Lately, we have been seeing Nokia launching the mid-range handsets aggressively. The smartphone maker has included a fair number of smartphones in its midrange lineup in 2018. Nokia X5 (Nokia 5.1 Plus), Nokia X6 (Nokia 6.1 Plus), Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6 2018 and Nokia 3.1 can be taken for an instance. And this time, the company launched the new handset at an event in the US. Namely known as the Nokia 7.1, this new handset will go on sale on the US and UK markets as well.
The Chinese smartphone maker has been lately focusing on the Asian market for its sales. But this time, HMD Global stepped up and launched its product at an event in the US. With this step, it can be seen that, with Nokia 7.1, HMD Global also has plans to expand its territory to the US and UK as well. But will it be able to mark its presence in the crowded smartphone market? That depends on the specs and features of the handset. So let’s dive straight into the Nokia 7.1 features.
Nokia 7.1 Overview
In terms of display, the phone comes with the 5.84-inch IPS panel with a notch on the top. The display on the phone is said to come up with the “PureDisplay screen technology” and the Nokia 7.1 is inherently the first smartphone to have this feature. The display on the phone also supports HDR 10 and is capable of converting SDR contents to HDR in the real time. And on the resolution front, Nokia 7.1 is rich with Full-HD+ resolution in a 19:9 aspect ratio and packing 432 pixels in every inch.
The design is another aspect, where the phone looks impressive. The phone comes with glass on the front and on the back with an aluminum frame sandwiched in between. With such design language, the phone looks appealing and premium at the same time.
On the performance front, the smartphone comes with Snapdragon 636 chipset coupled with 3/4GB RAM and 32/64GB of storage. And in terms of camera, the Nokia 7.1 features a dual camera with Zeiss optics at the back. The dual camera on the rear panel is the combination of 12MP and 5MP sensors. The primary 12MP sensor is the major player while capturing the images whereas the secondary camera or the depth-sensing camera back the primary one while capturing the portrait images. On the front, there is an 8MP camera for the selfies. Nokia 7.1 also possesses “bothie” feature in its camera with which the phone will be capable of capturing images from both the front and back cameras in a single frame.
Like all the new Nokia phones, the 7.1 is also the product of the Android One program. So this handset also comes with the stock version of Android. The phone initially runs on Android Oreo (v8.1) out of the box and it is promised with the Android Pie (v9.0) update in November. The phone will also receive other regular updates for two years and security patches for three years.
Fueling the processes inside the phone is a 3060mAh battery. The battery on the phone also supports fast charging feature with which the phone gets charged from 0 to 50% just in 30 minutes.
The Nokia 7.1 will come in two colors: “gloss midnight blue” and “gloss steel.” The phone will be available in a 32GB variant in the UK for €319 and the 64GB will demand a price of €349. However, the US will only receive the 64GB variant, which will demand a price of $349.
The A-series has always been a gateway from mid-range devices to the flagship smartphones in Samsung smartphones. They pack in some of the features from the mid-rangers while some they share with the flagships. This has been the case for a while now with Samsung’s long line-up of smartphones of the A-series, and that is continued with this device here. This is the Galaxy A8 Star which is Samsung’s answer to the growing number of cheaper high-end Chinese phones. So, is this device a star of the smartphone galaxy? Well, let’s find out.
Samsung Galaxy A8 Star Specifications
Display: 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display
Resolution: 1080 x 2220 pixels @ 392 PPI pixel density & 18.5:9 ratio
Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3700 mAh battery, supports fast charging (9V, 1.67A)
Price: 59,990
Display
The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star follows the trend of Samsung’s display being top-notch, even though there is no notch here. The front has a tall 6.3-inch full HD+ display with shredded top and bottom bezels just like the Galaxy A8+.
I like everything about this display, it is bright outdoors and with the Super AMOLED panel, it is well saturated, pleasing to the eyes and colorful. It certainly gives other smartphones a run for their money. If you compare it against the OnePlus 6, which is available in a similar price tag in some countries, they look quite similar to the eye. However, the bezels could have been a little shorter to make the phone look even more attractive.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star has followed the trend of smartphones sporting minimal bezels and a glass back. This device is an addition to the popular A8 series. What we get with it is a boxy design that has sharp edges all around. These sharp edges make the phone a little bit difficult to use. I know some of you might like this, but at a time when most of the smartphones are focused on better looks and on-hands feel, Samsung has gone old school. But still, the device has a heft to it and feels premium. The shiny glass back looks quite good don’t you think? But yes, like every other smartphone of the present time, it attracts fingerprints, so I carried around a microfiber cloth at all times.
Sandwiched between the two glasses is a metallic rail that helps with better gripping. On this rail rest a few buttons. There is a power button on the right with the volume rockers and the infamous Bixby button on the left.
For me, the worst feature of this device is definitely the placement of these buttons. Just look at it. I don’t understand why Samsung has cut corners in the user experience. The buttons are hard to reach and whenever I thought I had pressed the volume button, it turned out to be the Bixby button and trust me it gets quite annoying when it happens quite a lot of time during the day.
Battery
The other area where the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star didn’t live up to my expectation is on the battery front. With the 3700 mAh battery at its helm, I had expected it to last for more than a day. However, that was not the case as it gave me a screen-on-time of around 5 hours – 5 hours and a half. Now running for all that time is good, but for that size and for what its worth, maybe it’s not good enough. Also, this device still has full HD+ resolution, so it should be working for a long time right? There is a fast charging tech embedded inside though with the default charger which is Type-C enabled, so that’s good!
Security
The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star, like every other smartphone of 2018, comes with dual security options – a fingerprint sensor and face unlock. The fingerprint sensor gets unlocking right every time and is a little faster than some of the Samsung devices. The face unlock, on the other hand, takes just a second to unlock the device, so you have that.
