A few years ago, OnePlus was a new revolution in the smartphone industry. Providing industry’s top features in a budget price tag, the device started a whole new game in the smartphone world. Fast forward a few years, the company has launched the OnePlus 6 – its the first device to cross the $500 price barrier for the baseline model. I know, I know, we are at a time when most flagship smartphones have started selling for $1000. But still, for a device that started the budget-flagship trend, OnePlus is now selling the 256 GB storage of the OnePlus 6 for $629. I will let you be the judge on whether this premium price is a big deal or not. But for now, let’s talk about this new flagship from OnePlus.
The major upgrade to the OnePlus 6 over its predecessor, the OnePlus 5T, is in the design front. The newly launched device comes with a glass back and a notch up front. Very 2018! According to OnePlus, the company opted for glass because it provides a better signal, is more malleable and has a smooth touch.
The dual rear cameras are now vertical and have been placed in the middle with a fingerprint scanner sitting right below the lenses. Also, the Alert Slider has now been shifted to the right side. The bottom-firing speaker sits on the bottom alongside the charging port and a headphone jack.
Display
OnePlus has stayed traditional on the resolution of its new smartphone. The 6 has a full HD+ display (with 19:9 aspect ratio), which has helped the company cut cost. However, the major focus here is the notch on top. Although a lot of people hate the notch, it is what 2018 is giving us and I think it’s about time we get used to it. The OnePlus 6 has a smaller notch than the iPhone X’s. There is, however, an option to turn off the notch in the settings app.
Performance and Software
The theme of yesterday’s event was “The Speed You Need” which basically explains what OnePlus is doing with the 6. Once again, the company has focused on making the performance faster than ever. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 in place, the device now provides 30% more speed while using it.
There are three storage variants of the device, 64 GB, 128 GB and the company’s first 256 GB variant. The 64 GB version has 6 GB of RAM while the other two pack 8 GB of RAM.
On the software department, the OnePlus 6 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box with Oxygen OS on top. This software is near-stock and provides a lot of customization options which is certainly nice to have.
Camera
OnePlus has yet again made some changes to its camera setup. Unlike the OnePlus 5T, the 16- and 20-megapixel rear-facing cameras are now focused on taking portrait photos as well. The 16-megapixel camera is now supported with OIS and EIS which will help with stabilization. This time around, OnePlus has upgraded the slow-motion feature on its device as the cameras can now capture 1080p slow-mo videos @240fps and 720p slow-mo videos @480fps. And the device is capable of shooting 4K videos @60fps as well. An update, later on, will also let users take portrait mode pictures from the front-facing camera.
Security and Other Features
Under the security options, OnePlus has provided users with Face Unlock and a fingerprint scanner. The Face Unlock looks to be just as fast as one on 5T, and the fingerprint scanner, which now has a lesser surface area is among the fastest in the market like its predecessors.
OnePlus has also made its smartphone splash and rain resistant which is certainly a necessary feature. They probably didn’t include an IP rating to cut cost.
Battery
Carl Pei didn’t really talk much about the battery of the OnePlus 6 at the launch event yesterday. He did, however, mention OnePlus’ beloved feature – Dash Charge. Like most of the OnePlus devices, the 6 can provide users with a days power in just half an hour of charge. The OnePlus 6 houses a 3,300mAh battery and I think we can expect a battery life that’s similar to the 5/5T.
Pricing and Availability
Well, like I mentioned before, the OnePlus 6 is the company’s first to cross the $500 price point. Here’s the full price list of the device:
Seems like no smartphone brand can refrain themselves from providing a notch on their smartphones. In the stampede to put a cutout on the display of its smartphone, even Nokia could not hold back. Finally, it made a new handset official, which possesses an iPhone X like notch on the top. Dubbed as Nokia X6, the smartphone comes with some remarkable specifications.
As mentioned earlier, Nokia X6 comes with a notch, which is planted within the 5.8-inch display. The display features a resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels contributing to 19:9 aspect ratio. This display, which features a pixel density of 435PPI is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset, which is remarkably capable to handle the processes inside any mid-range handsets. In terms of memory configurations, Nokia has announced three variants. The base or the modest variant comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. Other two variants are gifted with 64GB internal storage and either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. The handset also has a hybrid slot to expand the storage provided.
On the optics side, the handset carries a pair of cameras at the back. The dual camera setup at the back comprises a 16MP, f/2.0 sensor aided by 5MP, f/2.2 monochrome sensor. Dual cameras definitely suggest fancy Bokeh effect on the images. Along with that, the rear camera on the Nokia X6 is also gifted with some nifty AI tricks like face recognition, dynamic expression, and filters.
