720 x 1520 pixels); 19:9 aspect ratio @ 295PPI Pixel density
The Nokia 9 Pure View is nothing if not fascinating. This might just be the HMDC’s most audacious phone ever! I mean, five rear-facing cameras are just insane. And if all the reviews are to be believed, the cameras really do a good job. Yes, the device has more than just cameras but since, this is something out of the ordinary, lets set aside the camera side of things first before going on about other specs.
In the Nokia 9, all lenses are 12 MP sensors with f/1,8 aperture but only two of then can shoot in colors, the others are Monochrome sensors made for the purpose of enhancing contrast and details in pictures. Similarly, all the cameras work together, you cannot use a single camera like the Mate 20 pro or the P20 Pro for that matter, with one exception, of course, the Monochrome lens!
Likewise, whenever the shutter is pressed, all five cameras shoot different exposures at the same time, which later is merged into one picture that is very detailed. Also, Nokia claims that depending on the scene, the individual cameras can even shoot multiple exposures to add better detail into a single image.
Well, you might even think its fishy because last year’s Snapdragon 845 can only support up to 3 cameras. So, how in the name of god does the Nokia 9 Pure View has 5 cameras, when it is using the 845? So, to clear out, Nokia has partnered with Light (makers of the 16- camera L16) to include Light’s Lux Capacitor camera-control chip in order to manage 5 cameras. And in a similar way, Nokia has also worked with Snapdragon to make that possible. A lot of work being done here!
Similarly, the front houses a 20 MP camera for selfies.
Now, moving on, the device, as already stated, uses last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 845chipset with Adreno 630 GPU. The device stands at 5.99 inches with a P-OLED screen and Gorilla Glass 5 protection at the front. The device also supports HDR 10.
As the trend goes, the device has an under display fingerprint sensor, facial unlock feature that works through the front camera, wireless charging and IP67 water and dust resistance.
Having said that, the Nokia 9 Pure View is not a device made for everyone. Yes, it packs in a lot of things but the main focus here is the cameras, which might or might not be the selling point of the device. It’s certainly not the usual stuff though, so it’s definitely worth the hype for now!
Realme phones are quite a hit in India and the brand has recently entered in Nepal too with the Realme C1 and the Realme 2 Pro! Now, the company is said to launch another smartphone, the Realme 3, which will be a successor to the Realme 2 launched a while ago. And the company has leaked some astrological specs of the device! Astrological? I am glad you asked!
So, this new device is said to come with a starry look at the back as the media invite states, “Power Your Style, Let’s take a dive into the sky of stars”. The handset will be unveiled on March 4 in New Delhi. The company has been teasing about the new phone via various social media platforms.
In reference to the leaks, the Realme 3, unlike its predecessors, will not feature a diamond- cut design and will have some sort of starry design.
Similarly, the Realme 3 could just be the second device in the portfolio to feature the MediaTek Helio P70 chipset. The company claims that the Realme 3 will have up to 30% increase in download speeds and 40% more power saving in comparison to the Realme 2 Pro! This should not be a surprise though because the P70 is based on a 12nm architecture opposed to the 14nm of the Snapdragon 660 chipset.
Also, there are rumors of the phone having two different variants, one that will be a Global version and other will be an Indian version if the leaks are to be believed! And rumors also back the fact that the Global version will feature MediaTek’s Helio P60 chipset.
As far as other leaks are concerned, we are not yet very sure of them. Some rumors follow that it could have a 48 MP camera at the back and also a depth sensor, the megapixel count of it is not yet revealed. Also, it is suggested that the device, or say the two variants will come equipped with Bluetooth v4.2 and have a 16:9 aspect ratio display, which is not very common these days.
However, the device seems to be mainly targeted to outperform the Redmi Note 7. But, how it fares in real life, will be known once it’s here.
As far as the pricing is concerned, the Higher end variant of the Realme 3 will be around Rs. 15,000 in India.
OPPO, a company that innovates every once in a while has bought something relatively new to the table. A smartphone camera with 10x optical zoom capability. For starters, it’s still a prototype, and the test unit on display was a triple camera module. Although, the smartphone that carried the camera setup wasn’t revealed.
Specs first, the main camera module is a 48MP sensor, which shoots at 12MP by default. Following that is a 120-degree ultra-wide lens (equivalent to 16mm) along with a “stealthy periscopic telephoto camera” (equivalent to 160mm). So with the help of all three cameras, the phone is capable of covering focal length from as low as 16mm up to 160mm, hence the 10x optical zoom.
