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Samsung Galaxy J7 Max Review: The New Goto Midrange Smartphone?

Samsung is among the raining smartphones in the Nepali market, and everybody well knows about it. Among the variety of j7 lineups, the all-new Samsung Galaxy J7 Max is, without a doubt one of the new launches that people are talking about. The’ Max’ in its name gives a clear idea that the phone has something large in it, which unquestionably is the size.

Labeled with a price of Rs. 28,290, this smartphone, other than its massive 5.7- inch display enjoys a 4 GB RAM that is quite an impression in a Samsung phone under the price bracket of Rs. 30,000.

Latest Price: Rs. 26,290 [Last updated on: December 6, 2018]

Handset Highlights:

  • Dimension: 156.7 x 78.8 x 8.1 mm
  • Weight: 179g
  • 5.7-inch Full HD PLS Display
  • Android v7.0 Nougat
  • 4 GB RAM; 32 GB ROM; Dedicated SDcard slot for memory expansion up to 256 GB
  • Octa-Core MediaTek MT6757 Helio P20 Processor
  • 13 MP Rear Camera with f/1.7 aperture, LED Flash
  • 13 MP Front Facing Camera with f/1.9 aperture and LED Flash
  • Dual SIM (Nano + Nano)
  • 4G connectivity, WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, USB OTG
  • Front-mounted Fingerprint Sensor
  • Gyro sensor
  • 3300 mAh Battery
  • Color(s) available: Gold, Black
  • Samsung Galaxy J7 Max Price in Nepal: Rs. 28,290

Display and design

First things first, what’s striking about this phone is the massive 5.7-inch display that makes it look like a phone cum phablet. It sports a PLS display and not the usual celebrated Samsung AMOLED display panel, which can be a bit of a setback to most. However, that does not stop it from providing a crisp and vivid display as J7 Max is equipped with an FHD screen.

samsung galaxy J7 Max display review

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching movies in it, all thanks to its display. The display is bright enough and has good viewing angles. Only under extreme sunlight, the visibility gets a little tough.

Samsung J7 Max Looks Design Build Review

Needless to say, the phone does not fit in my pocket. Ladies’ jeans have small pockets of themselves. So, I asked one of my friends to put it in his pocket and again it resulted in the edges of the phone popping out slightly.
Samsung galaxy J7 Max back metal body review

The Galaxy J7 Max sports a metallic build, except for the top and bottom portion on the rear side. The bezels on this device are less and on hands; it is not too slippery which append up to the positives. Nevertheless, the phone looks like any other conventional Samsung smartphones, so overall, there is nothing ‘wow’ in it in terms of appearance.

samsung J7 max thickness side view review

Battery

The J7 MAX is powered by a 3,300mAh battery which is one of the driving forces behind the phone’s performance. Though I don’t play heavy games, I am into activities like streaming videos and listening to music most of my time. Once fully charged, this device gave me an entire day of continuous usage, noting the fact that the battery was not fully dead for 3 hours of normal usage the next day. To make things better, the presence of various power saving modes helps you optimize your battery life. The phone, however, does not support fast charging, so be prepared to put this phone on charge for about 2 and a half hours to get it full on power.

Camera

To all the mobile photographers out there, this phone brings good news. The device flaunts a 13 MP f/1.7 primary camera and a 13 MP f/1.9 selfie camera. What’s even better is, both the cameras are equipped with led flash, so no more shady selfies and dark images in low light! However, on my usage of the camera, even the slightest of movements resulted in shaky images (same goes with the videos), so make sure you have a firm hand while clicking pictures and shooting videos. Also, there’s a noticeable lag while taking pictures. Both the front & back can capture video in 1080p@30fps and there is no video stabilization. Overall, in this budget range, the phone’s camera does more than justice to the price.

samsung galaxy j7 max camera photo samples

samsung galaxy j7 max daylight camera samples

samsung j7 max selfie camera sample

Performance

Samsung Galaxy J7 Max runs on Android 7.0 (Nougat) operating system with Experience UI and is powered by 1.69GHz octa-core MT Helio P20 processor.  The absence of Samsung’s renowned Exynos processor is a little disappointing here.  It has a vertical swiping interface in place of a separate apps button, so by swiping up or down, you can navigate to your desired apps spontaneously.

