Gadget
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Read more: Walton NEXG N9 Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Decent Features
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.
Read more: iQOO Neo 9 Review: A Flagship Grade Mid-Range Smartphone
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.
Read more: iQOO Neo7 SE Review: Competent Mid-range Gaming Phone
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.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy A35 Review: Does It Offer Value for Money?
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.
itel P55 Plus Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Interesting Design Elements, Fast Charging
itel was a reliable feature phone brand in the early days of mobile communication. Over the years, the brand has produced a mix of budget-friendly and mid-range smartphones which are equally popular as its predecessors. itel launched the P55+ globally on 13th February 2024. As a successor to the P40+, the P55+ brings some interesting design elements and key features. Let’s take a look at the features, pros, cons, and price of the itel P55 Plus in Bangladesh.
Key Specs and Features of itel P55+
Design and Build Quality: A Touch of Faux Leather
The thing about ultra-budget smartphones is that the room for doing something out of the ordinary is quite small. Yet itel has taken up that challenge with its Power series. The Royal Green version of the P55+ comes with faux leather on the back which gives it a premium look. There are also Galaxy Blue and Meteor Purple colorways to choose from.
The P55+ is an all-around plastic smartphone. The frame has a bright chrome finish which might look a bit cheap. A brushed finish would’ve greatly complemented the faux leather back.
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The smartphone has an 8 mm thickness. The overall form factor along with an 187 g weight greatly aids in single-hand usability. It's great to see a budget smartphone that feels well-squared and compact in hand.
The power button and volume rocker are placed in their usual spot. The former doubles as the fingerprint scanner which was fast and accurate during the test. The P55+ supports dual sim with dual standby mode. There’s also a 3.5 mm headphone jack along with expandable storage. However, users will be missing out on a secondary noise cancellation mic.
The Display: IPS LCD Panel With a 90 Hz Refresh Rate
Budget smartphones nowadays come with IPS LCD panels. The P55+ is also no different. Its 6.6-inch panel has a 90 Hz refresh rate. It sports a 720 by 1612 pixels resolution in a 20:9 aspect ratio ratio. The pixel density comes in at around 267 ppi.
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itel has done a decent job at reducing the chin. For a budget smartphone, the punch-hole camera and the overall layout don’t leave any room to complain. The display was sufficiently bright for indoor use. However, outdoor visibility might be an issue owing to the glare.
The viewing angles were also decent. Overall, it’s an okay display for the price.
The Camera: A Single Shooter Showdown
Even though there are two large camera housings on the back, the P55+ only has a single usable camera. The main sensor here is a 50 MP shooter with the secondary one being a 0.08 MP auxiliary lens. The front features an 8 MP selfie shooter.
itel didn’t elaborate much on the main shooter other than its resolution. From the looks of it, it's just another run-of-the-mill 50 MP sensor seen on most budget phones these days. What’s interesting though however is how it performs.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Review: A Budget-friendly Version of Galaxy S24?
Pictures taken with the P55+ came out on the saturated side. The colour popping in the images may look a bit artificial at times. On the plus side, pictures in good lighting condition came out better than most ultra-budget smartphones. The dynamic range was also pretty good in moderate daylight. The selfie camera performed well with good subject detection and focus.
However, the same didn’t hold in low light or indoors. Images came out to be noticeably softer with exposure issues. Even the night mode couldn’t make things any better.
Beyond that, itel has specific features like AI Clear Portrait, Pro Mode, and Time-lapse Mode integrated into the main camera.
Read more: Infinix Hot 40 Review: Is It A Good Deal Under BDT 18000?
Infinix Note 40 Pro Review: A Mid-Range Phone with 108P sensor, MagSafe Charging
Infinix has consistently pushed its innovation in the budget and mid-range segment for quite some time now. Recently, the brand received the innovation award for its new battery tech at CES 2024. After considerable hype, Infinix officially launched the Infinix Note 40 Pro in the Bangladeshi market on 19th March 2024. Here’s our detailed take on the device.
Key Specifications of Infinix Note 40 Pro
Design and Build Quality: A Premium Look and Feel
Infinix has been consistent with the design language of the Note series. It is sleek, and innovative and has a premium look and feel. The premium feel is alleviated by the Magsafe-like case on the box.
