health-and-fitness
Mist Fan Buyer Guide and Price Ranges in Bangladesh for 2024
Bangladesh is currently going through mild to severe heat waves. Due to the scorching sun and heat, many people are experiencing heat-related illnesses like dehydration, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, etc. Not to mention, the extremely hot weather has accelerated the sales of air conditioners. However, not everyone can afford AC due to its initial and operational costs. Nowadays, mist fans are gaining popularity as cost-effective cooling gadgets to beat the heat. It can be an affordable solution to stay cool without breaking the bank.
What’s the Difference Between a Mist Fan and an Air Conditioner?
There’s a common marketing trope that mist fans are mini air conditioners. But the truth is that mist fans and air conditioners are different things and they work on different principles.
Mist fans atomize the water and disperse in the air. The dispersed water particles quickly evaporate by absorbing the heat from the surroundings. This rapid evaporation causes a cooling effect, lowering the ambient temperature in the surrounding area.
On the other hand, air conditioners cool an area by removing the heat and humidity from the air. It uses the refrigeration principle to replace the hot air inside in a cyclic manner.
Mist fans can reduce the temperature by 3-4 degrees Celcius in a semi-open or open environment. On the other hand, air conditioners can drastically reduce the temperature as they work best in an enclosed environment.
Though mist fans are not alternatives to ACs, these cooling gadgets can give comfort by cooling the room temperature spreading mists and air.
Read more: Heat Stroke Prevention: Best foods, drinks to avoid heat exhaustion
What to Consider Before Buying a Mist Fan?
There are several things to consider while buying the perfect mist fan. With tons of options available in the market, here’s a list of things you should check before buying one.
Portability and Size
One of the key things to consider is the need for portability of your mist fan. Do you need to move it around or will it remain stationary at one place? Depending on portability, mist fans come in several sizes. It is recommended to choose one that best fits your use case.
Misting Level
The misting capacity is another thing to consider while getting a mist fan. If you plan to use the fan outdoors, it is recommended to buy a fan with a high water reserve and high misting capacity.
Mist Fan Coverage
The size and misting capacity of a mist fan greatly determines the coverage area. If you want to cover a small area, then portable type mist fans can be a great choice. When you want to cover a large area from a stationary position, consider getting a pedestal-type mist fan.
Read more: Heat Stroke: Symptoms, First Aid, and Prevention
Fan Speed and Functions
Mist fans come with different functions at different price points. A basic mist fan may provide different fan speeds but an advanced and more expensive fan may have different wind modes and mist control.
Noise Level
Large mist fans (pedestal type) make a lot of noise which can be problematic for indoor use. If you’re planning to buy a mist fan for your home, it would be wise to go for a portable or a smaller one as they tend to make less noise compared to the large pedestal ones.
Power Source
The power source is another thing to consider while buying a mist fan. For example, if you want to use the mist fan outdoors, it needs to have a battery charge feature. Many indoor mist fans also come with a dual power feature.
Rechargeability
Rechargeable mist fans can work for several hours without electricity. Depending on the specifications, these kinds of mist fans need to be connected to power lines for hours to get recharged. During power cuts and load sheddings, a charged mist fan can spread cool air and mists to keep you cool.
Read more: Summer Heatwave: Here’s How to Keep Children Safe
Durability
The durability of the fan plays an important role, especially if you are planning to use it outdoors. As a rule of thumb, sturdy, metal-built mist fans would be better for outdoor use whereas plastic ones would suffice for indoor conditions.
Additional Features
Many mist fans these days come with additional features like insect repellant, air purification, and even LED lights. You can assess each feature based on your usage.
Price and Warranty
And last but not least, it is recommended to double-check the price and warranty. Additional things to check include user reviews and brand reputation to make sure you’re getting the bang for your buck.
Motorola Moto G54 Review: Can It Hold the Legacy?
Motorola is a popular brand who manufacture stylish, quality, and feature-oriented smartphones under diverse price segments. The Motorola Moto G54 was released on September 6, 2023, in India, targeting the budget-friendly user segment. Motorola offers some premium features in this phone within budget. Can the Motorola Moto G54 carry on the reputation? Let’s find out.
Key Features and Specs of Moto G54
Design
The Moto G54 5G maintains a similar design to its predecessor, the G53 5G, but with slight size reductions, measuring 161.6 mm by 73.8 mm by 8mm and weighing 177g.
Available in Midnight Blue, Indigo Blue (vegan leather-backed), Glacier Blue, and Mint Green, it offers options for different preferences. Its physical features remain consistent, with ports at the bottom, a power button (with fingerprint reader), volume keys on the right, and a SIM tray on the left. It supports dual SIMs and a microSD card up to 1TB.
Its front is glass and the backside is made of plastic. The frame is also built with plastic. It lacks an official IP rating and boasts a "water-repellent" design.
Read more: Honor X7b Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Powerful Battery
The bezels surrounding the screen are slim. Despite its subdued appearance and lack of flashy elements, its refined design exudes sophistication and practicality, making it a reliable choice for professionals.
The phone is equipped with dual stereo speakers supporting Dolby Atmos. The Dolby Atmos logo signifies an equalisation app, though the built-in stereo speakers are more suitable for calls than music or videos. Nonetheless, with a headphone socket and Bluetooth 5.3, users can enjoy audio through external devices.
