The Asus ROG Zephyrus S Is a Slim, Premium RTX 2080 Gaming Laptop for RM13,999

A few months back, we got our hands on the
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX531GM
: a slim, light, and premium gaming laptop. Fast forward to today, we got the brand new Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GX. Not only does it retain most of its predecessor’s winning qualities, the latest Zephyrus S is
far more
 powerful too.

That being said, all that power and premium qualities come at a price – a very steep one. Not many people can – or would – fork out so much money for a gaming laptop, but for those who can afford such a luxury, the Zephyrus S is certainly an option to consider.

So how much does the new ROG Zephyrus S cost? A whopping RM13,999. That’s a huge sum of money, to be sure, but you do get a very well-equipped gaming laptop. For starters, it’s powered by an Intel Core i7-8750H hexa-core processor and Nvidia’s powerful RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU.

With that GPU under the hood, the Zephyrus S should be able to run most (if not all) modern games at maxed out graphics settings. After all, it’s one of the most powerful mobile GPUs in the market now. Plus, this laptop only has a 1080p display; the RTX 2080 would have no problem at all to max out games at this resolution.

While we’re talking about the display, let’s break down the Zephyrus S’ 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS panel – yes, it has a larger display than its predecessor. Featuring a fast 144Hz refresh rate, gaming on this laptop is a very, very pleasant experience. On top of that, it also features G-Sync technology, so you won’t have to worry about screen tearing anymore.

As for the quality of the display itself, it’s great. The screen’s matte finish can eliminate glare to a certain extent, it has great colours, and it can get quite bright too. I also love the display’s slim bezels, which also reduces the overall footprint of the laptop. It would’ve been even more compact if the bottom bezel is shrunk too.

Oh, right. Because there’s barely any bezel at the top of the screen, the new Zephyrus S…doesn’t have a built-in webcam. To make up for this, an external webcam is bundled with the laptop; it can record Full HD videos at 60 frames per second.

Connectivity wise, the Zephyrus S has reasonably good selection of ports. These include two USB-C ports – one of them is used for charging – two full-size USB-A connections, as well as an HDMI 2.0b port. Unfortunately, there is no ethernet connection; an odd exclusion for a gaming laptop.

Much like its predecessor, the Zephyrus S features the “ROG Active Aerodynamic System (AAS).” Basically, to improve airflow, the bottom portion of the laptop is raised slightly at the back whenever you open the lid – this supposedly improve airflow by up to 32%. Whether or not this will actually result in better thermal performance, however, is a different question altogether.

Naturally, the Zephyrus S is a well-designed laptop. It’s mostly made out of metal – except for the plastic bezel surrounding the display – it feels very robust, and I dig the different finishes on the lid of the laptop: it gives the laptop a unique and premium look.

Measuring 18.7mm thick, it’s a really slim gaming laptop too,
especially
 for a machine with an RTX 2080 GPU. However, tipping the scales at 2.7kg, this is quite a heavy machine; even for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop.

Rounding out the specifications of the Zephyrus S are 24GB of RAM (8GB on-board + 16GB), 1TB of fast PCie NVMe SSD, and a 78WHr battery.

If you don’t like the keyboard positioning of the previous model, well, bad news: it’s still placed on the front of the new Zephyrus S. The good news? It still offers good typing experience, even though the keys don’t have particularly long travel. It’s a shallow keyboard, but the tactility of the keys make up for this.

On the right side of the Zephyrus S is where you’d find the trackpad. Yes, the small size of the trackpad still makes it feel crammed, and yes, it still doubles as the numpad with the touch of a button. As a whole, it’s a plenty accurate trackpad.

Interestingly, Asus decided to add a volume wheel to the Zephyrus S. Placed on the top left side of the keyboard, it’s really quite satisfying to scroll the volume wheel. If you want to mute the laptop, you can just click the volume wheel too – yes, it clicks.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus S is an expensive, premium gaming laptop, but that’s expected for a high-end machine. Besides, other RTX 2080 laptops are priced similarly too, though this laptop does sit in the upper end of the price range.

If you want the best gaming experience on a laptop, the Zephyrus S promises just that. Not only is it quite compact for a 17.3-inch laptop, it is also a slim and powerful gaming machine. Of course, you’d have to be willing to part with RM13,999 to enjoy this kind of luxury.


Redmi Note 7 Review: Redefining Value for Money

The mid-range market is a tough segment to compete in. Not only do you have to keep prices low, you need to offer competent hardware too – it’s not easy to find a good balance between these two aspects. But if there’s any brand that does this very well, it’s Xiaomi.

Enter the Redmi Note 7, which is now a sub-brand of Xiaomi. It looks and feels great, it has good hardware, and most importantly, it is priced very competitively. In fact, this is probably one of the best – if not
the best
 – sub-RM1,000 smartphones you can buy right now.

Specifications

Display
6.3-inch FHD+ IPS LCD (2340 x 1080)
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 2.2GHz octa-core
GPU
Adreno 512
RAM
3/4GB
Storage
32/64/128GB, expandable
Camera (rear)
48MP f/1.8 + 5MP f/2.4
Camera (front)
13MP f/2.2
Battery
4,000mAh
Dimensions
159.21 x 75.21 x 8.1 mm
Weight
186g
OS
MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie
Connectivity
LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)
3.5mm headphone jack
USB Type-C

You’re getting a lot of value for your money with the Redmi Note 7, and this spec sheet shows that perfectly. The base model of the phone, for one, retails at
only RM679
. Granted, you’ll have to make do with only 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM, but these capacities should be sufficient for the average smartphone user.

And if you need more storage, just pop in a microSD card into the Redmi Note 7. Despite its affordable price tag, this phone is feature-packed: it has a 48MP camera, a large 4,000mAh battery, a USB-C port for charging, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Design

When I first took the Redmi Note 7 out of the box, I was very impressed with the phone’s build quality. It feels solid in my hands, it has a nice heft to it, and the glass back looks and feels fantastic, albeit a little bit too slippery for my liking.

In my
hands-on of the Redmi Note 7
, I initially thought it has a metal frame. Well, after using it as my daily driver for a while, I realise that the frame is actually…painted plastic. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced until I saw
JerryRigEverything’s durability test of the Note 7
 – that really goes to show how well-built this phone is.

Unfortunately, the Redmi Note 7 also has a notched, “Dot Drop” display. Even though it’s quite minimal, it is
still
 a notch, and it impacts the user experience of the phone quite a bit – I’ll elaborate more on this further down this review.

Besides that, I’m not all that crazy about the size of the bottom bezel either. It’s noticeably thicker than some of its most immediate competition, like, the
Samsung Galaxy A30
. If other phone makers can do minimise the bottom bezel (in the same price segment, no less), why can’t Redmi?

Nevertheless, the Redmi Note 7 is still a well-designed, minimalist smartphone. It’s a cheap, affordable smartphone, but it does not feel cheap at all, which is quite an accomplishment.

User Experience

MIUI 10 on the Redmi Note 7, for the most part, is quite unchanged from previous Xiaomi-branded smartphones like the
Mi Mix 3
. Yes, that means I still cannot dismiss notifications with a left swipe, and it’s not possible to interact with notifications on the lock screen either.

But what bothered me the most about the Redmi Note 7 is the fact that notifications icons are
not shown
 on the notification bar at all times; it’s only shown for a glimpse when I unlock the phone. This is despite the fact that there are plenty of space for icons to be displayed there, unlike how it was with the
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro
‘s much wider notch.

Basically, it doesn’t matter if the Redmi Note 7 has a minimal notch – MIUI 10 still treats it like any other notch, even if there’s more than enough screen real estate for notification icons to be shown.

However, as a whole, MIUI 10 is still serviceable on the Redmi Note 7. Beyond the aforementioned issues I have with the software, it works as intended. It is lightweight, responsive, and I didn’t run into any serious, deal-breaking bug.

When it comes to biometric security, the Redmi Note 7 doesn’t have any fancy in-screen fingerprint sensor. Instead, it has a conventional capacitive fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Not only is it fast, it is also very accurate; these two aspects are all that matter when it comes to practicality.

