Deals: Daraz offering 13% discount on UMIDIGI Crystal & C Note

Pratima Adhikari

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November 11, 2017

Discount on products is always attractive and if the discount is on one your favorite smartphones, it is cherry on top! Different e-commerce sites have been in the race to provide the best products at the best prices and similar is being done by Daraz. Daraz (previously known as Kaymu), one of the leading e-commerce sites in Nepal, is offering an attractive 13% discount on UMIDIGI smartphones. It is providing a 13% price off on UMIDIGI Crystal 4G smartphone and UMIDIGI C Note 4G smartphone (with black and gold color variants).

UMIDIGI Crystal

The USP of the UMIDIGI Crystal is its near bezel-less display. It is the only smartphone below Rs. 25,000 to feature such design. Apart from that, the phone comes with a dual rear camera, 4GB RAM, and a gorilla glass 4 protection on the front and back.

Price: Rs. 25,900
Offer Price: Rs. 22,580

OS	UMI OS based on Android 7.0 Nougat
Display	5.5-inch (1920*1080 pixels) IPS Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
CPU	MTK675OT, Octa-core, Cortex- A53, 1.5GHz
GPU	ARM MALI- T860 MP2 650 MHZ
RAM	4GB
ROM	64GB extendable up to 256GB
Camera	Samsung Dual 13+5 MP back camera, 5 MP selfie camera with beauty mode
Battery	3000mAh
Fingerprint	Yes; Rear mounted
USB connector	Type C
SIM card (s)	Hybrid dual SIM (nano+nano)

UMIDIGI C Note 4G Smartphone

The USP of the UMIDIGI C Note is its feature-rich specs. For less than Rs. 20,000, you get a full HD display, a big battery, and a fingerprint scanner.

Price: Rs. 20,900
Offer Price: Rs. 18,220

OS	Android 7.0 Nougat
CPU	MTK6737, Quad- core, Cortex- A53, 1.5GHZ
GPU	ARM MALI- T720 MP2 600 MHZ
RAM	3GB
ROM	32GB extendable up to 256GB
Display	5.5- inch (1920*1080 pixels) IPS Display 2.5D Arc screen
Camera	Samsung S5K3L8 13 MP back camera with PDAF autofocus, 5 MP selfie camera(GC5005 Camera)
Battery	3800mAh
Fingerprint	Yes; Front mounted
USB connector	USB 2.0
SIM card (s)	Hybrid dual SIM (nano+nano)

UMIDIGI is one of the fastest growing smartphone companies, originally from China. UMIDIGI smartphones have launched recently in Nepal with five of its models, namely, UMIDIGI S2, UMIDIGI Z1 Pro, UMIDIGI Crystal, UMIDIGI C-Note, UMIDIGI G and UMIDIGI London. Originally, UMIDIGI was originally founded in February 2012.

So what do you think about the UMIDIGI smartphones? Let us know in the comment section below!

[Note: The offer is subject to change anytime. Right now Daraz is offering 13% off, but during weekends the company usually provides up to 19% off.]

Lenovo HW02 Smartband Review

Pratima Adhikari

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November 10, 2017

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The Lenovo HW02 is the newest version of Lenovo bands. It is a smart bracelet that helps you keep track of your health on a continuous basis, checking for physical indicators like sleep, number of steps you take and heart rate.

Apart from the other things this band offers, I was at the first sight, impressed by its looks. You can see for yourself, it looks very stylish on your wrists. You might want to take it off once you wear it.

It has a modestly large screen and the silicon straps give it a sleek finish. It is so light and comfortable that you don’t even feel you are wearing anything on your wrists. Initially, the buckle pins may be hard to get used to, but once you do, wearing it feels as easy as breathing.

Moving to the main features, the Lenovo HW02 offers you a personal fitness tracker aided by a pedometer, a sleep monitor, a heart rate monitor and a calorie burn meter. When you touch the screen, first, it shows time. Then, it shows you the number of steps you have taken on that particular day. You can reset it every day. Then when you touch again, it shows you how many calories you have burnt. Similarly, next shown is your heart rate, state of the battery and Bluetooth status.

