After a month’s wait, the OnePlus 5T has finally made its way into Nepal. So, if you have wanted one, maybe now is the right time. You can purchase the 64GB variant here and its 128GB variant here. The 5T is finally available through an official channel in Nepal. However, the prices of the two variants are more than what we expected.
Latest Price: Rs. 57, 500 (6/64GB) | Rs. 72,900 (8/128GB) [Last Updated on July 25, 2019]
OnePlus is well-known to deliver great performance at a relatively low price. The OnePlus 5T, on paper, doesn’t seem to disappoint either. It has a refreshed 18:9 display panel and some top of the line specs. It’s an impressive choice for any OnePlus or Android fans in general.
However, the base model of the 5T is available for Rs. 64,900 which is really high as compared to its pricing in India (Rs. 32,999) and the US ($499). OnePlus is known in the world of smartphones as the company that provides flagship-grade features in a cheaper device. However, in Nepal, the device’s price tag is way too high. And it also makes no sense to make the 5T available in Oliz Store only!
If you are looking for a device and have the cash, the OnePlus 5T is a no-brainer. With a better SoC, more RAM options, a whole new design and much more, it will be worth the upgrade. However, if you happen to own its predecessor, the OnePlus 5, although the 5T has a refreshed display and a slightly better camera setup there is no need for an upgrade.
The only color option available right now is the Midnight Black. So, are you considering buying one? Let us know in the comments below.
Specifications of OnePlus 5T:
6.01 inches full Optic AMOLED display with 1080P resolution, 401ppi
18:9 Aspect Ratio with 2.5D Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core Processor clocked at 2.45GHz
The Galaxy Note 8 is one of the complete smartphones of 2017. If you don’t believe us just ask MKBHD. But so was the Galaxy Note 7 from last year, which was basically perfect for its time, apart from a tiny problem. which was, of course, its battery. This year we have the Note 8 with another minute problem, and that problem is its battery.
No, the Galaxy Note 8 isn’t exploding, it’s a rather odd problem. Users are reporting that their devices aren’t turning back on after their phones turned off from complete battery drainage.
Now when we use the whole 100% of the battery and then some, our phones also turn off. We just plug the charger into the phone and it takes about 2-3 mins before it boots up again. Well, some Note 8 users thought the same thing, just to find out that their smartphones never charged back up.
The problem here seems to be that the device refuses or fails to charge back up. If you are one of the users who has this problem, you should contact Samsung for a replacement. Some users have also reported the same in Samsung’s community forum, you can check it out here.
There are also reports of the Galaxy S8 Plus facing the same issues but we will have to wait and see until Samsung officially acknowledges this. Samsung representatives are, however, advising their users to return their smartphones and get a replacement under warranty.
Oppo has unveiled yet another smartphone after with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a facial unlock system, the Oppo A83. The Oppo A83 has been launched in China recently. In Nepal, we have witnessed the presence of Oppo F5 which also featured similar features. This one, however, does not say when it is entering other markets.
Looking at the specs, Oppo has surely remembered to be among the latest technologies in smartphones. The Oppo A83 is a midrange smartphone that has a 5.7- inch HD+ (720×1440 pixels) LCD display.The device is powered by a SoC with Octa-core 2.5 GHz processor. Similarly, the RAM is 4 GB and the internal memory is 32 GB expandable up to 256 GB. The device is based on Android 7.1 Nougat with Color OS 3.2 on top of it.
Talking about the cameras, it packs a 13 MP camera with flash on the rear portion along with an 8 MP selfie camera. Powering the device is a 3,090 mAh battery.
The main attractions of the phone still remain the 18:9 aspect ratio and the facial unlock system. As Oppo claims, the phone can unlock within 0.18 seconds using 128 unique feature points on the user’s face, which is something! How much truth the statement contains, is to be checked!