This isn’t actually the first time we’ve seem 10x optical zoom on a smartphone. One of which was the Galaxy K Zoom, with focal length ranging from 24mm-240mm. But that had a monstrous lens and carried the form factor of a typical point and shoot camera.
OPPO’s implementation is better, the form factor and dimensions of the device are like any other smartphone, and the full final design of the phone is said to go public soon enough. Take a look a few camera samples from the yet unnamed smartphone, thanks to PCWorld and GSMArena:
Credit: GSMArena
Credit: GSMArena
Credit: GSMArena
So, it works, and that’s all we can say for the time being. It’s still in it’s testing phases, so should improve over time. The triple camera setup will make its way to OPPO’s next flagship and hopefully trickle down to other OPPO devices as well. It also remains to be seen if OPPO will license this technology out to third-party manufacturers.
A few days back, the Chinese tech company announced a mid-range smartphone with the fancy features like Full View display, pop-up selfie camera and under display fingerprint sensor. Namely known as the Vivo V15 Pro, the smartphone got all the tech enthusiasts awe-inspired. And at the time, when the Nepali tech community is hyped about the Vivo V15 Pro launching in Nepal, Vivo subtly announced a price drop on three of its smartphones.
The Vivo Y71 comes with a 6-inch tall display in an 18:9 aspect ratio. On the resolution front, the phone features HD+ resolution packing 268 pixels in every inch.
On the performance front, the phone has got Snapdragon 425 chipset bundled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. The onboard memory on this device can also be expanded up to 256GB via micro SD card. Talking about the camera, the phone flaunts a 13MP camera on the back. On the front, a 5Mp selfie shooter resides on the top bezel. And to the device energized, a 3360mAh battery continuously fuels the processes inside the phone.
Display: 5.99-inch FullView display, 18:9 aspect ratio
Resolution:1440 x 720 pixels
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
CPU: Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: Adreno 306
OS & UI: Android 8.1 Oreo; Funtouch OS 4.0
Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB storage; expandable via microSD card up to 256GB
Rear Camera: 13MP, f/2.0 aperture, autofocus, LED flash
Front Camera:5MP, f/2.2 aperture, Screen Flash
Connectivity: Dual-SIM (Nano), 4G, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, USB-OTG
Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity, Compass
Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3,360mAh battery
Price:Rs.17,890 Rs. 15,790
Vivo Y81i
The Vivo Y81i has already received a successor in the form of Vivo Y91i. Since the Y81i is already available in the Nepali market as well, the Y81i has got some price cut making it slightly affordable at the moment.
Talking about the Y81i specs, the firstly boasts a tall 6.22-inch display. And the screen is shielded with Gorilla glass on the top to evade the vulnerabilities of cracks and scratches during the falls. On the performance side, the phone has MediaTek Helio A22 chipset on its board. Talking about the memory, the phone comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard memory.
Camera wise, the Y81i comes with a single camera setup both on the front and on the back. In terms of resolution, the front one has got a 13MP camera and a 5MP camera on the back. And just like the Y71, the Y81i also comes with 3260mAh of a non-removable battery.
Display: 6.22-inch IPS LCD with Gorilla Glass protection
Resolution: HD+ (720 x 1520 pixels), 19:9 aspect ratio, 270 PPI
Chipset: MediaTek Helio A22, 12nm architecture
CPU: Quad-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
OS & UI: Android 8.1 (Oreo) with FunTouch OS 4.0 on the top
Memory: 2GB RAM; 16GB storage, expandable up to 256GB
Rear Camera: 13 MP with f/2.2, PDAF
Front Camera: 5MP with f/2.2
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Dual 4G), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS + GLONASS, Micro USB 2.0, USB-OTG, 3.5mm headphone jack
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Battery: Non-removable 3260mAh
Colors: Black and Red
Price: Rs.18,990 16,790
Vivo Y81
The Vivo Y81 is a more capable version of the Y81i since it has been boosted up with a more capable processor and a beefed-up memory. Namely speaking, the processor here is an Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 chipset. And the chipset has been coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard memory.
On the display side of the things, there is a 6.22-inch HD+ IPS panel. As far as the camera is concerned, the phone comes with a 13MP rear camera and a front camera.