The band coordinates with your smartphone via, the Lenovo healthy app connected through Bluetooth 4.2. The app is available in both app store and play store. The app once signed in needs to be bound with the band to get updates on your physical condition. The information is displayed on a 40×72 pixel OLED screen.

The app is in its latest version for now but, however, is not very smooth in running as it gets stuck many times.

The thing I like about it is that it has a smart reminder feature that lets you customize notifications and gives you vibrating sensations when you receive calls, texts, Facebook notifications, and the like. Second is the alarm feature that helps you wake up without having to listen to fussy alarm clocks.

You can set movement targets for every day on the app and it also notifies you if you are moving closer to achieving them. The band, I must say, interacts very well and the readings are pretty accurate too. The app also shows you the history of your physical conditions in a bar graph and lets you compare daily, weekly or monthly status. This includes data on movement, sleep and heart rate monitoring.

The band is waterproof so you can also choose to swim or take a shower while putting it on. It has a plastic and a silicon finish, so it may be prone to scratches but breakage seems unlikely. The battery lasts for 7-10 days depending on your usage pattern.

With all these, the Lenovo HW02 may seem like an upright daily driver. However, one major concern here is the brightness. Unless you have godly eyesight, in broad daylight, it impossible to read what’s there on the screen. The silicon straps are prone to scratches now and then.

Conclusion

The band is easy to use, good looking and pretty accurate. On the other side, the low brightness gives it a meltdown. But since I have been using it for days now, I think it is a good deal considering its features and is worth the money you keep aside for it.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime with 16 MP selfie camera launching soon in Nepal

Pratima Adhikari

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November 9, 2017

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime with 16 MP selfie camera launching soon in Nepal

It wasn’t long time back that Xiaomi had launched the Redmi Note 5A and within no time they are bringing to us another one of its iterations, the Xiaomi Note 5A Prime. What gives the Xiomi Redmi Note 5A away is the massive 16 MP f/2.0 front camera with an LED flash and real-time beauty filters.

Talking about the features, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime runs on Android 7.0 Nougat along with MIUI 9. It is powered by Snapdragon 435 octa-core chipset paired with 3/4 GB of RAM and Adreno 505 GPU. It has 32/64 GB ROM that can further be expanded up to 128 GB. Similarly, it comes with two sim slots (nano+nano) and a dedicated micro SD card slot.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime has a 5.5-inch display with a screen resolution of 1280*720 pixels and 1000:1 contrast ratio. The front camera, which is its major focus, is a 16 MP f/2.0 selfie shooter and the back camera is a 13 MP f/2.2 shooter. The phone has a rear mounted fingerprint sensor along with other sensors like Gyroscope, E- compass, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, IR, etc. In addition, it is packed with 3080 mAh battery and also supports 4G network.

There has, however, been no official announcement about the launch date and the price of the phone. According to Mi Nepal’s Facebook page, the phone is to launch sometime soon in Nepal, considering it has already been launched in China.

Xiaomi is one of the most popular smartphone companies in Nepal. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime is allegedly considered the highest end variant of the Redmi Note 5A series. How this phone actually works on hand, is yet to be found out.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A Prime Specs:

Display	5.5-inch (1280*720) pixels
Processor	Snapdragon 435 64 bit (octa-core)
GPU	Adreno 505
Camera	16 MP f/2.0 front camera with LED, 13 MP f/2.2 rear camera
RAM	3 or 4 GB
ROM	32 or 64 GB (expandable up to 128GB)
Battery	3080 mAh
OS	Android 7.0, MIUI 9
SIM Card(s)	Dual (nano+nano)
Memory Card slot	Dedicated memory slot
Connectivity	4G support, Bluetooth 4.2

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime Expected Price in Nepal: Rs. 20,000

Top phones in Nepal with stock-like Android software

Pratima Adhikari

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November 9, 2017

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Top phones in Nepal with stock-like Android software

If you ask me, stock Android is the perfect form of the software. Although the perfect stock Android experience is yet unavailable in Nepal as of now, there are other devices that are somewhat near to that experience. But before getting to what phones in Nepal have a stock like android, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, let’s first get what stock Android actually is!