The phone offers 4GB of RAM in total and an expandable 32 GB of internal storage. App switching is an ease in this device. I tried running multiple apps at once to check for any difficulties in app switching but amazingly there was none. The fingerprint sensor in this phone resides on the home button and is swift and responds well to touch. The maximum number of fingerprints you can add is three. On the J7 Max’s use, I have not encountered any lags in the performance side, although, at one instance, it froze when I tried opening a game. But that was only once, and it never happened again! For heavy gamers old there, it’s not an ideal phone since the Mali-T880MP2 suffers a lot and there’s noticeable heat while gaming for more than 15 minutes.

An important spec I found majorly missing in it was NFC. NFC is a cool feature and including it, the phone could have been better.

samsung j7 max black review

The J7 MAX attributes a smart glow feature where a LED ring around the rear camera glows for notifications. You can customize this feature for particular app or contact in four different customizable colors in accordance to your choice. However, for people who don’t keep their phones upside down, this feature may not appeal much, but for those who do, this can be fun and useful.

In terms of connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Max supports 4G network. The phone exhibits a dual SIM card slot on the right side and also a slot for micro SD card. Well, with this you don’t have to sacrifice one of your SIM card slots to a memory card slot.

Even on continuous use, J7 MAX does not heat much, so that portion is commendable. I am not saying it does not heat at all but having used other phones, this one showed quite a performance in this area. But you really got to watch for the absence of gorilla glass protection.

Conclusion

On my say about this phone, I would state that for this price, the phone is a decent pick. It has an excellent battery life and display. If I weren’t to go for the looks, the mediocre processor, and absence of fast charging, the phone is not a bad deal. Nonetheless, in the similar price bracket, other phones may give this one a fight. On the plus side, the camera performs really well and the 4 GB RAM is something to look after.

Pros Cons
Good battery life No Gorilla Glass Protection
Good cameras Lack of AMOLED display
Smart Glow feature No fast charging
Good for day to day use Average Gaming Performance

Dashain Offer: Xiaomi Redmi 4A and Redmi 3s gets Price Drop

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Xiaomi phones shine when it comes to the budget series. It’s hard to beat what Xiaomi phones have to offer in distinctive price ranges. Two of the most well-received phones from the brand are Redmi 4A for under Rs.20,000 and Redmi 3S Prime for under Rs.25,000. Both the phones are already a year old, and since it’s Dashain, Mi Nepal has decided to offer a discount on both of these devices. Xiaomi is also offering sure gifts with purchase of every new smartphone.

Read more: Xiaomi Nepal Dashain Offer

Xiaomi Redmi 4A (32GB):

Xiaomi Redmi 4A is our phone of choice for under 17k. The phone is a good pick with offerings like 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon 425 chipset, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, a decent pair of 13MP and 5MP camera on back and front, along with a durable 3120 mAh battery. For those with a tight budget, it will definitely check out all your needs.

Specifications of Xiaomi Redmi 4A:

  • 5 Inch HD IPS Touchscreen Display
  • Quad-Core 64bit Snapdragon 425 Processor (4x ARM Cortex A53)
  • 2GB RAM With 32GB ROM
  • MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
  • Hybrid Dual SIM (micro + nano / microSD)
  • 13MP with f/2.2 aperture, Autofocus, Dual-Tone LED Flash
  • 5MP Front Camera with f/2.2
  • 4G, WiFi 802.11 B/G/N, Infrared, Bluetooth 4.1
  • 3120mAh Battery
  • Xiaomi Redmi 4A (32GB) Price in Nepal: Rs.17500 Rs.15,999

Don’t Miss: Xiaomi Mobiles Price in Nepal 

Xiaomi Redmi 3s:

Redmi 3s on paper looks similar to the Redmi 4A but the differentiation is more than meets the eyes. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 430 chipset coupled with 3GB of RAM. For optics, the 13MP camera onboard provides larger f/2.0 aperture. Redmi 3S also offers fingerprint sensor (only on 32GB variant). It is backed up by a massive 4100mAh battery and supports fast charging.

Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime Price in Nepal

 

Specifications of Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime:

  • 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
  • Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 ( 4 x 1.2 GHz Cortex A53 + 4 x 1.5 GHz Cortex A53) 64-bit processor with Adreno 505 GPU
  • 3GB LPDDR3 RAM with 32GB (eMMC5.0) internal storage with expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD
  • MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
  • Hybrid Dual SIM (micro + nano / microSD)
  • 13MP rear camera with PDAF, LED Flash, f/2.0 aperture, 1080p video recording
  • 5MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p video recording
  • Fingerprint sensor, Infrared sensor
  • 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS + GLONASS
  • 4100mAh battery with fast charging
  • Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime Price in Nepal: Rs.22,999 Rs.20,499

What is SAR value in Smartphone and Why Should You Care?

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SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate. It is the measure of the rate at which energy (in Watts) is absorbed by the human body when exposed to radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field, per unit kg of the human body weight. It can also be referred to as the absorption of other forms of energy by tissue, including ultrasound. In the case of smartphones, the SAR is measured by keeping the phone in the talking position and then calculating the amount of radiation absorbed by the part of your head which is closest to the antennas of the smartphone.

Primarily, while buying a smartphone, users are usually concerned about the camera, display, processor or battery but it is also equally essential to keep note of the SAR value of the smartphone before considering it as an option. The Federation Communications Commission (FCC) and EU have stringent safety standards regarding cellphone radiation levels. And according to it,  every country has a regulatory threshold value of SAR. In the US, the regulatory unit is 1.6W/kg; in Europe, it is 2W/kg and in India, it is 1.6 W/kg. The SAR rating of each individual phone model has been displayed on all mobile phone packaging done in both the US and the UK. This makes the users make informed choices while purchasing a smartphone. Generally, the SAR values of smartphones are mentioned at the bottom of the packaging.

Several types of research conducted over the effects of smartphone use and their potential health hazards have concluded that the exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, are not completely without potential health risks. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has announced- “The cellular industry should design mobile phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user that is not necessary for the device to function.” This indeed is an essential precautionary step towards reducing the potential health hazards. Not only on human beings, these radiations also effect wildlife and vegetation. Unlike smoke, these radiations are not visible to the naked eye and long time exposures to them have been linked to prolonged complications.

However, it is necessary that the users understand that the SAR values mentioned, have been calculated when the phone is in its finest condition. And this value may vary as per the usage of the device. The older a device gets its SAR value keeps on surging. We can say that the SAR Value largely depends upon the circumstances under which the smartphone is being used and how frequently it is being used. It is imperative that the users keep in mind that a smartphone with a lower SAR Value can emit more radiations than a smartphone with higher SAR value if the smartphone with higher SAR is being used under normal conditions and the one with lower SAR is being under poor signal strength areas.

Precaution is obligatory in order to prevent the possible health hazards due to RF. The following steps have been suggested by researchers to minimize the effects –

  1. Try to use headsets all the time, avoid putting your phone in your ears. This is the best way to stay away from radiations of your smartphones.
  2. Try to use texts more instead of calling every now and then, Call only when it is really important. Tests are usually short and to the point, so it saves lots of your time too.
  3. Switch off your phone when you go to bed or put your phone on the airplane mode and then turn ON the WiFi if you want anyone to reach out to you via the internet (incase it’s a matter of emergency).
  4. You can use various cases available out in the market which claims to shield this radiation, but we are not sure whether those cases are reliable or not.
  5. Avoid using your phone in those areas where the signal strength is poor because while searching for the network your antennas keep on producing the radiations to their maximum limit.
  6. Lastly, after following all these measures if you still feel threatened due to some symptoms mentioned above, then you should go ahead and replace your smartphone.

Irrespective of the low SAR value of your smartphone mentioned in the manufacturing box, it is highly advised that you follow the aforementioned steps to keep yourself safe from the potential hazards.

OTTO Mark II with 6-inch display and 3 GB RAM launched in Nepal

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The Otto Mark was launched last February. And finally after 7 of months, Jaima InterContinental Pvt. Ltd (JIPL) has launched its successor – the Otto Mark II here. The device carries a price tag of Rs. 15,996.

The Otto Mark II features a metallic design with a curved 2.5D glass on the front. With a 6″ IPS HD display, the phone runs on a MediaTek MT6735 quad-core processor. The Mark II is also equipped with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

Don’t Miss: OTTO Chekr: A bar phone for the health conscious

Camera wise, it houses a 13MP rear-facing sensor whereas the front-facing camera measures 5MP. There is also a 3845mAh inside to keep everything running.

