Vivo launched two new smartphones in the Nepali market, the Vivo V11 and Vivo V11 Pro. The latter offers an in-display fingerprint sensor and will cost you somewhat a premium amount. The Vivo V11 does not support any new features like that, but is still a really nice smartphone and can easily compete with the likes of Huawei Nova 3i or the Oppo F9.
Overview:
The Vivo V11 features a 6.3″ IPS display with a resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels. Sadly this one doesn’t feature the much-hyped in-display fingerprint sensor. Except for that, it’s a really nice smartphone and should be a top choice for buyers this season.
The MediaTek Helio P60 is a proven performer and will hold its ground pretty well with its competitors. The 4GB RAM and 128GB storage will also be a much-appreciated plus point.
Camera wise, it comes with a 16MP + 5MP camera with LED flash and video capabilities of up to 1080p@30fps. The front has a 25MP f/2.0 lens with HDR support and up to 1080p@30fps video recording.
The Vivo V11 Pro comes with a 6.41″ inch 1080 x 2340 pixels AMOLED display with an in-display fingerprint sensor. The new SoC should also deliver a bit better performance, thanks to the Snapdragon 660 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage.
It also comes with a slightly better camera than the V11, with the 12MP f/1.8 and 5MP f/2.4 dual camera setup. Disappointingly, the video capability on this one also maxes out at 1080p@30fps. The front gets a 25MP f/2.0 lens, the same one on the regular V11.
Both smartphones come with the latest Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11ac WiFi and Android 8.1 Oreo with Funtouch OS. The V11 gets a 3315mAh battery whereas the V11 Pro gets a bigger 3400mAh battery with 18W fast charging.
When Tim Cook sent out a tweet yesterday night, the internet went crazy. Speculations were being made on how the CEO of a trillion dollar company could tweet something he was supposed to message. But to everyone’s surprise, this was all part of Apple’s plan to catch everyone’s attention for the event that was starting several minutes later.
At the event held in the Steve Jobs Theatre, Apple unveiled four new products yesterday – the Apple Watch Series 4 and three iPhones.
Apple Watch Series 4 Specifications
Apple Watch has been around for some time, and it’s turning out to be one of the most popular smartwatches. And the Californian company released a new variant of the device yesterday which comes with a few upgrades out of the box.
The smartwatch has a bigger 30% display that has a few new interfaces to choose from according to a user’s choice. It has also undergone a slight design change with the display and the finishing looking more refined than before. In terms of battery, the device provides a similar battery life like its predecessor.
The Series 4 now comes with a speaker that’s 50% louder and has a Ceramic and Sapphire back. This step will now help radiowaves pass through easily from the top and the bottom, making the networking side of things better.
However, the major new feature that this device comes with is that it can measure Electrocardiogram through the digital dial on the side. This is the first consumer electronic that provides this service over the counter.
Apple Watch Series 4 Price and Availability
The new variant of the Apple Watch will be available for pre-order starting tomorrow, i.e. September 14. The base model with GPS will run for $399 whereas the cellular version is priced at $499.
iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
The major talking point of the event was definitely the new iPhones. Apple released new smartphones yesterday, three new iPhones to be precise. Two of those, the iPhone XS and XS Max, are the direct successor to the iPhone X while the XR is ‘comparatively’ a cheaper model.
The iPhone XS and XS Max (whoever came with this name!) don’t have that many differences except for the display and battery size. The XS has a 5.8-inch Super Retina display with 2436 x 1125 pixels resolution while its maxed out sibling sports a tall 6.5-inch Super Retina display that has 1242 x 2688 pixels resolution.
Now there aren’t that many major upgrades the iPhone XS has over the X. According to Apple, its new flagship has 60% greater dynamic range in the display and provides a richer stereo sound with a better Face ID. The display now has 120Hz touch-sensing rate for better touch detection and the batteries are slightly bigger. And you can now change the depth of field of an image from the gallery itself. These devices will support dual SIM cards (Nano + eSIM) as well.
However, the major difference lies in the internals. The new iPhones (all three of them) are powered by Apple’s Hexa-core A12 Bionic chip which is the industry’s first 7nm chipset. This CPU is coupled with an octa-core Neural Engine that will aid in machine learning and various operations. Apple claims that the new phones will be much faster with all the features at the helm. The Neural system also helps in recognizing the scenes of a picture and applying the necessary effect, something we have already seen on quite a lot of devices.
The iPhone X is available in a variety of colors.