In simple words, stock android is the term used to describe the ‘purest’ or the ‘untouched’ form of android. We know that Google is the pioneer of Android; so, stock android is the form of Android that Google provides and has no modifications whatsoever. Smartphone companies add skin to the stock android with what they think their users would want to use and create ‘their’ own form of Android to provide a different experience. For example, Samsung devices come with TouchWiz, HTC offers Sense UI, etc.

Here is the list of top phones that provide stock-like Android experience in Nepal:

1. OnePlus series

Smartphones of the OnePlus series use Oxygen OS. It is not completely stock Android but is nearly stock like. All the phones in the OnePlus series feature Oxygen OS with minimal changes to the stock form.

Device	OnePlus 5	OnePlus 3/3T
Display	5.5-inch, full HD Optic AMOLED display	5.5-inch full HD Optic AMOLED display
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820/821
CPU	Octa-core processor	Quad-core processor
Software	Android v7.1.1 Nougat with Oxygen OS	Android v7.1.1 Nougat with Oxygen OS
GPU	Adreno 540	Adreno 530 GPU
RAM	6/8 GB	6 GB
Storage	64/128 GB	64 GB / 128 GB
SIM	Dual SIM	Dual SIM
Rear camera	Dual 16 MP + 20 MP with dual LED flash	16-megapixel with LED flash
Front camera	16 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture	8 MP / 16 MP
Sensor(s)	Fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensor
Battery	3,300 mAh with Dash Charge	3,000 mAh / 3,400 mAh with Dash Charge
Price	Rs. 59,500 / Rs. 69,500	Rs. 39,900 / Rs. 49,000

2. Nokia Series

The Nokia series landed in Nepal few months ago. Not only do these smartphones provide high value for money, they feature stock Android software as well. Currently, Paramount Electronics is selling five different models of Nokia of different price range, namely Nokia 2, Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and the newly launched Nokia 8 which is available for prebooking in the time of writing this article.

If you want to know all about the Nokia smartphones including their specifications and pricing, be sure to read our article on the light of Nokia mobile phones available in Nepal right now.

3. Xiaomi Mi A1

Xiaomi’s latest Mi A1 features Android One, which is indeed stock android for phones other than Google’s flagships. In addition to the stock form, it offers apps like Mi Store, Mi camera, Mi remote, etc.

Display: 5.5-inch full HD LTPS display, Gorilla Glass, 2.5D curved glass
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC
CPU: 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor
Software: Android v7.1.2 Nougat, upgradable to Android v8.0 Oreo and Android P
GPU: Adreno 506 GPU
RAM: 4GB RAM
Storage: 64GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB with microSD
SIM: Dual Hybrid SIM
Rear Camera: Dual 12 MP + 12 MP rear-facing cameras
Front Camera: 5MP front-facing camera
Sensors: Fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor
Connectivity: USB Type-C, 4G connectivity
Battery: 3080mAh Li-ion battery
Price: Rs. 29,999

4. General Mobile GM5 Plus

Similar is the General Mobile GM5 5 Plus which is Android One like that of Mi A1. Similar to the Mi A1, there are apps in GM5 plus like GM calculator, GM screen, GM alarm, etc. which are additional features it has added to its own.

Display: 5.5-inch IPS LTPS Full HD (1080×1920 pixels) display; Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 Octa-Core 64 Bit
RAM: 3GB LPDDR3
Storage: 32GB Storage (expandable up to 128GB)
Rear Camera: 13MP AF with Dual Led Flash
Selfie Camera: 13MP AF with Fron
t Flash
Connectivity: Type-C connector, GM Turbo Charger
SIM: Hybrid Dual SIM
Software: Android v7.0 Nougat (upgradable to 7.1.1)
Battery: Li-Po 3100mAh Battery
Price: Rs. 19,999

5. Moto E4 plus

Motorola was once owned by Google itself, so this phone in its bucket having stock Android is not a shocker. In addition to what stock Android provides, Motorola features ‘Moto’, for phone customizations. The Moto E4 Plus was recently launched in Nepal along with 3 other smartphones.