Oppo electronics corp, founded in 2004, is an electronics manufacturer based in China. The Company is known for making camera-centric smartphones. Its recent smartphone that came up for a hype was the Oppo F5 which came with AI. Also, the company has announced two the arrival of two new smartphones, the Oppo A75, and the Oppo A75s.
Gionee is recognized for having Super Selfie Camera in the mid-range section. In a recent event, Gionee has launched another selfie-centered phone, namely, Gionee S10 Lite. The aesthetics of the phone resembles the Xiaomi Redmi 4A but the internals is fairly powerful.
The S10 Lite comes with a 5.2-inch 720p display. It has the usual 16:9 aspect ratio, being launched at the end of 2017 it should have incorporated the 18:9 display which the Micromax Canvas Infinity holds being way cheaper. The phone with its unibody metal construct is 7.9mm thin and weighs in at 155grams. It runs on Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box with Amigo UI on top. Nothing about the Oreo update was said in the event.
Powering the S10 Lite is powered by quad-core Snapdragon 427 chipset clocked at 1.4GHz. It is coupled with 4GB of RAM. It offers 32GB internal storage which can be expandable up to 256GB using microSD card. Optics-wise, it comes with a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture. On the front, it holds the 16MP Camera with f/2.0 aperture and selfie flash. It holds fingerprint sensor on the home button. Gionee has a fast and reliable fingerprint sensor as per my experience. It is backed by 3,100mAh battery.
Specifications of Gionee S10 Lite
Display: 5.2-inch (720*1280) Protection: N/A Android Version: 7.1 Nougat with Amigo UI 4.0 Chipset: MSM8920 Snapdragon 427 Processor: 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.4GHz RAM: 4GB Rear Camera: 13MP with f/2.0, autofocus, LED Flash Front Camera: 16MP with f/2.0, LED flash Storage: 32GB, Expandable up to 256GB Connectivity: Dual Nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS/ A-GPS, FM radio, Micro-USB Sensors: accelerometer, digital compass, and proximity Battery: 3,100
The phone is priced at $250 and we expect to see it in the Nepali market next year.
Oppo A75 and A75s are two new smartphones from OPPO. Both the smartphones share the same specs except for their storage capacity.
The A75 and A75s feature tall 18:9 aspect ratio displays. The phones have 6-inch panel with the resolution of 1080*2160 pixel resolutions under a fairly compact 156.5 x 76 x 7.5mm body.
The Oppo A75 only has 32GB of internal storage whereas the A75s has 64GB of storage to spare. Both share RAM options of 4GB and run on MediaTek Helio P23 (MT6763T) SoC.
Camera wise, a 16MP lens is available on the back with an aperture of f/1.8. The front, in typical oppo fashion, holds a 20MP sensor for selfies with an f/2.0 aperture.
The smartphones run on Android 7.1 Nougat with Oppo’s custom UI on top. And running all this is a 3,200 mAh battery on both the variants. There is also a fingerprint sensor on the back.
Other than these, the usuals include 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, face recognization, OTG and expandable storage. It is also comparatively light at 152 grams.
Color options include gold & black. The OPPO A75 and A75s are already available in Taiwan for roughly $365 for the Oppo A75 and $400 for the A75s. If you happen to live in Taiwan,
Specification of Oppo A75 and A75s
Display: 6-inch (1080*2160)
Protection: N/A
Android Version: 7.1 Nougat
Chipset: MediaTek Helio P23
RAM: 4GB
Rear Camera: 16MP with f/1.8, autofocus, LED Flash
Front Camera: 20MP with f/2.0, LED flash
Storage: 32GB(A75) and 64(A75s), Expandable up to 256GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2
Sensors: accelerometer, digital compass, and proximity
What happens when all the entrepreneurial stakeholders come together? Well, I witnessed the answer to this question in the Next Growth Conclave, held on 22nd of December, 2017 by The Next Venture Corp. The program was held at the Soaltee Crown Plaza where startups, small businesses, investors, entrepreneurs and other entities came together in one platform trying to form a support system for entrepreneurs to start and nurture theirs in ventures Nepal. The event was witnessed by a lot of people which include, individual and institutional investors, bloggers, national and international media and speakers.
