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Google’s Gboard: An upgrade to Google Keyboard

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Google’s Gboard: An upgrade to Google Keyboard

Gboard was the iOS version of Google keyboard which has loads of features compared to the Android counterpart. Android users were really pissed since the feature rich Gboard was launched first on iOS neglecting its base android users. But finally, after six long months of waiting, Gboard is finally here for the Android users.

Most of the core functionality of the keyboard remains the same; you have gesture typing, voice input, themes, language packages, intelligent suggestions and much more. The main feature here is the Google search feature directly from the keyboard, you have  a G logo on the left side which you can select and easily search for anything on Google. Besides this tapping on G logo gives you three options: select themes, change the keyboard to the one-handed mode and go to keyboard settings.

Gboard

The search result will display a web page or cards to show the information. You can also directly share links from the search cards which is a pretty neat feature. Now when you have to search for something while having conversation with your friend, you can easily search for those things and share them instantly. You can also enable a dedicated numbers row, and when you switch to emoji mode, you can even search for emojis which means no more endless scrolling for finding the most suitable emoji.

The search result will display a web page or cards to show the information. You can also directly share links from the search cards which is a pretty neat feature. Now when you have to search for something while conversating with your friend, you can easily search for those things and share them instantly. You can also enable a dedicated numbers row, and when you switch to emoji mode, you can even search for emojis which means no more endless scrolling for finding the most suitable emoji.

Other features include enabling a dedicated numbers row, emoji search when you switch to emoji mode which means no more endless scrolling for finding the most suitable emoji. Gif search is baked in the keyboard but it only works on Google Hangouts and Google Messenger. All and all it’s a great update to the Google keyboard, you can now download the official app from Google Play Store or if you want you can always download the apk. If you’re using Google Keyboard, it’ll be installed as an update which means all of your personal word suggestions will still be there.

Report: Growth of smartphones is declining fast

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Report: Growth of smartphones is declining fast

Smartphones used to be this thing of wonder which amazed us every day. Things we thought we couldn’t do on the go, well, smartphones pretty much proved it wrong. Now, you don’t need to carry a separate camera, music player, voice recorder, entertainment system or anything, everything you ever needed is neatly sitting in your pocket as a single device right now. But to reach to this state, there was a successive development, every year we saw a new feature that usually required a separate device: like the first year, it was a camera, then music player, voice recording, video recording and app support that pretty much opened up a whole new world.

Gartner’s study has shown that people use the same smartphone for the span of 2 to 2.5 years and will remain same till 2020. People are even skipping few generations to finally upgrade when they see something innovative. The growth of smartphone will not be in double digits, worldwide smartphones sales have grown only 7% to reach 1.5 billion units in 2016 which is a serious decline from 14.4% in 2015. Smartphone sales growth was highest in 2010 reaching 73% but ever since there has been major ups and downs in the market.

Smartphones have really gotten boring, every smartphone is the same piece of a rectangular metal slab with a giant screen up front. For the past few years, the only change in the smartphones has been a more shinier display, more powerful processor, more RAM and more megapixels! You can’t even distinguish between a midrange and a premium phone these days. People are happy with what they’ve got, be it a midrange or flagship. They can easily comply with our day to day usage pretty good. In a mature market, people don’t change their smartphones yearly like they used to, and every year the iPhone or any other phone isn’t getting any more innovative or smarter which at this point we all have realized.

The market penetration in European nations, North America, and developed Asian countries have reached 90% where users are sticking with their flagships longer. So manufacturers are targeting India and China where the consumers are high where they could boost their sales. But even doing so, most of the smartphone sales will be budget oriented in these regions and that won’t have much effect on the declining profit.

The future of smartphones is in VR, AI-powered devices and something that can provide real usefulness like the Windows phone which can also be used as a full-fledged Windows PC. For now, the path that smartphone development is taking seems pretty awesome but there are also other things we can expect which may possibly remove the need of smartphones like smart glasses and wearable tech.

Report: Less than 15% Population From Underdeveloped Countries Have Internet Access

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Report: Less than 15% Population From Underdeveloped Countries Have Internet Access

According to a recent report from a United Nation agency, almost half of the world population will be online by the end of December (i.e. the end of the year 2016).