However, the disappointment here is the placement of the fingerprint sensor. Samsung and fingerprint sensors! Something that never goes together. I had praised Samsung for improving the fingerprint position on this year’s devices the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9, but yet again Samsung has fallen short of making the fingerprint easy to reach. And when you have to constantly use your phone every now and then, well, it definitely gets annoying.
Performance and Software
On to the performance, the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star features the Snapdragon 660 chipset with 6 GB of RAM. I had no issues what so ever with the CPU of the device. It performs all your basic task flawlessly and lags are already the things of the past in Samsung smartphones. It has been able to handle my day-to-day usage efficiently as well. However, you can only play pubg in medium settings, which is kind of a bummer since we can play it in high settings in the similar priced OnePlus 6.
So, the talking point here is definitely the price. The A8 Star is surely expensive and compared against the OnePlus 6, the latter certainly outperforms the former with its Snapdragon 845 chipset. Yes, you get a flawless processor with the A8 Star with 6 GB of RAM, but if you’re paying a high price for it, you should definitely get the best. It should at least be equipping the Snapdragon 710 since even the cheaper Mi 8 SE has the same chipset. And if you talk about RAM & ROM, it doesn’t feature DDR4X RAM or UFS storage, so, does the pricing justify everything?
One the software front, the device comes with Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung’s Experience UI 9.0 on top. The software is fluent and everything, and it is free of any sort of stutters if you are wondering. And if you are curious about when Android pie will arrive on the A8 Star, well we don’t know that yet.
Samsung A8 Star | Software UI
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Camera
The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star follows the dual camera bandwagon by equipping a dual 16- and 24-megapixel cameras, both with f/1.7 aperture. The pictures come out great, and they are well detailed and sharp.
Samsung A8 Star Back Camera Samples
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They are saturated as well but if you compare it against some of the other devices of its price range, you will see where it shines and where it falls behind.
The best part of the images I shot is certainly the details captured. The OnePlus 6 loses a lot of details when you zoom in.
However, if you see the golden colored plates on the images (below), you will notice how artificial it looks. And even though Samsung’s phones shoot oversaturated images, the OnePlus 6 certainly outperforms it with the saturation and colors front.
Also, the OnePlus 6 retains a high dynamic range whereas the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star falls only a little behind in that aspect.
There is also the Live focus mode on the phone which lets you toggle the intensity of the blur. The fake blur is indeed good, but if you zoom in you can easily notice the areas around the head where it hasn’t been able to blur out properly. Compare it against the OnePlus 6 and you will notice the 6 doing it better right away.
The rear cameras on this device are capable of shooting FHD and 4K videos at 30fps. Now I tried full HD videos on this device, and even without stabilization engraved, it takes stable videos with good colors and zoom capabilities. And yeah, it shoots slow-motion videos as well, but the quality is just about average.
During night time is where things get interesting. Although the pictures are noisy and slightly grainy, they are well saturated and retain the colors quite nicely if you ask me. If you zoom in the pictures, you will notice the loss in quality, but for what it’s worth, it definitely takes some decent pictures.
Samsung A8 Star Low light Samples
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On the front side rests a 24-megapixel selfie camera which is the highest megapixel count on any Samsung’s selfie camera phones. Samsung has definitely taken this step to vie against the phones from Oppo and Vivo among others. Take a look at some of the samples here. All of these images have good details and they have captured a natural skin tone. You also can apply a lot of stickers on your selfies if you want to. There is also a night mode for selfies, but I didn’t see any major difference here. So, all in all, Samsung has finally felt the necessity of focusing on selfies as well.
Samsung A8 Star Front Camera Samples
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To check out all the images in high resolution, click here.
Call Quality, Speakers, and Storage
In terms of call quality, I had no issues with this phone. The callers on the other end never complained about the call and the earpiece gives off a pretty loud sound.
The A8 Star has packed in a bottom firing speaker. This speaker is alright to fill up a small room. It is nowhere close to the dual stereo speakers of the Galaxy Note 9 or the Galaxy S9 though. And if you play pubg or watch a lot of videos, you will have to be extra careful not to block it.
Storage wise, the Galaxy A8 Star has 64 GB of storage with up to 400 GB of expandable storage.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Samsung Galaxy A8 Star is a good device with a crisp display, a well-performing CPU and a good set of cameras both front and back, and it packs in almost everything you want in a smartphone. However, it all comes down to the pricing. A lot of smartphones from the companies like OnePlus, Huawei and Xiaomi are giving a tough competition to Samsung if the price point is considered. While the flagship smartphones may be worth a fortune due to the features they have, the price tag of the Galaxy A8 Star is a little expensive. The mid-range smartphone battle is getting tougher day by day and Samsung should focus on price if it wants to stay up in the game.
A set of three cameras on a side of a phone is still a huge thing in the smartphone world. Huawei P20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 are one of the popular handsets that come with three cameras at the back. Before the concept of triple turns a mainstream feature in a smartphone, LG took the concept seriously and brought a new smartphone, namely known as the LG V40 ThinQ. That’s not all, LG also tried to hit hard on the part where Samsung and Huawei missed. Alongside the setup including three cameras at the back, LG has also provided dual selfie camera on the front. This makes a total of five cameras altogether and LG V40 ThinQ is the first smartphone to achieve this head-turning feature. But what more features does the LG V40 ThinQ pack inside? Let’s find out.
Design and Build
LG V40 ThinQ comes in four color options: Aurora Black, Moroccan Blue, Platinum Gray, and Carmine Red and all of them looks equally appealing. The handset looks sleek and is really thin with a mere thickness of 7.6mm. The phone has got a Military-grade build and features IP68 certification to withstand the adverse effects of dust and water on the inside.
