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Five Apps Every Girl Should Have in Their Smartphones

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One doesn’t need factual evidence to know that men and women differ in their needs to use a smartphone. Similarly, the choices of applications on their phones also differ. While all the girls are not similar in nature, we can, on a very surface level, generalize what they would want ordinarily. After all, girls are girls and they will have things in common.

Here I share with you five apps that every girl should have on their phones.

Clue

First and foremost, here is something of utmost vitality, the Clue app. While there are girls who can accurately keep track of their periods, there are some like me, who have a hard time remembering dates. Clue is the perfect solution for you to keep track of your periods and menstruation health. The app is very interactive in use and not only lets you track your periods but PMS and body status, emotional status and the like.

Frankly, I wasn’t even aware that there were so many things we could track, but with this app, I am now keeping a record of everything and nothing goes out of notice. You can, with this app, also keep track of your cravings, pain, emotions, digestion, hair and skin condition etc. Reminders can be set and received as per convenience. Cues regarding PMSs can be accurately monitored through this app, so when you are feeling low around that time of the month, you will know exactly what it is!  This is not just a period tracker, it is a savior! It’s one impressive application and can work wonders for us ladies.

Android   iOS

Snapseed

I know how most of us girls like their pictures to come out social media ready, but, to our utter sadness, that is not what happens generally. For us girls, there is an ultimate need to make sure the pictures look pretty, because, hello, we cannot post ugly photos of us! There are solutions to this problem in forms of photo editing apps but the options for editing are so limited and the edit quality is not very good.

Also, most photo editing apps make your pictures look unnatural. So, there is this application I use for editing my pictures, called Snapseed. There are various filter options available in this application and to our absolute happiness, a lot of editing tools that help you make your pictures look gorgeous.From blurring the background to smoothing your skin tone, all is possible through this application. Besides, it is a wonderful smile editor app that allows correcting the color of your teeth, their size, the shape of a smile, and more. 

Snapseed is not just useful for enhancing portraits but choices are available for enhancing scenery and silhouettes too. There is an abundance of tools you can use to enhance, make your picture more detailed and many more. Girls, with this photo editing app, some jealous eyes are certainly going to catch your Instagram feed.

Android   iOS

Truecaller

Remember the time when an out-of-his-mind stranger kept calling you and you had no idea who it was? Remember all the flirty messages from that unknown stalker who tested your patience? Well, that is not going to happen anymore! Truecaller, I must say, ladies, is one app that every one of us should have. I don’t mean boys don’t need to know who’s calling them but it holds a special importance for us girls. With the Truecaller app, you can get the identity of every single person calling and messaging you. So, no more bluff or fake calls or annoying messages from people who are not in your contact list.

Further, it also blocks spam calls automatically.It identifies people, who, normally would not be identified. With the Truecaller app, all the information you need before picking up an unknown call will be displayed right in front of your eyes. This way you can always choose to ignore suspicious calls from an unidentified source. This app can be your personal tool to a safer you! As far as your safety is concerned, Truecaller is a must have app for all the girls out there.

Android   iOS

Healthify me

Other things kept aside, we girls have our fitness track and a figure to maintain. This application is a simple way to keep track of your food consumption, water intake, steps walked and calories burnt. This is a complete package, as you can set goals and make sure you reach them through an overall tracking mechanism. Healthify me can be your personal diet planner, your secret to a healthier and fitter you! If you lack motivation, the app shows you references of people who actually used this app to gain a healthier lifestyle.

What’s good news is, unlike other health tracking apps that are not relevant in the South Asian context, this one can track how many bowls of rice you ate for lunch, how many rotis you had, so it’s actually kind of relevant to our framework. The results are very accurate and are shown in an analysis table that is easily comprehensible and comparable. The app also awards you with points so you can actually compete against your own records or make a group with people similar to you! This is a refreshing and useful app and you girls should definitely give it a try.