Last year’s Huawei P20 Lite was one of the most remarked phones of 2018. The phone was also launched in Nepal as Huawei Nova 3e, and it was well received here as well. That’s the things of 2018. Now the smartphone is on the verge of receiving a successor. The Huawei P30 Lite is said to be unveiled on March 26 alongside the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro. Although there is enough time for the official unveiling of the P30 Lite, some of the specs have already been leaked. Huawei P30 Lite recently appeared on TENAA, that where its partial specifications have been divulged.
Huawei P30 Lite Specifications (Leaked)
Two variants of the P30 Lite were certified by the TENAA, which carried their identity in terms of models numbers MAR-AL00 and MAR-TL00. And when it appeared in TENAA, its database revealed the dimension of the phone to be 152.9 x 72.7 x 7.4 mm. And as suggested by the institution’s database, the phone will be relatively tall in terms of the display at the 6.15-inch size. Further divulgence includes the mention of Full-HD+ resolution display and a 3240mAh battery. Rumors suggest that the phone will also come aboard with an 18-watt fast charger.
Aiding to these leaks, further rumors and speculations have also been in the market. And the latest rumors suggest that the phone will get triple rear cameras at the back. And some leaked images of the phones readily cues that. Some rumors also claim that the triple camera module on the device will be a 20+16+2MP combo.
1 of 6
Apart from that, we can also see the use of a conventional type of fingerprint sensor at the back. On the front, a tiny water drop notch is conspicuous. Since such types of notch is quite trendy these days, that was more or less expected.
On the performance front, we might see Kirin 710 chipset implemented yet again. Last year, the Huawei P20 Lite and Huawei Nova 2i shared the same chipset. So we can also expect the same between the Huawei Nova 3i and the Huawei P30 Lite. Software-wise, the phone will boot on Android 9 Pie out of the box with Huawei’s custom skin EMUI 9.0 on the top.
Notch or bezels. This single statement has brought in a lot of discussions in the tech world where half the people are okay with notches while half criticize them. Amidst all this, Huawei brought to us something called a punch hole, which is literally a hole in the display. So, what does the Nova 4 pack other than a piercing in the display? Let’s find out!
Huawei Nova 4 Full Specifications
Design: Glass body, two-tone gradient coloring
Display: 6.41″ Full HD+ IPS LCD display with Punch-hole
First things first, let’s talk about the elephant of the phone, the front camera located on the top left corner. Well, I had expected this hole to be a little smaller than it actually is and that’s because Huawei’s official images show a different story. Nonetheless, having used phones with bezels, and notches in the middle, the Nova 4 is definitely a breath of fresh air. For me, new things are always welcome!
And the punch hole does not look so bad. When I use the phone, I completely forget that there is this black circle on one of the sides of the phone. It’s like notches, you get used to it! Sadly, the whole point of a display like this is to eliminate bezel, which hasn’t been done completely. You still see a thick line on the bottom with bezels even on the sides and top.
But this solution to the notch problem definitely gets a thumbs up from me, I would definitely prefer a punch hole display over a water drop notch. And for those who are wondering, the camera is completely below the glass.
Up front lies a 6.4-inch IPS LCD display with a full HD+ resolution. On paper, its competitor, the OnePlus 6T, certainly has an advantage due to its AMOLED display, but in real life, I found the Nova 4’s display to be on par with the 6T. The IPS display is bright, vivid, and colorful. The touch responsivity is buttery smooth and the overall experience you get with this display is great. There is also a setting that lets you choose your personal display calibration, so you can make the display pop out like you want to.
Design and build
Now, going for the aesthetics, the Nova 4 gives the vibe of the P20 pro’s looks, but the back doesn’t look like glass to me, maybe it’s high-quality plastic. Having said that, it feels comfortable to hold and just goes along in your hands. The power button is located at the right position and is very tactile. The fingerprint sensor is also located just where I want it to be and its really fast like other Huawei phones. The volume buttons are located on the left, they are tactile and where you want them to be.
Performance
The Nova 4 is powered by last gen Kirin 970. We know how good the Kirin 970 is, we have seen it on the P20 Pro and the Nova 3. And it has never once let me down. Yes, when you compare it with the Snapdragon 845 powered Oneplus 6T, the benchmark tells a whole different story. But, real life performance is quite good, I mean it is not the 6T level, but the Kirin 970 is no slouch by any means.
I played low-end to high-end games, browsed through a lot of applications and web pages, went through a ton of videos, but it has done everything in an effective manner. The phone even handles PUBG at its high setting. And the fact that it is able to do that is a win in itself.