Performance is also good on the Redmi Note 7, courtesy of the Snapdragon 660 chipset. Of course, the phone does take some time to launch and switch between apps (especially the camera), but I can play games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends on this phone relatively well.

Featuring a 6.3-inch 1080p IPS display, the Redmi Note 7 has a reasonably good screen too. It is bright with decent viewing angles, and colours look punchy and vibrant as well. The 1080p resolution is also just fine for a phone in this price range, and it helps immensely in one vital department: battery life.

Like previous Redmi Note smartphones, the Note 7 features a large 4,000mAh battery, and it can return
ridiculously
 good battery life. On average, I got anywhere between six to seven hours of screen on time with this phone.

Throughout my time reviewing the phone, there wasn’t a single day where it died on me before I go to bed. Well, actually, there was
one time
, but only because I forgot to charge it the night before. If you’re a light smartphone user, I’m confident you can effortlessly get two days of battery life with the Redmi Note 7.

Unfortunately, the charging rate of the phone leaves much to be desired. From 0%, the Note 7 only charged up to 28% within 30 minutes of charging with the provided charger.

As a whole, the Redmi Note 7 is a good daily driver. Even though MIUI 10 has its flaws, I love the phone’s long battery life and good performance. And who knows: perhaps Xiaomi will further improve MIUI 10 in the near future,
especially
 with the notification icon issue.

Camera

There’s a lot of talk about the Redmi Note 7 having a “fake” 48MP sensor, so let’s quickly address this first. See, the phone is equipped with a 48MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM1 sensor, which – as its name suggests – is in fact a 48MP sensor. However, by default, it
natively
 outputs 12MP images through the use of pixel binning to improve low light performance.

So does this mean the Redmi Note 7 is incapable of taking 48MP shots? Not quite. If you go to the camera’s manual mode, you can actually take 48MP images, but you won’t be able to take advantage of pixel binning for, well, better camera performance.

Basically, if you want the absolute best image quality with the Redmi Note 7, just shoot in the standard mode. Yes, you’ll “only” be left with 12MP images, but why would you want to take 48MP shots anyway?

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about the phone’s actual camera performance. In ideal lighting, the 48MP + 5MP dual camera system can take good-looking images, as expected. In low light conditions, however, the camera does struggle a little bit.

While the camera does feel more sluggish in low light environments, the image output is surprisingly good. It is by no means amazing, but in this segment, I’d argue the Redmi Note 7 has one of the best camera performances by a long shot.

That being said, the camera’s night mode is a bit of a mixed bag. While you can capture more details (particularly in bright areas), you may be left with pretty artificial-looking shots too.

Normal shot
Night mode enabled

All in all, I’m really quite impressed with the Redmi Note 7’s camera performance, especially from a smartphone as affordable as it is. Click on each picture below to get a better look at them.

Competition

For the Malaysian market, the Redmi Note 7 is available in three different variants. The base model (32GB + 3GB) retails at RM679, while the 64GB and 128GB variants (both with 4GB of RAM) go for RM799 and RM949 respectively.

Although these are very competitive price tags, the Note 7 does have a couple of noteworthy alternatives.

Samsung Galaxy A30

Samsung is not known for its affordable devices, but the
Galaxy A30
 is certainly one of the Korean company’s most interesting mid-range smartphones. Compared to the Redmi Note 7, the A30 has a superior 6.4-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, a more refined software experience (it runs on One UI), and it also retails at RM799 for the 64GB model with 4GB of RAM.

But the Galaxy A30 does make a number of sacrifices. For one, it feels much cheaper than the Redmi Note 7 with its all-plastic construction, and although its camera configuration is more versatile, thanks to the wide-angle sensor, it pales in comparison to the Note 7’s superior camera performance.

Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2

Asus has been relatively quiet over the past few months in the smartphone market, but the
ZenFone Max Pro M2
 is certainly a good alternative to the Redmi Note 7. It sports the same Snapdragon 660 chipset as the Redmi, a larger 5,000mAh battery, and it runs on a very clean, stock version of Android.

However, the M2 is also more expensive than the Redmi Note 7 by a slight margin: the 64GB variant with 4GB of RAM is priced at RM859. On top of that, the Note 7 also has better build quality, camera performance, as well as design – its display notch isn’t quite as wide as the one on Asus’ offering.

Conclusion

Redmi may be a sub-brand of Xiaomi now, but the Redmi Note 7 retains all of the company’s signature features. It has great value for money, long battery life, good level of performance (for the money), and above average camera performance.

As far as I can tell, the only real shortcoming of the Redmi Note 7 lies in its software – this has always been the case with Xiaomi smartphones. If MIUI 10 is more user-friendly and functional, the Note 7 would’ve been
that
 much more compelling.

Nonetheless, as it is, the Redmi Note 7 is still a very attractive, well-built, and remarkable mid-range smartphone. You’d be hard-pressed to find a device as good as it is in this price range, and if you want absolute value for money in this segment, the Redmi Note 7 is the phone to get.


Samsung Galaxy S10e Review: Smaller Isn’t Inferior

The
Samsung Galaxy S10
 series is a little different this year. Instead of introducing only two models, the Korean company added a new member to the lineup: the Samsung Galaxy S10e.

What does the “E” stand for? According to Samsung, it is short for “essential,” and that really describes the Galaxy S10e quite well. It has most of the essential features of the S10 series, packaged it in a smaller, more ergonomic chassis.

But just because the Galaxy S10e is the most affordable (and smallest) phone in the series, doesn’t mean it cuts corners in important areas. In fact, I personally find it to be the most appealing device of the three – that’s how good the S10e is.

Specifications

Display
5.8-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED (2280 x 1080)
Chipset
Samsung Exynos 9820 2.73GHz octa-core
GPU
Mali-G76 MP12
RAM
6GB
Storage
128GB, expandable
Camera (rear)
12MP f/1.5 – f/2.4, OIS, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF
16MP f/2.2 (ultra wide)
Camera (front)
10MP f/1.9, Dual Pixel AF
Battery
3,100mAh
Dimensions
142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm
Weight
150g
OS
One UI 1.1 based on Android 9 Pie
Connectivity
LTE
NFC
Bluetooth 5.0
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4/5GHz)
3.5mm headphone jack
USB Type-C

Despite its more affordable price tag (RM2,699), the Galaxy S10e has the same Exynos 9820 chipset, software, and camera performance as the Galaxy S10 and S10+. However, the S10e does lose out on the telephoto sensor, which may – or may not – be a particularly big deal.

If there’s any cause for concern with the Galaxy S10e’s hardware, it would be the 3,100mAh battery. It’s still reasonably big for a phone this size, but it’s a far cry from the S10+’s much larger 4,100mAh cell. So can the S10e return good battery life? I’ll get into detail further down this review.

Design

This is really the best reason to get the Galaxy S10e over its more expensive siblings. Its smaller size makes it the most ergonomic device of the series, one-handed operation is a breeze, and I love how the phone feels in my hands – it’s just so compact.

Of course, the Galaxy S10e also has great build quality. The metal frame, glass back, and the phone as a whole looks and feels premium. However, the phone does feel quite slippery, so I used the phone almost exclusively with the provided casing. (Side note: I really like design of the casing.)

How about the Infinity-O display of the Galaxy S10e? Well, the hole-punch cutout is not as distracting as I initially thought. While the off-centre look of the notification bar still bothers me – the camera cutout pushes the icons to the left of the screen – it’s not quite as jarring as the
Galaxy S10+’s oblong-shaped cutout
.

You can hide the hole-punch cutout, but you’ll get this thick top bezel

And then we have the Galaxy S10e’s side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is a bit of a mixed bag. I love the speed and accuracy of the sensor, and I honestly don’t mind the side placement of it, but it’s positioned
too high up
. I would have to readjust my grip of the phone every time I want to reach for the sensor.

Nonetheless, I do appreciate the fact that the sensor also doubles as the power button. It’s a smart implementation, and it’s intuitive too.

Overall, the Galaxy S10e is a well-designed smartphone. One of the phone’s most appealing aspects is the fact that it’s a compact
flagship
 device; it’s an increasingly rare size for high-end smartphones, making the S10e a unique product.

