GadgetByte Nepal

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

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

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.

Crystal Group, the authorized distributor of UMI Smartphones, has launched its flagship model UMI Super in Nepal. The company has priced the phone at Rs. 34,999, but you can grab now at an introductory price of Rs. 32, 499 from Yes Traders Mobile Zone.

The UMI Super features a metal unibody, Octacore Helio P10 processor, and 13MP rear camera. Add to that list, a whopping 4GB of RAM and 4000mAh battery.

The best part of the UMI Super is it runs on a stock version of Android, this time shipping with Android Marshmallow 6.0. What’s even great about UMI is its openness towards the Android environment — UMI has a dedicated page for Rooting and Custom ROM’s. UMI phones support EMUI, HTC OS, YUN OS, LEWA OS to name few. It has a USB type C connector that supports fast charging. On the front, we’ve got a 5.5-inch FullHD display manufactured by Sharp so one can expect excellent color reproduction, viewing angles, and brightness. The display has a 2.5D curve with gorilla glass 3 protection.

Connectivity wise, the UMI Super boasts hybrid dual SIM slots with 4G LTE (micro SIM+mirco SIM/ microSIM+microSD), WiFi b/g/n/ac, GPS, and Bluetooth. The fingerprint scanner is located on the back of the device which the company claims can unlock the phone in just 0.1 sec. The 4000mAh battery, on the other hand, provides 12 hours of internet use and 15 hours of video playback. It features all the sensors like G- Sensor, P- Sensor, L-Sensor, Accelerometer, and Compass.

Full Specs of the UMI Super:

• 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS display, 2.5D gorilla glass 3
• Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P10 processor with Mali T860 MP2 GPU
• 4GB DDR3 RAM with 32GB storage (microSD up to 256GB)
• Android Marshmallow 6.0
• Dual SIM
• 13MP rear camera with Dual LED flash
• 5MP front-facing camera
• Hi-Fi AW8738 studio grade speakers
• 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n ( 2.4 / 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS + GLONASS
• 4000mAh battery with fast charging

It is about time we leave the wired devices behind because Bluetooth 5.0 has finally launched. The jump from 4.2 to 5.0 means there will be some serious improvements. According to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the new Bluetooth will be two times faster with 4 times more area coverage, and the data broadcasting capacity will also be elevated by 800 percentage.

The main purpose of this upgrade is to make it reliable for Internet of Things (IoT). This new version is said to decrease connection barriers and enable a seamless IoT experience. Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG quotes:

“Bluetooth 5 will make beacons, location awareness, and other connectionless services an even more relevant part of an effortless and seamless IoT experience.”

So, what can we expect from Bluetooth 5.0?

Reduced Interference

With so many wireless signals around us, Bluetooth 5.0 will improve the connectivity. It will reduce the potential  interference so that your Bluetooth devices can coexist with other wireless devices. Developers can now use Slot availability masks in Bluetooth 5 to detect interference on neighboring bands and automatically prevent the interference.

Low Energy

If you are thinking the Bluetooth 5 will consume more energy because the speed and range have increased, well, according to the company, developers can decrease bandwidth to achieve up to 4x longer range while maintaining similar power requirements like previous versions. So, with improved power-efficiency in Bluetooth 5, you can use your devices for a longer period of time.

Improved Broadcasting

The broadcasting capacity has increased in Bluetooth 5. This means larger data packets(up to 256-octet) is now supported. This enables new features such as tracking your packages while  maintaining backward compatibility with products developed for an earlier Bluetooth specification. Also, Bluetooth 5 will use broadcasting channels more efficiently on the increasingly crowded 2.4 GHz band so that you can experience smooth Bluetooth connection.

In addition, the speed of Bluetooth 5 has increased to 2 Mbps . This means you can transfer files in less time if your device has Bluetooth 5. Also, Bluetooth 5 will be compatible with previous versions (so you don’t need to throw away your old devices).

