Page 893 – GadgetByte Nepal

Galaxy J2 2016 Review: Is it Worth it?

Yural Maskey

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August 24, 2016

Samsung’s latest midrange phone, the Galaxy J2 2016, is here. If offers substantial improvements over its predecessor, but with the increasing competition from Chinese and Indian manufacturers in a midrange price segment, can the Galaxy J2 2016 Edition live up to its hype? Let’s find out in our review:

Disclaimer: We tested a retail version of the Samsung J2 2016 provided by Samsung Mobiles Nepal for the purpose of this review. We used it for about 2 weeks before gathering our impressions, and then we sent it back.

Design:

The design of the Galaxy J2 is nothing to write home about. It features the same all plastic design and looks similar to other midrange handsets from Samsung. Although made up of plastic, it’s ergonomic and feels sturdier in the hands.

It’s light weight and one hand operation is very easy thanks to its compact form factor. What I also like about Samsung Phones is the inclusion of a decent Home button that serves you well while using the phone. Double tap it and the camera app opens which is one of the quickest ways to take photos. The back and multitasking capacitive buttons are also very responsive, but unlike seen on the high-end phones, these are not backlit.

Display:

Samsung has been a pioneer in the display department. They make the best smartphone displays. The Galaxy J2 sports a 5-inch HD display with AMOLED panel. At this price, this is the best display we have ever tested. The IPS panel of other handsets is a no match in front of the vibrant, oversaturated 720P display of J2. The sunlight legibility and viewing angles are also stellar for the price. Samsung has not included any kind of protection, so make sure you insert a tempered glass that will prevent the phone from scratches and drops.

Software:

The J2 2016 runs on the latest Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with touch wiz UI layered on top. What we have learned from Samsung in the last couple of year is they have worked really hard in improving the UI by excluding a lot of bloatware and make the UI clean and minimal.

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Performance:

The J2 2016 boasts a 1.5Ghz quad-core cortex A7 processor (Spreadtrum SC8830) with 1.5GB of RAM. It features a Turbo Speed Technology (TST) which the company claims will result in superior device performance. On our test, the 32 bit Cortex A7 Processor performed fairly well while doing normal tasks like chatting, browsing, and navigating through UI. However, the outdated 32-bit Speadtrum processor means you sacrifice while playing games, opening apps, and multitasking. Although low-end to mid-end games are playable, but you will see lags and drop frame rates most of the time. That being said, it’s a budget phone so we can’t expect more from the device. In terms of memory, the Galaxy J2 has 8GB of inbuilt storage (3.6 GB available to users). Since most of the storage is being used by the OS, you will soon run out of storage

Camera:

The 8MP rear camera of the J2 2016 is pretty average. It can capture “Okay” photos during daylight with vibrant colors, but the details is not there once you zoom in the photos. The low light imaging, as well as indoor imaging, is below par with lots of noise. The 5MP front camera is decent for taking selfies and for social media uploads.

Connectivity & Sensors:

The Galaxy J2 2016 comes with 2 SIM slot with 4G LTE. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi b/g/n (no dual band ac), Bluetooth 4.1, and GPS. It includes a Smart Glow LED’s on the back which is a nice feature, but not practical and gimmicky at best. Samsung Galaxy J2 also lacks few basic sensors like ambient light sensor, gyro sensor, and a secondary noise-canceling microphone.

Battery:

The Galaxy J2 2016 offers a sizeable 2600mAh battery which is user replaceable. On our battery test, it provided 3.5 to 4.5 hours of on screen time, which means it should last you a whole working day. It lacks quick charge technology which means it will take roughly around 2 hours to charge from 0 to 100%.

While most of the phones don’t have access to the battery, the J2 2016 offers a removable battery. So, if you are a power hungry user, you could easily get an extra battery for around Rs. 1500 and enjoy the benefits.

Conclusion:

The competition of midrange smartphone is getting fierce as there are lots of smartphones under Rs. 20,000 to choose from. The Galaxy J2 2016 offers great AMOLED display, ergonomic design, and a good selfie camera. But, the phone lags behind the competitors in other aspects like the performance, rear camera, and sensors. If you are don’t play high-end games, use a smartphone mostly for chatting and browsing, like to take a lot of selfies, value brand, after sales service and availability of accessories, and need a removable battery, the Galaxy J2 2016 would be an excellent choice.