Android   iOS

Big Oven

The relationship between kitchen and women goes way back to history. Big Oven is something for the cooking enthusiasts out there. This is one recipe app that home cooks can use to find recipes from a variation of over 350,000 choices of different categories. From recently discovered ideas on cooking to snacks to desserts, you will find recipes for a variety of food and meals. You can add your own recipe for anything you like too. Similarly, you can follow and be followed and get connected to other cooking enthusiasts like you!

Further, it lets you make a grocery list of your own to take it to the store helping you organize your purchases. Big Oven also comes with a meal planner and lets you plan your daily meals. What’s good news is that you find Indian to Japanese to Continental recipes, all in one application. All you have to do is type the name of the dish and recipes from various people will appear right in front of your eyes. Once you click on the dish, you get three choices, first is the ingredients, second is how to prepare them and third is the nutrition details (calories and fat details). So, with this app, you are not only cooking new and different dishes, you are getting information about the nutrition it is providing too.

Android   iOS

Gionee S11 Lite with FullView Display and Dual Camera Launched in Nepal

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After the launch of the Gionee M7 Power, the Chinese manufacturer Gionee has launched another new smartphone in Nepal, dubbed the Gionee S11 Lite. It was one of the eight smartphones that launched back in November last year.

The Gionee S11 Lite features a 5.7 inch 18:9 FullView display with a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels. Gionee has decided to use a Snapdragon 430 SoC inside paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. All this is aided by a 3030mAh battery to keep the lights on.

One of the main highlights here is the 16MP camera up front, which claims to take really good selfies. We will have to test it to confirm it, but on paper, it seems decent. Also, there is a dual camera setup with a 13MP and 2MP lens combo at the back. Needless to say, we are very optimistic about its cameras.

Connectivity wise, they still employ the traditional Micro USB for charging and data transfers. The fingerprint lives on the back of the smartphone alongside the cameras. And while we are on the subject, it’s a plastic back, which was a bummer, to be honest.

Gionee S11 Lite price nepal

Other features include a built-in app lock, private space 2.0, smart eye protection, split screen, game mode, fingerprint shortcuts, app clone and more. So, tell us what you think about this new smartphone from Gionee. Is this a good enough device or does Gionee needs to try even harder to win it’s fans back?

Gionee S11 Lite Specifications

  • Display: 5.7 inches IPS LCD HD+ FullView display with 18:9 aspect ratio
  • OS: Android v7.1 Nougat with Amigo 5.0 on the top
  • Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 430
  • CPU: Octa-core up to 1.4GHz
  • GPU: Adreno 505
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Onboard Storage: 32GB
  • Front camera: 16MP, f/2.0 aperture
  • Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP, f/2.2 aperture, autofocus, LED flash
  • Fingerprint Sensor: Yes
  • Other Features: Fingerprint scanner, 3D Photo, Private Space
  • Battery: 3030 mAh Non-removable battery
  • Color Options: Gold, Black

Gionee S11 Lite Price In Nepal:

Despite the plastic back, the Gionee S11 Lite looks appealing with the glossy finish. The near bezel-less design has also added elegance to the device. In addition, the presence of dual camera setup seems to pack an assuring potential in the photography department. And for all such features, the smartphone is asking a price of Rs. 25,999.

Considering the price, the smartphone is clearly overpriced for its features. An HD+ display at the price of Rs. 25,999 is the real bummer. The pixel density of 282PPI may not sound that diverting, but if the price is taken into consideration, it does not seem right. Since almost all the smartphones at the similar price range have employed a display with Full-HD resolution, picking such low-res display makes no sense at all. At the price of Rs. 26,990 (but available at Rs. 24,999), you can get Gionee’s last year’s flagship the Gionee A1. Gionee A1 comes with the vibrant AMOLED display with Full-HD resolution. And choosing the Gionne A1 over the S11 Lite seems a wise choice to me.