Up front, there is a 16MP selfie shooter, which comes with a wide f/2.0 aperture. The front camera is also clever with the AI stuffs; it recognizes the faces and enhances the beauty (maintaining color balance, suppressing the scars and blemishes in the images, etc.). The smartphone also features Face Unlock feature in which the front camera plays a vital role. Not just the Face Unlock feature, the handset also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor to evade the security vulnerabilities.
On the software side, the X6 runs on Android Oreo (v8.1) out of the box. The smartphone is also promised with the upcoming Android P updates. There is a 3060mAh battery provided with the handset, which gulps the injected power through a USB Type-C cable. Since the smartphone supports Quick Charge 3.0, the battery on the handset can be injected up to 50% of charge in merely 30 minutes.
The smartphone will be available for purchase in China beginning from 21th of May. In terms of pricing, HMD global has announced the costs for the smartphones as CNY 1,299 ($204), CNY 1,499 ($236), and CNY 1,699 ($266) for the 4/32GB, 4/64GB, and 6/64GB respectively. HMD global has not spoken anything regarding the availability of the devices outside of China.
Nokia X6 Specifications
Display: 5.8-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display @435PPI with Gorilla Glass 3
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
CPU: Octa-core 1.8 GHz Kyro 260
OS: Stock Android Oreo (v8.1); Upgradable to Android P (v9.0)
RAM: 4/6 GB
GPU: Adreno 509
Storage: 32/64 GB (expandable up to 256 GB, Uses SIM 2 slot)
Oppo has just launched its first online exclusive smartphone — the Oppo Realme 1. The company has named Amazon India as its strategic partner for the launch of its new smartphone. Priced very aggressively, it is clear that Opps’s sub-brand Realme is going after the Redmi Series.
The styling of Oppo Realme 1 is similar to the ‘glossy diamond-cut’ design as seen on Oppo A3 and F7. There is no texture and it can be obtained by similar-looking sticker or cover. However, the diamond black design gives the device a strong, sturdy and premium look. Realme 1 has a 6.0-inch Full HD+ display with a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. And, the device has an 85 percent screen to body ratio. It has volume buttons on the left while power button resides on the right. At the bottom, there is a micro USB, headphone jack, and a speaker. The phone also supports Dual SIM slot and dedicated micro SD card.
Also, the device is powered by a powerful MediaTek’s Helio P60 Octa-core processor. It runs on Android 8.1 Oreo supported by ColorOS 5.0. It houses a Non-removable Li-Ion 3410 mAh battery and is optimized by AI Battery Management feature.
Moving on to the camera of Realme 1, it houses 13 MP rear camera featuring phase detection, autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama. As for the front camera, it has 8MP AI front camera to beautify selfies. The camera app also gets a Bokeh model. Available sensors are Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass. However, it lacks fingerprint sensor. It does support face unlock and the face unlock takes 0.1 seconds. The camera claims to recognize 296 facial spots for better face unlocking. But it doesn’t work so well under low lighting.
The phone comes in 3 variant: 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM + 64GB, and 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Additionally, it will be available in three color options — Diamond Black, Moonlight Silver, and Solar Red.
Memory: 32GB/ 64 GB/ 128GB (expandable up to 256GB)
Front Camera: 13 MP, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
Secondary Camera: 8 MP
Video: 1080p@30fps
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3410 mAh battery
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Prices of the variants will be accordingly. The 3GB/32GB variant will be about ₹ 8990 (~NRs 15,000), and 6GB/128GB will be about ₹13,990 (~ NRs 23,000).
Realme brand is mainly aimed at the Indian youth because of its competitive pricing. Also, the company assures customer service to build the buyers trust in the new brand. The company states that Realme brands will be a tough competition for companies like Xiaomi, Huawei, and Motorola. We are not quite sure if the phone gets launched in Nepal, and even if it does enter Nepal, it has to go via an online channel to make the price reasonable.
It’s been 4 months that I have used the Huawei Nova 2i and I have pretty much experienced it fall out of hands a couple of times, changed around 4 tempered glasses, spilled mehendi all over the charging port and lots more.
During this long time of my usage, the device had become an integral part of my life and now it seems like I know this device inside out. Having said so, there are things about this device that I have grown to like very much and things that certainly need improvement. So, let’s go one by one talking about them.
Display and Design
As much as I like the design of the Nova 2i, I cannot help but appreciate how good the display is too. I am a Youtube addict and I have loved watching videos on the huge 5.9-inch screen. All these months of usage, I have spent 40% of my time watching videos and similar content on my Nova 2i and I certainly am as satisfied as I should be. There are so many devices that have launched in with a bezel-less 18:9 display, but this one has not lost its charm.
Similarly, it’s been months that I have used the Nova 2i, but it seems to be resistant to scratches at the rear portion. However, I have a bad habit of keeping stuffing everything in my bag, so I had a few scratches on the screen. Then, I used tempered glass which well, helped me prevent scratches.
