Here's what you need to know before choosing one

Thinking of upgrading your phone?

Here’s what you need to know before choosing one

By: Esparsh Sarawagi

The evolution of smartphone is going in a pace where with each passing day there's something waiting in the wings for us. No sooner have you caught sight of any handset from a particular brand, that there's anticipation for the next big thing from the rivals. Choosing a smartphone can be tricky at times because of plethora of options available in the online and offline platforms and the choice is fully on the basis of what’s your need and what is your priority. As for already-launched handsets, there is a name for each category and we've rounded up the best smartphones for 2020 elsewhere - those we consider to be the best across all segments.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

If you're in search for the absolute best Android phone on the market today, then look no further as Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is just what you call a smart choice. Apart from just being the fastest and most versatile big-screen phone yet, making it best for power users who are willing to pay a premium price, the device seems to have a lot more to offer than the iPhone and other rival flagship handsets. The phone offers a best-in-class display, a better S Pen experience and a boatload of new features suitable for both work and play. The cameras are now stellar, fixing the focusing problem with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and the powerful zoom and Xbox gameplay give the Note 20 Ultra an advantage over the upcoming iPhone 12. Ram Shrestha, Head of Sales at IMS Group quotes, “The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra boasts a huge 6.9-inch display with a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate and a mystic Bronze finish on the Note 20 Ultra, a sharp 108MP camera with laser auto focus and a more responsive S Pen with a 9ms response rate. The regular Galaxy Note 20 lacks these perks, though the two phablets share the same speedy Snapdragon 865 Plus chip and most of the S Pen upgrades. making it one of the ideal choices in flagship segment.” Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is available for pre-order in Nepal for a price of Rs. 139,999. This price is for the 8/256GB variant. Compared to the international price of US$1299 and India price of INR. 104,999, the Note 20 Ultra is surprisingly cheaper in Nepal.

 

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Claimed to be the most advanced iPhone Apple has ever released, this latest model by Apple, driven by brand new A13 Bionic processor, runs on iOS 13 out-of-the-box and comes bundled with an 18W charger for fast-charging. Pair this with a larger battery if you want and several other power optimization smarts baked into iOS 13 itself, and you have a device that can last all day without having to worry about carrying a power bank or sticking by a power socket – and that's with heavy usage. The handset offers 12MP front camera with f/2.2 aperture and can record 4K videos up to 60fps. The iPhone also offers a 6.5-inch OLED display and boasts of a triple camera setup on the back offering 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.4 aperture), 12MP telephoto (f/2.0 aperture) and 12MP wide camera (f/1.8 aperture).

Tarun Bajracharya, director at Evo Store says, “For anyone looking to upgrade their phone right now, Apple iPhone 11 Pro and its quality mandates that it is one the very first devices to be considered for all the iPhone users at the moment.” The price for iPhone 11 Pro Max 64 GB is 1,78,000 while for 256 GB and 512 GB is 2,02,000 /- and 2,34,000 /- respectively.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro

Considered to be among the flagship models of the brand, Huawei Mate 30 pro is a powerhouse phone with a stellar camera. The phone’s quad-camera setup shoots outstanding photos (sometimes better than the iPhone 11 Pro) a dazzling 6.53-inch waterfall display is the centerpiece of an inspired design, and its 4,500-mAh battery is enough to keep you leaded for the entire day. The ultra-curved screen edges provide a wider area for interactions which also replace the physical buttons for a seamless design. One can naturally adjust the volume and enjoy quad-finger game control with this innovative side-touch interaction. The phone is powered by HiSilicon’s latest Kirin 990 processor which will be powering power of Huawei and Honor’s devices for 2020, innovates on the ultra-wide-angle module by adopting a second 40MP sensor alongside its main 40MP unit and is a liberation to power and speed.

Pranisha Shrestha, Marketing Manager at Huawei Nepal focused on how the Huawei Mate 30 Pro stands alongside the iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4 XL as the best camera phone around, and it features a sensational suite of specs that can make your on-the-go life much easier. Huawei has kept the pricing very competitive and launched the Mate 30 Pro in Nepal for Rs. 129,000.

Xiomi Mi 10

This flagship smartphone sporting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and also claimed to be the first device from Xiaomi to house a 108MP camera, Xiomi Mi 10 is the first phone in Nepal to feature 5G support out of the box. The device is packed with a 6.67-inch full HD+ display with a 1080x2340 pixel resolution housing an in-display fingerprint sensor which performs quite well. Paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of storage, the device turns out to be a smooth performer witnessing no slug or lag even while playing long gaming sessions. The 4,780mAh battery lasts a full day with support for 30W proprietary fast charging and Qualcomm quick charge 3.0. Overall, the device has the most powerful processor, an impressive camera configuration and the latest available operating system. The updated price of Xiomi Mi 10 in Nepal is Rs. 89,999 for 8/256GB variant.

Vivo V17 Pro

With the launch of Vivo V17 pro, the company has taken the premium mid-range smartphones to new heights. Packed with a bright 6.44-inch Super AMOLED display with a full-HD+ resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection, it’s the unique offering from the brand. The Vivo V17 Pro bears a quad rear camera setup, consisting of a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 13-megapixel secondary sensor, an 8-megapixel and a 2-megapixel sensor. There is a dual pop-up selfie camera 32-megapixel + 8-megapixel at the front. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with a battery of 4100mAh ( with 18W fast charging) which can easily last a day and half with heavy usage. Riya Awaley, PR Executive at Vivo Nepal says, “This device is a complete package at an affordable price and a premium feel. If one’s looking forward to save a lot and yet stand out, go for this model.” The device is priced at Rs. 52, 490 all over Nepal.