Gionee had been quite obsessed with the MediaTek processors in the past. And the customers were frequently unimpressed with the move. This time around, the smartphone brand has gone with the Octa-core Snapdragon processor. But despite the transition, there is nothing much to brag about since the chipset used is lower mainstream SoC fabricated in 28nm architecture. So if you are into performance, Xiaomi MI A1 would be a better choice as it comes with Snapdragon 625 chipset. Snapdragon 625 is a powerful yet power-efficient chipset. And coupled with the 4GB of RAM, the MI A1is ensures buttery smooth performance. Priced at Rs. 26,999 (4GB/32GB, Available for Rs. 25,000), the smartphone also carries dual camera setup at the back with the potential to capture images with 2x lossless zooming.

FullView display and near bezel-less display may be another highlight of the Gionee S11 lite. But at a lower price than the S11 Lite, users can get the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus (Rs. 23,499) with the similar near bezel-less display at the size of 5.99 inches. Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus also carries the noteworthy Snapdragon 625 chipset and a massive 4000mAh battery.

Since we have numerous smartphones on the market right now, which supersedes the Gionee S11 in every possible aspect. So the presence of the smartphone in Nepal with such a jaw-dropping price has not convinced me at all. If you have got any clue, let us know in the comment section.

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LG’s 2018 flagship to launch in June with Snapdragon 845 SoC and MLCD+ display

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LG, the South Korean electronics giant, has created a name of its own on the global electronics market. Their products are used worldwide. They manufacture quite a variety of electronics one of which are smartphones.

If rumors are to be believed, LG is all set to come up with a new smartphone to be released under its ‘G’ series.

The new phone will be a follow-up to the LG G6 which was launched last year. Despite the excellence in performance G6 was overshadowed because of the competition.

Evan Blass, who is known for credible leaks, has leaked some information regarding an upcoming LG flagship phone. The phone is to release in June this year. The smartphone is codenamed ‘Judy’. From what we understand, and after considering its specs, this device is probably the LG G7.

Supposedly, the device will have an MLCD+ display which apparently is brighter than standard IPS LCD screens. We would not need to increase the brightness while out in the sun. This means an increase in battery life. Oh, and the battery consumption will be lowered by 35 percent.

lg g7 rumors design specs
                                                               LG G7 Rumored Design.

The display will be of 18:9 aspect ratio with the screen standing 6.1-inch tall. The length of the phone might not sound practical enough but the narrower width and minimal bezels will make holding the phone convenient.

The LG G7 will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, which seems to be a common feature in the smartphones of 2018. It will have 64 GB of internal storage along with 4 GB of RAM which might be a bit disappointing to some as most flagship smartphones have 6 GB of RAM, but Android’s RAM management these days is much better!

In the camera department, the LG G7 will have dual rear cameras 16-megapixels each. However, there are still no leaks regarding the front-facing camera of the G7.

The LG G7 will be IP68 certified which means it will be water, dust, and impact resistant. Wireless charging is another feature that makes the G7 worth the wait. It was also mentioned that the LG G7 will have ‘boombox’ stereo speakers.

We will be able to know how much of it is true only once the phone is out in the market. If the rumors are true, the phone seems pretty promising with the MLCD+ display and the Snapdragon 845 SoC. Let’s wait and see if the LG G7 is what we are expecting it to be. The rumors already have our hopes high!

LG G7 Specifications (rumored):

• Codename ‘Judy’,
Display: 6.1-inch MLCD+ display, 18:9 aspect ratio
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Storage: 64 GB internal storage, 4 GB of RAM
Camera: Dual rear cameras (16 MP each), HDR10 imaging
Protection: IP68 protection (water, dust, and impact resistant)
Sound: Stereo speakers (boombox)
• Wireless Charging Enabled

UMIDIGI set to launch Z2 with 7000 mAh battery & Snapdragon 835 SoC

The Chinese company UMIDIGI is all set to launch its new flagship, the UMIDIGI Z2. This device may turn a lot of heads with the rumored 7000 mAh battery capacity. In addition to that, it is also said to feature a notch at the top of the display. The notch will supposedly carry dual selfie cameras, earpiece and a couple of sensors. With all these, the device is said to be the world’s first 6.2-inch “top-notch” flagship smartphone with FHD+ resolution.