Display
On the display front, the smartphone comes with a 6.4-inch P-OLED display. With this size, the smartphone looks comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the iPhone XS Max. In its already vibrant OLED display, the smartphone features Quad-HD+ resolution in a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. This contributes to the pixel density of 537PPI. So the contents on the display will look really sharp.
The phone also has a notch on the top to accommodate the dual selfie camera, earpiece, and various sensors. However, unlike the iPhones, the notch is narrow on the size.
Performance
Since it is a flagship phone, it also features Snapdragon 845 chipset like all the flagship Android smartphones of 2018. There is also a 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of UFS 2.1 storage alongside. So with this setup, we can expect a top-tier performance from the phone. The phone has also allocated a dedicated SD card slot if the provided internal storage turns out insufficient.
Camera
As mentioned earlier, the phone has five cameras in total. So the camera is the unique selling point of the phone. LG V40 ThinQ embraces a triple camera setup at the back aligned in a horizontal configuration. Among the three, the normal or the standard one comes with 12MP resolution, f/1.5 aperture, 3-axis OIS, PDAF & Laser autofocus. The second camera with a 16MP resolution features ultrawide lens, which increases the field of view to 107-degrees. The third one or the telephoto camera comes with a 12MP resolution, f/2.4 aperture and features OIS for the stabilization. The telephoto lens on the phone is also capable of capturing images with the lossless zooming up to 2x.
A new Triple Preview feature is also available on the LG V40 ThinQ. With this feature, the users will be able to take three simultaneous shots from the three rear cameras at once. After taking the shots, users can pick the best among them according to their preference. The rear camera setup also comes with Dual Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF), HDR, and an updated AI Cam mode. The third-gen AI Cam mode recognizes up to 19 subjects and recommends 4 optimized filter options.
Similarly, on the front, there are two cameras residing meticulously in the notch. The camera pair on the front is the combination of 8MP and 5MP sensors. Among the two, the 8MP camera is the normal or standard one with an 80-degree field of view. Users can make use of the secondary 5MP camera if want to take ultra-wide selfies. Triggering the ultra-wide selfie mode, users can obtain a 90-degree field of view. That’s not all, the dual camera on the front is also capable of capturing portrait selfies with blurred backgrounds.
Audio
Audio is another aspect, where the LG V40 ThinQ shines. The smartphone comes with an improved Boombox speaker, 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad-DAC audio, and DTS:X 3D surround sound to fill the users’ mood with loud and immersive audio.
Battery
LG V40 ThinQ seems to have nailed it on almost every aspect but it seems lacking in the battery department. The phone is equipped with a non-removable battery, which only has a 3300mAh capacity. However, it supports Quick Charge 3.0 for fast replenishment of the battery. With Quick Charge 3.0, the phone gets refilled from 0 to 50% in just 36 minutes. There is also wireless charging feature for those, who think plugging the smartphone to the wall charger too mainstream.
LG V40 ThinQ Price, Release date
The starting price of the LG V40 ThinQ is $899.99 (roughly equal to NPR 104,500 and INR 66,100) in the US. But since it depends on the mobile carrier, it can go as high as $1000. Aurora Black, Moroccan Blue variants of the phone has already been announced in the US and will go on sale starting from October 18.
At a recent event in New York, Microsoft unveiled its new and refreshed lineup of Surface devices. In the event, the tech giant not only showed off its upgraded laptop lineup but also announced a new product. The new product to be launched in the event was the headphones, which is dubbed as the Surface headphones. The new announcement of such wide varieties of products is really commendable. But are these devices really interesting in terms of features? Let find out.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6
After one and half years, Microsoft finally unveiled its upgraded Microsoft Surface Pro laptop/tablet hybrid in the event. In the new Microsoft Surface Pro 6, the company has included the 8th generation processor and a new black color variant.
Wrapped in Black, Blue, Red and Platinum Grey colors, the aesthetics of the Surface Pro 6 is really appealing. But despite the refreshment in the internals, the design of the device hasn’t changed much. It comes with the same ubiquitous hinge, keeping the Surface Pen close by and incorporating the same aspect ratio of 3:2. In its 12.3-inch display size, the 2-in-1 convertible features 2736 x 1824 pixels resolution contributing to a pixel density of 267PPI. The display on this new device will also have a higher contrast ratio than its predecessor. So, the content on this newbie will possess deeper blacks and brighter whites.
On the camera front, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 comes with an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera, which can be used for Windows Hello and video calls. On the performance side of things, this new device comes with the updated 8th generation Intel core CPUs and with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB SSD alongside. With this configuration, Microsoft boasted a 67% boost in performance on this newbie when compared side by side with its predecessor.
In terms of ports, the device has accommodated one USB port, a micro SD card slot, a headphone jack, and a port for Microsoft’s proprietary surface connect charging cables. But there is no USB Type-C port.
The best thing of the Microsoft Surface pro convertible is its portability and the ease in getting the work done anywhere. And this portability has remain intact in this new device as well. The device is really light in terms of weight weighing just 1.7 pounds. Despite is miniature stature and light weight, it is capable of providing 13.5 hours of backup.