The Otto Mark II runs on Android 6.0 marshmallow, which is a bit disappointing. The smartphone is capable of 4G-LTE, has a gyroscope sensor, and OTG support. The fingerprint sensor is placed at the rear-end of the phone. It is is available in either grey or gold color option.

Otto mark II price in nepal

Otto Mark II Specifications:

  • Display: 6″ IPS HD display
  • RAM: 3GB
  • Storage: 32GB
  • Back camera: 13MP
  • Front camera: 5MP
  • OS: Android 6.0 marshmallow
  • Color: Grey and Gold
  • Network: 4G-LTE
  • Battery: 3845mAh

Otto Mark II Price in Nepal: Rs 15,996

The newer Otto Mark 2 introduces a few improvements over its predecessor. Disappointingly the processor isn’t one of them, with the newer one also coming with the same SoC. The size of RAM and ROM remains the same as well, and the same goes for the display. The back camera is still 13MP but the front camera seems to have decreased in pixels with the newer version housing 5MP as compared to the older with 8MP. The battery also remains exactly at the same capacity.

The similarities don’t end there, even the Android version stays at 6.0 marshmallow. So why buy the newer Otto mark 2? Well, it’s cheaper, with a starting price of Rs 5,000 less than its predecessor.

Huawei set to launch three variants of Mate 10 smartphone

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The Huawei Mate series has produced quite a few phablets till now. There are quite few rumor mills going on regarding the launch of three new Mate 10 smartphones this season. These new smartphones will Huawei’s first to come with a bezel-less design.

Huawei Mate 10 variants:

  • Huawei Mate 10 Lite
  • Huawei Mate 10
  • Huawei Mate 10 Pro

Huawei Mate 10 LiteHuawei Maimang mate 10 lite gadgetbyte nepal

With a price tag of $365, the Huawei Mate 10 Lite is targeting the photography enthusiasts and selfie maniacs. With rumors of 4 cameras in one single smartphone, who else could Huawei be targeting?

The Mate 10 Lite is going to feature a dual camera setup at the front as well as the back. And yes, it’s a midrange phone. You may recognize the phone as the Huawei Maimang 6 that was launched in China a few days ago.

Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Maimang 6 Specifications

  • 5.9 inches (2160*1080) full HD display with 2.5D glass
  • EMUI 5.1 based on Android 7.0 Nougat
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • Octa-core Kirin 659 (4 xA53 at 2.36GHz + 4 x A53 at 1.7GHz) with MaliT830-MP2 GPU
  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB Storage, expandable up to 256GB
  • Dual Hybrid SIM Slot (nano+nano)
  • 16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, secondary 2MP camera
  • 13MP front-facing camera with soft LED flash, secondary 2MP camera
  • 3,340 mAh battery

Huawei Mate 10Huawei Mate 10 gadgetbyte nepal

According to a tweet from Huawei Mobile AU, the Huawei Mate 10 is rumored to be unveiled on 16 October 2017. Rends show a dual rear camera setup which shouldn’t be a surprise at this point. We expect Huawei to opt for the Leica-branded RGB/monochrome camera setup at the back.

The device could sport a 2880*1440 pixel display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The CEO of Huawei has confirmed that the SoC powering the device will be the new Kirin 970 chipset which has its own built-in AI capabilities. The Huawei Mate 10 will likely come with 6GB of RAM and a 4,000mAh battery with Huawei’s Supercharge technology.

Huawei Mate 10 ProHuawei Mate 10 pro gadgetbyte nepal

Finally, the leader of the bunch is the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. The smartphone will flaunt a rumored 6″ Quad HD display with 2:1 aspect ratio. The phone will be powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC with the very first “true” AI capabilities. It will pack at least 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 4200mAh battery which won’t be removable.

Alongside all these, there could be another mate device as well, dubbed the Mate 10 Plus. But we will have to wait until October 16 for the complete details. Let us know if you are eagerly anticipating the new Huawei Mate 10 phones.

Don’t Miss: Huawei Mobiles Price in Nepal

Gionee M7 and M7 Power launched with Full Vision Display

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Gionee M series is for those who are always in for the battery life. Unlike previous M series, the new M7 and M7 Power is packed with all the reasonable specifications you could think of. Both the phone features, now trending 18:9 display with Full HD resolution. Like always, they pack the biggest battery in the game.