The Huawei Nova 4 only comes in a single RAM variant which is 8 GB DDR4X, so you don’t have to worry about software hiccups if you are willing to cash in on this phone.
Benchmark Scores
AnTuTu V7: 196513
GeekBench 4 (Single-Core): 1765
GeekBench 4 (Multi-Core): 6385
3D Mark (Sling Shot Extreme – OpenGL ES 3.1): 1229
3D Mark (Sling Shot Extreme – Vulkan): 1184
Software
On the software side of things, the Huawei Nova 4 runs on Android Pie with EMUI 9.0.1 on top. Like I mentioned before, you won’t be facing any issues as far as software is concerned. With the EMUI 9.0.1 update, Huawei has evolved and the optimization is top notch. I have noticed smoother performance than how it was before on Huawei devices. And even some of the Huawei users have agreed to that.
However, you have the same bloatware on the device which I have been complaining for a few years now. Huawei should get rid of these applications on phones sold outside of China at least. Even I, as a reviewer, have never really used those applications as I think they just take up the internal memory. And this is where the OxygenOS on the OnePlus 6T shines, it is free of bloatware, and is one of the cleanest versions of Android with quite a lot of tricks inside the box.
Having said that, the Nova 4 also has several customizations. If you are a business person and want to keep your personal and business life separate, there is the Private Space feature. Likewise, you have motion control that consists of various gestures.
Camera
There are three cameras stationed on the rear side of the Huawei Nova 4 that work for a various purpose. The Nova 4 I reviewed comes with a 20mp primary camera, a 2mp depth sensor while the other 16MP camera works as a wide-angle lens.
Okay, first let’s talk about the aspect where a lot of smartphones don’t shine, the night environment. Taking both the Nova 4 and OnePlus 6T out for a comparison, I took a few samples from both the phones and the first thing I noticed is that the 6T has a better-detailed image with a good balance of exposure.
Zooming into a couple of the samples, you will see that the Nova 4 loses details while the 6T does a good job. Also, some of the samples from the Nova 4 just look muddy and noisy.
Now coming on to the night mode, well I need to mention that I don’t use its “default” nightscape feature the 6T has. I don’t like the images it produces so I just use the google camera port.
So comparing that against the Nova 4, I have to say that the quality of the samples you get will depend on the environment. In pitch dark, the samples are bad. But in presence of hits of sources of lighting, the Nova 4 does better work than the 6T. But the Nova 4 takes a lot of time to capture an image with night mode than the 6T does.
In the day time images, the details are a little better on the OnePlus 6T, and one thing I noticed with this same image is that the 6T has natural colors overall as the Nova 4 has tried to darken them.
Even the dynamic range is portrayed well by the 6T as the shadow details pop out without exposing the highlight details. But there were a couple of times such as the second image where Nova 4 has done better work in handling the dynamic range.
1 of 2
And when I talk about exposure, I have to say that almost all Huawei smartphones overexpose the images at times and this phone here is no different. If saturation is considered, yes, the colors on the pictures from Nova 4 look like they pop out more, but if the colors are zoomed into, they are unnatural.
The portrait is where both the devices do equally well, they have blurred out the necessary parts of the background and the subject has popped out quite well.
The other major shining point about the Nova 4 is its ultra-wide lens. The camera is able to capture wide-angle shots just by a single swipe. And this is quite useful. So with the wide-angle lens at the helm, I could capture wide-angle shots such as this. And even when I was in a crowded space where there was a little space to shoot photos, the phone let me capture a wide image.
This feature has been very helpful for me, so I will certainly miss it when I revert back to my daily driver.
Now the selfie is where the Nova 4 does well. Take the two samples below as an example. My shirt’s color is red so you can definitely notice where OnePlus 6T has done a blunder. The colors on the image don’t match the actual one as my shirt has turned pink, and the color tone of the overall image is colder which looks unusual. The Nova 4 though, nails the coloring and color tone.
Talking about the portrait selfies, both the Nova 4 and 6T are a hit and miss. You will notice that both the phones couldn’t identify my ear as the subject. The Nova 4 also has the lighting effect which can be applied to selfies, but I didn’t quite like it.
And even though the Nova 4 does well on the selfie front, it fares badly in video quality. The videos are just too shaky, and the colors are quite dull. Plus, it can only shoot 4K videos at 30 fps.
Extras
Extras really make phones standout these days, and even the phone companies have been excelling in this aspect.