In terms of RAM, ROM, and processor configuration, the device comes in three variants. The base variant comes with a core i5 processor, 128GB SSD, and 8GB RAM, which is tagged with the price of $899. Similarly, the higher variant (i7/16GB/512GB) has a price tag of $1899 and the highest end variant (i7/16GB/1TB) will cost $2299 on the purchase. The pre-orders for the devices have already started in various countries. These devices will go on sale from 16th of October.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Alike the Surface Pro 6 convertible, the Surface laptop 2 comes with the new Matte color variant, Whiskey Lake processor and an improved performance over its predecessor.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 has a slightly bigger display than the Surface Pro 6. The device features 13.5-inch PixelSense display and comes with a resolution of 2,256 x 1,504 pixels. The device covers 100% of the sRGB color spectrum in terms of color accuracy. The surface laptop 2 rocks with 1500:1 in terms of contrast ratio, which is really appreciable. Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is also the first laptop to feature the thinnest LCD panels in any laptop.
On the performance front, the Surface Laptop 2 comes with the 8th generation Intel Core CPU with which the company claims a performance enhancement of 85% over its predecessor. That’s not all, this device also excels at reducing the noises from the fans and keyboard. For the input-output interface, ports on the device are still limited to a single USB 3.0 and Mini DisplayPort. It means the users have to live without the USB-C.
In terms of price and cost, the laptop 2 demands $799 (£649, AU$1,099) for the variant with the 7th-gen Intel Core m3 processor. The laptops with 8th-generation cost $999 (£979, AU$1,499) for (Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) and $2,699 (£2,529, AU$3,750) for (Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) respectively. And just like the Microsoft Surface Pro 6, this device is available for pre-order as of now and will go on sale from 16th of October.
Microsoft Surface Studio 2
The new Surface Studio 2 is the fastest Surface Studio Microsoft has ever made. However, the overall aesthetics and the design language has barely changed when compared to its predecessor.
The Surface Studio 2 comes with the 28-inch display with a resolution of 4500 x 3000 pixels. The size and resolution are same as its predecessor. However, Microsoft did an extra job to make the display on this newbie better than the processor. The brightness on its display has been increased by 38% and contrast ratio has been enhanced by 22%. This has been possible because of the improvements in the transistor technology which lies behind the display.
The original or the previous generation of the Surface Studio had a 6th-gen Intel core processor with 32GB RAM, 2TB HDD, and 128GB of SSD. And this time, there are more modern and improved components on this new device. Although the 8th-generation CPU, which most of us like to hear is basically absent, the device has incorporated 7th-gen Intel HQ-series CPU. This is surely disappointing but still, it offers a decent performance boost over its predecessor.
Even on the graphics side, RTX card is absent here. The company opted for Nvidia Pascal GTX 1060 or GTX 1070 graphics. Despite another disappointment here, the bump in graphics performance over its predecessor might console the users a little bit. In terms of storage, Microsoft cut down the HDD completely and provided up to whopping 2TB of SSD onboard. This could be a great advantage for the users as the read/write speed of the SSD happens to be way higher than the mechanical hard drives.
In terms of pricing, the base variant with Intel Core i7-7820HQ processor, 16GB RAM, GTX 1060 graphics card, and a 1TB SSD costs $3,499 (AU$5,499, about £2,680).
Microsoft Surface Headphones
In the event, Microsoft not just launched the computing devices but also brought the noise canceling headphones, which goes by name Microsoft Surface headphones.
The new surface headphone is an over-ear headphone, which features a premium sound and adjustable noise cancellation. With the noise cancellation, users can completely cut off the outside noises and can hear the audio in an immersive way. To change the level of noise cancellation, users will have to turn the dial on the left ear cup. And to adjust the volume, there is a dial on the right side, which needs to be turned in a similar way.
The headphone also supports “Hey Cortana” command, which with the headphone pauses the music when removed from the ears. The headphone charges via USB Type-C port. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack port, which can be used for wired audio output. By the way, the 3.5mm cable is detachable, so users don’t have to cling with it while listening to music through the wireless means.
“They slip comfortably over your ears to surround you with spectacular sound quality and 13 levels of ambient noise control,” Microsoft’s press release says. “Designed with collaboration in mind, there are 2 beam-forming microphones on each ear cup, 8 microphones in total, all helping you focus on the sounds you want to capture allowing for excellent call experiences.”
For the controls, Microsoft has also included touch buttons on the ear cups to play/pause the audio or skipping tracks. Battery life is rated at 15 hours over Bluetooth or 50 hours when plugged in via headphone jack, and the sound can be customized via an app that Microsoft will release alongside the Surface Headphones.
Talking about the price, the Microsoft surface headphones will cost you $349 on the purchase.
Huawei Y9 2019, which had very recently surfaced with leaked rumors and specs, is now official! The Huawei Y9 2018 was a well received product in the mid-range section. And we can expect the same from the 2019 version of the phone. The new Y9 sports more or less the same specs with some upgrades.
Huawei’s quad-camera setup also makes it way here. The rear camera setup is a combination of 16 MP with PDAF and a 2 MP depth sensor. Also, the front camera features a 13 MP sensor with a 2 MP depth sensor. And both these camera setups feature Huawei’s AI photography technology. By the looks of it, it seems like Huawei is really focusing on getting good portrait images. But, with 2 MP depth sensors, how much of it will be possible? We will see that in time.
Moving along, the Huawei Y9 2019 features a large 6.5″ Full View Display with 3D curved design. The display is a Full HD+ one, with 1080 x 2340 resolution. This phone, too, sports the infamous notch, but knowing Huawei, the notch is a bit smaller than other devices. These models will also come in two-toned color variants.
Under the hood, an Octa-core Kirin 710 SoC powers the phone. The company claims integration of AI Power 7.0 in the chipset to bring better user experience. Again, how will that fare in real life, we’re eagerly waiting to find out. This phone comes in two variants. The base model has a 4 GB RAM, with 64 GB of storage, while another variant has 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. However, both the phones feature a microSD card slot which can expand the memory up to 400 GB.