This is probably due to the decreasing price of mobile phones and mobile internet’s prices, the report by the United Nation’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU) stated.

Even with half of the world population set to go online by 2016, the number of the users are still concentrated in the developed countries. As the year comes to an end, about 80 percent of the people from developed countries are using the internet. The number computes to around 40 percent in the developing countries and only 15 percent in the less developed (or underdeveloped) countries.

When combined, all this calculates to about 47 percent of the world’s population going online, which is still 13 percent short of one of United Nation’s target of 60 percent population going online by 2020. The data shows that about 3.5 billion people are expected have internet access by the end of this year.

The report has mentioned that only 1 person among 10 is online in Africa, and other poor and fragile countries.

According to the union, a specialized agency for information and communication technologies, the offline population mainly consists of less educated people, poor people, people living in rural areas, the female and the elderly.

Even with more than 50 percent of the population offline, 47 percent is still a good number. This has happened mostly due to smartphone manufacturers decreasing their mobile phones’ price, and telecommunication companies providing cheaper mobile internet to their users.

Although there is a trend of most of the less developed nations’ population not having access to the internet, the number of Nepalis having access to the internet is increasing. A research conducted by Nepal Telecommunication Authority in 2015 showed that nearly 44.11 percent of the population had internet access. This surely has increased in 2016 with the increased number of budget smartphones entering the nation every now and then.

Talking about the less developed nations, the report stated, ‘Internet penetration levels in less developed countries today have reached the level enjoyed by developed countries in 1998, suggesting that the less developed countries are lagging nearly 20 years behind the developed countries.’

2016 was a fruitful year in the internet sector. With 47 percent of the world already online, the 60 percent target set by U.N. isn’t that far away.

Undestanding fingerprint technology : Does your smartphone have one?

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Undestanding fingerprint technology : Does your smartphone have one?

There are many of us, who are tired of setting our phone lock in a pattern, pin or password mode. They are often predictable and our privacy is always on a stake. However, the technology has made a leap. Nowadays, the technology has arrived where we can set our phone privacy to “only me” mode. This has been possible with the introduction of fingerprint technology. Therefore, to unveil this mystifying technology, we have tried our best in this article.

What is fingerprint technology?

Fingerprint technology falls under the classification of Biometrics. Biometrics is an automated method of recognizing a person based on a physiological or behavioral characteristic. The features or characteristics the Biometrics includes are the face, fingerprints, hand geometry, handwriting, iris, retinal, vein, and voice. Biometric data are separate and distinct from personal information. Biometric templates cannot be reverse-engineered to recreate personal information. Therefore, they avoid theft and ensure the safety of your personal information.

As the name implies, fingerprint technology only deals with the fingerprint of the user. This technology essentially requires a fingerprint sensor on your device. The fingerprint sensor scans your fingerprint and if matched it unlocks your device. The most interesting fact regarding the fingerprint is that even the twin possesses different fingerprints. So, having your phone in the hand of your sibling will no longer be a threat to you if you have kept a fingerprint lock.

How does fingerprint technology work?

Based on principles, there are mainly three classifications of fingerprint sensors and their working principles are discussed here.

1. Optical fingerprint scanners

Fingerprint technology made a debut through the optical fingerprint scanners. So, they are the most primitive type of fingerprint tech on the list. And as implied by the name, this technology relies on the optical image or photograph (to be exact) of the finger. And with the photos taken, it determines whether the pattern of ridges and valleys in the image matches the pattern of ridges and valleys in pre-scanned images. For comparing such unique patterns, a special set of algorithms are employed there. Matching the special types of marks, ridges, and valleys of the fingerprint with the registered one, the device gets unlocked.

As mentioned earlier, Optical fingerprint scanner takes images of the finger. So it has some analogies with the camera. Just like a camera sensor, the optical scanners also come with a finite resolution. And higher the resolution, the finer details the sensor can detect. Thus offering a higher level of security. However, this type of sensor does not literally fall under the secure type of fingerprint sensor. Optical fingerprint sensors are not difficult to fool as this sensor technically involves in capturing the 2D image. So even a synthetic picture of fine quality can be used to trick and bypass this particular design.

