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Top Upcoming Smartphones in Nepal

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GadgetByte

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October 31, 2017

We all love to have the option of latest and greatest smartphones in the market. Previously where our market had a handful of brands and products to choose from, today it is flooded with all the diverse options one could think of. We may not get all the products from a brand but we get enough to satisfy our needs. In this article, we have listed few of the upcoming smartphones that will be hitting the Nepali markets pretty soon.

iPhone 8/8 Plus

If you are an Apple fanboy, then you must be desperately waiting for the newly launched iPhone 8. The phone will be hitting the country soon as the pre-booking has already been started.The most interesting thing about the new iPhones is the A11 bionic chipset which opens a new world of Augmented reality and AI on the phone. With that, the phone comes with new studio lighting feature which helps to recreate lighting condition like that of a studio. The best thing about the new iPhones is they have introduced fast charging and can shoot 4K videos at 60fps.

Prebook Now Here

iPhone 8/8 Plus Specifications

Specifications	iPhone 8	iPhone 8 Plus
Display	4.7-inch, 1334 x 750 pixels	5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels
Software Version	iOS 11, upgradable to iOS 11.0.2	iOS 11, upgradable to iOS 11.0.2
Fingerprint	Front Mounted	Front Mounted
Chipset	Apple A11 Bionic	Apple A11 Bionic
CPU	Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral)	Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral)
GPU	Apple GPU (three-core graphics)	Apple GPU (three-core graphics)
RAM	2GB	2GB
Storage	64GB, 256GB	64GB, 256GB
Rear Camera	12 MP with f/1.8, 28mm, phase detection autofocus, OIS	Dual 12 MP, (28mm, f/1.8, OIS & 56mm, f/2.8), phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom
Front Camera	8MP with HDR	8MP with HDR
Connectivity	Nano-SIM, Dual Band ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0	Nano-SIM, Dual Band ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0
Battery	1821 mAh battery with wireless charging and fast charging	2691 mAh battery with wireless charging and fast charging
Price	Rs 98500, Rs. 119500	Rs 112500, Rs 133000
Launch Date	Prebooking Started	Prebooking Started

Nokia 8

The upcoming Nokia 8 is the most powerful Nokia ever made. It comes with a 5.3-inch QHD display. It comes protected with corning gorilla glass 5 and is IP54 water and dust resistant. Powering the device is the latest octa-core SnapDragon 835 chipset clocked at 2.5 GHz. It comes with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM with storage of 64GB and 128GB respectively. Nokia 8 offers a Dual 13MP camera with Carl Zeiss lens. It can shoot 4K at 30fps. Up front, it offers 13MP Camara. The phone offers the latest in terms of connectivity like Bluetooth 5.0, Dual Band ac WiFi and USB C. The phone is backed up by 3090mAh battery aided with Fast Charging 3.0.

Specifications of Nokia 8

Display: 5.3 inches (1440 x 2560) @554ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Android Version: Android 7.1.1 Nougat upgradable to Oreo 8.0
Fingerprint: Front Mounted
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Kryo & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo)
GPU: Adreno 540
RAM: 4GB or 6GB of RAM
Storage: 64GB and 128GB, Expandable up to 256GB (using SIM slot 2)
Rear Camera: Dual 13 MP with f/2.0 aperture, laser & phase detection autofocus, Carl Zeiss optics, OIS
Front Camera: 13 MP with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus
Connectivity: Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), Bluetooth 5.0, 3.1 USBC 1.0, Dual Band WiFi ac
Battery: 3090mAh battery with Fast Charge 3.0
Price: Rs.72,500
Launch Date: November 1st week

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

If you want to go full bezel-less, nothing gets better than the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. The Mi Mix was already an unreal looking phone with no bezels on all three sides. Now the phone comes in a more proper form factor and maintains a smaller chin at the bottom. The phone comes with 6.0inch full HD display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone is also powered by the latest SnapDragon 835 Chipset clocked at 2.4GHz, it offers massive 8GB and 6GB of RAM. The storage ranges from 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB in the 6GB variant while the 8GB variant comes with default 128GB only. The phone offers a single 12MP back camera and 5MP front facing camera which lies at the bottom of the phone. The phone is backed by 3,400mAh battery with fast charge 3.0.

Specifications of Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Display: 5.99 inches(1080 x 2160 ) @403ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Android Version: MIUI 9 on top of Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Fingerprint: Rear Mounted
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Kryo & 4×1.8 GHz Kryo)
GPU: Adreno 540
RAM: 6GB or 8GB
Storage: 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, Non Expandable
Rear Camera 12 MP with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, OIS (4-axis)
Front Camera: 13 MP with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), USB C, Bluetooth 5.0, Dual Band ac WiFi
Battery: 3400mAh battery with Fast Charge 3.0
Price: Rs..72,000
Launch Date: December

Huawei Nova 2i

Huawei Nova 2i is one of many names of the phone and it also has one too many cameras. Dubbed as the first phone with to sports 4cameras, the phone is making waves in the smartphone market. It comes with two cameras on the front and the back. Up front, it comes with a pair of 13MP + 2MP lenses. The secondary camera helps to take portrait images with bokeh effect. On the back, it comes with 16MP + 2MP setup which is again for portrait images.

The phone offers 5.9inch full HD display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Powering the phone is Kirin 659 Chipset clocked at 2.3GHz. It comes coupled with 4GB of RAM. Huawei Nova 2i offers 64GB of onboard storage. The phone is supported by 3340mAh battery.