User Experience

One UI on the Galaxy S10e is largely similar to the software experience of the larger Galaxy S10+. It looks modern, it’s a lot more polished than Samsung Experience, and I can now double tap to wake the phone. Yes, the icons are still comically large, but this can be adjusted easily in the settings.

Samsung has made good progress when it comes to software, and One UI is easily one of the most polished versions of Android out in the market now. It’s intuitive to use, it is responsive, and it feels lightweight. Switching between different apps with a double tap of the Recents button is incredibly quick too.

This level of performance is expected from the Galaxy S10e’s Exynos 9820 chipset. Gaming on this phone is without a doubt an enjoyable experience, and much like the Galaxy S10+, the S10e also has excellent front-facing stereo speakers.

Part of what makes the gaming experience such a joy is the phone’s 5.8-inch 1080p Dynamic AMOLED display. Even though it’s not quite as pixel-dense as the S10 and S10+’s 1440p display, it still carries HDR10+ certification. Basically, you’re getting a very high quality display with the S10e.

Okay, what about battery life? Surprisingly good, actually. Thanks to the Galaxy S10e’s 1080p display, its 3,100mAh battery can consistently return five hours of screen on time throughout my time with the phone. This is not a fantastic figure, but it’s definitely above average.

Charging rate of the Galaxy S10e, on the other hand, is reasonably good too. Within 30 minutes of charging, the phone got up to around 50% from empty.

I thoroughly enjoyed using the Galaxy S10e as my daily driver for the past few weeks. It has reasonably good battery life, great-looking display, and a polished software experience. If I were to nitpick, I’d definitely want better battery life, but that would be unrealistic to expect from a smartphone this compact.

Camera

Not surprisingly, the camera performance of the Galaxy S10e is identical to the Galaxy S10 and S10+. After all, the
only
 thing you’re losing out with the S10e is the telephoto sensor. Beyond that, you’re still getting the 12MP primary shooter (the most important one) and 16MP ultra wide sensor.

Whether in broad daylight or low light condition, the Galaxy S10e’s dual camera system can deliver good-looking shots easily and effortlessly. The camera feels responsive, the autofocus speed is lightning fast, and the image output is easily one of the best in the business now.

However, it’s worth noting that the image quality between the 12MP primary shooter and 16MP ultra wide sensor differs quite a bit, especially in low light environment. It’s the same case with the Galaxy S10+, and there will always be discrepancy in camera performance on smartphones with multiple camera sensors.

If you want excellent camera performance, you will get exactly that with the Galaxy S10e. On top of that, those who don’t really care for the telephoto sensor found in the S10 and S10+ will be very happy with the S10e’s equally capable dual camera system.

Normal shot
Ultra wide-angle shot

Competition

For the Malaysian market, only the 128GB variant of the Galaxy S10e with 6GB of RAM is brought in. Retailing at RM2,699, it’s also priced quite well for a flagship smartphone, and it has a number of noteworthy competition.

Huawei P30

Also retailing at RM2,699, the
Huawei P30
 goes directly against the Galaxy S10e. Compared to the latter, the P30 offers a larger 6.1-inch 1080p OLED display – albeit with a notch – arguably sleeker-looking design (especially the gradient colourways), 8GB of RAM, and a more versatile triple camera system with up to 30x zoom.

That being said, the P30 does not offer the Galaxy S10e’s compact form factor, and One UI can provide a more pleasant software experience than Huawei’s EMUI software. If you place more importance in these two areas, the Galaxy S10e is definitely the better option.

Xiaomi Mi 9

Introduced in Malaysia just last week, the
Xiaomi Mi 9
 is priced
very
competitively at RM1,999 for the 128GB variant with 6GB of RAM. Despite costing RM700 less than the Galaxy S10e, the Mi 9 still offers a large 6.39-inch 1080p AMOLED display, a fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, as well as a versatile triple camera setup headlined by a 48MP primary shooter.

However, the Mi 9 is a much larger phone compared to the compact size of the Galaxy S10e. There are simply no flagship-tier smartphone that is similar to the S10e in terms of size. If a small, compact high-end phone is what you want, the S10e is the
only phone
 that offers this.

Besides, One UI on the Galaxy S10e is still far more polished than Xiaomi’s MIUI 10 software. Personally, I also find the hole-punch cutout of the S10e less distracting than the Mi 9’s notched display.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S10e is, in my opinion, in a league of its own. It’s the only flagship smartphone in the market with a compact 5.8-inch screen, it offers good battery life, and despite being the most affordable phone in the series, it is still as capable as its larger, more expensive siblings.

Sure, you don’t get a fancy in-screen fingerprint sensor or a curved screen with the Galaxy S10e, but that is
completely
 fine. Its capacitive fingerprint sensor is quicker and more accurate, and its flat display is more ergonomically-friendly.

But the Galaxy S10e’s compact form factor does have its fair share of shortcomings. There’s only so much battery you can fit into the compact chassis of the phone, and the absence of the telephoto sensor may discourage consumers from getting the S10e.

Regardless, the Galaxy S10e is an attractive flagship smartphone, thanks to its small size, relatively competitive pricing, and excellent dual camera system. Being small, in this case, doesn’t make the S10e an inferior product – it is one of its greatest strengths.


4DX Now in GSC IOI City Mall – Is It Worth Trying?

Golden Screen Cinemas just launched a 4DX hall in GSC IOI City Mall, making it the third cinema to feature the “cinematic experience.” The first two cinemas to get the 4DX treatment are GSC Paradigm Mall JB and GSC 1 Utama – the latter had it installed back in December 2018.

So what is 4DX? GSC invited us to a screening of Wonder Park in 4DX to see what the experience is all about, and we have to say: it’s definitely an interesting experience.

4DX is developed by South Korean company CJ 4DPLEX, and GSC is collaborating with the company to bring the experience to Malaysian moviegoers. Basically, 4DX aims to make the cinema experience more immersive by using 21 special effects.

What kind of special effects? It ranges from “motion-synchronised” seats, weather effects (rain, snow, lightning, wind, etc), and get this: scent. These effects are achieved through the use of lighting, fans, motorised seats, and
actual sprinkles
 of water.

Because the seats will move (and trust me, it can move quite erratically), you are not allowed to bring in hot drinks into the cinema hall. Actually, I’d advise against bringing any form of liquid if you plan to watch a movie in 4DX: the chance of your drink spilling from the seat movements is quite high. Same goes for popcorn, of course.

But if you really want to bring drinks and popcorn into the 4DX hall, it’s definitely allowed. Only hot drinks are outright banned.

So how is it like watching a movie in 4DX? Almost like being on a theme park ride – almost. As mentioned, the seats can move very erratically, and it syncs with what’s going on in the movie. In fact, there was actually a roller coaster scene at one point, and I was hoping I could put on a seat belt. Okay, I may be exaggerating a
little bit
, but the seat can definitely throw you around quite a bit.

As for the weather effects, it’s quite an elaborate setup too, especially the wind effect. The fans situated at the top of the 4DX hall is capable of producing very strong winds, and it can get pretty chilly. I definitely regret not bringing a jacket into the hall.

The water sprays also add another layer of immersion to the 4DX hall. Don’t worry, it’s a very light spray; you definitely won’t be soaked by it. If you’re wondering where the water spray comes from, it’s from the back of the seat directly in front of you. Don’t like having water sprayed at you? Thankfully enough, it’s possible to switch the feature off.

Overall, I find the 4DX experience quite fascinating, but there is one thing I don’t quite like. Occasionally, the headrest area of your seat will blow a gush of air to the back of your head, which…can get quite annoying. Depending on where you are resting your head, the wind may be blown directly into your ear. Needless to say, this is not a pleasant experience.

Also, even though 4DX supposedly offers scents for further immersion, I didn’t notice any particular smell while I was watching Wonder Park. Granted, it may not be implemented in this particular movie.

Naturally, 4DX movies are more costly than your standard cinema hall. On average, you can expect to pay about double the price of a regular movie ticket for the 4DX experience. Personally, I think it’s a fair amount to charge – the motorised seats, among other things, need more maintenance than your standard cinema hall.

