Teletalk Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor of Gionee smartphones in Nepal, has officially made its flagship phone, the Gionee A1, available to the Nepalese customer. The handset was announced at MWC 2 months ago. In Nepal, it was available for pre-order from the offline and online store.
The Gionee A1 is priced at Rs. 29,999 and offers a 5.5-inch 1080P display that has bright and vibrant IPS panel for the price tag. On the performance side, it has 4GB of RAM and a rather dated Helio P10 octacore processor.
Gionee A1 Long Term Review:
Gionee has marketed the phone with a tagline “Super Selfie Super Battery” as it offers 16-megapixel front camera and 4010mAh battery. The phone has not only focused on the megapixel count but also on the sensor size and selfie flashes to ensure enhanced photo quality and clarity. The 16MP sensor comes with the sensor size of 3.06” and an aperture of F/2.0. Speaking of the battery capacity, the Gionee A1 has a big 4010mAh battery. It also comes with fast charging (18 Watts) that the company claims will charge the phone from 0 to 100% in 2 hours. It also features a dual chip charging technology that keeps the battery cool and safe when the phone is being charged.
For the security purpose, the phone has an embedded fingerprint scanner on the home button.
Gionee is also offering “Super Service” for the Gionee A1. This offer includes a 30 days replacement warranty, and a faster service within hours for in warranty and out warranty product.
GIONEE A1 SPECS OVERVIEW:
5.5-inch (1920× 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS 2.5D curved glass display
Gorilla Glass 3 on the front with Oleophobic coating; Full Metal body on the back
1.8 GHz Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor with Mali T860 GPU
4GB RAM, 64GB Internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with micro SD
Android 7.0 (Nougat) with Amigo OS 3.5
Dual Hybrid SIM (4G + 4G)
13MP rear camera with LED flash, PDAF, f/2.0 aperture, 1/3.0+” sensor, 5P lens
Lenovo is well known in the Nepali market for its laptops. The products the company offer is of great quality. Recently, along with its computers, LifeCom, Lenovo’s authorized distributor in Nepal, has started to concentrate on the smartphone lineups. LifeCom is about to launch the beloved Moto G-series in Nepal. But before that, it is se t to unveil two new devices of the higher-midrange category – the Lenovo Vibe P1 turbo and the Lenovo K6 Note.
Lenovo Vibe P1 Turbo
Just like its name suggests, the Lenovo Vibe P1 Turbo is a powerhouse of a device. It packs a huge 4,900 mAh battery with a support for fast battery charging (Quick Charge 2.0). On the display front, the Vibe P1 Turbo sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The display is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Underneath the hood, the device is powered by an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor which is aided by Adreno 405 GPU and 3GB of RAM. The device comes with 32GB of onboard storage with an option to expand it via a microSD card slot. The major downside of the device is that is comes with Android v5.1 Lollipop out of the box.
Lenovo Vibe P1 Turbo Price: Rs. 28,000
Camera wise, the Lenovo Vibe P1 Turbo features a 13-megapixel lens with f/2.2 aperture. The selfie camera is of 5-megapixel and has f/2.8 aperture. The device has a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. It supports dual SIM and has a gyro sensor for the perfect virtual reality experience. LifeCom has priced the Lenovo Vibe P1 Turbo at Rs. 28,000.
Specifications wise, the Lenovo K6 Note has a 5.5-inch 1080p display made of IPS LCD panel. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC and an Octa-core CPU clocked at 1.4 GHz. The processor is coupled with Adreno 505 GPU and 3 or 4GB of RAM according to the variant buyers purchase. It runs on Android v6.0 Marshmallow with no news on an upgrade to Android Nougat. It has 32GB of internal memory and an option to expand it.
Lenovo K6 Note Price: Rs. 30,000
Optics wise, the device is equipped with a 16-megapixel rear facing camera that is aided by a dual tone flash. The front-facing camera measures 8-megapixel. The device features Dolby Atmos audio enhancement, a fingerprint scanner and gyro sensor among others. It is backed up by a 4,000 mAh battery with no information on fast charging. It is available in three colors: Silver, Dark Grey and Gold.
LifeCom has decided to price the Lenovo K6 Note at Rs. 30,000.
