Its been a long wait for Nokia Lumia owners esp. for the Lumia 620 owners (including me) to get their hands-on the latest software update from Nokia, i.e. Lumia Black Update. But no more! The update is now available and ready to download.
The Update was first rolled out worldwide 3 months ago, but the Lumia owners residing in the South Asia had to wait to get that update. Especially the Lumia 620 owners had a long tiresome wait for the update to be available. The delay was uncalled for and there is no apparent reason to why Lumia 620 had to wait this long to get the essential software update. But Nokia has finally released this update in the South Asian countries including Nepal and India. Some speculate that the update was refined for the latter models as they became available. However, other Lumia phones had got their updates already. The first one in this category was the Lumia 720. This update is equipped with GDR-3 update from Microsoft.
The update has numerous new features like App Folder, refined Camera, screen rotation lock and many more.
To get the latest Software on your Lumia: Go to Settings> Phone Update> Check for updates.
The update download will depend upon your internet connection.
Own a Lumia phone? Updated? Let us know in the comments!
ICT Association of Nepal will be holding their seventh ICT Electronics and Branding Expo at the Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Hall from April 24 to April 28. ICT is one of the biggest Tech event of Nepal. On the press release,Shishir Upadhyaya, president of the association said-
“We have tried to bring most of the leading domestic IT companies as well as companies from abroad under one roof. These companies will showcase latest products as well as share information on latest developments in the ICT industry around the world through different 60 stalls. As technology is major concern among students, we are planning to make the exhibition student-friendly,”
Bharat Exhibitions, an ICT event organizing company of India, is the co-organizer of the event.
Like The CAN-info-tech 2014, we will be providing you the hands on video review as well as Live blogging from our website during the ICT 2014. We are eagerly waiting for the ICT2014 and Lets hope lots of gadgets gets announced.
HTC unveiled their midrange smartphone “HTC desire 816” in the Mobile World Congress 2014 (MCW2014). It is now available for pre-order in the European countries but should be available in the future here in Nepal. HTC desire 816 will cost around NRP 35000 and could be the best smartphone under this category by country mile.
HTC desire sports a 5.5 inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels with a pixel density of 267 ppi. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8928) chipset with a Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A7 processor and Adreno 305 GPU. With a RAM of 1.5 GB and 8 GB of build in storage with expandable memory slot up to 128GB, this would be a great value for money. It has a 13MP camera on the back and 5MP on the front. This device comes with Kitkat 4.2 with the new HTC Sense UI v5.5.
“HTC desire 816 is a plastic designed HTC one “
It certainly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy grand 2 which falls on the same price category. We recommend you to buy HTC desire 816 rather than the over hyped Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 .
Key features:
Nano-SIM with LTE
OS: Android 4.4 (KitKat)
Screen: 5.5-inch 720×1280 display (267 ppi)
Camera: 13 MP rear facing with LED flash , 5 MP front facing
Memory: 8 GB internal storage with microSD option up to 128 GB
RAM: 1.5 GB
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 1.6GHz
GPU: Adreno 305
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS support and GLONASS
Battery: 2600 mAh (Non-removable)
Boom Sound functionality.
color variants : white, black, red, yellow and purple
We can see what HTC is trying to do it here. They want to give consumers the high end specs, a better camera and a good battery life with a price that a mid-range user can experience.However unlike the HTC one, it has a plastic design and may feel cheap.But it’s all to cut the budget 🙂 We are very desperate to see this smartphone in Nepal soon. We will provide you the news as soon as it arrives here in Nepal.
Apple has released iOS 7.1, the latest version of its mobile software for iPhone and iPod and iPad. The latest software version is compatible with iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, and iPod touch (5th generation) devices.
Apple releases iOS 7.1
The main visual changes can be found in the phone dialer and power off features. iOS 7.1 switches to rounded UI elements in both of these areas, and the incoming call interface now includes separate decline and accept buttons below floating circular icons for the Remind Me and Message options.
