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HTC Desire 10 Pro Review: Alluring Looks & Remarkable Cameras

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HTC Desire 10 Pro Review: Alluring Looks & Remarkable Cameras

It won’t be an exaggeration if I mention that our smartphone market is flooded with the mid-range smartphones. Despite the myriads of smartphones in the market, choosing one while buying is always a pain in the neck. And among the same crowd of mid-range smartphones, HTC Desire 10 Pro has tried to stand tall with its fancy looks and impressive set of cameras. But what more has it to offer? Let’s find in this HTC Desire 10 Pro review.

Specifications of HTC Desire 10 Pro:

  • 5.5 inches (1080 x 1920) IPS LCD display @401ppi
  • Gorilla Glass 4 Protection
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • Rear Mounted Fingerprint Sensor
  • MediaTek MT6755 Helio P10 Chipset
  • Octa-core (4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.0 GHz Cortex-A53) CPU
  • Mali-T860MP2 GPU
  • 4GB RAM
  • 64GB Storage, Expandable up to 256GB (SIM 2 Tray)
  • 20 MP Rear Camera with f/2.2 aperture, laser autofocus, LED flash
  • 13MP Front Facing Camera with f/2.2 aperture and Auto HDR
  • 3,000mAh battery with Fast Charging
  • Price: Rs 30,000

Design and Build

In terms of design, HTC Desire 10 Pro is obviously one of the most stylish smartphones available in the market right now. The device is wrapped in a polycarbonate body and is remarkably light. In spite of having a polycarbonate body, the device does not seem or feel cheap. The device possesses matte-finished rubberized back crafted with gold accent around the edges and on the rim of the camera. This special contour has given a premium and stylish look to the device.  And because of the lightweight and elegant aesthetics, my experience on holding and using the device was pretty delightful.

HTC desire 10 pro

All the tactile buttons of the device are placed meticulously on the right edge of the phone. Power button lies at an absolute center of the right edge, which too possesses gold accent and a palpable texture like the Moto E4 Plus. And the volume rockers lies just above the power button.

HTC desire 10 pro

HTC Desire 10 Pro does not fall in the group of smartphones with a bezel-less display. It still has thick bezels on the forehead and the chin. The bezel on the forehead has been the habitat for the front camera, notification LED, earpiece, proximity and ambient light sensor. The lower bezel or the chin has the capacitive touch buttons embedded on it. With capacitive buttons on the chin, I did not have to sacrifice the lower portion of the screen and had been able to make full use of it.

HTC desire 10 pro

On the left edge of the device, there lies a SIM card tray, where two Nano SIM cards can be adjusted. If you need to expand the storage, SIM2 needs to be removed from the tray to provide space for the SDcard. Not much of a surprise, there is still a 3.5mm headphone jack on the HTC Desire 10 Pro. HTC allotted space for the jack on the top, placing charging port and speaker grill on the bottom. HTC has provided Boom Sound to this device. However, due to the absence of stereo speakers on the phone, the feature comes into action only when earphones are inserted.

Display

The smartphone embraces 5.5-inch IPS LCD display and comes with an aspect ratio of 16:9. In terms of resolution, the smartphone joins the league with Full-HD types and possesses a pixel density of 401PPI. The display is somewhat sturdy and scratch-resistant with Gorilla Glass 4 protection.

HTC desire 10 pro

The viewing angle of the display is decent and the color accuracy is close to natural. The brightness of the display is ample and one may find no issues under normal lighting condition. However, in the broad daylight or in the direct sunlight, it is a little distressing to perceive the entire details within the screen.

The smartphone is also privileged with an ambient light sensor and an automatic brightness option. So with this mode turned on, you do not need to tune the brightness every now and then.

Camera

Desire 10 Pro is a camera-centric smartphone. A 20MP camera resides on the back, which comes with f/2.2 aperture, Dual-LED flash, and laser autofocus. The camera is not just rich in the megapixel count but also on the quality of images it produces. The images possess good dynamic range and pack acute details of the objects in the frame. Also, the camera is dexterous on producing images with natural-like color reproduction.