Display: 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS LCD display
Chipset: MediaTek MT6737
CPU: Quad-core processor with 1.3 GHz clock speed
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB Storage (expandable)
Software: Android v7.1.1 Nougat
Rear Camera: 13 MP with LED Flash
Selfie Camera: 5 MP with LED flash
SIM: Dual SIM
Battery: Li-Po 5,000 mAh
Price: Rs. 20,990

6. Colors P85+ Selfie Pro

Another one in the list is the new Colors phone, the Colors P85+ Selfie Pro, that is thought to be a decent choice below Rs. 15,000 in Nepal. It uses Android in a near stock form, without having adulterated the original version a lot. However, the company has not named their version of Android.

Display: 5.5-inch HD IPS LCD with 2.5D glass on the top; Dragontrail Glass Protection
Chipset: MediaTek MT6735
CPU: Quad-core 1.3GHz (ARM Cortex-A53)
GPU: Mali-T720
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via MicroSD
Front Camera: 8 MP (Hynix HI846 COB6 Sensor), f/2.2, LED flash
Rear Camera: 13 MP (Samsung’s 3L8 Sensor), f/2.0, 1.12µm pixel size, Auto Focus and LED Flash
Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS, 3G, 4G LTE, OTG supported
Sensors: Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient Light sensor
Battery: 3000mAh (non-removable)
Colors: Golden White
Price: Rs. 14,999

Stock android certainly has abilities that customized Android skins cannot offer, below listed are a few:

Faster security patch and Android version updates: Android has always been criticized for potential security threats and because customized Android software have to develop their brand-specific versions of updates, it takes them more time and users may be exposed to malware and threats. With stock android, you get updates as soon as Google rolls it out. So, patching flaws is faster. Same is with the Android versions. With stock Android, you won’t have to spend months and months waiting for the software update.
Less bloatware: Stock android is exactly what Google intends their users to use and doesn’t bring along unnecessary extras. When smartphone companies add their layer of skin to Android, they also add additional applications. For example, while Google provides you with Chrome, others may provide you with a different browser. These apps, moreover, are very difficult to remove.
More storage and better battery life: When you don’t have unnecessary apps taking up your storage, you can choose to download whatever you want. The extra load of apps may have an effect on battery performance, so with stock android, your battery life can be optimized.
Personalize to your liking: Stock Android gives you the freedom to use whatever launcher you want, while there are very few things you would want to uninstall. Stock android has very few apps, so you can choose to add is up to you. Your device is yours to personalize!

Stock android is not, however, perfect! Stock android has a lack of customization features and so on. Whether you like a customized or a stock form of Android, it’s purely a matter of choice!

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Broadcom wants to own Qualcomm for unprecedented amount of $130 billion

GadgetByte

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November 8, 2017

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Here is something I never thought was possible, – a $130 billion acquisition. That’s the exact amount Broadcom is ready to pay to buy Qualcomm. If this deal pans out, it’s going to be one of the biggest tech acquisition ever. So why is Broadcom shelling out so much for Qualcomm, and is this transaction really worth it? Before answering that, let’s check the background of both of the companies

Broadcom

Broadcom is a global semiconductor leader, manufacturing anything from wired infrastructure to wireless communications, enterprise storage, and industries among others. Their products include data center networking, home connectivity, broadband access, telecommunications equipment, smartphones and base stations, data center servers and storage, factory automation, power generation and alternative energy systems, and displays.

If you use an Apple smartphone user (iPhone), then you are definitely using Broadcom components, and that’s one of the simplest ways to explain it.

Qualcomm

“Qualcomm is an American multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services. It derives most of its revenue from chip making and the bulk of its profit from patent licensing businesses.” – Wikipedia

And if you didn’t already know, Qualcomm is the maker of the Snapdragon line of processors. You are probably using a Qualcomm made processor on your smartphone right now.

Why is Broadcom paying $130 billion?

When we talk about deals that involve a huge much investment, there needs to be a long list of reasons. Broadcom surely has quite a few compelling reasons of its own. For starters, we can see that Broadcom wants to “create a one-stop shop for smartphone makers looking for everything from cutting-edge processors to wireless networking.”