To learn more about 4DX, you can do so
over here
. If you’d like to experience it for yourself, there are a few new movies that will be offered in 4DX. These include Dumbo, Shazam, and of course, Avengers: Endgame. It’s definitely worth trying out, but just be mindful of your drinks and popcorn when the seat starts throwing you about.


Black Shark 2 Hands-On: A Fast Gaming Smartphone for RM2,499

The Black Shark 2 was just launched in Malaysia yesterday, and it’s the first Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 smartphone to reach our shores. That’s right, if you’ve been waiting to get a Snapdragon 855 device, this one is for you – it’s a gaming smartphone to boot.

I managed to test out the Black Shark 2 quite a bit, and it’s really quite an attractive gaming smartphone, thanks to its competitive pricing. But beyond its value for money, is the phone any good? Let’s find out.

Not surprisingly, the Black Shark 2 has an aggressive styling. One look at the phone, and you’ll know it’s a gaming smartphone. The all-metal chassis is nice to the touch, it has reasonably small top and bottom bezels (no notch!), and of course, the back panel has an illuminated Black Shark logo with RGB lighting.

Despite this being touted as a gaming smartphone, the Black Shark 2…does not have a headphone jack, so you’ll have to rely on adapters, or Type-C earphones. On top of that, this phone doesn’t have a microSD card slot either.

Fortunately enough, the Black Shark 2 comes with ample amount of storage. For the Malaysian market, you can get the gaming phone with 128GB or 256GB of fast UFS 2.1 storage. The RAM capacity, on the other hand, maxes out at a whopping 12GB.

Now, let’s get to the important bit: how is the Black Shark 2 like to game on? I played a couple rounds of PUBG Mobile with the phone, and it ran beautifully. The frame rate is high and consistent, the game feels very responsive, and overall, I was really enjoying myself.

What makes the gaming experience even more enjoyable on the Black Shark 2 are the front facing stereo speakers. Even in the noisy environment I was in, the speakers are loud enough to compensate for this. Besides that, I’m also quite impressed with the phone’s vibration system: the vibrations don’t feel particularly generic or cheap.

Sporting a 6.39-inch 2340 x 1080 AMOLED display, the Black Shark 2 has a vibrant, bright display with great viewing angles. This being an AMOLED panel, it has very good black levels too. Despite the 1080p resolution of the display, the screen still looks plenty sharp, and it should help with battery life as well.

Speaking of which, the Black Shark 2 is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery, and that is…fine. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a generous capacity, but for a device of this size, it’s not unreasonable to expect a larger battery under the hood. Nonetheless, the 4,000mAh cell should be able to return respectable battery life.

There is one particular aspect of the Black Shark 2 that surprised me: the software. Running on a stock version of Android, the user interface feels very clean and responsive. It’s rare for a gaming phone to come with such a clean version on Android, and I’m glad Black Shark decided to do so.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from the Black Shark 2 when it comes to camera performance, but the 48MP f/1.75 + 12MP f/2.2 (telephoto) dual camera system surprised me quite a bit. The camera feels very responsive, there’s no noticeable shutter lag, and the image output looks pretty darn good.

That being said, I was shooting under great lighting, and most phones worth their salt can take good-looking shots in this kind of condition. The real test lies in low light photography, and it remains to be seen if the Black Shark 2’s dual camera system can still deliver in that aspect.

If you’re into selfies, this phone has a 20MP f/2.0 front-facing camera, which should be able to take decent-looking pictures.

The Black Shark 2 is a fast, premium gaming smartphone, but there is one area where it is lacking by quite a margin. Unlike, say, the
Razer Phone 2
, the Black Shark 2 only has a standard 60Hz display. Yes, you can still game effectively with this kind of refresh rate, but it will be much more enjoyable to game on the Razer Phone 2’s faster 120Hz panel.

Granted, the Black Shark 2 is priced at a lower price point: it retails from only RM2,499 for the 128GB model with 8GB of RAM. If you want the higher-end 256GB variant with 12GB of RAM, that will set you back RM2,999 – still a reasonably good price tag.

Without a doubt the Black Shark 2 is not affordable, but for a smartphone with this kind of hardware and storage capacity, it offers good value for money. If you don’t mind the screen’s conventional 60Hz display, you will be very happy with the Black Shark 2; especially when it comes to raw performance.


Deal: Pocophone F1 Now Going for Only RM1,099

The Pocophone F1 was an excellent budget flagship smartphone, and even though it’s been quite some time since it was introduced, it’s still a very relevant smartphone in 2019. If you’ve been eyeing to get it, now’s a good time: the 64GB model is
currently retailing at only RM1,099
.

To put this into context, this variant of the Pocophone F1 used to go for RM1,299 at launch, saving you exactly RM200. It may not seem like much, but the phone is already affordable to start with – it’s a reasonably big discount for a phone in this price range.

However, this offer is only for the Graphite Black and Steel Blue colourways: the Rosso Red model costs
slightly more at RM1,199
. Still quite a good deal, of course, but do note that stocks are limited. At the time of writing, only two units of the Rosso Red variant are left.

Naturally, this particular listing of the Pocophone F1 comes with official warranty from Xiaomi Malaysia. Rest assured, you won’t have any problem claiming for warranty if the need arises. To learn more about the Pocophone F1, check out our
extensive review of the phone
.


Waze Details Its Ad Strategy for Now & the Future

Chances are, you’ve heard of Waze, and it may even be your preferred navigation app. After all, with over 6.3 million monthly active users, it is easily one of the most used navigation apps in Malaysia. That kind of audience also makes Waze an ideal platform for ads, and like it or not, ads have been an integral part of the app for a while now.

That being said, we’ve sat down with Waze for a quick roundtable discussion, and we were assured that the user experience of users is always prioritised in the company’s ads strategy, among other things. Moving forward, you can expect different kinds of ads to be implemented in the navigation app.

Currently, there are several kinds of ads found in Waze. The one you will see the most is probably Branded Pin, which are “digital billboards” of points of interest placed on the map itself. If you click on it, you’ll get more details on the specific location. Not all that intrusive, right?

The next type of ad, however, is much more noticeable. Dubbed Zero-Speed Takeover, a large image will be revealed at the top of the app. If you think this will be obtrusive, well, it is, which is why this type of ad will only be shown to users who have come to a complete stop. Once you start driving, the ad will be closed automatically.

In the interest of safety, all Zero-Speed Takeover ads will not take you out of the app if you decide to interact with it. Rather, you either have the option to save it for viewing later, or add it as a stop in your journey.

And then we have Promoted Search, which will show specific, paid locations right below the search box if you are looking up a relevant term. These ads are marked appropriately, naturally, and it may even prove to be useful – only locations that are near you will be shown.

Last but definitely not least is Nearby Arrow, which shows a Branded Pin the moment you open the app. It’s meant to show users that a specific location is nearby, and considering the fact that it’s only shown when you launch the app, it shouldn’t be all that intrusive.

Of course, either one of these ads can be quite annoying, but Waze did implement a couple of limitations to the amount of ads that are shown in a single session. For example, not more than four Zero-Speed Takeover ads will be shown in a single session. Same goes for Branded Pins: only up to four locations will be shown on the map at any given time.

These limitations are in place to not negatively affect the user experience too much. Just imagine if there’s no limit to the amount of Branded Pins that are shown on the map. The user interface would be way too cluttered to use the app effectively.

In the future, Waze plans to incorporate different kinds of ads to bolster these existing ones. Take the Zero-Speed Takeover ad: Waze is currently working to implement an audio component to it. This will be more interactive – and maybe even more effective – than just a visual ad.

Interestingly, Waze is developing a form of “loyalty targeting” too. If you frequent Starbucks often, the app will suggest recommendations that are tailored towards this. Basically, it’s a form of ad personalisation aimed to “increase frequency with loyal visitors,” as Waze puts it.

This is not strictly related to ads, but Waze is also planning to allow its users to pay for fuel directly from the app itself. In fact, this is very similar in practice to
Petronas’ Setel app
, which allows consumers to pay for fuel through the app at selected Petronas stations.

Waze’s ad strategy is an interesting one, as it still gives emphasis on the overall user experience of navigating with the app; you won’t get too overwhelmed by ads. The company’s future plans for the app are also quite exciting, especially the prospect of paying for fuel with the app itself.