2. Capacitive scanners

This type of fingerprint sensor is common among the smartphones trending these days. This type of finger-scanning device uses a bunch of capacitive proximity sensors, along with a microcomputer and associated electronic signal processing circuits, to create and store a digital image of a human fingerprint.

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Unlike Optical fingerprint scanner, instead of photographing an image of the ridges and valleys of a fingerprint, a capacitive finger scanner’s sensors generate a complex pattern of electrical currents. A bunch of capacitors employed in the system records the complex pattern of electric currents. When a finger’s ridge touches the conductive plates, the capacitor charges slightly. But when the sensor faces an air gap, the capacitor will remain relatively uncharged. These complex set of signals are processed to form a digital image of the fingerprint. Since the presence of a human finger in the capacitive scanner is mandatory in order to generate the image; it is more difficult to fool it than an optical device.

3. Ultrasonic scanners

As the name suggests, this technology employs ultrasonic waves to detect the pattern of the fingerprint. It essentially requires an ultrasonic transmitter and ultrasonic receiver. When the user places his finger in the fingerprint scanner, the transmitter sends a gust of ultrasonic waves. Some of the sent waves get absorbed while some of some them reflect back after striking the finger. The intensity of the reflected waves determines the ridges, valleys, and pores of the finger. This type of scanners saves a 3D image of the finger and hence is more secure than the capacitive scanners. This type of scanner is the most secure scanner in our list.

NMDA Mobile Expo 2016/17: What, When and Where?

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NMDA Mobile Expo 2016/17: What, When and Where?

Nepal Mobile Distributors’ Association (NMDA) is all set to organize a NMDA Mobile Expo 2016/17 at BhrikutiMandap starting from Dec. 29th, 2016 to Jan 2nd, 2017. The primary objective of this 5 days long expo is to accommodate all Mobile manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and service providers under the same roof .

Raghu Tripathi, general secretary of expo organizing association, said “In the expo, National and International service providers and manufacturers will be introducing high tech products and services”. “Mobile phone company’s new products will be introduced, interaction between service providers and customers and opportunity towards wider choices for the buyers will be the main attraction in the expo”, he added.

In NMDA mobile expo, there will certainly be special discounts and gifts to the visitors. There will be 130 stalls in total, out of which, 17 stalls inside the main hall will be of the mobile phone importers displaying the latest mobile phones they have imported. Visitors can certainly get to know about the offerings from those latest handheld devices. But to buy a phone, visitors can only buy from the retailing outlets kept outside of the main hall. Unlike biased expos in the past, this expo is giving stalls for all interested mobile manufacturing companies, importers, distributors and retailers from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.

The expo is going to be held in coordination with different mobile brands so a little more discounts than usual can be expected but will that be enough to make this expo a must-go? Well, I personally, don’t think so. Looking at the expos from the past, an expo in Nepal is nothing but a hype.

For instance, the well-known expos like that of CAN are now being nothing more than a place to sell internet services, mobile sim-cards, computers and accessories. That are something which are easily available anywhere. So what is the point of going to the expo, if you are buying the same already available products and services? What I’m certain about these kinds of expos is there will be huge crowds for sure. Many of those who’ll pay a visit in this kind of expos will later be disappointed and won’t be recommending any of their friends or families to go. I wish if there could be some kind of real Tech Expos in Nepal that would reflect something new, something revolutionary in Tech Industry. Until and Unless the latest mobiles are being released in an event like this, I won’t consider visiting it.

But in this mobile expo by NMDA, the organizers are claiming it to offer a different experience. The NMDA team is positive towards this event to be a successful one that’ll aid Mobile Market in Nepal through brand promotions and brand awareness. It is likely to motivate customers to buy mobiles from white markets as opposed to gray ones. In this mobile fair, visitors will surely find some food stalls as well. How effective, entertaining and successful this expo will be, is something that is still yet to see.

Will you go in an expo that will be overcrowded and will offer nothing more than few hundreds of discounts? Is it justifiable for an expo to be organized that offers nothing but phones from yesterday or yesteryear more likely? Have you ever been to any kinds of such expos? If yes, share your experience with us in comments down below.