HTC desire 10 pro - camera sample

With the laser autofocus, focusing is swift. Focusing gets even crisper with the HDR turned on. However, with the HDR turned on, the image processing gets a little sluggish. And if the subject or your hands are not stable during the time, the image so produced will be fuzzy.

HTC Desire 10 pro - camera sample - butterfly

Even while taking portrait shots, the device astounds the photographers with its charismatic potential. However, because of the narrow aperture, depth of field generally lacks shallowness (the blurs in the background in Bokeh effect).

htc desire 10 pro -camera sample

Low light shots are also pretty impressive with the device. Images shot under dim light or during the nights invite negligible amount of noises and grains, which are generally inconspicuous even when zoomed in. The rear camera also possesses the pro mode where one can tweak the white balance, shutter speed, and ISO values if the auto mode failed to replicate a satisfactory shot. And the best thing about the pro mode is, it can save the images in RAW format.

HTC desire 10 pro - camera sample

Up front, there is a 13MP camera dedicated to the selfies. The front shooter too captures great selfies readily uploadable on the social media like Facebook and Instagram. There is also a makeup mode for the selfie fanatics, who are used to with the instant beautification. In addition, there is a selfie panorama mode, which could be useful for taking wide-angle selfies. This mode can be a savior while taking a selfie among a large group of friends.

HTC desire 10 pro - camera sample

Despite being a great performer on taking still shots, the device gets a little less fascinating in the videography section. The device records only Full-HD videos at max and shooting a 4K video is not its cup of tea. But for those who are not resolute on the 4K recording inability, the device may entertain with its Zoe camera and Hyperlapse mode. The Zoe camera mode helps the user record a video of three seconds with sound. This feature could be handy when recording a moment, which could not be captured in an image. The Hyperlapse mode, however, captures time-lapse videos at the speed of 2x to 12x. And what excited me of all was the feature which let me alter the speed of the Hyperlapse videos even later.

Performance

The device is powered by MediaTek Helio P10 chipset, which houses an Octa-core CPU clocked at 1.8GHz. The device has embraced Mali-T860MP2 GPU to process and monitor the graphics related tasks within it. And in terms of RAM and ROM, the device lacks variants and only comes in 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage format. With a whopping 4GB of RAM, multitasking is delightful in this phone. Even on switching and multitasking the heavy apps and games, the smartphone does not break into a sweat.

MediaTek has been a diverting name as a chipset in the smartphone market these days because of the users’ preference for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset. Despite the presence of a MediaTek chipset on the phone, I find no issues on it regarding its performance during my time of use. Even on playing high-end games likes Asphalt 8, Dead Trigger 2, Dream League Soccer, PES 2018, etc., I did not find any lags and stutters. On lingering with the aforementioned games, the device warmed up a little. Such warmth in smartphones is generally obvious with graphics-intense games like that.

Software

The smartphone runs on Android Marshmallow (v6.0). The outdated OS on the phone turned me off, to be honest. But that sourness abruptly faded away when I received a notification about the software update. Not just one, there were back-to-back two updates for the device. However, the updates were for the bug fixes and security patches, the device still runs on Android Marshmallow.

HTC Desire 10 pro - Software

The smartphone is not free from bloatware. It has given spaces for the apps like Boost+, Zoe Video Editor, News Republic, etc. Boost+, as the name implies, dedicates itself to boosting the performance by optimizing apps and clearing junk files. Zoe editor comes handy when making amendments to the videos on the device. This app is also quite useful for making a slideshow like videos using the images and selecting a suitable sound clip. The News Republic app gathers news articles from reputed sources all around the globe and stacks them by classifying on a number of categories.

