Page 799 – GadgetByte Nepal

Meizu smartphone with bezel-less display and 18:9 aspect ratio launching tomorrow

GadgetByte

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January 3, 2018

Meizu smartphone with bezel-less display and 18:9 aspect ratio launching tomorrow

Meizu, the brand that needs an introduction for some reason is about to introduce a new smartphone. And they are about to introduce it tomorrow, which for one, we know will feature a bezel-less display with 18:9 aspect ratio screen. And talking about Meizu, they did just return to the Nepali market again, thanks to Chaudhary Group (CG).

Also Read: Meizu’s come back to Nepal

Getting back to the smartphone that is about to launch tomorrow. The phone in talks here is most probably the Meizu M6S or Blue Charm S in China.

The things we know about the phone is it’s 18:9 aspect ratio display. Also, according to a leak a few days back, the phone will feature a 5.7-inch display. The battery life is also expected to be at an exact 2630 mAh.

The smartphone could also feature a Samsung Exynos chipset and a fingerprint reader at the right side. Meizu plans to launch 6 new phone in the first half of 2018. And looks like the M6S is the first in line among all of them.

So, are you one of the Meizu fans out there? Lets us know how you feel about it in the comments below.

Samsung Nepal set to launch Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus (2018)

GadgetByte

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January 3, 2018

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Samsung Nepal set to launch Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus (2018)

Not many days since 2018 has started and Samsung is all set to launch two mobile phones in the galaxy series i.e. Galaxy A8 and A8 plus. The phones are expected to release in the third week of January. Smartphones of the A-series are always premium but compromise on the performance front. Over the years, they have always featured some top of the line specifications all while compromising with the performance.

Also Read: Samsung Mobiles Price in Nepal

With not many days before the launch, let’s get into the what and why’s of the phones. As the model of the phones themselves signify, these phones are similar to a great extent but with slightest of dissimilarities.

The glass front and back with aluminum body makes it a trendy phone as glass is being preferred these days. On the weight department, the A8 and A8 Plus have 172 and 191 grams of weight respectively. The A8 Plus has a taller screen i.e. 6 inches for the people who like big screens. The phones are IP68 certified which means these are dust and water resistant for 30 minutes and 1.5 meters which is an advancement.

Starting with the display, the phones have Super AMOLED display which means sharper blacks and saving of battery to a great extent which, we can barely find in phones like this as of 2017. As per the size of the screen is concerned, the phones have 18.5:9 ratio which is really good. On top of that, the phones have Corning Gorilla Glass which is again great to have on a phone.

The phones run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat version which is comparatively not as impressive as Oreo version of Android is already available. These have Octa-core Exynos 7885 which is Samsung’s own development alongside Mali G71 GPU. Faster and smoother performance can be expected with 8 cores on work. These also have a dedicated slot for micro SD card of up to 256 GB.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 Plus has 4GB of RAM for the phone with 32 GB storage whereas 6 GB of RAM for the variant with 64 GB storage, whereas, A8 has 4GB of RAM for both 32 GB and 64GB variants.

We don’t find as much of difference in the camera department as well. With 3 cameras on each, we can find 1 rear camera with 16 MP and two front cameras with 16 and 8 MP each. The aperture is also the same as the rear camera has f/1.7 and the front-facing cameras have f/1.9. With full HD quality video with 30fps, the videos will have good quality along with smooth video experience. Touch focus, face detection, panorama and HDR functions add extra oomph to the photo taking experiences.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus (2018) support 3.5 mm headphone jack with a single speaker that makes it loud but probably not loud enough. Type C 1.0 reversible connector makes the charging experience faster and convenient. Radio FM option is also available for the ones who need some infotainment with all their concentration to work. The one thing that these phones have better is the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner which is below the camera rather than beside the camera which keeps the camera free from fingerprints. The Li-ion 3500 mAh battery provides the phone with a longer battery.

The phones are available in black, orchid grey, blue and gold. According to rumors, the A8 could be priced approximately Rs. 56,000 while the A8 Plus might run you Rs. 64,000. With the mentioned details both the phones look pretty promising. One of the things which I found the downside is the size of the phones as both are bigger phones that can’t be easily carried in pockets. Had one of these been smaller in size, they would be more convenient.

Deal Alert: Colors P85+ Selfie Pro & P70 Selfie U Price Drop

GadgetByte

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January 3, 2018

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On the occasion of New Year, Colors Mobile Nepal has announced a price drop on two of its devices, namely, Colors P85+ Selfie Pro and Colors P70 Selfie U. Both of these phones are selfie centered and comes with LED flash up front. If you have been longing to buy a phone with a good selfie shooter then this might be the right time to do so.