Display
The Moto G54 5G addresses the display shortcomings of its predecessor and offers a better display. With a resolution of 2400 by 1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, its 6.5-inch screen delivers smooth visuals and remarkable colour accuracy, scoring just 1.09 on the Delta E variance scale.
While it's not OLED or AMOLED, its IPS LCD technology still impresses with crispness and sharpness. However, it falls short in brightness compared to some high-end phones, reaching around 500 nits.
Read more: vivo iQOO Z9 Review: A Budget-friendly Phone with Decent Features
Cameras
The Moto G54 5G features a 50 MP main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, similar to its predecessor, offering decent image quality with improved auto-enhancement processing for better balance between light and dark areas. However, night photography remains a challenge, with minimal artificial brightening and noticeable noise in low-light conditions.
The 2MP (f/2.4) macro camera delivers acceptable detail but may not always be the best option compared to using the main lens up close.
Video recording capabilities have been enhanced, now supporting 1080p at 60fps and featuring optical image stabilization (OIS) for smoother footage. Despite efforts to boost colours and sharpness, image quality may suffer in challenging lighting conditions, and the night mode doesn't provide significant improvements, especially for moving subjects.
The selfie camera 16 MP (f/2.4) performs reasonably well, producing decent shots in both regular and portrait modes, while video recording is capped at 1080p/30fps but remains suitable for everyday use, such as social media sharing and video calls.
Read more: Nokia C32: Reliable Budget Smartphone for Everyday Use Under BDT 14,000
Home Air Conditioner Buyer Guide 2024: Everything You Need to Know
Last year, there was a meteorological consensus that 2024 would be the hottest year for the earth. As tropical countries are experiencing severe heat, Bangladesh is also bearing its brunt. In fact, the country is under a severe heat wave which is expected to continue into next month as well. In this scorching heat, air conditioners are a sigh of relief for many. There are several types of air conditioners each with specific features. Here’s everything you need to know to buy the perfect AC for your home.
Types of Home Air Conditioners
When it comes to home air conditioners, the choices may seem a bit confusing. There are several types based on size, function, and cooling options. The most common types of air conditioners for home use are:
Central Air Conditioner
Central air conditioning units are usually seen in commercial spaces. This system uses a large unit that is typically installed outside the home. The adjoined duct is used to distribute the cool air to various rooms.
Central air conditioners are best suited for large homes or for maintaining a unified temperature across the home. It also comes with a high initial setup cost.
Ductless Mini-Split System
Ductless mini-split systems are the most common type of air conditioner for homes in Bangladesh. This system has an outdoor compressor unit and an indoor air handling unit. It is ideal for separate cooling in each room.
The initial setup cost and operational cost of this system are much less compared to central air conditioning.
Read more: Heat Stroke Prevention: Best foods, drinks to avoid heat exhaustion
Window Air Conditioning
Window air conditioning is a self-contained unit that is directly installed in the window or the wall of a room. This system is ideal for small rooms or single apartments.
Portable Air Conditioner
Portable air conditioners are also self-contained types of air conditioners. The system usually has a moveable duct that exhausts heat through the window. This system is best suited for renters or for cooling specific areas temporarily.
Hybrid Air Conditioners
These systems combine a traditional air source heat pump with a gas furnace, providing efficient cooling and heating options. The operational costs of hybrid systems are significantly less as they can efficiently switch between gas and electricity.
Smart HVAC Systems
Smart HVAC systems use smart thermostats to optimally cool your home. Smart HVAC systems are installed with different types of air conditioning systems to increase their efficiency and reduce the overall cost.
Read more: Tips to Keep Home Cool in Summer Without AC
What to Consider Before Buying a Residential Air Conditioner?
There are several spatial and technical aspects to consider before buying a home air conditioning unit. Here’s to name a few.
Cooling Capacity
The cooling capacity determines how fast an air conditioner can cool your home. It is measured in BTU or British Thermal Unit. A system with insufficient BTUs will struggle to cool the area effectively, while one with too many BTUs will cycle on and off frequently, leading to inefficiency and temperature fluctuations.
Inverter vs. Non-inverter
Inverter AC tends to be more energy efficient thanks to its intelligent cooling capabilities. They are more expensive compared to non-inverter ACs. However, they can save a lot of money in the long run.
Dehumidification Feature
For humid and tropical weather like Bangladesh, it is recommended to buy AC with a dehumidification feature. It will help to remove the excess moisture from the air and improve the comfort level.
Type of System
Decide on the type of AC system based on your home. For example, a single detached apartment is better off with split systems. On the other hand, a central AC system is better for duplex or triplex-style homes.
Type of Refrigerant
If you’re cautious about the long-term health effects of your AC, then you should consider the type of refrigerant used in the AC system. Many older models come with R-22 coolant which is being phased out due to environmental concerns. If you want environment-friendly options, it is recommended to go for R-410A refrigerants.
Besides these, it is important to look at the budget, features and controls, warranty and support, noise level as well as user reviews before buying an AC unit.