So, let’s talk about the security options available on the device. The Huawei Nova 4 has both the fingerprint and face unlock feature. Both these options are snappy, and if it wasn’t for the unlocking animation, they would be as fast as the ones on the OnePlus 6T.
Now on to the speaker, there is a single mono speaker grill on the device. Comparing them side-by-side the speaker on the 6T is definitely louder than the Nova 4. However, there is the slightest bit of distortion on the 6T while the audio is much clearer on the Nova 4.
In terms of storage, the Nova 4 is available in only one variant which is 128 GB. One thing the 6T and Nova 4 share is the lack of microSD card slot. There’s also IR Blaster for the husband who can’t take control of the TV’s remote.
The earpiece on this device is in an unusual position at the extreme top. It did take me some time to get used to it as my traditional call position, if you call it, made the volume slightest bit lower. But there was no issue in the call quality whatsoever.
Huawei has also included an LED notification light sensor which you don’t see in phones ditching the traditional notch. And even though the light is in a weird position at the top, it still does the job for me.
And I think I forgot to mention this, the Nova 4 has a huge, huge, huge advantage over the OnePlus 6T, and yes, you guessed it right, it’s the headphone jack. Even though the jack is in the wrong place for me as it’s on the top, I have loved using my wired headphone on it.
Battery
There is a 3750mAh battery inside this device. In my heavy usage, the Nova 4 gave me a screen-on-time of around 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours which will definitely increase for a normal user.
Plus, there is an option here that lets users lower the screen resolution which, again, helps preserve battery. The OnePlus 6T also has a somewhat similar battery life, but the difference lies in the charging speed as OnePlus’ proprietary fast charging charges the 6T faster than Huawei’s 18-watt charger.
Conclusion
The Nova 4 is a decent phone no doubt, and it is facing stern competition from a lot of other devices, with the “mighty” OnePlus 6T being one of those. The effort Huawei has put into this smartphone here is quite commendable. The Nova 4 is a handy phone that looks quite good, it has top-notch internals including the wide-angle lens.
However, the pricing it comes with is similar to the 6T, which makes it the direct competitor as I mentioned before. Now I really like the Nova 4, but I still think the 6T takes the crown here due to the better camera, more-premium ness if that’s even a word, and just for the overall performance and usability.
However, the Nova 4 is 5,000 cheaper in Nepal and if you are looking for a phone with a wide angle lens over a telephoto lens and a better selfie camera, the Nova 4 is still a good choice.
Pros
Cons
– Punch-hole display is a good alternative to the notch
Samsung had a tough year in 2018 as its midrange J-series simply couldn’t compete against the likes of Xiaomi, Asus, and Realme. However, recently, Samsung changed the strategy and announced a completely new series, the Galaxy M. The company launched the Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 in India. Samsung Nepal has also not been behindhand to launch these phones in Nepal as the company launched the Galaxy M10 (see the price here) last week and today the company has made the Galaxy M20 available to the Nepali audience for a great budget price.
Samsung Galaxy M20 Overview
The Galaxy M20 is offered in 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant in Nepal. It comes with a 6.3-inch display with FULL HD+ resolution and a tiny notch on top. The company has included a dragontrail glass for protection against drops and scratches.
It is powered by a new Exynos 7904 Octa-core processor which should handle most of your tasks with a breeze, except for the high-end games. On our test, we found it to be comparable to Snapdragon 630 which means you can play high-end games like PUBG on low-end settings.
In terms of camera, there’s a dual-camera on the back which comprises of a 13MP primary lens and a 5MP wide-angle lens. There’s an 8MP front camera on the front. On our test, we found both the front and back camera to be “good enough”, nothing extraordinary though.
What we found extraordinary is the big 5000mAh battery. It’s easily one of the best battery life smartphones we have tested so far. It should last you for 2 days if you are a moderate user. Samsung has also included 15W fast charging and USB Type C port.
Battery: 5000mAh with fast charging support (15W fast charging, takes 2 hours and 15 minutes for full charge)
Price: Rs. 17,490 (3+32)
Samsung Galaxy M20 Price in Nepal & Availability
Samsung has launched the Galaxy M20 aggressively in Nepal and carries a price tag of just Rs. 17,490. This makes the Galaxy M20 unbeatable at this price tag, at least for now. So, what do you think of the Galaxy M20? Do you think its the best smartphone under Rs. 20,000 in Nepal? Would you recommend someone? Let us know in the comments below.