Surprises don’t end yet because the display is also said to come equipped with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Similarly, the display will sport rounded edges over a 6.2-inch FHD+ body with 2246*1080 screen resolution.

Along with the display and the cameras, NFC will also be a part of the offering. Just like the UMIDIGI Crystal, that has a type-C USB and dual camera setup on the back, this one is anticipated to have the same.

Umidigi Z2 price in nepal full specifications

Rumours have it that the phone will ship with Synaptic’s Clear ID in-display fingerprint scanner, which is one of its type that is available currently out on the market. Those scanners only work with OLED panels, so we expect the UMIDIGI Z2 to come equipped with an OLED screen.

Similar to what other phones UMIDIGI has brought to us, the Z2 will supposedly have a flagship-grade Snapdragon 835 SoC. This will be the first Umidigi smartphone to feature Qualcomm processor.

In terms of storage, the Umidigi Z2 is all set to feature 6GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage with microSD card expansion slot.

The rumored 7000 mAh battery is yet another attention seeking attribute of the device. The specifications UMIDIGI is bringing to the table with the Z2 certainly look striking. Testing the performance of the phone in real life is going to be a lot of fun.

Adding to this is an official announcement from UMIDIGI, on its Twitter account saying that “UMIDIGI Z2 is much more amazing than people expected”. This has surely risen expectations of the people!

That being said, wait for the UMIDIGI Z2 will just be a while longer as the company is all set to introduce the device to the world and even the Nepali market very soon.

Don’t Miss: UMIDIGI Mobiles Price in Nepal

Umidigi Z2 Rumored Specs:

  • 6.2-inch (2246 X 1080) IPS LCD display with Gorilla Glass 4 protection
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC
  • Android 8.0 Oreo
  • 6GB RAM ; 256GB internal storage with microSD expansion up to 256GB
  • Dual Rear Camera (16MP + 16MP) ISOCELL sensor
  • Dual Front Camera (18MP+8MP)
  • In display fingerprint Scanner
  • 7000mAh Sony Lithium Polymer Battery
  • Expected Launch Date: April 2018

Huawei and ZTE under suspicion; CIA, FBI and NSA warn authorities and the public against the companies

Smartphones are in high demand these days. That’s why there’s an ever-going competition in between the smartphone manufacturers. They are constantly bringing up the ideas through which they can strengthen their hold in the global market. Recently, CIA, FBI, and NSA have warned authorities and the public against some companies following some security issues.

One of the companies is Huawei. The Chinese tech giant which has a firm hold in the global market has recently faced a setback. In fact, a series of setbacks. Let’s find out how.

In 2012, the Congress warned federal authorities from using Huawei and ZTE phones.
In January this year, AT&T stepped out from the partnership deal between these two.

Recently, the intelligence agencies based in the US – CIA, FBI, and NSA have warned even the public from using the Huawei and ZTE phones.

Well, we are not unknown about the rivalries between China and the US. The clash of ideology between these nations aroused from China being a communist/socialist and the US being the capitalist nation. This is a political issue but how does it affect on whether the Americans use a Chinese brand’s phone or not?

According to FBI director Cris Wray, “It provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information, and it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage.”

The American intelligence agencies are wary of the fact that the Chinese government might invade their national security and steal the data through their smartphone companies. That’s why they even warned the public from using products and services from these companies. Maybe security is not just the issue, the competition of market is a problem as well. As these are the products of a nation whose economic growth is rapid.

What do Huawei and ZTE have to say about this issue?

While this much is being said and done against these companies, they come up for their defense. Both of the companies have their own say regarding this issue.

“We operate in 170 countries where there is trust with governments and customers. We pose no greater cybersecurity risk than other vendors,” Huawei said.