The iPhone XR is Apple’s take on a cheaper iPhone, although you could definitely classify it as an expensive smartphone. The device comes with a 6.1-inch LCD display that has a lower 828 x 1792 pixels resolution which is definitely a bummer if you take its price for consideration. The XR won’t even feature Apple’s 3D touch and it is IP67 rated against the IP68 certification of the XS and XS Max.
Apple iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR Specs Overview
iPhone XR
iPhone XS/XS Max
Display
6.1-inch IPS LCD display, 828 x 1792 pixels
XS: 5.8-inch Super Retina display, 1125 x 2436, HDR 10 compliant
XS Max: 6.5-inch Super Retina display, 2688 x 1242 pixels, HDR 10 compliant
CPU
Hexa-core Apple A12 Bionic
Hexa-core Apple A12 Bionic
RAM
3 GB RAM
4 GB
Onboard Storage
64/128/256 GB
64/256/512 GB
Rear Camera
12 MP with f/1.8, OIS, PDAF, Quad-LED dual-tone flash
Apple iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR Price and Availability
The flagship devices are getting a lot expensive and the new iPhones are no different. Even the XR, which is supposed to be relatively cheaper, I think, comes with a hefty price tag.
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
64 GB
$749
$999
$1,099
128 GB
$799
–
–
256 GB
$899
$1,149
$1,249
512 GB
–
$1,349
$1,449
Pre-order for the iPhone XS and XS Max will also start on September 14. The so-called affordable XR will be available for pre-order from October 19.
Since its launch in China, Nokia X6 had garnered quite an attention. And Nepali smartphone enthusiasts were not an exception. We were frequently asked about the launch and availability of the phone in Nepal on our social media accounts. It was its appealing specs and the budget price tag, which made it the focal point of attention at that time. However, the wait for the Nepali customers has finally been over. After so much of anticipation, the interested ones can finally lay their hands on the Nokia X6 AKA Nokia 6.1 plus.
Nokia 6.1 Plus AKA Nokia X6 Specs Overview
On the display front, Nokia X6 sports a 5.8-inch IPS panel. The screen features Full-HD+ resolution flaunting a 19:9 aspect ratio. With the pixel density of 435PPI, the content on the screen looks sharp. And on the top, the display has been shielded with the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to evade the vulnerabilities of cracks and scratches during the falls. The handset also has a small notch on the top and it is the first Nokia phone to put a cutout on the display. With so much brand going after the trend of the notch, Nokia 6.1 Plus might have been irresistible in that respect.
For a smooth performance on the phone, the smartphone has been provided with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset alike the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI. This fairly capable chipset is backed by an ample 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. And talking about the storage, users will also have a privilege to expand the internal memory on their will. Using an SD card slot, users can expand the device’s memory up to 256GB. However, the memory card will occupy the SIM2.
On the optics department, the handset enjoys dual camera setup at the back and a single selfie camera on the front. The camera duo on the back comprises of 16MP primary sensor backed by a 5MP depth sensor. The secondary sensor or the depth sensor comes into action while taking portrait shots. With this setup, we can expect it to produce some excellent photos. Also, there is an inclusion of EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) to avoid shakes and vibrations in the videos. Talking about the front camera, there is a 16MP selfie shooter, which comes with a f/2.0 aperture.
In terms of OS, the phone boots on Android Oreo (v8.1). Since the phone possesses the stock version of Android users can fairly enjoy the absence of bloatware. On the top, the phone will get all the timely software updates and security patch. When we look into the sensors, we can feel the generosity of Nokia. The handset is equipped with all the basic sensors like fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass sensors. The phone has 3060 mAh battery to fuel the processes inside the phone, which also supports Quick Charge 3.0 for the fast charging.
We all knew the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 had a really awesome camera, but now it’s official. DxOMark, a website that tests DSLRs, lens and smartphone cameras have ranked the Note 9 in the second position with 103 points, right below Huawei’s triple camera beast P20 Pro. For reference, Huawei’s flagship received a score of 109, the highest in any smartphone camera as of now.
The HTC U12+ also shares the same scores as the Note 9. Although the scores for both smartphones is 103, HTC has an upper hand in video whereas the Note 9 excels in Photography. Following these three smartphone cameras is Huawei P20 with 102 points and finally the Galaxy S9 Plus, which makes it’s way to the top 5 with a score of 99.
