Page 726 – GadgetByte Nepal

JBL Go 2 Review: A Portable Bluetooth Speaker on a budget

GadgetByte

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September 2, 2018

JBL Go 2 Review: A Portable Bluetooth Speaker on a budget

Gone are the days when the bulky and high power-devouring speakers used to be installed for amplifying sound. These days, speakers are available in small form factor, which intensifies the sound level to a great extent without major compromises on the sound quality. And adding to the list, there is the JBL Go 2 Speaker, which comes at a portable size and promises a superior audio quality. But how does this device fares in real life? Let’s find out in this review.

JBL Go 2 Specifications

Dimensions: 71.2 x 86.0 x 31.6 (mm)
Weight: 184 grams
Connectivity Options: wireless (Bluetooth), 3.5mm headphone jack
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 4.1
Controls: activate Bluetooth, power on/off, volume
Battery: Lithium-ion polymer (3.7V, 730mAh)
Recharge Time: 2.5 hours
Battery Backup (Up To): 5 hours
Frequency Response: 180Hz – 20kHz
Output Power: 3W
Transducer: 1 x 40mm
Signal to Noise ratio: ≥80dB
Protection: Waterproof (IPX7 certified), water resistant up to 3.3 ft
Speaker Channel Type: Mono
Intelligent Assistant Compatible: Google Assistant, Siri
Hands-Free Function: Yes
Audio Amplifier: Integrated
JBL Go 2 Price in Nepal: Rs. 4,500

Also Read: Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers under Rs. 10000 in Nepal

Build And Design

On the design front, the JBL Go 2 may not look all fancy and eye-catching but it definitely looks sophisticated in its rectangular shape and rounded corners. Wrapped with the rubberized housing and with only the speaker grills on the front, the speaker surely looks sturdy and durable. On the top, the rubberized wrapping with an IPX7 certification also acts as a waterproof jacket, which prevents the speaker from getting damaged or destroyed in the time of drizzle and downpour. So even in this rainy season, I didn’t have to worry about carrying the speaker outdoors to listen to music.

And as you can see, we have the Deep Sea Blue color variant of the speaker as our review unit, which definitely looks stunning. But even if you don’t like this color, you don’t have to worry about. Since the speaker comes in a staggering 12 colors, so you can surely pick one that best represents your tastes.

In its miniature size and with its punchy sound, the speaker looks perfect. It is also light in terms of weight. It just weighs 184 grams, just as heavy as my phone. In addition, it fits perfectly on my palm and carrying around in my pocket haven’t been a problem for me at all. However, there are no any sorts of straps or clips to hang it on the backpack or on the belt loops. I definitely prefer a strap like on the Bose soundlink micro or a clip like that on the JBL Clip 2. So I did find this absence disappointing since it is not fun to walk around listening to music with a speaker stuffed in a pocket or inside a backpack.

Buttons and Controls

Talking about the buttons, all the buttons on the speaker is placed on the top. And on the right of the speaker is a rubber door that hides the micro USB charging port and 3.5mm auxiliary jack for legacy devices. You could see power button, pairing button, volume rockers, and a multifunctional button aligned meticulously on the top. The multifunctional button works as a playback controller and it can also be employed to access the voice assistant on the phone and managing the phone calls.

The speaker also has a mic embedded to it In order to command the voice assistant and to use it as a speakerphone. However, I was not quite pleased with the performance of the mic as it is not particularly sensitive. And during the review period, I ended up using my phone most of the times to complete the tasks, especially while using the Google Assistant.

Performance

The speaker has a grille on the front through which the sound projects outward. There is also the JBL logo on the grille and right on the top of the logo, you can see a tiny LED indicator, which glows white when the speaker is on. The indicator starts glowing red in the case of low battery and in the time of charging.

On the performance front, I didn’t have much expectations from the Go 2 given its small size. But to our surprise, it turned out to be a great performer when it comes to sound. The speaker filled my room with crisp and balanced sound and my mood with euphoria. The speaker can crank any kind of music, from jingles and tunes to metal and rock songs. The treble and mids sound perfect with absolute frequency response and smooth amplification. However, Bass is just ok. When it comes to bass, the speaker couldn’t produce sufficient beats to rock my room. And Deep bass….. Deep Bass seems to be non-existent as the speaker only amplifies sound from 180Hz frequency onwards.