The event started with a few words being told by Mr. Kavi Raj Joshi (CEO at The Next Venture Corp). The first guest speaker was Mr. Warren Leow (Vice- president, Inmagine Group, Malaysia) followed by Hem Raj Dhakal (Co- founder/Managing director IME Group), Dr. Upendra Mahato (Founder, Mahato Group of Industries, Russia| Nepal), Biyay Kumar (Founder, Bizztor), Shazeeb M Khairul Islam (Founder/CEO, YY Ghotsi), Nitin Sethi (Vice- presient, Quikr.com), Chandra Challagonda (Founder/CEO, APlnf Oy) and Manmeet Pal Singh (CEO, Reappoint Internet, India), etc in the first half of the event. The stage, in the first half, was also taken by Dr. Bhola Prasad Dahal (Country Director, Search for common ground) to launch the good governance app. There was also a panel discussion held among the speakers moderated by Mr. Rupesh Krishna Shrestha (Assistant Professor, KUSOM). The speakers shared their experiences and insights regarding starting and growing business globally and locally!
Dr Upendra Mahato
“Innovation is local, a product is global”, Dr. Upendra Mahato. Further, he also added saying that being engaged in social organizations and giving back to the society helps you achieve success in business.
Similarly, Warren Leow stated that a successful business is aided by luck but luck is a function of opportunity and ability.
In a similar fashion, the Next Growth Conclave featured other speakers who inspired by their experiences and talks. The second half was made more stimulating with words from Siddhant Raj Pandey (Chairman/CEO, Business Oxygen), Arnaud Bonzom (Venture Partner, 500 Startups, Silicon Valley, USA), Lalita Wemel (Regional Manager, TechStars, Asia Pacific), Arijit Bhattacharyya (Founder, CEO, Virtualinfocom, India), Mohammad Shabbir (Founder/ CEO,GOinternational Finland), Sajid Rahman (CEO, Telenor Health, Jakarta). Further, another panel discussion was held with the speakers moderated by Mr. Suman Shakya (Co-founder, Nepal Entrepreneurs’ Hub).
There was also a session for the amazing startups who participated in the event to pitch their ideas which gave them a chance to be heard by all the stakeholders.
Startup Valley Next Growth Conclave
While the speakers were delivering inspiring stories, we visited the startup valley where all the new and groundbreaking startups and small businesses were enthusiastically showcasing what they had in the bag for us. Each and every start-up had its unique mark that awed everyone present at the event. Here is a list of all the idea pitchers and startups:
BeeCreative
Bhetincha
Ebeema
Eminence Ways
EventsMo
Falfull
Farm to Finger
Food Mario
Happy Bean Bags
Home Automation Nepal
ICT for Agri
Khalti
KPadhne
Metro Tarkari
Nepal Communitere
Nepzy
NIU Nepal
NPAC
Property 360
Restro Order
Rising Farm
Sajilo Marmat Sewa
Search for Common Ground
Sroth Code Games
The Mint Studio
Today’s telegram
Tootle
Web Robo
XcelTrip
Apart from that, there was a media Lounge and Investor Lounge for any further discussions or queries put forward by the attendees and participants. The event so held was one of the most interactive events of this year wherein everyone applauded for the efforts of the organizers.
“Nepal is a very good platform for entrepreneurs and there is great potential for businesses in service, tourism, agriculture, etc in Nepal”- Dr. Upendra Mahato.
Efforts like The NEXT Growth Conclave certainly aid to help startups get recognized and bridge the gap between all the stakeholders of the business. We definitely look forward to such platform in the future as well.
Further news on the exciting startups who participated in the event is coming soon! Do comment below what your thoughts on the event are!