If these ads are becoming too much of a nuisance, you can always switch over to Google Maps. While you won’t be able to enjoy Waze’s range of community-centric features with Google Maps, you will be free from ads.


Living with a Chromebook – Can It Replace Your Laptop?

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been using the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 as my daily driver. I did it for two reasons: I needed to review the Chromebook Spin 13, and I wanted to familiarise myself with Chrome OS. I have never used a Chromebook before, so I was quite excited to use one for the first time.

That excitement, unfortunately, dwindled down after a couple of weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I still think there is a market for Chromebooks (especially budget-oriented ones), but for my usage scenario, it’s just not the most ideal operating system.

While it will not replace my Windows laptop anytime soon, can it replace
your
 laptop? Let’s find out.

Chrome OS, at its core, relies heavily on the Google Chrome browser. In fact, when I boot up the Chromebook Spin 13, the first thing it does is to open a new Chrome tab. It does this
very
 quickly too: the time it takes for the Chromebook to get to the desktop from the initial boot up is easily less than 10 seconds.

So how well does Chromebook run Chrome browser? Well, nothing out the ordinary, actually. It feels just like Chrome on a regular Windows laptop, which is a good thing. If you do most of your work on Chrome browser, you’ll be right at home with a Chromebook.

But once you need to do something
outside
of the Chrome browser, that’s when you’ll run into trouble. Honestly, I was doing just fine with the Chromebook to get my daily work routine done…until I needed to edit some images.

Of course, there is a solution to this: I could just fire up the Google Play Store and look for a suitable photo editing app. That’s right, Chrome OS can run Android apps, making it a lot more versatile than ever before. It’s a good feature, no doubt, but I’ll need to get out of my way to familiarise myself with a new photo editor.

Basically, it’s not a seamless transition, which may discourage those who are on a different platform to switch over to Chrome OS. The solution
is
there (in the form of Android apps), but it’s highly likely you’ll have to settle for alternatives to your favourite applications on Windows or macOS.

As for myself, I couldn’t look for an app that can replace my favourite photo editing program on Windows. Every time I need to edit images while I was on the Chromebook, I’ll grab my Windows laptop instead. It’s a lot more seamless, and it is so much easier.

Another thing I don’t quite like about Chromebook is the keyboard layout. On other operating systems like Windows and macOS, the Caps Lock key is located right above the left Shift button. But on Chromebook, it’s replaced with the Search button. If you want to enable Caps Lock, you’d have to press Alt + Search – not very intuitive.

Chrome OS has its quirks, but if you can look past them, it’s really quite a good platform. This is especially the case if all you do on a laptop is to fire up Google Chrome. Plus, you have a whole library of Android apps at your disposal with Chrome OS.

Okay, so how about the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 itself? Overall, it’s a premium, refined convertible Chromebook. It is built very well, it has a good keyboard and trackpad, and most importantly, it has
excellent
 battery life.

According to Acer, the Spin 13 can last for up to 10 hours on a single charge. In my testing, I got pretty darn close to this estimate. However, it’s worth noting that I dimmed the display slightly (but still plenty bright for comfortable use) to get this kind of battery life.

As for the display quality itself, it’s definitely above average. The 3:2 aspect ratio offers a lot more vertical space than conventional 16:9 panels, and the 13.5-inch 2256 x 1504 IPS touch display is sharp, bright, and vibrant. That being said, I don’t quite like the large bezels surrounding the display – it makes the Chromebook a lot bigger than it should be.

Performance is absolutely not an issue with the Spin 13. Powered by an Intel Core i5-8250U quad-core processor paired with 8GB of RAM, this Chromebook is plenty powerful. Throughout the review period, the Spin 13 stayed fast and responsive. In fact, I’d say it feels ever so slightly more responsive than a standard Windows laptop.

Connectivity wise, the Spin 13 offers a good mix of ports. It has two USB-C ports, one full-size USB-A connection, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card slot. It also has a stylus tucked away underneath the Chromebook, with Wacom EMR pen support.

I’m not much of an artist, but I do like using the stylus. It feels responsive, accurate, and I find myself using it to take snippets of the screen more often than I thought I would.

Unfortunately, there is one area where the Spin 13 is lacking: it only comes with 64GB of eMMC storage. Granted, most Chromebooks have very limited storage capacity anyway, and it would’ve been fine if this machine does not cost RM3,599. For that kind of money, you can
easily
 get a better-equipped Windows laptop.

And that really is the Spin 13’s biggest shortcoming. It’s a fast, premium Chromebook, but that also demands an equally premium price tag. Not only does this put it in the same price range as other, more capable Windows laptops, it also loses one of the most important appeals of Chromebooks: affordability.

Let’s get back to the original question:
can
 a Chromebook replace your laptop? Definitely. If you’re mostly dependent on Google Chrome, and you can live without Windows-only programs, then this operating system will serve you very well.

This Acer Chromebook Spin 13, in particular, could be a good option too. It’s a premium product with great battery life, fast performance, and solid build quality. The only downside, of course, is its high asking price. But hey, that’s the price of a premium Chromebook.

Personally, however, Chromebooks are not for me, and I would switch to a Windows laptop in a heartbeat if given the choice. It’s not that I don’t like Chrome OS; I simply prefer the versatility and familiarity of Windows. I can work more effectively with the latter, and I could just fire up
Apex Legends
 or any other games on Steam whenever I want to get entertained.

When it comes to gaming, Chrome OS simply cannot compete with Windows. It’s a different landscape altogether. Yes, I did try to play PUBG Mobile on the Spin 13, and no, it was not a very pleasant experience.


Deal: Razer Official Store Listing Razer Phone 2 with Over RM1,000 Discount

Now this is a deal you don’t often see. Previously, the
Razer Phone 2
 went for as low as RM3,188. Now, surprisingly enough, it’s retailing at a
much
 lower price point: Razer’s latest gaming smartphone can be yours
for only RM2,429
.

Compared to the Razer Phone 2’s RM3,449 launch price, this promotion saves you exactly RM1,020. On top of that, this deal is offered by Razer’s official store on Shopee. Needless to say, you won’t have to worry about the authenticity of this listing.

At the time of writing, there are 19 units of the Razer Phone 2 left. Plenty of stocks, though it remains to be seen just how long the phone will retail at this price. If you want to learn more about this gaming smartphone, check out our hands-on
right here
.


Deal: Huawei P20 Pro Can Be Yours for Only RM2,241 Now

The
Huawei P30 series
 is available for purchase today in Malaysia. But if you’re not keen to spend
at least RM3,799 on a brand new P30 Pro
, then this deal is for you. Currently, its predecessor, the Huawei P20 Pro, is going for
as low as RM2,241
.

This deal is offered by Courts’ official online store on Lazada, so rest assured, this is a legitimate promotion. To put this deal into context, the P20 Pro retailed at RM3,299 when it first launched in Malaysia – this offer saves you well over RM1,000.

Last we checked, there are eight units of the Huawei P20 Pro left, and Courts is offering only the Twilight colourway for this promotion. If you’re interested to get this deal, you should definitely
act fast
. The P20 Pro may be last year’s flagship, but it is still a very capable flagship, especially when it comes to camera performance.


We Need More Phones Like the Samsung Galaxy S10e

I’ve just reviewed the
Samsung Galaxy S10e
, and I can’t help but feel that there’s a need for more phones like it. No, I’m not just talking about compact, small form factor smartphones, but
powerful
, flagship-tier devices that can comfortably fit into people’s pockets.

In a market where smartphones are getting bigger and bigger with every iteration, it’s high time for small, powerful flagship smartphones to be considered. I reckon there’s increasing need for such devices, especially with the advancement of display technology.

Throughout my time reviewing the Galaxy S10e, I’ve been told by friends and family how much they love the size of the phone. Even though it’s a small device, you’re still getting a lot of screen real estate, thanks to the lack of bezels.

Previously, if you want a compact smartphone, you’d have to live with a small, almost unusable display by today’s standard. Take the iPhone SE: I absolutely love how small the device is, but I simply couldn’t live with the phone’s minuscule 4-inch display.