Colors P85+ Selfie Pro

Colors P85+ Selfie Pro is the flagship phone from Colors. It is one of the few phones under Rs.15,000 that sports a 5.5-inch display and a reliable fingerprint sensor. Design-wise the phone is much more compact and looks premium compared to other phones at the same price tag. It comes with an 8MP shooter up front. Colors P85+ Selfie Pro was priced at Rs.14,995 and with the recent price drop, it’s price has been set to Rs.12,995.

Colors P85+ Selfie Pro Specifications

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
Android Version: 7.0 Nougat
Sensors: Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient Light sensor
Battery: 3000mAh (non-removable)
Colors: Golden White

Colors P70 Selfie U

Colors P70 Selfie U is an affordable option compared to the P85+ Selfie Pro. This phone also comes with a similar 8MP Camera up front. 3 months back, this phone has already got a price drop for a certain time. The phone was priced at Rs.10,995 from its MRP Rs.12,595 now with the recent price drop it’s even cheaper at Rs.9,995.

Colors P70 Selfie U Specification

Display: 5-inch 2.5D 720P IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 294ppi
Chipset: MediaTek MT6737
CPU: Quad Cortex A53 1.3GHz
GPU: ARM Mali-T720 MP1 650MHZ
RAM: 2GB RAM
Storage: 16GB internal storage with microSD up to 128GB
Rear Camera: 8MP autofocus rear camera with F/2.2 aperture, LED flash, 1080P video recording
Front Camera: 8MP fixed focus front camera with LED flash
Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS, 3G, 4G LTE, OTG supported
Dimension: 144.1×72.2×9.15 ; Weight: 157.4g
Android Version: 7.0 Nougat
Sensors: Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient Light sensor
Battery: 2250mAh battery
Colors: Gold, White

Kathmandu University Computer Club set to conduct IT Meet 2018

GadgetByte

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January 2, 2018

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Kathmandu University Computer Club set to conduct IT Meet 2018

Kathmandu University Computer Club (KUCC) is set to organize IT Meet with the slogan Discover | Develop | Deploy for the 7^th time. The event will run for two days in total – January 5 and January 6. The IT Meet 2018 has been organized to touch all the aspects of innovations regarding technology and to develop Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Nepal.

This year, KUCC is conducting the Meet with the theme “ICT for SDG”. According to the United Nations (UN), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. While the Global Goals are getting a lot of attention from the stakeholders, it still needs an acknowledgment from people of all parts of life. And the IT Meet aims to do just that-aware the crowd about SDG.

The KUCC IT Meet 2018 has a wide range of events up its sleeve like Hackathon, Yomari Code Camp to Python Meetup and Photography Competition. Here is a list of events that KUCC will organize:

Hackathon
Yomari Code Camp
Python Meetup
Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP)
Project Demonstration
Software Competition
Hardware Competition
Coding Tournament and Competition
Datathon and Localization
Clean Code Talk
Career Fair
NepHack
IT Quiz
Idea Hunt
Virtual Reality Meetup
Googling
Blood Donation Event
Designing Competition
Photography Competition
Endeavor IT Meet 2018 Selfie Contest
Movie Screening
Gaming Events

KUCC will be conducting the event in Nepal’s only IT Park, which is located at Banepa-Panauti Road, Kavre. If you wish to know more about the event, do visit KUCC’s website.

Sony α7RIII launching soon in Nepal: Exciting freebies for the Pre-bookers

GadgetByte

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January 2, 2018

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Sony α7RIII launching soon in Nepal: Exciting freebies for the Pre-bookers

Nepa Hima Trade Link Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor of Sony products in Nepal started taking pre-orders for their most anticipated mirrorless camera, the Sony α7RIII. Priced at Rs. 3,76,950, Sony α7RIII comes with freebies worth Rs. 23,100 if ordered within January 5, 2018.

Also Read: TOP 3 Entry Level DSLRs in Nepal

Sony a7RIII is the latest device in the arsenal of Sony cameras, which is the successor of infamous Sony A7RII. The Sony Alpha 7RII was already pleasing in terms of design and with its overwhelming potential. Now with the improved and added functionalities, Sony Alpha 7RIII has been irresistible in the photographers’ community. With the light and compact body, featuring prolific high-resolution capabilities, Sony a7RIII has raised the temptation even to the Nikon and Canon fans.