Since Christmas is around, the new smartphone company in Nepal, UMIDIGI, is offering discounts on its selected devices. Christmas is now a festive day here and the company is cashing in on it.
UMIDIGI is now offering flat 15% discount on its two devices – the C Note and the Crystal. These two devices landed in Nepal a while back and the Crystal has especially made headlines for its near bezel-less design on a budget.
This offer is, however, only available if a customer buys the device from UMIDIGI Nepal’s showroom, i.e. the offer is showroom exclusive. The Christmas offer will run till December 31st.
The MRP of the UMIDIGI C Note currently stands at Rs. 20,900 while the Crystal runs for Rs. 25,900. After exercising this offer, the former will be available Rs. 17,765 while the latter one can be purchased for Rs. 22,015.
UMIDIGI C Note Specifications:
5.5-inch (1080 x 1920 pixels) full HD SHARP 2.5D curved display
Dragon Trail Glass protection
1.5GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6737T processor
3GB RAM; 32GB internal memory, expandable with microSD up to 256GB
Android v7.0 (Nougat)
13MP rear camera with Samsung S5K3L8 sensor, PDAF, dual LED flash
5MP front camera
Dual Hybrid SIM (Nano+Nano/TF Card) with 4G LTE
Front-mounted fingerprint sensor
Full Metal Body
3800 mAh non-removable battery
UMIDIGI C Note Christmas offer price: Rs. 20,900Rs. 17,765
UMIDIGI Crystal Specifications:
5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixels full HD Bezel-less SHARP 2.5D curved display
Corning Gorilla Glass 4
1.5GHz Octa-core MediaTek MT6750T processor
4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory, expandable via microSD up to 256GB
Samsung has been consistent in producing tablets as a product in their Android product line. However, people less apt to buy tablets because smartphones have started coming in bigger sizes. With such trend evident in the market, Samsung has brought yet another tablet in the Nepali market, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017. This device, as Samsung claims is a total entertainer for the people. The major attraction it offers is a kids mode and Samsung’s flagship feature Bixby Home. Apart from that, it also offers a sleek design and a massive 5000mAh battery. With all these features onboard, is Samsung worth the price tag of Rs. 28,990? Let’s dive into the analysis.
Design
I have quite liked the design that Samsung offers on the tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 is an 8- inch giant covered with a plastic body.
Though covered with plastic, it gives a metallic look and feel, so the device impresses us in this aspect. Also, the device is long but not too wide which gives it a plus point as it is easier to hold with one hand. I have small hands and even for me, it was not difficult holding it by one hand and using it with another.
The device is a bit slippery but it does not hinder the usability that much. Another plus for the device would be the fact that it is very lightweight.
On the right top, we have the power button and just below it, there are volume control buttons. Similarly on the left are the SIM slot/ memory card slot. The top edge carries 3.5 mm, Jack. The speaker grills and the Micro USB port are at the bottom. The design of the Galaxy Tab 2017 is slim and sleek. I don’t have complaints in this department.
Display
Next, let’s go for the display. The device comes with an LCD panel with an 800×1280 pixels screen resolution. The display, I must say has good saturation and the viewing angles are good too. It has ample brightness and the colors look quite natural. However, it’s not full HD. It might be disappointing to some with pixelation.
However, I didn’t have a problem using this under sunlight as well. I have spent hours watching movies on this device and I must say the big display certainly adds value to the visuals. It’s nothing like watching videos on smartphones. The contents look big and good on the large screen.
Performance:
Moving on, let’s go for the performance. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A is powered by a Snapdragon 425 Quad-core processor clocked at a speed of 1.4 GHz. Similarly, it packs a combination of 2GB of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage.
Now, I have not felt lags while switching through apps, I have felt that apps take relatively more time to open. Similarly, gaming in this device is a big no! Although it’s big and everything and the content looks good, it was difficult gaming on this device, probably due to the size. And also, games take more time to load and switching between games and apps is slow enough to make you want to close it altogether.