Things are much better now with the introduction of the iPhone X and its successor, the iPhone XS. Just like the Galaxy S10e, the XS sports a very usable 5.8-inch display in a compact chassis. One-handed usage isn’t impossible with a phone this size, and it will fit into your pocket comfortably – perhaps even with a casing on.

In fact, the
existence
 of the iPhone XS itself is a good enough incentive for other phone makers to follow suit and release their own competition to that particular phone. Like it or not, many brands mimic Apple’s products when it comes to their own product development. Just look at the sheer amount of smartphones with notches after the iPhone X was introduced.

Another issue with the current crop of compact smartphones now are the compromises that come with them. Even though the Galaxy S10e is a very respectable flagship smartphone, it still feels like a lower-end device compared to its more expensive siblings.

This is particularly the case in the display and camera department, where the S10e loses out on the 1440p display and telephoto sensor. Granted, this phone is meant to be the most affordable option in the Galaxy S10 series, and even Apple does the same with the iPhone XR.

Basically, those who are shopping for small smartphones, more often than not, have to settle for mid-range, or even entry-level smartphones. If they want a high-end smartphone in a compact form factor, they have very limited options.

Unfortunately, except for a few phone makers, most brands simply aren’t looking to release compact flagship smartphones – it is seen as a niche segment. This relates back to the spec race, where the most prevalent logic is “the bigger, the better.”

Instead of sticking with a display size that is practical, most brands (if not all) are trying to fit
more
 display into a smartphone. While this does spur advancement in display technology, there comes a point where bigger is not necessarily better anymore, especially when it sacrifices practicality.

Right now, there
are
a couple of good options like the Galaxy S10e, but not nearly enough. On top of that, most of them are not particularly new either. There’s the Pixel 3 (which is not even officially available in Malaysia), and the Samsung Galaxy S9 – both of which were released last year.

After reviewing the Samsung Galaxy S10e, every phone that I use simply felt…unnaturally big. I find myself really missing the compact form factor of the phone, more than anything else. Personally, I think the 5.8-inch display is completely usable too; never did I thought to myself I
need
 a bigger screen.

It’s probably something that will never materialise, but I do hope the day comes where there are much more options for those who are shopping for compact flagship smartphones. And hey, maybe these future devices won’t compromise on key features too – one can dream, right?


The Samsung Galaxy A80 Features a Slide-Out Camera That Rotates

Samsung just launched the brand new Galaxy A80 in Bangkok, Thailand, and it is perhaps the Korean company’s most exciting mid-ranger yet. Even though it’s not a flagship smartphone, the A80 has a couple of features never before seen on a Samsung device.

Yes, just like the rumours have suggested, the Galaxy A80 sports a motorised, slide-out triple camera system. On top of that, the camera module itself also
rotates
, allowing you to take regular shots as well as selfie images with only one robust camera system.

It’s definitely a unique approach, but beyond this, is the Galaxy A80 any good? Let’s find out.

Thanks to the implementation of the slide-out camera, the Galaxy A80 does not need to make space for the front-facing camera. That’s right, the phone’s display – dubbed simply as “New Infinity Display” – does not have a hole-punch cutout or notch.

The result? An almost all-screen smartphone, and it looks great. Granted, there is a bit of bezel at the bottom of the Galaxy A80, but it’s minimal enough to retain the phone’s sleek appearance.

Oh, this phone also has an in-screen fingerprint sensor, but I wasn’t able to put it to the test. The demo unit I got my hands on was in retail mode, so the sensor itself was disabled.

As for the display quality itself, it’s really quite good. The Galaxy A80 features a large 6.7-inch 2400 x 1080 Super AMOLED display, which is bright, vibrant, with very deep blacks. It’s what we’ve come to expect from an AMOLED panel, so rest assured, you’re getting a high quality screen with this phone.

Build quality of the Galaxy A80 is also surprisingly good for a mid-range smartphone. It has a nice heft to it, the metal frame is cool to the touch, and while I’m not entirely sure if the back panel is glass or polycarbonate, the whole phone feels downright premium.

In fact, I’d go as far to say that it looks and feels like a proper flagship smartphone, even though it’s only a mid-ranger.

Powering the Galaxy A80 is Qualcomm’s brand new Snapdragon 730 chipset, which is the chipmaker’s most powerful upper mid-range SoC right now. Based on my short time with the A80, it does feel plenty responsive and quick.

Of course, the responsiveness of the Galaxy A80 can be attributed to the lightweight and polished nature of One UI. Basically, you’re getting a very similar software experience as the higher-end
Galaxy S10
 smartphones on this mid-ranger – that’s a really good thing.

Other specifications of the Galaxy A80 include 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage (non-expandable, unfortunately), and a 3,700mAh battery. Considering the size and weight of this phone, the battery capacity does leave much to be desired.

Now, let’s talk about the Galaxy A80’s unique motorised camera system. At a glance, it looks a lot like the Oppo Find X’s camera mechanism, but the A80’s camera module is rotatable. Yes, the 2013 Oppo N1 featured a rotatable camera too, but Samsung’s implementation is quite different.

In the camera app, all I need to do is to “switch” to the front-facing camera for the whole module to slide up, and the camera would rotate accordingly. This happens pretty quickly, and it never felt slow every time I activated the mechanism.

Interestingly, once the camera system is up, I can push down on it to disable the camera. But if I were to pull it up, it would always return back to its original position. Needless to say, I wouldn’t encourage doing this, but it’s still something worth noting.

Okay, it’s time we get to the Galaxy A80’s triple camera setup. Made up of a 48MP f/2.0 primary shooter, an 8MP f/2.2 ultra wide camera, and a 3D depth sensor, the camera system can take reasonably good shots. It can transition between the normal and wide-angle shooting modes quite quickly, and there isn’t too much shutter lag either.

Surprisingly enough, the image output looks quite promising too. It performs great under ideal lighting (as most phones should be), and even in low light conditions, it seems to be quite capable still. However, I’ll reserve judgment until I’m able to put the camera through its paces in a full review.

Normal shot
Ultra wide-angle shot
Normal shot (low light)
Ultra wide-angle shot (low light)

The Samsung Galaxy A80 is easily one of Samsung’s most promising mid-ranger yet. It’s the first Samsung device to sport the unique camera mechanism, and the phone as a whole feels really refined and premium.

But just how attractive of a smartphone the Galaxy A80 will be is entirely dependent on how much it will cost. Samsung has not detailed the pricing of the phone yet, but it is expected to the available in Malaysia by the end of May or early June 2019.

Mid-range smartphones are getting increasingly better day by day, and the Galaxy A80 may just give other premium smartphones in this segment a run for their money. But in order to do that, Samsung has to
absolutely
 price the Galaxy A80 right, especially in a price sensitive market like Malaysia.


The Samsung Galaxy A70 Is the Second Best Option

Launched alongside the
Samsung Galaxy A80
 is the more affordable Samsung Galaxy A70. As its name suggests, the A70 is not the range-topping model in the series. Rather, it’s the second best option, and that’s not exactly a bad thing.

I got to spend some time with the Galaxy A70, and while it’s not the most impressive mid-range device, it is a viable option for those who want a large device with equally big battery capacity.

Much like the Galaxy A80, the Galaxy A70 is equipped with a new Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, albeit it’s the lower-end, Snapdragon 675 SoC. Nonetheless, it’s still a plenty capable chipset, and it will be powerful enough to provide a good user experience.

While I didn’t manage to play any mobile games on the Galaxy A70, the phone as a whole does feel plenty responsive and zippy. After all, it’s still running on Samsung’s latest One UI software, which is both lightweight and pleasant to look at.

When it comes to design, it’s clear the Galaxy A70 is an affordable smartphone. It doesn’t look or feel particularly premium, the plastic construction of the phone leaves much to be desired, and there’s also a “Infinity-U” notch at the top of the display.

But compared to the
Galaxy A50 and A30
, the A70 does have a more minimal bottom bezel. With the exception of the higher-end Galaxy A80 with its New Infinity Display, this phone is definitely more aesthetically pleasing than the rest of the Galaxy A smartphones.

Sporting a 6.7-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy A70 has a very good screen too. AMOLED panels are known for their deep blacks, and it is no different here. Coupled with punchy, vibrant colours, and a good level of brightness, most consumers will be happy with the A70’s screen quality.