Also when I tuned the volume up to higher values, I noticed the increase in distortions with the upsurge in volume. The harsh audio output at higher volumes is quite fatiguing. So I don’t suggest amplifying the sound to higher volumes. And since there is just a single speaker facing forward, you won’t be getting any stereo output or a 360-degree sound. The absence of the multidirectional audio can be felt as any shift from the speaker’s path results in the muddier and less intense sound. This had been absolutely displeasing when I played songs through the speaker in a group hangout.

Despite the minor displeasures, I did find the device as a decent speaker for music listening. Not just on listening to music, the device is also a great companion speaker for watching movies and streaming any sorts of video content. I watched a few of the How I met your mother’s episodes and the experience had been legendary. The audio sounded smooth and clear and I didn’t encounter any audio/video syncing problems.

Battery

In terms of battery, the device comes with the 730mAh battery, which provided me four hours of back up when I listened to music with my phone’s and speaker’s volume at maximum. But on the lower volumes, the battery backup tends to increase. I also tried listening to the music at around 60% volume and the battery accompanied me for slightly over six hours. Frankly, I was not satisfied with the backup the battery provided and wished for more. But given the size and price of the speaker, that was understandable.

Verdict

Even in its small stature, the JBL Go 2 packs plenty of punch. With the amplification it provides and the audio quality it delivers, the JBL Go 2 is certainly one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers at its size and price. Yes, the device cannot produce 360-degree audio and battery backup is not so satisfactory. But that’s the compromise you have to make while buying small and inexpensive speakers.

If you are strictly into the audio quality, Bose Soundlink micro will be an ideal choice for you. The amplification is amazing and the quality of sound it delivers is really soothing. However, the speaker costs four times more than the JBL Go 2 on the purchase. For a multidirectional sound, Alloccacoc Audio Cube portable is a fine choice, which offers 360-degree sound and delivers a punchy 30-watt output. However, the speaker is rather big in size than the JBL Go 2 and is twice as much as expensive.

Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset announced: Shaping up to be a winner?

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September 2, 2018

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Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset announced: Shaping up to be a winner?

IFA 2018 is going on in Berlin and there are loads of mind-boggling tech gadgets showcased in the event. And in that eye-catching tech event, Huawei is surely one of the show stoppers. The Chinese tech giant, which has already stunned us with its three-camera setup in the Huawei P20 Pro this year has something different on its shelf this time around. This time, the tech titan has showcased its brand new Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset, which is the world’s first SoC (System-on-Chip) to feature a 7nm architecture. And this is not the only area, where the chipset has pioneered. There are plentiful of sectors, where the SoC flagged to be the first but we will get into that later.

Also Read: Understanding nanometer (nm) technology

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset was adopted by most of the Android smartphone manufacturers in the year 2018. And this chipset was better than Huawei’s last year’s chipset HiSilicon Kirin 970. So, Huawei seems earnestly rivaling against the SD845 chipset this time. And the keynote on the IFA 218 seriously cues that. When the advancement introduced in the chipset is properly acknowledged, one can certainly find its superiority over the SD845.

On the memory front, the Kirin 980 has 20 percent better bandwidth and has 22 percent lower latency when looked side by side with the SD845. This implies that apps can now launch faster and users will not have to experience any sorts of sluggishness. In terms of gaming, the Kirin 980 promises to produce 22 percent higher frame rates than the SD845 but keeping the power consumption level 32 percent lower.

Also Read: Things to consider while choosing a smartphone SoC

In the photography arena too, the chipset has got some handsome upgrades. The chipset features Dual ISP (Image Signal Processor), making use of which, the chipset delivers 46 percent faster camera processing over its predecessor, maintaining a 23 percent improvement in power efficiency while recording. There is also an improvement in latency by 33 percent.

Since Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used as a buzzword lately in every technological scenario, Huawei has given quite serious attention towards it. The tech giant had already provided the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for the AI processing in the last year’s Kirin 970 chipset. And this time, Huawei doubled its AI processing aspirations has taken a huge leap by providing dual NPU in its newest chipset. This made the Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset the first of its kind to feature Dual NPU inside it. With this setup, the SoC can perform an AI-assisted image recognition at the rate of 4500 images per minute. Huawei also showed that, by the same measure, the Snapdragon 845 could only reach up to 2,371 whereas the Apple’s A11, which enjoys performance leads in other categories, trailing far behind with only 1,458.