“As a publicly traded company, we are committed to adhering to all applicable laws and regulations of the United States, work with carriers to pass strict testing protocols, and adhere to the highest business standards,” said ZTE. To which ZTE had once said, the company’s chipsets incorporated in their phones and devices are manufactured in the US itself. That’s quite a point.

Huawei has its stronghold in middle and eastern European nations, which out-numbers Apple in some parts. Huawei had addressed the last minute scraped deal with AT&T at CES 2018 this year by stating it as a ‘big loss’ to the company.

According to the Verge, “US lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would ban government employees from using Huawei and ZTE phones altogether.”

The strong ties between these Chinese smartphones and networks giants are also being considered as one of the important reasons why they are being looked at with suspicion.

Not even technology is untouched by the rivalry among nations and their clash in ideology is reflecting on the global market as well. Will these companies be able to make their space in the American market by negotiating and convincing the US agencies? Or will they be restricted as per the news?

While technology is considered to be a bridge towards better relationships between the nations, seems like this will further make the rivalry grow stronger.

Google removes ‘view image’ button in its image search results

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Google has been our ‘go to’ search engine ever since we started knowing about the internet. Whenever we are to search something, Google is the word we type in the browser’s search bar. That’s how inclined we are to searching through google.

Throughout years, Google has been adding to its features to make the experience better. And it has recently made some changes to the searching experience.

Followed by the complaint filed to European commission by Getty images in 2016, Google has made some changes to the image search this week.
1. It has removed the ‘view image’ option.
2. It has removed the ‘search image’ option.

Google tweeted: “Today we’re launching some changes on Google Images to help connect users and useful websites. This will include removing the View Image button. The Visit button remains, so users can see images in the context of the web pages they’re on. The Search by Image button is also being removed. Reverse image search *still works* through the way most people use it, from the search bar of Google Images”.

Apparently, such changes have been made because of the copyright issues. As the images have been used without citing the source time and again.

Now, with the ‘visit’ option, people will be directed to the website from where the image is sourced. The copyright disclaimer has also been re-written in bigger fonts.

This has provided Getty images with some relief. “This agreement between Getty Images and Google sets the stage for a very productive, collaborative relationship between our companies,” said the CEO of Getty images, Dawn Airey.

This has made the users angry. At least, some tweets indicate so. A tweet reads, “Worst change in the history of mankind.” Others have found why they should opt for Bing or similar search engines where they have ‘view image’ button.

While this makes the legality part stronger, the convenience of people has been compromised with. People can still view the pictures in isolation by the help of ‘open image in new tab option’. But this definitely requires extra clicks.

Google’s search liaison, Danny Suvillian tweeted, “they are designed to strike a balance between serving user needs and publisher concerns, both stakeholders we value.” Since the users don’t seem to be happy, ‘serving user needs’ part is still in question while publisher concerns have definitely been addressed.

Google Chrome has gone against the annoying online ads and irritating pop-ups

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“Congratulations, You’ve won an iPhone 7”. You might be familiar with the pop-ups like that, which starts with a spinning wheel and gives this amazing good but fake news with a vibration or an annoying sound. If you were ever irritated with the pop-ups like that and with annoying ads in the website pages, then there is good news for you. Google Chrome is killing such annoying online ads and pop-ups as an attempt to improve the users’ experience while surfing the internet.

Needless to say, the online ads are excruciatingly annoying. While browsing the content on a website, the ads increase the load time of the pages. And sometimes because of the enormous size of the ad banners, it hides the content and acts as a speed breaker at times. To add more, some websites include irritating pop-ups notifying about the flash sales or sales campaign, which sometimes begins with auto-play videos in the startup. These are some of the ways to make income by the publisher. However, such irksome behavior of the publishers has given rise to the use of a number of Ad-blocker plug-ins to get rid of those ads and pop-ups.

Coalition for Better Ads Better Ads Standards

With that being said, the main purpose of the Google here is to brutally obliterate the intrusive ads. But all the ads on the web are not going to be removed from their respective websites.