Lenovo K5 Note Review: High on features, low on performance

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Lenovo K5 Note Review: High on features, low on performance

Lenovo is slowly trying to crawl its way into the Nepali smartphone market after its success as one of the best selling laptop manufacturers here. In that process, it launched the much-hyped Lenovo K5 Note a while back. Priced competitively at Rs. 27,500, with an ANTVR headset bundled in with the deal, the device features some top of the line specs.

If the price range is considered, it will go against some of the premium devices like the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime, Gionee S6s, Meizu M3 Note, ZTE Axon mini, and OnePlus X among others. The K5 Note does feature some high-end specifications, but does it perform well in real life? Is it pricing justified? Is this a device you won’t regret spending on? Let’s find out in this review.

DESIGN (3.5/5)

The Lenovo K5 Note features a metal backing with plastic bands on the top and bottom for antennae signals. A camera sits between the top plastic band and the metal back. I was let down by the device’s design at first glance. The design is dull and didn’t appeal me.

There is a LED flash right below the camera and a fingerprint sensor right below the LED flash. The second plastic band gives space for a speaker grill. The K5 Note also has a secondary mic for background noise cancellation.

Moving on, the metal-cum-plastic backing is separated from the display by a plastic rim. Yes, this device features a metal backing but everything else is plastic. This rim feels cheap along the power button and the volume rocker. I don’t know why the manufacturer didn’t go for a full metal body instead. Yes, the plastic antennae bands are acceptable but the rims and the buttons too? And I should mention the ‘Kriiiikkk’ sound the plastic makes which added more to my disappointment.

At the front, there is a 5.5-inch that is accompanied by an ear piece, a front facing camera, accelerometer, gyro, and proximity sensors. There are off-screen navigation buttons below the display. The bottom of the display is engraved with a primary mic and a microUSB charging port.

DISPLAY (3.5/5)

The Lenovo K5 Note features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display with 401 for the pixel per inch. The display is bright and vivid. On default, the screen was a tad bit warm to my liking. But I could easily change that since there is an option that lets you toggle the color temperature, tone, and saturation of the display. The display isn’t that super bright. But under ample lighting, you’ll only have difficulty while viewing objects with dark backgrounds. The ambient sensor helps in the outdoor visibility when the brightness is set to auto.

The thick black band around the display is something I didn’t like at all, and the lack of 2.5D glass makes the device look dreary. [Note: Dear smartphone manufacturers, please don’t include the black band here onwards. It is annoying and makes the device less appealing.]

Lenovo hasn’t mentioned the nature of the protective glass of the display, and it certainly isn’t Corning Gorilla Glass like its predecessor – the Lenovo K4 Note. So, I suggest you get a screen protector for the device right away!

PERFORMANCE (2.5/5)

Under the hood, the Lenovo K5 Note features an Octa-core MediaTek MT6755 Helio P10 processor with a clock speed of 4 x 1.8 GHz and 4 x 1.0 Ghz. You might have heard gadget freaks talk about how cores and RAM can’t determine a smartphone’s performance quality. The Lenovo K5 Note is the perfect example of that statement. A beast of a device on paper with a whopping 4GB RAM (we got the 4GB variant for our review; 3GB variant is only available in Nepal), the device lags, that you might get annoyed. One of the main reasons for this (or the only reason) is probably its SoC, the MediaTek Helio P10.

Under heavy usage, the device lags, and stutters, and sometimes apps don’t respond and you get that annoying little ‘App not responding’ popup. On top of that, it sometimes lags even when using the device normally. Even with its good RAM management, it slowed down here and there.

CAMERA (3/5)

Specs wise, the Lenovo K5 note features a 13-megapixel rear facing camera with f/2.2. This camera is equipped with phase detection autofocus, HDR, panorama and accompanied by single LED flash.

Well, forgetting about the camera specs, and focusing on its use in real life, the camera is average. It takes good pictures under bright light. They come out colorful and bright. However, under low-lit setting, the K5 Note is no different than the smartphones of its price range. The pictures come out noisy and way too grainy. I should also mention that I couldn’t differentiate the pictures taken normally and the ones taken with HDR.