You might be interested in: Understanding smartphone processors’ Cores

In terms of architecture, the Kirin 980 uses a new octa-core architecture (4 x Cortex A-76 + 4 x Cortex A-55) that mixes big, little and medium cores for more efficiency. The two big cores run at 2.6GHz and get triggered when demanding tasks like gaming is on the progress. The two middles cores are clocked at 1.92GHz, which comes into play when less-intensive processes are going on. Browsing, texting, etc. can be taken for an instance. The four little cores, which are clocked at 1.8GHz kicks in when there is not much of a task. These cores are best used for the background processes or playing music since they demand less energy juice.

Also debuting in the new Kirin chipset is the Mali G76 GPU, which promises 30 percent more efficiency and lets the devices run high-end and graphics-demanding games with maximum fluidity. Also, there is chipset enjoys 1.4Gbps Cat 21 LTE modem, which promises to deliver faster cellular data transfers. In addition, the chipset supports ultra-fast 2133MHz LPDDR4X RAM, which will ensure speedier performance while multitasking. Furthermore, the Kirin 980 will offer the world’s fastest smartphone Wi-Fi speed, clocking in at 1,732Mbps. With this speed, this newbie has surpassed the SD845 by huge margins since the best speed of SD845 is 866Mbps with a Qualcomm modem and 1083Mbps with a third-party modem.

Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset pioneered as:

World’s first 7nm SoC
The world’s first Cortex-A76 based CPU
World’s first Dual NPU
The world’s first Mali-G76 GPU
World’s first 1.4Gbps Cat 21 Modem
The world’s first SoC supporting 2133MHz LPDDR4X RAM

For More IFA 2018 Coverage Click Here!

Vespa Electtrica set to go on sale in Europe

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GadgetByte

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September 1, 2018

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Vespa Electtrica set to go on sale in Europe

Vespa is one of the famous scooter brands has unveiled its first electric scooter – the Vespa Electtrica. The production of Vespa Electtrica will start this September and will go on sale in Europe in October. However, it will be available in the US and Asia from early 2019.

According to Piaggio, the initial sales will be limited, and later expanded in November to coincide with EICMA 2018, also known as the Milan Motorcycle Show.

Features of Vespa Electtrica

The new Vespa Electtrica has a retro Vespa design similar to the first one released back in 1946. Vespa claims that it has a maximum range of 62 miles (100km) and performance like that of a standard 50cc scooter. It takes about 4 hours for the silent, battery-powered scooter to fully charge. Maintaining the 4hr session charge every time will serve 100 percent of the battery capacity up to 10 years of use.

The top speed of the Vespa Electtrica has not been confirmed. The scooter has an Eco mode which limits the speed to 19mph for battery preservation. The Vespa Electtrica will feature a DC motor having a power of 2 kW (2.7 hp) continuous and 4 kW (5.4 hp) peak power.

The Vespa will also have an advanced AI functions that Piaggio Group is developing for its robot Gita. Piaggio claims that the artificial intelligence system will enable the vehicle to sense potential risks or accidents. It will also be able to recognize their operators and provide an alternate route if there is a bad traffic and use navigation services.

With the AI functions, the scooter can also detect pedestrian and vehicles near a certain radar. It allows the riders to access the digital dashboard, and connect phones with the scooter using Bluetooth.

The Electtrica X, a hybrid version, is also in work. It will have a total range of 124 miles. However, it will have a shorter battery life with the power of 31 miles. And when the battery levels get low, it uses the gas-powered generator.

Price of Vespa Electtrica

Although pricing hasn’t been announced yet, Piaggio Groups will line with high-end models. So we can assume the price of Vespa Electtrica to be around $7000.

Oppo A3s Review: Good design, large battery but what else?

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GadgetByte

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September 1, 2018

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Oppo A3s Review: Good design, large battery but what else?

Oppo is known for its affordable smartphone product range. Staying in the mid-range section, it’s mostly known for its affordability in Nepal. And so, another one in the lower-mid-range category is the Oppo A3s. Costing about Rs.19,490, this phone is really an affordable option. But is it really worth the price? Find out on our Oppo A3s review.