Good news, One Plus 3 and 3T users! The latest update for your phone is now available over-the-air (OTA). The latest update is OxygenOS 4.1.3 which is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It’s not a major update but it has several bug fixes to keep your phone running smoothly. These include the following:
Upgraded Android 7.1.1
Added expanded screenshots
Improved picture taking of moving objects with blur reduction
Improved video stability when recording
Improved Wi-FI connectivity
Improved Bluetooth connectivity
Fixed Instagram swiping bug
Fixed hardware buttons malfunction bug
Increased system stability
General bug fixes
The OTA update will reach a small percentage of users first before a wider rollout in the coming days. However, I was able to update it by installing a Opera VPN app and changing my IP to Canada.
While we’re waiting for the HTC 11 to get announced, HTC has recently launched a mid-ranger, the HTC One X10. The phone was found listed on the Russian site of the company, which is expected to go on sale later this month for RUB 19,990 which is around USD 335. The major focus of the phone is given to its battery life and comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery which the company claims will last for 2 whole days of usage.
Being a mid-range phone of 2017, it comes with a familiar set of specs. It carries a 5.5-inch Full HD display with pixel density of 401ppi and is protected with an unspecified version of the Gorilla Glass. Powering the phone is Helio P10 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8Ghz. Paired with that comes 3GB of RAM. For graphical performance, it has Mali-T860MP2 GPU. The phone also comes in a sleek metal body with typical HTC design and carries a fingerprint sensor on the back.
It comes with 32GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 256GB via MicroSD card. For optics, it comes with 16MP Rear Camera with f/2.0 aperture, Optical Image Stabilization and can shoot 4K @30fps. Up front, it has an 8MP Camera. The X10 also comes with Stereo speakers. USB C is something we wanted to see in 2017, but many mid-range phones have failed to carry one including the X10. But that’s not all, the rumors claim the phone is still running on the outdated version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow which the HTC hasn’t confirmed yet.
The phone comes with HTC’s Boost+ function which dynamically manages the phones resources to provide better performance while gaming. This is definitely something to look forward on a mid-range phone.
Specifications HTC One X10:
5.5 inches(1080 x 1920) @401ppi
Android 6.0 Marshmallow (Not Confirmed)
Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 Chipset
Octa-core (4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.0 GHz Cortex-A53) CPU
Mali-T860MP2 GPU
3GB RAM
32GB Storage, Expandable up to 256GB
16 MP Rear Camera with f/2.0 aperture, OIS, and dual-LED (dual tone) flash
8MP Front Facing Camera
802.11/ac WiFi
Non-removable 4,000mAh Li-Ion battery
The availability of HTC One X10 hasn’t been confirmed outside of Russia.
With the Nepali New Year lurking around the corner, NTC has introduced its New Year Offer scheme. This offer includes all GSM/CDMA PostPaid, Pre-Paid users. The offer starts from today (Chaitra 30) and lasts until 28th of Baisakh 2074. So you have a whole month to take benefit of the offers. Here are the schemes under the NTC New Year Offer:
Bonus On Recharge:
Under Bonus On Recharge, you get extra balance depending upon the amount you recharge. This offer is valid for all GSM/CDMA Pre-Paid and Post-Paid users.
For Rs.100 and Rs.200 recharge, you get 10% Bonus, that is Rs. 10 and Rs.20 respectively.
For Rs.500 and Rs.1000 recharge, you get 15% Bonus, that is Rs. 75 and Rs. 150 respectively.
You’d have to use the bonus balance within 3 days from recharge.
Night Voice Pack:
For all of you night owls, this pack is going to be pretty beneficial. You get 250Minutes of talk time for just Rs.25. That’s 4 hour and 16 minutes for just Rs.250, per minute. Voice Pack will be activated from 10 PM to 6 AM. So if you’re up all night to get lucky, this is the package for you. This offer is valid for GSM Pre-paid and Post-paid users.
For Subscription type ‘NIGHT’ and send it to 1415. The offer will be valid for 7 days from the subscription date. You can opt for Night Voice Pack from Chaitra 30 to Baisakh 28.