Security

In addition to pin, password and pattern lock, the smartphone has a fingerprint sensor as a biometric means for security and protection option. The fingerprint sensor on the device resides on the back and is incredibly sensitive. It unlocks the smartphone almost instantaneously. In addition, the fingerprint sensor doubles as a shutter button while taking selfies.

htc desire 10 pro - security

The device also includes other fancy methods for unlocking the device like Face Unlock and Voice unlock in smart unlock option. However, these means for security are not reliable and can be fooled easily. I tried using the image of a registered face from another smartphone, surprisingly, the smartphone unlocked without any messages. The smartphone takes a little more than a second to unlock the device using Face Unlock. Also, under low lights, this feature is absolutely useless. So choosing a fast and reliable fingerprint sensor over the sluggish and unreliable Face Unlock is an absolute no-brainer.

Battery

Focusing on fancy design and remarkable cameras, HTC seems to have given less attention to the battery. A 3000mAh battery juices the smartphone. This value is not on par with the smartphones of the similar price range. Not just on the paper, the smartphone failed to provide a prolonged battery life even on the real-life scenario.

Even on normal use, the smartphone failed to back me up for one complete day. With 4-5 hours of screen-on-time, the backup may disappoint the power users. However, the smartphone comes with a fast charging technology (5V/2A), who hates the prolonged company of smartphone with the wall charger. HTC Desire 10 Pro gets completely juiced up (0-100%) in less than one and half hours.

Verdict

Unarguably, the smartphone has a remarkable set of cameras and a superfast fingerprint sensor. The smartphone is also alluringly stylish in terms of design and feels great on use. However, one has to admit that the smartphone is a year old device with an outdated OS.  The Desire 10 Pro also lacks a noteworthy battery. So at the price of Rs. 30,000, the smartphone does not fall on my recommendation. At the similar price, striding towards the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro, Xiaomi MI A1, Huawei Nova 2i or Samsung Galaxy J7 Max would undoubtedly be a better choice.

Oops Wows
Outdated OS Remarkable Cameras
Average battery Capacity Stylish & Premium Design
Dull UI Fast Fingerprint sensor

I had used the smartphone for two weeks and those are my insights regarding the phone. What do you think of the phone? Does it fall on your radar of choices? Let us know in the comment section.

Micromax Canvas Infinity Early Impressions

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Micromax Canvas Infinity Early Impressions

The Rs. 20,000 price bracket is getting lots of competition of late with almost all smartphone manufacturer coming up with the new models. The Indian smartphone brand, Micromax also launched a new smartphone, the Canvas Infinity, which is priced competitively at Rs. 18,500.

Micromax is offering a new 18:9 aspect ratio display in this price range, until now were only available in midrange flagships and high-end phones. The display size is of 5.7-inch with IPS LCD technology and HD resolution. At first sight, the display looks decent, but quickly you will notice the brightness is not as good as one would expect at this price range. micromax canvas infinity gadgetbyte nepal

The phone has a budget-friendly 1.4GHz Snapdragon 425 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. We can expect the performance to be acceptable with the choice of SOC and 3GB of DDR3 RAM.

Micromax has worked cleverly to make the feel of the device like metal body. It’s a plastic body with a metallic finish. The back is also removable giving you access to the battery. A user replaceable battery could be ideal for power-hungry users.

The build, however, doesn’t feel sturdy like I expected. Talking about the battery, it has a 2980mAh. Paired with an underpowered SoC and an HD display, we remain optimistic.micromax canvas infinity gadgetbyte nepal

The 16MP front camera is where the Infinity shines. I took few selfies and it looks promising. It’s not the best selfie machine out there, but at this price point, we cannot complain much. Also, the front flash is just another bonus.

canvas infinity photo samples 3 canvas infinity photo samples 3

On the back, we get a 13MP sensor, which looks promising during my usage in daylight conditions.

canvas infinity photo samples 1
The fingerprint scanner is located at the back and its not that fast. Its usable, but i was hoping for a better one.

micromax canvas infinity fingerprint

The phone comes with Android Nougat out of the box. Micromax also claims it will soon be upgradable to Android Oreo. It is also a dual sim setup with almost all of the important sensors present.