Latest Price: Rs. 19, 490 (2/16GB) | Rs. 24,590 (3/32GB) [Last updated on December 6, 2018]

Specs Overview:

6.2-inch (1520 x 720 pixels) 18:9 FullView 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 450 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 506 GPU
2GB RAM with 16GB storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
ColorOS 5.1 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo)
Dual SIM (nano + nano + microSD)
13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture, secondary 2MP camera with f/2.4 aperture
8MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture, 1.12μm pixel size
face unlock
Dimensions: 156.2×75.6×8.2mm; Weight: 168g
Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS, USB OTG
4230mAh battery

Design and Build

Upon first look, the phone appears quite attractive. Its big, bright and glossy design catches your eye instantly. It has a plastic build but it appears premium due to its glossy finish and sturdy construction.

The glossy finish means it’s prone to finger smudges, but it comes with a soft rubber case in the box. And the phone is big, and quite so, which might be due to its large battery. It sometimes bothers you that you can feel it in your pocket while walking or sitting down. And if you snap on the case, it becomes even bigger!

However, since the phone’s curvy edges give it some grip, it is easy to hold despite it’s size. The location of the speaker is a bummer, though. It’s located in a place where you can very easily muffle it while gaming or watching videos. I had to hold it very awkwardly to prevent muffling the speakers while gaming, which is very unsettling. Also, the lack of a fingerprint sensor is another downer. Plus, there is no LED notification light, which invites its own set of inconveniences.

On the design front, it has its bright color, glossy design and its sturdy construction going for it which is good enough.

Display

The large 6.2” IPS LCD display with a 19:9 aspect ratio looks good too. The HD+ resolution (720 x 1520) can produce good vibrancy and accurate colors without much pixilation. It also has good brightness levels allowing you to use your phone quite well in the sun. But for a large screen such as this, I felt like the resolution wasn’t enough. Pictures aren’t that sharp or detailed, but I guess that’s what we get for the price. And if you can get over that, watching multimedia on the large screen is actually fun!

Of course, like every other phone of today, there is a notch. But the apps are not optimized for the notch experience. If you play games in full screen, it will cut out some parts of it, making it somewhat inconvenient to play. And it’s similar with the videos. You will get an option to watch them in either 16:9 or 19:9 aspect ratios, but choosing the latter intrudes the content quite a bit. If the apps were optimized for the notch, like the OnePlus 6, then, it wouldn’t be as bad. Oppo should consider this in their other upcoming phones.

Cameras

Following the industry trends, Oppo A3s, too, put dual cameras at the back. A 13 MP primary sensor with a 2 MP depth sensor is what you get for that Bokeh effect in your pictures. While the phone does a decent job with the portrait mode, its edge-detection needs some work. It’s not the best depth capture, sometimes, feeling like its more software than the hardware at work. But most times, it will do a good job.

As for regular images, the cameras are capable of capturing good photos in well-lit conditions. There are enough details but colors come out a bit off, and aren’t accurate enough to make it true-to-life. It mostly over-saturates colors, which sometimes can look pleasant and other times, not so much. And even the Auto-focus is quite slow, making the objects blurry with even the slightest movement. And as for low-light photos, it’s even worse. Photos get quite muddy with a considerable amount of noise, highlights are blown, shutter speed lags, and a bunch of other issues. The cameras are just not good at all!

OPPO A3s Back Camera Samples

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The 8 MP selfie camera is also not something to be proud of for Oppo. The selfie camera can take artificial portrait shots, which is better than expected. Similar to the rear cameras, selfies come out decent in good lighting conditions, but in low-light, it’s the same story. Also, there’s beauty mode in there as well, which can do a pretty good job of beautifying your face.

Normal Mode Vs Beauty Mode

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As for videos, the phone is capable of capturing 1080p videos @ 30 fps. Still shooting can produce good results, but with no Image Stabilization, they tend to shake a lot even with the slightest amount of movement. Focusing, too, is very slow in videos.

Ironically, for a “selfie leader”, cameras, on this thing, are actually a hit and a miss!