Pros	Cons
– Excellent Super AMOLED display (bright, vibrant 720P display)	– Sluggish Gaming Performance (Spreadtrum 32bit chipset is not favorable for gaming and heavy multitasking)
– Feature pack UI (S bike mode, Ultra data saving mode, Smart Glow App)	– Low internal storage (Out of 8GB onboard storage, 3.6GB is only available to the user)
– Battery Life (4 hours of onscreen time)	– Average Camera (The camera lack in details and can only record videos in 720P)

Samsung Galaxy J Max with 7.0 inch Display Launched in Nepal

Samsung

Yural Maskey

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August 24, 2016

0

Samsung Galaxy J Max with 7.0 inch Display Launched in Nepal

Samsung Mobiles Nepal has launched a new phone, the Galaxy J Max, in the Nepali Market. It is Samsung’s biggest phone measuring a 7-inch display and comes with a Bluetooth Headset for calling and receiving calls.

Priced at Rs. 21, 900, the Galaxy J Max has a 70% screen to body ratio despite featuring a huge 7-inch TFT capacitive display with a resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels. It is powered by a 1.5Ghz quad-core processor (Spreadtrum SC8830) which is an outdated 32-bit SoC compared to the 64-bit processor that you will easily get at this price point. In terms of memory, the J Max has 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of onboard storage with microSD expansion slot expandable upto 200GB.

Camera wise, the phone sports an 8MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2MP front-facing camera. It is currently running on Android 5.1 Lollipop with TouchWiz UI which is again a let down since it was announced last month and should have at least featured Marshmallow 6.0.1 out-of-the-box. Powering the device is a 4000mAh non-removable battery rated to provide 21 hours of talk time. Connectivity wise, the phone has Dual SIM (4G +3G), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4. 0, and GPS. Like other midrange phones from Samsung, it lacks Fingerprint scanner, Dual band Wi-Fi ac, and also misses out on some basic sensors like Auto brightness and Gyro Sensor.

Coming back to the design, the Galaxy J Max is a weird device and is not ideal for all. Having said that, it could be a decent phone for multimedia consumers. Like the recently launched Galaxy J2 2016, the J Max features a Turbo Speed Technology (TST) which the company claims will result in superior device performance. It also comes with Smart Glow — a colour LED notification system, Ultra data saving (UDS) mode powered by Opera Max and S bike mode.

j max troll — Micheal Scott from The Office on the Galaxy J Max.

Samsung Galaxy J Max Handset Highlights:

7-inch (1280 × 800 pixels) WXGA TFT display
1.5 GHz quad-core processor
1.5GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable up to 200GB with microSD
Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS
Dual (nano) SIM
8MP auto-focus rear camera with LED Flash, f/1.9 aperture
2MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
Dimensions: 186.9×108.8×8

[socialpoll id=”2380061″]

Deal Alert: Micromax Canvas Selfie Available in Nepal for Rs. 12,000

Micromax

Yural Maskey

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August 24, 2016

0

Deal Alert: Micromax Canvas Selfie Available in Nepal for Rs. 12,000

Micromax Canvas Selfie (A255) is now available for Rs. 12,000 from Kaymu as a part of the 24-hour sale. Previously priced at Rs. 29,480, the Canvas Selfie is a smartphone specially designed for taking self-clicked (Selfie). If you are someone who likes taking a lot of selfies and don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Micromax Canvas Selfie is right up your alley with its price tag of Rs. 12,000.

Specification of Micromax Canvas Selfie:

4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection
1.7 GHz MediaTek MT6592 Octa-Core processor
2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Dual SIM
13MP rear camera with dual LED Flash, Sony Sensor, LARGAN lens
13MP front-facing camera with soft LED flash, Sony Sensor, LARGAN lens
3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS
2300mAh battery

Micromax Canvas Selfie features different ENHANCEMENT EFFECTS and MAKEUP EFFECTS. The sSmoothen skin effect reduces the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes, and the skin whitening effect lets you select the correct tone for your skin. The Remove oil feature removes oil patches visible on your image, while the face slimming tones the shape of your face and gives you high cheekbone effect. If you have dark circles, there is a feature that removes eye under circles with eye enhancement making your eyes look bold and beautiful.

Currently, there are only five stocks of Canvas Selfie left and the offer stands for only 24 hours. So, if you have been looking to buy a smartphone for Rs, 12,000, the Canvas Selfie would be an excellent bargain buy.