It also has a large battery of 4000 mAh, and will run on Android 8.2 Oreo, with EMUI 8.2 on top. Another interesting feature about this phone is its Fingerprint 4.0 technology. The company claims that it has fingerprint navigation, which helps users manage all notifications with one key.
Huawei’s Y-series phones are always a value for money. And this can also have good pricing. The phone will hit the market by mid-October. Now, that maybe a bit early for something with 2019 in its name. But with so many smartphone companies pumping out phones, I guess Huawei doesn’t want to be left out. However, there is no word on its pricing yet.
Huawei Y9 2019 Specifications:
Display: 6.5-inch IPS LCD display
Resolution: Full-HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels), 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Processor: Octa-core Kirin HiSilicon 710
RAM: 4 / 6GB
Internal Storage: 64 / 128GB
Operating System: Android Oreo 8.1 with EMUI 8.2 on top
In the ultra-portable laptops department, it has always been Apple and its MacBooks that have taken the cake. But, they do cost quite a fortune. However, the ASUS Zenbook UX430U proves that such laptops don’t have to cost you a kidney! Now, this laptop does cost some $1100 or Rs. 1 lakh 30 thousand in Nepal, but it is somewhat equivalent to the Dell XPS 13 or the Macbook Pro 13”, while its price is considerably less than them. But how does this fare in real life? Find out in this ASUS Zenbook UX430U Review.
ASUS Zenbook UX430U Specifications:
Design and Build: All-metal body, 13″ form factor, 1.3 kg
Display: 14″ Full HD (1920 x 1080), 100% SRGB & 71% Adobe RGB, 290 nits peak brightness with Anti-Glare
Keyboard: 3-step back-light (white), 1.4 mm Key travel
Processor: Quad-core 8th gen i7-8550U processor, Base-Clock @ 1.88 GHz, Boost Clock up to 4 GHz
RAM: 16 GB (2 x 8 GB, not upgradeable)
Graphics: 2 GB NVidia GeForce MX150
Battery: 50 Watt-hour (up to 7 hours of backup)
Storage: 512 GB SSD
Connectivity: 2 x 2 dual band 802.11 ac Wi-Fi
Ports: SD-card reader, USB 2.0, USB 3.1, micro HDMI, Audio port, USB-C 3.1 (no thunderbolt)
Price: Rs.130,000 ($1100 international)
Colors: Royal Blue, Rose Gold, Quartz Gray, Shimmer Gold
Design and Build
In terms of design, this is one sleek laptop! It is small and compact, and quite thin. In terms of thickness, it is just as thin as the Dell XPS 13 and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Also, at just 1.3 kg, it is really light. It is one of the thinnest laptops I’ve used, and personally, I think all notebooks should have a similar build. Given that it is an ultra-portable notebook, you won’t have any problems carrying it around, be it in your backpack, or even a messenger bag for that matter.
The UX430U looks very good from the outside. With an all metal build that makes for that cool shiny appearance, it also has a sturdy build. You do get a bit flex when you press on top of the keyboard, but I find that amount acceptable.Overall, it looks pretty durable, and, I’m confident that even if it falls, nothing serious is going to happen, except for some small dents here and there.
The back of the laptop body seems well constructed too. The back also houses the speakers on either side which are 1.5 W Harmon Kardon certified speakers. These speakers give a rich sound output, but having the speakers at the back does affect the sound a little bit. Maybe they could have positioned the speaker somewhere else, but this is not really a big deal.
The aesthetics of the laptop is quite appealing too. On top of the shiny brushed metal texture, you get some faint rings around the silver ASUS logo in the center. This may not be anything unique, but it does give off a pretty premium look and feel while setting it apart from the likes of Dell XPS 13 or the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard and trackpad on this laptop are fantastic! The keyboard was fun to type on with a good amount of feedback. The 1.4 mm of keyboard travel is decent, as we can’t expect more than that on a laptop this size. The arrow keys, however, are smaller than other keys, in fact, smaller than I’d like and be comfortable with. So, that’s something you’ll have to get used to.
The trackpad is also really nice, with a good feel. Scrolling and other tasks are smooth enough.It’s definitely better than the plastic ones, but this isn’t one of the best trackpads around. Again, the Dell XPS 13 has a slightly superior trackpad, with better accuracy. You cannot compare it to MacBooks, but you will definitely not be disappointed with this.
The fingerprint sensor on the top right of the trackpad is a bonus, and it’s also pretty fast for a scanner on a laptop.
Display
When you open up the notebook, you can see very thin bezels on the sides. The bezels are the only plastic you’ll see on the metal body of this laptop, which is a good thing. You’ll notice that the top bezel is a bit thicker than the sides, but that’s because of the webcam placement. The Dell XPS 13 has a thinner bezel up top. But it also has a weirdly placed web cam that captures your face at a weird angle during video sharing or calls.
The 14” display of the laptop looks quite good and compact for its size. It’s a Full HD resolution, that’s 1920 x 1080 pixels. It is a pretty sharp display as well as a matte display, meaning that you won’t get a lot of reflection on your screen. And that’s actually a handy feature while consuming media, or just doing stuff.
Colors are vibrant, and also pretty accurate. The company does claim a 100% of Standard RGB and about 71% of Adobe RGB color accuracy. And that is also good enough for media creation or editing.
The one thing that disappointed me, is the brightness. With only about 290 nits of peak brightness, the laptop feels a bit dim. Yes, this is actually better than some budget gaming laptops like the Dell G7, for example. But the Dell G7 didn’t win any points for display, anyway. This laptop is less bright than the Dell XPS 13, and I wouldn’t even compare it to the 13-inch MacBook Pro! Low brightness level leads to very illegible outside visibility, and is troubling when the display faces the window, making it unusable at a certain point.
