The battery champ Gionee M7 Power will soon launch in Nepal. But Talks about the Gionee M7 Plus has already made its rounds on the internet. And the Plus will sit comfortably on top of the M7 lineup hierarchy.
The regular Gionee M7 and the M7 Power feature 6-inch displays, so it’s only fair that the Plus variant is bigger. And so it seems, with Gionee M7 Plus’s screen size standing at around 6.5 inches.
Courtesy of Antutu benchmark, we now know the full specs of the M7 Plus. The screen resolution remains identical with the regular M7 at 2160*1080, but an AMOLED panel is uncertain.
The similarities continue with 6GB of RAM and 64Gb of storage, although the plus seems to have missed out on a dual back camera setup. With a single 16MP back sensor capable of 4K recording and an 8MP lens at the front for selfies.
The best part about the M7 Plus is it’s SoC, featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. And finally, it’s running on Android 7.1.1. November 26 is the expected date of release for this particular device. So we will have to wait and see how much of this information pans out.
Amidst the hoard of all smartphone giants competing to create a mark for themselves with almost completely bezel-free designs, OnePlus: the Chinese smartphone marker, has also put forward a new product to add to the pile. In a LIVE event broadcast yesterday on 16th November 2017, the company unveiled the OnePlus 5T. It is also now available in Nepali market. The 64GB version costs Rs.64,900 and the 128GB version costs Rs. 72,900 in Nepal.
Earlier in 2016, the company had launched OnePlus 3 and then in the latter half of the year, OnePlus 3T was launched. Similarly, after the launch of OnePlus 5 in June 2017, the company made similar strategies like last year and launched the OnePlus 5T. With more attractive specs, OnePlus 5T seems to have set a new checkpoint for all smartphones. Without further ado, I would now like to walk you through the features of the latest release.
The first thing that everyone would notice about the OnePlus 5T is the 6-inch full Optic AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio display. This is also an upgrade compared to the OnePlus 5 which had 16:9 aspect ratio. But the thing to note here is that the form factor of the phone is still the same. The new aspect ratio is one of the primary specs of the OP 5T that guards it from other counterparts. The phone offers 1080P (1080 x 2160 pixels) resolution with 401ppi pixel density. Enabled with display features like sRGB and DCI-P3, the phone is all set to provide a better viewing experience to the users. The newer sunlight display feature enabled in this phone adjusts the display features according to the ambient light settings.
To make sure that the display stays immersive and offers the best of all available screen space, the manufacturers have also moved the fingerprint scanner to the back. The scanner unlocks the phone in 0.2 seconds and also incorporates gesture control, such as swiping to bring down the notification and quick settings dropdown and holding it to trigger the camera shutter when taking a selfie. The placement has also been done well, so this transition feels really smooth. Speaking of scanners, the OP 5T comes with a new feature: face unlock which is the fastest facial recognition on any smartphone (unlocks in 0.4 seconds). With over 100 facial identifiers, the face unlock can unlock the phone even when you are wearing a scarf or making a funny face. And safety is a primary concern, this feature does not work with sensitive apps: like payment app and so forth.
Moving on to the design of the phone, the OnePlus 5T has a seamless all metal chassis that ensure that the phone is slim, comfortable, easy to hold and also durable. The arced design of the phone makes it more ergonomic and flexible. Also, the manufacturers have brought back the horizon line: a continuous hard edge that emphasizes strength and agility by dividing the phone body into two halves: one casting light and the other one in shadow for a stunning effect. There is also an alert slider that is very easy to adjust – one doesn’t have to even pick up the phone for it. Users will be able to put their phones in three notification profiles:
Ring: To receive all calls
Do not disturb: To receive priority calls only
Silent: To mute all notifications and focus elsewhere
Another crowd cheered at the launch event was the availability of the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Though the USB type C accessories are making a name for themselves in the market, a majority of the general public is still very much in love with the 3.5 mm audio jack. The cheering crowd at the event was also an indicator for this.