The software is highly inspired from iOS. The UI lagged and the animation of the notification center is slow and annoying.

micromax canvas infinity UI bug
Sluggish UI Animation on Canvas Infinity

Early Impressions:

The USP of the device is the 18:9 display and a 16MP front camera. The hardware configuration is also decent for its price. But the iffy software, the UI experience expectation remains low. Although most of it can be fixed through a software update and we hope Micromax will roll out the update soon.

We will be testing the device for few more days and be coming up with the full in-depth review. Let us know in the comments what are the things are you looking for in our review.

Quantum computer chip to power super powerful unhackable PCs revealed

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Quantum computer chip to power super powerful unhackable PCs revealed

Scientists have revealed a silicon computer chipset which can assimilate quantum interactions. Researchers from the University of New South Wales are behind this feat clearing a way to create super powerful computers which will be able to perform calculations that can solve wide range of scientific problems such as climate change or even show the proper way to cure diseases like cancer.

Dr Andrew Dzurak, member of the research team, said, “We often think of landing on the moon as humanity’s greatest technological marvel. But creating a microprocessor chip with a billion operating devices integrated together to work like a symphony – that you can carry in your pocket – is an astounding technical achievement, and one that’s revolutionised modern life.”

“With quantum computing, we are on the verge of another technological leap that could be as deep and transformative. But a complete engineering design to realise this on a single chip has been elusive. I think what we have developed at UNSW now makes that possible.”

According to the researchers, the chip will now help create millions of quantum bits and make a computer with computing speed million times faster than conventional computers. In short, it will be able to solve different issues in under a couple of days, an issue which today’s computer takes millions of years to complete.

Dr Menno Veldhorst, who led the study, said, “Remarkable as they are, today’s computer chips cannot harness the quantum effects needed to solve the really important problems that quantum computers will. To solve problems that address major global challenges, it’s generally accepted we will need millions of qubits working in tandem.”

“To do that, we will need to pack qubits together and integrate them, like we do with modern microprocessor chips. That’s what this new design aims to achieve.”

Xiaomi Mi A1 now available in a Special Edition

Pratima Adhikari
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Xiaomi Mi A1 now available in a Special Edition

Xiaomi Mi A1 is one of the most hyped smartphones from Xiaomi recently. The device has come to the attention of many people due to the fact that it runs on pure android. This new variant is nothing but a cosmetic upgrade over the older one. Well, like most of the smartphone companies, Xiaomi is too in the race to bring out smartphones in red. Having said that, the red color looks somewhat like the OnePlus’ Lava red.

As mentioned already, the device comes with exactly the same internals. It has the same 5.5-inch Full HD display. Similarly, it packs a combination of dual 12MP cameras at the back (wide- angle and telephoto) and a 5MP selfie camera. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. The smartphone currently run on Android Oreo coupled with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB ROM out of the box.xiaomi mi a1 gadgetbyte nepal

Along with all that, it has a 3080mAh battery to keeps the lights running. Which again, paired with the SoC delivers on some promising battery life. The smartphone is a part of Google’s Android One, making it one among the handful of other devices. This also makes it the only Xiaomi smartphone with stock android out of the box.

It comes with a few features you don’t see on other mid-range smartphones like the inclusion of a USB C port. Although missing out on an almost bezel-less design was a bit of a disappointment, but not a deal breaker by any means. And with the inclusion of a fourth color option, it just sweetens the deal.

The red variant that we are currently talking about is currently available in Indonesia for around $228. Availability outside the country is yet uncertain, and we will keep an eye out for that. Until then the Xiaomi Mi A1 is available in Nepal in two variants. The 64GB variant that will cost you Rs  30,000 and a new 32GB variant as well for Rs 26,999.

