Oppo F5 launched in Nepal: Hands-on with the device gave a surprising result

OPPO

GadgetByte

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November 15, 2017

Oppo F5 launched in Nepal: Hands-on with the device gave a surprising result

Amid the crowd of journalists and tech bloggers, the Oppo F5 was unveiled, which happens to be the newest smartphone in the Oppo family. The Oppo F5 launch ceremony had Nepal idols and few celebrities from the Nepali film industry. Having them as the witnesses and with the performances from the Nepal idols, the program unveiled the specs and the price of the Oppo F5.

Oppo came with the tagline “Camera Phones”, which revamped to “Selfie expert” last year. Now boasting themselves as the expert in taking selfies and leader in the business, they have now changed their tagline to “Selfie expert and leader”. The new Oppo F5 features the most hyped AI-powered selfie camera and bezel-less display with 18:9 aspect ratio. But what more it has to offer? Let’s find out.

Also Read: OPPO Mobiles Price in Nepal

Oppo F5 Full specifications

Display: 6.0 inches LTPS IPS LCD
Resolution: 2160 x 1080 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio, 402PPI pixel density
OS: Android Nougat (v7.1.1) with ColorOS 3.2 UI on the top
Chipset: MediaTek MT6763T Helio P23
GPU: Mali-G71 MP2
RAM: 4GB/6GB RAM
Storage: 32GB/64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB (dedicated slot for microSD card)
Rear Camera: 16MP, f/1.8, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Front Camera: 20MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8-inch sensor
Connectivity: Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, USB-OTG, 3G, 4G LTE
Sensors: Fingerprint (rear mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
Battery: 3200mAh (non-removable)
Colors: Black, Gold, Red (6GB variant only)
Oppo F5 Price in Nepal: Rs. 33,990 (4GB/32GB)
Oppo F5 Price in Nepal: Rs. 44,990 (6GB/64GB/Red color)

Hands-on experience with the Oppo F5

I get to have a quick play with Oppo F5 in the launch event and will share what I experienced so far with the device. With three smartphones stacked together, the red variant looked vibrant and catchy, which also happens to be the premium variant among the bunch with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. So I picked the device and used it for a while.

The device was thin and light with a streamlined body, which made it easier to hold and to have a grip on. The 6-inch display with narrow bezels was the feature that takes all the credit for its elegance. The phone was powered by Helio P23 chipset aided by Mali-G71 MP2 for the graphics portion. On my quick play with the device, I could not test the phone’s performance with the heavy games. However, with the light apps and games in play and multitasking with them, the phone was quite fluent.

Since Oppo F5 is the camera-centric phone, I concentrated on testing its camera for most of the time. The rear 20MP camera takes decent photos at times but lacked the consistency on providing good images in every scenario. The photos were washed out sometimes and sometimes the images turn out to be over saturated. And in the low light scenario, the phone suffered highly. In addition, while I tried to record videos, the phone lacked the 4K recording option. A camera-centric smartphone with such blemishes, is it tolerable? I think no.

Similarly, to experience the Artificial Intelligence on the selfies from the self-proclaimed selfie expert and leader, I took few selfies. On taking selfies, my brown-colored skin tone was whitened, which looked natural most of the times. However, the shots taken with the Bokeh mode lacked sharped edges almost all the time. Also, the background was unevenly blurred at times, which made them unnatural and unrealistic. So to be frank, the selfie expert disappointed me a lot while taking selfies.

That was quick hands-on experience with the newly launched Oppo F5. We will come up with the full review of the device. So stay tuned to GadgetByte Nepal and get subscribed to our YouTube channel.

Verdict on Oppo F5

Is the camera most important feature on a smartphone? Even if your answer is yes, Oppo F5, which happened to be a camera-centric phone struggled with taking good images at times. This is the most implausible and the most intolerable feature with the Oppo F5 and we have most features yet to overlook. So, in my personal opinion, the Oppo F5 does not deserve a price it is tagged with. So, I have short-listed few smartphones with the good cameras and overall performance that comes with a similar price tag and offers a great value for money.

OnePlus 3

onePlus 3 is the last year’s flagship of the OnePlus, which comes with the vibrant 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display. The device is powered by a powerful Snapdragon 820 chipset aided by staggering 6GB of RAM.