Check out all the high-resolution camera samples here

Performance

With the Snapdragon 450 chip powering the phone, the phone should be powerful enough, but there are things holding it back. It can handle some heavy applications well enough. Playing Asphalt 9 was smooth enough, after some good amount of loading time. Also, PUBG is playable smoothly in low graphics and low frame rates. But multi-tasking on it is a bit stuttery as the 2GB RAM on the device is just not enough, considering the heavy ColorOS 5.1 skin on top of the Android 8.1.

Out of 2GB, only about 800 MB is usable for multi-tasking, which is enough for small apps. But if you try doing that while playing games, you will start noticing the lags between transitions. Even launching YouTube with some apps open in the background takes a while.

OPPO A3s Software UI

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I mostly blame the heavy ColorOS skin for this. There’s a lot squeezed in the software and also plenty of bloatware on it. It runs deep into the UI and you will need a lot of getting used to with it.

Multi-tasking tray shows only the icons of the app running in the background and not their windows. But the thing that annoyed me most was not being able to swipe and remove the notifications. You have to swipe left and delete them, which is very unsettling. Now, Oppo users must be used to this, but for me, it made for a not-so-good user experience.

However, the software does have some noteworthy features. Take Game Space for example, which is very useful while playing games. It tweaks the graphics and offloads memory wherever it can, so that you can play heavy games like PUBG on it without much glitches. But even so, some stutters can occur, as the small RAM can only do so much.

Storage

As for the storage, Oppo A3s only has a 16 GB memory onboard. But there is a dedicated microSD card slot through which you can add up to 256 GB of storage, which you will need. Because if you just add a few games on it, you’ll begin to get low storage notifications. And moving those apps to your SD card is another hassle too.

Battery

This phone packs a huge battery – a humongous 4230 mAh unit! It is probably the highlight of the device. With normal usage, I was even able to get two days of usage on it with a full charge. And with heavy usage, the battery still lasted the whole day and then some. Not having to keep peeking at the battery percentage while playing is actually great.

However, with the micro USB and no Fast Charging feature, the phone takes over 3 hours to fully charge! With a huge battery such as this, there should have been a Fast Charging feature, but then again, it is unfair of me to ask all that for the price of this phone. So, I just stuck to charging it overnight.

Conclusion and Verdict

All in all, I have mixed feelings about this phone. It is well built with good design and features a satisfactory display. There’s Face Recognition, which, even though it’s software, does a pretty good job, even in low-light. Although, I would’ve preferred a fingerprint sensor over that.

The big battery is the major highlight of the phone. Everything else is either just average or even lower. The Snapdragon 450 processor is held back by the small RAM, considering its heavy skin on top. Gaming is okay, but multi-tasking is satisfactory at best. The cameras are also nothing worth mentioning. And it may be just me talking, but I really didn’t like the UI. Also, while the display looks attractive, the lack of optimization of the apps for the notch kind of bugs you. Yes, many aspects of the phone are only average, but then again, I get reminded of its price!

If only they could’ve included 3 GB of RAM, the performance would’ve been commendable, but it might also have increased the price as well. However, due to the lack of good competition for this phone in the price segment, the Oppo A3s might be a good deal.

Pros:

Elegant design
Large display
Large battery
Good processor for the price

Cons:

Average camera
Small RAM and on-board storage
Speaker location
Heavy ColorOS UI
No LED Notification lights

HTC U12 Life announced with Snapdragon 636, Dual Cameras, Splash-resistant

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September 1, 2018

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HTC U12 Life announced with Snapdragon 636, Dual Cameras, Splash-resistant

There was a hype about HTC launching a new “U” device a week back. We already guessed it to be the HTC U12 Life, and it turned out to be true. While the Taiwanese smartphone company made an impact with its devices like the HTC U11 and the HTC U12 Plus. But even so, the company is in a downward spiral – and the U12 Life could very well be the last Life-series smartphone, i.e. if it doesn’t perform well.

However, that remains to be seen. As for now, HTC unveiled the HTC U12 Life at IFA 2018 in Berlin. And HTC seems to have done quite a bit of addition, and subtraction with the phone. Getting the right mix of specs on a mid-range smartphone is a tricky business after all.

So, the U12 Life shares only its screen size with the premium U12 Plus. It sports a 6.0″ LTPS LCD display without a notch. The screen resolution is Full HD+ (2160 x 1080) with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Instead of the notch, it has noticeable bezels, but that is the trade-off we have to settle for. The acrylic unibody doesn’t have any IP67 water or dust resistance, but HTC says it’s Splash-resistant, just like the OnePlus 6. Also, the design somewhat resembles the Google Pixel, with two-tone colors at the back. In addition, it has brought back the 3.5 mm headphone jack!