Night Data Pack:
There is two option in the Night Data Pack. You can either take 3GB or 6.5GB of data. 3GB is priced at Rs.200 and 6.5GB is priced at Rs.300. That’s Rs.66 per GB. This offer is available for GSM Pre-Paid and Post-Paid users only. Subscription has a validity of 30 days. Night Data Pack will be activated from 10 PM to 6 AM.
For subscription, type ‘NIGHT3GB’ or ‘NIGHT6GB’ and send it to 1415. The subscription period is from Chaitra 30 to Baisakh 28.
GSM Data Pack:
These data packs are not time bound so you can use it whenever you prefer. You have three options on this data pack, 400MB, 850MB, and 1500MB or 1.5GB. Rates for the data packs are:
400MB at Rs. 100
850MB at Rs. 200
1500MB at Rs. 300
These data rates are cheaper than the Ncell’s current data pack rates. This offer is available for GSM Pre-Paid and Post-Paid users. It is valid till 30 days from the subscription date.
To subscribe to particular data pack, type ‘DATA400MB’ and send it to 1415. You can opt for GSM Data Pack from Chaitra 30 to Baisakh 28.
Huawei is slowly starting to boss around the smartphone market in almost every price range. The company’s choice to offer some top quality smartphones in an affordable price range is really commendable. Even while launching some high-end flagship devices, the company hasn’t forgotten about its budget smartphone department. The launch of a new budget device tells this story. The Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus is a budget oriented device that features a not-so-new design.
The Enjoy 7 Plus has a tall form factor as it sports a 5.5-inch display with some large bezels on the top and bottom. Probably the downside of the device is the display as it comes with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels with 267 ppi. Underneath the hood, the device is powered by an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor with the clock speed of 1.4 GHz. Huawei has coupled this processor with 3GB of RAM and an older Adreno 505 GPU.
The major selling point of the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus is its battery. The device boasts a huge 4000 mAh battery. This battery will go nicely with the low-res 720p display.
Camera wise, the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus comes with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera that has autofocus functionality. The primary camera is capable of taking videos up to 1080p. The camera at the front is of 8-megapixel which will surely take some social media ready pictures.
It runs on Google’s Android v7.0 Nougat right out of the box. Storage wise, the device packs 32GB of onboard storage with an option to expand it via a microSD card. A fingerprint scanner rests below the camera at the back. The device comes in three color options: Gray, White, and Gold.
Talking about its pricing, the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus will go on sale for around CNY 1,600 which roughly converts to around $230. While Huawei has been offering some great devices at a much lower price range, I personally don’t like the price of the Enjoy 7 Plus. Yes, it does feature a huge 4,000 mAh battery but the display is just of 720p.
Also, regarding its pricing, Chinese smartphone’s prices never translate to 1:1 in other currencies or countries when mobile devices are offered outside of the mainland. So, if the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus is launched here in Nepal, you can expect it to come at a higher price tag.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus:
DISPLAY
5.5-inch 720 x 1280 pixels with 267 ppi Pixel Density
Samsung, the Korean giant that already has a good standing on budget and flagship ranges with its Galaxy J series and Galaxy S series smartphones wants to take over in the midrange segment with the introduction of Galaxy A series smartphones starting from last year. This A series phones have got a second iteration this year and for last two weeks, we’ve used the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017, the latest and greatest phone in this lineup. Here’s what we think about the device and let’s find out where this big screen water resistant phone stands against its competition.
Design:
Starting with the design, it is where the phone easily surpasses the competition. The glass-clad phone with metal all around it seems to borrow the design language right from the company’s last year’s flagship the Galaxy S7. The phone is premium to look at and hold. The curved glass at the back does aid in providing good grip while using the device. The phone is truly a fingerprint magnet so get ready to rub your phone against your cloth every now and then. Design-wise, this is the fanciest mid-range phone that we’ve reviewed so far.
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 is priced at Rs. 54,900 in Nepal.