Phone
Total score
Photo score
Video score
Huawei P20 Pro
109
114
98
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
103
107
94
HTC U12+
103
106
95
Huawei P20
102
107
94
Samsung Galaxy S9+
99
104
91
Now, this all depends on how much you actually trust the DxOMark’s benchmarking techniques. Looking at Samsung’s history of putting some of the best cameras on smartphones, it’s no surprise that the Note 9 got such a huge score. Let’s look at the specs of the camera before going in-depth on its strengths and weaknesses.
Starting off with still photos, the Note 9 has really good autofocusing capabilities. The camera does really well with noise reduction, the zoom quality is excellent and the bokeh effects are pretty realistic. According to DxOMark’s review of the smartphone, the Note 9’s camera was the best they had tested under good lighting conditions.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 camera samples
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Girafe 2x
Dance Window
Vegitation
Chaillot
Street sit (Bokeh)
Exposure is usually pretty good, with some wide excellent dynamic range. It’s capable of capturing high contrast scenes with deep shadows and bright highlights. The images itself are also bright, vivid with accurate white balance and good color rendering. Noise levels are also minimum with a good balance between noise and texture with “a tendency to smooth fine details a little more than some rivals” – DxOMark.
The second camera’s 2x zoom factor shows good levels of details with a realistic bokeh mode, under outdoor and indoor lightings. Below is a list of all the scores that the Galaxy Note 9 got in every aspect:
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Photography
Aspects
Score
Exposure and Contrast
91
Colour
81
Autofocus
96
Texture
68
Noise
76
Artifacts
67
Flash
90
Zoom
66
Bokeh
55
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Videography
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 scores a very respectable 94 in their video tests. The overall scores of the video performance were excellent, particularly in the autofocus, noise and stabilization aspects. Colors are bright and vivid and video footages offer a good exposure accuracy.
Aspects
Score
Exposure
83
Colour
87
Autofocus
98
Texture
54
Noise
72
Artifacts
82
Stabilization
91
No doubt, Samsung was going to employ one of the most capable smartphone cameras on their latest flagship. With a fast and accurate autofocus, a wide dynamic range, convincing bokeh, low noise reduction, and vivid & vibrant colors the Note 9’s cameras are hard to beat. But with inconsistent white balance with flash, details that get lost in dark, haloing, ghosting and loss of visible sharpness, the Note 9 falls slightly short of the title, ” the best camera on a smartphone”.
A price drop is always good news. Be it a gadget, clothing, furniture, the price drop always encourages the consumers to push their budget. And this time, the smartphone to receive the price drop is none other than the Samsung Galaxy J6. The smartphone was quite liked by the Nepali customers so the phone created quite a buzz in the Nepali smartphone market. Now that fan-loved smartphone has just been cheaper. Just a day before Teej, Samsung announced this price drop in its Facebook Page. So if you were waiting to buy the Samsung Galaxy J6, this time, you have been quite lucky.
The Samsung Galaxy J6 enjoys a 5.6-inch Super AMOLED, which features an HD+ (720 x 1480 pixels) display. The display comes in an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and bezels around the display is slightly narrower than the conventional smartphones. Because of these features, Samsung likes to call it an infinity display.
On the performance front, there is an Exynos 7870 chipset from which Samsung never gets fed up. There is also 3/4GB RAM and 32/64GB of onboard storage coupled to it. On the top, there is a dedicated SD card slot, which gives a privilege for the memory expansion without sacrificing the SIM 2 slot.
Talking about the camera, the Galaxy J6 does not have a fancy dual camera setup like many of the smartphones in the same price segment. However, it has a decent 13MP single camera, which performance is somewhat on par or better than its competitors. On the front, there is an 8MP sensor, which shoots some appealing and social media ready selfies. The selfie shooter is accompanied by an LED flash. So you don’t have to panic to take selfies in the dark environment or in the low light settings.
On the sensor side, the J6 possesses a rear-mounted Fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, and proximity sensor. Like more of the budget and mid-range Samsung phones, it too does not have an ambient light sensor and a gyro sensor. As the ambient light sensor is absent on the phone, the users have to adjust the brightness level manually when moving from one light setting to another. And because of the absence of the gyro sensor, you cannot watch the VR content on this smartphones. That’s quite a downside.
When looked into the software, the smartphone welcomes the users with an Android Oreo in the first boot. The OS has been spiced up in the Samsung’s flavor with the Experience UI. A 3000mAh battery has also been provided to fuel the entire processes inside the phone.