The software new features are basically:
CarPlay: formerly known as iOS in the Car, which supports iPhone calling, music, maps, and messaging. It also allows users to control certain functions through iOS’ in-built voice-activated assistance Siri;
Siri improvements: Including natural-sounding voices for U.K. English, Australian English, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. You can also use it in push-to-talk mode by holding the Home button for the duration of your query;
Calendar changes: The list view has returned in month view, and the update has also included country-specific holidays added for many locales.
iTunes Radio updates: The radio feature, first introduced in iOS 7, has been updated with new features, including the ability to buy albums over-the-air from “Now Playing”.
Accessibility additions: The “parallax” motion feature option now includes Weather, Messages, and multi-tasking user interface animations. New options have been added to allow users to display a darker keyboard.
Camera settings bolstered: Including a setting that allows users to automatically enable HDR mode for iPhone 5s users.
Touch ID improved: The software that controls the bio-metric reader has been improved to make fingerprint recognition better.
iOS 7.1 is packed with interface refinements, bug fixes, improvements, and new features. Apple CarPlay introduces a better way to use iPhone while driving. And you can now control exactly how long Siri listens and more. Getting the update is easy. Go to Settings. Select General. And tap Software Update.
Nexus 5, a Google phone manufactured by LG, is set to enter the Nepalese smartphone market in what rumored to be within 1-2 weeks. CG Digital expects to bring this wonderful device officially in Nepal. Nexus 5 was released 4 months ago in the US alongside KitKat 4.4, the latest Android version. The Nexus 5 is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 system chip with Adreno 330 graphics. This is the same chip used in all latest top of the line devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Sony Xperia Z1 and the LG G2. Hence, it is a powerhouse of a phone that you can buy for a cheaper price than of other top-shelf models. Pros
Excellent display
High-End Specs
Latest OS
Attractive pricing
Cons
Average, but acceptable looks
No expandable memory
The biggest feature of the Nexus 5 smartphone is the pure Google Stock Android Experience and timely update as it is a Google phone. It currently runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 kitkat.
Camera:8MP rear facing with Optical Image Stabilization, 1.3MP front facing
Memory: 16/32 GB internal storage
RAM: 2 GB CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2.26GHz
Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC (Android Beam), Bluetooth 4.0 LE
Battery: 2,300 mAH“The Nexus 5 will be here—and now even better than before. Thanks to Google’s obvious subsidy on what should be a NRP 65000 smartphone, the Nexus 5 would be the best value on the market. Manufactured by LG, it features a 1080p 5-inch display, an 8-megapixel camera with HDR+, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. All of that combines to make the Nexus 5 on of the top pick for smartphones.”
The expected price of Nexus 5 would be:
50K for 16GB
55K for 32GB
We recommend you not to buy Nexus 5 from any online shops or retailers as they are grey products and you might get refurbished or defective piece.Rather wait for some time and let CG launch the Nexus 5 officially.GO FOR THE GENUINE!!More build up to follow as soon as it’s released here in Nepal. Stay updated by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and G-plus. 🙂
Smartphones are getting smarter, no doubt. But what is seen as the recent trend in the smartphone world is that the screen sizes are getting significantly larger. With addition of a new term “phablet” phones have found a way to sneak the large plates of screens into the devices that were meant for “calling” primarily. Normally I’m talking about the phones with the screen size of around and over 6 inches!
But is the larger screen good or just a unnecessary show-off?
Thats for you to decide but lets just go through a quick “pros” & “cons” analysis to at least understand the difference of what it takes in making a large screen phone:
PROS:
A. Entertainment:
Definitely, Entertainment options like gaming and multimedia is what makes the large screen smartphone a choice over average sized smartphone. With larger screen there’s a larger space for watching movies, playing games or even browsing internet.
B. Bigger is Better:
Of course, this refers to a simple analogy that bigger things are always better. Bigger phones means a spectrum of larger canvas to work on.
C. Doodling options:
Since phones like the Note III & LG G Pro Lite are getting “stylus” pen, it offers a way to doodle and draw your imagination on the screen. This cannot be imagined on a small screen whatsoever.