Gionee S6s with an 8 Megapixel Front Camera Launched in Nepal

Yural Maskey

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August 23, 2016

0

Gionee S6s with an 8 Megapixel Front Camera Launched in Nepal

Teletalk Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor of Gionee Phones in Nepal, has officially launched the successor of Gionee S6 — the Gionee S6s. The company has priced the phone at Rs. 26,000 and is available for purchase starting today from different Gionee outlets.

The Gionee S6s offers many improvements over the Gionee S6, most notable being the 8-megapixel front-facing snapper for selfie maniacs. Moving on with the specs, the Gionee S6s offers the same 5.5-inch display as seen on the S6, but the resolution is bumped upto 1080P. Other internal hardware specs such as RAM, ROM, battery size, and CPU remains the same. It is powered by a 1.3Ghz octa-core Mediatek MT6753 64bit processor coupled with Mali T720MP3 GPU, has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of inbuilt storage with a microSD card support, and 3150mAh battery.

The main USP of the Gionee S6s, as the company claims, are their cameras. It is accompanied by an 8MP front camera with F2.2 aperture lens and LED flash. The back houses a 13-megapixel Sony IMX 258 sensor with f/2.0 aperture. Like the Gionee S6, the S6s houses a metal build with 2.5D glass and Corning Gorilla Glass 3, a fingerprint scanner on the back, and dual hybrid SIM setup with 4G LTE. The phone is currently running the latest Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Amigo 3.2 UI layered on top.

Gionee S6s Handset Highlights:

5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
1.3GHz Octa-Core MediaTek MT6753 Processor with Mali T-720 GPU
3GB RAM, 32GB Internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD
Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Amigo 3.2 UI
Hybrid Dual SIM Slot (micro SIM + nano SIM / microSD)
13MP camera with LED Flash, 1080p video recording, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, Sony IMX258 sensor
8MP front camera with LED flash, f/2.2 aperture, 5P lens
Fingerprint sensor (on the back)
Dimensions: 154.5 x 75.6 x 8.27mm
4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
3150mAh built-in battery
Available Colors: Mocha Gold, Latte Gold
Price: Rs. 26,000

REVIEW OF GIONEE S6S:

PRESS RELEASE:

Gionee launches new S6s in its Selfie Master lineup

After recently bringing out the F103 Pro, Gionee has launched a new handset in its Selfie Master lineup – the Gionee S6s. The S6s boasts a 13MP SONY IMX258 rear Camera and a 8MP f 2.2 aperture front camera with LED front flash and screen flash that promises clear selfies even in low light.

The phone has a metallic unibody build that carries a 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD 2.5 D water-drop glass display(with Gorilla Glass 3 protection). S6s is powered by a 1.3 Ghz MediaTek MT6753 processor and a Mali T720MP3 GPU. The phone has 3GB RAM and 32GB of inbuilt storage (expandable to 128 GB).

S6s also features a fingerprint scanner which can also be used for clicking photographs. The dual SIM phone (hybrid dual SIM slot) has a 3150 mAh battery and runs on Gionee’s own Amigo 3.2 UI based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Amigo 3.2 has improvements on several fronts including Image + (Gionee’s camera software) which has time lapse, slow motion, text recognition and pic note functions. The phone comes equipped with Gionee’s own video editor. It also allows split- window functionality so that 2 apps can run on the same screen.

The phone is available in Mocha Gold and Latte Gold at a price tag of Rs. 25,999. Gionee expects the S6s to be well received in the Nepali market with around 3,000 sets sold every month.

Samsung Note 7 Unofficially Lands in Nepal for Rs. 1,35,000

Samsung

Yural Maskey

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August 22, 2016

1

Samsung Note 7 Unofficially Lands in Nepal for Rs. 1,35,000

Samsung Mobiles Nepal will be launching the Note 7 sometime next month, but that has not stopped retail shops from selling the grey variant of the Note 7. The grey variant will be deprived of Samsung warranty, and is priced exorbitantly at Rs. 1,35,000. The phone is currently available from M.K.Tradeline.