This time around, smartphone companies are flooding phones in the Nepali market. From Samsung to Huawei, all the companies are prepared to sell phones this festive season. While we are aware of brands competing in the mid-range and high-end segment, there are companies that are playing strong in the budget segment too. One of such companies is TECNO. The Nepali market has been selling feature phones and some smartphones from the company and here we have another one of them coming to Nepal. TECNO Mobile Nepal is very soon bringing TECNO Camon i2.
Talking about the device, TECNO Camon i2 is a smartphone that is going to hit the budget segment. We are not sure what exactly the price of the phone will be as the company is yet to reveal the phone and the price. But what we do know is the device’s specifications. Aesthetically, the phone is 6.2 inches with HD+ display resolution. Similarly, the device also features a trendy 18:9 aspect ratio.
The storage department consists of a total 3 GB RAM and 32 GB onboard storage. Also, the device features the latest Android 8.1 out of the box. Likewise, the device is backed by a 3,750 mAh battery. Performance section is handled by a Quad-core chipset, the name of which is not quite revealed. The camera setup is a 16 MP selfie camera with LED flash. Similarly, the rear camera is dual 13+2 MP sensors with a quad LED flash setup.
Display: 6.2 inch IPS LCD HD+(720×1440 screen resolution) with 18:9 aspect ratio
Operating System: Android Oreo 8.1
CPU: Quad – core
Rear camera: 13 MP + 2 MP with 4 LED Flash
Front camera: 16 MP with 1 LED Flash
RAM: 3 GB
ROM: 32 GB
Battery: 3,750 mAh
Expected Price: Below NRS 25,000
If we look at the trend, we can see that established smartphone companies have started shifting towards the mid-range segment in their product offerings. At the same time, there are brands that have started bringing products in the budget segment. How will such brands perform in long run, it is yet to be known.
We all already know that almost all new iPhones support Fortnite, and has been for a while now. In case you didn’t, if you had either an iPhone SE, 6S, 7, 8 or the iPhone X, you can already enjoy Fortnite in all it’s optimized glory. As for the iPad users the iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, 2017 and iPad Pro support the game. But what about the rest of the 88% smartphone users, or as Google likes to call it, Android. Well here is the list of all the Android smartphones that actually supports Epic’s Battle Royal success.
So, if your smartphone isn’t on this list, well you will have to wait until Epic either add your smartphone to their Beta list or they finally release the full version. As a reference, here is the minimum requirement a smartphone needs to run:
OS: 64 bit Android 5.0 or higher
RAM: 3GB or higher
GPU: Adreno 530 or higher, Mali-G71 MP20, Mali-G72 MP12 or higher
If your smartphone happens to meet these configurations, well you are in luck. Although you will have to wait for the full version, it’s still good to know that your smartphone will support Fortnite whenever Epic is ready for a full version roll out.
The Huawei Nova 3 and Nova 3i are both getting a good response from the market. Both these phones feature a FullView display and four cameras. While the Nova 3i is the successor to last year’s Nova 2i, the Nova 3 is Huawei’s take on the premium mid-rangers. By this time, you might already be familiar with what they offer. But let us dive down to the depths and find out if the Nova 3 is really worth the money.
Specs Overview:
6.3-inch (1080 x 2340 pixels) 18:9 FullView 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
Octa-Core HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor with Mali G72 MP12 GPU
6 GB RAM with 64 GB storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
EMUI 8.2 based on Android 8.1 (Oreo)
Dual SIM (nano + Hybrid SIM)
16 MP primary camera and secondary 24 MP monochrome camera with f/1.8 aperture, PDAF and AI capabilities
24 MP front-facing camera and 2 MP depth sensor with f/2.0 aperture with HD Pro
The glass back feels very nice on the hands. It is slippery, but the 3D curved design with the metal frame counters the slipperiness, making it easy to hold. However, I’ve had my fair share of the phone falling on my face, so, as much as I didn’t want to, I had to put a case on it. Also, the back, being glass, will attract a lot of finger smudges, and hence, you won’t go wrong with a case here too.
Also, this phone still has the headphone jack, which is a very good thing, as the P20 Pro didn’t have one.
Overall, the Nova 3 has a small form factor and is aesthetically as well as visually pleasing. I’m sure you will agree that the design really is one of the best things about this phone.