You will feel the stutters there and then when you play a game on this device which is very distracting. For normal usage, the performance is fine. The thing that is very disappointing is that there is no fingerprint sensor on this device.
You can also insert SIM card on this device and use it as for making calls, which is good to know! However, using this device to make calls will cover your entire face on one side.
Software and User experience:
Okay, now let’s talk about the software and user experience. The Galaxy Tab A 2017 runs on Android Nougat 7.1.1 coupled with Samsung Experience version 8.5 and the Android security patch level is dated June 1, 2017. Well, it’s pretty recent, but not Oreo.
The interface is similar to recent Samsung Galaxy smartphones in the market. The UI is very simple and is one of the things I like the most in this device! You won’t find much bloatware onboard, so you are safe in this regard. I mean it comes with a package of Microsoft apps, Skype and Google apps which is a necessity on today’s date. There are some additions to the basic features like it comes with the Samsung’s flagship browser feature Bixby home but without voice assistance.
Similarly, it comes with a Kids mode. Now that is a useful family feature, to who it is targeted of course. When this feature is on, the entire UI has cartoon app icons and everything becomes childlike which is very useful to teach children as well as keep them away from other apps that are not kids friendly. At home, kids will now be using the secure content. There is also a secure folder where you can keep your files safe by adding security to it. There is an entire of kids features like kid’s camera, kid’s store, etc. where secure content for kids is available. This is very safe as well because children cannot log out of this mode without the code that their parents set. Similarly, kids will have a wider range of choices to learn and interact with the device.
Kids Mode on the Samsung Tab A 2017
The device is good for reading books and stuff and it also comes with a blue light filter to ensure eye comfort. I have read a lot of books on this device and I must say I am impressed with the size and display. This tab lets you multitask with the split screen mode which I thought was very useful. I could search for word meanings while reading books. Similarly, multitasking on the big screen makes you feel good.
Cameras
Moving on, let’s go for the cameras. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2017 comes with a combination of 8 MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5 MP front camera. The pictures from the rear camera have good color reproduction and saturation in well-lit areas but under dim lights, the pictures are not good. Also while I zoomed in, the quality was awful.
The selfie camera, on the other hand, is okay. I mean just okay. We cannot compare it with cameras of smartphones. Under ample lighting, the images look good. I am not bothered with the cameras in this device because I don’t see myself using such a huge thing to take a selfie.
However, it might be useful to some, so for them, the cameras are decent. There is also a beauty mode inbuilt but you cannot expect the pictures to be very good. The pictures, except for the dimly lit conditions are decent enough.Here are some pictures were taken from this device so that you can decide for yourself what the camera performance is like.
Battery
The battery is the next thing I am going to talk about. The Galaxy Tab A 2017 features a massive 5000mAh battery and I must say that is very impressive considering the device claims to be an entertainer. It has this huge screen wherein watching videos and reading books are the things I have liked to do and the battery has supported me all along. The battery lasted for two days straight.
The first day I watched movies for around 6 hours with using Facebook and Instagram now and then. The second day I read a book for hours. So, the battery-backed me up pretty well. I managed to get a screen on time of 9 hours.
Good news is that it supports type C charger so yes it’s onboard with the latest trend. However, it does not support fast charging and to get fully charged, it takes around 3 and half hours, which is a lot of time! Although it lasts long, it takes a lot of time to get charged. Would you like that? Let us know in the comments below.
Conclusion:
So on a whole; I would not say that this tablet is a total entertainer as it claims to be. But this is useful at home for children and maybe for the readers out there. A good battery life, good looks, and a user-friendly interface are the only things I see in this tablet. This, I must say is a good family device at home, for kids and even for the elders. I have seriously used this device only to watch moves and read, which I can do in other devices as well. For 28,990, I think the device is overpriced considering this does not feature a fingerprint sensor. You can get a smartphone with better, lot better features at this price.