Specifications of Huawei Nova 2i

Display: 5.9 inches (1080 x 2160) @409ppi
Android Version: EMUI 5.1 on top of Android 7.1 Nougat
Fingerprint: Rear Mounted
Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 659
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.36 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
GPU: Mali-T830 MP2
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, Expandable up to 256GB
Rear Camera: Dual 16 MP + 2 MP with phase detection autofocus
Front Camera: Dual 13 MP with f/2.0 + 2 MP
Connectivity: Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), Dual Band ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, micro USB 2.0
Battery: 3,340mAh
Price: Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 40,000
Launch Date: November 2nd Week

Gionee M7 Power

Gionee Marathon series is all about battery backup and the new M7 Power brings 5,000mAh of dominance to the table. The phone sports a 6.0inch 720p display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 435 clocked at 1.3GHz coupled with 4GB of RAM. It offers 13MP Rear Camera and 8MP Front Facing Camera.

Specifications of Gionee M7 Power

Display: 6.0 inches (720 x 1440) @268ppi
Android Version: Amigo on top of Android 7.1 Nougat
Fingerprint: Rear Mounted
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8940 Snapdragon 435
CPU: Octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: Adreno 505
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, Expandable up to 256GB
Rear Camera: 13 MP, autofocus, LED flash
Front Camera: 8 MP
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB 2.0
Battery: 5,000mAh battery
Price: Rs.25,000 – Rs.30,000
Launch Date: November 3rd Week

Oppo F5

Oppo phones have established itself well among the selfie lovers. Their tag “Selfie Expert” is justifiable with the camera performance their phone delivers. The new Oppo F5 will be more intriguing with an AI chip that will enhance the photos taken from its 20MP front-facing camera.

With the use of an AI chip, Oppo F5 would be able to take portrait images. Like the Pixel 2, the front would use machine learning to properly put a blur on the background. It also enhances the beauty mode to bring more natural skin tone. The phone has also introduced facial recognition feature like in the Note 8. It works well even in low light conditions. The phone also comes with a single 16MP Rear Camera with f/1.8 aperture and phase detection autofocus.

It holds 6 inches full HD display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Powering the device is Helio P23 octa-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz accompanied by either 6GB or 4GB of RAM with 64GB and 32GB storage respectively. It has a fingerprint sensor on the back. It is backed up by 3200mAh battery.

Specifications of Oppo F5

Display: 6.0 inches (1080 x 2160) @402ppi
Android Version: ColorOS 3.2 on top of Android 7.1 Nougat
Fingerprint: Rear Mounted
Chipset: MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23
CPU: 2.3GHz (typical) / 2.5GHz (single-core scenario)
GPU: Mali-G71 MP2
RAM: 6GB or 4GB
Storage: 64GB or 32GB, expandable up to 256 GB
Rear Camera: 16 MP with f/1.8 and phase detection autofocus
Front Camera: 20 MP with f/2.0
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual standby, Bluetooth 4.2, micro USB 2.0
Battery: 3,200mAh
Price: Rs. 37,000
Launch Date: November 14

Vivo V7+

Vivo V7 Plus is the second and the last phone in this list to sport an 18:9 aspect ratio with a 720p display. It is a midrange device running on octa-core Snapdragon 450 chipset clocked at 1.8GHz. For multitasking, it provides ample 4GB of RAM. It offers 64GB onboard storage and expandability option up to 256GB. The phone comes with a 16MP rear camera and a whopping 24MP selfie camera which is capable of shooting portrait shots with bokeh effect. It is backed by 3225mAh battery.

Also Read: Vivo Launching Soon in Nepal

Specifications of Vivo V7+

Display: 5.99 inches (720 x 1440 ) @269ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Android Version: Funtouch OS 3.2 on top of Android 7.1.2 Nougat
Fingerprint: Rear Mounted
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
CPU: Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: Adreno 506
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, Expandable up to 256GB
Rear Camera: 16 MP with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus
Front Camera: 24 MP with f/2.0
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by), micro USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.2,
Battery: 3225mAh battery
Price: Rs. 35,184
Launch Date: December 1st Week

Meizu makes a comeback in Nepal with a new distributor

GadgetByte

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October 30, 2017

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Meizu makes a comeback in Nepal with a new distributor

New smartphone brands are making their way in Nepal. With the increasing number of brands and their wide range of products, it is always a pleasure to have numerous smartphones as alternatives. Meizu had been one of such alternatives when it brought Meizu M3 Note in Nepal. At that time, Ubiquity Pvt Ltd. had been the benefactor. However, the smartphone brand failed to achieve a remarkable success in the Nepali arena because of which the brand got ditched by the distributors.

Also Read: Meizu Mobiles Price in Nepal

Meizu has a good lineup of products in the smartphones’ front. And the failure of the brand had blocked the way for new smartphones to make their entrance in Nepal. But thanks to Chaudhary Group (CG), which made a step forward to revive the brand back to Nepal. CG, in spite of having their own home-manufactured smartphones, CG mobiles, had already brought a few smartphone brands in Nepal. Now with the Meizu coming back to Nepal, a new name will be added to their huge portfolio of diversified businesses. And with the return of this brand, CG is currently looking for distributors all over Nepal.

mcharger meizu — Image Credits: Gsmarena.com

Meizu has launched a few new smartphones, which hopefully, CG will bring to Nepal. Two of their unique phones include the Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus with dual cameras and dual displays. The newly released Meizu M6 and Meizu M6 Note might also make its way to Nepal along with a few other “bang for the buck” devices.

