Blackberry is not going to build any more smartphones. All the future hardware projects shall be executed through external companies, the company announced.
This brings the end of one of the most loved phone at a time, which was an icon for its services and design as well. The current domination of touch phones was not a favorable situation for Blackberry. At 2011 the company had peak sales of 52.3 million units while the recent fiscal year, it was only 3.2 million. Blackberry had launched high-end phone names as “Priv” on 2015 based on the android platform instead of its home-baked BB10.The phone was not successful to attract a fair share of customer. The introduction of android itself was taken as a display of despair for its final downfall.
“The company plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that function to our partners,” said John Chen, chief executive and executive chairman of Blackberry. “We are focusing on software development, including security and applications.”
The company shall continue its software and service provider but it shall now stop designing and building any phones.
We are finally in the festive season and Nepali customers have been starting to get some sweet deals everywhere. And continuing that trend is one of Nepal’s leading telecommunication company, Ncell. Ncell has launched a ‘Dobbar Paisa Back’ offer targeting its prepaid customers. Under the offer, customers who spend a certain amount of main balance will get double the amount as a bonus.
The offer came into effect from 29th September 2016 and will be valid for the next 90 days. So, for three months, customers who use a certain amount of their main balance will receive double of that amount in return. To take part in the campaign, Ncell users just need to dial 17124. No charges will be applied for all of this.
Ncell users can activate the offer by dialing 17124.
Once joined, customers will get information about how much main balance they should be spending each day to exercise the offer. Once the target is reached, they will instantly receive double the amount spent in return. And there is no catch!
The bonus amount received will be valid for the same day till midnight. Customers will be able to use the bonus for making calls and sending SMS and MMS to other Ncell users, and for surfing the internet as well. The total amount of main balance spent on a particular day can be viewed by sending a blank message to 17124.
Speaking about the offer, corporate communications expert of Ncell, Milan Sharma said, “Festival time is a period when we prefer to stay closer with our family members, relatives and friends. We believe the offer will provide additional value to our customers, enabling them to exchange greetings and share happy moments of festivals.”
Teletalk Pvt. Ltd., the sole authorised distributor of Gionee smartphones in Nepal, has slashed the price of its recently launched midrange phone, the Gionee F103 Pro. The phone was launched for Rs. 18,999 and is now available for just Rs. 16,999.
The Gionee F103 Pro offers some decent hardware with elegant design and build quality – all the while keeping the price competitive. It features a 5-inch 720P IPS display with 2.5D curved glass and dragon trail protection. It is powered by a 1.3 GHz 64bit quad-core processor (MediaTek MT6735) and has 3GB of DDR3 RAM. For storage, the phone comes with 16GB of onboard storage which is expandable up to 128GB with microSD. The Android Marshmallow 6.0 based F103 Pro comes with its own UI Amigo UI 3.2 which is reminiscent of Apple’s iOS.
As far as the camera is concerned, the Gionee F103 Pro houses a 13MP Camera with LED flash, and a 5MP front-facing camera. Fueling the device is a Li-Polymer 2400mAh battery rated to provide a full day of usage. Connectivity wise, the phone has dual SIM with 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n( no dual band or ac), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS. Check out our review of the F103 Pro here in this link for more info.
With international airplane companies already banning the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, Nepal’s leading airplane companies, Yeti Airlines and Buddha Air, have followed the trend by banning use of the device in their airplanes.
Samsung is dealing with an immense pressure ever since the release of the Galaxy Note 7. There have been reports of the Galaxy Note 7 exploding almost everywhere. Samsung was quick to react by issuing a global recall of the Note 7. However, this step has resulted in the company losing billions of dollars.
Most of the international airlines functioning in Nepal have already banned the Note 7. And Yeti Airlines and Buddha Air have been the first to react among the Nepali Airline companies.
Both the companies have requested their customers to turn off their Galaxy Note 7 when on board. The users of the device will have to carry their Note 7 in their hand luggage with the companies stating that keeping it inside their luggage is completely restricted. You can read other rules in the pictures below:
Yeti Airlines’ press release regarding the ban of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.Buddha Air’s press release regarding the ban of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
The two companies have taken this step even though Samsung has started releasing a new batch of Galaxy Note 7 that reportedly doesn’t have battery problems. However, there have been reports of the device’s battery capacity decreasing and overheating in Korea.
Samsung is set to release the Galaxy Note 7 on 7th October 2016 in India. The company was previously releasing the Galaxy Note 7 in Nepal before Dashain. But with all this battery fiasco, it looks as though the company will release the device after the festival. You can, however, buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in the gray markets for more than Rs. 1,20,000.
With streets filled with festive offers and home with a festive environment, Nepal Telecom is offering decent deals on mobile data this Dashain, Tihar, and Chhat. Both prepaid and postpaid Telecom users with GSM and CDMA SIMs can also benefit from free voice call and SMS services.