Display: 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (Full HD) @401PPI
OS: Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) with Oxygen OS 4.1.5, upgradable to 7.1.1 (Nougat)
Chipset: Snapdragon 820
CPU: Quad-core (2×2.15 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo)
GPU: Adreno 530
RAM: 6GB LPDDR4 RAM
Inbuilt Memory: 64GB internal storage (no card slot)
Rear Camera: 16MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8″ sensor size, 12-micron pixels, OIS, PDAF, LED flash
Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 1/3.2″ sensor size, 1.4 µm pixel size
Connectivity: Dual-SIM, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, A-GPS, USB Type-C connector
Sensors: Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Battery: 3,000mAh (Non-removable) with Dash charge
OnePlus 3 Price in Nepal: Rs.34, 900 (Daraz.com.np)

Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro comes 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, which outputs punchy colors with natural color tones. The smartphone also excels in the photography with 13MP cameras both on the front and back end with wide apertures and LED flashes to accompany them in the low light scenarios. The phone also enjoys a metal body with water-resistant built.

5.5-inch full HD (1080p) Super AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display with 401ppi
Exynos 7870 System on a chip
1.6 GHz Octa-core CPU (14nm, Cortex A53)
3GB RAM, 64GB Internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with micro SD
Android 7.0 (Nougat) with Samsung’s custom UI on top
Dual SIM
Water-resistant
13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.7 aperture, and 1080p video recording capability
13MP front-facing camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture.
Augmented Reality (AR), Social Camera, Samsung Pay
Metal unibody
4G Cat 6 connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
3600mAh battery
Color variants: Black and Gold
Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro Price in Nepal: Rs. 32,990

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro Review: The Flagship Midrange?

Xiaomi MI A1

Xiaomi MI A1 is the smartphone which comes with dual-cameras at the back and also happens to be an Android One smartphone. Being an Android One smartphone it will enjoy the regular Android updates, which happens to be a privilege for its users. Also, it comes with power-efficient Snapdragon 625 chipset, which is great in terms of performance too.

5.5 inches FHD IPS LCD display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection @401 PPI
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset
Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
Adreno 506 GPU
Stock Android Nougat (v7.1.1); planned upgrade for Oreo (v8.0)
Dual-SIM
4 GB RAM
64 GB internal storage, expandable up to 128GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Rear camera: Dual-12MP (26mm, f/2.2 + 50mm, f/2.6), PDAF, 2x zoom, Dual-LED flash
Front camera: 5MP with f/2.0
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v4.2, A-GPS, USB OTG, IR Port
Sensors: Fingerprint, accelerometer, proximity, gyroscope, compass
Non-removable 3080 battery
Price: Rs. 29,999

Huawei Nova 2i

Huawei Nova 2i is another camera-centric smartphone with dual cameras on the front and on the back. The phone also houses a powerful HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset aided by 4GB of RAM. This phone also has the narrow bezels and has adopted the trendy 18:9 aspect ratio.

Display: 5.9 inch IPS LCD, Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 409PPI pixel density
Android version: Android 7.1 Nougat coupled with EMUI 5.1
Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 659
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.36 GHz Cortex- A53 + 4×1.7 GHz Cortex- A53)
GPU: Mali T830 MP2
RAM: 4 GB
Memory: 64GB of onboard storage; expandable up to 256GB
Rear camera: 16MP + 2MP, f/2.2 with LED flash
Selfie camera: 13MP + 2MP
Connectivity: Dual SIM (Nano + Nano, dual standby), 4G, A-GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, Micro USB 2.0
Sensors: Fingerprint sensor (rear- mounted), Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Ambient light sensor
Battery: 3,340mAh

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Apple will release three new iPhones Next Year

GadgetByte

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November 14, 2017

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Apple will release three new iPhones Next Year

2017 has been a good year for Apple, with their stocks reaching an all-time high after the iPhone X launch. It’s because people seem to really love the iPhone X, the first iPhone with a bezel-less AMOLED display. And Apple is trying to capitalize on their current success, with talks of three new iPhones in 2018.

2017 did see three iPhones, but the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus didn’t quite share the same success as it’s bezel-less sibling. So the three iPhones in 2018 will feature the same new bezel-less design with the controversial notch up top. With so much complains about the notch, I really hope Apple removes it and bring something innovative.