The newspaper ad from Meizu featured the M5 Note, an early release maybe? Also, their newly released Super mCharge Tech is something to get excited about, however a bigger charger might come underway.

Also Read: Motorola enters Nepal; Introduces 4 new budget smartphones

What do you think of the increasing number of smartphone brands in Nepal? And also let us know your thoughts on Meizu’s return to the Nepali market?

Colors P85+ Selfie Pro Review: How Good is this Rs. 15,000 smartphone?

GadgetByte

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October 30, 2017

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Colors P85+ Selfie Pro Review: How Good is this Rs. 15,000 smartphone?

By launching a wide range of mobile phones catering to a varied demographic of customers, Colors Mobiles Nepal has created a mark of itself in the Nepali smartphone market. Continuing their effort to provide excellent products to the customers at the best prices, Colors has launched its latest flagship phone: the Colors P85+ Selfie Pro, priced at Rs. 14,995/-.

I got to use this phone for a couple of days and play around with its features and specifications. I tested out its marketed features during the 7 days and now, I am going to share my experiences with the phone to you. Leaving the judgment at your hands, for now, let’s walk through the highs and lows of the Colors’ flagship phone.

Build and Design

Speaking of the design and build of the phone, it looks almost the same as its predecessor: the Colors P85+. However, the phone includes commendable additional designs as well. Even if the build is actually plastic, the metallic finish on the phone is a wow. Hence, it would nit be wrong to say that the metallic chassis and unibody of the phone offer a premium feel on hold and on use.

Also, the phone falls on the lighter scale side and hence offers an easy usability.

Display

The P85+ Selfie Pro comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen, which is an upgrade to its predecessor: Colors P85+ which came with a 5.3-inch display.

The 720 x 1280 pixel resolution offered by the phone is okay. There is not much notable about it. Additionally, there were also some moments where I felt that the display could have been better in terms of color vibrancy and sharpness.

Moreover, the 2.5D glass topping adds to the elegance of the phone giving its an extra push. For someone like me, who can be as clumsy as one can be, the Dragontrail Glass protection over the display was an added assurance.

The presence of MiraVision engine in the phone is also an additional benefit. With the freedom of choice to select the picture quality based on your requirement, one can easily toggle between the available picture modes and basic color tuning.

Hardware

All the buttons are placed on the right side of the phone, which I often messed up while use. Though the power button is easily reachable, I had to stretch my finger to reach the volume buttons.

The phone features a 3.5mm slot for a headphone jack at the top right and has micro USB 2.0 port at the bottom. The phone comes with a powerful speaker at the back, which performed well. One thing that I noted was the volume during phone calls. It could have been better optimised.

The fingerprint sensor on the phone is just as quick as promised (0.2 seconds). Also, it allows users to store up to 5 fingerprints at maximum. Moreover, there are touch and motion enabled gestures linked with the fingerprints which is something I really enjoyed using.

The smart gestures and multi-tap features allowed me to easily to unlock the phone and also launch my immediate priority apps with simple gestures.

Software

The phone runs on Android Nougat 7.0 and delivers an efficient performance. However, there is not much to share about the UI of the phone, it is the same old: Stock Android UI. Though it is very minimalistic and quick, I am not much of a fan of it. So, I am not going to lie to you: I downloaded a launcher app on the phone just as soon as I got the phone.

I also enjoyed the split screen feature of the phone. Because of that, I could easily go through my image gallery and also take notes simultaneously. Also, the app drawer feature allowed me to efficiently switch between two recent apps, saving me from the hassle of app switching.

Also, for security purposes, special features have been designed in the phone like Emergency Rescue and Smart Lock. The Smart Lock feature allows you to keep your phone unlocked by the on body detection mode, through trusted devices, voice and even at trusted places. And the Emergency Rescue feature let’s you choose trusted contacts and send messages to them in case you are in any emergency. This feature was actually something I was impressed with. I didn’t really test to see if it performed just as it had promised, but it is better to be safe than sorry!

Like in all other Android phones with Nougat and higher versions, the phone also includes quick reply feature which performed swiftly saving me the hassle of launching the apps and from the wrath of being the “online but unavailable” person.

Performance

The phone features a 2GB RAM and comes with an internal storage of 16GB expandable up to 128GB. The Quad-core 1.3GHz processor teamed with MediaTek MT6735 chipset gives the phone a performance boost. Running multiple apps and switching between them was very easy. The split window feature is also available here, which allowed me to make the most out of available screen space.

There was not much heating issue on the phone even while running multiple apps which was a plus point. Also, with a single touch, I could clear out the apps in use at once which was very helpful for me.

However, there were also certain issues which were a let down for me. Many times, there were pop-up messages stating that the app has crashed and had to be closed. This was quite inefficient as the apps crashed mid-performance.

Camera

Speaking of the camera of the smartphone, the phone comes with a 13 MP primary camera and an 8 MP front facing camera. It offers a range of photography modes such as Panorama, Voice Photo, QRCamera, Exposure, Night, HD and Square. The inbuilt camera also allows users to take pictures in Professional mode and play around with features like ISO, WB and ET, manually.

The 8 MP selfie camera did not seem to perform as promised. The pictures appeared to capture details finely and pretty close to true colors. Nonetheless, they did appear a bit grainy. Even if the phone has been promoted as a “Selfie Pro”, I don’t think this performance qualifies it to be called one.