Gionee M7

Gionee M7 is the most powerful and feature-rich among the two. It comes with a metal-coated glass back with a brushed finish. The phone offers 6.01 Full HD AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D glass. Gionee M7 is security-oriented with a new encryption chip that helps in secure payment.

The phone comes with a dual rear camera setup in a pair of 16MP and 8MP. The assisting camera is a telephoto lens providing 2x optical zoom. Backing up the phone is a 4,000mAh battery which provides 26 hours of talk time and 671 hours of standby. The best thing is it comes with fast charging at 9V/2A. Powering the device is octa-core Helio P30 chipset clocked at 2.3GHz. It comes coupled with massive 6GB of DDR4X RAM.

Also Read: Gionee Mobiles Price in Nepal

Gionee-M7-specs-feature-price-nepal

Specifications of Gionee M7:

  • 6.01-inch FHD (2160 x 1080) AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D Glass
  • Android 7.1 Nougat with Amigo OS 5.0 on top
  • Hybrid Dual Nano SIM slots, Dual Standby
  • Fingerprint Sensor (Rear)
  • 2.3GHz octa-core 64-bit MediaTek Helio P30 processor with ARM Mali-G71 MP2 GPU
  • 6GB LPDDR4X RAM
  • 16MP (F/1.8 Aperture, 6P lens) + 8MP rear camera with LED flash, Digital Zoom
  • 8MP Front Facing Camera
  • 64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth V4.2, micro USB V2.0, USB OTG
  • 4000 mAh Polymer Lithium-Ion battery with Fast Charging (9V/2A)

Gionee M7 Power:

Gionee M7 Power is also known as the Big Gold Steel 2, a very bold name for a smartphone. It comes with 6-inch HD display with 18:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D glass. The phone sports a bigger 5,000 mAh battery thus the title “Power” in its name. It also supports fast charging at 9V/2A.

Under the hood, Gionee M7 Power is facilitated by octa-core Snapdragon 435 chipset clocked at 1.4GHz. It comes paired with 4GB of RAM. For storage, it offers 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256GB. The device, however, is deprived of dual camera setup. The M7 Power comes with a 13MP shooter with f/2.0 and PDAF. Up front, it houses 8MP front camera.

Gionee-M7-Power-feature-specs-price-in-nepal

Specifications of Gionee M7 Power:

  • 6-inch HD (1440 x 720) display with 18:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D Glass
  • Android 7.1 Nougat with Amigo OS 5.0 on top
  • Hybrid Dual Nano SIM slots, Dual Standby
  • Fingerprint Sensor (Rear)
  • 1.4GHz octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 435 processor with Adreno 505 GPU
  • 4GB RAM
  • 13MP Rear Camera with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, 1080p @30fps
  • 8MP Front Facing Camera
  • 64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth V4.2, micro USB V2.0, USB OTG
  • 5000 mAh Polymer Lithium-Ion battery with Fast Charging (9V/2A)

The Gionee M7 is priced at $422 and M7 Power is priced at $300. We can expect November launch of these devices in Nepal. Gionee devices are usually cheaper in Nepal compared to other countries. We have speculated the following price for these devices.
Gionee M7 Expected Price in Nepal: Rs.35,000 – Rs.40,000
Gionee M7 Power Expected Price in Nepal: Rs.25,000 – Rs.30,000

Huawei has the best mobile internet Speed & Strength among all devices

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With the increasing necessity of internet all over the world, the idea of using mobile data to access it has also grown a lot. Whenever you are on-the-go and outside the reach of wi-fi, using data has become a go-to solution. However, data connectivity is not top-notch in everyone’s phone.

To test how data connectivity works on smartphones in the Philippines, BASS PH (Bandwidth and Signal Strength) mobile app has been specifically monitoring the strength of the cellular signal and the speed of the mobile internet in the Philippines by collecting test results made by users. The BASS PH app was designed by volunteers for volunteers in order to accumulate data related to signal strengths and location-based bandwidth to improve the state of local internet quality in the Philippines.

According to data gathered by the BASS app, Huawei smartphones registered the fastest mobile internet speeds among all devices running the BASS app.

The chart published by the app clearly shows the device MHA-AL000 (Huawei Mate9) at the highest scale in terms of the highest average speed among all devices used in measuring mobile internet in the Philippines. The chart features phones from Asus, Apple, Sony, Jiayu, Oppo, One Plus and Samsung among others on lower co-ordinates in the graph. Other Huawei devices like the P10, P10 Plus and the Nexus 6P also showed strong results.

The Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is a leading global ICT solutions provider that has been innovating customer-centric technologies and ideas. The fact that the company has been establishing end-to-end capabilities and strengths to raise benchmarks in terms of ICT solutions and services. And, in the Philippines, Huawei has a good foothold as they run almost 100% of Globe’s network and around 50% of Smart’s network. As Huawei has set up cellular radio towers with the support of their expertise in engineering, it has helped them maximize the mobile internet speed.

The chart released by the BASS app might let the customers make a good pick if they are looking for the best option in terms of mobile internet. And as the performance and other features of the smartphones from Huawei are satisfactory, this speed test might actually be a boon for the market outreach of the company.

Rumor: Entry-level Nokia 2 with 4,000 mAh battery launching soon

The tech news portal Android Hits has come up with a few new details about the new Nokia 2. Most interestingly, we can phone could release this November. Nokia 2 has been in the news for a while now. Judging by its name, the smartphone is definitely an entry-level device. Previously, the device’s we were at mystery regarding its launch date, but Nokia Myanmar says the phone is expected for launch this November.chat nokia 2 myanmar gadgetbyte nepal

Expected features of Nokia 2

  • 4.7 inch HD LCD Display
  • Snapdragon 210/410
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 16GB storage
  • 8MP back
  • 5MP front
  • 4000mAh battery

Nokia 2 is going to be HMD Global‘s first entry-level smartphone. The phone will probably feature captive navigation buttons, which will help users take full advantage of the already small 4.7-inch screen. But we will have to wait until November to be completely sure about that.

nokia 2 series gadgetbyte nepal

There are also talks of the new Nokia 9 releasing alongside Nokia 2, which might come with on-screen navigation buttons and a bezel-less form factor. Unlike the Nokia 2, this phone will feature the top of the line 5.5-inch quad-HD bezel-less display. According to some rumors, the Nokia 9 will run on Android v8.0 Oreo with Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 4 GB of RAM powering the device. All of these specifications will make the Nokia 9 HMD Global’s new flagship phone.

Some of the key features of Nokia’s next flagship could be the AMOLED display, waterproof, an always-on display, Bluetooth 5.0, dual camera setup and a front mounted fingerprint sensor.

Nokia recently launched the Nokia 8 which came under criticism due to HMD Global not opting for a bezel-less display. This could, however, change with the Nokia 9.

Paramount Electronics is currently selling the revamped Nokia smartphones in Nepal. Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 3 and Nokia 3310 have made their way into the Nepali smartphone market.

Also Read: Nokia Mobiles Price in Nepal

DxOMark: iPhone 8 Plus Beats HTC U11 to Become Best Camera Smartphone

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According to DxOMark, iPhone 8 Plus has the best camera in any smartphone right now. For those of you who are unaware, DxOMark is one of the trusted websites owned by DxO Labs. They provide image quality ratings for standalone cameras, lenses, and mobile devices that include cameras.

Basically, the best smartphone camera according to DxOMark until now was the HTC U11 and the Google Pixel. But that has changed with the launch of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. The previous highest DxOMark score of was 90, and the iPhone 8 beats that with a staggering score of 92. And to top it all, the bigger iPhone 8 Plus beats its own sibling with a higher score of 94.iPhone 8 Plus is the new DxOMark champ

This website hasn’t tested Samsung’s newest flagship the Note 8 yet. But we are very interested to see how the best from Samsung fairs against the competition. And also the upcoming new Pixel 2 from Google will surely be the one to watch out for.

This test is sure to let potential buyers know how good their phone’s cameras really are. Now let’s zoom in on the new leader of the smartphone camera, the iPhone 8 Plus.

Camera specifications of the iPhone 8 Plus:

  • 12MP main wide-angle camera with BSI sensor, f/1.8 aperture lens
  • 12MP telephoto camera with f/2.8 aperture lens
  • Optical Zoom
  • Digital Zoom of up to 10x
  • Portrait mode
  • OIS (main camera only)
  • Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow sync
  • Autofocus with focus pixels
  • Wide-gamut color capture
  • Body and face detection
  • Auto HDR

Photos captured on the iPhone 8 Plus:

You can check the uncompressed versions of these photos here.

What do you think of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus? Are you looking forward to buying one of these devices? Let us know in the comments down below.