Display
On the display front, the 6.3” FullView Display with minimum bezels looks pretty good. Yes, there is the infamous notch, but considering it houses two cameras, an IR sensor and speaker, it’s actually pretty small, unlike those of the Xiaomi Mi 8! Still, apps aren’t optimized to embrace the notch, so, that kind of gets in the way of your viewing experience.
Like most other phones, you can turn it off, too. However, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. The notch is small, but, due to that very reason, the LED notification rests behind the speaker grill. And at most times, it is not even visible when you get notifications. It totally defeats the purpose of those LED lights!
The IPS LCD display with Full HD+ resolution portrays vivid and sharp colors – for both texts and pictures. With an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and pixel density of 409 PPI, everything on the screen appears pleasing to the eye. Brightness levels are good enough to allow good sunlight legibility too.
I would’ve liked the phone to have the Always-On display feature, as the Face ID can be quite annoying at times when you only want to look at the time. It is really fast, and if you just want to glance at the time, it will unlock immediately, and you have to go that “extra mile” of having to lock it before putting back in your pocket.
Overall, the Nova 3 features a great display. Sure, it cannot outshine the flagships of 2018, but it gets pretty close!
Cameras
The Nova series is known for the quad camera setup. The dual camera setup at the back consists of a 16 MP primary sensor with Phase-Detection Auto Focus and a 24 MP monochrome sensor, both with f/1.8 aperture.
And yes, it lacks a depth sensor on the back, but the bokeh effects on this phone come out quite good. You can tell by just look at the images – sharp edges and good amount of blur on the background. However, in low lighting conditions, it’s edge detection seems to be a bit off, and you get quite the amount of noise. Also, auto-focus is a bit slow in low light, and gets some motion blur.
Monochrome Samples
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But, if you are taking pictures of low-lit places, the HDR effect comes into play, and tries very hard to get a good picture. However, considering all factors, it’s safe to say that most low-light images won’t be very appealing.
Back Camera Samples
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The Nova 3 also flaunts the AI camera, which you can turn on or off, that can distinguish between various elements, and change the picture accordingly. It can distinguish between over 20 different things, and while it does help out in certain scenarios, amping up color levels and HDRs; it’s more of a hit and miss. Mostly, it over-saturates greens, yellows and reds, so, sceneries come out unnatural, with more brighter colors than there really is. However, food photography will look very appealing for the same reason. But again, if you’re taking overlay shots, for example, the weather or sky or clouds, they will come out very pleasing to look at. It actually comes down to preference whether you prefer natural colors or ones that please you visually.
Normal Vs AI
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AI OFF
AI ON
AI OFF
AI ON
The 24 MP + 2 MP front camera takes outstanding selfies. The 2 MP depth sensor helps produce quite good portrait selfies, and the HDR Pro feature will also allow you to take good pictures even with bright/sunny backgrounds.
Front Camera Samples
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There’s also a beauty mode on it, and it does a good job of hiding the blemishes and lightening your face if you use it with the right levels.
Normal VS Beauty
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Normal
Beauty
The rear camera can record 4K videos @60fps while the front can record 1080p videos at the same frame rate. Videos are decent in daylight with good audio recording as well. You can also shoot short bursts of 480 fps Slo-Mo videos, but the quality is strictly average.
However, the lack of any kind of Image Stabilization in these cameras is a downer. And this is more annoying in videos! They shake quite a bit and the slightest bit of movement can spoil your video moments. At this price, Huawei could at least have implemented EIS, but it didn’t, which is a shame!
And there’s the AR Lens as well, with various effects for your photos and videos. You can definitely have some fun with it when you’re bored, but other than that…there’s not much to it. It’s there for entertainment purposes, and that’s it, a gimmick I’d say.
Overall, cameras on the Huawei Nova 3 are great, but the major factor that holds it back is the lack of Image Stabilization in them.
Check out all the high-resolution camera samples here
Performance
The Nova 3 features Huawei’s own Kirin 970 chipset, which you get on Huawei’s flagship, the P20 Pro. Couple that with 6 GB of RAM, and you get a speedy device with zero lags and stutters! Everything works like a breeze. Multi-tasking goes on without a hitch, and I experienced no lags while gaming. I played a lot of Asphalt 9, which seemed to run without a single stutter! Heavy games like Injustice 2 runs smooth as well.
The phone does heat up fairly quick, though. In my experience, the temperature maxed out at 38.7 centigrade during some PUBG session in HD graphics and High frame rates. While there can be some thermal throttling, I think that’s actually normal with many phones.And since the Nova series have also received the GPU Turbo update, the gaming experience is a very good one.