“The thing about technology is that many skeptics just don’t understand how the industry has gotten so much bigger, which means these companies are a lot more valuable to each other than you might think.”

-mad money host

In the world of semiconductor revenue sales, Intel leads the bunch followed by Samsung Electronics. And if this deal in talks was to go through, Broadcom/Qualcomm partnership will see them take the third spot by a margin.

Lots of factors go into making these kinds of decisions. And when it’s one of the biggest potential deals, the stakes are even higher. We should also consider that this deal will most probably not go through.

“A deal would face antitrust scrutiny in markets where Broadcom and Qualcomm have leading positions, such as integrated circuits used in global navigation satellite systems,” says Erik Gordon, a professor at Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

Vivo Y79 with FullView display and 24 MP selfie camera unveiled

GadgetByte

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November 8, 2017

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Vivo Y79 with FullView display and 24 MP selfie camera unveiled

Vivo has launched yet another selfie camera smartphone in a typical 2017 smartphone’s footprint. The Vivo Y79 is a mid-range smartphone with some pretty interesting specifications.

Don’t Miss: Vivo set to launch in Nepal

The Vivo Y79 is somewhat similar to the Vivo V7+ which was launched in September. It has the same 5.99-inch HD IPS LCD FullView display – Vivo’s own name for the display with minimal bezels on the top and bottom. The display has an 18:9 aspect ratio. One major difference between these two devices is the processor on the inside. The Vivo Y79 is powered by an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 2 GHz of clock speed against the Snapdragon 450 of the V7+.

Now on to the optics side of the smartphone, Vivo has once again focused on the selfie shooter of its new smartphone. This Y79 is equipped with a huge 24-megapixel lens with f/2.0 aperture on the front which is accompanied by the Moonlight Glow LED flash. On the rear is a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture and dual LED flash.

The Vivo Y79 runs on Android v7.1 Nougat out of the box with Funtouch OS 3.2 on top. It has 4 GB of RAM and its graphics side is handled by Adreno 506 GPU. The Y79 features 64 GB of onboard storage which can be further expanded up to 256 GB via a microSD card. It supports dual SIM and has a headphone jack among others. The Vivo Y79 is backed up by a 3,225 mAh battery which will go well with the HD display to provide a longer battery life. But the inclusion of an HD display is disappointing, to say the least. The device is priced at CNY 2,498 in the Chinese market which roughly translates to $376.

Vivo Y79 Specifications:

Display: 5.99-inch HD IPS LCD FullView display, 18:9 aspect ratio, Gorilla Glass 3
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC
CPU: 2.0 GHz Octa-core processor
Software: Android v7.1 Nougat with Funtouch OS 3.2 on top
GPU: Adreno 506 GPU
RAM: 4GB RAM
Storage: 64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256 GB with microSD card
SIM: Dual SIM
Rear Camera: 16 MP rear-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
Front Camera: 24 MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
Sensor(s): Fingerprint sensor
Connectivity: 4G connectivity, Bluetooth 4.2
Battery: 3,225 mAh battery
Price: $376 (approx.)

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Here’s How much $999 iPhone cost to make

GadgetByte

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November 7, 2017

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Here’s How much $999 iPhone cost to make

The iPhone X is a really good phone, and the hype is real with this one. So with Apple releasing 3 iPhones at the same event was quite unique. Especially with one gorgeous bezel-less iPhone X and the other two with the same played out classic iPhone design.

Also Read: iPhones’ Latest Price in Nepal

Analysists assume the iPhone X costs around $357.50 to produce, which is currently on sale for $999. That is a profit margin of around 65%, now look at iPhone 8. With a selling price of $699 and a production price of around $248, it has a profit margin of about 60%.

So, Apple has a higher profit margin for the iPhone X, I should say it’s only fair. Nobody wants the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus and are readily happy to pay a little more premium for the fancier iPhone X. Plus seeing how the iPhone X has been a huge success, can you really blame them?

Apple has always done this, and will most probably continue to do it. On top of that, they are the only smartphone manufacturer who can actually put such a high-profit margin.