[socialpoll id=”2462793″]

Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro Review: The Flagship Midrange?

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The distinction between a mid-range and few flagships is marginal these days. Most of the mid-range phones are getting the flagship treatment with unibody metal construct, great display, and other well-curated features. Today we have the Galaxy J7 Pro which by its looks and feel, is no less than a flagship. In this review, we’ll see how the J7 Pro stacks up against a flagship as a midrange device.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

  • 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/1.9 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
  • Latest Price: Rs. 25,900 [Last updated on: December 6, 2018]

Build and Design:

Samsung has left no room to spare when it comes to build and design of the phone. J7 Pro comes with a metal clad unibody which has a minimalist approach. The back of the phone is kept clean with unique antenna lines which gives an alienating vibe to the phone.

samsung j7 pro build review

With a curved body and metal finish, it sure is slippery on the hand but the feel is nothing short from a flagship. The curved rounded edges also contribute to better handling of the device.

samsung galaxy j7 pro

Display:

The attempt to carry the flagship specs continues with its 5.5inch full HD super AMOLED display. For me, the best thing about the phone is the display itself. The display stretches from side to side almost making it bezel-less which also contributes to its handy form factor. As an AMOLED display, there are deep blacks and the icons look as if they’re floating when you apply a dark wallpaper. In addition to that, utilizing the AMOLED panel is the always on display which I wish every phone had. It is so much easier to check the time and basic notifications without unlocking the device.

Samsung J7 Pro review

In general, the screen is bright and vibrant, contents are presented with high details and sharpness. Viewing angles from almost anywhere is good and the sunlight visibility is on point. Watching movies and playing games is a joy on this display. For a mid-range phone, the display experience of the J7 Pro is exceptional.

Hardware:

Continuing the trend of awkward speaker placement, the J7 Pro comes with a loudspeaker on the right side along with the power button. The volume rocker rests on the left side. This side also comprises of Hybrid SIM tray (SIM 2+Micro SD card) and a single SIM tray (SIM 1). Samsung still hasn’t opted for USB Type C port, the J7 Pro comes with micro USB 2.0 port for charging and data syncing.

J7 Pro review samsung price

Talking about sensors, the phone comes with fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass. Up front, the phone holds a fingerprint sensor which acts as a home button. It is really fast to set up and unlocks the device in no time. With a sharp display and gyro sensor, you can use the device for VR experience.

samsung galaxy J7 pro fingerprint sensor

Software/UI:

Galaxy J7 Pro is running on Android 7.1 with Experience UI 8.0 on top. Unlike in the past, Samsung’s UI has evolved and now takes a more functional and minimal approach. I like how swift and smooth the UI is. ON the surface, it might look pretty basic but once you dig deep enough, there are a plethora of functionalities. To start with, we have the standard double tap on the home button to launch the camera app, which I found myself using the most. For someone who spends a lot of time looking at a display, the inbuilt blue light filter is a bliss. And if you are an audiophile, the inbuilt equalizer does justice to your ears. For privacy, you can lock and mask apps and along with that, there’s secure folder, where all your private photos, videos, and other information gets securely locked. For customization, there’s theme store for a variety of themes, icon packs, and wallpaper. You’ve also got device maintenance, which shows a complete overview of how the device is functioning. It provides options to optimize phone by cleaning cache, freeing up storage and lets you choose power saving modes.

To start with, we have the standard double tap on the home button to launch the camera app, which I found myself using the most. For someone who spends a lot of time looking at a display, the inbuilt blue light filter is a bliss. And if you are an audiophile, the inbuilt equalizer does justice to your ears. For privacy, you can lock and mask apps and along with that, there’s secure folder, where all your private photos, videos, and other information gets securely locked. For customization, there’s theme store for a variety of themes, icon packs, and wallpaper. You’ve also got device maintenance, which shows a complete overview of how the device is functioning. It provides options to optimize phone by cleaning cache, freeing up storage and lets you choose power saving modes.

And Samsung still walks on the trail of default apps conflict, you’ve got two apps for email, cloud storage, browser and so on. But fortunately, the ones you don’t need can be disabled.