CONS:
A. Energy Hungry:
Larger screen phones are energy hungry. It consumes more battery than a normal smartphone, which is obvious. So make sure you opt for a larger pack of battery or have a extra piece just-in-case.
B. Not Pocket-friendly:
A big issue while buying a large-screen phone is that it wont fit onto your pocket. Thus you end of showing your cornered jeans and a troubled time while sitting or taking and keeping your smartphone. Forget one handed operation, you will have a tough time handling it with two hands!
C. Calling from a large device is NOT COOL!
Well, this differs on opinion but i guess the larger mass feels that calling with a large-screen phone looks dumb. I mean, its funny carrying a big-ass device putting it to you ear (which practically blocks your face). Remember!
What do you think?
Do you own a large screen phone? Happy? Facing problems?
As you know MOTO G was recently launched in Nepal by The Online Bazaar for a price of 24,999 for 8 GB model and 26,900 for 16 GB model. But CG digital Nepal, the sole authorized dealer of Xolo phones, might bring the Xolo Q1100, which is rated as the MOTO G killer by some tech reviewers.
The Xolo Q1100 is powered by 1.4GHz quad core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU) with Adreno 305 GPU running Android 4.3 out of the box. The OGS IPS screen is 5 inches with 1280×720 resolutions.This handset runs on Android 4.3, customarily looks like a stock android, with 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. Q1100 does support external micro SD card of up to 32GB.
“MOTO G and XOLO Q1100 are the best smartphones you can buy Under NRP 25000”
The rear camera is 8MP with BSI 2 sensors with 1080p video recording. It has a LED flash on the rear side. The front camera is a 2MP shooter. There are an accelerometer, proximity, magnetic and light sensors. Other features are 3G (42Mbps), Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS with A-GPS.
The Device has a 2000 mAh battery inside which is removable. The Xolo Q1100 is priced at IC 14,000 (NRP 22,400). Most of the device within this price category only offer a MediaTek CPU but Xolo and MotoG has a Snapdragon CPU which will provide an unmatched CPU performance and extremely smooth smartphone experience.
Key features:
5.0 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
Good to see Xolo bringing in the Snapdragon CPU for the first time in the Indian Handsets. It’s definitely as good as the MOTO G. On the Antutu Benchmark test, it scores higher than the MOTO G so the gaming performance and other processing should be better than MOTO G. In some cases, MOTO G looks like a better device and in some cases, Xolo Q1100 wins it. But none the less, both devices are great under its price segment.
Micromax Canvas Knight A350, the latest flagship smartphone of Micromax in 2014, goes on sale in India for what believed to be INR 20K (approx NRP 32K). In the previous series of Micromax like Canvas Turbo, they only had Cortex A7 Quad core processors but this time around they have shown a real intent by including Octa core processor which is capable of multitasking.
” Canvas Knight is now available in India for INR 20000 “
Key features:
5.0 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi pixel density)
Octa-core 2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor
Mali-450 GPU
32 GB internal memory, 2 GB RAM
16 MP rear camera with OmniVision CameraChip sensor and M8 Largan lens.
8MP FF camera.
Android 4.2.2 Jelly bean
Non-removable Li-Ion 2350 mAh battery
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot and a Bluetooth 4.0
GPS with A-GPS
Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
Yamaha Music Amplifier
“We expect to see the Micromax Canvas Turbo as early as April in Nepal “
The last year’s Micromax Canvas Turbo had some weak points. It’s Quad core MediaTek processor didn’t’ perform well as many of us want in an above 30K smartphone but this time around The Canvas Knight has an Octa Core processor which is believed to perform snappy and with the Mali 450 GPU, it should be more than okay in gaming.
With an Omni vision camera chip sensor and M8 Largan lens in the Canvas Knight, the camera should be really good.But we do need to check on that before giving any conclusion. Nevertheless, The Canvas Knight looks a decent smartphone for NRP 32000 category.
Likely Competitors of Micromax Canvas Knight A350:
1. Samsung Galaxy Grand 2
2. HTC Desire 816
3. Sony Xperia M2
Are you excited about this new smartphone from Micromax? Let us know in the comment section. Also, Stay tuned about its availability and the price tag in Nepal.