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Honor X7b Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Powerful Battery
Honor phones are getting popularity in Bangladesh for offering smart features under affordable price ranges. Honor's latest device X7b hit the market on 1st December 2023. Primarily focused on a powerful battery, the Honor X7b competes in the budget-friendly segment. Let’s dive deeper into its specifications.
Key Features and Specs of Honor X7b
Design
The HONOR X7b has used a trendy flat design maintaining a 166.7 x 76.5 x 8.2 mm dimension. The back panel is colorfully vibrant and glows under sunlight projecting a colorful pattern. The overall back panel is built of plastic, though it gives a glassy gleaming vibe. Regular touch puts stains on the back panel. Other than that the phone weighs 199g which is not bulky nor very slim.
The dual rear camera setup on the back uses two circular lens holders and the entire camera panel protrudes a little. The power and volume buttons are on the right, and a MicroSD card slot is on the left for extra storage.
Read more: vivo iQOO Z9 Review: A Budget-friendly Phone with Decent Features
The phone has stereo speakers, with one at the top and another at the bottom along with a USB-C port. It also includes a headphone jack for wired earphones.
Display
The HONOR X7b boasts a stunning 6.8-inch Full HD+ IPS display, offering a resolution of 2412 x 1080 pixels and a pixel density of 389 ppi. Its 90Hz refresh rate delivers smooth animations and scrolling, heightening the visual experience. With a screen-to-body ratio of 91.3%, it immerses users in their content, perfect for gaming and multimedia consumption. The screen's 850 nit peak brightness ensures clarity even in bright outdoor settings.
Advanced eye protection features, including a minimum brightness of 2 nits for dim environments, coupled with dark mode and Circadian Night Display, prioritize user comfort during prolonged use. Additionally, stereo speakers handle notifications and calls adequately, but for a truly immersive audio experience, wired or wireless earphones are recommended, elevating the multimedia experience with superior sound quality.
Read more: Nokia C32: Reliable Budget Smartphone for Everyday Use Under BDT 14,000
Cameras
The HONOR X7b comes equipped with a primary 108MP (f/1.8) wide camera paired with a 5MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide and a 2MP (f/2.4) macro lens. In well-lit conditions, the main camera excels, capturing vibrant and clear images. The portrait mode impresses with ample details and maintained subject focus. Night photography performs well under ambient lighting, accurately capturing the tones and colors of stationary objects. However, challenges arise in low-light situations, especially with moving subjects, resulting in noticeable noise.
Outdoors, the main camera shines with vibrant colors and intricate details, extending to zoomed-in shots. Transitioning indoors, the ultra-wide angle camera tends to produce washed-out photos with muted colors. In contrast, the main camera excels in color reproduction, delivering visually appealing results even in zoomed-in shots.
The 8MP (f/2.0) selfie camera's performance is satisfactory, though portrait mode may overly accentuate facial features.
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Both the front and rear camera can capture 1080p footage at 30fps.
Performance
The HONOR X7b boasts robust performance, powered by a 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G 4nm octa-core processor and 8GB of RAM, further enhanced by HONOR RAM Turbo technology doubling the capacity to 16GB for seamless multitasking. With 256GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card, users have ample space for apps, games, photos, and videos.
For daily use, the device maintains consistent performance across various tasks like web browsing, video streaming, and social media usage. App launches are swift, and seamless transitions between tasks enhance the user experience.
Read more: itel P55 Plus Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Interesting Design Elements, Fast Charging
Gaming on the HONOR X7b is enjoyable, thanks to its powerful processor and ample RAM, ensuring smooth gameplay with minimal lag. Popular titles like PUBG Mobile and Genshin Impact run smoothly, leveraging the device's large, vibrant display for an immersive gaming experience.
Though heavy usage may lead to slight temperature increases or performance dips, these are manageable and typical for smartphones in this category, often mitigated by optimization settings or taking regular breaks.
Battery and Charging
The HONOR X7b’s primary selling point is its durability with an impressive 6000mAh battery, that delivers extended usage without frequent recharging. Holding the DXOMARK Battery Gold Label ensures good performance by industry standards. During testing, it lasted two days of active use, including gaming, social media, streaming, and productivity tasks. HONOR promises over 80% battery health even after three years.
Read more: Walton NEXG N9 Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Decent Features
Supporting a 35W HONOR SuperCharge Charger, it charges without significant delays, though not the fastest available, maintaining convenience for users on the go.
Pros and Cons of the HONOR X7b
Pros
- Sleek Design- Seamless Performance- Reliable Camera- Exceptional Battery Life- Affordable Pricing.
Cons
- No 4K video recording support- Subpar Low-Light Camera Performance- Plastic Build- Gorilla glass protection is missing- Slightly Heavier and Bulkier Design- Without 5G support- Gyro-EIS support is missing- Not compatible for heavy gaming or multitasking- No wireless or reverse charging support.
Read more: ZTE Blade V50 Design 4G Review: Surprising Features on a Budget-friendly Phone
Price of Honor X7b in Bangladesh
The Honor X7b is officially available in Bangladesh. Its 8GB RAM and 256GB internal ROM version is available at BDT 23,999.
Conclusion
The Honor X7b emerges as a good choice in the smartphone market of Bangladesh, offering a balanced package of sleek design, robust performance, and powerful battery within budget. While its affordable pricing makes it accessible to budget-conscious consumers, the subpar low-light camera performance and slightly bulkier design are notable drawbacks.