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Having said that, I have dropped my phone a lot many times and even without any kind of screen protection, this device has endured my reckless usage properly. I only had to change 4 tempered glasses ;). So, yes the display has been durable till now. Similarly, I have been using the gold variant and the phone has slightly discolored at the edges.
Battery
Something that degrades on most of our smartphones over time is the battery. The Nova 2i features a 3,340 mAh battery, which, for my use lasted for a day when I first got the device. Even now, surprisingly, the battery lasts for the same amount of time having a similar pattern of usage.
On, continuous use, it lasts for around 7 hours, which well is in the scenario when I don’t turn on mobile data. With mobile data on, the battery life gets drained of its life easily. Similarly, after watching video content, the battery wears off and I have had instances of having to plug in my phone twice a day for around 2 and a half hours.
Camera
Something that I have done a lot is capture pictures and take a lot of videos from my Nova 2i. I have been satisfied with the camera performance of this device the moment I put my hands on it. The picture quality has not degraded at all and they look vibrant and punchy as they looked earlier.
Huawei nova 2i camera samples
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The only complaint I have in the camera department is that it takes a tad bit of time to get launched. This has bothered me because I have missed many moments that I want to capture in many instances. So even though this one has had good performance in the camera department, I have suffered latency in opening the camera in the right moments. Other than that, I love the images from this device. Though I am still not satisfied with the portrait images as the edge detection is and was poor. Find out all the high res photo samples here.
P.S the vlog was shot by Nova 2i
Performance
What is the problem with smartphones is that they slow down in performance over time. With the Nova 2i, I have faced instances like some applications take a bit longer time to open. But it’s the case where I have too many apps opened at once. When I say too many, it is a lot many. So, at such times, I have had the experience when the phone has frozen so I had to restart it to make it properly functional again. So, yes, the phone slows down sometimes when too many applications are opened at once. However, multitasking has not been a problem and still is good as it was earlier when I got this device.
I have also spilled Menehdi all over the charging port and I thought I would have to spend a lot of money fixing it, but surprisingly, the phone still works fine.
Similarly, the Nova 2i just got an Oreo update and there are a few subtle changes that have happened like the setting menu looks cleaner. Other than that there is nothing very significant I have noticed. But I do get timely security updates. Well, Huawei seems to have taken care of this department very well. I did get the update that enabled facial to unlock on my device and the phone does not seem to recognize me sometimes. When it does, I feel that it takes some time. The fingerprint sensor is as snappy as it was.
The call quality is still the same on this device as it was before. Connectivity wise, the device still holds up pretty well. The sound quality has been good as well.
The gaming performance was average before and it is the same even now, so I would say it has not degraded. I don’t choose to play intense games as there are few lags in high settings. Otherwise, mid and low range games run very well. It is so much fun playing Ludo on the huge screen though. And in this long time of using the Nova 2i, I have never once had to visit a service center.
Conclusion
For the time I have used the Huawei Nova 2i, I have been satisfied with the performance it has provided. Yes, it has frozen sometimes but I think I was a bit hard on my device as I don’t frequently clean apps. The phone has not slowed down as I expected it to. Similarly, the battery life has pretty much held up for me as an average user. Only sometimes I have had to put it on charge twice a day. The camera department is still lit as it was before. And the Nova 2i is now available for Rs. 30,900 so with the kind of performance it provides, I think it is a worth it buy at this price. However, with the launch of the Huawei Y9 2018, this one may have lost its charm as the Y9 is pretty similar to this one except for the cameras and storage.
The Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra were unveiled at CES this year. After a few months wait, the devices have now made an entry in the Nepali market alongside the Xperia L2.
The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is the bigger variant of the XA2 although both the device pack in a lot of similarities. The Xperia XA2 is a compact device with a 5.2-inch display whereas the Ultra variant stands out with its 6-inch screen. Both the devices’ displays have full HD resolution with Gorilla Glass 4 protection on the top.
The Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra come in a traditional form factor with bezels on the top and bottom. At a time when bezel-less displays are trending, it is really strange that the devices, for what they are worth, are still traditional.
Both the Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra are powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor with 3 and 4 GB of RAM at the helm, respectively. The graphics side is aided by Adreno 508 GPU. The phones run on Android 8.0 Oreo with near-stock experience.
The rear end of both the smartphones has a 23-megapixel primary camera with f/2.0 aperture. The selfie camera is where another difference between the devices lie. The Xperia XA2 has an 8-megapixel lens with an f/2.4 aperture whereas the XA2 Ultra features dual cameras measuring 16- and 8-megapixel. The 16-megapixel lens on the front also has OIS.
The Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra have a fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0) enabled 3,300 mAh and 3,580 mAh battery respectively chargeable through USB Type-C. They have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Also, the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.0 is a nice touch on both the smartphones.