Naturally, the Galaxy A70 also comes with an in-screen fingerprint sensor. Unfortunately enough, the sensor is disabled on the demo units I tested, so I couldn’t try it out for myself. Chances are, it should be reasonably good, though I highly doubt it will be as quick or accurate as a conventional fingerprint sensor.

One of the biggest appeals of the Galaxy A70 has to be its generous 4,500mAh battery. Combined with the 1080p display of the phone, I reckon it can return good, if not great battery life. It’s interesting how the A70 has a bigger battery than the higher-end A80; the latter only comes with a 3,700mAh cell despite sporting the same display size as the A70.

In the camera department, the Galaxy A70 features a triple camera system. The primary camera is a 32MP f/1.7 sensor, and it is complemented by an 8MP f/2.2 ultra wide camera and a 5MP f/2.2 depth sensor. The front-facing camera, on the other hand, is a 32MP f/2.0 shooter.

Generally, the camera performance of the Galaxy A70 is quite good. While it does take some time for the camera to switch between the primary and ultra wide sensors, the image output is alright, even in low light conditions.

Of course, I would definitely need more time photographing with the Galaxy A70 before I can give my final verdict on the phone’s camera performance.

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy A70 is not the best device in the series; that title is reserved for the Galaxy A80. So that leaves the A70 as the second best device, but considering the fact that it will be more affordable than the A80, it’s a good option for those looking to get a mid-range smartphone that won’t break the bank.

That being said, Samsung Malaysia has not revealed the retail price of the Galaxy A70 yet, but you can expect the phone to be available in Malaysia by the end of May, or early June 2019.

If priced right, the Galaxy A70 could just be Samsung’s most compelling affordable mid-range smartphone yet. It is sleeker than the Galaxy A50, it won’t cost as much as the Galaxy A80, and most of all, it has a large battery capacity and display – two criteria that can be important to some consumers.


Deal: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S 128GB Going for Only RM1,239 Now

It has been over a year since the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S was introduced, and if you think it’s not worth getting anymore, you may want you check out this deal. Right now, you can grab a brand new unit of the 128GB model
for only RM1,239
 on Shopee.

For comparison, the Mi Mix 2S with 128GB of storage used to retail at RM2,199 when it was first launched in Malaysia – that’s RM960 price difference. However, it’s worth noting that this deal only has the white model in stock.

If you want to reduce the price even further, you can use the code DOUB5 to get additional RM5 discount,
reducing the price to RM1,234
. Of course, this is an original unit of the Mi Mix 2S with warranty support from Xiaomi Malaysia itself.

Considering the fact that the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, this is a very good deal. In fact, it’s rivaled by the
Pocophone F1
 in terms of value for money.


Deal: Grab the Huawei P30 Pro with RM400 Discount

The
Huawei P30 Pro
 is an impressive flagship smartphone, and even though it’s just been launched last week in Malaysia, you can now get the phone with a pretty sizeable discount. On Shopee, one retailer is offering the P30 Pro
for only RM3,399
.

Basically, this deal saves you exactly RM400 from the phone’s original RM3,799 asking price. It’s a really good discount for a recently unveiled flagship smartphone, and for that kind of money, you’re getting 256GB of internal storage, 8GB of RAM, and
excellent camera performance
.

However, the retailer is only offering the Black colourway; you’re out of luck if you want the Aurora or Breathing Crystal variants of the P30 Pro. Nonetheless, warranty support is provided by Huawei Malaysia itself for this particular listing.

Not sure if the Huawei P30 Pro is right for you? Then check out our hands-on with the phone
right here
.


Deal: PlayStation Classic Retailing at Only RM299 Now

Feeling nostalgic? Then this is one deal you wouldn’t want to miss. The PlayStation Classic console went on sale in Malaysia last December, and right now, you can get it
for only RM299
 on Shopee.

Originally going for RM429, this deal saves you RM130 – a decent amount of discount for a console like this. This deal is offered by Preferred Shopee retailer Otakuya, and according to the listing, it comes with official warranty by Sony Malaysia.

The PlayStation Classic is pre-loaded with 20 games found on the original PlayStation, which include Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Resident Evil: Director’s Cut, Tekken 3, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, and even Grand Theft Auto. On top of that, the console also comes with two wired controllers.

At the time of writing, there are only nine units of the PlayStation Classic left. If you’re keen to
get it for RM299
, you may want to act fast.


Acer Launches Range of Quirky, Premium ConceptD Laptops

Acer unveiled a range of pretty interesting laptops not too long ago. Dubbed ConceptD, these are mobile workstations aimed at professionals. Three laptops are in the series: the ConceptD 9, ConceptD 7, and ConceptD 5.

Out of the three, the ConceptD 9 is the most capable and unique machine, while the other two are more conventional, but still very powerful laptops. If you need a mobile workstation, you may be interested in these machines.

The ConceptD 9
The Predator Triton 900

Essentially, these ConceptD laptops are…well, rehashes of Acer’s gaming laptops. The ConceptD 9, for one, is based on the
Predator Triton 900
 convertible gaming laptop. Even the ConceptD 7 has a striking resemblance to the
Predator Triton 500
.

There are, of course, some major differences here and there to differentiate these machines from their gaming counterpart. Let’s start with the beefiest offering of the bunch, the ConceptD 9.

Much like the Triton 900, the ConceptD 9 features Acer’s Ezel Aero Hinge, which allows the convertible laptop to be used in several configurations. On top of that, it also has a 17.3-inch 4K IPS touch display with Wacom pen support; perfect for graphic designers and artists.

Other specifications of the ConceptD 9 are very impressive too. These include Intel’s 9th generation Core i9 processor paired with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU (not the Max-Q design, mind you), and either 512GB or 1TB of fast NVMe SSD storage.

But all of that power shows in the weight of the ConceptD 9. Weighing a whopping 4.1kg, this is not the most portable machine.

A tier down is the more budget-friendly ConceptD 7. As mentioned, the design of this laptop is very similar to the Triton 500, and it can be configured with an RTX 2060 or RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU. However, it doesn’t have a 144Hz 1080p display like the Triton 500. Instead, it features a higher resolution 15.6-inch 4K IPS panel.

Rounding out the specifications of the ConceptD 7 are a 9th generation Core i7 processor, up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and just like the ConceptD 9, 512GB or 1TB of NVMe SSD storage. Tipping the scales at 2.1kg, it’s not a terribly heavy laptop either.

Last but definitely not least is the ConceptD 5, the most affordable of the bunch. Unlike its higher-end siblings, the ConceptD 5 doesn’t have a dedicated GPU. Rather, it comes with an AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL integrated GPU. It’s not the most powerful GPU, but it’s certainly capable enough.

Not surprisingly, the ConceptD 5’s processor isn’t quite as fast too. It’s powered by Intel’s slightly older 8th generation Core i7 or i5 processor, and the RAM options, on the other hand, are only limited to 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 RAM. As for storage, it can be configured with a 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD.

Yes, the ConceptD 5 is the least powerful laptop in the series, but it still retains the 15.6-inch 4K IPS display. It also has the upper hand in one area: compared to the other ConceptD laptops, the ConceptD 5 is the lightest of the lot, weighing only 1.5kg.

Given the premium status of the ConceptD laptops, these machines do not come cheap. Naturally, the ConceptD 9 is the most expensive of the bunch. How expensive? For the US market, it’s set to retail from a whopping $4,999, which comes up to about RM20,560.

Opting for the ConceptD 7 would save you a lot more money, with prices starting from $2,299 – that’s approximately RM9,455. It’s still a costly machine, no doubt about that, but that’s the price you have to pay for a workstation like this.

If you want the most “budget-friendly” offering in the range, the ConceptD 5 is the one for you. This one retails from $1,699, which converts to around RM6,985. Still not particularly affordable, but it
is
 the least expensive laptop in the ConceptD series.

As for availability, the Acer ConceptD 9 will only start shipping sometime in June 2019 in the US, while the ConceptD 5 and 7 are releasing this month in the same market. We don’t know yet if these mobile workstations will be coming to Malaysia, but we’ll definitely keep a close eye on the local availability of these ConceptD machines.