The devices featuring Bluetooth 5 will start launching within two  to six months according to Bluetooth SIG. Well, we might see them at CES 2017.  For now, all we can do is wait and see how developers utilize the features of Bluetooth 5.

Signing Ceremony of China-Nepal Interconnection between China Telecom Global (CTG) and Nepal Telecom (NT) was held on December 7th, 2016 at a formal program in Hong Kong. This new inking of a deal has officially ended Nepal’s dependence on India for global data and voice traffic. With this new agreement, China Telecom Global will be providing IP services in Nepal through newly launched terrestrial cable route connecting two nations via Jilong-Rasuwa Gateway.

Chief Technical Officer of NT Lochan Lal Amatya and Executive Vice President of CTG Ou Yan signed this agreement at a formal program in Hong Kong, yesterday. This agreement has made it possible for Nepal to purchase Internet Bandwidth from interested Chinese firms. Until now, different companies from India and other countries were selling bandwidth to Internet Service Providers in Nepal.

In the event, Ou Yan, Executive Vice President of CTG, said, “China Telecom is dedicated to expanding our footprint by connecting with neighboring countries. The China-Nepal route could provide service to Nepal and transit service from India. China Telecom has put tremendous effort into building the route through the Himalayas. We are committed to delivering a state of the art route for Nepal Telecom.”

Hence, The new China-Nepal route is unparalleled as it is a new direct alternative route for traffic demand generated from Nepal to all over the world and provides the highest quality service and low latency solution for end users in Nepal.

Is this new terrestrial connection gonna benefit only service providers? Will it bring some noticeable changes at consumers’ level or not? That is something, yet to see.

Evolution Trading Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor of JBL products in Nepal, has introduced JBL Clip 2 in the market of Nepal. This new ultraportable Bluetooth speaker from JBL now can be easily purchased at MRP of NRs. 8,000 from the outlets of Evo Store. JBL Clip 2 is the successor to JBL’s widely accepted budget friendly portable speaker JBL Clip.

The JBL Clip 2 has kept the same hockey-puck design like its predecessors. What has changed is the new stylish yet sturdy fabric in place of hard plastic speaker grills. It feels as good in the hand as it looks with its soft rubberized plastic housing at the button. It comes in five different color options of Blue, Black, Red, Grey, and Teal. Like its predecessors, permanently attached Aux cable with 3.5 mm jack is wrapped perfectly along its edge which can be used with devices that don’t have Bluetooth connectivity in them. The best improvement here is the real carabiner in place of plastic clip. Now, it’s much easier to clip the speaker to your belt loop or bags or anywhere you think it fits.

Now, the battery is of 730 mAh as compared to 600 mAh of older JBL clip. This addition in battery capacity can be felt as well. The speaker now is said to give 8 hours of playback time as compared to 5 hours from its predecessors. 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 the device struggles a bit while playing some bass heavy tracks but that’s something we can simply ignore.

Its speakerphone capabilities are mind blowing with echo and noise cancellation mic. The 3W speaker is sufficient enough to turn your small parties into musical ones. The volume outdoors is decent too but might fade out in a noisy party environment. It has 15 different volume levels and volume levels are too good. The speaker can be quiet enough for you to listen to your favorite songs before bed and is loud enough to accompany you in your hiking.

You can easily charge it in around 2.5 hours via microUSB cable through your PC’s USB port or any phone’s wall adapter does the job as long as its output voltage is 5 volts. The speaker’s LED light turns red while charging and the light turns off when it’s fully charged.

The Bluetooth connectivity is pretty strong unless your phone and speakers are over 20 feet away. That is when the skipping occurs. You can trigger the Google Now or Siri by long-pressing the phone button.

JBL clip 2 is undoubtedly one of the best portable Bluetooth speaker currently available in the market. Its IPX7 water resistance rating is a must-have feature for any portable speakers. You can expect our detailed video review on this product hopefully at the end of this week or early next week.

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