The 13 MP back camera was good enough. I took more than a few pictures this Tihar with this phone and honestly, I was more than impressed most of the time. Viewing Kathmandu through the 13MP rear camera and taking pictures of lights and mandalas was a fun experience.

Both front and back cameras are backed with LED flash that did provide proper lighting for pictures. However, due to the slow shutter speed of the cameras, I had to retake pictures multiple times just to take a steady shot

Connectivity

The Colors P85+ Selfie Pro comes with Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS, 3G, 4G LTE and OTG support. With Proximity sensor, Ambient Light sensor and Accelerometer. The hybrid SIM slot in the phone allowed me to use a nano-SIM and a micro-SIM simultaneously.

As the phone is 4G enabled, the browsing speed is very seamless. Communicating with friends and family while on the go was very easy.

The proximity sensor in the phone is also commendable as it worked absolutely fine with efficient screen timeout during calls. Also the smart lock in the system keeps the phone unlocked by the “on- body detection” mode when kept close to the body. Also, the phone features an ambient light sensor and A-GPS which helped enhance the performance.

Battery

I really appreciate the battery power and back up that the phone provided. The non-removable 3000mAh battery performed seamlessly. Though there was no quick charge functionality in the phone, the battery did provide me a good run time for 4.5 hours after one full charge.

Also, there is a “battery saver” mode inbuilt to the system which allows you to choose whether or not you want to save the battery life once you hit the 15% charge mark.

Verdict

To end with the final verdict of how I found the Colors P85+ Selfie Pro in the short time that I used it for, I must say that for a budget smartphone, this was a good one. The sleek and neat design of the phone and the feel of it itself was amazing. Additionally, the amazing battery backup helped me a lot with my continuous need of listening to music and working.

If you are looking for a budget-smartphone that keeps your wallet happy and fits well in your pocket (Yes, it fits!), this could be a good choice for you. Another quick information: this is the only phone within Rs.15,000 with 5.5-inch display.

However, the phone could probably have delivered much better in terms of the camera functionality. The performance it delivered in this department does not really seem to meet it’s marketed tag of “Selfie Pro”, which is a let down.

Pros: What I liked about the P85+ Selfie Pro

The remarkable 3000mAh battery.
The easy one-tap RAM cleaner.
The quick fingerprint scanner.
The budget.

Cons: What could have been better in the P85+ Selfie Pro?

Front Camera
The shutter speed.
A possible revamped UI.

What do you think about the Colors P85+ Selfie Pro? Would you give this a chance? Let us know in the comments below.

Oppo F5 to launch on November 14 in Nepal

GadgetByte

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October 29, 2017

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Oppo F5 to launch on November 14 in Nepal

With the Oppo F5, Oppo finally entered into the minimal bezels bandwagon. It has only been a few days since the smartphone was launched in the international market but we have concrete news that it will launch in Nepal on November 14.

The Oppo F5 is, of course, a “selfie expert” that has Artificial Intelligence embedded into the software side of its optics.The front-facing selfie shooter measured 20-megapixels and has a relatively average f/2.0 aperture. As for the software side of this camera, artificial intelligence does its bit to beautify specific areas of a user’s face just to make the selfies come out better. And yes, just like the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, it also helps to capture images with a blurred background. The rear-facing camera is of 16-megapixels and has a comparatively wider f/1.8 aperture, and also an LED flash.

Now on to its display, the Oppo F5 has a 6.0-inch IPS LCD with narrower bezels giving it the proper ‘smartphone of 2017’ look. And yes, you guessed it right. This has resulted in the Chinese manufacturer placing a fingerprint scanner on the back of the device. The display has a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio.

The Oppo F5 runs due to an Octa-core MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23 processor. This processor is further helped by 6 or 4 GB of RAM and Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. 6 GB of RAM is available in the 64 GB storage variant whereas 4 GB of RAM is available in a lower 32 GB version. On the software side, the Oppo F5 has Android v7.1 Nougat on the inside with ColorOS 3.2 on top.

Oppo F5 is expected to launch in Nepal in 4GB RAM and 32GB storage variant.

The Oppo F5 is powered up by a 3,200 mAh Li-Ion battery which lacks fast charging. The device supports Dual SIM and a dedicated microSD card slot. It is available in 3 color options in the international market, namely Black, Gold, and Red. The red color option is available only in the 6 GB RAM variant.

The device is expected to be priced at Rs. 35,000 which is closer to the international price tag of around $310.

Oppo F5 Specifications:

6.0-inches full HD LTPS IPS LCD display with 18:9 aspect ratio
Android v7.1 Nougat with ColorOS 3.2 on top
MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23 SoC
Octa-core processor
Mali-G71 MP2 GPU
6 or 4 GB RAM
32/64 GB internal memory
Expandable memory (up to 256 GB)
16 MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, LED flash
20 MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
Dual SIM (Nano + Nano)
Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner
3,200 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery
Red, Black and Gold color options

Also Read: Oppo Mobiles Price in Nepal

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Smart Cell 4G now available in Kathmandu and Pokhara

GadgetByte

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October 29, 2017

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Smart Cell 4G now available in Kathmandu and Pokhara

Smart Cell is the third largest smartphone carrier in Nepal. It’s not as popular as NTC or Ncell but it is commendable that the mobile carrier is bringing something new to its users. Starting yesterday, 11th of Kartik, the company’s 4G service is officially up and running.