Apple can be different here because they are the 800-pound gorilla

-Al Cowsky

With all of this said, the $357.5 that Apple needs to shell out for an iPhone X isn’t the complete price of the phone. You also need to consider the R&D costs, Apple’s image, the software support (iPhone experience) among others. And also you can consider the higher than average prices Samsung has been milking out from Apple for its gorgeous new OLED displays.

Let’s talk about why this was the most expensive iPhone to ever go into production. The iPhone X did feature the biggest iPhone screen we’ve seen yet. And also had a solid camera, and the 4k@60fps feature didn’t help much with minimizing the expenses. Dailymail also mentioned that the choice to go with the stainless steel chassis also kept the prices high.

You also need to keep in mind that these estimates aren’t always exact. The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook also said “I’ve never seen one that is anywhere close to being accurate” back in 2015.

OnePlus 5T set to Launch on November 16

GadgetByte

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November 7, 2017

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OnePlus 5T has been making a lot of headlines lately. OnePlus was dropping hints of the new device on Twitter. Later on, they made the ‘5T’ name official and also showed that it comes with a headphone jack, unlike others. OnePlus 5T is going to be a spec bump over the regular OnePlus 5. So let’s see what new things we might get to see in this device.

1 of 3

The biggest change on the OnePlus 5T would be the now trending 18:9 aspect ratio display. If we are talking about looks then it would resemble the recently launched Oppo R11s as the existing OnePlus 5 resembles the Oppo R11. Both Oppo and OnePlus share the same parent company, BBK electronics, so we can almost be sure about the design of the phone. With the new aspect ratio, the phone is going to keep minimal bezels on the chin, so the fingerprint scanner will probably shift towards the back. The display size would be 6inches with Full HD resolution.

In terms of performance, it’ll sport the same Snapdragon 835 Chipset coupled with 8GB of RAM. It will be engraved with our beloved headphone jack. For optics, it’ll come with Dual 20MP camera on the back and 16MP camera up front. The phone will be running on the latest version of Android Oreo out of the box. We can also see a substantial increase in the battery size as well. Pete Lau, the CEO of OnePlus, has revealed that the phone will be priced at $539. The new OnePlus 5T will be unveiled on November 16 at an event in Brooklyn. The phone will be available starting November 21.

OnePlus 5T Specifications (Rumored):

6-inch quad HD display
18:9 aspect ratio
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Chipset
Octa-core processor with 2.45 GHz clock speed
8GB RAM
64GB/128GB Internal Memory
Dual 20MP Rear dual-camera
Expected Price: $539

Microsoft to finally end free Windows 10 upgrade

GadgetByte

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November 7, 2017

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Microsoft to finally end free Windows 10 upgrade

It has been a couple of years since Microsoft gave its users a chance to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. This was a very generous offer from the makers of Windows which, in turn, helped with the popularity of Windows 10. The offer had actually ended in June of 2016, but if you knew a few ways around, the upgrade was still possible. However, Microsoft is completely shutting down the free campaign on 31st December 2017.

Right now, a copy of Windows 10 will run you about $119.99. And this is quite an expensive amount to pay for. So, if you haven’t upgraded already, now would be a really good time. But then again, if someone hasn’t taken an advantage of this free offer for over two years, they probably don’t care at all.

If you want to upgrade to Windows 10, you can do it with the help of Microsoft Assistive Technology. The aforementioned link also mentions that this offer expires on the 31st of December 2017. So it’s safe to assume that any method to get Windows 10 without paying is ending, unless if you crack your copy for activation, of course.

Windows is a popular platform with a market share of 37.43%, only second to Android with 38.49% share. If we look more closely, even with the free upgrade scheme and everything, Windows 7 still leads with a 42.67% of the market share with Windows 10 following closely with a 40.95%. The closest to these two is Windows 8.1 with a 9.03% of the total windows share. (Source)

What’s new in MIUI 9 for Xiaomi Devices

Xiaomi

GadgetByte

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November 4, 2017

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Xiaomi phones are one of the most popular product in Nepal. It’s not just because of the great hardware experience you get at an affordable cost but its the software experience as well that we’ve all grown to love. Recently the official update for MIUI 9 has started rolling out for Xiaomi devices and your could be receiving it soon. But before that let’s find out what new changes the MiUI 9 brings to the table.