On the back, the phone is all clean with Samsung logo below the back camera and the flash. Thankfully, the phone doesn’t have a camera bump and lays flat on the table. On the front, the phone looks like a chunk of glass with big screens, thin borders, and obvious head and chin. The head has the proximity sensor, metal earpiece, and the front camera. The chin has a fingerprint sensor embedded in the home button with backlit capacitive buttons on the side. The phone has a tray for sim2 and micro SD card and a secondary mic on the top. On the right, it has a loudspeaker and the power button. Micro USB type C, primary mic, and the 3.5mm headphone jack are placed on the bottom edge. And, the volume rockers and the sim1 tray are placed on the left edge.
Display:
The A7 2017 has a big 5.7inch Super AMOLED Full HD display that has deeper blacks and great contrast. The colors are well saturated and do pop out like every other Samsung OLED displays. But if you’re coming from an LCD screen this might look a bit artificial to you and you can get the colors that you’d rather prefer by setting the screen mode to the “basic”. The viewing angles are super wide and the display is pretty bright and I had no issues while using the device outdoors. The display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 but still, I got few unintentional scratches on them so I would suggest you to apply some screen protection to the display just to play it safe.
Performance:
Now, it is in the performance where the phone doesn’t keep up with the competition both on paper and in real life use. That said, the phone that is powered by Exynos 7880 Octacore CPU and coupled with 3GB RAM is no super slow or anything. The app loading times aren’t that long and the phone is capable of running graphics intensive games as well. But it is when I tried switching the apps that were opened a while ago, the device took much longer than other phones in the same price range would do.
Galaxy A7 2017 Benchmark Scores (Antutu and GeekBench 4)
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And, there were a few times when the device didn’t respond to the touches but I’m still not sure if it’s the display issue or the device issue. I played few games like Modern Combat 5 and Asphalt 8 and I wasn’t disappointed with its gaming performance. Plus, the phone didn’t have any heating issues even in my prolonged gaming sessions. Like the J7 prime, the loudspeaker is placed at the right top edge and is now less likely to be covered while gaming but I’ve used phones from same price range with much louder and richer loudspeaker. Lastly, the fingerprint sensor’s performance is sub-par and is not so impressive.
Software/UI:
The phone runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow but the real sweetness is the Grace UX that is minimalistic and flashy at the same time. The slightly rounded icons look pleasing to the eyes and the interface is much lighter and faster. The colored icons in quick settings to represent what is on and what is not are a welcome edition as well. What I liked the most are the grouping of notifications it does, and the split-screen mode that can be enabled by long pressing the recent app button.
Grace UX (screenshots)
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Camera:
It is when using the cameras the phone started to win my heart again. The phone houses 16MP, f1.9 units both on the front and the back that take 4:3 photos in full megapixel and 16:9 photos in 12megapixels. The primary camera focuses really fast and the photos come well-detailed with a little of over-saturation. The Camera app is much cleaner and comes with different modes and filters, that can be accessed by swiping from left and right respectively. The floating camera app button and swiping vertically on the camera app to switch cameras are other cool features. You can take 30 burst photos both from the front and the back by long pressing the shutter. The front cameras are on point in reproducing right skin tone and the selfies can be tuned to look even better by different beautification options like skin tone, skin smoothing, and large eyes.
Camera Samples
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Photo of Owl taken from Samsung Galaxy A7 2017
Captured using Samsung Galaxy A7 2017
Samsung Galaxy 2017 Back Camera shoots well detailed photos
Low Light Photo Sample
Front Camera Sample (Normal)
Front Camera Sample (Beauty Mode: On)
Samsung Galaxy 2017 Macro Shot
Coming to the videos the phone can shoot 1080p videos at 30fps at the highest both from the front and the back. Though the phone has an option for software video stabilization, the camera unit doesn’t have Optical Image Stabilization and that can be felt while trying to shoot videos while walking. Coming to where the camera suffers the most, it is under the low-light conditions when the photos come too noisy with lots of grains in them.
Connectivity and Sensors:
For wireless connectivity, the phone comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with dual-band support and Bluetooth 4.2. Other sensors used in the phone are GPS, NFC, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, and barometer. The phone supports Dual 4G SIMs and a microSD card. The Wi-Fi networks and data were stable and I had no problems while calling. The call quality was excellent, so was the audio coming out from 3.5mm headphone jack. The volume of the earpiece is already loud and in the case of hearing aid needed while on a call, there is an option for “extra-volume” from the earpiece as well.
