The mid-range game
Smartphone, today, has turned to such an essential part of human life that we feel weird when separated from our tiny digital devices for too long. One of my colleagues joked the other day about how handing in your smartphone feels like severing an arm, a poignant thought that clearly defined our dependency on information and technology. Owning a smartphone has turned into more of a necessity than luxury, which is why various companies across the world have tried their hands at entering or sustaining their markets. And while the more expensive flagship phone market has and continues to be dominated by big companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google, the fight for a hold on the mid-ranged market still rages on. Companies like Vivo, Oppo and Coolpad are working in a market that competes on a price-to-performance ratio and while some companies are experimenting with more niche segments, the most interesting devices are being marketed as mid-ranged devices with a price point to match. Here are some of our picks for smartphones that cost less than Rs 30,000.
Coolpad Cool Play 6
Price
Rs 30,000
Just making it into this list, the Coolpad Cool Play 6 is a device that wins on most fronts. Its performance is stellar, it’s built well, and it has a camera that overwhelms. At this price point, you’re getting a dual lens setup for the rear camera, both with 13 MP sensors with one at a telephoto field-of-view. The camera takes good portrait shots and good low light shots thanks to its wider f/2.0 aperture, but while the camera wins on the back, it’s mediocre in front with a passable 8MP camera for selfies. The phone is also powerful with an octa-core Snapdragon 653 processor, 4GB of RAM and Full HD 5.5 inch display. The phone also comes with all the sensors you could want from a mid-ranged device such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and a compass. It also comes with a surprisingly fast fingerprint reader on the back and the phone stays awake for longer since it’s fueled with a massive 4060 mAh battery.
Oppo F5 Youth
Price
Rs 27,990
While Oppo’s F5 is a great device on its own, the younger sibling managed to turn some heads with a lighter load on the wallet. At first glance, the F5 Youth looks more premium than it really is: it comes with a near bezel-less design and is outfitted with a polycarbonate unibody design. The phone isn’t as impressive as the Cool Play 6 when it comes to specifications, but while the previous phone emphasized rear-camera photos, the F5 Youth is all about getting the perfect selfies with a massive 16MP sensor in the front—even bigger than the 13MP sensor on its back. While there are bigger and sharper selfie cameras in other smartphones, like the Vivo V7, they’re also more expensive. Powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 processor, supported by 3GB of RAM and displayed on a FullView Full HD 6-inch IPS panel, the Oppo F5 Youth is nothing to scoff at when it comes to performance but considering the current standards for smartphone technology, the F5 Youth lags behind a bit. But you’re more into taking selfies than making your phone do all kinds of complex computation, the Oppo F5 Youth is the perfect phone for you.
Mahindra debuts the plush new XUV500 in India
The new XUV500 is now available in the Indian market with a bold new design, plush, luxurious interiors and higher power and torque. It offers a more pleasurable ride through an enhanced suspension, and comes with a quieter cabin. The new XUV500 now comes with a new wider grille with chrome inserts, fog lamps with a refreshing new chrome bezel, an all-new, stylish tailgate with spit tail-lamps and a new spoiler, and new LED DRLs. Similarly, the interiors are now more luxurious and premium. Powering the new XUV is a more powerful mHawk engine that makes 155 bhp of power and 360 Nm of torque. New technology offerings include the industry-first smart watch connectivity and several other aspirational hi-tech features. Safety features include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP with Rollover mitigation, hill hold and hill descent control and disc brakes on all wheels. In addition, the XUV500 also offers the first-in-class safety feature of Emergency Calling.