Moving on to the camera department of the phone, the manufacturers claimed to have one of the best dual camera settings. Based on user preferences, the company has taken note to develop two key aspects of the dual rear cameras: low light performance and portraits. The main camera is 16MP with f/1.7 aperture and the secondary camera has been optimized for better low light performance allowing users to take clearer pictures in low light conditions. The 20 MP secondary camera, now comes with 27.22mm focal length and f/1.7 aperture. The secondary lens comes with Intelligent Pixel Technology which automatically groups pixels together in order for the original sensor to capture enough light and dark data, hence, enhancing the low light performance. Serious improvements have also been made here to make sure that portraits come clear and sharp. The front houses a 16MP camera with f/2.0 aperture.
The OnePlus 5T is still running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat with OxygenOS on top. Oreo has been available to the public since late August, and to see a new phone released in November with Android Nougat is a bit depressing. Display options like Night Mode and Reading Mode, that were also available on the OP 5, the revamped underlays of the OxygenOS in the OnePlus 5T are laudable. The changes OnePlus made to OxygenOS are welcome, such as its scalable Slate font to improve the viewing experience. However, the fact that an older Android version is just what the latest release has up for the offer, has raised some concerns for those who are a fan of Android updates.
The Snapdragon 835 processor with Adreno 540 graphics are the same as of its predecessor, and so are the two storage and RAM options: users can pick between 6GB of RAM with 64GB of storage or 8GB of RAM with 128GB of space. Backed by 3,300mAh battery, the OP 5T also come with the proprietary Dash Charge fast-charging technology. However, some latest techs like fast charging and waterproofing are still unavailable here.
Specifications of OnePlus 5T:
6.01 inches full Optic AMOLED display with 1080P resolution, 401ppi
18:9 Aspect Ratio with 2.5D Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core Processor clocked at 2.45GHz
iHub, the sole authorized distributor of One Plus products in Nepal, has launched the One Plus 5T in Nepal for a slightly exorbitant pricing. The company has priced the Oneplus 5T at Rs. 64,900 for the 6GB/64GB version and Rs.72,900 for the 8GB/128GB version.
A quick trivia here:
Fans of OnePlus had the opportunity to see the unveiling live in person upon paying $40 for a ticket. The attendees did not only get a swag bag with lots of goodies inside, they also got a $40 off coupon for the OnePlus 5T. Moreover, the ticket proceedings from the launch event will be used to fund F-Droid: a software repository that acts as an alternative to the Google Play Store but only accepts free and open-source software (FOSS).
What is your say on the OnePlus 5T? Do you think the hype is worth it? Let us know in the comments below
Recently, Motorola surfaced in the Nepali smartphone market with four smartphones in their lineup. Moto E4 Plus was one of the four smartphones launched, which is priced at Rs.20,990. With so many smartphone brands already available in Nepal and the multitude of smartphones in their lineup, choosing a decent smartphone had always been a stressful task. But will the presence of Moto E4 Plus ease the hunt for a good smartphone available at Rs.20,000? Let’s find out in this review.
Moto E4 Plus Specs
Display: 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS LCD display, 2.5D curved glass, Gorilla Glass 3 Protection, Oleophobic Coating
Battery: 5000mAh built-in battery with Fast Charging (5V/2A)
Moto E4 Plus Price in Nepal: Rs.20,990
Build and Design
Though sheathed inside a plastic body, the E4 Plus resembles a metallic fitting and also offers a premium feel to its users. However, the device is relatively heavy with 198g of weight and may discomfort the people who are used to with light smartphones. The phone has big bezels on the top and the bottom. Despite having thick bezels on the chin, the phone opted for on-screen buttons, which is so unpersuasive.
As for the buttons, the device includes a power button and volume rockers on the right with an added texture to the power button. There is also a notification LED on top bezel of the device, which seems to work only during charging or battery low condition. For charging, microUSB 2.0 port lies on the bottom alongside the speaker grills.
The phone also has a port for 3.5mm headphone jack, which resides on the top. The back cover of the device is removable, where is there is two SIM card slots and a dedicated slot for SDcard.