In the performance department, this laptop shines through and through. It comes with the latest Quad-core 8th gen i7-8550U processor. Now this 15W processor is based on 14nm technology, and its base clock is about 1.8 GHz, but it has been configured at 1.99 GHz in this laptop. It does go all the way up to 4 GHz when boosted, and combines a 16 GB RAM. The RAM isn’t upgradeable by the way, but that much is enough to fly through most tasks. There are no lags or problems in performance whatsoever. Editing applications like Photoshop and Adobe Premier run pretty well. And even with some heavy sized files on them, it ran smooth enough for me.
Gaming Performance
We kind of know that ultra-portable notebooks like this one, aren’t meant for gaming. But it does come with a 2 GB MX150 graphics. Considering the size of the laptop, the MX150 is a nice graphic unit. It also helps with normal stuff like Photoshop and other Adobe suites.
As for gaming, you can play light games on this laptop, like CS: GO or DOTA 2. I also tried FIFA and they ran without any hiccups. Also, I tried PUBG for the sake of it, and it actually surprised me! Of course, I had to turn the settings all the way down to Very Low, FPS limiter at 30, and resolution set at 720, but with that, I was able to play the game through without much hiccups. Granted it’s not the ideal way to play games and this will create some disadvantages in games. But considering how this isn’t meant for gaming, I can’t complain.
However, if you want to play some other heavy set games like Battlefield or such, then, this is not the one for you. Or any kind of notebooks for that matter.
Thermals
Laptops of this size do face problems when it comes to heat management, especially, when they are this powerful. This laptop, too, has a fan and one heat pipe for heat dissipation, but it started to heat up after a few hours of usage. And to the point where I couldn’t keep it on my lap.
It gets very warm while gaming as well. The open hardware monitor temperatures showed thermals of above 90-degrees! They could be inaccurate, too. But nevertheless, this small laptop doesn’t do a good job at heat management.
Battery Life
The battery life on this thing is good, but not as good as the competition, like that of the Dell XPS 13. With a 50 Watt-hour battery, it gives close to 7 hours of backup under normal usage. With some heavy usage like having a few chrome tabs, word documents and Spotify running on the background, it pushes out over 5 hours of battery life. However, with the graphics turned on, you will face severe battery consumption.
Storage
As for the storage, you get a 512 GB SSD, which, is NOT an NVMe. But it’s still fast, providing about 550 MB/s of Read speeds and up to 510 MB/s Write speeds on our tests. If you want something faster, you can swap it out with an NVMe SSD. But, I think you won’t really need to, as this is pretty snappy.
Connectivity and Ports
As far as the connectivity goes, you have your regular 2 x 2 dual band 802.11 ac Wi-Fi. It has a 720p HD webcam, which is about the same as you’d find on other laptops, nothing remarkable.
In terms of ports, it has an SD-card reader, and a USB 2.0 on the right. On the left, you can find a Power connector, a USB 3.1, a micro HDMI, an Audio port and a USB-C 3.1 with NO Thunderbolt. Even though full-sized HDMI’s are a thing of the past, I would’ve liked a full sized HDMI port. It can make quite a difference in terms of office usage. I mean, it’s just another hassle to get a mini HDMI dongle! Also, if the USB-C could’ve supported Thunderbolt, that would’ve been immensely better.
Conclusion and Verdict
To conclude, this is a laptop for those who want lightweight portability along with a sturdy build. It also gives you really good performance, and all that, for the price of Rs.130000 in Nepal isn’t bad. Considering it costs $1100 internationally, this is priced appropriately here too.
Now, I’ve been comparing this laptop with the Dell XPS 13 this whole time. And while that does outshine the ASUS Zenbook UX430U in quite a few aspects, the XPS 13 will cost you above Rs.150000 for similar specs. Also, on top, it doesn’t even offer a dedicated graphics configuration.
For 1 lakh 30 thousand, I think it’s a worthy purchase. Having said that, note that this one not having Thunderbolt support or full-sized HDMI could be a downside for some. You might also miss out on a laptop that runs cool, but can you really expect that from a laptop of this size? I think not.
Hindu’s greatest festival, Dashain is approaching. And to let the users enjoy this festival with maximum delights, Samsung has brought a mouth-watering offer. In this Samsung Dashain Offer, the buyers will get instant cash backs on the purchase of a few selected smartphones. There is also a chance to win Singapore’s Star Cruise for two fateful lucky draw winners, who buys any models of Samsung Galaxy Smartphone and Samsung Galaxy Tablets. The offer is valid from 17 September 2018 to 14 October 2018.
In this Samsung Dashain Offer, the buyers will get instant cash backs on the purchase of the following Samsung smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Display: 6.3 inches Super AMOLED Quad HD+ display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Resolution: 1440 x 2960 pixels (521 PPI pixel density)
OS: Android Nougat (7.1.1)
Chipset: Exynos 8895
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz & 4×1.7 GHz)
GPU: Mali-G71 MP20
RAM: 6GB LPDDR4 RAM
Storage: 64GB internal storage, Expandable up to 256GB
The Samsung Galaxy J2 Core is an “ambitious” smartphone from Samsung. The company is widely criticized for their lack of attention in the budget segment, which should have changed with the new Samsung Galaxy J2 Core. And it did, but they could have and should have done a lot more. When they released the previous Galaxy J2 2018, we highly criticized them for not optimizing the software of the device, which they did improve, thanks to the Android GO implementation. But while doing so, compromised on the specs and the display of the device. So how is the device overall? Let find out in this Samsung Galaxy J2 Core review.