Battery:
Comparing with the phones in similar price range based on the battery performance, Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 is without a doubt a definite winner. The phone with 3600mAh battery gave me an insane battery life worth a full day even in my heavy usage. If you want to enhance the already good battery life then you could do so by turning off the always on display that drained the battery a little faster during the time of my review. In last 10days, I’ve charged the phone for 7 times in total.
Battery Performance
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Verdict:
The Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 isn’t the right phone for everyone. It’s for those who prioritize looks over performance. If you need a water resistant phone to address your multimedia needs and that lasts longer on a single charge then it’s the phone for you. But if you want a phone with the performance worth the price then you should be looking somewhere else.
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 Gallery
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Samsung Galaxy A7 2017, a fancy midrange phone
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 IP68 water and dust resistance
Samsung Galaxy 2017 in Color Blue
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 boots on Android 6 Marshmallow
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 Grace UX
Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 16MP Front Camera
What I liked the About Samsung Galaxy A7 2017:
The first and foremost thing is undoubtedly the battery life. It feels amazing to be carefree about your battery life when it lasts for two whole days.
Then comes the flagship grade design in a midrange phone. It’s easily one of the great looking phones in this price range.
Having a phone with IP68 certified water and dust resistance makes me feel confident to use my phone even in dusty roads of Kathmandu and while raining.
This phone has an impressive display that has good contrast, great colors and amazing outdoor visibility.
What I Disliked About Samsung Galaxy A7 2017:
The performance of the phone is sub-par as compared that of phones in similar price range. That way, the performance doesn’t seem to do justice to the price tag of the phone.
The second disappointment from this phone is its fingerprint sensor which isn’t as fast and accurate as that of the phones in similar price range.
Since it’s a phone of 2017, it was expected to be running on Android Nougat out of the box but it doesn’t.
If you weren’t impressed by the Samsung Galaxy A7, Here are some other options you can consider:
Priced at Rs. 54,900, the OnePlus 3T sports a 5.5-inch 1080P Optic AMOLED display with 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 4 protection. It houses a 16MP (f/2.0, Sony IMX298 sensor, OIS, 4K) rear and 16MP (f/2.0, Samsung 3P8SP sensor, PDAF, 1080p) front cameras. It is powered by Snapdragon 821 processor, 6GB RAM, and 3400mAh battery. It is running on Oxygen OS based on Android 6 Marshmallow and is upgradable to Android 7 Nougat.
Another great device in the same price range is the Oppo F3Plus that sports 6inch 1080p IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It houses a 16MP (f/1.7, dual phase detection autofocus, OIS, dual tone LED flash) rear and dual 16MP + 8MP (wide angle) front cameras. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 653, 4GB RAM and 4000mAh battery. The phone boots on ColorOS 3.0 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.
After the recent price cut, the last year’s Samsung’s flagship, the Galaxy S7 now falls on near-to price range and is another device to be considered. The phone is now available to buy on Rs. 57,900. The phone sports a 5.1-inch QHD (1440 x 2560 pixels) Super AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It houses a 12MP, f/1.7 rear and 5MP, f/1.7 front cameras. It is powered by Exynos 8890, 4GB RAM, and 3000mAh battery. The phone boots on Android 6 Marshmallow but is upgradable to Android 7 Nougat.
The increasing number of smartphone companies in Nepal has resulted in more number of devices releasing in each and every price segment. We have been witnessing the release if some great smartphones. But while doing so, manufacturers have now started selling some old pieces of hardware. Not saying it’s a bad thing or anything since we are getting to see some great devices at a cheaper price. Doing the same thing is Infocus, as the American company has released the Infocus M535, more than a year old device.
Priced at Rs. 17,490 (2GB) and Rs. 19,990 (3GB), according to the variant you purchase, I got to play with the device for a week. And here is my verdict.