Smart Cell users in Kathmandu and Pokhara can instantly enjoy 4G network. The CAO of the company mentioned that service will be extending to other cities very soon. So, users from Chitwan, Birjung, and Nepaljung will be receiving the 4G treatment next.

Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) gave Smart Cell the required permission to use frequencies of up to 12MHz of 1,800 MHz bands. As of now, Smart Cell is using 5Mhz frequency to deliver its 4G services.

NTA has asked Smart Cell to extend its 4G service all over Nepal. Also, the company needs to maintain the service’s quality according to NTA’s standards. Ncell and NTC have already started provided 4G services for a while now, with their expansion running at a steady pace.

Alongside the introduction of 4G, Smart Cell has introduced a few new data plans. New data rates remain the same with their volume doubled. This step puts their data rates on par with the likes of NTC and Ncell.

You can dial *141# for the complete list of Smart Packs for your Smart Cell network. If you are on the Smart Cell network, you can call 4242 for any inquiry you may have. If you happen to be on some other network, you can call 9611004242.

It’s good to see a carrier other than Ncell or NTC excelling in Nepal. If Smart Cell can capitalize on their current momentum, it might even prove to be one of the bigger competitors against the heavy hitters. Also, with the increase in competition, the users will surely benefit.

Comment below on what you think about the introduction of 4G by Smart Cell. Do you think more smartphone carriers should join the network carrier market or are you satisfied with the current telecommunication carrier situation of Nepal?

Gionee X1S Review: A decent phone on a budget

GadgetByte

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October 28, 2017

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Gionee X1S Review: A decent phone on a budget

Good phones are getting cheaper and cheap phones are getting better. This is all credits to the Chinese manufacturers who have made drastic leaps forward. Today we have another Chinese mid-range smartphone, the Gionee X1S, with us which is bound to prove itself as an example of how cheap phones are getting better. Lets find out if this Rs. 19,999 smartphone is worth your money.

Gionee X1S at a glance

Display: 5.2 inch IPS HD display with 2.5D glass and Gorilla Glass 3 protection
Processor: 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737T CPU
Operating System: Android Nougat (v7.0) with Amigo UI 4.0 on the top
Some software features: App Cloning, Virus Detection, Power Manager, Split Screen
RAM: 3GB
Internal Storage: 16GB, expandable up to 256GB (dedicated slot)
Rear Camera: 13-megapixel with Autofocus and Dual-LED (Dual-tone) flash
Front-facing camera: 16MP, F/2.0 aperture, 1/3.1 inch sensor size with LED Flash
Special Camera Features: Face beauty (both on images and videos), Lambency Selfie, image+, etc
Connectivity: Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth, GPS, FM radio
Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, unlocks in 0.3 seconds
IR Blaster: Yes
Other sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Compass
Battery: 4000mAh Li-ion battery
Colors: Black, Gold and Deep Blue
Price: Rs 19,999

Build:

The Gionee X1S features a full metal body design. However, considering a metal body, the build isn’t the best I have seen in a budget smartphone. The phone suffers from the usual squeaks and creeks, hinting at a not so good build quality.

However, with slightly smaller display (5.2-inch), it feels right in hand for single hand use.

Display:

The Gionee X1S comes with a 5.2″ IPS LCD display. The resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preference. If you prefer battery life and performance, you will love it. But if you prefer a sharper and crispier display, this might disappoint you, especially when comparing it with other smartphones of the same price range.

The display of the Gionee X1S is by no means bad or dull. The colors are decent, the viewing angles are good, and the brightness is acceptable. However, the minimum brightness doesn’t really suit night time users. They will be better off using apps like twilight or screen dimmer. There is a built-in smart eye protection option in the settings menu but it doesn’t dim the screen. It, however, blocks harmful blue light.

Performance:

The Gionee X1S rocks a Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 SoC with a clock speed of 1.44GHz. The bad part here is it’s based on a power hogging 28nm architecture, which doesn’t help its battery life or the heat. The device’s processor is supported by 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

The phone is decently snappy and fast. The HD display of the X1s also helps with the performance. All of the basic and social media apps run smoothly without hiccups. Even graphically demanding games run reasonably well. You will, however, end up with a really hot phone after gaming for some time. The 3GB of RAM helps with a little bit of multitasking and helps with a smooth experience altogether, although power users will end up with a salty experience.

Software:

I have never really been a fan of any Chinese smartphone’s UI. They are basically cluttered with their own set of half-baked apps and a lot of bloatware, and the Gionee X1S is no exception. But with a quick uninstallation of all the bloatware made me feel right at home. Again, if you happen to like the Chinese UI then you are all set to go, right out of the box.

The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat with Amigo OS 4.0 on top. It comes with pre-installed apps like Gstore, theme park, mood wallpaper, mobile Anti-theft, child mode etc. which are pretty useless for me personally. The notification shade only shows you the notification. For quick shortcuts, you will have to swipe up to just like on the iPhones.

gionee x1s gadgetbyte nepal — lock screen

The lock screen is quite special as you get a set of 5 wallpapers that change every day. The fingerprint sensor on this phone is pretty fast but disappointingly enough, it doesn’t double as a multifunction button.

Hardware:

The front portion of the Gionee X1S is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 that ends with a 2.5D curve. There are three capacitive keys at the bottom. There is also an LED notification alongside the 16MP front-facing camera.