The 5.8-inch iPhone, the biggest screen real-estate on iPhone as of now, will be the smallest next year. There are plans for two more iPhones with even bigger displays. One with a 6.1-inch screen and the other with a 6.5-inch display.

The 5.8 and 6.5-inch screens will enjoy the OLED technology, whereas the 6.1-inch iPhone will come out with an LCD panel. This implies that, although a huge display, the 6.1-inch iPhone will likely be an entry-level smartphone from Apple for 2018. It will also have the lowest pixel density of around 330 PPI and will carry $650-$750 price tag. Other factors might also come into play for the low price of 6.1-inch iPhone.

The 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones will feature the same OLED panels with a pixel density of 458 PPI and 500 PPI respectively. All three of the iPhones will also incorporate the on-screen fingerprint sensor which was supposed to come with the current iPhone X. So, with the current pricing strategies, the 6.5 inch iPhone will comfortably cross the $1000 price tag.

None of this news has been confirmed by any official sources and it’s all based on the leaks that have surfaced on the internet. Some of this won’t actually pan out. But it will be exciting to see a cheaper and bigger iPhone. Making big waves will obviously be the larger 6.5-inch iPhone. So what do you think of a 6.5-inch iPhone with a notch(again) making it’s way to production? Let us know in the comments section!

TV signals to go Digital by 2074: Here are the few alternatives of Digital TVs in Nepal

Featured

GadgetByte

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November 14, 2017

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TV signals to go Digital by 2074: Here are the few alternatives of Digital TVs in Nepal

With respect to the deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations (UN), the Government of Nepal began the process of migrating to digital television by amending the National Broadcasting Act 1993 and National Telecommunications Act 1995 in 2012. Due to the devastating earthquake and also the lack of preparation from the government, the private and public sector in the country, this plan had not really come into action. Despite these setbacks, the Government came to a conclusion of digitizing all cable TV operators in the country at the beginning of 2074.

A lot of issues came to light after this declaration by the government. Majority of which was to deal with how to aware the public regarding this subject and how to make sure that all preparations for the digital transmission had been made. Now, a majority of the cable operators have switched to digitization. This digital cable connection has provided the customers with a clear connection and high definition channels. If you are an avid TV viewer but haven’t yet switched from your analog connection then, it is high time that you make the shift to the digital system. If you delay this even more now then you will probably have to be prepared to miss out on your favorite TV shows.

To make your “analog to digital” shift easier, here we have a list of digital cable service providers:

DishHome:

The pioneer of digital broadcasting in Nepal: DishHome was launched in Nepal in 2009 and has now spread to all 75 districts in the country. Run by a pool of highly trained professionals, the company now has a nationwide coverage with 80 distributors and approximately 2000 sub-distributors. This digital satellite broadcasting company has a secured, strong content portfolio that also includes numerous well known international brands. With the tagline “Delightful Lifestyle”, DishHome has been putting in tremendous effort to deliver quality content to its costumers while keeping in mind other key concerns such as reliability, consistently excellent network delivery, customer service and so forth.

DishHome currently has HD and Standard packages available, which are priced and categorized as:

Standard Package:

Medium	Rs. 13.34 per day
Deluxe	Rs. 16.67 per day
Basic Plus	Rs. 12.50 per day
Medium Plus	Rs. 14.17 per day
Deluxe Plus	Rs. 17.50 per day

HD Package:

Lifestyle HD

Rs. 30 per day

To learn more about the available offers and deals from DishHome, visit their website here.

NetTV:

NET TV is an OTT/IPTV platform in Nepal operated under NITV STREAMZ PVT LTD. Also, this is the first IPTV service provider in the country to get the Nepal Government license to Operate IPTV in the country. More than being just a service provider, NetTV is also continuously looking for possible business collaborations by developing an open platform for everyone to bring their contents and sell. Also, the company makes sure that quality content is delivered to the customers with a variety of entertainment choices and also quality streaming. To do this, the company has set up distribution clouds among local ISPs. Doing this has also made it easier for the customers to get full HD content without any additional internet traffic.