Nonetheless, its seamless performance and enduring battery make it a worthy contender in its segment. For users prioritizing battery life and overall performance at an affordable price point, the Honor X7b 4G presents a compelling option in the competitive smartphone landscape.
Read more: Top Smartphones Being Released in April 2024: A Mix of Flagship, Midrange and Budget Options
vivo iQOO Z9 Review: A Budget-friendly Phone with Decent Features
vivo’s sub-brand iQOO has hit the market with its latest model iQOO Z9. It was released on 12th March 2014 in India. For its reputation as a value-for-money smartphone provider, iQOO has made a lot of traction in the market. Is the newest model up to that par? Let’s find out the features, pros, cons and price of vivo iQOO Z9.
Key Specs of vivo iQOO Z9
Design
The iQOO Z9 boasts a 163.17 mm by 75.81 mm by 7.83 mm solid build, featuring IP54 dust, and water resistance. It weighs 188g. Its matte back panel and frame resist fingerprints, providing a comfortable, non-slippery grip. However, the flat sides may occasionally feel sharp against your palms.
The device comes in Brushed Green and Graphene Blue colours, with a distinctive feather-like pattern on the back. The rear camera module, housing two cameras and dual flash, sits on the top left, while the power button and volume rocker are on the right. At the bottom, you'll find the USB-C charging port, speaker, and SIM/SD card tray.
Read more: vivo iQOO 12 Review: Flagship Killer or a Flagship Itself?
The front display offers slim bezels, except for a thicker chin. It features an in-display fingerprint sensor, though not the fastest in its price range. While the plastic build feels sturdy, competitors with vegan leather backs provide a more premium alternative.
Display
The iQOO Z9 swaps the compact design of its predecessor for a more traditional 6.67-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution featuring 2400 by 1080 pixels and 120 Hz refresh rate support. However, it disappointingly lacks 120 Hz scrolling in most apps, limiting the smooth experience of the UI.
Despite this hiccup, the display impresses with sharpness at 394 PPI, HDR support, and vibrant colours. HDR content on platforms like YouTube and Netflix looks crisp and vibrant, thanks to the deep blacks and enhanced contrast of the AMOLED panel.
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The display also shines bright, reaching up to 1,800 nits of peak local brightness. Plus, the addition of dual stereo speakers elevates the audio experience, offering full sound with good bass and vocals, a significant improvement over its predecessor's single-speaker setup.
Cameras
The iQOO Z9 impresses with its camera performance, featuring a 50-megapixel (f/1.79) Sony IMX882 primary sensor with OIS. It has a 2 MP (f/2.4) Bokeh camera too.
While lacking an ultrawide shooter, the primary camera excels in capturing stunning photos in both daylight and low-light conditions. Daytime shots exhibit crisp details, natural colours, and a solid dynamic range comparable to higher-priced phones. The 2x zoom images maintain quality, and close-up shots boast a natural bokeh effect.
Read more: Nokia C32: Reliable Budget Smartphone for Everyday Use Under BDT 14,000
Portrait shots deliver close-to-natural skin tones, though edge detection could be improved. The option to capture full 50-megapixel shots retains dynamic range and enhances details. Low-light photography shines with minimal noise and polished results, despite some shadow detail loss.
The 16-megapixel (f/2.0) selfie camera performs decently in daylight but struggles in low light.
Additionally, the phone's rear sensor supports maximum of 4K @30fps video recording with stabilisation, adding versatility to its camera capabilities. While the front camera can capture 1080p videos at 30fps.
Read more: Nothing Phone 2a Review: What’s New?
vivo iQOO 12 Review: Flagship Killer or a Flagship Itself?
iQOO smartphones are known for their reliable performance at a marginal price. Their lineup is often dubbed as gaming on a budget. But the marginal price and the flagship killer tag come with certain corner cuts. But that all changed with their new release. iQOO launched the iQOO 12 on 14th November 2023. The device brings improvements in almost every sector compared to its predecessor. Now the question arises, is the vivo iQOO 12 a flagship killer or a proper flagship itself? Let’s find out.
Key Specs of the vivo iQOO 12
Design and Build Quality
It seems like iQOO has been inspired by OnePlus’s Never Settle philosophy when it comes to design. Gone are the rectangular camera housing which has been replaced with a rather square-ish round look. iQOO calls it the porthole design.
The build quality feels more sturdy thanks to the aluminum frame and glass back composition. The dimension of the iQOO 12 comes in at 163.22 mm by 75.88 mm by 8.10 mm (Alpha and Legend) or 8.35 mm (Desert Red). The weight of the device also differs as Alpha and Legend comes in at 203.7 g and the Desert Red comes in at 198.5 g. iQOO has partnered with BMW for the Legend variant. It adds a distinct dash of the M series colorways in a white AG Fluorite back.
Read more: Infinix Note 40 Pro Review: A Mid-Range Phone with 108P sensor, MagSafe Charging
Ports and buttons are in their usual space as before. The 12 with its updated looks and build quality seems to be on par with most flagships today. The Chinese variant even has IP64 water and dust resistance. However, it couldn’t be confirmed whether it’s the same for the global variant as well.