Also Read: Nepa Hima launches Sony a9 in Nepal

Nepa Hima started taking pre-orders since the late November and offering a 64GB Ultra HighSpeed SD Card, and an extra NPFZ100 Battery worth Rs. 23100 free. Interested ones can order the device until January 5, 2018 at Rs. 3,76,950 and grab the freebies.

Sony α7RIII Specs in a Nutshell

35mm Full-Frame 42.4 MP Back-Illuminated Exmor CMOS Image Sensor with Evolved Image Processing
Pixel Size: 4.51 microns
Continuous Shooting at up to 10 fps
35.9mm x 24.0mm Sensor Size
399 phase-detection AF points covering 68% of the image area, 425 contrast AF points
5-axis optical in-body image stabilization with a 5.5 step shutter speed advantage
High-Resolution 4K Movie Shooting with full pixel readout and no pixel binning7
Shutter Speed range: 30-1/8000 seconds
ISO Rating: AUTO (ISO 100-12800; selectable lower limit and upper limit), ISO 100 – 32000, expandable to ISO 50 – 102400
Image file format: JPEG, RAW (14-bit ARW 2.3), RAW+JPEG
Movie file format: XAVC S / AVCHD 2.0 / MP4; Audio: LPCM / Dolby Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC, stereo
DxOMark Sensor score: 100
Weight: 657 grams (includes batteries)
Battery life: Approx. 530 still shots, 100 minutes videos
Built-In Viewfinder
Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, Microphone jack, Headphone jack, remote control
Price: Rs. 3,76,950

Apple Addresses the Issue of Slowing down Old iPhone

GadgetByte

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January 1, 2018

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Apple Addresses the Issue of Slowing down Old iPhone

It’s all over the news and it’s real. Apple finally confirms that they have been slowing down the older versions of iPhones to make improvisation on the battery life. So what has been the case? Why has Apple done so and what consequences are they facing?

Some Reddit users noticed that their phones were slowing down after they got iOS updates. When tested with Geekbench, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s performed poorly than expected after the iOS update however it started functioning fine when it got it’s battery replaced. An iPhone user tweeted:

After numerous complaints, Apple finally admitted that they started slowing down older iPhones with lower-capacity batteries, mainly to prevent accidental shutdowns since last year. Apple made following comment on the issue:

“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices. Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.”

Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We’ve now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add support for other products in the future.”

After this incident, many lawsuits were filed against Apple. iPhone users got furious with Apple’s move. It was always a controversy that Apple would slow down iPhones to force the customers to buy a new one but after they themselves confirmed this, there was no stopping by. Apple really has hardcore fans which most other companies hardly manage to have but this incident has created a lot of trust issues among iPhone users and the company.

What does Apple plan to regain the trust of their consumers? Apple wrote to its customers an apology about the issue. To address our customers’ concerns, to recognize their loyalty and to regain their trust,

Apple decided to take the following steps:

Apple reduced the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement by $50 — from $79 to $29, for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, available worldwide through December 2018.
Also, Apple will issue an iOS software update with new features that give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone’s battery, so they can see for themselves if its condition is affecting performance.
Apple is working on ways to make the user experience even better, including improving how to manage performance and avoid unexpected shutdowns as batteries age.

In its letter, Apple also says “we’ve always wanted our customers to be able to use their iPhones as long as possible.” If Apple is serious about that and equally serious about the battery being a consumable, these few steps are just the beginning of a major reset in the way we think about maintaining the most important devices in our lives. In any event, Apple has a long way to go rebuilding trust with its customers.

Official Oreo Update Rolling Out for Mi A1

GadgetByte

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January 1, 2018

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Official Oreo Update Rolling Out for Mi A1

Mi A1 is the first phone from Xiaomi to come with Stock Android ditching the MIUI ROM. We recently did the review of Mi A1 where we opted for the Public Oreo Beta of the device. The update was really smooth for day to day operation and we couldn’t found any noticeable bugs whatsover. Now, A1’s oreo update is out of beta and is available to all the owners of the phone.

Xiaomi promised to provide the Oreo update before the end of 2017 and they are right on time keeping their promise at the very end of the year. So if you own a Mi A1 phone then you should be getting that Software Update Available notification pretty soon. The update is 1107MB in size and also contains the December Security update. It’ll upgrade your phone to 8.0, not the latest 8.1. But it is certain that this phone will get that update in the future as well. Xiaomi has even promised the update for Andorid P. The best thing about the phone is probably the constant security updates it gets. The phone supports fast charging but it was disabled in Nougat for some reason. With the new update, however, fast charging has been unlocked.

Since it’s stock Android, it gets all the goodness that Oreo has to offer. This includes:

Picture in Picture Mode:

Picture-in-Picture-Mi-A1-Oreo — Image: Tom’s Guide

Minimize video window on YouTube and other media to continue using the phone with a floating video window.