The headphone jack of the device is located at the top and there is a microUSB port at the bottom. The right side consists of volume controls and the power button. All of your SIM and Micro SD slots sit at the left. Finally, at the back, you get the rear camera, dual-tone flash, and a fingerprint sensor.

Camera:

Gionee claims its cameras to do wonders with the “super selfie” tagline and this device is no exception. The front camera of the Gionee X1S is a 16MP shooter which is accompanied by a front flash. It has an aperture of f/2.0 and a 1/3.1-inch sensor size to replicate plenty of details of the subject into the image. The primary camera takes some extraordinary pictures even in low light. The rear houses a 13MP camera placed right above the fingerprint sensor. It’s aided by dual tone LED flash. The secondary camera’s video recording caps out at 1080p.

The rear camera is okay-ish with good colors and details, and I have seen better camera lenses at the same price range. Low light images are a “meh” for me, with lots of noise and a loss in details.

Gionee X1S back camera sample gadgetbyte nepal

Connectivity:

The Gionee X1S comes with a dual SIM tray and a dedicated microSD expansion slot. It supports 4G along with other connectivity options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB OTG. Sensor wise, it has compass, light, accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope.

Battery:

The battery is probably Gionee X1S’ second best feature. This phone houses a huge 4,000 mAh battery which paired with a low 720p screen is a good combination for a better battery life. The downside here is the 28nm non-efficient SoC inside. The lack of optimization options has also hurt the battery. But all-in-all the battery life is still great.

The screen-on-time is around 5 hours under heavy usage. It takes me about 2 hours – 2 hours and 30 minutes to fully charge the battery. With the built-in battery saving modes, you will probably be able to gain more battery life. The standby time is, however, disappointing in this device. In some cases, the phone completely died on me overnight, even when I left it with 30% charge the night before

Verdict:

The Gionee X1S is priced at Rs 19,999, which makes it a budget-oriented smartphone. Considering the price, this device is one of the best I have used. The display, the camera, the battery, and the specifications of the device all together are decent considering the price. I have to say it offers a better selfie experience than what its competitors offer. The main downside is the build of the phone, although we have seen far worse in this price range.

Pros of Gionee X1S:

The front camera is one of the best in this price range
The battery backup is good
Fingerprint is snappy
The display quality is quite good

Cons of Gionee X1S:

Performance isn’t as good as its competitors
Build quality isn’t promising
Faces unexpected shutters some time
Connectivity could have been better
Screen resolution could have been higher

Alternatives of Gionee X1S

Samsung J7 Nxt

5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display
1.6GHz Octa-Core 14nm Exynos 7870 processor with Mali T830 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB ROM, expandable up to 256GB with microSD
Android 7.0 (Nougat)
13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture
5MP front camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture
Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
3000mAh battery
Price of Samsung Galaxy J7 Nxt in Nepal: Rs. 19,990

Sony Xperia XA Dual

5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) curved glass edge-to-edge display
Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor with Mali T860MP2 GPU
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 200GB via microSD card
Android Marshmallow 6.0
Dual SIM (nano+nano)
13MP Primary Camera with 1/3” IMX258 Exmor RS sensor, 1080p video recording.
8MP front-facing camera with Sony IMX219 Exmor R sensor, 88-degree wide-angle lens
Dimensions: 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9mm; Weight: 137.4g
4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n , Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, NFC
2300 mAh battery with Qnovo’s Adaptive Charging technology
Price: 19,000

Nokia 5

5.2-inch IPS LCD HD display with Gorilla Glass protection
Rear Camera: 13MP with f/2.0, PDAF Dual-LED (dual-tone) Flash
Front camera: 8MP with f/2.0
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor
Android v7.1.1 Nougat
2GB of RAM
Internal Storage: 16GB
Expandable Storage: Up to 128GB
Sensors: Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
MicroUSB 2.0 (no USB Type-C), USB OTG compatible
Google Assistant
3000mAh Non-removable battery
Price: Rs. 20,000a

Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti announced with more cuda cores, higher speed

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GadgetByte

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October 28, 2017

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Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti announced with more cuda cores, higher speed

Nvidia is known to release a better version of an existing graphics card with the words “Ti” at the end. We have seen it done in high-end cards before, and now we see it again. The already really powerful GTX 1070 is getting the “Ti” tag to its name, making it the Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti.

The new 1070 Ti is an upgrade to the existing 1070, but the question here is by how much? The 1070 currently goes for $399 and the 1080 goes for around $549.

The 1070 Ti has more Cuda Cores than the 1070, and has almost as much as on the 1080. The clock speed also has the same gradual increment, although with 1080 being more powerful has the same amount of power consumption, not that it matters a lot. Basically what you get here is an incremental upgrade over the 1070 but isn’t quite as good as the 1080.

Nvidia GTX	1050 Ti	1060	1070	1070 Ti	1080	1080 Ti
Cuda Cores	768	1280	1920	2432	2560	3584
Base/Boost Clock	1290/1392	1506/1708	1506/1683	1607/1683	1607/1733	1480/1582
Memory Speed	7.0 Gbps	8.0 Gbps	8.0 Gbps	8Gbps	10 Gbps	11 Gbps
Total Memory	4 GB GDDR5	6 GB GDDR5	8 GB GDDR5	8GB GDDR5	8 GB GDDR5X	11 GB GDDR5X
Price	$199	$299	$399	$499	$549	$699
Power req	75W	120W	150W	180W	180W	250W

The upgrade in specs goes in line with the increase in price, seems like Nvidia doesn’t want an untouched price range in their portfolio. The growing competition from AMD’s side might also have something to do with the 1070 Ti’s existence.