The camera app is easy to use. It lets you toggle features such as white balance and ISO. It also comes with some basic effects like Mono, Sepia, Negative, Memory, Gorgeous, Elegant and Cool. The camera focuses on objects quickly.

The front facing camera is of 8-megapixel. It takes some really good social media ready pictures. If selfie is your thing, you’ll like this front camera.

SOFTWARE (4/5)

The Lenovo K5 Note used to run on Android 5.1 Lollipop when it was released in January. But the company has upgraded its Android system which means that it now runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. There have been no talks of Nougat, however.

The device has Lenovo’s Vibe UI running on top of Android Marshmallow. There was a few bloatware, but hey, there is at least an option to uninstall those apps! I had no problem navigating through the UI. The software department looks quite stock-esque. There is also a theme manager that lets you change the theme (useful for changing some of the icons).

There are other features like ‘double tap to wake’, quick snap (takes pictures when you press the volume button twice when the screen is off) and some cool fingerprint gestures. It also comes with Secure Zone, Superpower, and Cast screen.

Probably the best feature of the Lenovo K5 Note is the option to use a split-screen mode for VR mode. While in other smartphones you have to install different apps for this feature, this device comes with Theater Max Technology making gaming and multimedia a worthwhile experience.

HARDWARE (4/5)

On the hardware side, the Lenovo K5 Note is quite good actually. The device is equipped a Dolby Atmos speaker that produces some great quality sound. Even though the speaker can be blocked when using the device, the loud and clear sound covers up this problem. So, if you’re into watching videos or listening to audios, you might like this device. It also features Wolfson DAC. While using headphones, the sound did get loud, but I couldn’t sense any other changes.

Talking about the storage, the K5 Note features a 32GB option for both the 3GB and 4GB variant. There is an external storage option which lets you expand the storage up to 128GB. So, if you’re heavy into saving tons of files on your phone, you won’t be disappointed with this device. The only downside is that the device has a dual hybrid sim slot so you have to choose between expandable storage option and a second SIM.

The off screen navigation buttons are backlit making your usage in a dark environment easier.

FINGERPRINT (4/5)

The fingerprint sensor of the Lenovo K5 Note detects fingerprint and unlocks the device in an instant. There were rare hiccups, though, meaning the sensor worked 95% of the times. The fingerprint can be used for other functions too. Different gestures let you take pictures, and go back or to directly to your home screen.

CONNECTIVITY (4/5)

The Lenovo K5 Note has dual hybrid SIM slots for two GSM Nano-SIM cards which mean you need to choose between a second sim and expandable storage. The device supports 4G connectivity and VOLTE. Other connectivity options include WiFi b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth v4.2, hotspot and FM Radio. The call quality was good and the device sensed WiFi signals better than some other smartphones.

BATTERY (4/5)

A big 3,500mAh battery runs the show in the Lenovo K5 Note. The battery gave me a screen-on-time of around 4.5-5 hours under heavy usage which was less than what I had expected since the device features a 1080p display. This usage consisted of constant web browsing, using several apps at the same time and playing some high-end games. If you are a moderate user, the device will last you for around a day and a half. Even though the battery life is average, the embedded Quick Charge Technology charges the battery swiftly. The K5 Note probably has the fastest battery charging technology in its price range.

CONCLUSION

Like I previously mentioned, Lenovo is trying to crawl its way into the Nepali smartphone market, and the K5 Note is probably a huge part of it. Featuring some awesome specs on paper, it could easily have been the best device in its price range. It comes with an inbuilt VR mode, a great speaker, fast charging and a good fingerprint sensor. But everything else is either average or below par. With lots of budget smartphones releasing almost every week, its bid to become one of Nepal’s popular smartphone seller could be in danger.

The Lenovo K5 Note is a VR ready phone and comes with different useful features. But that doesn’t cover up its hideous performance. The device, for me, failed to pack a punch. And while I’ve missed using some of the devices I’ve previously reviewed, I won’t be missing the K5 Note.