2017 has been a great year for the budget-oriented devices. They are gaining popularity and extra features. Trying to crown itself as the budget smartphone manufacturer crown is Colors which has launched several low-budget devices this year. It only recently launched the S1 and is all set to launch the Colors S9. Surprisingly, the Nepali manufacturer has launched an entry-level smartphone right before S9’s launch. The new Colors P65 is a device priced at Rs. 7,995 packing some interesting specifications.
The Colors P65 is a device for someone who wants good looks at a budget friendly price. This smartphone also ships with Android v7.0 Nougat which is really impressive.
The P65 has a 5.0-inch IPS display with 854 x 480 pixels resolution. This display has a protective glass type on its top, but Colors hasn’t specified its type. The Colors P65 comes with a quad-core MediaTek MT6580 processor that is aided by 1 GB of RAM and Mali-T720 MP1 single-core GPU. As for the lenses, the P65 is equipped with 5-megapixel primary and secondary cameras. The rear-facing camera is capable of taking HD videos @30 fps. It has 8 GB of internal memory which is expandable up to 128 GB.
The Colors P65 has a built-in 3,000 mAh battery that is chargeable via a normal microUSB charger. It comes with dual SIM card slot.
Colors P65 Specifications:
Display: 5.0-inch IPS FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) display
CPU: 1.3 GHz Quad-core processor
Chipset: MediaTek MT6580M
RAM: 1 GB
Software: Android v7.0 Nougat
Storage: 8 GB internal storage, expandable up to 128 GB
SIM: Dual SIM
Rear Camera: 5 MP rear-facing camera with LED flash, f/2.0
Front Camera: 5 MP front-facing camera with Triple Screen Flash
The mid-range section for smartphones is a crowded mess. To stand out in the crowd, the phone certainly needs to have something extra that grabs the users attention. The recently launched Mi A1 from Xiaomi offers an extra camera which is something unusual in the mid-range section in Nepal. Not only dual cameras but Xiaomi has partnered with Google to incorporate Stock Android on the Mi A1, hence the title “When two worlds collide” and also i am also a huge Iron Maiden fan.
If you are not aware, it’s the first phone from Xiaomi to opt for stock android ditching its beloved MIUI ROM. Let’s find out how this phone stacks up against other phones in the market.
Specifications of Xiaomi Mi A1
Display: 5.5 inches LTPS IPS (1080×1920) @403ppi
OS: Stock Android 8.0 Oreo
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625
CPU: Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: Adreno 506
RAM: 4GB
ROM: 32GB/64GB extendable up to 256 GB (uses SIM2)
The Mi A1 is one of the prettiest looking phones under the price of Rs.30,000. One might say it looks like the iPhone 7 Plus and it certainly does, which is not a bad thing by any means. This phone is a rebranded Mi 5X which didn’t make it to the Nepali market. It has a unibody metal construct with a smooth polished back. But mind that, it’s winter and holding a cold metal phone early morning is certainly not a good feeling. Nonetheless, the phone has a premium feel to it and stands solidly at 165 grams. If you want to make it fancier, you can get the rose gold color. You might have already noticed the protruding camera bump which makes the phone shaky while using it placing on the table.
Up front, the MI A1 looks like any typical Xiaomi Device, moreover, like the Redmi Note 4, further similarities remain, which we will discuss in later parts of this review.
The phone has a huge chin and forehead with capacitive navigation buttons residing on the chin. They are backlit and the response is really good.
On the right side, it has power and volume buttons providing tactile feedback. On top it has IR blaster, a missed out feature by many – but a really handy feature to have. And coming down to the bottom, we can find a USB C port which still is hard to find on most of the mid-range devices. It is accompanied by a single mono speaker on the right and a headphone jack on the left.
I would certainly not rate this phone as one hand usable. The huge chin coupled with smooth metallic back makes it slippery and there was more than few occasions where it slipped out of my hand. So this phone is Gadgetbyte Certified Slippery, so a cover is a must!