Performance:

j7 pro geekbench

Galaxy J7 Pro hasn’t upgraded much in terms of performance power. Powering the device is the 14nm based Exynos 7870 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.6Ghz which we saw on last year’s J7 Prime. As most of the devices at similar price range still haven’t boarded the 14nm wagon, the last year’s chipset still has an upper hand this year. The performance is similar to that of the J7 Prime. General navigation around the UI, the opening of apps, scrolling and everything is effortless.

When it comes to gaming, the processor can handle high-end games at medium settings and there is little to no frame drops while gaming for hours. Sporting a metal body, the device obviously heats to some extent, but it is bearable and won’t bother you much. The J7 Pro comes with 3GB of RAM and is good enough to cycle between few apps with ease. The performance overall is not that bad, but I wished for a more upgraded and powerful chipset that could go head to head with Snapdragon 625 chipset.

Also Read: Samsung Phones Price in Nepal

Camera:

Samsung phones mark the standard when it comes to mobile cameras and it is true even for the mid-range series.  The Galaxy J7 Pro comes with the 13MP camera both on the front and the back.

j7 pro camera samples

Let’s talk about the primary camera first. It comes with a larger f/1.7 aperture which takes in more light into its sensors capturing images with higher details. Photos come out sharp and colors are finely saturated which is typical of Samsung. The dynamic range is adequately met. The camera is snappy and offers a manual mode for exposure, white balance, and ISO control.

samsung galaxy j7 pro photo samples

On extreme low light conditions, the image quality suffers a lot but with enough light, the camera can do wonders with its wider aperture.  The full HD video recording at 30fps is also good. Videos maintain the sharpness and colors like in the photos and there are no constant exposure shifts.

J7 Pro Low Light

Now coming onto the front camera, the selfie flash remains in the J7 series. Images from selfie camera are well lit, colors are close to natural and the details are fine. This camera will be a good companion for those who adore taking selfie except for in the low light conditions as its front-facing flash doesn’t contribute well in those situations.

j7 pro photo samples front facing camera

Overall, the camera experience on this phone is really amazing.

Connectivity and Storage:

J7 Pro is a dual SIM phone and comes with a dedicated microSD card slot. Phone calls and internet connectivity is great on the device. It supports dual-band ac Wi-Fi so the stability and performance of wireless networks are fast and reliable. J7 also makes use of the NFC with Samsung Pay which to our disadvantage cannot be utilized.

For storage, the phone comes with 64GB memory which I managed to utilize up to 21 GB till the time of this review and there’s still much more room left. If it’s inadequate you can slide in a microSD card up to 256GB.

Battery:

J7 Pro comes with a 3600mAh battery which gives around 6 hours of screen on time. For my day to day usage, the battery would last easily for a day and sometimes even till midday the day after. With different power saving modes, the battery life can be further elongated. J7 Pro, on the contrary, doesn’t offer any fast charging, so you have to stick your charger up to 2 and a half hours to fully get it charged.

Conclusion:

Galaxy J7 Pro is one of the few phones in the market which holds the premium standard as a midrange device. The device looks and feels up class and has left no room to spare when it comes to its build.

What do I like about the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro?

  • The Super AMOLED display makes the consuming contents more enjoyable.
  • The camera obviously is a great joy to play around with, which delivers awesome quality.

What I disliked about the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro?

  • The 14nm chipset delivers good performance and ensures great battery life but other phones at similar price range have better performance.
  • It takes 2 and a half hour to fully charge the device.

Galaxy J7 Pro and the competition

Galaxy J7 Pro Coolpad Cool1 Dual Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
5.5 inch FHD Super AMOLED (401ppi) 5.5 inches Full HD IPS LCD Display (401ppi) 5.5 inches Full HD IPS LCD Display (401ppi)
1.6Ghz Octacore Exynos 7870 (Cortex A53, 14nm) 4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex A72 Octacore SD652 (20nm) 2.0Ghz Octacore
SD625 (Cortex A53, 14nm)
3GB RAM, 64GB ROM;; microSD upto 256GB 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM; microSD upto 256GB
13MP f/1.7 Camera Dual 13MP f/2.0 PDAF Camera 13MP F/2.0 PDAF camera
13MP f/1.9 Selfie Camera 8MP f/2.2 Selfie Camera 5MP f/2.0 Selfie Camera
 3600 mAh battery 4060 mAh battery 4100 mAh battery
Android 7.1 (Nougat) Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), upgradable to 7.0 (Nougat)
Rs.30,000 Rs.30,996 Rs.28,499