The smartphone features a chamfered edge on the frame complemented by a vegan leather back. The curved front display also smoothly blends into the frame to create a unified slim footprint. The traditional flashlight has been replaced with AI-powered Active Halo. It’s like a small recreation of the glyph interface seen on the Nothing Phone.
Dimension-wise the Note 40 Pro comes in at 164.3 mm by 74.5 mm by 8.1 mm with either 190 g (leather back) or 196 g of weight. The front panel is symmetrical with a slight bezel at the bottom and top. The power button and volume rockers are placed on the right side.
The Note 40 Pro is also IP54 rated meaning it can easily withstand a light splash.
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The Display: Sheer Perfection from Infinix
Infinix Note 40 Pro’s display features a 6.78-inch 3D curved LTPS AMOLED panel with 1B colors and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Its display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.
The typical brightness of the panel is around 550 nits and the HBM clocks out at 1300 nits. In addition to the usual features, the display also incorporates PWM dimming for enhanced view in the low light.
The symmetrical outlay allows for a sizeable 93.8% screen-to-body ratio. The display sports an FHD+ resolution of 1080 by 2436 pixels with 393 ppi density. Additionally, users will be getting DCI-P3 wide color gamut support. The panel feels crisp and sharp with great contrast and viewing angles making it perfect for media consumption.
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The Camera: Leaves More to be Desired
Note 40 Pro’s primary sensor is a 108 MP one (SK5HM2SP03-FGX9). The bizarre name suggests that it is sourced from Samsung with 1/1.67 inch sensor length and f/1.75 aperture. There’s also OIS to complement stability. The other two sensors are 2 MP ones.
The front features a 32 MP selfie shooter that can shoot 1080-pixel videos at 30 fps.
Fortunately, the main camera does a decent job. Pictures came out detailed with good dynamic range. Images were slightly on the warmer side while shooting in auto mode. Pictures taken in low light weren’t all that great. The night mode is the saving grace considering the noise and grains.
Users can shoot up to 1440P footage at 30 fps from the back camera. The videos came out fairly decent thanks to the OIS onboard.
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Processor and Performance: Benchmarks Fall Short of the Price
The processor on the Note 40 Pro is Helio G99 Ultimate. There’s another global version that comes with a Mediatek Dimensity 7020 processor. But Bangladeshi users will be getting the G99 Ultimate one. It’s an octa-core processor with Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.
Helio G99 Ultimate seems a letdown in a mid-range phone. Especially, when competitors like Redmi 14C and Tecno Spark 20 Pro are providing the slightly old G99 at a much lower price point. The miniscule upgrade brought forth by the Ultimate simply doesn’t justify the price.
But beyond the benchmarks and prices, the Note 40 Pro would suffice for most users. 3D titles like Asphalt 9 and PUBG ran smoothly on medium settings. The device did get heated a bit but that’s expected from a mid-range processor.
Overall the processor won’t blow you away with its numbers. But for casual use and moderate gaming, it will be enough.
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Software: A Refreshing Take From XOS
The Note 40 Pro comes with XOS 14 based on Android 14. It seems like Infinix has finally listened to its users as the number of bloatware has significantly decreased. The center punch-hole camera now acts as a dynamic island which is quite useful for glance notifications and charging indicators. Infinix has also announced that the Note 40 Pro will receive two years of software updates.
Battery and Charge Time
Now onto the exciting bit. Infinix has decided to introduce its own MagSafe charging with the Note 40 Pro which they call MagCharge. It is a power bank that comes with the retail box. It can be magnetically attached to the included cover (MagKit) and recharge the device to around 50% on a single charge. It also doubles as a wireless charger when hooked with the included power brick.
The 5000 mAh battery can be wire-charged by the 70W included charging brick. The Magcharge when connected to the brick can charge at 20W and up to 7.5W while working as a power bank. Infinix also included their new X1 chip for superior charging optimization to safeguard the battery.
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Samsung Galaxy A35 Review: Does It Offer Value for Money?
As 2024 gradually advances, Samsung keeps on delivering remarkable devices one after another. On March 11, Samsung released this year’s first addition to its mid-budget segment, the Galaxy A35. The Galaxy A series has always reflected Samsung’s integrity and endeavor to offer the highest quality phones within budget. The latest addition isn’t an exception. But will the Galaxy A35 be able to meet customer’s expectations? Let’s find out.