Thank you! Thanks for making this possible. Thanks for liking us, Supporting us and being there with us.
Yes! We’ve crossed our first milestone with 10,000 of you awesome people in our Facebook. We feel proud and at the same time responsible. But this moment is not gonna pass with just a thankfulness. Since you’ve given this love and support to us, We want to give something to you as well.
Hence we have decided to gift 5 of our awesome fans with Exclusive Bluetooth Speakers (that matches your awesomeness) , courtesy of Huawei Smartphones Nepal. These bluetooth speakers are exclusively manufactured by Huawei and go real well with your Smart devices.
You will be redirected to our Facebook Giveaway Post which you should Like & Share to be eligible. Also, more engagement will result in higher winning chances. So, keep sharing! The Like & Share of the GIVEAWAY POST will only be considered valid. The comments on the same post will not be counted as a vote.
The necessary announcements & winner details will be announced through our Facebook Page. Also the winners will be contacted personally after the competition is over.
Yes these Speakers are pretty awesome and we’re sure you’ll love them. You can see the basic functionality of the speaker in the video above.
Also, We pass our huge thanks to Huawei Nepal as well, who took this cherish-able moment and provided these gadgets to our fans! Thank you!
Lastly, We are really grateful to your support and know that this is the first step of the ladder. We’ll continuously make efforts to provide you a seamless experience and information about gadgets with our reviews and more. We love you all! 🙂
Motorola Moto G and Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 both are available in Nepal at the moment. Both this device offers almost same specs. But because of massive marketing policy from Samsung, Grand 2 looks like a better device on papers but I feel the price of Grand 2 is Overrated. For a price of Grand 2 ,you can get a Moto G(16GB) and still have around 10K to spare.
Technical Specs Comparison:
[table id=4 /]
Screen :
Moto G has a smaller screen with better Technology in IPS LCD.The viewing angle and color saturation are better because of IPS LCD panel.Whereas in Grand 2,it has a much larger 5.2 TFT screen. The Grand 2 has a much better screen than its precedence Grand 1. If you are looking for a larger screen, Grand 2 is your obvious choice.However, if you have a tiny hands and want to use it comfortably with 1 hand, Moto G would be perfect for you.
Build :
Moto G is a dust and water resistant device but its made of Plastic. Samsung is also made of plastic but it does has a faux leather on the back. Both this device doesnt look premium like the iphone but you have to consider the fact that they are mid-range smartphones.
User Interface:
The biggest feature of the Moto G smartphone is the pure Google Stock Android Experience and timely update as it is a Google phone. It currently runs on the latest Android 4.4.2 kitkat.
Grand 2 runs on Android 4.3 Jelly bean with Touch Wiz UI. The kitkat 4.4 will certainly be availalbe but no specific date has been fixed from Samsung.
Hardware Specs:
Both this device is powered with Snapdragon 400 chipset with 1.2 GHZ quad core Cortex A7 processor. It has a less powerful Adreno 305 GPU. So, both this device will do fairly “OK” in terms of Gaming.
The major disadvantage of Moto G is it doesnt support memory card expansion and 8 GB model could well not be enough. So , I would prefer you buy a 16 GB model.Whereas Grand 2 has a memory card slot that is expandable upto 64 GB.
Camera :
Moto G only has a 5MP camera but it captures decent photos. It can only record 720P video. Grand 2 has a better camera than Moto G with 8MP shooter capable of FHD recording.
Battery:
Moto G has a 2070 mAh battery and Grand 2 has a larger 2600 mAh battery. But Moto G has a smaller screen and Grand 2 has a bigger screen so the usage is almost same in both scenerio.
VERDICT:
If you want a smaller screen that fits perfectly on your hand for one hand operation and a timely firmware update, MOTO G would be a wise decision. However , you are in a multimedia stuff and want to watch movies on a bigger screen and want a larger backup on your SD card, you should go for a Samsung Grand 2 . The hardware performance is the same in both devices and both these device are capable of running high end games as well.