For securing the smartphone and to evade data vulnerabilities, there is a front mounted fingerprint sensor on the device. The fingerprint sensor is pretty sensitive and can be used for both locking and unlocking the device. However, only registered fingerprints can be employed for unlocking the device whereas any fingerprint is capable of locking it.
Other sensors on the device are proximity sensor, ambient light sensor and accelerometer with an absolute absence of the Gyro sensor.
Display
E4 Plus is provided with 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, which features 720p resolution. The viewing angle is fairly decent with good amount of color reproduction. The display on the device also looks seamless and elegant with 2.5D glass. In addition, with Gorilla Glass 3, the display is less prone to scratches.
Although oleophobic coating is provided to the display, it fails to keep aside the fingerprint smudges most of the time. The smooth coating has made the display rather slippery.
Camera
In terms of camera, the device sports 13MP sensor on the back and a 5MP sensor on the front and LED flash accompanies them both.
Under ample lighting condition, the back camera takes impressive shots with plenty of details.
But sometimes the images seem to lack dynamic range and color vibrancy. Under such scenario, turning on the HDR mode helps usually. While shooting in the night time or low-light scenario, the images suffer from noises and grains.
The selfie shooter is not disappointing either. One can pull out social media ready selfies from the front shooter. However, the beauty mode does not seem up to the mark.
With the beauty mode on the play, the skin is over smoothened in the name of making it beautiful. And the subject seems to lose their natural aura at times. Also the camera UI lacks manual or pro mode through which user could tweak the ISO, exposure, shutter speed, etc.
Performance
E4 Plus is powered by an average MediaTek MT6737 chipset aided by 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. The device runs smoothly on running light apps and games and multitasking with them. However, with heavy and graphics demanding apps and games, stutters and drop in frame rate are inevitable. The device also froze at times showing the inability to operate the tasks assigned.
1 of 3
Software
The device comes with Android Nougat out of the box. The User Interface on the device is close to the stock Android with just Dolby Atmos and Moto app as the additions. With the Moto app, the users can replace the on-screen buttons with gestures through the fingerprint sensor.
Moto app has bluelight filter option for eye-protection and also has a mode to shrink the screen size for the single-handed use. It also has the Moto display mode, which when turned on wakes the screen showing date, time and notifications just on lifting the device or shifting its position. On the other hand, the Dolby Atmos app lets the user tweak the equalizer so that the user can get the sound output matching their taste.
Battery
The massive 5000mAh battery is the USP of the phone. On the heavy use, the massive battery keeps the device alive untiringly for 8-9 hours. On the normal use, it provides two days backup. There is also an optimization mode through which the backup time can be pushed further. Although the device supports fast charging, it takes around 3 hours for the battery replenishment from 0-100% with the proprietary charger.
Verdict
If a long-life battery tops your list of phone needs, then E4 Plus would be a wise choice under Rs.20,000. It offers a big screen with scratch resistant and water repellent coating, decent camera, fast fingerprint sensor, dedicated SDcard slot and bloatware free OS as the additional benefits. However, the bulk body, low 720p resolution, sluggish processor and the absence of gyrosensor may turn you off a little.
Cars – some love them, some hate them. A cheesy way to start a story, I know. For a normal layman, there are basically three types of cars: one that runs on battery, another on fuel and a few of those hybrids. But the statement “this world will run out of fuel in the next 50 years” is where it gets a little scary.
Let’s talk about smart cars now. Smart cars are the cars that, in a simple sense, have a brain. There is a set of sensors, a smart & powerful CPU, and a few other goodies enabling it to do a set of functions on its own. Smart cars have been around for some time now, and right about now, we are finally in the transaction phase.
A bunch of huge car companies are on board to launch smart cars and the Government approval is really close,. The cars’ technology is almost complete and electric car batteries are getting better. More importantly, the general public seems to be on board and excited. In such a life-altering phase, let’s look at some of the most interesting stories in the field of smart cars.