Key Specs and Features of Samsung Galaxy A35
The Galaxy A35 has almost everything a user can expect from a mid-range Samsung phone. Nothing feels like a heartbreak so far.
Design
Last year’s Samsung Galaxy A34 received massive success for its stand-out features and design. Being the direct successor of the phone, the Galaxy A35 has been carrying great expectations ever since the rumors about its release spread out. So, how is it doing against all these expectations?
The most significant change the latest A series addition brought to its design is a glass back cover. It is the first time Samsung has introduced a glass panel on the back of an A-series phone. However, the main body frame is still made of plastic. The phone's overall look highly resembles the Galaxy S24’s and the concurrent release, the Galaxy M55’s. Among the three resembling phones, the Galaxy A35 comes at the minimum price.
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The 161.7 mm by 78 mm by 8.2 mm plastic body frame touches are polished, maintaining a smooth brushed feel. The 209g weight can feel heavy sometimes. On the right side of the frame, the portion holding the volume rockers and the power button has been nudged up. So that users can comfortably reach the button with their fingers. Like the Galaxy S24, the A35 has three distinct circular camera modules horizontally placed on the top left area of the back.
On the front, the phone keeps it flat and introduces the second satisfactory change to the usual design of the A-series phone. Ditching the ancient water drop design, Samsung has seated a punch-hole camera module.
Apart from that, Users will get a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection on the screen. For the sensor, an in-display fingerprint with a fast response has been installed. Finally, the front of the phone reveals a noticeable bezel around the display, which is probably the only crack in the phone's design.
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Display
Like the Galaxy M55, the Galaxy A35 has installed a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display. Sustaining the well-established prestige of Samsung’s display, the Galaxy A35 surfaces crisp and vivid pictures. The touch response is adaptive and can reach up to 120Hz, the industry standard for a mid-budget phone. The only exception may be the Motorola Edge 40, which has used a 144Hz refresh rate without tripping beyond the mid-budget range.
The display supports HDR10, 1080 by 2340 pixels resolution, and 390 ppi pixel density. Assembled, these features demonstrate a high-quality display. It employs a 1000 nits brightness level, sufficient for a comfortable indoor and outdoor phone maneuver.
Among the market peers, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro offers a higher spec in a few cases, mentioning a peak 1800 nit brightness level, 1220 by 2712 pixels resolution, and 446 ppi density.
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Cameras
Camera specs are where The Galaxy A35 has deviated from the Galaxy M55. Both phones house a triple back camera setup and a single front lens. But the difference lies in the capacity of the lenses of the two phones. The Galaxy A35 has a 50MP primary wide-angle camera with OIS support. The other two lenses are an 8MP ultrawide and a 5MP Macro lens.
The front punch-hole houses a 13MP selfie camera, which is a far degradation compared to the M55’s 50MP front lens. At least a 16MP would do better if using a 32MP was impossible. Direct competitors like Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro and vivo iQOO Z7 Pro both have 16MP lenses for their selfie cameras.
Pictures snapped with the Galaxy A35 are of good quality and don’t fall short in terms of detail compared to its other market peers. Both primary and secondary cameras can record videos at 4K resolution. Indeed, it will end a sigh of sadness that Samsung budget phone users have been suppressing for a long time.
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Performance and Hardware
For the chipset, the Galaxy A35 uses the Exynos 1380 octa-core processor, which is explicitly powerful and uses 5nm technology. A Mali-G68 MP5 GPU supports the phone's visual processing tasks. Heavy gaming and video-consuming are possible without experiencing any lagging or heating. The phone offers three variants combining a 6GB or 8GB ROM with a 128GB or 256 GB internal storage. An Antutu 603441 and a GeekBench 2931 score demonstrate the robust performance capacity of the phone.
Users will get Samsung’s dedicated One UI 6.1 OS, a customized Android 14 variant designed to provide smooth and stylish phone maneuvers.
Battery and Charger
Samsung’s signature 5000mAh battery with 25W charging capacity once again takes care of the power supply unit of their latest A-series phone A35. A minimal-consuming session can run around 10 to 12 hours with battery support.
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Pros and Cons of the Samsung Galaxy A35
Pros
- Sleek glass back design- Punch-hole display for a modern look- Reliable performance for gaming and multitasking- Samsung One UI 6.1 for smooth user experience- Long-lasting 5000mAh battery.