Until and unless you absolutely can’t wait for the official launch of Note 7 (scheduled for Sept.) or you have an extra cash lying around, I personally, don’t recommend you to get the Note 7 from the grey market. It would be wise to wait for few weeks and get it from the official Samsung store. Moreover, history suggests that Samsung Mobiles Nepal will be coming up with pre-order schemes like free Gear fit or Gear VR, so you don’t want to miss out on such freebies.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is already available in 10 countries that include US, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE, and Korea. It is scheduled to launch in Europe on Sept 2. Coming back to the phone’s spec, it shares a lot of similarities with the Galaxy S7 edge, but also a few of its own tricks — including new S Pen features, fresh software and an iris scanner.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 features a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED curved dual edge display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It has a metal frame and a glass back reminiscent of the S7 Edge. The Note 7 is also IP68 water resistant; the first Note series to have it. Powering the device is an Octa-Core Exynos 8890 processor with 4GB RAM which is exactly the same configuration as the Galaxy S7, so we can expect excellent performance.

In terms of storage, the Note 7 comes in just one storage variant with 64GB of memory that is expandable via microSD card slot upto 256GB. As far as the camera is concerned, the Note 7 features exactly the same camera as the Galaxy S7 Edge. It has a 12MP rear camera with LED Flash, dual-pixel PDAF, Smart OIS, and f/1.7 aperture. The front houses a 5MP front-facing camera with f/1.7 aperture.

What’s new about the Note 7 is the inclusion of Iris Scanner, along with Fingerprint scanner on the home button. The Iris scanner lets you unlock the phone using eye recognition. The S-pen has also been improved with a smaller tip and improved pressure sensitivity. The Galaxy Note 7 is rocking Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and should receive the Android 7 Nougat sometime in the future.

The Galaxy Note 7 also boasts a USB type C port which charges the 3500mAh non-removable battery. Overall, the Note 7 is much similar to the S7 Edge in terms of performance, display, camera, and build which is not a bad thing by any means. If you are using the S7 Edge or the Galaxy Note 5, the Note 7 might feel boring and less innovative. However, if you are using older generation Samsung phones or other Android handsets, the Note 7 might be an excellent upgrade.

ZTE to launch 5 new phones in Nepal

ZTE

GadgetByte

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August 22, 2016

0

Evolution Enterprises, the official distributor of ZTE phones in Nepal recently entered the Nepali market with ZTE Blade S6 and ZTE Blade D2 and D3. Now they are set to launch a wide array of ZTE smartphones. The phones that are getting launched are the ZTE Blade S7, ZTE Blade V7 Lite, ZTE Blade A610, ZTE Blade L5 and ZTE Blade L5 Plus.

ZTE Blade S7:

ZTE Blade S7 is the most powerful phone among the bunch. It sports a 5-inch Full HD display with pixel density of 441ppi with no protection mentioned. The phone features the Snapdragon 615 SoC with 3GB of RAM. It also comes with a fingerprint sensor on the home button. The phone is still running on Android 5.1 Lollipop which can turn off some users. You also get 32GB of Internal Storage which can be expanded up to 64GB via micro SD card. Talking about the Camera it features 13MP camera on both front and back. The phone is backed up by 2500mAh of battery.

ZTE Blade V7 Lite:

ZTE Blade V7 Lite is a mid-range phone which sports a 5inch display with the resolution of 720*1280 resulting in a pixel density of 294ppi. It is powered by Mediatek MT6735P quad-core processor which is clocked at 1.0Ghz and comes with 2GB of RAM. The phone is running on Android Marshmallow 6.0. Talking about the Camera it sports 13MP camera on back and 8MP camera up front. It comes with a fingerprint sensor on the back. The phone is backed up by 2500mAh of non-removable battery.

ZTE Blade A610:

ZTE Blade A610 also comes with a 5inch display with the resolution of 720*1280 and the pixel density of 294ppi. It is powered by the same MediaTek MT6735P quad core chipset. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of Internal Storage and can be expanded up to 64GB via Micro SD Card. Talking about the camera it sports a 13MP back camera and a 5MP front facing camera. The phone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery.

ZTE Blade L5:

ZTE Blade L5 is a budget phone from ZTE which features a 5inch display with the resolution of 480*854 with the pixel density of 196ppi. The phone is equipped with Mediatek MT6572 quad core processor clocked at 1.3 Ghz and is coupled with 1GB RAM. In terms of internals, it comes with 8GB of Internal Storage and is expandable up to 32GB via Micro SD Card. It packs 5MP camera on the back with no flashlight and 2MP camera on the front. It is powered by 2150mAh of battery.