There are dual cameras at the back: a 16 MP primary shooter with a 5 MP secondary camera. The front camera is a single 13 MP sensor. The phone is capable of recording 4K videos @30fps, but settles for EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) instead of OIS.

Under the hood, a Snapdragon 636 powers the phone backed by 4 GB of RAM. Also, it features 64 GB of on-board storage, with a hybrid microSD card slot. A considerably large 3600 mAh is on board with Fast charging.

All in all, we can see that HTC is trying hard to cater to the customer wants. It brought back the headphone jack, has expandable storage, etc. but it cut some corners with the display resolution, removed HTC Edge Sense, and there’s no IP rating. And all that comes at a price of 279 pounds, which converts to around $360. Will the exchange pay off for HTC, or will it be last “Life” of HTC? With so much competition with the likes of Pocophone F1, we’ll have to see. The HTC U12 Life will go to sales starting late September.

For More IFA 2018 Coverage Click Here!

Motorola One and One Power unveiled: The New G-series?

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September 1, 2018

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Motorola One and One Power unveiled: The New G-series?

We really are seeing a lot of smartphones these days – especially in the mid-range section. And after IFA 2018 in Berlin, we have quite a number of smartphones out there now. While many of those phones were already in hype, Motorola was quiet. And then bam! It unveiled the Motorola One and Motorola One Power. The Lenovo owned company, it seems, is starting a new lineup with these two phones – the Motorola One series.

Well, there were many rumors around already quite a while ago. Leaked specs and pictures were in full circle, and there were talks that the Motorola P30 in China was Motorola One for the global market, while Motorola P30 Note was supposed to equal the Motorola One Power.

But, even if the One and One Power share their design and hardware with their Chinese counterparts, they’re separate entities on their own. The Motorola One Power seems to be a blend between the P30 and the P30 Note. The Motorola One looks like a new venture entirely. But the best thing about these phones is that they run on the clean Android One. Hence the names, Motorola One and One Power.

The Motorola One features a 5.9″ IPS LCD display with HD+ resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio, and a notch. The phone sports a glass back with a dual camera setup. It features a 13 MP primary sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor. Also, the front camera rests at an 8 MP sensor. Under the hood, a Snapdragon 625 chipset powers the phone with 4 GB of RAM. There’s also 64 GB of storage on board and 3000 mAh of battery.

The more premium of the duo, Motorola One Power has a slightly larger of everything. It features a 6.2″ IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution with the same 19:9 aspect ratio. It’s pretty similar to the Motorola One in terms of design. Its dual camera rests at a 16 MP primary sensor with a 5 MP secondary lens. The front camera seems to be the same 8 MP lens. Inside, a slightly more powerful Snapdragon 636 powers the phone with 4 GB RAM. It’s also got the same 64 GB storage with 4850 mAh battery!

Also Read: Motorola Smartphones Price in Nepal

The specs don’t look that impressive on paper, as its nothing we haven’t seen before. But it’s Motorola we’re talking about. A brand that’s never failed to impress us before. In addition, with Android One on both of them, they might be up to something. Also, these will be among the first in line to receive Android 9.0 Pie updates! Both the phones should be available in October in Europe, Asia Pacific and South American regions.

For More IFA 2018 Coverage Click Here!

Micromax’s YU Ace announced with a small price tag and a huge battery

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August 31, 2018

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Micromax’s YU Ace announced with a small price tag and a huge battery

It’s been a while since we saw a YU launch a new smartphone. That was until yesterday, with the announcement of the brand new YU Ace. This is an online exclusive smartphone, more specifically Flipkart exclusive. The smartphone starts at INR 6,000 for the base 2GB RAM and 16GB storage model and will start shipping September 6.

The slightly higher spec variant comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage and will cost you INR 7,000. Internals include a MediaTek MT6739WW, a quad-core Cortex A53 processor clocked at 1.5GHz. The phone sports a 5.45″ display based on the popular 18:9 aspect ratio with resolutions of 720×1440 pixels, and a 2.5D glass on top.