Between Asoj 15 (October 1) and Asoj 29 (October 15), and Kartik 12(October 28) to Kartik 21 (November 6), Nepal Telecom will provide 100MB data for Rs.50 and 250MB for Rs.100. The 100MB data will have a validity of 5 days and 250MB data for 10 days. Also for the customers choosing the mentioned packages will be provided with 10 minutes of free talk time and 10 Messages for 100MB data. Similarly, 250MB data pack buyers will receive 25 minutes of free talk time and 25 free text messages.
Similarly, Both GSM and CDMA users can benefit from the Night data package. The package of 500MB data (Valid for 7 days) with Rs.40 price and 1200MB data (Valid for 15 days) with Rs.85 will work between 10pm in the night to 6am in the morning. According to Telecom, the night offer is valid from Asoj 15 to next 3 months.
During Asoj 22 to Asoj 29, and Kartik 14 to Kartik 21, prepaid and postpaid users will also be offered with 10 percent discount on voice calls a which means prepaid voice call will be offered for Rs 1.35/min and postpaid users will be discounted to 90 Paisa/min. Also, the SMS services have been cut by 50% during the offer period.
Samsung Mobile Nepal has launched the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime in Nepal for Rs.29,490 (32GB) and Rs. 27,990(16GB). The device is an upgrade to the previously released Galaxy J7 (2016).
J7 Prime is a mid-range device that comes in a full-metal unibody design. The device sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD full HD display with the resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels at 401 ppi. This is a downgrade in the screen department since Super AMOLED is crispier and better than IPS LCD Display.
Under the hood, J7 prime packs Exynos 7870 Octa octa-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. All this is paired with a Mali-T830MP2 GPU. The device runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box with TouchWiz skin on top. It has an onboard storage of 16 or 32GB and 3GB RAM. The storage can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.
In the camera department, the device features a 13-megapixel rear facing camera with f/1.9 aperture. It has an 8-megapixel front facing camera with f/1.9 aperture. The device is equipped with a back facing flash and not the front facing flash which was seen in J5 and J7. The rear facing shooter can capture videos up to 1080p.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime is priced at Rs. 29,490 in Nepal.
J7 Prime is powered by a 3300mAH battery which will sure last long. Other than these, the device comes with a fingerprint sensor and microUSB v2.0. It also features Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, and GPS.
Here’s all you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime:
5.5-inch IPS LCD full HD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (401pi)
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with TouchWiz
Ultra Power Saving Mode, Ultra Data Saving Mode, SBike Mode.
16/32GB ROM with expandable storage (up to 256GB)
3GB RAM
13 MP Rear Facing Camera with f/1.9 aperture and LED Flash
8 MP Front Facing Camera with f/1.9 aperture
Exynos 7870 Octa Chipset
Octa-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53 processor
Mali-T830MP2GPU
Fingerprint sensor
Non-removable 3300mAH battery
Pricing and Availablity:
Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime is available for purchase from different Samsung retail outlets located all over Nepal. The device is available in Gold color option.
Pashupati Tradeline, the authorized distributor of Micromax Smartphones in Nepal, has launched a Dashain-Tihar campaign. Officially known as “Max Utsav, Upahar Maximum, Khusi Maximum“, buyers of Micromax mobiles will get a chance to win Suzuki Motorbike as a bumper prize. This is an exciting offer for people who are planning to buy a new smartphone this dashain for family members or loved ones.
Customers also get a scratch card where there is a sure shot cash discount upto Rs.5,000. Also, five lucky buyers will get a chance to win LED TV’s and one couple will get a chance of Dubai Tour Package.
Micromax is always known for providing good budget phones at an affordable price. Recently, they launched Canvas 5 Lite for Rs. 12,100 that comes with 5-inch HD display, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 8MP camera. Listed down are the lists of Micromax Phones that are available for purchase in Nepal:
Model Name
Price in MRP
Canvas Spark 2 Plus
Rs. 8,250
Canvas Selfie 4
Rs. 11,110
Canvas Express 4G
Rs. 12,518
Canvas Nitro 3
Rs. 14,190
Canvas Pulse
Rs. 19,720
Canvas 5
Rs. 20,400
Canvas 6
Rs. 23,650
Canvas Selfie
Rs. 29,480
Micromax has a wide range of smartphones ranging from Rs.8250 to Rs.29,480. Buyers could select their new smartphones as per their budget, required specification, or their need of use.
Sastodeal, one of the largest eCommerce website of Nepal, is holding “Great Dashain Genuine Sale” from September 30, 2016 to October 3, 2016. The firm is opening new avenues for old schooled traditional buyers to go online and get the best deals.
The online retailer has classified its sale into three different categories: Sasto, Dherai Sasto, and Atti Sasto. In Sasto category, users can get upto 30% discount, while one can expect upto 49% discount in Dherai Sasto category. Atti Sasto category lets you get upto 70% off.
Sastodeal claims that the Great Dashain Genuine Sale will feature over two hundred genuine brands that include Hisense, CG, LG, Rock Port, Colors, The Body Shop, Vans, Bossini, and more. With that, customers have freedom to choose from 20000+ products ranging from clothing to electronics.