ZTE Blade L5 Plus:

ZTE Blade L5 Plus is a slightly better version of the L5 but it still falls under the low-end category. The phone comes with 1GB of RAM coupled with Mediatek MT6580 chipset. The phone is equipped with a 5inch 720p panel which is an upgrade from the lower resolution panel on the L5. The phone also comes with an 8MP rear camera and 2MP front facing camera. The phone is running on Android 5.1 Lollipop. The phone is powered by a 2150mAH battery.

With the release of multiple phones in the market, general consumers will have more options to choose from. It is a good thing that major International brands are coming into Nepal and trying to establish their brand here. More the brands in the market, more the products and more the options for us to choose what suits and is best for us.

Tech Talk with a candidate of Nepal Engineers’ Association election, Er.Bidhan Pokhrel

Featured

GadgetByte

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August 18, 2016

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Tech Talk with a candidate of Nepal Engineers’ Association election, Er.Bidhan Pokhrel

Social Media, these days, are filled with advertisement banners of engineers and their respective groups, giving a hint of elections coming around. Nepal Engineers’ Association is on the process to elect its 31^st executive body and five members of Nepal Engineering Council on September 16^th, 2016. Nepal Engineers’ Association (NEA) is basically an independent non-profit organization of Nepalese engineers, registered under the Social Service Act of the Government of Nepal. It was established in 1962. Today, it represents around 20,000 engineers, belonging to various engineering disciplines including architects, civil, electrical, mechanical, and electronic which is governed by an elected executive body of 15 members, led by the President of the association for a tenure of two years. NEA’s mandates include promoting fellowship goodwill and cooperation assistance among the Nepalese engineers, safeguarding their rights and interests and promoting the development of science and technology.

NEA facilitates and coordinates the professional activities of the independent engineering specific professional societies and has also been at the forefront of developing fellowship and goodwill with international engineering associations and institutions. Presently, NEA is a member of World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) and was instrumental in the establishment of Federation of Engineering Institute of South and Central Asia (FEISCA).

Yesterday, we got an opportunity to spend some quality time with Bidhan Pokhrel who also have filed a candidacy for the post of an executive member in the upcoming election of NEA. We asked Bidhan Pokhrel some of the questions regarding the election and his candidacy.

On with the interview…

1. So, let’s start with a very simple question. Tell us about yourself.

I am Bidhan Pokhrel, an Electrical and Electronics Engineer graduate from Kathmandu Universty. Professionally I am working as an Electrical Engineer in Nepal Electricity Authority, Community Rural Electrification Department for the past two years and have designed, planned and executed several electrification projects in rural communities. Besides I am a Non-life Insurance Surveyor as I have played a decent role in loss evaluation of damaged properties and settling Insurance claims efficiently after the massive earthquake.

2. What made you file a candidacy for the executive member of NEA election?

I, as a professional engineer, just feel that there is a lack of protective, accountable, controlling body here in our country. Even though Nepal Engineers Association (NEA) exists but it has a very limited reach and us common engineers rarely get access to any activities within the organization. Hence, in this scenario, I have filed up a candidacy as to provide a notable contribution in the betterment of we engineers and make NEA a common ground for the upliftment of professional engineers.

3. So, how are you going to overcome such limitations?

I along with my team here in the election have a strong agenda of Digitalization of all sector and works carried out by NEA, reducing the paperwork and promoting IT infrastructure. Online Membership Management, E-Voting portal management system, Online weekly and monthly seminars would certainly be the first set of works I would initiate if been elected. In this situation when IT is backing up all the activities and movements of the world, we believe that we ourselves being a technical force would not be suitable no to rely on IT for the management and operation of NEA.

We as a team have a lot of agendas to be carried out, as actions speak greater than words, it would certainly be better if we come up as we have done this rather that we will do this. But as a major change we would certainly coordinate with different sectors to establish a Research Unit/Consulting Unit as try to produce as much capable consultants here in Nepal itself and next speak up officially from the organizational level for the insensible and unrealistic thoughts preached publicly related to any sector of engineering with calculated and specific data’s.

4. How are you conducting your election campaign?

As we have focussed on Digitalization of the organization I personally and as a team also we have focussed on digital media for the promotion and campaigning. I have tried to speak personally will all my engineer friends, seniors, and juniors to support in my election campaign. Next us as a team, in the leadership of Dr. Sumitra Amatya, as president candidate has planned to visit all the election centers all over Nepal and conduct a mass campaign.