Roborace
Firstly, Roborace car is “the world’s first electric driverless racing car“. Looking at it through the eyes of a tech enthusiast, these cars don’t just drive, they rather race without the need of a human racer. Two Roborace can even race each other, one AI vs another.
But, is it something you want? Look at of it in this way: think of a reason you love the sport of racing. You probably like those vehicles, the race tracks, or the environment, but what makes it all tick are the racers. If you take the racer out of the equation it probably won’t be as fun or emotional as before. We love the spat, the connection with the racer, the friendship, the freedom of error and more importantly the love and hate they get. And that is the same reason I can’t see myself watching a race between AIs.
Leaving the ethics and wants aside, this is, however, a huge step forward in the field of smart cars. Also, Nvidia is a partner in the Roborace project. There is still a few years left for the completion of this project, but if you want to know more about Roborace, you can visit its official website.
Toyota’s Self-Driving Car
Toyota’s new prototype of a self-driving car is complete. All Toyota need to wow, is to prove that it works. The company will surely put it through a series set of tests.
GoMentum Station, a dedicated car testing company is set to perform those tests. This technology is still in its early phases so don’t expect Toyota to start taking pre-orders anytime time soon.
Honda Sports EV concept
The Honda Sports EV is just a concept from Honda. Honda says that this car will bring the driver and the car even closer together. But for one, the production might start in 2019 or by 2021.
Credits: Top Gear
A feeling of joy and emotional unity to the drive
The power and performance of this car aren’t revealed yet, all we know is it’s completely electric and looks great. The car will also feature its own version of AI that will react to its driver’s reactions and emotions. It will also support voice commands and a few assistive driving technologies.
UK’s guidelines for smart car cybersecurity
We know smart cars are cars with a software, so basically, it could and is vulnerable. If you don’t get why cars need cybersecurity, then you can think of an instance where your car is on auto mode and someone hijacks it from a computer and drives you out of a cliff. Not really an exact representation but at least you get it.
allow innovation to flourish and ensure the next wave of self-driving technology is invented, designed and operated safely in the UK
So why the UK? Well, they have one of the biggest numbers of smart cars on the road. The exact words were “all parties involved in the manufacturing and supply chain … with a consistent set of guidelines.” The guidelines consist of 8 basic principles
Organizations should ensure that security is a priority on a board level
Manufacturers should assess potential risks especially with third-party contractors
Vehicle security needs to last for the lifetime of the system in question
Organizations and subcontractors must work together to certify their security processes and products
Security systems should be made redundant
Manufactures should manage software over the expected life of the system
Data storage should be secure
The vehicle or systems should be able to withstand attacks and continue to function
We are sure the cars that are currently queued for production will follow these guidelines. The problem lies with the older smart cars, will they be left vulnerable?
Samsung’s $8 billion investment on smart cars
The high demand for advanced driver assistance systems [ADAS] has brought the smartphone maker Samsung into the field of smart cars. Samsung is known to bud in on almost every booming sector possible and it seems like smart cars are also a target for the company.
Samsung wants in on the action, and is happy to put its money where its mouth is
Samsung’s recently acquired Harman International for around $8 billion. Harman International Industries has been fiddling around in the smart car business. They basically design and engineer connected products for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation, and connected services. They will be working closely with Samsung to develop safer, smarter and connected vehicles.
The rumored Samsung Galaxy S8 mini isn’t panning out as we hoped for, but sources are really certain about a Galaxy S9 mini. The Galaxy S9 mini accompanies its bigger brother, the regular Galaxy S9. And both of them are going to launch alongside the even bigger Galaxy S9+.
Remember the days when Samsung used to launch just one Galaxy S smartphone in a year? Well, next year it’s going to be three S-series smartphones. That’s probably because people want devices of different screen sizes and Samsung wants to make the best of this.
All three Galaxy S9 variants will feature an even better AMOLED displays. No doubts there. It seems like Samsung is sticking with their 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The new devices will also be the first to get Qualcomm’s latest and greatest for next year – the Snapdragon 845 chipset.