The smartphone gets a 13MP camera at the back capable of 1080p video recording. The front gets a 5MP selfie camera with LED flash. The smartphone also features a fingerprint sensor below the rear camera, or you can use the face recognition feature as well.

The YU Ace runs on a relatively huge 4000mAh battery and Android 8.0 Oreo. Other features include expandable storage, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, MicroUSB, and a promised Android Pie update. The smartphone will be available in three color options i.e Charcoal Grey, Electric Blue, and Rose Gold.

The smartphone will most probably not be available in Nepal. Looking at its predecessor’s availability/success and the availability of other sub-brands like Realme and Honor it probably won’t. However, the Picophone from Xiaomi says otherwise, so fingers crossed.

Specifications of YU Ace:

Display: 5.45″ 18:9 display with resolutions of 720×1440 pixels
CPU: MediaTek MT6739WW, quad-core Cortex A53 processor clocked at 1.5GHz
OS: Android 8.0 Oreo with a promised update to Android Pie
RAM: 2/3GB
GPU: PowerVR GE8100
Storage: 16/32GB
Expandable Memory: Up to 128 GB (dedicated)
Rear Camera: 13 MP with LED flash; up to 1080p@30fps
Front Camera: 5MP with LED flash; up to 720p@30fps
Sensors: Fingerprint (rear-mounted), Accelerometer, proximity
SIM: Dual SIM with 4G
Battery: 4000mAH non-removable
Price (2GB/16GB): INR 6,000
Price(3GB/32GB): INR 7,000

The future of TVs realized with Samsung 8K QLED TV

GadgetByte

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August 31, 2018

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The future of TVs realized with Samsung 8K QLED TV

Let me first say that I used to be quite ignorant about these video resolutions ad such. I would be perfectly content watching a Full HD video (1080p) or even an HD (720p) one. I never realized how great these hi-res videos would be…until I watched a movie in 4K in one of those 4K TVs! For those of you, like me, who don’t think these hi-res stuff don’t matter…you are wrong! You don’t know what you’re missing until you experience it. And now, we’re moving past 4K. The future of TVs realized with Samsung 8K QLED TV!

Samsung had been working on 8K televisions for quite a while, and we saw the result at the IFA 2018 in Berlin. Samsung and LG unveiled their 8K TV sets. But while LG thinks the public is not quite ready for such technology, Samsung is putting its 8K QLED TV for sale next month. Samsung coined the term themselves. QLED means Quantum-dots-infused LED, which is supposed to have enhanced performance. Also, QLED’s are capable of achieving brightness levels never possible before.

Also Read: Samsung TVs Price in Nepal

Samsung’s QLED TV is named Samsung Q900R. It’s capable of achieving 4000 nits of peak brightness, which has never been possible before! The highest amount of brightness we’ve seen until now is only 2000 nits in LCD TVs. This will offer you punchier colors, better highlights, and redefine your definition of vibrant pictures. Also, the Q900R is supporting HDR 10+, which means it can also recognize and display certain highlights in pictures. The TV optimizes the brightness levels, so that the contents don’t appear darker than intended. In addition, the 4000 nits of peak brightness means you’ll be able to watch TV quite well, even in flooded light situations.

While there is no 8K content available out there to watch on this thing right now, the Q900R is also capable of upscaling low resolution contents to make it fit to watch on the bigger screen. For that, it has a special AI upscaling software that analyzes videos frame by frame and enhances the quality and sharpness. How cool is that? One thing is for sure, the Samsung Q900R will make an impact on our viewing experience. And why not? This is the television of the future. Now the only thing to do, for us, is to wait when the content creators will come up with 8K content.

The Samsung Q900R will come out in sizes of 65″, 75″, 82″ and 85″. While bigger is definitely better for a thing such as this, pick one that fits in your living room. Of course, right now, with the lack of 8K content, you don’t quite have a reason to get this TV right now. But Samsung has it out there, at it will start selling these sets next month, probably by October. There’s no word on the pricing yet. But we are sure, it will be put quite a hole in your wallet.

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ZTE launches Axon 9 Pro with high-end flagship features

GadgetByte

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August 31, 2018

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ZTE launches Axon 9 Pro with high-end flagship features

Over the past 12 months or so, ZTE has been through a lot. As a result, the company had to skip last year’s flagship. However, it seems to have gotten past all of that with the release of its new flagship – the ZTE Axon 9 Pro.