Quick Note on Xiaomi MI A1

Xiaomi MI A1 has created a buzz in the Nepali smartphone market for a while now. For its features like bloatware-free stock android, dual-camera setup and a remarkable and superseding performance among the mid-range smartphones, it has gained an upper hand over its competitors. Keeping all these things in mind, we are striving to review the device. The device is currently in the review phase and we will soon let you know more about the smartphone. So if you hate to miss the review, please subscribe our YouTube channel and also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Health Officials: Sleeping anywhere near your mobile phone might cause cancer and infertility

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Health Officials: Sleeping anywhere near your mobile phone might cause cancer and infertility

Do you sleep anywhere near your smartphone? If your answer is yes, you might be actually doing yourself severe harm. According to the California Department of Health, people need to place their smartphone as far as possible while sleeping in order to decrease the exposure risk and diseases that follow. The department claims that sleeping anywhere closer than arm’s length of a smartphone could mean cancer and infertility.

The California Department of Health released a guidance on Thursday regarding the exposure risk of mobile phone radiation. There have been multiple reports regarding mobile phones radiation while sleeping with some even claiming that they cause radiation while using normally. This guidance follows cities like San Francisco and Berkeley, where officials recently warned the risk of sleeping near one’s mobile phone.

Read More: Smartphone Radiation: A Major Health Risk?

Dr. Devra Davis, official, Environment Health Trust, says, “Keeping a phone directly on the body has never been a good idea.”

Mobile phones use radiofrequency to transmit information. This frequency, although it is low, might be exposing us to harmful radiation, if the claims of the health officials are true. There are numerous research reports which claim that even under normal usage, mobile phones can cause radiation.

Apple includes a radiofrequency exposure notice in its smartphones’ settings with numerous mobile phone manufacturers also agreeing to this issue.

Dr. Devra Davis mentions, “Most people are not aware that there is a clear warning to keep the phone off the body embedded in the phone. This is particularly worrisome because most parents aren’t aware of these warnings are not managing their children’s expo California Department of Health sure to phones.”

The notice from the California Department of Health emphasizes on the subject of radiofrequency easily penetrating the brain matter of kids. Children have more risk of being affected by radiation than adults as it can damage brain development.

Although the reports regarding radiations of mobile phones causing cancer aren’t to be trusted yet, as a student of Public Health, even I would suggest you to stay away from mobile phones while sleeping.

CES 2018: Samsung to launch Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) and LG to launch K10 (2018)

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CES 2018: Samsung to launch Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) and LG to launch K10 (2018)

If the rumors in South Korea are considered, Samsung will launch the 2018 edition of Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ at CES 2018. This year’s CES is scheduled for January. LG will also try to win over the limelight as the company is set to launch the LG K10 (2018) at the event.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018) will feature the much-loved Infinity Display with 18:9 aspect ratio. With the A-series, Samsung always tries to bring some of the flagship grade specs into a relatively cheaper smartphone. The price of these duos haven’t been confirmed yet, but we can expect it to be over $300. The devices will then launch in Nepal in the following months.

Also Read: Samsung Mobiles Price in Nepal

As for other features, the devices will also have Bixby Home and Bixby Remind right out of the box. The A8 2018 will sport 5.5-inch display while its bigger variant will come with a 6-inch screen. For performance, both the devices will pack 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory and a dual camera setup (16 + 8 MP). All of this will be backed by a 3,500 mAh battery in the plus variant. Other features include Samsung Pay and a USB Type-C support.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 and A8 + (2018) will be out in mid-January in Korea with the international launch following up later.

Going up against the two smartphones of the A-series will be LG K10 (2018). The device will be a successor to this year’s K10 which, like all LG smartphone, didn’t launch here in Nepal. It will sport a 5.3-inch screen with a full HD device. The device will feature 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage and a traditional camera setup measuring 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel for the rear and front camera respectively. It will launch in Korea late January with pricing yet to be confirmed.

The flagship devices of Samsung and LG – Galaxy S9 and G7, according to rumors, is set to be introduced “after February”.

Apple Now Owns Shazam – Here is why

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Apple Now Owns Shazam – Here is why

If you don’t know what Shazam is, you are probably missing out on something. Shazam one of the most popular apps that answers a very important question – “What’s that song?” The app has over a hundred million downloads in Google’s play store alone. And why would it not, an app that can recognize any song in seconds, find lyrics, provide links to buy them, and even find tickets to the artists’ concerts.