People who like smaller displays will be happy to hear that the Samsung Galaxy S9 mini, will feature a 5-inch edge to edge display with the same 18.5:9 screen ratio. Let’s just hope that Samsung doesn’t compromise on the internals of this device.
The fingerprint will find it’s way to the back of the phone, below the camera sensors. There are also talks of a proper facial recognition like face ID, and a dual camera setup as well. Sensibly, the RAM will be well over the 6GB mark, with the exception of the S9 mini (most probably 4GB). There is one claim that is too unreal to pan out – a 1000 fps slow-mo capable camera sensor. We will have to wait and see which of this rumor actually pans out.
All of these devices in question are set to launch together in March 2018. The pricing, on the other hand, will be tricky since a smaller version is launching as well. Without much of a design change, the prices will probably not be different from the current versions.
Nepal Telecom has been in Nepal for a while now and it has gained the public’s trust. We can confirm this with confidence from the results we have seen from the poll we took a couple of weeks back.
The state-owned telecommunication company has easily accumulated 59% of the total votes. This is the first time we have seen an option garner more than 50% of the votes. However, it only had a few competitors.
Ncell took the second spot, probably a result of its changing owners and the tax issues. Also, its high tariff rates don’t help much either. They really need to learn that Nepali people want cheaper rates on calls and texts rather than the features that no one uses.
The option “all of them suck” came third with a total of 16% votes. If we consider the number of people who hate the telecommunication service every now and then, this 16% is actually surprising.
The mere 4% that “others” got is a negative for the industry. We need to look at the fact that only two carriers are leading in Nepal, resulting in overpriced service fees, and a lack of innovation and upgrades in their services.
The new era of tall 18:9 aspect ratio display is taking over the smartphone arena. Previously only seen on flagships like the Samsung S8’s and Note 8, this feature is quickly shifting towards midrange devices. Huawei Nova 2i is the only mid-range phone apart from the Oppo F5 in Nepal to sport this aspect ratio. Not only that, it is also the first phone in Nepal to sport 4 cameras.
Huawei Nova 2i comes with a 5.9-inch Full HD+ display with the new 18:9 aspect ratio and a staggering 83% body to screen ratio. With almost borderless design, Huawei calls it the FullView display. The tall form factor is the new standard in mobile displays and we’ll see it in newer devices to come. It will help to incorporate more contents on the display and with near bezel-less design, will create an immersive experience. Right now, there aren’t videos, apps and other contents that will fit well into this panel but in the coming days, most of them will adapt to it.
For performance, the Huawei Nova 2i is rocking the in-house Kirin 659 octa-core chipset clocked at a maximum frequency of 2.36Ghz with adaptive AI technology. With adaptive AI, the device will be able to track your usage patterns for optimizing those processes and also aids in intelligently boosting the performance of the device.
The Nova 2i comes coupled with 4GB of RAM. It has a single variant with 64GB memory onboard which can be expandable up to 256GB trading off the 2nd SIM. With no space up front, the fingerprint sensor is placed on the back. Huawei Nova 2i is running on Android 7.0 with EMUI 5.1 on top. The phone fails to incorporate the USB Type C port. The phone also lacks fast charging capability for its 3340mAh battery.
The feature highlight of the phone is its quad camera, two on the front and the rest on the back. The back houses dual cameras in a pair of 16+2MP sensors. On the front, it holds a pair of 13+2MP sensors. The dual cameras on both sides help to produce the bokeh effect with a blurred background which we all happen to love so much. It comes with 2-level brightness flash with 120degree lighting angle up front. Along with it, you get stickers and beauty mode if you’re in for it.
During the launch event, Mr. Joyas, Director of Huawei Technologies Nepal Co. Pvt. Ltd. said,
“We know what’s essential to today’s consumers, and we created a new device that packs powerful features to keep up. We’ve come up with Nepal’s first 4 camera smartphone, designed to help you engage with everyone, where there are in the world, the Huawei nova 2i sets a new standard in innovation with its incredible performance, stylish design, and advanced camera features.”