Display:
The Mi A1 comes with a full HD 5.5-inch LTPS IPS display. An LTPS panel means it provides high pixel density and low power consumption. The display has 2.5D glass and it’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The Color Reproduction is good and the display is well saturated. The contrast is one of the best on a mid-range device with 1000:1 contrast ratio. But an AMOLED panel like that of the J7 Pro definitely beats this number.
The viewing angles are good, I found no signs of color shifts while holding the phone as per my comfort. You’d definitely enjoy Watching Videos, playing games and reading on this sharp display.
This panel has a maximum brightness of 450 nits, well enough to view under direct sunlight.
Micromax Canvas Infinity (Black) & Mi A1 (White)
But on the downside, these days we already have phones with the tall 18:9 display and the Mi A1 sports the usual 16:9 panel. This may be a dealbreaker for some. So what do you think? Is it crucial to have a tall 18:9 panel on a smartphone or are you okay with the usual 16:4 aspect ratio? Have your say in the comment section below.
Software/UI:
For me, MIUI is one of the best UI after Vanilla Android. Like mentioned earlier, this is the first Xiaomi phone to ship with Stock Android under the Android One program. Comparing MIUI against the Stock Android, you can see the world of difference.
If you thought Xiaomi’s hardware selection was great but the MIUI turned you off then Mi A1 is what you’ve been waiting for. Apart from the Camera app and the Mi Remote app, rest of the System is directly handled by Google, which means timely Android update.
And to my surprise, I received the Oreo 8.0 update just after a few days I took this phone out for review. Since then, I have been getting few security updates and bug fixes every now and then. It’s really a happy experience when your phone shows Update Available every once in awhile, it’s certainly not something you’re used to with a mid-range device.
Since it’s vanilla Android, there’s nothing extraordinary here, if you’re an MIUI user then the plainness of the UI might set you back. The small things I liked about Oreo is the faster app installation time, quick shortcuts on apps, well-bundled settings menu and notifications as well as notification snoozing, inbuilt night mode, ambient display and swipe down on fingerprint to access the quick settings and notification panel to name a few.
So overall, it’s stock android, it’s smooth, it’s great and it gets tons of updates.
Performance:
Performance in a mid-range device is Xiaomi’s forte and they have opted for the trusty octa-core Snapdragon 625 chipset for the MI A1. And in my opinion, it’s the perfect chipset for phones under Rs.30,000. With 14nm architecture, it is both powerful and power efficient. It is coupled with 4GB of RAM.
The same configuration can be found on the now popular Redmi Note 4. With Stock Android at hand, the Mi A1 slightly outperformed the Note 4 on benchmarks. Well, on the real-life usage, it’s really hard to differentiate in their performance. The opening of apps, general navigation, scrolling web pages, and every other thing you do on a daily basis is a breeze for this chipset.
With 4GB of RAM on its arsenal coupled with Oreo’s optimized memory management, you can well shuffle between 6 to 7 apps or more with ease.
When it comes to gaming, the combo of Snapdragon 625 with Adreno 506 does more than justice for the gamers. Titles like Asphalt 8 Xtreme, Shadow Fight, FZ9 ran without any lags or frame drops. The game opening time was also fairly fast. If you have checked out the Redmi Note 4 then the performance is no different here. Xiaomi has used dual pyrolytic graphite sheets to dissipate heat effectively and playing Asphalt Xtreme for an hour or so I could only feel a mild warmth on the back. So good job on heat management Xiaomi.
Also, I must not forget to mention the single mono speaker of the phone with a 10v amplifier which is loud and crisp making the gaming experience even more engaging. Listening to music on loud volume didn’t affect the clarity as well. So, Mi A1 is a complete package if you are looking for a mid-range phone you can game on.