Cons
- Plastic body frame- Lower resolution front camera compared to competitors- Limited camera features compared to other models- Not the highest refresh rate in its price range- Display bezels could be thinner.
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Price of Samsung Galaxy A35 in Bangladesh
The Samsung Galaxy A35 has been revealed in the USA market, and its price starts from $367.86 or BDT 40,356. (USD 1 = BDT 109.70). However, the official price of Galaxy A35 in Bangladesh may vary due to tax and other issues.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy A35 impresses by introducing a glass back design and punch-hole display on a Galaxy A series phone. It delivers reliable performance for gaming and multitasking, thanks to the powerful Exynos 1380 octa-core processor. With Samsung's One UI 6.1 ensuring a smooth user experience and a long-lasting 5000mAh battery, it's a solid mid-budget option.
However, the plastic body frame, lower resolution front camera, and limited camera features are notable drawbacks. Despite these, the Galaxy A35 stands out for its overall performance and design. Even with rough competition from phones like Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro, vivo iQOO Z7 Pro, and Motorola Edge 40, the Samsung Galaxy A35 keeps the possibility of being able to shine in the market.
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Samsung Galaxy M55 Review: Here’s What It Offers
Smartphone lovers wait all year, hoping for Samsung releases. Samsung presented the latest Galaxy M55 in Brazil on 28 March. Fans are now curious about the features that the phone offers. Let’s take a look at what Samsung Galaxy M55 offers.
Key Specs and Features of Samsung Galaxy M55
Design
Up until now, the Samsung Galaxy M55 has been expected to match the Galaxy A55 in features and specifications. However, the reality falls further away from that expectation. With the Galaxy A55, people have experienced the epitome of design from a mid-budget phone. It employed a metal body with a flat look sandwiched with glass shields on both the rear and front. Whereas, the Galaxy M55 uses an average plastic body design with slight curves on the sides.
The Galaxy A55 gave way more premium feel compared to that given by the Galaxy M55. The phone is 7.8mm thick and weighs 180g.
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The latest addition to the M series has three protruded camera buckets on the back keeping the concurrent trend for the camera modules. The fingerprint sensor is located below the mid-bottom part of the display. Unlike the dual speaker in the Galaxy A55, the M55 uses a mono speaker.
Other specifications about the design of the phone appear to be as usual. A sim card holder is rooming two 5G sim nano sim cards or a single sim card and a memory card that can be expandable to 1TB. Minimal bezel, punch hole front lens, smooth volume rockers, headphone jack, and other features are just on par. For colours, Samsung has provided two variations- a Dark Blue and a Light Green.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy M55 boasts a 6.7-inch super AMOLED+ high-resolution vivid display. Users will have an experience of Full HD+ resolution. With a pixel density of 393ppi, the display will surface a lively and near-accurate projection of the objects. The display also has a 1000-nit brightness level, which means it will be sufficient to preserve a glowing brightness regardless of the indoor or outdoor ambiance.
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The Samsung Galaxy M55 has implemented an adaptive refresh rate feature. So, the touch response rate will adapt to a user's necessity and set itself at 60 to 120Hz. The display will give an experience similar to a premium phone.
Performance
The hardware and software used in the Galaxy M55 are noteworthy as they can provide a satisfactory experience. For the processor, users will get a 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC, undoubtedly a powerful engine, if combined with the right combination, capable of doing wonders.
Mentioning the combination, the Samsung Galaxy M55 has integrated an Adnino 644 graphics module, 8GB RAM, along with a 256 ROM. Together, the hardware unit can yield considerable performance. In the Antutu testing, the phone has made a remarkable 6.67K, which suffices the performance requirements for all high-quality games.
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There will be three variations of the phone- 8GB * 128GB, 8GB * 256GB, and 12GB * 256GB. In the software section, users will celebrate Samsung’s modified operating system One UI version 6.1. This version is based on the latest Android 14 OS. Samsung will provide 4 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates, meeting the expectations of people from a brand. Compared to the overall features of the phone, the performance of the Galaxy M55 is its most powerful aspect.