Mr. Pulkit Bhimsaria, director of Call Mobility (Huawei’s sole distributor for Nepal) said,
I have a strong believe this revolutionary 4 camera smartphone at this very best price should be number 1 in the market. For Huawei, quality always comes first, from the time it started in Nepal it never compromised on quality. Our records of after sales service center is a proof that we have the least failure rate in the global market. Nova phone will speak for itself, its a new beginning of Huawei revolution in Nepal.
Huawei Nova 2i Specifications in a Nutshell:
Display: 5.9-inch Full HD+ IPS (1080*2160), 18:9, 407ppi
The selfie-centered mid-range smartphone from Xiaomi, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime launched in Nepal. The smartphone was launched in the international market a few days back. Now in less than two weeks of time, the smartphone has launched in the Nepali market. And all thanks to the Vatsal Impex Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor of Xiaomi products in Nepal.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime comes with 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with the HD (1280 x 720 pixels) resolution. The display embraces Gorilla glass 3 to evade the vulnerabilities of scratches and cracks. Also, the display furnishes 2.5D curved glass on the top to provide a seamless design. The device houses Snapdragon 435 chipset, which comes along with Adreno 505 GPU.
The smartphone has two slots for SIM cards and a dedicated slot for memory expansion via SDcard. The storage can be expanded up to 128GB if the initial onboard storage of 32GB is not sufficient. A fingerprint sensor lies on the back end of the device for the security. The phone is enriched with all the other necessary sensors too like accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass sensor. And the phone has also managed to adhere IR blaster.
Since the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime is a selfie-centered device, it has a high-resolution camera of 16MP on the front end. The front camera has a wide aperture of f/2.0 and comes along with a LED flash. The selfie camera on the phone boasts to provide beautifications that would look natural. On the back end, there is a 13MP camera with an aperture of f/2.2. The rear camera also has a LED flash alongside. The device comes with 3080mAh battery and has Nougat (v7.0) version of Android on its system.
Although the phone claims to take great images, we cannot declare its potential unless we review it. We will let you know once we review the device. So, don’t miss out and keep yourself updated with the latest tech news and gadgets reviews by Following us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.
The idea of getting to watch live TV anywhere and anytime using your smartphone with the help of cellular data and WIFI is fun and interesting. NTC’s app, WOW Time was launched for quite a time now, enabling its users to get access to television services on their mobile phones. The service, however, was free for the NTC users until festivities ended. But, now that the celebrations are over, the free subscription has also ended!
Yes, NTC has started its subscription-based service for WOW Time from the 14th of November, 2017. WOW Time has launched its most awaited packages and has started its subscription-based video service for all premium channels and has also introduced live TV and youtube data pack for NT 3G/4G users. All the Nepali channels, movies, FM and videos still remain free of subscription, while all the premium channels are subject to subscription charges.
WOW Time Subscription Charges
Time
Cost
24 hours
Rs.24
7 days
Rs.90
30 days
Rs.250
Data pack details:
MB
Cost
500 MB (Valid for 7 days)
Rs.60
1GB (Valid for 14 days)
Rs.100
The WOW Time app has upgraded from its previous version and with the introduction of subscription and data charges; we hope there has been an improvement in the content section too. The company says subscription is only valid for all premium live TV channels while all Nepali channels, FM, movies, and videos still remain free of charges. The fees so charged seem reasonable and the fact that there still is some stuff for free is not too bad.
For those who are not aware, WOW Time is an IPTV service in Nepal commenced by NTC for NTC users only that allows its users to get access to multi-entertainment features, like, live TV channels, FM, Movies, and videos on demand, using WIFI or cellular data on your smartphone whenever and wherever you want.
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.
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.
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
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)
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
But sometimes the images seem to lack dynamic range and color vibrancy. Under such scenario, turning on the HDR mode helps usually. While shooting in the night time or low-light scenario, the images suffer from noises and grains.