To get better insights, Google conducted a survey among the group of 40,000 internet users and took a test of the user experiences over the certain types of ads. And in the survey, the majority of people had found the prestitial ads to be most intrusive of all.

So, starting with February 15th, Google started blocking all the intrusive ads, which does not follow the Google Ad guidelines. And only the Ads that follow the Better Ads Standards will be welcomed on any website. However, despite the inclusion of non-intrusive Ads on the website, one should also take note of the Ad density. Users usually find the sites with higher high ad density displeasing, so Google evaluates the website by examining a sample of pages from the site. After the evaluation, Google checks if the website complies with the guidelines and takes necessary actions.

Google Chrome blocks ads

This campaign by Google looks like a devoted gesture for an improved user experience. However, it might bring black clouds over the income of the publishers. This is just a presumption, so how will this campaign fares and how will it bring improvements in the users’ behaviors, there is more yet to see.

Oppo F5 Dashing Blue edition launched in Nepal

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Oppo has brought a special limited edition of Oppo F5 featuring Dashing Blue which perfectly mirrors the color of an eye-catching effect on the rear of the body. The Oppo F5 Dashing Blue is a classic and bold color that stands out for itself or indeed can blend in with your fashion style. The Oppo F5 Dashing Blue Limited Edition is introduced in Nepal targetting the romantic couples for this love season.

The rear panel of the phone happens to be reflective, giving off a mirror-like effect when exposed to light. While the other specifications of the blue edition remain the same as the variants of OPPO F5 phones.

Oppo F5 Dashing Blue in Nepal

The F5 Dashing Blue has a 6-inch full HD+ display which blends beautifully with its thin frame of 7.5mm. It possesses near bezel-less display, an 18:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D curved glass laid on top of it. Oppo F5 runs on Colors OS 3.2 based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It is powered by octa-core processor which is ready to heat up your activity and experience keeping a steady temperature of the device.

Also Read: OPPO F5 Review: The Pretentious Selfie Expert

In terms of memory, Oppo F5 houses on 4GB/6GB RAM and has an internal memory of 32GB/64GB (expandable to 256GB). And unlike phones nowadays, it has a total of 3 slots for Dual Nano Sim cards and a micro SD. However, the main highlight of the limited edition F5 is its camera. Oppo F5 Dashing Blue has a 16MP rear-facing shooter and a 20MP selfie camera. It is designed to personalize beautification of subjects in selfies. The phone has a fingerprint sensor as well as a Facial Unlock which is quick and convenient. Also, Oppo F5 offers a battery of 3200mAh.

Oppo F5 Dashing Blue in Nepal

OPPO F5 Dashing Blue Specifications

  • 6-inch Full HD+ (2160X1080 pixels) display
  • Dimensions: 156.5 x 76 x 75.5 mm
  • Octa-core MediaTek MT6763T processor
  • 4GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, expandable with microSD up to 256GB
  • Android v7.1.1 (Nougat)
  • 16 MP Rear Camera with LED flash
  • 20 MP AI-powered Selfie camera
  • 3200 mAh battery
  • Dual Nano Sim Card & micro SD (Dedicated slot)
  • Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, Wifi 2.4/5GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n, OTG
  • Distance, Fingerprint, Proximity, Accelerometer, Ambient light and Gyroscope sensors
  • Price: Rs. 36,490

You Might be interested in: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro VS Huawei Nova 2i VS Xiaomi MI A1 VS Oppo F5 (Best Mid-range camera smartphones in Nepal)

Colors S11 is now available for the offline purchase

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It could be a dream of an uncountable number of people to find a smartphone that has stupendous potential in the camera department and still available at an affordable price. And focusing the people with such mindset, Colors had brought the Colors S11 which had an impressive dual selfie camera up front. It was launched in the mid-January and had been the first online exclusive smartphone in Nepal back then. The same smartphone has now expanded its territory and is available for the offline purchase.