In conclusion, the 1070 was already a capable graphics card, and the 1070 Ti improves on it. The $150 price gap between the 1070 and 1080 has been closed down and now, for someone who needs more horsepower than the 1070 but doesn’t want to shell out the extra for the 1080 have somewhere to fall back on.

The 1070 Ti is already available for pre-orders and the shipping is expected to start from November 2nd. What do you think of the 1070 Ti, would you shell out the extra for the 1080 or just go for the cheaper 1070? Let us know in the comments section.

Huawei Nova 2i with 18:9 display, 4 cameras to hit the Nepali market in November

Pratima Adhikari

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October 28, 2017

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Huawei Nova 2i with 18:9 display, 4 cameras to hit the Nepali market in November

The specifications of the Huawei Nova 2i was unveiled last month with a speculation that the phone will hit the Nepali market by the end of 2017. The news holds true and the device is to launch in Nepal in around the month of November 2017. The major features to look for in this phone are the near bezel-less design, the four cameras and 18:9 near bezel-less display among others.

Update: Huawei Nova 2i launched in Nepal for Rs. 33,900. Read more here at this link to find out other details.

Talking about the display, Huawei Nova 2i comes with a 5.9 inch IPS display that has a resolution of 2160×1080 pixels. It holds an aspect ratio of 18:9 which can work well for one hand usability, reading web contents and multitasking on split screens. Many smartphone manufacturers have started going for this trend and it seems like Huawei, with the introduction of Nova 2i has taken a leap forward. The device, with a bezel-less display, may be a major attraction.

Another solid feature in Huawei Nova 2i is the 4 onboard cameras. It packs a combination of 16 MP+2MP cameras with f/2.2 with LED flash on the back and 13 MP+2 MP cameras on the front. It comprises of a feature to readjust focus after you shoot and also allows you to choose between different Bokeh effects.

The Huawei Nova 2i is Nepal’s 1st smartphone to feature 4 cameras

The phone is powered by a 16nm Huawei’s in-house Kirin 659 Octa-core chipset clocked at 2.36GHz and ARM Mali-T830 dual core GPU. Further, it packs a 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory that can be expanded up to 128GB using microSD card.

On the software side, the Huawei Nova 2i runs on Android 7.0 Nougat with emotion UI 5.1 and is powered by 3340 non-removable battery and offers hybrid dual sim slots. It showcases sensors like Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Ambient light, Barometer, Fingerprint sensor, etc.

Huawei has a good market presence in Nepal and with all the new attractions the company is bringing about in its new releases, it surely plans to stay and grow.

The Huawei Nova 2i, with some unique features, may be an attractive mid-range phone. However, to be certain for it, we will have to wait until it arrives.

Huawei Nova 2i key specifications:

Screen size and resolution	5.9-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio (2160×1080) screen resolution
OS and UI	Nougat 7.0, EMUI 5.1
Internal Storage	64GB; expandable up to 128 GB
RAM	4 GB
Processor	Kirin 659 Octa-core processor (4 x A53 at 2.36GHz + 4 x A53 at 1.7GHz)
GPU	Mali- T830 dual core GPU
Sim slots	Dual hybrid SIM slots (nano+nano)
Camera	16+2MP rear camera and 13+2MP front camera
Battery	3340 mAh

Huawei Nova 2i Expected launch date & price in Nepal:

Huawei Nova 2i is expected to launch in November in Nepal and will cost between Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 40,000.

Android 8.1 Developer Preview | Here’s Whats New!

GadgetByte

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October 27, 2017

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Android 8.1 Developer Preview | Here’s Whats New!

Google has always been open about its new software updates to the public eyes. Recently, even before Google I/O, the developer preview of Android Oreo was already out. Google has been providing early Developers Preview so that app developers can optimize their apps way before the new update roll out to masses. Today, Oreo 8.1, the latest version of Android has been rolled out for Developers. Here is what’s new from Android.

Visual changes on Android 8.1:

Wallpaper based System Themes:

Android Oreo 8.1 WallpaperColors API-min — Image: Android Police

We all hoped for the option to choose dark system theme on Android but that feature made into the Nougat built and got removed. Now, with the new WallpapersColor API, if your wallpaper is dark then system UI will have a dark accent. With bright wallpapers, you’ll get the system default UI. The dark theme will take effect on Quick Settings panel, folders, volume sliders, power menu, and app drawers.

Floating Power Menu

Android-Oreo-8.1-Developer-Preview-Power-Button — Image: 9to5Google

The power menu on Android 8.1 has got a new update that makes it look like the ones used on Pixel 2 and 2XL. The floating power menu now pops up on the right side where it provides an option for Power Off and Restart. The floating power menu is also affected by the Wallpaper based system themes.

Dimming Navigation Bar

The navigation has gotten some significant changes on the latest update. The icons are now more compact and closer making it easier for one-handed usage. Navigation bar now has auto-dimming feature. If your device stays idle then the opacity of navigation bar is decreased. Developers believe this will help prevent the screen burn issues on OLED panels like we’ve seen on Google Pixel 2.

New Oreo Easter Egg Logo

Android Oreo now has a proper Easter Egg Logo which is an Oreo Cookie with Android bugdroid. Previously Oreo had an Orange and Yellowish Logo with white in the middle which didn’t go well with the name of the release. The easter egg, however, has remained the same. If you tap on the Oreo Cookie 7 times, then an octopus will appear which you can drag around. The tentacle of the octopus also moves accordingly to then drag we use. That’s all, there’s no game like the flappy bird rip-off with Android bot.