The Sony Xperia XA2 will run you Rs. 36,000 while the Xperia XA2 will sell for Rs. 46,000.
The Sony Xperia L2 was launched at CES 2018 alongside the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra. The device has arrived in Nepal for the price of Rs. 26,000 which makes it another new addition to the already impressive mid-range price segment.
The Sony Xperia L2 has slightly less bezels than what we usually see on Sony smartphones. However, unlike the 2018 trend of minimal bezels and an elongated display, this device has a little chunk of bezels on the top and bottom sandwiching the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio display. The Xperia L2 sports a 5.5-inch HD display which is a major disappointment as the most of the smartphones of this price segment have already picked up on the full HD resolution bandwagon. This display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for protection against scratches and drops.
In the internals, the Sony Xperia L2 comes with the same processor as its predecessor. It is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6737T processor coupled with Mali-T720MP2 and 3 GB of RAM. The inclusion of 3 GB of RAM and a very average processor in a smartphone priced Rs. 26,000 comes as a surprise as mid-range phones feature 4 GB of RAM these days and have a powerful chipset. The Xperia L2 runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat with a few rumors hinting for an Oreo update. On the storage side of things, this device has 32 GB of onboard memory with an option to expand it up to 256 GB via a microSD card.
On the optics department, the Sony Xperia L2 has a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with f/2.0 engraved on its back. Up front, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.4 aperture sits providing a wide 120-degree angle field-of-view.
The Sony Xperia L2 has a 3,300 mAh battery. This device has a USB Type-C port on the bottom and a fingerprint sensor on the back.
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Sony Xperia L2 Specifications:
Display: 5.5-inch HD display with Gorilla Glass 4
CPU: Quad-core MediaTek MT6737T
OS: Android v7.1.1 Nougat
RAM: 3 GB
GPU: Mali-T720MP2
Storage: 32 GB; Expandable up to 256 GB
Rear Camera: 13 MP with f/2.0 aperture, LED flash
Front Camera: 8 MP front-facing camera, f/2.4 aperture
Dual camera used to define premium flagship status a couple of years back. But over time, because of the people’s love for the dual camera and the fancy portrait shots that comes with it, the dual camera has been a mainstream feature these days even in the mid-range handsets. Despite this breakthrough, the dual camera still is a rare feature in the budget smartphones. And there is this recently launched Huawei Y7 Pro 2018, which sports a dual camera setup at the back. On top of that, the smartphone comes with the display that features 18:9 aspect ratio, which seems to be trendy these days. With these features, is the Huawei Y7 Pro going to set new standards for the budget smartphones? Let’s find out in this Huawei Y7 Pro 2018 review.
Dual Nano SIM (4G + 4G), WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, micro USB 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack
Color Options
Black, Gold, Blue
Price
Rs. 20,900
Design and build
Let’s get started with the design and build side of the things. At first glance, the Y7 Pro might feel like a metal body, but comparing side by side with the Huawei Y9 2018 and Nova 2i, you will quickly realize the Y7 Pro has a plastic body. This might turn you off, but the plastic construction has surely made the device light adding ease to hold and on the use. The glossy metallic frame has added a premium texture to the device and also prevents the flexes. Looks wise, it surely is a handsome lad, but I am not quite sure how the plastic body will endure for a longer period of time.
Display
Up front, the Huawei Y7 Pro features a tall 6-inch display with a trendy 18:9 aspect ratio. This tall display might interest the multimedia enthusiasts. However, compared with Full HD+ phones, one can surely feel the lack of sharpness.
Also, the display looks a little too faded and colors seem washed out. However, the display of the device was bright enough and legible even on the outdoor conditions. And I am thoroughly pleased with the presence of the ambient light sensor, which saved me from the hassle of adjusting the brightness level every now and then.
Performance
The Huawei Y7 Pro comes with a very, very average Snapdragon 430 chipset. We have seen this processor on many budget phones, but how does it fare on a $200 smartphone?
And Comparing it with other smartphones, it is evident that the Y7 Pro should have gone with a slightly powerful Kirin 659 SoC or Snapdragon 625 Chipset. So, bottom line: If you are a light user, you might not feel the difference, but you will notice minor lags when you try to multitask and execute heavy apps.
While digging into the gaming aspect, I didn’t find any issues while playing the light games like Dunk Shot, 8 Ball Pool, and Dunk hit ran really smoothly. So no complaints whatsoever. But when I played the Zombie Avenger, which is another light game, I had to endure lags more than once. When I played the heavy games like Asphalt 8, there were few evident stutters but the game was still playable. And talking about the heating issues, the device starts to heat up quite easily. Even while playing light games and apps, the temperature starts to rise gradually on the portion near the camera, however, it’s nothing of a major issue.