Key Specs of Infocus M535:
5.5-inch IPS display, 720 x 1280 pixels
Corning Gorilla Glass 3 upfront
MediaTek MT6735 SoC;
Quad-core processor with 1.5GHz clock speed
Mali-T720 GPU
Android v6.0 Marshmallow with InLife UI
2GB/3GB RAM
Internal Storage: 16/32GB
Expandable Storage: Up to 64GB
Rear Camera: 13 MP, LED flash
Front Camera: 8 MP
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1
Sensors: accelerometer, gyro, proximity
2600 mAh Non-removable battery
Price: Rs. 17,490 / Rs. 19,490
DESIGN
These days even the lower-end smartphones feature metallic back, and the Infocus M535 is no different. The device comes in a metal back that is bordered by two plastic bands. The metal back of the device feels premium, but the review unit we received has somewhat of a bulged out plastic band which makes a lot of that ‘Kiiirrrkkkkk’ noise when pressed.
On the plastic back up top, a rear-facing camera sits along with an LED flash. There’s a company branding on the metal. Up front, the device features a 5.5-inch display with some rather larger bezels at the top and bottom. The large bezels have made the device look a bit bland. On the top is an earpiece, a few sensors and a front-facing speaker.
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The power button, the volume rockers, and the SIM slots sit at the sides. One issue I had with the volume rockers is that they are placed a bit higher than what I am used to. The SIM and microSD card slot is placed right above the power button. Down below, there is a single bottom firing speaker and a microUSB connector. Oh, and the device does come with a headphone jack.
DISPLAY
Like the devices of its price range, the Infocus M535 sports an HD display. The IPS display measures 5.5-inch and come with the resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels.
Unlike the Epic 1, the last Infocus device I reviewed, the M535 has no ugly black band around the display. Right off the box, the display looked bright. But once I streamed a HD video on the device, I realized that it lacked the sharpness and vibrancy. I had expected a bit more from the display even though it comes with a 720p resolution. The gaming experience is nice on the large display, but again, it lacked the sharpness, and wasn’t all that colorful and saturated. The viewing angle of the device is good and the gaming experience is decent, though.
SOFTWARE
Software wise, the Infocus M535 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box with InLife UI on top. Even though I am aligned towards stock UI, I had no problem using Infocus’ skin. I, however, decreased the animation scale of the device as the software felt a bit slower for me.
But it does come with a few bloatware which I didn’t actually use. One of the best features of my primary smartphone is the inclusion of different gestures. But I missed those gestures dearly when the M535 became my primary device for a week. Nonetheless, the software experience of the M535 is good and lag free.
PERFORMANCE
On to the performance, the Infocus M535 is powered by a Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor with the clock speed of 1.5GHz. The SoC is coupled with Mali-T720 GPU and 2GB or 3GB of RAM, according to the variant you purchase.
The device sometimes lagged when I had tons of apps running in the background. Other than that, I had no issues with the performance of the device.
HARDWARE
On the hardware side, the Infocus M535, like I already mentioned, comes with a single bottom firing speaker. It is average and not that very loud, but it gets the job done, nonetheless. One problem with speakers at the bottom is that it gets covered easily while using a device in a landscape mode. And I had the same issue with M535’s speaker.
Being a two year old device, it comes with a microUSB v2.0 port for connectivity and charging. Alongside the charging port is a primary mic. There is a secondary mic on the top which really helps in background noise cancellation.
The Infocus M535 ships with 16GB of onboard storage with an option to expand it up to 64GB via a microSD card slot.
CAMERA
The Infocus M535 is equipped with a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. In a well-lit environment, the pictures from the camera come out decent. It, however, lacks the proper sharpness and color reproduction. Like every other smartphone of its price range, the camera of the device suffers under low light. The pictures come out way too noisy and grainy.
The front-facing camera of the Infocus M535 measures 8-megapixels. Before anything, I would like to mention the unusual lines that appear when taking selfies in the night time. I don’t really know what those lines are but it really tells us all about the camera quality of the device. Under ample lighting, the front camera takes decent social media ready selfies.
The camera app comes with some gestures for taking pictures. But I would have liked it if Infocus had concentrated on the camera quality rather than these gimmicky features.
CONNECTIVITY
The device comes with dual Nano-SIM slots with only one slot supporting 4G connectivity. It also supports memory expansion through a microSD card slot. Then 16GB of onboard storage can be expanded up to 64GB. During calls, people didn’t really complain about the call quality. Also, the inclusion of a secondary mic has helped in making the call quality a bit better.