5. Finally, any words you would like to share with our readers?

I present myself as a youth representative in this election who could justify engineering from an early professional level and would certainly work forward for the innovative management and utmost mobilization of engineers here in Nepal if elected.

I request all my engineer friends, seniors, juniors, and well-wishers to cast your precious vote for the post of the executive member and the team lead by Dr.Sumitra Amatya as president. We would not let your vote be wasted and would certainly work in the progress of Engineering Sector and the organization NEA itself as a young, energetic, enthusiastic and Innovative team. It would definitely be easier for me to fulfill my commitment with team work as we are a team of progressive and professional engineers working for a better tomorrow.

Samsung Launches the latest 4K Curved Smart TV in Nepal

Yural Maskey

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August 17, 2016

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Samsung Launches the latest 4K Curved Smart TV in Nepal

Him Electronics Pvt. Ltd., the authorized distributor of Samsung consumer products in Nepal, has launched 2 new Smart TV’s under KS9000 Series 9: UA55KS9000K (55-inch) and UA65KS9000K (65-inch). The price of 55-inch model is Rs. 4,19,000 and pre-bookers will receive free Galaxy S7 and Gear VR. The price of 65-inch model is Rs. 6,29,000 and pre-bookers will receive free Galaxy S7 Edge and Gear VR.

Both these model offers features such as Quantum Dot Colour, HDR 1000, and Bezel-Less Curved Design. While the quantum dot color brings true to life color with accurate shades, the HDR 1000 makes the lights lighter and dark darker while producing 1000 nits of brightness.

The Samsung’s KS9000 Series 9 SUHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) TV’s also employ a technology called Ultra Black that enhances contrast and preserves deep blacks and color richness in brighter room light settings.

In terms of connectivity, the SUHD TV’s sports Anynet+™ (HDMI-CEC), Bluetooth, DLNA, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, 4 HDMI ports, 3 USB ports, and 1 Ethernet port. As far as software is concerned, it comes with Smart Hub for plenty of apps, easy smartphone control, and home media access. Samsung has given these KS9000 series a PQI rating of 2400 which means compared to last year’s model it is brighter and more power efficient.

Samsung Galaxy S7 review After 6 months: Still Going Strong

GadgetByte

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August 16, 2016

2

Samsung Galaxy S7 review After 6 months: Still Going Strong

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge when released earlier this year, changed the landscape of mobile devices. Smartphone lovers all over the world went haywire with what the S7 had to offer. It had the best display, latest SoC, and bigger battery. However, the most impressive part was its 12MP camera with f/1.7 aperture which outperformed the top-dog camera phone, the iPhone 6s. But that was 6months ago, and in between, we witnessed releases of many great smartphones. So how does the Galaxy S7 hold up to its competitors even after 6 months? Let’s find out:

Design:

For me, Galaxy S7 has the most comfortable form factor, being only 5.2-inches, I could easily maneuver it around my hand, and the curved glass on the back nicely aids to the single handed usage. The glass and metal body felt quite good on the hand, giving premium feel wherever you touch. I think the S7’s design is still relevant to this day, as the latest Galaxy Note 7 has inherited some of the design aspects from S7.

Display:

Samsung has the vogue to put the best display on its every flagship phone, and the S7 is no exception. The Super AMOLED display on the S7 is one of the brightest and sharpest display compared to any flagship phones today. It is a complete joy to use this display, I often found most of the displays on smartphones dull having used the S7. Even if you’re not a fan of bright, sharp colors, you can tweak the color balance of the display to make it feel cool and natural. Other great addition to the display, is the Always ON Display which at first seemed gimmicky, but worked out quite well and I got used to it. If you want to check, time or date, you don’t have to bother opening the lock to view it, that information are just there whenever you want it. But I wished the customization options were more extensive.

Performance:

Galaxy S7 that’s available in Nepal comes with Samsung’s in-house chipset Exynos 8890. Although most of the flagships today carry the Snapdragon 820 Chipset , the Exynos 8890 is equally powerful and even power efficient shows some of the tests. Even the latest Note 7 sports the same SoC. To this date, I hardly had any glitch, everything runs smoothly. It has been handling everything I throw at it quite well. It can still handle new high-end graphic intensive games and phone does heats up to some extent but its nothing too serious. But I have to admit it’s not that optimized when it comes to handling multitasking. Although it sports 4GB of RAM, it holds comparatively few apps in the memory compared to other phones.

