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What the future may bring
2017 seemed to be a year when dual cameras dominated the market. Was this a flash in the pan, or should we expect phones with dual cameras as a norm, and more than two cameras in the future.bookmark
Published at : January 16, 2018
Updated at : January 16, 2018 10:17
2017 seemed to be a year when dual cameras dominated the market. Was this a flash in the pan, or should we expect phones with dual cameras as a norm, and more than two cameras in the future.
– Durlab Sapkota
Dear Durlab,
In 2017, smartphone manufacturers indeed opted for a dual camera setup on their smartphones. Some added a monochrome lens, while most models included the extra telephoto lens. One smartphone manufacturer that did not follow the dual cameras bandwagon was Google which raised a few eyebrows while launching the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL with a single rear-facing camera. But this camera could do exactly what the smartphones with dual camera setups did—take portrait images with a shallow depth of field. The Californian company had embedded the Pixel 2’s camera with an excellent machine learning technology. Even Apple implemented this feature on the front-facing camera of the iPhone X.
So, I think smartphone manufacturers might shift towards a single camera lens rather than a triple or a quadruple setup. It makes no sense to include an extra camera just for the purpose of doing what a single camera can do, as Google and Apple have shown this year.
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 just ended. What were your favourite gadgets showcased at the event?
—Milan Gurung
Dear Milan,
At this year’s CES, we got to see some of the best tech and gadgets out there in the market or in the pipeline. There were lots of impressive gadgets that were showcased at the event, and here are my picks of the bunch:
l VIVO’s in-display fingerprint scanner:
This was something all of us were expecting. Qualcomm had announced this technology last year at the Mobile World Congress and VIVO was the brand that got the first dibs. And this year at CES, the Chinese brand boasted being the first company ever to feature an in-display scanner on its smartphone, even before Apple or Samsung.
VIVO has embedded a Synaptics optical sensor into its smartphone, something that has been in development for some time now. According to VIVO, this technology works by exchanging data between the pixels of displays and then by scanning your fingerprint. This was my favourite technology at CES this year. It will certainly pair well with the growing number of bezel-less smartphones.
l LG’s rollable 4K OLED TV
A few years back at CES, LG had shown its prototype of a rollable TV to its audience. That prototype finally became a reality this year as the Korean company rolled out the world’s first ever rollable TV. The TV is a 65-inch device, which is hardly the biggest or the tallest one out there. But its USP certainly has made the TV one of my favourite tech at CES. LG has also mentioned that it will launch the device in the market very soon.
l Samsung’s ‘The Wall’ TV—a 146-inch modular monster
The Wall is Samsung’s newest modular TV which comes in a 146-inch near bezel-less frame. According to Samsung, it can fit in any area due to modularity. Also, the TV uses a new MicroLED display technology which can effectively light up the pixels without backlight. This device will also make its way into the market in the near future.
l Acer Swift 7
Acer unveiled the world’s thinnest laptop at CES this year. The Acer Swift 7 is a 14-inch laptop with an innovative look. Its full HD display is cloaked by Corning Gorilla Glass for protection against scratches and drops. Inside, the Swift 7 is powered by a 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 8 GB of RAM. At a time when most laptops are coming out with an 8th Gen processor, Acer’s decision to opt for an older variant is
really strange. Nonetheless, the Swift 7 is a powerful laptop that can provide a user with 10 hours of battery life. It, however, comes at a price as the baseline model runs for around $1,699.
I am currently looking for a gaming laptop that comes under a price of Rs 150,000. What do you have in mind?
—Aryan Shrestha
Dear Aryan,
Here are two laptops that might work well for you:
l MSI GE62VR Apache Pro
The MSI GE62VR Apache Pro is one of the best gaming laptops out there. It currently has a price tag of Rs 145,000. On the performance front, the device packs in a 6th Gen Intel Core i7 processor alongside 16 GB of RAM and GTX 1060 GPU, all of which provide a near-perfect performance. However, after some long sessions of gaming, the thermals will start making a lot of noise. Storage wise, the MSI Apache Pro offers you 265 GB of SSD and 1 TB of HDD.
Like most of the gaming laptops, this laptop too has a mediocre trackpad. And the battery of this device is a disappointment as it provides less than one hour of gaming time.
MSI GE62VR Apache Pro Specs:
- 15.6-inch full HD IPS display
- 6th Gen i7 Processor
- GTX 1060 GPU
- 16 GB RAM (expandable up to 32 GB)
- 256 GB SSD, 1 TB HDD
- 51 WHr battery
- n Rs 145,000
l Dell Inspiron 7567
If you want a gaming laptop with a better battery life, go with the Dell Inspiron 7567. Packing a 74 WHr battery, it can provide around five to six hours of backup and around two hours of battery life while gaming. It has a 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM. Dell has offered two variants of GPU in the Inspiron 7567. Users have a choice of going for either the GTX 1050 or the 1050Ti according to their preference. However, this laptop has one of the dullest displays around. The colour reproduction here is not at all great and it lacks proper saturation and vibrancy. And just like the Apache Pro, it also has a low-quality trackpad.
Dell Inspiron 7567 Specs:
- 15.6-inch full HD IPS display
- 7th Gen i7 Processor
- GTX 1050/1050Ti GPU
- 16 GB RAM (expandable up to 32 GB)
- 1 TB HDD
- 74 WHr battery
- Rs 130,000
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