The Infocus M535 has a Gyro sensor for an excellent VR experience. It, however, lacks a fingerprint sensor. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1
BATTERY
The Infocus M535 houses a small 2600mAh battery. Since the device features a 720p display, I had expected the battery to last a bit longer even if it was a tad bit smaller. But I only got around 3.5-4 hours of screen-on-time under heavy usage. My usage included gaming, internet browsing and calling. Even with moderate use, the battery didn’t last all day. So, you will have to carry around your charger if you intend to buy this phone.
The device has no fast-charging option. There is, however, a power saver option which increases the battery life slightly.
Conclusion
The trend of smartphone manufacturers and distributors releasing devices has brought forward a massive competition. Infocus surely realized that and launched the Infocus M535 here in Nepal. But since it is a two-year-old piece of tech, you might not actually find some of the newer features in the device.
All in all, the Infocus M535 is a midrange device that offers good design and bigger display for your multimedia needs. If good looking design and a bigger display are your priority, this would be a right choice. However, if you want a better performance, better camera, and better battery life, you should be looking somewhere else.
IF YOU’RE WEREN’T IMPRESSED BY THE INFOCUS M535, HERE ARE SOME OTHER OPTIONS YOU CAN CONSIDER:
Priced at Rs. 19,999, the Huawei GR5 Mini packs a Octa-core Kirin 650 processor with 2GB of RAM. It sports a 5.2-inch full HD display. A large 3,000 mAh battery backs the device.
Xiaomi Mi4
The Xiaomi Mi4 sports a 5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixels display which is cloaked by Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a Quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.5GHz processor. The SoC is aided by Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM. The Xiaomi Mi4 is available at Rs. 17,999.
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
The Zte V7 Lite comes in a metal body. The device is powered by a Quad-core MediaTek MT6735P processor with 1.0GHz clock speed. It features a fast fingerprint scanner.The 13MP back and 5MP front camera is also decent considering the price of Rs. 17,390.
2017 has been a great year for the smartphone world. The year started with HMD Global launching a Nokia branded smartphone, Huawei releasing its flagship and Samsung opting for a larger display and aspect ratio. And even greater news, most of the top-tier smartphones launched internationally will soon be available in Nepal. So today, we have made a list of the top smartphones that the Nepali smartphone market will soon see.
Nokia made an epic comeback this year with the release of the Nokia 6 and the Nokia 3310 among others. The Nokia 6 is a budget smartphone that comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (403 ppi). The display has a Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Under the hood, the device is powered by an Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor. The processor is coupled with Adreno 505 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It runs on Android v7.0 and also features Google Assistant. Camera wise, the Nokia 6 houses a 16-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel secondary camera. It comes with a front-mounted fingerprint sensor. A good 3,000 mAh battery backs up the device.
Nokia 6 is rumored to arrive in Nepal in the end of April via Paramount Electronics Pvt. Ltd, its authorized distributor in Nepal. We are yet to receive a word on its pricing. I am very excited to see this new and revamped Nokia smartphone hitting the Nepali market. It is a device to watch as Nokia was once a beloved brand of the Nepali people.
Nokia 6 in a nutshell:
5.5-inch IPS LCD full HD display
Rear Camera: 16MP with f/2.0 aperture
Front camera: 8MP with f/2.0 aperture
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor
Octa-core CPU
Adreno 505 GPU
Android v7.1.1 Nougat
3GB of RAM
Internal Storage: 32GB
Expandable Storage: Up to 128GB
Fingerprint scanner
Google Assistant
3000 Non-removable battery with fast charging
Huawei P10
Huawei’s flagship for 2017, the Huawei P10 was released last month internationally. The device packs a smaller-than-average 5.1-inch display. The IPS-NEO LCD display features a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and it is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Software wise, the Huawei P10 runs on Android v7.0 Nougat with Emotion UI 5.1 on top. It is powered by an Octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor and Mali-G71 MP8 GPU. The device comes with 4GB of RAM.
On the photography side, the P10 is equipped with a dual camera lenses measuring 20-megapixels and 12-megapixels with f/2.2 aperture and Leica optics. The front-facing camera is of 8-megapixels. A 3,200 mAh battery runs the show for the Huawei P10.