Notification Dots:

Notification Dots is a minimal approach to make the notifications less intrusive. Whenever you had a notification, there used to be notification count on top of the app but now that has changed with a subtle dot. This shows that the app has some notification.

New Emojis:

The Oreo update has removed the blob emojis and replaced it with more expressive and colorful emojis. It has also introduced few new emojis.

Smart Text Selection:

With smart text selection, whenever you copy something, Google will identify what that text is and provide you with the option for that text. Like if you select an address, then the popup menu will suggest you the Google Maps app to look for that location.

Bundled Notifications and Redesigned Settings Menu:

Notifications are much more organized on the Oreo. You have all the notifications from a single app bundled as one on much minimal design. The best thing is, you can now snooze your notification and make it appear after some time.

The settings menu has been redesigned and bundled to make it easier to find the options you are looking for.

There’s so much more the new Oreo has to offer. This includes faster app opening time, better memory management, faster boot time and so on.

Umidigi G Review: Good Budget Option, But its Not Perfect

GadgetByte

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December 30, 2017

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Umidigi G Review: Good Budget Option, But its Not Perfect

Umidigi is another brand that entered the Nepali smartphone market in 2017. And even though the name “Umidigi” is itself a new name, the cellphone maker seems pretty determined to make a stamp in the chaotic offline dominated market of Nepal.

Umidigi, previously known as Umi entered Nepal with 5 new devices with the hopes of providing good smartphones in a pocket-friendly budget. The Umidigi G is one of their offerings on a budget of just under Rs 15,000, which will see it compete with the likes of Nokia 3, Moto E4, Colors P85+ selfie pro and a few others.

Specifications of Umidigi G

5.0-inch (720 x 1280 pixels) HD SHARP 2.5D curved display
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection
1.3Ghz Quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor
2GB RAM; 16 GB internal memory, expandable microSD up to 256GB
Android v7.0 (Nougat)
8MP rear camera with LED flash
2MP front camera
Dual Hybrid SIM (Nano+Nano/TF Card) with 4G LTE
Front-mounted fingerprint sensor
2000 mAh battery
Full Metal Body
UMIDIGI G Price in Nepal: Rs. 14,900

Build and Design

The phone is pretty sturdy, with a plastic body on all sides except the front, which is protected by a Gorilla Glass 4. The phone definitely looks a lot like an iPhone 7, with the antenna lines and the unibody look-a-like back. There is even a small camera bump on the back along with a home button at the front.

The volume and power buttons have a tactile feel to them. The fingerprint is located at the front, which doesn’t double as a home button for some reason. The charging port and headphone jack are at the top along and the bottom covers the loudspeakers and the mic. And finally, the left has the lonely SIM tray.

Display

The smartphone has a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280*720. It has a 2.5D curved glass with Gorilla Glass 4 protection. This display is good at an acceptable 294ppi but with washed out color reproduction. It is also pretty dim under direct sunlight and pretty bright for night time usage too, which does reduce its usability by a little.

Camera

This phone has, at most, an average camera. The colors look washed out and out of focus for the most part. The rear camera with a resolution of 8MP aided by a flash felt uninspiring, especially in low light. You really need a steady hand to take even the least decent shot.

Umidigi G gadgetbyte nepal Sample — Front Camera

This phone has a 2MP sensor at the front, which is usable. Although the selfies did come a bit washed out, they were far from bad.

Performance

The phone runs on a 1.3Ghz Quad-core MediaTek MT6737 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. It is a pretty mediocre processor, but thanks to the stock Android the phone does run relatively well. Basic tasks like calls and social media run well, with a few lags here and there.

The RAM is sufficient and the internal storage is also pretty adequate. It’s a hybrid expandable storage option, so consider that before your purchase. The phone does support up to a staggering 256GB of addable storage, which is nice as well.

Software/UI

Software, on the other hand, is a hit. Even with a mediocre performing spec sheet, the software played a huge role in the user experience of the device. The phone runs on a pure version of Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, which is nice considering you get no bloatware, no unnecessary lags, and just a simple smooth UI.

The drawback here is, even though it runs on the latest Android Nougat, the UI seems to be a bit outdated. But that by no means is a deal breaker.

Connectivity

The phone supports either two SIM cards or one SIM and another MicroSD card for storage expansion. The maximum expandable storage capacity is 256GB and both the SIM slots support 4G at the same time. The call quality and strenght was average as expected in budget phones like this.