Sastodeal recently launched its official android app to make user’s shopping experience a whole lot easier. They have also planned to launch the iOS version in coming days. For this genuine sale, the company has already ramped up its offline marketing budget by showcasing a banner in the sky bridge near Ratnapark, Kathmandu.
Samsung Mobile Nepal has launched the successor of the Galaxy J1 2015 with the Galaxy J1 2016. The company has priced the phone at Rs. 11,390 making it one of their most affordable budget phones.
The Samsung Galaxy J1 2016 offers a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It is powered by a 32bit quad-core Cortex A7 processor (Spreadtrum SC9830) with all the four cores operating at a frequency of 1.3Ghz. It has 1GB of DDR3 RAM and 8GB of onboard storage with around 3.5GB available at first boot. The storage can be further expanded via a dedicated microSD card for upto 256GB.
The Samsung Galaxy J1 2016 is currently running on Android 5.1.1 OS with Touch wiz UI and has already received a new update that improves device stability and bug fixes. Samsung has added features like Ultra data saving, Ultra Power Saving, and S bike Mode in the Galaxy J1 2016. Up front, the phone houses a 2MP selfie snapper with f/2.2 aperture lens. On the back, there is a 5MP primary camera with LED flash and 720P video recording capabilities. The back of the Galaxy J1 2016 is removable giving the user access to a 2050mAh battery and two SIM card slot that supports 4G LTE with LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps.
Like with the other budget phones from Samsung, the J1 2016 lacks important sensors like auto brightness and Gyro. The phone also lacks a secondary microphone and fast charging capabilities. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.1, A-GPS, GLONASS, FM radio, and microUSB v2.0.
The Samsung Galaxy J1 2016 is available for purchase in Nepal from different offline Samsung retail outlets all across the nation. So what do you think about the Galaxy J1 2016? Leave your opinion down below:
Xiaomi has launched its new midrange flagship smartphones on 27th September in Beijing. The company launched the successor of Mi5 in the press meet, Xiaomi Mi 5s, and Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus.
Talking about Xiaomi Mi 5s, it is the smaller of the two devices released today. While the Mi 5s sports a 5.15-inch 1080 x 1920 pixels display, the Mi5s Plus sports a larger 5.7-inch display. Both these phone’s display have 1080P resolution and 600 nits of brightness. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor that is clocked at 2.15GHz. This is a powerful chipset that is nearly 10 percent faster than its predecessor – Snapdragon 820. All this is supported by 3GB, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, depending on the onboard storage. The Xiaomi Mi 5s is available in two different storage options, 64GB and 128GB that has 3GB and 4GB of RAM respectively. The Mi5s Plus is available is also available in 2 storage options, 64GB and 128GB that has 4GB and 6GB of RAM respectively.
The Mi5’s back panel was made up of glass, the Xiaomi Mi5s comes with a metal body.
Talking about the camera, the Xiaomi Mi 5s packs a decent 12-megapixel rear facing camera that features a Sony IMX 378 sensor. The front facing camera is of 4-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture and an 80-degree viewing angle. The Xiaomi Mi5s Plus, however, has dual 13-megapixel cameras on the back that work similarly to that on the Huawei P9.
On the software front, both these devices comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box with MIUI 8 on top. Another amazing feature that’s restricted to only Mi5s is an under-glass Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor which is located up front. The Mi5s Plus has a fingerprint scanner on the rear. Connectivity wise, both these devices has a USB-Type C connector, dual SIM capabilities, and Quick Charge 3.0. All this is fully supported by a big 3,200 mAh battery on the Mi5s and 3800mAh on the Mi5s Plus which will last you long because of the 1080p display.
Here’s all you need to know about the Xiaomi Mi5s and Mi5s Plus:
DISPLAY
5.15-inch (Mi5s); 5.7-inch (Mi5s Plus) 1080 x 1920 pixels display
CHIPSET
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
CPU
Quad-core (2×2.15 GHz Kryo & 2×1.6 GHz Kryo)
GPU
Adreno 530
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android 6.0 Marshmallow with MI UI 8 on top
INTERNAL MEMORY
64GB/128GB
EXPANDABLE MEMORY
NO
RAM
3GB/4GB/6GB
REAR CAMERA
12 MP Sony IMX378 with f/2.0 aperture, Phase detection autofocus (Mi5s)
13MP Dual Lens Camera (Mi5s Plus)
FRONT CAMERA
4MP with f/2.0 aperture
SIM
Dual SIM
BATTERY
3200mAh (Mi5s); 3800mAh (mi5s Plus)
FINGERPRINT
Available (Under-glass)
FAST CHARGING
Quick Charge 3.0 available (83% in 30 min)
COLOR(S) AVAILABLE
Silver, Gray, Gold, Rose Gold
PRICE
Around $300/$349 (mi 5s); Around $345/$390 (mi5s Plus)
Well, we don’t really know when the Xiaomi Mi 5s and Mi5s Plus will be released in Nepal. But it will be priced much more than the Indian market price of INR Rs. 20,000 and INR 25,000. Tune into gadgetbytenepal.com for all updates about the Xiaomi Mi 5s.