Net TV users can access live TV channels, movies, recorded TV and on-demand video content through a variety of platforms such as smartphones, tablets, Chrome cast, and Apple TV. Recently, additional services like Ultra High Definition, UDF Quality, and IPTV Service, with 4K video streaming have been announced to enhance the viewers’ experience. Presently, NetTV has associations with Vianet Communications and Worldlink Communications to provide IPTV services to the general public.

NetTV by Vianet Communications:

One month	Rs. 3,144
Three months	Rs. 4,124
Six months	Rs. 5,594
Twelve months	Rs. 8,534

All these prices include the price for the set-top box but are excluding of the 13% VAT.

NetTV by Worldlink Communications:

One month	Rs. 450
Two months + One month free	Rs. 900
Nine months + Three months free	Rs. 4,050

The set-top box charge for these packages is Rs. 2,400 and these prices are exclusive of the 13% VAT.

HamroTV:

Speaking of struggling Digital TV service providers, one can barely miss out on HamroTV. HamroTV stepped foot in the Nepali market with a promise to provide 4K digital TV service to the customers, when other service providers are only focusing on SD and HD channels. Currently, the company has 175 SD channels, 50 HD channels and 6 ultra HD 4k channels up for offer. The company claims to be the first in Nepal to offer DTH, Digital Cable TV and High-Speed Internet from a single source.

If you are looking for the ultimate viewing experience, your search ends here.

HamroTV – Digital TV packages:

Basic	Rs. 265
Medium	Rs. 354
Deluxe	Rs. 442
Economy	Rs. 1,500 for three months

Clear TV:

In collaboration with Subisu, Clear TV comes with not just cable TV service but also offers broadband internet service to the customers on existing copper cable network. With over 200 Digital and HD Channels under its hood, Clear TV Service is now the topmost HD and Digital channels provider. With exciting offers that include both internet and TV channels over the same communication channel.

Some of the available packages here are FTTH Internet and cable TV combo, Internet and TV combo, cable Internet and cable TV combo and so forth.

Subisu Clear TV packages:

Clear TV : 12 months	Rs. 8,999
Clear TV : 6 months	Rs. 5,699
Clear TV : 2 months	Rs. 1,999
Cable Internet and cable TV: 12 months	Rs. 23,999
Cable Internet and cable TV: 6 months	Rs. 13,999
Cable Internet and cable TV: 3 months	Rs. 8,999
FTTH Internet and cable TV: 12 months	Rs. 23,999
FTTH Internet and cable TV: 6 months	Rs. 13,999
FTTH Internet and cable TV: 3 months	Rs. 8,999

SIM TV:

Simple Media Network Pvt. Ltd (SIMTV Nepal) is one of the largest MSO and Cable Broadband Service providers in Nepal. The company has been providing digital viewing experience and quality audio to the customers. Taking an initiative to the digitization drive in the TV broadcasting system in the country, the company currently provides over 150 SD channels and over 35 HD channels along with numerous exclusive contents to the viewers. They aim to be the largest broadcast and broadband service provider in Nepal who operate nationwide and provide quality services to the customers in urban as well as rural households.

SD channel package:

Price	Rs. 350
Installation Charge	FREE

HD channel package:

Package	Price
Ultra	Rs. 350 – Rs. 500 (additional installation charge)
Pro	Rs. 350 – Rs. 550 (additional installation charge)

All these IPTV service providers have a wide range of packages and offer available for the customers. Make sure that you go through all of them and be sure about the things like what channels you want to watch on your TV, how many TVs you need to operate at home, what is the installation charge and which of these provide the best value for money.

The digitization drive is real and strong! Digitize!

Is 120Hz Refresh Rate on display the future of Smartphone?

Opinion

GadgetByte

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November 14, 2017

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Is 120Hz Refresh Rate on display the future of Smartphone?

Previously when the smartphone space was starting to feel unimaginative, we began to see few new changes, especially in the display domain. First came the edge to edge panels, and recently when tall 18:9 aspect ratio were taking over there’s a new buzz of the 120Hz refresh rate displays. So whats up with this high refresh rate? Is it the next big thing on a smartphone?

So what is 120Hz refresh rate?

120Hz refers to the number of times a display panel can refresh itself. So with a 120Hz panel, it can refresh the display 120 times in one second. This can also be measured in terms of frames per second. In general, it’s a display that can render contents at 120fps. Higher the refresh rate, smoother the video appears, meaning it can capture fast movements by removing motion blurs. But there’s a limit to how much smoothness a human eye can perceive and how natural the content might look at higher frame rates. If you switch from 30fps to 60fps then the difference is immense but any further from 60fps just feels gimmicky for daily usage.