Apple has acquired Shazam for around $400 million. A smart decision for Apple Music, which will perfectly go hand in hand with Shazam. The music recognizing app actually delivers around a million clicks to apple music and Spotify through referrals. And that is a huge number, in any case, Spotify happens to lose all those referrals.

Other than possibly eliminating one of their biggest music streaming rivals, there are a few other reasons why Apple aquired Shazam. The service can very well go hand in hand with Siri, unlocking a new platform of abilities.shazam apple gadgetbyte nepal

There are also other aspects like the augmented reality. Shazam’s abilities can very well be put to good use as iPhone X’s exclusive features. The most important subject of this aquisition is the data that Shazam holds.

The musical preference of millions of users outside its ecosystem is also something to think about. Shazam is an android app too, and apple can definately use a little outside information from those millions of Android users.

But most music industry enthusiasts believe that the app doesn’t have much of a standalone purpose even with the company’s initial evaluation of $1 billion dollars, and now being sold for $400 million. The fact that it brought out around $54 million as revenue in 2016 didn’t help either.

Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+: Everything from the latest leaks & renders

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Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+: Everything from the latest leaks & renders

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will surely be one heck of a smartphone. It is already one of the most anticipated devices of 2018. For a phone that needs to deliver on such high expectation, let’s look at what we know so far.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S9 Rumor Roundup: AI Chip | Front Fingerprint

The new Galaxy will feature the latest and greatest from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 845. The countries that aren’t China or US will receive the Exynos variants. The storage options could be anywhere from 64GB to a staggering 500GB with the RAM probably exceeding the 6GB benchmark.

samsung galaxy s9 renders

Dimension wise the S9 and S9+ will come at around 147.6 x 68.7 x 8.4mm and 157.7 x 73.8 x 8.5mm, according to a render. And even though these dimensions are almost the same, the screen size might increase, thanks to a little elimination of the bezel at the bottom.

samsung galaxy s9 renders

The fingerprint sensor looks to have found a new home, below the camera sensors. And the Iris Scanner is also said to be improved as well. The Galaxy S9+ will get the dual camera setup. The bummer here is, the S9 might not, following the tracks of apple and google to reduce features from the smaller version.

galaxy s9 failed design

The psychics will remain the same, as the failure to pass Samsung’s internal tests. Neither are we complaining, the Samsung Galaxy S8 duo were two of the best-looking smartphones of 2017. Maybe we will see it in the Note 9 or S10.

The phone will still house the volume buttons, power button and Bixby button on the sides. Bottom of the phone will hold the USB C power connector and the headphone jack. It also has a front and back glass build with a metal frame.

Although not much has changed, the new phone will still bring a load of improvements over its predecessor. The main thing is the camera, which remained unchanged in the Galaxy S8 series from the Galaxy S7 series. The S9 duo is expected to be released this March in a dedicated event by Samsung.

OPPO F5 Review: The Pretentious Selfie Expert

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OPPO F5 Review: The Pretentious Selfie Expert

Oppo has been focusing on the selfie camera of almost all the smartphones it makes and the newly launched OPPO F5 promises to capture the “real you”. So, I took the camera smartphone for a real testing, not forgetting its new display which has an 18:9 ratio. So how does it really fare? Does the OPPO F5 tick every box? Let’s check it out in this review. But before I start, let me just get all the specs out of the way.

OPPO F5 Specifications:

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

Camera

oppo f5 review

The 20-megapixel selfie camera is definitely the USP of the F5. OPPO is bragging about the Artificial intelligence capability of this camera to beautify a selfie, so I had to put that to the test. And I have to say I didn’t like the beauty mode at all. Take these images as an example.

