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.  Read more: Samsung Galaxy M55 Review: Here’s What It Offers 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.  Read more: ZTE Nubia Red Magic 9 Pro Plus Review with Pros and Cons 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.

Tecno has consistently impressed with its high-quality, competitively priced smartphones. After the foldable phones, Tecno’s Phantom line-up released the V Flip on October 1, 2023, in Bangladesh. It marks Tecno's first foray into the flip phone market. This stylish and feature-packed device boasts a sleek design with impressive technical specifications. But is all that hype real? Let’s take a look into the key specifications, pros, cons, and price of the Tecno Phantom V Flip. Key Features of Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G Design The Tecno Phantom V Flip impresses with its seamless fusion of style and practicality. Unfolded, it stands gracefully at 171.72mm by 74.05mm by 6.95mm, boasting a sleek and slender profile. The vegan leather exterior not only enhances its aesthetics but also ensures a comfortable and secure grip.  Despite a subtle crease on dark wallpapers, the inner screen remains inconspicuous during regular use. Weighing a mere 194g, the phone feels delightfully lightweight. The 'Hoverlock' hinge design allows for a flexible open angle between 30 to 150 degrees, enhancing user convenience.  Read more: Xiaomi 14 Pro Review: What’s special about it? When folded, the device maintains its elegance, measuring 88.77mm in height and 14.95mm in thickness. A circular cover display, a right-side fingerprint scanner, and a smooth unfolding process contribute to the device's overall appeal, with the caveat of lacking an IP rating, requiring users to exercise caution against splashes and dust. Display The Tecno Phantom V Flip offers a distinctive dual-screen experience, featuring a sizable 6.9-inch FHD+ AMOLED Foldable display with an impressive 94.5% screen-to-frame ratio. Featuring 1080 by 2640 pixels of resolutions with a pixel density of 413 ppi, the main screen delivers stunning visuals, enhanced by a variable refresh rate of LTPO 10-120Hz for adaptive performance.  Complementing this is the 1.32-inch AMOLED cover screen, providing quick access to essential information. The device showcases technological prowess with a touch screen rate of 360MHz for one and two-finger interactions on the cover screen, coupled with a 120Hz refresh rate. Notably, the main screen boasts a vibrant color depth of 1 billion, while the cover screen maintains a crisp 16.7 million.  Read more: Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 Review: Flagship Phone with Slim Foldable Design The impressive 1000 nit peak brightness and durable cover glass, featuring Schott UTG for the main screen and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for the cover screen, add a layer of sophistication to this innovative smartphone. Camera Elevate your photography game with the Tecno Phantom V Flip 5G's impressive camera system. The main 64 MP camera, armed with a spacious 1/1.73″ sensor, PDAF, and a wide f/1.7 aperture, ensures stunning clarity and detail in every shot.  Complementing this powerhouse is a 13MP ultrawide lens, perfect for capturing sweeping landscapes and group shots with its 120° field of view.  The front screen's 32 MP sensor guarantees impeccable selfies. With a diverse range of shooting modes, including film, video, AI cam, and portrait mode, the smartphone caters to various creative preferences.  Read more: vivo V29e 5G Review: Is this mid-range phone rightly priced? The rear camera supports 4K video recording at 30fps and 1080p at 30/60fps, featuring Steady Video support for smooth footage. Meanwhile, the front camera delivers 1080p video recording and slow-motion capabilities, ensuring your moments are captured with precision and style.

The Google Pixel 7a is the latest addition to the Pixel lineup, released in May 2023; it is already available in the Bangladeshi market from the beginning of June. This mid-range smartphone comes with impressive features, including a 6.1-inch OLED display, a powerful Google Tensor G2 processor, and a 64-megapixel camera. With its high-end specs, the Pixel 7a is a strong contender in the competitive smartphone market. In this review, we will take a closer look at the device's design, performance, camera capabilities, and overall user experience to help you decide if it's the right choice for you. Key Features of Google Pixel 7a Design In a world where all Android phones look similar, you can easily identify a Pixel handset. The Pixel 7a resembles its predecessor, the Pixel 6a. It has a sturdy and durable feel, featuring a metal camera bar and a scratch-resistant display made of "Gorilla Glass 3." Read more: Top 10 Upcoming Smartphones in Bangladesh on June 2023 Weighing about 193.5g the device has dimensions of 5.98 inches by 2.87 inches by 0.35 inches. Pixel 7a is built with an aluminum frame, glass front and plastic back. It also offers IP67 dust/water resistance.  The Pixel 7a is available in various colors: Charcoal, Sea, Snow (white), and Coral (exclusive to the Google Store). These shades are appealing and give off a colorful, futuristic, and refined vibe without appearing flashy or inexpensive.  However, similar to previous Pixel models like the Pixel 6, this new model is somewhat slippery in terms of its design. Therefore, we suggest using a case with a better grip to enhance its handling. Read more: Honor Magic5 Ultimate Review: What’s special about this flagship smartphone? Display The 6.1-inches OLED display on the Pixel 7a doesn't bring a significant change compared to the Pixel 6a. Its resolutions are 1080p by 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio and about 429 ppi density. However, it does offer an important upgrade with a 90Hz refresh rate option in the settings. This aligns it with the refresh rates found on the Pixel 7 and breaks the pattern of Pixel A phones being limited to 60Hz. While this option is disabled by default, enabling it enhances the smoothness of the screen and provides a noticeable improvement, especially for those familiar with high refresh-rate displays. It is a worthwhile upgrade. Apart from the Pixel 7a having a more prominent black border, there isn't a significant distinction in terms of the screen when compared to the Pixel 7. Both screens perform exceptionally well in bright outdoor conditions, delivering sharp detail and vibrant colors. So, most users should not encounter any major problems with this aspect of the phone. Read more: Asus ROG Phone 7 Review: Does it offer value for money? Cameras Google has introduced a new camera module for both front and rear cameras. The Pixel 7a introduces a new 64-megapixel primary camera equipped with a Sony IMX787 sensor. This is the first time an A series phone incorporates a Quad Bayer Type 1/1.73 sensor with a pixel size of 0.8µm. The main camera also features an f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilization.  Additionally, the phone includes a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 120° field of view and an f/2.2 aperture, utilizing a Sony IMX712 sensor.  As for the front camera, there is a new 13-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide focal length equivalent to 20mm, which is a fresh addition to the Pixel line. Read more: realme 11 Pro Plus Review: Mid-range phone with flagship features Similar to previous Pixel A series phones, the Pixel 7a does not include a telephoto lens. Instead, it relies on Google's Super Res Zoom technology to enhance cropped photos and prevent pixelation. With Super Res Zoom, you can zoom up to 8x, and there is a convenient 2x shortcut available in the camera app. This is noteworthy because previous Pixel A series phones did not have access to Google's hybrid zoom features.