The Display
The display on the iQOO 12 is a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED 8T panel with 1B colors, 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 1400 nits of HBM, and 3000 nits of peak brightness. The resolution of the panel comes in at 1260 by 2800 pixels at a 20:9 aspect ratio. It brings the pixel count to about 452 ppi.
One of the impressive things about the iQOO 12 is the ultra-slim symmetric bezel on all sides. It takes the screen real estate to 89.6% screen-to-body ratio.
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The display also has a 2160 Hz PWM dimming mode for ease of usage in ultra-low light conditions. iQOO also incorporated an intelligent anti-fatigue brightness strategy and low blue light emission to relieve the stress on the eyes.
The overall experience with the host of features has been excellent. The display is fast, accurate, has great colors, and is simply a pleasure for content consumption.
The Camera
The camera on the iQOO 12 got a massive improvement over last year’s 11. There’s a new triple camera setup with the main sensor being a 50 MP f/1.7 23 mm wide angle lens with PDAF and OIS. There’s also a 64 MP f/2.6 70 mm periscope telephoto lens and a 50 MP f/2.0 119 degrees ultrawide lens. There’s also a 16 MP f/2.5 selfie shooter on the front.
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The flagship-grade sensors also provide impressive results. Pictures taken during the day had great contrast and sharpness to them with decent dynamic range. You might notice a slightly warm tone in a typical vivo fashion. Pictures taken at night were on par with daylight images thanks to the night mode. The front camera also took decent selfies. However it lacked details and sharpness compared to the main sensor.
The videography on the iQOO 12 is rated to be 8K at 30fps, 4K at 24/30/60fps, and 1080p at 30/60/120/240fps. Both the EIS and OIS do a great job of stabilizing and providing good-quality videos. The selfie shooter can capture only 1080p videos at 30fps.
MSI Cyborg 15 AI A1VEK Review: Is It Worth Buying?
MSI has taken the wraps off the Cyborg 15 AI at CES 2024. MSI has already engraved its name among the greats for manufacturing powerful gaming laptops. The Cyborg 15 AI A1VEK is an effort from MSI to provide a gaming laptop with a standard GPU and chipsets within budget. Does it make it any better to integrate Ai in the features? Let’s find out.
Key Specs and Features of MSI Cyborg 15 AI A1VEK
Design
The MSI Cyborg 15 AI A1VEK excels in performance and offers a sleek and functional design. Its translucent black color gives it a modern and professional appearance. With dimensions of 359.36 mm by 250.34 mm by 21.95-22.9mm and weighing just 1.98 kg, it perfectly balances portability and usability. The package includes an MSI Essential Backpack, enhancing its travel-friendliness.
The laptop features a 4-zone RGB gaming keyboard with backlighting, providing both style and functionality. This device has a numeric keypad for convenient data entry. The touchpad is the primary pointing device, but it lacks a dedicated navigation key. Overall, the physical attributes of the Cyborg 15 AI A1VEK contribute to its appeal as a versatile and visually appealing laptop option.
Read more: Laptop Buyer’s Guide: How to choose the right one
Display
The Cyborg 15 AI offers a good-grade display. With its 16.5-inch FHD LED panel utilising IPS technology, users can enjoy crisp and vibrant visuals with satisfactory color accuracy. The 1920 by 1080 resolution ensures sharp details for work and entertainment purposes. Notably, the display's 144Hz refresh rate provides smooth and fluid motion, which is particularly beneficial for gaming and multimedia tasks. While it covers 45% of the NTSC color gamut, it still delivers satisfying color reproduction for everyday uses.
Performance and Hardware
The MSI Cyborg 15 AI A1VEK boasts an impressive performance thanks to its cutting-edge hardware configuration. Powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, featuring 16 cores and 22 threads, this laptop delivers exceptional speed and multitasking capabilities. With a base frequency of 1.40GHz and a turbo boost reaching up to 4.80GHz, it handles demanding tasks effortlessly. Its 16GB of DDR5 RAM, clocked at 5600 MHz, ensures smooth operation even during intensive workloads.
Read more: Best MacBooks in Bangladesh: Which Apple Laptop Should You Buy?
Nokia C32: Reliable Budget Smartphone for Everyday Use Under BDT 14,000
Over the last decade, Nokia has struggled to get a grip on the smartphone market. After the failure of its first few attempts, the world-renowned smartphone brand is now advancing with caution. So, its recent releases appear more balanced and thoughtful than before. The Nokia C32 was officially released in Bangladesh on 6th April 2024. Through and through a budget-friendly phone, the Nokia C32 aims to reinstall people’s trust in the brand.
Key Specs and Features of the Nokia C32
Being an entry-level phone, the Nokia C32 hardly promises to offer high-end features. However, due to its well-earned recognition for manufacturing sturdy and durable phones, Nokia is once more demonstrating its quality with its latest release. In that context, let’s find out the depth of its endeavor.
Design
The Nokia C32 confines itself within a 164.6 mm by 75.9 mm by 8.6 mm frame, having a total weight of 199.4 g.
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Plastic-built, the main body frame has glass covers on the rear and front. Against awry light, the back covering glass reflects an intangible texture, gleaming a premium look. The glass is hardy and protective against small accidental falls from hands. It can magnet dust. The back of the phone has a camera module in the upper left corner with a double lens holding capacity.