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Pros Cons
VR support Iffy Performance
Dolby Atoms Speaker Average Camera
Fast charging Average Build and Design

Top disappointing Smartphones of 2016

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Top disappointing Smartphones of 2016

Sometimes things do not go well as expected and this is valid with the smartphones manufacturers too. Sometimes the manufacturers fail to grasp the demand of the consumers and sometimes the products turned out to be defective. At the end, the products turn out to be a disappointment among the consumers. Here we have collected a list of disappointing smartphones of 2016, which turned our anticipation futile.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

With an introduction of Iris scanner and with the improvement of the camera than its predecessor, Note 7 had an alluring specification. However, things did not go as expected. The flagship device exploded out of the blue and hence topped the list of disappointing smartphones of 2016. Samsung blamed the battery for the explosion and called out the devices for the battery replacement. However, the battery replacement idea did not turn out to be a sustainable solution. The series of explosions did not stop even after the battery replacement. Hence, the manufacturers fall under the obligation to call back all the devices and to discontinue the sales and shipments. With the rumors of Galaxy Note 8 peaking in the tech market, tech freaks like me are anticipating to look the way Samsung to make its comeback.

LG G5

When LG launched its modular phone G5 at MWC, it promises everything that one would expect in a phone like QHD display, 4GB RAM, Qualcomm SD820 SoC, and removable battery. However, technical problems with modular camera modules, speakers, Battery drainage, and connectivity has plagued G5 owners. Moreover, priced at Rs. 75,000, the LG G5 was nowhere near its competitors S7 Edge that offered better display, camera, and battery life.

iPhone 7

Killing the 3.5 mm headphone jack, this year’s iPhone gained attention along with the controversy. Excluding the media hype, no much improvements were there to lure the 6S users for an upgrade. Running through the comparisons, iPhone 7 seem neglected as its sibling iPhone 7 plus being nurtured with higher end specs like fullHD display and dual camera lens. Though Apple forgot to put higher end specs to the iPhone 7, however, Apple was alert to put the pricing in the enormous range of 92,000 – 1,22,000 for the three variants. Turning a year’s anticipation futile, iPhone 7 also set a benchmark in the list of disappointing smartphones of 2016.

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL

Lumia 950

When all the smartphone manufacturers are focusing on bringing Android smartphones, Microsoft has been the one not to follow the trend. However, Windows as the smartphone OS was not loved by the consumers as it was loved in computer gadgets. Nevertheless, the specs of Lumia 950 XL was of satisfying type. However, with the price difference Rs. 10,000 to its sibling Lumia 950, the differences we get was just a 0.5” increase in display and the upgraded CPU from Hexacore to Octacore.  For bringing worthless specs for the price and for not having the fan favorite Android OS on its system, following the league, Lumia 950 XL also turned out to be a disappointment

Sony Xperia X

Closing the flagship line of Xperia Z series, Sony decided a moniker change in their devices. And Xperia X turned out to be a first descendent of the Xperia X series. However, the new Xperia X came out to bring the same taste in different attire. Excluding the upgrade of the front camera from 5.1MP to 13MP, there is no much change in the Xperia X as compared to its predecessor Z5. However, this superiority leveled out with a demotion of battery power from 2900 mAh to 2620 mAh and display size from 5.2” to 5.0”. Without an appreciable improvement and not much of the alluring specs, yet the price of the device costs a choking amount of 64,999. This not only turned disappointment among the consumers but also make Sony face criticism from the Sony fan base.

Xiaomi MI5

Xiaomi MI5

Despite the price drop from 49,999 to 44,999, Xiaomi MI5 is still overpriced in Nepal. Not just through the price, Xiaomi disappointed the consumers with the display too as it sports only a Full HD resolution. MI5 seem eclipsed as its Chinese neighbors are offering superior specs under the same price range. By the introduction of OnePlus 3, OnePlus became the first to surpass MI5. With this device out in the market, MI have been just an acronym to the “Mission Impossible”. Through the rumors to include retina scanner and 4K display in the MI6, Xiaomi already got prying eyes on its device. However, we are obliged to wait till 2017 to watch the comeback. The only thing we can hope is the new device will not be disappointing.