App Vault

App vault is like the Google Now screen from Google Now Launcher or the Shelf panel from OnePlus which you get when swiping right on the home screen. You can stick your frequently used apps, widgets, calendar events, sports update and more. This feature will help to keep your apps and widgets in an organized way and also get to them in a jiffy.

Animated Icons

MIUI 9 now comes with animated icons. Some of the system apps like Phone, Browser, Messaging, and other apps like Facebook, Messenger and Instagram have playful animations on their icon when you exit from those apps. This is certainly a neat feature that makes the UI look more lively, plus, XIaomi claims it doesn’t hamper the battery life as well.

Split Screen

Although split screen mode was introduced on Android Nougat, Mi Devices running Nougat didn’t have that feature. It was a bummer for a lot of users to not have such a handy component. The MIUI 9 has now brought the split screen mode for Xiaomi devices. You can even switch between the top and bottom app which is a nice touch.

Notifications

MIUI 9 now supports bundled notifications where all the notifications from a single app will be bundled as a single notification. This makes the notification area more clean and concise. Quick Reply from notifications has also been enabled. The notificaitons shade has also changed making it more close to stock Android.

Enhanced Silent Mode

Looking at the pattern of changes in the new MIUI 9, it seems like Xiaomi has added the core or basic features of Android Nougat that was missing from its ROM. One of such feature is the time-bound silent mode. While turning on the silent mode, you can now select how long to keep the phone at silent.

Mi Drop

Mi Drop is a built in app from Xiaomi which helps to transfer files among Xiaomi devices. It is simialr to Xender or ShareIt. The Mi Drop app has been optimized and the UI has been made minimal for ease of use.

Video and Gallery App

The stock Video and Gallery app have also gotten pretty impressive with the new update. Video app now can group simiar videos based on shows to have a consistent layout. It also has support for multiple subtitles and languages. The option to hide videos is present as well.

In the gallery app, the stock editor has introduced the “Smart Photo” feature to remove the unwanted objects on the background without affecting the integrity of the photo. Such editing could be achieved by an app called TouchRetouch which costs $2.12 on App Store.

Lock screen

The lock screen on MIUI 9 doesn’t feel that different unless you swipe right to get the new connected devices page. As Xiaomi now has a lot of smart home devices, for those who use them can now access from this page. This page also has an option for a flashlight on the bottom. Other than that, it also shows the remaining time to charge the phone.

New Icons and Animations

MIUI 9 has introduced new icon packs and animations which makes the UI look more fun and interactive. The icons are both colorful and minimal. There’s also new opening and closing animations which makes the phone feel even faster.

Optimization

Talking about being fast, MIUI has been optimized heavily to go head to head with stock Android. Even with the same hardware, MIUI now runs much faster and smoother which is a good news for those with old Xiaomi devices. App loads faster than before and few of the fixes have minimized the app crashes. Even on test videos, the MIUI 9 performed much better than other phones with similar specifications. The new update has also patched the KRACK vulnerability.

List of Xiaomi Phones Receiving the MIUI 9 Update

Unlike other Chinese manufacturers, Xiaomi is very consistent about updates. Most of its phone gets either Andorid or security udates from time to time. And this time around, a lot of phones have made it to the list to get the MIUI 9 update.

2017

Mi Mix 2, Mi Note 3, Mi 6, Mi Max 2, Redmi Note 4, Redmi Note 4X, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi 4X, Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite.

2016

Mi Mix, Mi Note 2, Mi 5, Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus, Mi Max, Mi Max Prime, Redmi Note 3, Redmi 3, Redmi 3s, Redmi 4A

2015

Mi Note, Mi 4i, Redmi 2, Redmi 2 Prime, Redmi Note 4G Prime, and Redmi Note 2

2014

Mi 4, Redmi Note 4G

2013

Mi 3

2012

Mi 2