On the front, the phone lays scratch-protective glass, shielding the display and secondary lens, which sits in a water drop hole on the middle top of the display. The bezel and chin have been kept slim, without compromising the overall look.
A side-mounted power button combined with a fingerprint sensor protrudes on the right frame. Over it are the volume rockers, keeping perfect alignment with the power button. A 3.5mm headphone jack, a Type-C charging port, and a speaker are placed around the frame. The only lack users will have to accept is a noise-cancellation system.
Read more: Symphony Z70 Review: 52MP Camera under BDT 10000
Display
A 6.52-inch IPS LCD screen that maintains a 20:9 aspect ratio comes as the display of the Nokia C32. With a resolution of 720 by 1600, the display fails to surface crisp videos. From some angles, the graphics revealed on the display seem a tad washed out, perhaps due to its capacity of low pixel density.
The display struggles to project explicit images on the display outdoors. Even maximizing brightness does little help in glaring daylight. The touch response of the screen often degrades, however, that doesn’t cut any hole in the overall experience. A bit higher refresh rate would be more practical and welcoming.
Cameras
Two rear cameras, one with a 50MP wide lens and another with a 2MP macro lens, don’t fall short in quality, in contrast with the other phones around a similar price range. For features, Nokia has included HDR, Portrait, and Night Mode which demand not to be expected high performance. The night mode can’t save images, captured in low light, from having a little sprinkled noise.
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Its 8 MP lens on the front snaps good-quality selfies. Like the main shooter, it also stumbles while capturing low-light images.
The primary camera can record videos at 30fps in 1080p resolution. Conversely, the front camera records at a lower frame-per-second rate in 720p resolution.
Performance
The Nokia C32 boasts a Unisoc SC9863A1 processor based on 22nm architecture. An IMG8322 GPU is incorporated to tackle graphical stress.
The phone can be divided into several variants depending on the storage and RAM capacity - 64GB storage by 3GB RAM, 64GB storage by 4GB RAM, 128GB storage by 4GB RAM, and 128GB storage by 6GB RAM. It is supported by eMMC 5.1. However, the eMMC data transfer technology is outdated.
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The processor and GPU used in the Nokia C32 are common in entry-level phones. However, a 22nm chipset is somewhat archaic compared to the competitors. High-end gaming will hardly be possible with the Nokia C32. Games that require low spec will run smoothly. The phone is designed only to support regular multitasking, scrolling over the internet, and basic app maneuvering smoothly.
The phone runs on stock Android 13 OS, keeping the user interface bloatware-free. It will provide a 2-year updating support for Android, which is praise-worthy for a low-budget phone.
Battery and Charger
The battery of the Nokia C32 is quite strong with a capacity of 5000 mAh. It will provide day-long support even for heavy use. Keeping the average usage rate, the phone will run for 3 days, as claimed by Nokia. The battery will support up to 10W menacingly low charging. At this rate, the battery will take a few hours to go from empty to fully charged.
Read more: ZTE Blade A54 Review: An Entry-level Smartphone Below Tk10000
Pros and Cons of the Nokia C32
Pros
- Sturdy and durable build - Premium look with glass covers on both front and rear- Side-mounted fingerprint sensor- Slim bezels and chin- HDR, Portrait, and Night Mode features- Good-quality selfies - Long-lasting battery life- Multiple storage and RAM variants to choose from- Smooth performance for regular multitasking.
Read more: ZTE Blade V50 Design 4G Review: Surprising Features on a Budget-friendly Phone
Cons
- The display lacks crispness and struggles outdoors- The touch response of the screen may degrade at times- Low pixel density affects graphics quality- Limited video recording capabilities, especially for the front camera- Outdated processor, GPU architecture, and data transfer technology- Inadequate for high-end gaming- Slow charging speed at 10W.
Read more: Symphony Innova 30 Review: Budget-friendly, Powerful Camera Phone
Price of Nokia 32 in Bangladesh
The Nokia C32 phone is officially available at BDT 13,499.
Conclusion
As a budget-friendly phone, the Nokia C32 offers good features like a 50 MP primary camera, 5000 mAh battery, glass cover on the rear, etc. It also has weaknesses in terms of performance and charging. The itel P55+ offers a better processor with UFS 2.2 data transfer technology at similar price ranges.
Considering overall features, heavy users and gamers shouldn’t opt for this device. But considering its price range the limitations are acceptable. Nokia C32 will best suit people seeking a device with browsing and essential tasking capacity.
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Nothing Phone 2a Review: What’s New?
The London-based smartphone manufacturing company Nothing launched the Nothing Phone 2a on 5 March 2024. Unlike its successors, the Nothing Phone 2a appears as a mid-budget device. Let’s dive into the features and functionalities the company purports to bring to its latest device.
Specifications and Features of Nothing Phone 2a
In quality and capacities, the new Nothing Phone 2a is quite different from its ancestors. Several negative traits and claims of bad experience pressed against the prior Nothing phones. Some of these limitations have been improved in the Nothing Phone 2a.