Transparent Quick Settings Drawer

Transparent Notification Drawer Andorid 8.1 Oreo — Image: 9to5Google

By now you must have the idea that most of the visual changes have been made to comply with the Pixel 2. Like in the Pixel 2, the Quick Settings Drawer is now semi-transparent. You can see what’s going on in the background when you have the drawer pulled down. This works with both Light UI and Dark UI.

Settings Menu Changes

Android-Oreo-8.1-Settings-Menu — Image: AndroidHeadlines

The Settings Menu got a big change with the Oreo update and it continues to evolve with the new one. The biggest change that you can notice right off the bat is the prominent search bar up top. As most of the settings are now grouped together, users may find it hard to find what they’re looking for so the new persistent search bar will surely catch the attention if you’re looking for something in the Settings Menu. Apart from that, the Gestures option has been brought up front inside the System tab which was hidden inside the Advanced tab.

Read more: New Changes in Android Oreo

The internal changes inside the latest build are:

Neural Networks API

Use of AI on mobile devices is taking a leap and to support its developers Android has introduced the Neural Networks API. It is designed for running computationally intensive operations for machine learning on mobile devices. The API is created to provide support for the high-level machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow Lite and Caffe2. This makes tasks like image processing, pattern recognition and predicting user behavior much easier on Android.

Android Go Optimizations

With the launch of Oreo, Google has introduced the Android Go program that goes along with it. Android Go is a lightweight version of Android 8 which is meant to run on devices with low memory (1GB). The new update on Android Go allows developers to optimize their apps for devices with less memory running Android 8.1 and later.

Autofill Enhancements

Autofill feature allows password manager apps to fill up the passwords and bank details wherever required. The new update makes it possible to set the credit card expiry date to prevent users from using the card that has expired.

That sums up most of the new things that you get on the latest version of Android 8.1 Oreo. There are however more changes under the hood which is hard to explain in laymen terms. The official update of Android 8.1 Oreo will be rolling out on Pixel and Nexus devices in December.

Developer Preview is available for Download for the following devices: Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel C, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P.

Vivo Xplay 7 with On Screen Fingerprint Sensor Leaked

GadgetByte

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October 27, 2017

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Vivo Xplay 7 with On Screen Fingerprint Sensor Leaked

The talks of fingerprint sensor under the screen has been catching a lot of heat lately. Early on, we saw some footage from Vivo demonstrating the technology but it didn’t seem to be that fast. The recent leaks point to Vivo again which shows a complete render of its new flagship, the Vivo Xplay 7.

So why fingerprint sensor under the screen? one might ask. The answer is plainly simple, we are moving towards the era of bezel-less displays. With no bezels, there is no place to stick that handy fingerprint sensor we all happen to love so much. It could be placed on the back or the sides, but it won’t turn any heads, will it? Plus, having an on-screen fingerprint sensor seems more convenient and futuristic of course.

From the above image, we now know what the Vivo Xplay 7 looks like. Few internal slides from Vivo were leaked revealing the device from all sides. The phone sports a 100% bezel-less display which looks amazing. Instead of a notch for the camera, the phone seems to have screen cut-outs for the camera and sensors. The display will more likely sport a QHD Super AMOLED panel. Below the screen, we can find the indication of on-screen (ultrasonic) fingerprint sensor. Qualcomm and Vivo have worked on this tech together.

On the back, it comes with dual camera setup which is using the Sony’s IMX401 sensor. This will provide the phone with 4x Optical Zoom which is twice as much in comparison to today’s standard. Vivo Xplay 7 will sport the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. It comes equipped with 8GB of RAM. Storage options include 128GB and 256GB with no support for microSD card. It comes with USB Type C and dual speakers at the bottom. The phone comes with unibody metal construct maintaining a slim form factor.

Vivo Xplay 7 is expected to launch during the first quarter of 2018. We’ll have to wait and see if it will be the first phone to house an on-screen fingerprint sensor and a 100% screen to body ratio.

iPhone 8/8 Plus

iPhone 8/8 Plus Specifications

Nokia 8

Specifications of Nokia 8

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Specifications of Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Huawei Nova 2i

Specifications of Huawei Nova 2i

Gionee M7 Power

Specifications of Gionee M7 Power

Oppo F5

Specifications of Oppo F5

Vivo V7+

Specifications of Vivo V7+

Build and Design

Display

Hardware

Software

Performance

Camera

Connectivity

Battery

Verdict

Oppo F5 Specifications:

Gionee X1S at a glance

Build:

Display:

Performance:

Software:

Hardware:

Camera:

Connectivity:

Battery:

Verdict:

Pros of Gionee X1S:

Cons of Gionee X1S:

Alternatives of Gionee X1S

Nvidia GTX

1050 Ti

1060

1070

1070 Ti

1080

1080 Ti

Huawei Nova 2i key specifications:

Huawei Nova 2i Expected launch date & price in Nepal:

Visual changes on Android 8.1:

Wallpaper based System Themes:

Floating Power Menu

Dimming Navigation Bar

New Oreo Easter Egg Logo

Transparent Quick Settings Drawer

Settings Menu Changes

The internal changes inside the latest build are:

Neural Networks API

Android Go Optimizations

Autofill Enhancements