ZTE AXON 7 and AXON 7 Mini expected to launch in Nepal

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ZTE AXON 7 and AXON 7 Mini expected to launch in Nepal

Evolution Enterprises, the official distributor of ZTE phones in Nepal recently entered the market with few affordable range of smartphones, among which ZTE Blade S6 was a great buy for the mid-range seekers. Now, Evolution Enterprises is planning to bring the most hyped smartphone of this year, the ZTE AXON 7. Some might even call it the flagship killer of 2016 and comes head to head with the OnePlus Three. Not only that but the smaller version ZTE AXON 7 Mini will also hit the market.

[Update: Axon 7 and Axon 7 will not launch in Nepal according to ZTE officials]

Both the ZTE AXON 7 and AXON 7 Mini has been critically acclaimed. ZTE AXON 7 has been making waves in the market as one of the most feature packed smartphone with the most reasonable price tag. ZTE AXON 7 is packing all the latest and greatest specs including the Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB RAM, USB C, AMOLED 2K display and more noticeably dual stereo speakers and insane fast charging.

ZTE AXON

ZTE AXON 7 Mini, on the other hand, is somewhat like a toned down version of the ZTE AXON 7. It comes with a Super AMOLED full HD display, 3GB RAM, Snapdragon 617 chipset, smaller battery and micro USB port. But overall, this phone is a great device for those looking for a powerful mid-range device.

ZTE AXON 7 Specifications:

ZTE AXON

  • 5.5 inches AMOLED(1440 x 2560) @538 PPI
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Protection
  • MiFavor UI 4.0 on top of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
  • Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 Chipset
  • Quad-core (2×2.15 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo) CPU
  • Adreno 530 GPU
  • 64GB Internal Storage Expandable up to 256GB
  • 4GB RAM
  • 20 MP Rear Camera with f/1.8 aperture, phase detection autofocus(PDAF), Optical Image Stabilization(OIS), dual-LED (dual tone) flash
  • 8 MP Front Facing Camera with f/2.2 aperture
  • Dolby Atmos Stereo Speakers, 32-bit/192kHz audio
  • 802.11ac WIFI
  • v.3.0 USB C
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • Quick Charge 3.0 (83% in 30 min)
  • Non-removable Li-Ion 3250 mAh battery
  • Expected Price of Axon 7 in Nepal: Rs. 55,000

ZTE AXON 7 Mini Specifications:

  • 5.2 inches Super AMOLED(1080 x 1920) @424 PPI with 3D Touch display
  • MiFavor UI 3.2 on top of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
  • Qualcomm MSM8939v2 Snapdragon 616 Chipset
  • Octa-core (4×1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.2 GHz Cortex-A53) CPU
  • Adreno 405 GPU
  • 32GB Internal Storage Expandable up to 256GB
  • 3GB RAM
  • 13 MP Rear Camera with phase detection autofocus(PDAF), LED flash
  • 8 MP Front Facing Camera
  • v.2.0 Micro USB
  • Fingerprint Sensor
  • Non-removable Li-Ion 2800 mAh battery
  • Expected Price of Axon 7 in Nepal: Rs. 40,000

Both the phones, ZTE AXON 7 and ZTE AXON Mini, will be launched in November here in Nepal. Evolution Enterprises claims that the delay in the launch here in Nepal is because of the global shortage of LED and LCD panels and also because of the high demand of ZTE Axon 7 in the global market. We expect the price of ZTE AXON 7 to cost around Rs.55,000 and ZTE AXON 7 Mini around Rs.40,000.

JBL CLip 2 Review: Best Portable BT Speaker?

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JBL CLip 2 Review: Best Portable BT Speaker?

A phone with the perfect sounding built-in speaker is still a dream phone. In order to enjoy the quality music your phone can play, a Bluetooth speaker is something you should really have. With so many Chinese speakers available at five to ten times cheaper prices, is it worth buying a JBL Clip 2 for Rs. 8,000? Let’s find out in our video review.

Good things come in small packages and it happened to be true with JBL Clip 2. Inside the box, you’ll find some paperwork, a charging cable and the speaker itself. JBL Clip 2 resembles the hockey-puck design just like its predecessors. The stylish yet sturdy fabric up top is same as that of JBL charge 3. The rubberized plastic makes the rest of the housing rugged and gives a nice feel while holding. The real carabiner is as strong as it looks. It comes really handy to hook the speaker in belt loop or bags or anywhere you think it fits. The permanently attached Aux cable for wired use can be found resting along the edge of the speaker. 