Design
For a mid-budget smartphone, the Nothing Phone 2a’s 161.74 mm by 76.32 mm by 8.55 mm dimension seems average. Using a semi-transparent plastic body material, the phone weighs 190g, which measures lighter than most market peers of the same budget range.
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The back of the phone fosters its ancestors' glossy finish. However, the cameras have found a new position on Nothing Phone 2a. An elliptical stage protrudes on the middle-top portion of the phone’s back. The stage rooms two circular lenses and a flashlight just above its top-right corner. Maintaining the angle, a microphone is seated just above the flashlight.
Nothing phone’s signature Gluph notification lights surround the camera stage. The phone’s back is covered with a black border. Volume rocker, power button, sim tray, etc., are placed just right on every other phone.
Display
Nothing uses a 6.7” flexible AMOLED display with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front. The display features an adaptive refresh rate from 30 Hz to up to 120 Hz. The touch sample hits high with a 240Hz capacity. With all these features, the display of the Nothing Phone 2a surfaces near-perfect pictures and videos on it.
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The Nothing Phone 2a has a default 700 nit brightness, with an adaptive capacity of up to 1300 nits in the outdoor light.
Nothing Phone 2a’s display integrates 1084 by 2412 pixel resolutions with 394ppi pixel density. Its display maintains a 5M:1 contrast ratio while supporting 1.07 billion colors. The overall features of the display promise a stand-out visual experience.
Camera
The Nothing Phone 2a offers double 50MP cameras on its rear- one wide and one ultra-wide. Together, they produce pictures with balanced colors and qualities. The only issue that might bother a user is a slight distortion in the low-light scenario. Pictures snapped around artificial lighting appear a tad overexposed.
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The front lens is of 32MP resolution, which suffices the requirement to capture good photos for selfies. The rear camera can record up to 4K videos at 30 fps while the front camera can capture 1080p footage at 60 fps.
With Nothing Phone 2a, the manufacturing company has thought of minute details. The phone lets users pick between H.264 and H.265 video encoding. The former is compatible with most apps, while the latter is efficient at saving storage.
Performance
“Nothing” has customized the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 original chipset to employ it in the Nothing Phone 2a. There will be several phone variants based on RAM and internal storage capacity.
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The most powerful variants will have 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The other two variants are 128GB storage with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage with 8GB RAM. Usual functionalities like app-installing or maneuvering, internet or screen scrolling, and multitasking can’t hinder the smoothness or responsiveness of the phones. The 4nm architecture hints at the processor's sufficient strength.
Gaming, not requiring users to be worried about stutters or limps, is comfortable on the Nothing Phone 2a. For high-resolution games, the usual smoothness can feel low a trifle. However, integrating the RAM booster can be handy in cases like an 8GB boost, which should bring significant performance improvements.
Software and Other Features
The Nothing Phone 2a offers, plainly out-of-the-box, two choices for their operating system. Users can stick to the originality using the base Android 14 OS and comfort themselves in Google’s default Android look and feel. Otherwise, they can explore Nothing’s variant of Android 14, NothingOS 2.5, stripped of disturbing distractions and bloatware that comes with a mottled shadowy-themed skin.
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One key feature of the NothingOS 2.5 is a gaming dashboard through which games can be streamed to different platforms.
Battery and Charger
The biggest battery introduced by Nothing, a 5000mAh cell can claimingly endure for two days straight without going fully empty. An average mixed-use scenario may last a day. A continuous run, dealing with heavy gaming, average browsing, meager snapping with the camera, and enough video consuming can hold up to 18 to 20 hours.
Nothing has deprived the users of a charger, even after lauding the battery’s capacity to support 45W. Users have to purchase a charger separately.
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Pros and Cons of the Nothing Phone 2a
Pros
- Crisp display with a higher refresh rate- Good brightness level- Double OS user interface.- Decent photography- 4K video recording supported by gyro-EIS- 5G and NFC enabled- Sufficient battery life with fast charging- Decent gaming and multitasking performance- Stereo speakers- Corning Gorilla Glass protection- IP54 water/dust resistance.
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Cons
- Durability concerns- No wireless charging- Lack of micro SD card slot- No zoom camera- No audio jack- 1080 video recording capacity for the selfie camera
Price of Nothing Phone 2a
The Nothing Phone 2a costs about € 335, or BDT 39,608 (EUR 1 = BDT 118.23). The phone is not officially available in Bangladesh at this moment.
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Conclusion
The Nothing Phone 2a is a mid-budget smartphone that aims to deliver satisfactory performance and quality. Its design features a semi-transparent plastic body with a unique camera setup. The flexible AMOLED display promises vibrant visuals, while the dual 50MP rear cameras and 32MP front camera capture decent photos and videos. Performance-wise, the customized MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset ensures smooth multitasking and gaming experiences.
The device has slight issues in low light. The provision of an audio jack, zoom camera, wireless charging, etc could make it a better package.
On the whole, the Nothing Phone 2a has several unique and explorable features. Anyone with mid-budget affordability and a knack for unique design can buy the phone.
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vivo iQOO Neo9 Pro Review: The Gaming-focused Flagship Phone of 2024
iQOO is here with its highly anticipated Neo series for 2024. The Neo lineup has stirred up quite the hype over the years for its unbeatable price-to-performance deals. The Neo9 Pro was launched globally on 22nd February. The global Neo9 Pro’s features are quite similar to the iQOO Neo9 released in China, while the Neo9 Pro’s Chinese version differs from its global version in the processor and camera section. Let’s find out more on this flagship phone.