Camera:

The 12MP camera with f/1.7 aperture was a revolutionary step towards mobile photography. It had the best camera compared to any smartphones 6months earlier, and even till this date, it is the most qualified camera compared to any other smartphone. The more you use the camera, the more you’ll love it. The joy of mobile photography is immense with this one, you don’t even have to think twice before shooting, everything comes out fine even if you just point and shoot. The images that it results are crisp and highly detailed. You get different camera modes to get creative with and a manual mode with which you can get the desired shots. S7 can shoot videos upto 4K and like the photos, it does a pretty great job on creating high-quality videos. The video output is so impressive that we even used it to shoot some of the footages in our reviews. For the camera, it doesn’t get any better than the S7, it is still unarguably the best camera on a smartphone. Check out the sample images here.

Software:

Hate it or Love it, the Galaxy S7 is rocking the TouchWiz UI on top of Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. TouchWiz UI has become way less cluttered and is light now. The software seems pretty clean and smooth, I didn’t found any bug during my usage. The phone also has been getting regular updates, making the device more secure and smooth. It has become more customizable in terms of appearance now that we have the theme store. You can put on any look you want for your phone.

Battery:

Talking about the battery life, the 3,000mAh battery gives pretty decent screen on time of about 4hours. The standby time is great even with the Always ON Display. Having used the OnePlus Three, the S7’s quick charge seemed rather slow, but nonetheless, it charges up completely within 1.5 to 2hours.

Water Resistance:

For me, it has been one of the most logical features on the S7. I have been caught off guard by rain couple of times this monsoon and I’ve had zero worries thinking my phone will get water damaged. It withstood pretty well against the rain and has been working strong without any issues.

Verdict:

S7 for me has clearly been the most beloved phone this year and is still going pretty well. I hardly had any issues with the device mostly related to software. One thing most of my friends pointed out: although glass construction on a phone feels classy and premium, they’re really fragile, if you fail to take good care of your phone, it is going to be costly so make sure you have a pretty good tempered glass and back cover on your phone. That’ll hide the beauty of the phone but at least it’ll be safe. S7 is a complete package however you want to look at it, either if you’re looking for the best display, best camera, high performance or any other kinds of stuff, S7 has got it all. Although it’s been 6 months since the release of S7, I think it is still the best phone you can buy today and most of the high-end phones released during the period of 6 months still don’t come equivalent to what S7 has to offer.

Ncell is officially an Axiata Company; Celebrates with free calls and messages.

Telecom

Yural Maskey

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August 16, 2016

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Ncell is officially an Axiata Company; Celebrates with free calls and messages.

Axiata Group, one of Asia’s leading telecommunications groups, has officially confirmed the acquisition of Ncell, the number one mobile operator in Nepal. To celebrate this new journey, the company is offering 50 mins of talktime and 500 SMS within Ncell network from 16th of August to 30th of August. Dial *17121# to redeem the offer. The offer, once activated, is valid for 7 days.

एनसेल, अब आजीयाटा सम्बद्ध कम्पनी। १० एसियाली राष्ट्रहरुमा २९ करोड ग्राहकहरु भएको एसियाको एक अग्रणी दूरसञ्चार कम्पनी आजीयाटाका साथ हामी बढ्दैछौं अघि।
एनसेल, सधैं तपाईंसँगै।

Including Ncell, Axiata now operates in ten countries, providing service to approximately 290 million subscribers. The company has quite a good reputation in South Asia operating under the brand name of ‘Celcom’ in Malaysia, ‘XL’ in Indonesia, ‘Dialog’ in Sri Lanka, ‘Robi’ in Bangladesh, ‘Smart’ in Cambodia, ‘Idea’ in India and ‘M1’ in Singapore. The company claims that with its expertise, proven track record in South Asia and strategic intentions to bring long-term national development, Axiata will bring together connectivity, technology and people for the broader goal of Advancing Nepal.

Axiata has also confirmed that the Group will soon launch two special edition voice and roaming products for Ncell customers. ‘Axiata Roam’, a Group-wide roaming service, will be introduced for the first time in Nepal offering discounted roaming prices to Ncell customers traveling within the Axiata footprint countries and roaming with its operating companies and partners. With its second product, ‘Call Ayo Paisa Payo’, Ncell customers upon receiving international calls from Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lasting for more than five minutes, will receive attractive bonus balance.

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