2018 Suzuki Ertiga unveiled
Although the Suzuki Ertiga has been an important car for Maruti Suzuki since its launch in 2012, it has failed to gather enough excitement in the Nepalese market. However, the 2018 model of the seven seater MPV looks certainly better than its predecessor. The new Ertiga looks more upmarket and premium and it is underpinned by the Suzuki’s new Heartect platform featured in the new Baleno and Swift hatchbacks. The 2018 model gets a host of features including 15-inch alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tilt adjustable steering with wooden ornament (GX), and new instrument console design. It also gets a start stop button; reverse parking sensors and camera, key less entry and ventilated (or cooled) bottle/cup holders. Safety features on the new Ertiga includes high rigid under body, Dual SRS Airbags, Electronic Stability Programme, ABS, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution and ISOFIX seats
Buying a used car
The days where a handful of car manufactures used to produce a handful of cars are long behind us; today there are an entire lot of car manufacturers making cars all year round like mushrooms. With the abundance of production, people today also like to change their car frequently, but doing so can be costly which is why the second hand or refurbished car market is also one of the biggest markets for car buyers. Here we talk to the most renowned refurbished car establishments to get an insight on the second hand market.
Among all the car brands, which is the brand that sells the most in the second hand market?
Hyundai and Suzuki are the two brands that sell the most in the second hand market.
What are the top 3 brands with the best resale value?
Toyota, Hyundai and Suzuki followed by Daihatsu are the brands that have the highest resale value. Customers have an image of durability and reliability when coming across a Toyota; this image is also associated with Hyundai. While Suzuki is associated with good looks and low maintenance among potential buyers, Daihatsu returns a good aftermarket value.
What are the important things that a buyer must keep in mind while buying a second hand vehicle?
Before making a second hand purchase, a customer has to check the overall condition of the vehicle which includes condition of the engine and the gearbox, the kilometres run and the damages to the vehicle.
- Shailendra Shrestha
Kathmandu Automobiles
Hyundai :Best resale value
Among all the car brands, which is the brand that sells the most in the second hand market?
Hyundai’s 1st and 2nd Generation i10s sell as quickly as within a couple weeks, because of their reliability and the availability of spare parts and easy maintenance.
What are the top 3 brands having the best resale value?
Hyundai, Suzuki and Daihatsu have the best resale value. In fact, the Terios still has an excellent resale value today because there aren’t small SUVs with 4x4 features.
What are the important things that a buyer must keep in mind while buying a second hand vehicle?
A customer who is looking to purchase a second hand vehicle should check for possible leaks, structural damages, chassis and framing, kilometers run, wheel alignment. Similarly, we also recommend them to always buy from a reliable source.
- Rakesh Khadgi, Baba Basera Auto
Photo flair
The ubiquity of the smartphone camera has made it possible to capture more moments than ever before. It’s handy, it’s always there, and it’s pretty good too. The cameras on our smartphones have improved vastly over the years with dual-lens camera modules to the three-lens design on the new Huawei P20 Pro. Smartphone photography has grown to such an extent that we get additional lenses for our smartphones now.
But framing the perfect shot is not where good photography ends. A little bit of saturation, contrast and curve adjustment goes a long way in adding the extra charm to your photos. Many social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat offer preset filters to choose an adjustment. But if you want more control on your edits, you might want to give these apps a whirl.
Lightroom CC
Price
Free
The mobile version of the best photo management software on the PC, Lightroom CC, doesn’t disappoint. While earlier versions of this app felt clunky, dated and not optimized for Android, the redesign is a breath of fresh air. Staying true to the great design of its big brother, Lightroom CC on the mobile feels modern, easy to use, and snappy.
If you don’t want to dive into the settings in the beginning, there is plenty to choose from in the presets menu. But if you want more precise control over your edits, Lightroom CC offers a plethora of professional adjustment tools like curve control and color adjustments too. The app also comes with a great selective brush tool for paid users.
Cupslice Photo Editor
Price
Free
If you have your bases covered for basic color correction and edits, and you want your pictures to stand out with some badges and text, Cupslice is the app for you. Yes Cupslice offers basic image editing and filters, but it shines the most in the number of badges and text styles. It even comes with a custom marketplace with more badges and text styles.
Cuplice is a haven for those social media occasions that you want to caption in style. There are some really nice and quirky stickers on the store too if you care to look. The app is also very well designed and responsive, following a very material design. The app is perfect if you love captioning your photos on social media or for your Snapchat stories.