Taking a normal picture, everything looked good, I was impressed by the fact that the camera could brighten up a picture when I was taking the picture on the left. On the right, however, OPPO amazingly erased the mole on my forehead. I have never seen a single smartphone do this. And look at my skin tone. Why would anyone like a picture with such skin tone? And why are my eyes sparkling? Yes, a couple of people on Instagram might like this new AI compatible selfie shooter, but is it for everyone? Not at all. And under low light setup, the picture I took from normal mode looks much much better than the one taken from the beauty mode as you can see in these two pictures.

Yes, the normal selfie mode takes good pictures but there is nothing to be home about as lots of smartphones are capable of taking better pictures, with the Huawei Nova 2i being a prime example. Here is a comparison shot between the two devices:

On the rear side sits a 16MP camera which is decent at its best. Under ample lighting, the device can capture pictures with good color reproduction and saturation. But I wasn’t at all impressed by the HDR mode. The HDR enabled picture on the right only has a little bit of increased exposure.

In short, even though OPPO claims itself as a great camera smartphone, the OPPO F5 has what we call “an average at its best” lenses.

Performance and Software

The OPPO F5 with its new octa-core Helio P23 processor and Mali G71 GPU performs quite well considering its price tag. The device scored higher on Antutu as compared to the Huawei Nova 2i and the J7 Pro. The dual-core GPU of the device also has a respectable score as it outperforms the Nova 2i and the J7 Pro.

These stats are emulated well on real life performance as the device, with its 4 GB RAM handles most of the things thrown at it.

Gaming on this device yields good results and multitasking is great. However, sometimes there are lags here and there, and I think it’s the software of this device that is solely responsible.

Words cannot describe how disappointed I am with Oppo F5’s user interface. The skin on top of Android Nougat is truly a copy of Apple’s iOS. And while I am okay with manufacturers’ choice to copy good things of another manufacturer, OPPO has included some of the worst features of iOS.

Take the notification shade and the control center for example. You should also know that it takes two taps to remove a notification. Everything about this skin is a whole lot of disappointment. And the heavily skinned Android is what causes stutters here and there. But there is a sound amplifying dac embedded into the UI which helps produce louder sound while using earphones!

Display

oppo f5 review

Well, OPPO isn’t just cashing in on the camera setup of its new smartphone. It is now one of the few smartphone manufacturers to include the narrower 18:9 aspect ratio on a mid-range device. So, in short, this device’s display will be directly compared with the Huawei Nova 2i. Lets forget about the nits and other geeky terms to explain this display and rather focus on the real-world usage. The OPPO F5’s full HD display produces deeper blacks thus resulting in an excellent contrast. For a device worth 34k, it has good sharpness and enough brightness to use it under the brightest of lights. But like I said before, this smartphone will go up against Huawei Nova 2i. And side by side, the Nova 2i certainly has better saturation and color reproduction. And don’t even get me started on how it performs against the Galaxy J7 Pro. The Super AMOLED display of the J7 Pro is the best display on any midranger in 2017 even with a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio.

You will have to give up on one-handed usage though as the 18:9 form factor and the 6-inch display don’t help with the cause. But the newer type of display certainly helps amplify multimedia and gaming experience.

Design

oppo f5 review

With this new display format, OPPO has certainly impressed many. You too will be impressed with the screen while holding the smartphone, right before you start noticing that the back is actually made of plastic. Well, this is due to the polycarbonate plastic backing that OPPO apparently opted to cut cost. Vivo has done the same thing with its new V7!

The polished plastic tries to emulate modern 2017 looks. I have to admit that, the rear side is great looks wise. It’s somewhat similar to the iPhone 7. But on-hands, you will understand how OPPO has cleverly worked to make it feel look like metal.

The polycarbonate back certainly helps in a better grip though, which is not at all possible with metallic backs. This back borders the basic volume rockers and power button, which are also made of plastic. On the bottom lies a single mono speaker which is only average.

Sensors

On this polycarbonate body sits an oval shaped fingerprint scanner and believe me it’s one of the most fastest sensor. It is capable of unlocking the device in a jiffy and not once has it given up on me yet.