Samsung Galaxy J2 Core Specifications:
Display: 5.0-inch qHD 540×960 resolution display
CPU: 1.4GHz Quad Core Exynos 7570 14nm processor
OS: Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition)
RAM: 1GB
GPU: Mali-T720
Storage: 8 GB
Expandable Memory: Up to 256 GB (dedicated)
Rear Camera: 8MP F/2.2, Autofocus with LED flash
Front Camera: 5MP f/2.2
Sensors: Accelerometer, proximity, location
SIM: Dual SIM (Micro-SIM) 4G Support
Battery: 2,600mAH removable battery
Price: Rs 11,690
Build and Design
As you can guess, it’s a plastic build with minimal design choices. The back is comprised of a removable plastic slab with a cut out for the rear camera and the loudspeaker. Other than that you get the Samsung logo and nothing else. The back is a fingerprint and scratch magnet, although it feels very sturdy.
The volume controls are on the left and the power button on the right. The top is completely empty whereas the bottom gets the MicroUSB port, a mic, and an audio jack. The front is mostly the qHD display, front camera, and a call speaker. Even though it is a 16:9 display, Samsung has decided to skip on its famous home button and replace it with another Samsung logo. I don’t have an idea why, but if you do, let me know too…
This design focuses more on functionality and durability rather than aesthetics. It doesn’t feel premium but does give you a healthy boost of confidence as it fits perfectly in your hand. The smartphone is pretty durable, and can handle a few drops and in general some rough usage.
Display
Samsung didn’t include their famous AMOLED technology this time around, thanks to which they managed to price it so low. Even though it’s a TFT display, it still manages to provide a really nice viewing experience. There is very less shift in color even under extreme angles and the brightness is also not half as bad as on some other devices.
An HD display at this price is a luxury which the J2 core doesn’t offer. The lack of resolution does affect your usage a bit, like while going through your Facebook timeline or just watching a YouTube video, but I have seen much worse. To be fair I have seen much better as well.
Cameras
The cameras follow the same story as on previous J2 devices. They produce pretty nice photos under good lighting conditions but need very steady hands, to begin with. The rear 8 MP camera produced photos with a fine amount of details, ample vibrancy and overall usable photos for social media platforms.
The lowlight performance, however, is a different story, with grainy, blurry and pretty much some of the worst photos a phone can take. The flash helps a lot under low light situations, but nobody likes how a picture was taken with the help of a smartphone flash.
Finally, the 5 MP front camera puts out some really really decent selfies, some of the best I might have seen in its category. But you do need really steady hands for any type of decent results and more importantly, lowlight selfies are a No No. You also get a beauty mode but I recommend you stay away from that.
Performance
It’s a Quad-Core processor, with just 1GB of RAM but it wasn’t really a bad performer. Most of it was thanks to the optimized user experience, so I didn’t even bother with the benchmarks. It’s a toned down version of Android Oreo meant to run of smartphones with relatively lower specs and it does.
It was a totally different experience compared to when I used J2 devices in the past. Even games run pretty well. I didn’t try games like PUBG (what’s the point?) or Asphalt, but smaller and less-graphics intensive games like Clash Royal or Knife hit worked well. Apps open fast and not once did the smartphone freeze on me.
I would recommend you not leave apps in the background as it hogs memory and makes the smartphone unusable.
Software and UI
If you made it this far of this review, you already know that this smartphone works pretty well. The software is very optimized and useless functions have been removed completely. It is still Android Oreo Go edition with Samsung’s own customizations on top. If you have ever used a Samsung device in the past you will feel right at home. That is until you start opening apps and actually start using the device.
Samsung Galaxy J2 Core UI
1 of 4
Lite Apps
Storage options
Ultra saving apps
Go apps
Most of the apps are stripped down less functional but more responsive and less resource hogging version of the apps. You can recognize these apps as they come with words like “Go” or “Lite” right in the name. For eg., the Maps Go, Youtube Go, Facebook Lite, Twitter Lite, Messenger Lite and such. You can find these apps in the Play Store itself and will work a lot better than their full versions.
You also get Samsung Max Go with it’s what Samsung likes to call “Ultra Apps”. Basically, it’s a VPN paired with a lightweight browser that enables users to load apps quicker. All it does is opens the mobile versions of a website but mimics an app and is said to save data.
On a happier note, this one should get the Android Pie update in the coming few months.
Battery
It comes with a 2600mAh battery which is also removable, pair that with a 14nm processor and a qHD display, seems like a perfect recipe for great battery life. It’s not great, but you can go up to a day’s usage without any problems. I also didn’t experience any type of severe without reason battery draining problems.
The charging isn’t fast either, takes above 2 hours to fully charge from 0%. I never once had to charge it in the middle of the day or worry about the phone not lasting a full days usage as long as I threw it in the charger every night.
Storage
Storage wise, you only get a mere 8 GB which is expandable. The phone supports a maximum of 256GB memory card which should be adequate. On the plus side, the software allows you to move the apps to the SD card itself, which is a rare feature to have. All you have to do is go to “Settings” then “Apps and notifications” then select “All Apps”. Now select an app, there you will find “Storage”. Give it a light touch and there you will find a menu with “Storage Used” with a change option right beneath it. Select that and then select your desired location. Now, you might not find the change option, which could be due to two reasons.
You do not have an SD card inserted
The app does not support SD card.
Connectivity
You get the regular 2.4Ghz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 and an OTG support while sensors include an accelerometer, proximity and location. The speakers are fine, which was a real concern for me. Distortion is pretty less and loudness is also of no concern. It lacks a few sensors and features like a second mic, gyro sensor, compass or an NFC chip.