Software
On the software side, the smartphone comes with the Android Oreo out of the box. To spice up a little bit, Huawei added their own EMUI 8.0 on the top. I used last year’s Huawei Y7, Y7 Prime, and even the Nova 2i. I didn’t see much of a difference this time around. It seems a little polished but the amount of bloatware still remains the same. Most of the bloatware in the device is either redundant or useless. Since I prefer stock version of Android, the UI on the device didn’t please me much. However, I must honestly praise the addition of Eye Comfort feature in this handset. This feature filters the blue light from the display and prevents eye strain caused by the display while viewing the content on it. And I, being an avid reader found this feature surprisingly handy.
Camera
Huawei Y7 Pro houses a dual camera at the back. It is one of the most affordable smartphones to feature a dual camera on the back. Normal photos were fine and detailed most of the time. But sometimes, the colors of the subject in the images were little faded as per my liking.
Another thing I noticed about the Huawei Y7 Pro 2018 was the shutter lag on the camera. The slow shutter speed of the camera sometimes resulted in blurry images.
With dual camera onboard, the portrait shots were “OK” at best. It’s not as good as Huawei Y9 or Nova 2i when compared side by side. Despite the presence of substantial amount of details, the sketchy edge detection was noticeable almost every time I took portrait shots. However, it’s satisfying to see Huawei is trying to bring in some good camera features in its budget phones with dual camera setup, which is kind of rare at the moment in Nepal market.
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Moving on to the front, there is an 8MP selfie shooter with an LED flash right on the forehead chin. The front camera captures some excellent-looking selfies. There is also the Beauty mode for the people, who want beautification in their selfies in the real-time. This feature usually comes handy for the people like me, who hate to edit and process the images after taking the shots. Another cool feature I liked about this handset is the nighttime selfies. When there is really low light to take selfies, the sensor detects deficiency of light and triggers the front LED flash.
Security
On to the security side, there is no fingerprint sensor on the smartphone. Since Huawei had fast and accurate fingerprint sensor over the years, I was surprised to find empty back on the phone and nothing but logo on the chin bezel.
Typing pin/password and drawing patterns to unlock the phone is absolutely boring in 2018. Nonetheless, Huawei managed to add face unlock feature as a consolation. However, the face unlock feature in the Y7 Pro is little sluggish and took me a little more than a second to unlock the device. In addition, this sluggish Face Unlock feature doesn’t work at all in the dark.
So not just Huawei, I want to request all the smartphone manufacturers to kindly include a fingerprint sensor on their device. Not just for luxury, this feature has been an absolute need these days.
Battery
The handset comes with the 3000 mAh battery, which backed me for almost a day on the normal use. And the screen-on-time was around 5 hours. I was pretty satisfied with the backup is provided. With the stock charger of 5V, 1A, it took me around 3 hours to get the battery fully charged. But during the course of review time, I used a more powerful charger rated 5V, 2A which accelerated the charging process. And the battery got refilled in just 2 hours’ time. So, if the prolonged charging time bothers you as well you can spend a couple of bucks for a 5V, 2A charger.
Conclusion
To sum it up, Huawei Y7 Pro 2018 is kind of a mixed bag. On the good side, it has got a good design, trendy 18:9 aspect ratio, reliable battery life, and a good set of cameras. However, had Huawei included FHD screen and maybe its own Kirin Processor at this price range it would have been even better.
So, If you are looking for a better display and a more powerful processor, you will have plenty of options out there or you can also opt for it’s bigger sibling Huawei Y9 by investing more. But, if you are looking for a good camera phone, but within a tight budget range, then the Y7 Pro would be a good buy.
The Huawei Nova 3e, also known as the P20 Lite, was only recently launched in the international market. The smartphone which was available in China for a while is now available in Nepal for the price of Rs. 35,900.
The Huawei Nova 3e comes with a 5.84-inch 19:9 LTPS IPS LCD FHD+ display along with a notch. The processor inside is the same reliable HiSilicon Kirin 659 octa-core processor with Mali-T830 MP2 GPU. It comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage with an optional China exclusive 128GB of storage option. The Nova 3e supports expandable storage of up to 256GB, although you will have to sacrifice the dual SIM functionality.
Camera wise, there is a 16MP f/2.2 and a 2MP dual camera setup at the back. The rear camera setup supports up to 1080p video recording at 30fps. The star of the show here is certainly the 16 MP f/2.0 Sony IMX576 front camera.
Rest of the features of Huawei Nova 3e include a fingerprint sensor at the back, USB C connectivity support, and a headphone jack. The phone comes with EMUI 8.0 on top of Android Oreo 8.0 which the Huawei Nova 2i recently received here in Nepal. Finally, powering all of the features is a 3000mAh battery, in a 148.6 x 71.2 x 7.4 mm body.