There are five different control buttons along the edge. They are like small indents (that make it easier to find, even in the dark. On the right, there’s a microUSB port for charging hidden under a gasket and is placed in the middle of power and Bluetooth button. This port is covered by a plastic gasket to prevent it from water damage. On the left edge, there are three buttons, call button and volume toggles. This call button is a multi-purpose one as it can be used for answering or ending the calls or to play/pause the music. It can also be used to trigger Google Now or Siri by long-pressing and while playing music you can play the next song by double clicking it. 

The device is easy to use. After you pair it with your mobile for the first time, it gets automatically connected every time you power it on. The connection is strong and didn’t skip, not even once while in the same room, but it skipped a few times when I left the phone in one room and kept roaming with the speaker in another. It works the best as Bluetooth speakerphone with echo and noise cancellation mic inside. With 730 mAh battery, the power performance is up to the mark giving around 5 hours of playback when on max volume. For any portable SPEAKER, the louder the volume, faster the battery dies. So, You can even extend the already good battery life by playing the speaker at some levels below the maximum. 

Boyce Avenue’s acoustic cover of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car sounded so immersive. The guitar picking in Fleetwood Mac’s Never Going Back Again sounded too detailed for a speaker this size. Miles Davis’s Trumpet in Summertime sounded spot on. The speaker’s performance is just too damn good considering its size and price. It does well while producing mids and lows but distorts a bit in the highs. The vocals sound too immersive and any acoustic music will sound the best. There’s enough of bass but this tiny little thing struggles a bit while playing some bass heavy tracks like boom boom pow by the Black Eyed Peas.


The best thing about JBL Clip 2 is its IPX7 water resistance so you don’t need to worry about water spills, rain and even dropping in the pool. Charging the device takes around 2.5 hours. It can be charged via micro USB cable with any phone’s 5volt charging adapter. The LED light is red while charging and turns off when fully charged. With the IPX7 rating of water resistance, occasional water splashes and rains are something you shouldn’t ever worry about.

The only downside is there’s no battery level indicator, so only when the LED light starts blinking red that is the time you’ll realize it’s low on power.

If you’re after a quality Bluetooth speaker with durable and beautiful design, awesome battery backup, and that is super easy to carry around then JBL clip 2 is hands down the best option till the date.

Show Me Mountains – Discover the mountains around you with this app

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Show Me Mountains – Discover the mountains around you with this app

Nepal is home to 8 mountains that are more than 8,000m tall. We might as well say Nepal is a mountainous country because there are so many mountains in the Northern part of our country. But, being a Nepali, how many of them can you name (besides the famous ones)?

Well, if the answer was “few”, then you need to download this new app called “Show Me Mountains” now.

This app was launched today amidst Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) at Russian Culture Centre, Kamalpokhari by one of the greatest mountaineers — Mr. Tendi Sherpa. This app is available for Android and iOS at free of cost.

Features:

As the name suggests, Show Me Mountains will show you the mountains around you. All you have to do is open the app, enable GPS and  point your camera to whichever direction you want. The app will then display all the mountains facing your camera with their altitudes and the distances from you. You can also click on the mountains for detail facts.

The best thing about this app is you don’t need the Internet (Wifi or Mobile Data) to use it. However, this app uses GPS. So, make sure your Google Location Service is enabled.

The not-so-good news (at least for now) is you can only see mountains and hills that are visible from Kathmandu Valley. It will, of course, show famous peaks (that are above 8000 m tall) if you live outside Kathmandu. According to the developers, 160 peaks are in their database as for now and will be updated every two weeks.

Overall, this is a great concept. We can now appreciate the mountains and hills that make our country beautiful. Hope the developers will continuously update this app with more mountains as promised!  Finally, if you haven’t already installed the app, please try it out. And share your experience in the comments section below.

P.S. Some Android devices might experience some problems with the app, but be patient. I contacted the developers about the issues and they are looking into it.

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