Camera:
Now the dual camera is something we don’t see very often in mid-range devices. The one that I know of in particular is the Coolpad Cool 1 which is priced similarly to the Mi A1. The MI A1 comes with a pair of Dual 12MP Camera on the back. The primary shooter is a wide-angle 26mm f/2.2 lens while the assisting shooter is a 50mm f/2.6 telephoto lens. The telephoto lens provides 2x optical lossless zoom like the iPhone 7 and the OnePlus 5. We compared its Camera with Oppo F5, Nova 2i, M7 Power, and J7 Pro.
As you can see the photos on the first glance look pretty normal but upon comparing with aforementioned devices, a green tint is evident on most of its images. This green tint made sure the colors looked disorientate. So Mi A1 misses out on the color accuracy. On the contrary, contrast is pretty good on photos.
Turning on the HDR mode brings out details from the shadows pretty well but misses to bring out better colors. Having said that the dynamic range is also acceptable.
When it comes to low light performance the smaller f/2.2 aperture doesn’t let in much light. The images are washed out, the details are not there and grains can be found thoroughly spread across the image.
1 of 3
Now let’s talk about those dual cameras, first off, at good lighting conditions it creates one of the most natural looking bokeh. Bokeh on smartphones are usually a hit or miss but here the separation between the subject and the background is very smooth most of the time. Not only people but it does a good job with regular objects as well.
But mind that, it’s only possible with good lighting, whereas on poor lighting the bokeh has lots of grains and doesn’t look that appealing.
The 2x optical zoom is a handy feature, the quality is good and can be useful for zooming in far away object.
Xiaomi has implemented its own camera app on the phone and I found it’s manual mode very interesting, it allows you to have manual control on either the wide primary lens or the telephoto lens. Mi A1 can shoot 4K at 30fps and the quality looks good with natural colors. With no stabilization, it is shaky but the details are justifiable. As you might have already guessed the audio quality is pretty bad.
Now coming to the 5MP front-facing camera, the images it produces are good enough for social media with good lighting. However, if you are savvy about selfies then the details are not there and it looks washed out.
And with little deficiency of light it produces washed out images with lack of details. It also doesn’t sport any selfie flash.
Connectivity:
For connectivity, Xiaomi offers a hybrid nano-SIM slot which utilizes SIM 2 slot for microSD expansion. If you are opting for the 32GB variant of this device then the expandability option will definitely prove to be helpful. But hybrid sim slots is not how we like to roll. Cellular reception and call quality were pretty good as well. Surfing the internet on NCell with 4G was also a breeze.
The phone offers IR blaster with which you can control TV, AC and so on.
It utilizes USB Type C which I’ve only seen on GM5 Plus at this price. And if you are curious, it does support USB OTG. For wireless connection, it offers dual-band ac wifi meaning better WiFi reception and faster speed. It has Bluetooth 4.2. Talking about sensors, it has all the essential sensors including the Gyro for VR experience.
Not to forget, it also holds fingerprint sensor on the back. It is quick to setup and unlocks the device in a jiffy. Xiaomi phones always have had a reliable fingerprint sensor and this is no different.
Battery:
MI A1 offers 3010 mAh battery, a fairly smaller size compared to the Redmi Note 4. Smaller size surely means least screen on time and standby. I was able to pull out only 3 and a half to 4 hours. Well, it entirely depends on your usage but most of the time the battery lasted me for a whole day. The 5v 2ampere charger charges this phone from 0 to 30% in 30 minutes and 100% in around 2 hours.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Mi A1 is a well-rounded phone under the price of Rs.30,000. It has got a lot more to offer compared to its rivals. The phone offers stock android with timely updates, has a sharp vibrant display, dual camera setup, smooth performance, and premium build to name some. But it surely falls back when it comes to front facing camera, so if you are someone who’s fond of taking selfies then this phone is definitely not for you. Also, the battery life could have been better. So, if you can live with an average selfie cam, an older 16:9 display, and a decent battery life, then this is the best phone you can buy below Rs.30,000 in Nepal.