The phone runs on Android 8.1 with EMUI 8.2. Like all other skins, it comes with some bloatware and pre-installed apps too. while the pre-installed apps can be rid of, bloatware stays. The EMUI skin will also need some getting used to. And there are also some customization options for you to choose from.
Huawei Nova 3i Software UI
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Storage and Battery
The Nova 3 has 128 GB internal storage. While there’s also a microSD card slot which uses the SIM 2 slot, 128 GB of memory should be more than enough for everything you want to store in it.
Just like other phones in this price bracket, the Nova 3 has a large battery of 3750 mAh, with Fast Charge feature. The battery lasts the whole day easily with sessions of gaming, videos, casual web-surfing and everything. The fast charge helps fully charge your phone in under 2 hours, but it is not as fast as OnePlus’ Dash Charge.
Conclusion and Verdict
I have no complaints on the Nova 3 in terms of design, performance, and battery. Both the fingerprint sensor and Facial Recognition is very fast. However, the display needs to be optimized for the notch and cameras would have been better if they could’ve added Image Stabilization. The AI still needs work, too, but it is a good camera, though.
The Huawei Nova 3, overall, seems to be a good phone. Since there aren’t many phones in the 50000 – 60000 price bracket, you might not exactly know what to expect. If you want something better, you have to add quite a lot of cash, for instance, the OnePlus 6. The phone costs Rs.59900, which is fair enough, considering it costs Rs.35000 in India. So, for that price, I think Huawei Nova 3 justifies its worth.
All in all, the Nova 3 has its share of shortcomings, but there are things that make it a worthy purchase. In the end, I would say that it is pretty close to a Home Run!
So, Google has finalized the date for its annual October event. It’s on October 9, and we can pretty much guess what Google is going to show off. We’ve all been waiting for the Google Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL. Besides that, Google will also unveil some other gadgets.
The event will be happening in New York this time around, and of course, the company will be live during the event, if you want to see it.
However, there is very less excitement this time as the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL have leaked (actually, rained down even) like crazy. It seems to me that we know almost everything there is to know about the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL. However, a part of me is hoping that all those leaks will just be fakes, and the phone will actually feature something new in the event. I mean, it’s Google. I kinda don’t believe that the company let so much of its phone get leaked like haywire!
Whatever it is, the phone is sure to have a Snapdragon 845, a single rear camera and Qi wireless charging. We’ll just wait if the other leaks are legit enough. I know, we’ve already seen enough, but I am still crossing my fingers.
Also, Google might also unveil a refreshed version of the Pixelbook, new Pixel Buds, and Google’s own Smart Display. However, we might not be able to see the much rumored Pixel Watch at the event.
After only 5 months of the unveiling of the Vivo X21, the Chinese smartphone brand launched the Vivo X23 in Chinese markets! The Vivo X21 was one of the first smartphones to feature the In-display fingerprint sensor, and but the X23 combines that with a smaller notch. I, however, don’t know why everyone is making a big deal out of this “small notch”. The Essential PH-1 did it first, but nobody’s talking about it.
Anyway, the Vivo X23 comes with a large 6.41″ Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2340). As aforementioned, the display also embeds a Fingerprint sensor and a tiny notch at the top. It also seems to have slimmed down the chin too. Vivo seems to be constantly taking bigger steps towards that “All-screen” module.
The Vivo X23 has a dual camera setup at the back, which consists of a 12 MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and a 13 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.4 aperture. The little notch on the front houses a 12 MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. And as it is with Vivo, the cameras pack in all the AI bells and whistles like AI Portrait, AI Beauty, etc.
Under the hood, the Vivo X23 runs on the new Snapdragon 670 chipset with 8 GB of RAM. Now, that should be enough for quite a power-packed performance. But, the phone also features something called Dual Turbo Acceleration Engine for improved performance. As for the software, the phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with Vivo’s FunTouch OS 4.5. The phone packs a sizable 3400 mAh battery with 22.5W Fast Charge and has a 128 GB inbuilt storage option.
VIVO X23 Pricing & Availability
It is available in 3 color options: Phantom Purple, Phantom Red, and Midnight Blue. The phone has a price of around 3500 Chinese Yuan, which converts to $511. There are also special variants of the phone with giant Vivo logos on the back in two different colors, Fashion Orange and Fashion Purple. The phone is already available for reservation in China, and will start shipping on September 14th. However, there is no word on international availability yet.