The Umidigi G also features a fingerprint scanner which is accurate most of the times, but it takes about 1 sec which is slightly slower than what I expected.

Battery

A 5-inch 1280*720 resolution display paired with a 2000mAh battery is the weakest point of the Umidigi G. In my day to day usage, I got a screen on time of around 2-3 hours which is not enough for a full day usage.

The worst part is it takes a little over two hours to completely go from 0 to 100%. So, if you are anyone who values battery life on a smartphone, you should probably stay away from this phone.

Conclusion

If you are in a market for a Rs.15,000 smartphone, you will be confused with a lots of option. But, among all the bunch, Umidigi G offers better design and excellent user experience. At Rs.14,900, it is a good option and puts up a decent challenge against the competition. However, it is not perfect as it lacks to compete against phones like Gionee X1 and Xiaomi Mi A1 in the camera and battery department.

[/su_table]

Pros	Cons
720P display with Gorilla Glass 4 protection	Lack luster Camera
Decent Performance	Below Average Battery Life
Good Looks

Also Read: Top Smartphones Below Rs. 15,000 in Nepal

OnePlus 5T is now officially available in Nepal!

GadgetByte

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December 30, 2017

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OnePlus 5T is now officially available in Nepal!

After a month’s wait, the OnePlus 5T has finally made its way into Nepal. So, if you have wanted one, maybe now is the right time. You can purchase the 64GB variant here and its 128GB variant here. The 5T is finally available through an official channel in Nepal. However, the prices of the two variants are more than what we expected.

Latest Price: Rs. 57, 500 (6/64GB) | Rs. 72,900 (8/128GB) [Last Updated on July 25, 2019]

OnePlus is well-known to deliver great performance at a relatively low price. The OnePlus 5T, on paper, doesn’t seem to disappoint either. It has a refreshed 18:9 display panel and some top of the line specs. It’s an impressive choice for any OnePlus or Android fans in general.

However, the base model of the 5T is available for Rs. 64,900 which is really high as compared to its pricing in India (Rs. 32,999) and the US ($499). OnePlus is known in the world of smartphones as the company that provides flagship-grade features in a cheaper device. However, in Nepal, the device’s price tag is way too high. And it also makes no sense to make the 5T available in Oliz Store only!

If you are looking for a device and have the cash, the OnePlus 5T is a no-brainer. With a better SoC, more RAM options, a whole new design and much more, it will be worth the upgrade. However, if you happen to own its predecessor, the OnePlus 5, although the 5T has a refreshed display and a slightly better camera setup there is no need for an upgrade.

The only color option available right now is the Midnight Black. So, are you considering buying one? Let us know in the comments below.

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
6/8 GB RAM, 64/128 GB Internal memory
OxygenOS based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Dual nano-SIM slot
16 MP primary rear camera, 20 MP secondary sensor with Intelligent Pixel Technology
16 MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture
Fingerprint, Hall, Accelerometer, G-sensor, Electronic Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light Sensor, RGB, Sensor Hub
USB 2.0, Type-C, Supports USB Audio, 3.5mm audio jack
Dimensions: 156.1*75*7.3mm; Weight: 162g
3,300 mAh (non-removable), Dash Charge (5V/4A)
Latest Price: Rs. 57, 500 (6/64GB) | Rs. 72,900 (8/128GB) [Last Updated on July 25, 2019]

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 battery issue: Is it facing the same fate as last year’s Note 7?

GadgetByte

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December 28, 2017

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 battery issue: Is it facing the same fate as last year’s Note 7?

The Galaxy Note 8 is one of the complete smartphones of 2017. If you don’t believe us just ask MKBHD. But so was the Galaxy Note 7 from last year, which was basically perfect for its time, apart from a tiny problem. which was, of course, its battery. This year we have the Note 8 with another minute problem, and that problem is its battery.

No, the Galaxy Note 8 isn’t exploding, it’s a rather odd problem. Users are reporting that their devices aren’t turning back on after their phones turned off from complete battery drainage.

Now when we use the whole 100% of the battery and then some, our phones also turn off. We just plug the charger into the phone and it takes about 2-3 mins before it boots up again. Well, some Note 8 users thought the same thing, just to find out that their smartphones never charged back up.

The problem here seems to be that the device refuses or fails to charge back up. If you are one of the users who has this problem, you should contact Samsung for a replacement. Some users have also reported the same in Samsung’s community forum, you can check it out here.

There are also reports of the Galaxy S8 Plus facing the same issues but we will have to wait and see until Samsung officially acknowledges this. Samsung representatives are, however, advising their users to return their smartphones and get a replacement under warranty.