The smartphone does come with dual-SIM support but with a few compromises. For one it’s a MicroSIM, so your regular nano-SIM will be a little too small for the holder. The phone does support 4G but only on SIM 1; SIM 2 will be stuck at 2G connectivity.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy J2 Core is a great smartphone, a solid try from Samsung. Although the specs could have been slightly better. An AMOLED display could have also made things a lot better but at this point, I am asking a bit more. It still performs really well, thanks to the optimized stripped down version of Android Oreo.
I might recommend this smartphone to first-time smartphone buyers who are coming from feature phones. But for anyone who is already using a smartphone, you can look elsewhere. The Xiaomi Redmi 6A could be a better option for Rs 12,999, which does deliver on a bigger and better display, improved performance, slightly better cameras and much more.
You might also try your luck with online stores. They are providing better value for your money. For instance, the Xperia L1 is currently on sale at Sasto deal for just Rs 12,000. That offers immensely better performance and a lot better design language. You can also get the Gionee S11 Lite for a huge discount of on Daraz as well which is also a better option than the Galaxy J2 Core.
Oppo F9, after its launch in Nepal last month, was quite well received. The Selfie Leader and Expert smartphone is available in Sunrise Red and Twilight Blue colors. And now, the Oppo F9 Starry Purple color variant is to make its way to Nepal very soon – which means, sometime in the first week of October 2018,
The Oppo F9 is Oppo’s latest addition to its lineup in Nepal. It features a 6.3″ Full HD+ Waterdrop notch display on a premium looking plastic body. It has a 16 MP + 2 MP lens dual camera setup at the back, with a 25 MP selfie camera. Under the hood, it is powered by an Helio P60 processor. There are two variants available in 4 GB / 6 GB RAM options. Also, it has a 3500 mAh battery with its VOOC fast charging. This boasts a 2-hour talk time with only 5 minutes of charge.
The color options available at present have a cool Diamond pattern design at the back. However, the coming Starry Purple doesn’t have the diamond pattern, but instead, it is supposed to resemble a clear night sky but in purple! It will be a great addition to the features the phone provides. Also, this color was also highly awaited since the launch event of the phone. The new colors will be available since the first week of October.
Currently, the phones are priced at Rs. 41,590 for the 4 GB RAM version and Rs.45,590 for the 6 GB version.
OPPO F9 specifications:
Display: 6.3-inch Full HD+ LTPS IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 6
CPU: Octa-core MediaTek Helio P60
OS: Android 8.1 Oreo with ColorOS 5.2 on top
RAM: 4/6 GB
GPU: Mali-G72 MP3
Storage: 64 GB
Expandable Memory: Up to 256 GB (dedicated)
Rear Camera: Dual 16 + 2 MP lens with f/1.8 aperture and f/2.4 aperture, PDAF, LED flash
Front Camera: 25 MP front-facing camera, f/2.0 aperture
GoPro only very recently launched its Hero 7 in the international markets. And if you’re an avid GoPro user, or an enthusiast, good news! The brand new GoPro Hero 7, with the Hyper Stabilization feature, is already here in Nepal!
GoPro Hero 7 Specs Overview
The GoPro Hero 7 comes in three different versions. However, all of them have something in common. All of them feature Touch-screen LCD screens as well as voice control. Also, they are water-resistant up to a depth of 10 meters. Further, if you opt to subscribe to GoPro cloud service, you can also automatically back-up your footages.
The three variants come in three different colors, with distinct features. The base model comes in white which is known as GoPro Hero 7 White. It has a 10 MP camera, which is capable of only recording Full HD videos at 60 fps. It neither has WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) or HDR features and also lacks GPS, live streaming and the Hypersmooth Stabilization features. This one is just a regular GoPro camera with no buffs or such.
The second variant is the GoPro Hero 7 Silver is a slightly amped version. It is capable of recording 4K videos at 30 fps with the 10 MP camera. This one, too, doesn’t have HDR but makes up for it with WDR. Also, it misses out on the Hypersmooth Stabilization and live streaming but does have GPS.
The most exciting one in the lineup is the GoPro Hero 7 Black! It has all the features that the two variants miss out on. Plus, it packs the Hypersmooth Stabilization feature, that is the major selling point if the GoPro Hero 7. And it ensures that you get a smooth stable footage no matter what you’re doing. It features a 12 MP camera, which is capable of recording 4K videos at 60 fps. Plus, it has HDR, GPS and Live Streaming as well.
GoPro Hero 7 model comparison
GoPro Hero 7 features
White variant
Silver Variant
Black Variant
Lens
10 MP
10 MP
12 MP
Hypersmooth Stabilization
No
No
Yes
HDR
No
No (WDR)
Yes
4K video capture
No
Yes (30 fps)
Yes (60 fps)
GPS
No
Yes
Yes
Live Streaming
No
No
Yes
GoPro Hero 7 Price in Nepal and its availability [2020 Update]
Now, the prices of the GoPro Hero 7 have been set as $200, $300, and $400 for the White, Silver, and Black respectively. And in Nepal, the pricing doesn’t seem so bad. They might seem a bit expensive, but nothing too exorbitant. The base model, GoPro Hero 7 White price in Nepal is Rs.29,500 and the Silver variant costs Rs.36,500 whereas the Hero 7 Black is priced at Rs.49,500.
Model Name
Price in Nepal
Go Pro Hero 7 White
NPR 29,500
Go Pro Hero 7 Silver
NPR 36,500
Go Pro Hero 7 Black
NPR 49,500
Icefall Technologies are the authorized distributors of GoPro Hero 7 in Nepal. And these action cameras are available in Oliz Store, Sastodeal.com, and more online stores. They’re also available in various shops in New Road if you look around.
So, what do you think of the new GoPro 7 lineup? Do you see yourself getting one? If you do, which one would you get? Do let us know.