Colour options include Black, Blue, Gold and Rose Gold. The device has launched in the price segment where smartphones like Oppo F7 and Vivo V9 are trying to leave a mark. For the price of Rs. 35,900, will the device pack a punch or not? Well, we will answer that in our full review.
Huawei Nova 3e Specifications:
Display: 5.84-inch FullHD+ IPS (1080*2160), 19:9 aspect ratio
Over the past few years, the Samsung J series has released some really good smartphones. But in recent times, Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and even Nepal’s own Colors Mobile have really stepped up their game.
In the middle of all this, Samsung has come up a new smartphone dubbed the Galaxy J2 4G. It shares the exact same hardware as the regular J2, but this time with 4G connectivity. With a price tag of Rs 11,390, let’s find out if it can compete with the rest of its competitors in the same price point.
Samsung Galaxy J2 4G Specification
Display
4.7-inch qHD AMOLED
Processor
1.3GHz Quad-Core Exynos 3475
Memory
1GB RAM, 8GB Internal Storage, expandable (up to 256GB) via micro SD slot
Operating system
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Connectivity
Dual SIM (micro + micro) with 4G LTE
Primary Camera
5MP f/2.2 Aperture, LED flash
Front Camera
2MP f/2.2 Aperture
Battery
2,000mAh
Price in Nepal
Rs 11,390
Design and Build
The smartphone looks almost exactly the same as any other Galaxy J2 smartphone. Frankly speaking, the design language hasn’t changed much since the first Galaxy J2 back in 2015. It flaunts a plastic body with a removable back cover giving you access to the battery alongside two SIM slots and a Micro SD card slot.
It’s a very simple looking smartphone with two captive touch buttons and a classic Samsung home button at the front. On the back lies the 5MP camera alongside the flash and a loudspeaker. On the left, you will find the volume buttons, and on the right the power button. The bottom holds the micro USB port and the headphone jack lies at the top.
I did manage to drop the phone several times, and it came off without any serious damage, apart from the few dents and scuffs. This is one of the best-built smartphones out there, among its competitors of course. It has a sturdy design, with very few creaks and squeaks and a very wholesome feel in hand.
Display
Display shares the same story as the built of the device. The screen sizes in at 4.7 inches, which most people will find tiny and hard to use, especially with a resolution of 960*540 pixels. But frankly, it’s not half as bad, thanks to the AMOLED panel which produces good colors and an above average viewing experience.
The problem is, the display is usable, but comparing it with other smartphones with the same or even cheaper prices, you usually get at-least an HD display, which is a must on a smartphone in 2018. Also, the 4.7-inch display will be a deal breaker for most, considering there are up to 5.5-inch display options as well.
Software and UI
This is where the smartphone starts to show off its quirks. For some unknown reason, the J2 4G edition runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. It’s a relatively old version of Android for a smartphone launching in 2018. Nevertheless, you will not feel like you are missing out on something. You might feel traveling back in time having this outdated OS in its system. In addition, you should also have to tussle with the lags and sluggishness due to the lack of RAM and processing power of the phone.
The UI itself lags a lot, with frequent shutters and reloading processes. It was a frustration when I failed to do anything slightly demanding with this smartphone. For the more basic users, who primarily use a phone to call and text, this phone will do just fine.
We can see that people eying a smartphone like the J2 won’t be bothered by which OS their smartphone is currently running. For the same reason, we didn’t let it bother us either. What does bother us is the lack of OS optimization which just makes the device pretty unusable and unpleasant.
Performance
Performance is not a strong suit for this smartphone, in fact, it’s one of the worst out there. It’s a budget smartphone that was meant to do the most basic tasks. Calls, alarms, cameras, browsing the web work well. What doesn’t work well are the full versions of any app. For instance, you will be better off using the Facebook Lite, Messenger lite or any stripped down version of an app.
I had a horrible time with the full versions of the apps which struggled to work at all. These apps really take a toll on the Exynos 3475 and the mere 1GB of RAM the device comes with. More noticeably the frequent UI restarts was a true frustration. This is a device that could really make great use of therecently released Android Go from Google. You can take a look at the benchmark scores below and judge the device yourself.
Storage
The smartphone comes with 8GB of onboard storage, which might be enough for some. Considering the phone struggles with the full version of apps, I installed and used the lite version of the apps. Such lite app relatively takes less storage space when installed and operated. Moreover, installing such light app left enough space available for me because of which I had been able to store adequate files in the onboard storage. Despite the memory management with lite apps, the internal storage was still insufficient for me so I had to employ an SDcard for the purpose.
Camera
Samsung devices have always featured good cameras but seems like this one is an exception. It’s has a 5MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture camera and an LED flash also capable of up to 720p video captures. No matter how hard you try, you cannot overcome its lack of sharpness. Lack of details was evident in the images and the colors were washed out most of the time.