You might be interested in: Colors S11 Review: The Widening Horizon of Budget Smartphones

Colors S11 comes with a 5.2-inch display, which offers an HD resolution. At this size, the smartphone feels comfortable to hold and is even easy for the single-handed use. Since the smartphone being the camera-centric handset, it comes with remarkable 8MP twin cameras on the front end. With this kind of setup, users can get a wide-angle shot of 120-degrees. So one should not worry about having a friend or family member to be out of the frame even while taking a selfie in a large group of people. On the back, there is a single 8MP shooter.

Also Read: Colors Mobile Price in Nepal

Colors S11 price in Nepal

Powering the Colors S11 is MediaTek MT6737W chipset backed by 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. And there is a dedicated slot for the Micro SD card if the onboard storage turned out to be insufficient. The smartphone is fueled by a 3000mAh battery and comes with Android Nougat OS out of the box.

Colors S11 Specifications

  • 5.2-inch IPS LCD display, HD (720 x 1280 pixels) resolution @282 PPI
  • MediaTek MT6737W chipset
  • 8MP Dual-selfie camera; 120-degree field of view
  • 8MP rear camera with LED flash
  • 3GB RAM
  • 16GB internal storage; dedicated slot for SDcard
  • Dual-SIM (4G + 3G)
  • Fingerprint sensor: Yes (rear mounted)
  • Android Nougat (v7.0) out of the box
  • 3000mAh battery
  • Price: Rs. 13,995
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Motorola Moto E4 Review: Raising the standards of the budget smartphones?

Finding a good budget smartphone is cumbersome these days. To keep the prices low, compromises are made here and there. However, the Moto E4 seems quite somewhat promising in terms of specs even at the budget price point. But how will the smartphone fare in the real-life scenario? Let’s find in this Moto E4 review.

Motorola Moto E4 Specifications

  • 5.0 inches(720 x 1280) @294ppi
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3 Protection with Oleophobic Coating
  • Android 7.1.1 Nougat
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • MediaTek MT6737 Quadcore
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16GB Internal Storage, Expandable up to 128 GB.
  • 8MP Rear Camera with f/2.2 aperture.
  • 5MP Front Facing Camera with f/2.2 aperture.
  • Removable Li-Ion 2800 mAh battery with Fast Charging
  • Moto E4 Price in Nepal: Rs. 16,290

Design and Build

The smartphone is a miniature version of its sibling, the Moto E4 Plus. The plastic body provided with a metallic finish and the texture on the power button is barely distinguishable. However, the smartphone gives the vibe of metallic build and feels cold quite often in this chilly weather.

Moto E4 Design

Bezel-less displays are quite trendy these days. However, the Moto E4 has not adopted that alluring design. The smartphone has pretty generous bezels on the forehead and the chin. The forehead has been the habitat for the ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, and the earpiece. Likewise, there is a secluded fingerprint sensor on the chip. The sensor is oblong in shape and has fiercely pushed the touch buttons to the screen. There is also a notification LED on the phone but barely serves the purpose.  The only time I found the LED lit was while charging handset during the switched off condition.

And talking about the buttons, the Moto E4 has accumulated all the buttons on its right edge. With the power button positioned at an absolute middle and the volume rockers placed just above it, they are easily reachable and provide good haptic feedback on the press. On the top, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and micro USB slot lies meticulously on the button. The speaker, on the other hand, lies on the lower back of the phone.

Display

The smartphone possesses a 5-inch HD display with 2.5D glass on the top. The pixel density of 294PPI may not seem top-notch in the papers but on the use, the display is satisfyingly crisp and users will barely have an issue. Users would rather enjoy its smooth touchscreen crafted with 2.5D glass and a sensational oleophobic coating. Viewing angle is also fairly decent with an impressive color reproduction. To add more, the display is shielded with Gorilla glass 3 to evade the vulnerabilities regarding the scratches. However, the screen is a notorious smudge magnet and needs cleaning quite often although having an oleophobic coating.