Cameras
If the performance segment is the most powerful feature of the Samsung Galaxy M55, which will be the second most satisfactory aspect of the phone? Without any doubt, it’s its camera segment. With a robust triple camera setup containing a 50MP wide-angle principal lens, an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro auxiliary lens, the Galaxy M55 maintains its dignity among all mid-budget phones.
Pleasing the users to their best, the Galaxy M55 engraves a 50MP frontal lens in the punchhole on the top-mid of the display. Both rear and front lenses snap quality photos.
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Video recording capacity is capped at 720p 240FPS for slow motion and 4K 30FPS for the highest quality. Another departure from the Galaxy A55 specification lies in the absence of Ai features in the cameras.
Battery and Charger
Mid-budget phones usually power themselves with a 5000mAh battery, and the Galaxy M55 is not an anomaly. Its battery supports up to 45W fast charging.
Price of Samsung Galaxy M55
The phone is officially available in the Brazilian market for pre-order. The 8GB * 256GB version of the phone comes for BRL 3,199 or BDT 69,912. The conversion rate here is 1 BRL = BDT 21.85.
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Pros and Cons of the Samsung Galaxy M55
Pros
- Powerful Snapdragon processor- Stunning super AMOLED+ display- Versatile triple camera setup- 5000mAh battery with fast charging- Long-term software support.
Cons
- Plastic body design- Lack of AI camera features- No wireless or reverse charging support.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy M55 offers a blend of impressive features and specifications. Despite falling short of some design expectations with its plastic body, it makes up for it with a powerful Snapdragon processor, a stunning super AMOLED+ display, and a versatile triple camera setup that captures quality photos and videos. The phone's 5000mAh battery with fast charging support ensures long-lasting usage, while its long-term software support adds to its appeal. However, the absence of AI camera features and the lack of an included charger are notable drawbacks.
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Walton NEXG N9 Review: Budget-friendly Phone with Decent Features
Walton, a leading electronics product manufacturing brand in Bangladesh, released the NEXG N9 in March 2024. It is the latest smartphone in Walton’s NEXG lineup. Refined in many aspects, the NEXG N9 appears as a next-generation effort from Walton under a budget-friendly price range. Let’s take a look at the main features, pros, cons, and price of Walton NEXG N9 in Bangladesh.
Key Features and Specs of Walton NEXG N9
Design
The Walton NEXG N9, a stylish smartphone, measures 170.6 mm in height, 77.6 mm in width, and 9.1 mm in depth, weighing 219g (including the battery). Its sleek glass front adds an element of sophistication. It is available in Mirror Black, Chrome White, and Mystic Cyan colors.
Elegance will be felt when the phone is within a grip as it uses a smooth glass back. A giant circular stage has protruded on the top mid of the back to room triple Ai cameras and a flashlight. The circular stage encompasses itself with a golden rim along the protruded part, and on its mid has an oculus branding.
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The device features the usual design, with the power button and volume rocker conveniently positioned on the phone's side. The tactile power button and volume rocker enhance the user experience, providing quick and effortless control.
Display
The Walton NEXG N9 boasts a spacious 6.82-inch (17.27cm) punch-hole FHD+ IPS display, measured diagonally for an immersive viewing experience. This expansive screen enhances productivity and multitasking, accommodating various applications and activities comfortably.
With a crisp resolution of HD 720 by 1640 pixels and a modern 20:9 aspect ratio, it ensures vibrant colors, sharp text, and commendable image quality.
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Employing IPS INCELL Technology with 2.5D Glass, the display guarantees standard color reproduction and offers a capacitive touch screen for seamless interaction. Its 90Hz refresh rate also contributes to smoother scrolling and improved responsiveness, enhancing the overall user experience.
Cameras
The Walton NEXG N9 has an impressive camera setup to capture life's moments with clarity and detail. Its rear camera features a powerful 50MP AI Triple Camera system, ensuring sharp and colorful shots with its wide aperture of F/1.8. With features like autofocus, LED flash, and various shooting modes, including portrait, video, and panorama, it offers versatility for every photography enthusiast.
The camera also boasts advanced capabilities such as AI scene recognition and digital zoom, enhancing the quality of each image. For selfie lovers, the 8MP front camera with F/2.0 aperture delivers clear and vibrant self-portraits, supported by features like face detection and digital zoom. With the ability to record 1080P Full HD videos, both rear and front cameras ensure that every moment is captured beautifully.
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