Talking about the front camera, the 2MP f/2.2 aperture camera, almost all the time took blurred photos. A steady hand and a well-lit room might produce some decent selfies. It is also capable of video recordings of up to 640*480 resolutions.
We get that it’s a budget smartphone but just look at the competition. The Colors P85+ Selfie Pro has a 13MP rear and 8MP front camera which takes a lot better pictures comparatively.
Battery
The smartphone holds a 2000mAh battery, which will get you through a day’s usage. In terms of SOT, I got about 3 to 4 hours of usage, which I consider a day’s worth. Charging time is less than two hours, thanks to the small battery capacity.
Is the battery usable? sure! but competitors pack their smartphones with 3000 and sometimes even 4000mAh batteries. These smartphones boast up to 6 hours of SOT, especially considering the targeted buyers will expect a good battery life.
Connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy J2 4G Edition supports 4G connectivity, alongside Bluetooth 4.1, and 802.11n WiFi. 4G worked as well as on any other smartphone, the best result we got was a maximum of 7.34Mbps down, 10.43Mbps up and latency of around 23ms.
The sensors on the device include an accelerometer and a proximity sensor, which seem enough for day to day usage. Although the call quality wasn’t really something to brag about. Especially when you are on a crowded bus or on open roads, both parties failed to exchange conversations with ease.
Conclusion
You can buy yourself a Samsung Galaxy J2 4G edition for a price of Rs 11,290. For it’s asking price, the smartphone does a few things well. But with just 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory to spare, Samsung could have immensely made use of Android Go. Also, the small battery capacity was a huge bummer.
Buyers do have an option to use the Android Go apps from the Play-store whenever possible. But if in the near future, they do decide to create another smartphone with similar specs, Android Go does sound a lot more promising.
Budget smartphones are getting better by the day, and Samsung really needs to up their game in this segment. The J2 follows the same old tradition of a budget smartphone. It features an outdated software, sluggish performance, barely sufficient battery, and a really mediocre camera setup.
All of which you could avoid if you choose something like a Colors P85+. Even cheaper options like the Xiaomi Redmi 4A will give you an HD display, better performance, and a slightly better camera not to mention the bump in storage and battery while actually saving you money.
My personal suggestion would be to invest a bit more and go for smartphones like the Nokia 2, Huawei Y7 or the Redmi Note 5A. Plus if you plan on using the smartphone for about 1-2 years like everyone else, the extra money you invest on one will definitely be worth it.
Pros
Display
Build
Cons
Performance
Battery
Software
Camera
Alternatives
Colors P85+ Selfie Pro
Full Specifications of Colors P85+ Selfie Pro:
Display: 5.5-inch HD IPS LCD with 2.5D glass; Dragontrail Glass Protection
CPU: 1.3 GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6735
RAM: 2GB
OS: Android 7.0 Nougat
Storage: 16GB, expandable up to 128 GB via microSD card (dedicated)
Rear Camera: 13 MP with f/2.0 aperture, Auto Focus and LED Flash
We have seen an influx of Chinese smartphones in recent years. There are plenty of Chinese brands that offer great hardware specs for fraction of the price. The Umidigi S2 Pro offers full view display, metal unibody, and a dual camera setup. So, let’s see how this device stacks up against the mid-range bunch in our Umidigi S2 pro review.
Design
The first thing you will notice right off the bat is that bright red color of the phone. We particularly liked the bright color but you can opt for the more subtle black option. The phone has a unibody metal construct and the feel of the phone is premium on the hand. Being a tall phone, you can easily carry it around but it’s not ideal for one hand usage.
The phone has slipped too many times from my hands and from my pocket due to its slippery polished back. So, a back cover is a must and Umidigi has provided one inside the box.
If you are against a back cover, it is worth mentioning that this phone doesn’t get any scratches. During my review period, I constantly kept the phone in my pocket along with keys when I am driving. And surprisingly, the phone didn’t get any scratches. The phone also doesn’t attract any fingerprints and it’s super easy to just wipe off any dust from its surface.
The phone although is on the chunky side, the curve back does a good job of hiding its thickness. On the plus side, the phone is splash and dust resistance as well which is an awesome feature to see in a mid-range segment.
Display
The Umidigi S2 Pro comes with a tall 18:9 aspect ratio featuring a 6-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display. We would have loved to see an AMOLED panel which would have made the display punch better with deep blacks and high contrasts. Its competition like the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro has an AMOLED panel to enhance its viewing.
However, the display panel is bright and vibrant. I really enjoyed watching videos and playing games on this huge display. It also gets bright enough to be clearly visible outdoors and there are no color shifts at all with varying angles. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 4. You have MiraVision to change the Color mode and have some additional control over the display.