Moto E4 Display

Software and UI

On the software side, Moto E4 is gifted with clean Android Nougat on its system. With just the home-baked Moto app on the shelf, the smartphone lacks the additional touch from the manufacturer. And this is the major advantage with the Moto E4 as the additional customizations and presence of bloatware make the device sluggish and devours the RAM and internal storage of the phone.

moto E4 plus software ui

The Moto app has Moto actions and Moto display options inside. With the one button navigation option in the Moto action, the fingerprint sensor can be used as a trackpad to replace the on-screen buttons with gestures. There is also swipe to shrink the screen, which narrows down the content in a smaller screen and assists in single hand usability. Likewise, the Night display in the Moto display turns on the blue light filter during the night hours and helps to regulate the sleep cycle.

Performance

Moto E4 is powered by MediaTek 6737 processor aided by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The presence of 16GB of onboard storage is nothing out of ordinary at this price point. But the presence of a dedicated slot for the storage expansion definitely is, which lets the users boost the storage without sacrificing the SIM2 slot.

Talking about the performance, I find no issues on loading and running of light apps and games. None of the apps ever crashed or stopped with error messages. However, there was a slight delay while loading heavier games and few stutters were evident on the play. Some heavy titles like Dead Trigger 2, Into the Dead 2, and PES were still playable even with the minor hiccups. And the most praiseworthy of all was the device did not heated much even while playing the games for hours.

Camera

Talking about the camera, the smartphone gives the vibe of a camera phone with its protruded camera bump on the back and LED flash on both ends. However, on the use, I had mixed feelings about it. The 8MP camera on the back was not too shabby and took some decent shots. Photos were fine on the phone’s screen but lacked the sharpness when zoomed or viewed in larger screens. There was also decent color accuracy most of the times but in some images, I noticed yellow tints. Low light shots were satisfactory if not better. Except for few noises and grains, there were no issues on low light shots and the details within the image were easily traceable.

Moto E4 Camera

The 5MP front camera was not bad either. It pulled out some social media ready selfies without a fuss. And for the ones, who crave for the beautified selfies in the real time, there is an inbuilt beauty mode. Skin tones are made fairer and facial skins are smoothened in the beautified selfies. Such effects make you look better at times but the facial details are obliterated in most of the cases. And talking about the low light selfies, I was quite disappointed with the front LED flash because of its blinding light. Additionally, the skin looked washed out, which was pretty devastating.

Moto E4 Front camera

The inefficient HDR mode, sluggish autofocus and the lack of pro mode is a bummer on the phone. And in a nutshell, there is nothing to brag about the cameras in the E4.

Battery

Beneath the removable back of the Moto E4, there is a 2800mAh removable battery. On my normal daily use, the phone usually backed me up for one complete day. Back up was satisfactory to me but charging the device was a pain in the neck. Although it supports fast charging, I’m disappointed that Motorola provides a stock charger of 5V, 1A, which takes around 2 and a half hours to get it fully charged. You have to spend few extra bucks to buy a separate fast charger. I tried to charge the device with a fast charger of 5V, 2A, and the charging was fast with 0 to 100 within one and a half hour. But the fastest charge would be to buy a separate battery and swap it whenever the other is empty.

Conclusion

To keep the prices low, compromises are inescapable in the budget smartphones. And the Moto E4 has not broken that streak. However, considering the price, the smartphone has not opted in for middling performance on any major fields. The stock Android, sturdy design, and the inclusion of snappy fingerprint are duly remarkable. And the overall performance of the device looks balanced. A better processor and a slightly bigger battery would have been icing on the cake but nonetheless, the Moto E4 is still one of the rockstars in the arena of budget smartphones.

Pros & Cons of the Motorola Moto E4

Pros Cons
– Sturdy build and design – Average processor
– Fingerprint sensor – Battery life could have been better
– Near-stock Android v7.0 Nougat


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