How does it affect viewing content?

Although the display might be refreshing on 120Hz, it’s likely useless if the content you’re viewing is running at the lower refresh rate. Basically, if we talk about smartphones, most of the apps run at 24 or 30fps and few games at 60fps. A 60fps video will be no different on either a 120Hz or a 60Hz display. Any content above 60fps is going to look unnatural and may seem extremely fast compared to what we are used to. Watching videos which involve people and them talking, then higher refresh rate will make it seem really unnatural but if it’s nature documentary, sports or gaming, then you’re in for a treat. It’s just the smoothness of the video and doesn’t have anything to do with the details.

On handheld devices, we have seen the 120Hz panel on Razer Blade Smartphone and the iPad Pro. Apart from videos, the high refresh rate will come in handy when you’re scrolling through contents, typing or switching apps.

Future of Smartphone Display

So in 2018, we might see few flagship phones with a 120Hz display as the craze for VR and AR contents are on the rise. The higher refresh rate will help to make the Augmented content appear more realistic with real-life motion. Obviously, it will need a faster processor to push the device which in turn will also be affecting the battery life. But these high refresh rate displays are usually adaptive as it will adapt refresh rate based on the content being displayed in turn saving the battery life. It’s almost certain that this feature won’t make it to most of the devices in 2018 and a better implementation may take some years. Instead, we will see bezel-less displays with fingerprint incorporated into the display, higher pixel density, new display panel maybe and even 3D displays which is in the making by the awesome camera manufacturer RED.

Gionee S11 appears in the leaked images; features some trendy specs!

GadgetByte

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November 13, 2017

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Gionee S11 appears in the leaked images; features some trendy specs!

The Chinese smartphone giant has been winning hearts all over the globe with its products. With the tagline: “Super Selfie, Super Battery”, the company has won hearts of many in the country and at present, this is the third most selling smartphone brand here. While the release of Gionee M7 Power in Nepal has been confirmed sometime this November, a new news has surfaced on the Internet.

Gionee seems to have been working a lot on the smartphone front as of late. Only recently, the company released the M7 and M7 Plus smartphones and immediately worked on a TENAA filing for a new product: the Gionee S11. A lot of speculations about the specifications of the phone have been flying about for quite some time and now, the LIVE images of the phone have been leaked.

The leaked images show that Gionee is also working on minimizing the bezels as much as possible, just like other smartphone giants. The recent leaks show that this new release will feature dual camera settings both at the front and at the back. The front panel is basically just the screen with slight bezels on top for the cameras and the speaker along with the Gionee logo at the bottom. Moreover, the leaked images revealed that the phone will have minimum bezels on the sides. Along with the details about the front panel of the phone, the leaked images also show that vivid color variants are available for the back cover, such as Blue, Gold, and Pink.

Gionee-S11-leaked-images — Source: www.gizchina.com

Specifications of Gionee S11:

6.0 inches AMOLED display, 1080 x 2160 pixels with 18:9 aspect ratio
Android OS, v7.1.1 (Nougat) with Amigo OS on top
Dual SIM (Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM), Dual Standby
64-bit Octa-core Processor 2.50GHz ARM Cortex-A53, CPU Clock with MediaTek Helio P20 (MT6757)
4GB/6GB RAM with ROM 64GB expandable internal storage (expandable up to 256GB using microSD)
Primary camera: 16 Megapixel, 8 Megapixel with AF and LED Flash
Front camera: 20 Megapixel, 8 Megapixel
Accelerometer, Barometer, Ambient Light, Thermometer, Heart Rate, Gyroscope, Proximity, Pedometer, Fingerprint (Rear Mounted)
Battery: 3,600 mAh non-removable Lithium-Polymer

We will certainly keep you posted on more once that there are more news and updates. So stay tuned to our website, YouTube channel and Facebook page! And we have recently organized two giveaways: Huawei Nova 2i giveaway and Xiaomi speaker giveaway. We request you to participate in the giveaways too.

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

Pratima Adhikari

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November 11, 2017

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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.