ZTE Axon 9 Pro Specifications

The ZTE Axon 9 Pro is the successor to the Axon 7 that had managed to create quite a buzz during its launch. The company has downgraded the display quality to a Full HD+ resolution from Axon 7’s Quad HD resolution. However, there is the inclusion of a HDR10 compliant display and an RGB sensor for better color accuracy.

The display this phone sports is a 6.21-inch AMOLED display with a notch on top. It is powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 6 GB of RAM. ZTE has included 128 GB of onboard memory on the device with an option to expand it up to 512 GB.

One of the major USPs of the ZTE Axon 9 Pro is definitely the software. The device comes under Google’s Android One platform which is as stock as a smartphone gets. That coupled with its internals, I certainly expect it to shine in the performance department. The device also has stereo speakers like its predecessor.

There are dual cameras on the back measuring 12 MP and 20 MP with another 20 MP camera sitting on the front. This selfie camera also works for facial recognition. A fingerprint scanner rests on the scratch-resistant glass back.

The ZTE Axon 9 Pro is also water resistant with the IP68 rating. There is a large 4,000 mAh battery lighting up the device. It is chargeable through its Quick Charge 4.0 enabled charger or you can use the Qi wireless charging method.

ZTE Axon 9 Pro Price and Availability

ZTE is well-known for its affordable flagships. Now, the Axon 9 Pro is cheaper than most of today’s high-end devices, but it is still expensive than the OnePlus 6 as it runs for €650. However, the OnePlus 6 lacks some of the features this device possesses.

ZTE hasn’t specified the exact date the Axon 9 Pro will be available in the market, but the device will first set foot in Europe. Asia launch will follow.

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Blackberry unveils the Key2 LE with physical keyboard and cool colors!

Pratima Adhikari

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August 31, 2018

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Blackberry unveils the Key2 LE with physical keyboard and cool colors!

If you have forgotten what a physical keyboard on a smartphone looks like, well here is a gentle reminder by Blackberry! Yesterday, we witnessed the unveiling of the Blackberry Key2 LE, a lighter and cheaper version of the Key2, which if we remember was made keeping the business users in mind. The liter version, however, makes sure that the iconic features of its predecessor are well preserved while keeping the price affordable.

The key2 LE has changes made in the internals with it featuring the Snapdragon 636 while the Key2 greeted with a Snapdragon 660 chipset. The successor gives you an option for 32 or 64 GB storage paired with 4 GB RAM. The display stands at 4.5 inches with the Key2 LE flaunting the same 1080 x 1620 resolution like the standard version.

Changes have also happened in the camera front where the Key2 LE features 13+5 MP cameras with the secondary lens functioning as a depth sensor. The predecessor featured two 12 MP cameras at the back. There is an 8 MP shooter at for selfies. Again, the good news is these cameras are capable of shooting 4K videos at 30 fps.

Users will also have to settle for a lesser battery than the Key2 as the lighter version only has a 3,000 mAh battery while the standard version had 3,500 mAh capacity. Well, a lot of compromises for the price isn’t it? The Key 2 is available internationally for a price of $399 for 32 GB version and $499 for 64 GB variant. There are three color options available namely, atomic (Red), champagne (Gold/beige) and slate (black).

The Blackberry Key2 LE is a phone for people who really like a physical keyboard. The device features a redesigned physical keyboard with keys that are about 10% larger than the previous model.

Blackberry Key2 LE Specifications:

Operating System: Android 8.1 Oreo
Display: 4.5 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with Gorilla Glass Protection
Resolution: 1080 x 1620 pixels, 3:2 ratio
CPU: Octa-core 1.8 GHz Kryo 260
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
GPU: Adreno 509
RAM: 4 GB
Storage: 32 or 64 GB expandable up to 256 GB
Rear Camera: 13 MP f/2.2 +5 MP f/2.4 depth sensor with dual LED dual-tone flash, HDR Panorama
Front Camera: 8 MP
Video: 2160p@30 fps, 1080p@30 fps
SIM (s): Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Battery: 3000 mAh Non-removable Li-Ion battery
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 а/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, WiFi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC.
Sensors: Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass.
Price: $399 for 32 GB version and $499 for 64 GB variant.

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