Performance
The Umidigi S2 Pro is powered by Mediatek’s Helio P25 octa-core chipset clocked at 2.5GHz. What’s offered here may not be a high-end performance chipset, but considering the price of $279, it delivers the power when you ask for it.
Normal navigation, scrolling, and all the basic tasks can be carried out without breaking a sweat. When it comes to gaming, the Asphalt 8 was well playable with no noticeable frame drops or lags. I also tried the new PUBG for mobile and it automatically rendered on low quality. The game was pretty much playable on low quality, but there were minor lags here and there as I played. The phone does heat up after a while of gaming but it stays constant and there’s nothing too serious so you can continue for hours.
The phone offers 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM. You can easily switch between multiple apps opened in the background without breaking a sweat. Turning on the battery saving options do affect the multitasking ability to some extent. Nonetheless, the phone is a capable performer and it would suffice the need of an average user.
Software
The phone is running on Android 7.0 Nougat, which is pretty outdated by today’s standard. This phone is running the heavily skinned UMI OS 2.0. Like any Chinese OEM’s there’s no app drawer and to my surprise, this is the only Chinese phone I know of that completely restricts the user from using third-party launchers. I couldn’t be more disappointed.
Adding to a load of disappointment is the bloatware and they are everywhere, so much so that you could fill up an entire screen with it. This bloatware includes Speed Up cache cleaner, a security app that also acts as a cache cleaner, an App Clean Up that clears the cache, so you get the gist here. There are also dual apps, quick touch, and others include an app store from UMI and theme store.
Umidigi S2 Pro | Software UI
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Home Screen
Notification Panel
Multitasking Panel
That’s already a lot of app on first boot to overwhelm anyone. Fortunately, some of them can be uninstalled and some stay with you for eternity. The inclusion of blue light filter and anti-theft are neat features.
Camera
For me, the purchasing decision of a smartphone comes down to the camera, and I believe it is the same for most of us as well. The Umidigi S2 Pro comes with the dual rear camera in a pair of 13MP + 5MP with f/2.0 aperture. The secondary lens is here for the bokeh effect. And the first thing I tried with its camera was the bokeh effect and it really didn’t impress me much. The bokeh effect just felt a complete hit or miss. Often times there would be a whole area outside the subject without any blur and sometimes half of the subject would be blurred out.
Coming to the image quality of the phone, the pictures it takes has a good amount of saturation with its image processing. If you love punchy colors in your pictures like that from the Samsung phones then you’d love what it has to offer. On Zooming in details as you can see in the images are well preserved in good lighting conditions. What I’ve noticed from the samples is, the phone increases the highlights making the images bright but despite that, the images maintain a very close to the natural color.
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The shutter is quite snappy so you can capture fast moving life as it’s happening. There aren’t plenty of shooting modes here, but you get few standard ones like the slo-mo which creates a jittery gif like slow motion video, time lapse, and color filters. The phone doesn’t offer pro mode, however. The S2 Pro is capable of shooting 4K videos but the quality is not up to par.
Now coming to the front 16MP camera of the device I thought it’d be fun but upon seeing the results I couldn’t be more disappointed with it. Images have pink tint overlay and even with enough light, the image contained few grains and dark spots. There is face beauty mode, and face cute mode with AR stickers.
Connectivity
Talking about connectivity, the phone lacks a headphone jack. And to deal with that the phone does offer USB C to 3.5mm headphone jack dongle. The S2 Pro comes with dual nano-hybrid SIM Slot. With 128GB storage on board, you will rarely use any extra SD card with such enormous storage.
It has all the wireless connectivity options such as WiFi (ac), Bluetooth 4.2, and GPS.
Security
For security, you get fingerprint sensor along with face unlock. The face unlock is way slow when compared to the one on OnePlus 5T or even the Vivo V9. It takes about 1 or 2 seconds to unlock the phone.
Battery
One of the biggest assets of the phone is its mammoth 5100mAh battery. Now, this size is something that we don’t see often on smartphones and it’s here to solve one of our biggest issue of battery drainage. The phone is a beast when it comes battery life providing 2 days of backup. I would always have 40-50% battery left on my phone at the end of the day – my usage mostly included browsing social media, taking photos, and gaming.
The phone offers Pump Charge 2.0 fast charging that charges the device within 2 hours. It feels reasonable considering the size of the battery.
Verdict
The Umidigi S2 Pro definitely has got the hardware punch that we don’t see in the midrange phone under $300. The phone comes with a beautifully crafted metal body, ample 128GB of storage and a mammoth 5100 mAh battery.
This phone is definitely a good pick for someone looking for a good aesthetic, more storage, and a 2 days battery life. But on the contrary, the poor selfie camera and iffy UI can turn you down. But in my opinion, it’s a small tradeoff for all the goods you are getting for the price.
However, in Nepal, you need to pay an exorbitant price (Rs.54,900) if you buy the phone from the official channel.