Regarding the launch date of the P10, Huawei could release the device this April’s end here in Nepal. In the international market, the Huawei P10 is currently priced at $685. We can expect the price to rise when it is launched here in Nepal.
Huawei P10 in a nutshell:
5.1-inch (1080 x 1920) display with 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass 5 protection
EMUI 5.1 on top of Android 7.0 Nougat
HiSilicon Kirin 960 Chipset
Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) CPU
Moto devices have been a hit in the international smartphone market, especially the smartphones of the G-series. They are proper ‘bang-for-budget’ devices. And finally, after years of waiting, Lenovo is finally bringing Moto phones in Nepal. LifeCom, the authorized distributor of Lenovo in Nepal is set to launch the Moto G5 and G5 Plus in the near future.
The G5 has a 5.0 inch and the G5 Plus has a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display. Processor wise, the G5 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with the clock speed of 1.4GHz whereas the G5 Plus features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC with 2GHz clock speed. a 13MP rear and 5MP front camera. Buyers of the Moto G5 will get to choose between 16 or 32GB of internal storage which features 2GB and 3GB of RAM respectively. As for the G5 Plus, buyers will get to choose from two storage variants, 32GB of 64GB. The 32GB version comes with 3GB of RAM and the 64GB version comes with 4GB of RAM. Running the show for the G5 and G5 Plus are 2,800 mAh and 3,000 mAh battery respectively.
We are yet to receive any news on its pricing in Nepal.
Moto G5 in a nutshell:
5.0-inch 1920×1080 IPS display
Android 7.0 Nougat
13-megapixel rear camera(dual-LED flash)
5-megapixel wide-angle front camera
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor
2GB/3GB RAM
16GB/32GB storage
Up to 128GB microSD storage
2800mAh removable battery (fast charging support)
Micro-USB charger port
Dual-SIM support
Android 7.0
Fingerprint sensor
Moto G5 Plus in a nutshell:
5.2-inch 1920×1080 IPS display
Android 7.0 Nougat
12-megapixel dual camera (claimed to be better for low-light photos)
It hasn’t been long since Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S8 and S8+ internationally. But the company is already at its work as it has been rumored that the devices will be available for pre-order starting April 19 here in Nepal. The devices will probably run you Rs. 79,999 and Rs. 89,999 respectively.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ come in a 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch display with minimal bezel at the top and bottom. These devices will be powered by Exynos 8895 in the Nepali version. International version, however, houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The processor of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be coupled with 4GB of RAM.
Optics wise, the devices feature the same 12-megapixel rear-facing camera and 8-megapixel front-facing camera that has selfie-autofocus functionality. Decent 3,000 and 3,500 mAh batteries back up the Galaxy S8 and S8+ respectively.
The Gionee A1 sports a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and 401 pixels per inch. The Corning Gorilla Glass cloaking it ends in a 2.5D arc. Underneath the hood, the device houses an Octa-Core MediaTek MT6755 Helio P10 processor, a Mali-T860MP2 GPU and 4GB of RAM. Storage wise, the device packs 64GB of onboard storage with an option to expand it up to 128GB.
The Gionee A1 runs on Android v7.0 Nougat with Gionee’s very own Amigo OS 3.5 on top. The Chinese company has invested on people’s interest on selfies as the A1 is equipped with a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. At the back, the A1 has a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture, just like the front camera.
A large 4,010 mAh battery featuring fast charging lights up the device. The expected price of the Gionee A1 is Rs. 35,000, and since the international pricing of the device is €349, the pricing of the device in Nepal is really commendable. Also, ‘pre-bookers’ of the device will get JBL Go speaker for free.
Gionee A1 in a nutshell:
5.5-inch (1920× 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS 2.5D curved glass display
Gorilla Glass 3 on the front; Full Metal body on the back
1.8 GHz Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor with Mali T860 GPU
4GB RAM, 64GB Internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with micro SD
Android 7.0 (Nougat) with Amigo OS 3.5
Dual Hybrid SIM (4G + 4G)
13MP rear camera with LED flash, PDAF, f/2.0 aperture, 1/3.0+” sensor, 5P lens
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