Key Specs of the vivo iQOO Neo9 Pro
Design and Build Quality: A Mix of Sophistication and Refinement
The actual Neo9 Pro has been exclusively released for China for the time being. iQOO may not opt to release this model globally as it shares almost the same DNA with the parent company’s Vivo X100.
From the outside, you’re looking at the same dimension as that of the Neo9. There’s a vegan leather version which iQOO calls their Fiery Red model. There are also options for either blue or black glass back finishes.
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Dimension-wise, the iQOO Neo9 Pro comes in at 163.53 mm by 75.68 mm by 7.99 mm or 8.34 mm (Fiery Red). The aggregate weight of the device comes in at 190 g (Fiery Red) of 190 g as standard.
iQOO has incorporated several innovative design choices with the Neo9 Pro. The plastic frame has a four-sided micro-arc design for a seamless transition with the body. The front bezel on the side has been reduced to just 1.54 mm for a near-borderless view. There is also the Fluorite AG glass on the back of the blue and black model to deter fingerprints and smudges.
Ports, buttons, microphones, and dual SIM slots are in their usual spot like the Neo9. There’s no water resistance rating on the Neo9 Pro which might be its only gripe design-wise.
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The Display: Feature-Packed AMOLED Display
The display on the iQOO Neo9 Pro is stacked with features. On paper, users will get a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 1B colors, 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and 1400 nits of HBM. The near-symmetrical panel comes in a 20:9 aspect ratio good enough for a 93.43% screen-to-body ratio.
The resolution has been cranked up to 1260 by 2800 pixels featuring of 452 ppi density. Additional display techs like XDR 2.0 and ZREAL have also been incorporated into the panel. The result is a whopping 8000000:1 contrast ratio in normal usage.
iQOO claims that the touch latency has been reduced by 36% compared to the previous models. The 2160 Hz PWM dimming mode increases the brightness perception by 14.3% making it easier on eyes in ultra-low light environments.
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The Camera
The camera is where the difference between the global 9 Pro and Chinese 9 Pro becomes apparent.
The main rear camera is a 50 MP shooter sporting a Sony VCS IMX 920 sensor. Spec includes f/1.88 aperture, 1/1.49 inch sensor size with PDAF and OIS.
The Chinese Neo9 Pro’s secondary rear sensor is another 50 MP f/2.0 shooter, 119-degree ultrawide sensor. On the other hand, the global version comes with an 8 MP (f/2.2) 119-degree ultrawide sensor.
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For both the Chinese and Global Neo9 pro, the front camera features a single 16 MP f/2.5 lens. It can shoot 1080 pixels of footage at 30 fps.
The custom Sony sensor can nicely capture natural and warm-looking images. The usual photorealism of the IMX 920 was missing here as pictures had a distinct color pop in them. The dynamic range was a bit sub-par. The ultrawide sensor was able to match the performance of the main sensor during daylight.
Pictures taken at night or in low light fared much better thanks to the large sensor size. The night mode was an added plus in low-light photography.
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Videography on the Chinese Neo9 Pro supports up to 8K, 4K, and 1080P. While the global version can capture a maximum of 4K videos. Video quality has been impressive thanks to the gyro-EIS and OIS.
Processor and Performance: Sheer Gaming Capabilities
Beyond the camera, the Chinese 9 Pro is using the latest MediaTek Dimensity 9300 based on the 4 Nm architecture unlike yesteryear’s 8 Gen 2 found on the global 9 Pro. The octa-core processor is coupled with Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPU. iQOO is claiming 40% increased performance with 33% less power consumption compared to the last generation.
The storage combination goes up to 16 GB RAM and 1TB internal storage. iQOO has upgraded to LPDDR5X and UFS 4.0 for the RAM and ROM respectively.
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In addition to the Dimensity 9300 chip, iQOO has also included the Q1 gaming chip developed in-house. iQOO claims that the Q1 can replicate PC-level super-resolution for open world and other graphics-intensive games. In the test, PUBG, COD, Genshin Impact, and Asphalt 9 were running smoothly at 60 Hz. What’s even more impressive is the lack of heating even after hours of gaming. The usual day-to-day browsing and surfing is fast and smooth thanks to the blazing 144 Hz display.
iQOO introduced their 6K Skylight vapor chamber liquid cooling technology which takes up around half of the internal footprint of the device. It accounts for precise heat dissipation resulting in a 26% increase in overall heat transfer.
Software: OriginOS 4 over Android 14
While the global variant comes with Funtouch OS, the Chinese Neo9 Pro sticks with the OriginOS. And given that it is released in China only. It’s a pretty heavy skin over Android 14. Needless to say, it would take some time to get used to its interface and navigation.
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Battery and Charge Time
The Neo9 Pro comes with 5160 mAh battery capacity. The 120W ultra-fast flash charge can take the device from 0 to 40% in 9 minutes. The full charge takes about 1 hour and 24 minutes. iQOO claims that the Neo9 Pro has been tested for up to 1600 full charge cycles after which the battery can retain up to 80% of its original capacity.