Oppo has also imitated Apple by including a face unlock system. Although this security option can intelligently differentiates between a real face and a picture, I have had mixed feelings about this security option as it works only 95% of the time. I even had issues while registering my face as the smartphone constantly nagged me about the angle and the lighting I was in. And if you are in a poorly-lit condition, the face unlock might not even work sometimes. But when it worked, it was fast, really really fast.

Battery

The battery life of the OPPO F5 is quite good to be honest. During my day-to-day usage, the battery certainly lasted for a whole day. The standby time of this 3,200 mAh battery is great as well. The choice of processor, although it is of 16nm, has helped the cause.

You will be dissatisfied to know about the lack of fast charging support, though. So it will take you over 2 hours to completely juice up the device. You have your very own VOOC charging ability at helm. Make a good use of it!

Connectivity and Call Quality

The OPPO F5 has dual SIM slots, like most of the smartphones that launch in Nepal these days. On a plus side, there is also a separate microSD card slot. So, buyers will not have to worry about having to compromise on either a SIM card or a microSD card. And both the NTC and Ncell SIMs work perfectly fine on the device. The people on the other end never really complained about the call quality, and I was hearing everything perfectly fine.

Conclusion

The OPPO F5 is a selfie oriented device like all OPPO smartphones. In the end, this review begs a question, “Is OPPO F5 something you should invest in?” Well, that depends. While I personally might not be that into selfies, this device could be a good buy for someone who is really into the selfie experience. Also, it has a bright display with a new aspect ratio which is great for gaming and multimedia experience. But the Nepali market has become so competitive that what the OPPO F5 lacks is easily available on other smartphones in the same price range.

If you aren’t impressed with what OPPO F5 offers, you might want to check out devices like the Huawei Nova 2i, Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro or the Xiaomi Mi A1.

Pros Cons
Front-facing camera Software/User Interface
Performance No fast charging
Battery No 5Ghz WiFi
Fast face unlock system Plastic back

Mi 4K Action Camera launched for Rs. 24,999 in Nepal

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Mi 4K Action Camera launched for Rs. 24,999 in Nepal

It hasn’t been long since Vatsal Impex, authorized distributor of Xiaomi products in Nepal, launched a wide range of accessories ranging from Sphere Camera Kit to Mi Power Bank here. And the company is at it yet again as it has launched the Mi 4K Action Camera in Nepal. The device is targeted especially towards adventure lovers.

Don’t Miss: Xiaomi Mobiles Price in Nepal

The Mi 4K Action Camera, as I mentioned before, is a small and portable camera that can shoot 4K video format. The camera it possesses is a Sony IMX 317 lens that has an aperture of f/2.8. This lens has a 145-degree viewing angle which Xiaomi claims can capture images without any distortion. There are different camera modes embedded into the device. It is capable of shooting slow-motion videos, time-lapse photos and videos, and loop recording among others. And for the ones into editing pictures later, the action camera also lets shoot pictures in RAW format.

On the Mi 4K Action Camera sits a 2.4-inch touchscreen which has a resolution of 960 x 480 pixels. This display is backed up by a built-in 1,450 mAh battery, which Xiaomi claims can capture 4K videos for 120 minutes @30 fps.

For connectivity purpose, the device packs Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules as well. There is also an application that lets users control the action camera directly from their smartphones. The device is priced at Rs. 24,999 and can be purchased from Mi showrooms or directly from Mi Nepal’s website.

Mi 4K Action Camera Specifications:

  • Display: 2.4-inch touchscreen (960 x 480 pixels)
  • Processor: Ambarella A12S75
  • Lens: Sony IMX 317 with f/2.8 aperture
  • Weight: 99-gram
  • Dimensions: 71.5 × 42.7 × 29.5 mm
  • Battery: 1,450 mAh
  • 6-axis EIS
  • Built-in microphone
  • 145-degree wide-angle lens
  • Up to 4K video recording @30 fps
  • Up to 64 GB external card supported
  • Bluetooth v4.1, Wi-Fi (up to 2.4 MBps download speed)

Mi 4K Action Camera Price in Nepal: Rs. 24,999

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