Weekly Giveaway – RM50 Shopee, Lazada, or PSN Cash Voucher!

We’re kick-starting our weekly giveaway! Starting from this week onwards, we will be giving out one RM50 cash voucher (every week!) to be used on either Shopee, Lazada, or PlayStation Store. We will rotate the cash vouchers accordingly every week, so the same cash voucher won’t be offered twice in a row.

So how do you win the cash voucher? Very simple: just leave a comment either on our site
right here
, or over at our
YouTube channel
. The best comment will walk away with the RM50 cash voucher, and we will pick the best, most helpful, or insightful comment as the winner.

For this week, we’re offering a RM50 Shopee cash voucher, and we will announce the winner every Monday on our social media channels. These include
Facebook
,
Twitter
, as well as
YouTube
. Of course, The weekly giveaway will also be updated every Tuesday on these very same channels.

If you’re interested to participate in this giveaway, comment away on
our site
 and
YouTube channel
!


Deal: Get the Huawei P30 for Only RM2,399 Now

The
Huawei P30
 may not be quite as impressive as its
higher-end sibling
, but it is still a very capable flagship smartphone with decent value for money. Well, you can now grab it
for only RM2,399
, and stocks are quite limited too.

This particular deal is offered by Tesco itself on its official Lazada store, so rest assured, this is a legitimate offer. Originally, the P30 retails at RM2,699, so this deal saves you RM300.

Right now, Tesco is offering the P30 in
Breathing Crystal
,
Aurora
, and
Black
 for RM2,599. In order to reduce the price down to RM2,399, you’ll have to use the code TESHW200 at checkout to get additional RM200 discount. Do note that stocks are very limited. The Aurora variant, for one, only has two units in stock at the time of writing.

Needless to say,
RM2,399 is a great price
 for a flagship smartphone like the Huawei P30. If you’re not sure if the device is for you, check out our
hands-on of the phone
.


Oppo F11 Arrives in Malaysia for RM1,099 with 48MP Camera & 128GB Storage

Oppo has always been quite focused on its range of mid-range smartphones, and the Chinese company’s latest phone from the segment, the Oppo F11, has just been launched in Malaysia. Basically, the F11 is largely similar to the F11 Pro, though it loses a couple of features to make it a more affordable device.

But are those sacrifices worth it? Let’s find out if the F11 is worth considering over the sleeker F11 Pro.

One of the biggest differences between the F11 and F11 Pro is the screen design. Unlike the Pro model, the F11 has a “Waterdrop” notch at the top of the display. While it doesn’t look quite as impressive as the F11 Pro’s notch-less screen, it is (at the very least) a minimal notch.

Thing is, the F11’s display had to have a notch to house the front-facing camera; it doesn’t have the F11 Pro’s motorised camera module. However, it’s still the same 16MP selfie shooter, so it’s not like you’re getting an inferior camera system.

As for the screen quality itself, it’s quite good. The 6.5-inch 1080p IPS display can get really bright, it has good viewing angles, and really, most consumers in this price segment will be happy with this screen.

On the back, the F11 still has the same 48MP + 5MP dual camera system, and it’s a surprisingly robust camera system. Although there’s a noticeable pause in between shots, the camera interface as a whole feels very responsive. It can lock in focus pretty quickly too.

Image quality, on the other hand, is also quite decent. At least, that’s the case when shooting under ideal lighting. Detail preservation is good, the dynamic range isn’t all that bad, and for a mid-range smartphone, it has really good camera performance. It’ll be interesting to see how its camera compares to the
Redmi Note 7
, which is one of its biggest competitions.

Storage and RAM capacities of the F11 are also different from the F11 Pro. Instead of the Pro’s 6GB RAM, the standard F11 only gets 4GB of RAM. However, it also has double the amount of expandable storage at 128GB; the F11 Pro comes with only 64GB of storage.

Beyond these differences, the F11 and F11 Pro are essentially the same device. For one, the F11 is still powered by a MediaTek Helio P70 chipset, which seems to be quite capable. It’s largely similar to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 in terms of performance, and as far as I can tell, the phone feels fast and responsive.

That being said, I’m still not a fan of Oppo’s software experience. The F11 runs on ColorOS 6.0, and it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing version of Android. The navigation keys are much too big, the icons don’t look particularly modern, and the notification shade’s tile design wastes a lot of space.

At the very least, ColorOS 6.0 is functional. It feels lightweight, it’s quite intuitive to navigate around, and if you’ve used an Android smartphone before, I reckon it won’t be all that hard to adapt to the F11’s software experience.

When it comes to design, I quite dig the looks of the F11’s rear panel with its gradient-like finish. Even though the phone is mostly made out of plastic, it doesn’t
feel
 plasticky. The plastic frame has a nice, matte finish, and the phone feels well put together.

Sporting a large 4,000mAh battery, the F11 also has a nice heft to it. It’s a very generous battery capacity, so chances are, it should be able to deliver good, if not great battery life. Unfortunately, the phone charges via a microUSB port – no Type-C connection here.

The Oppo F11 will be available for purchase in Malaysia this coming Friday on 19 April. Interestingly, if you
purchase the phone on Shopee
 on that day, you can get it
for only RM999
. That’s a pretty good deal, especially for a phone with 128GB of storage.

Those who are looking to get a new mid-range smartphone should give the F11 a consideration or two. But the same can be said of the
Redmi Note 7
 too, which is even more affordable. Until I can put the F11 through its paces in a full review, it’s tough to compare it against the Redmi Note 7.


Honor 20 Lite Lands in Malaysia for RM949; A Striking Mid-Ranger

Honor just launched the Honor 20 Lite in Malaysia. Sporting a modest set of hardware and an affordable price tag, the 20 Lite is a rather interesting mid-ranger. Plus, it’s quite a sleek-looking phone too – just look at the back design.

That being said, the Honor 20 Lite faces stiff competition from a number of strong contenders, including the recently announced
Oppo F11
 and the
Redmi Note 7
. Can the 20 Lite stand toe to toe with these devices? We spent some time with the new phone to find out.

At a glance, the Honor 20 Lite’s back panel definitely makes an impression. The Phantom Red model we have here is a looker with its gradient finish, and even the Phantom Blue colourway looks equally stunning. Yes, the back panel is made of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap or plasticky.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the plastic frame of the phone. It doesn’t feel particularly nice to the touch, and unlike other devices in this price segment, the inner parts of the microUSB port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and speaker grille are not painted.

As a result, the phone doesn’t look…well, “finished.” It
may
 save some cost here and there by leaving some parts of the phone unpainted, but if other phone makers can paint the ports of their devices
and
still keep the prices low, why can’t Honor?

Anyway, let’s get back to the Honor 20 Lite. On the front, it has a “Dewdrop” notch at the top of the 6.21-inch 2340 x 1080 display. It’s not an awfully big notch, but it’s still a noticeable cutout. Thankfully, the bottom bezel of the phone is reasonably small, lending to a more modern-looking design.

How about the screen quality itself? Quite decent. It can get really bright, viewing angles are good, and colours are punchy. For a mid-range smartphone, you’re getting an adequately good display with the Honor 20 Lite.

Powered by a Kirin 710 processor, this phone feels pretty fast and responsive. Said to be equivalent to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset, the Kirin 710 should be able to provide a good level of performance. Gaming on this phone should be quite pleasant too.

In the software side of things, the Honor 20 Lite runs on EMUI 9 based on Android 9 Pie. For the most part, EMUI 9 looks to be a standard version of Android. It’s not remarkably different from the rest (which is a good thing), and besides the absence of an app drawer, I like the fuss-free, lightweight nature of EMUI 9.

Then again, this is only my first impression with the software – there may be some issues here and there that I’m not aware of…yet.

And then we have the Honor 20 Lite’s camera performance. On the front, it sports a 32MP f/2.0 selfie shooter. As for the rear camera, it’s a triple camera system made up of a 24MP f/1.8 primary shooter, an 8MP f/2.4 ultra wide camera, and a 2MP f/2.4 sensor for capturing depth information. So how does the triple camera system perform?

Well, it’s…adequate. The image output isn’t anything to shout about, and even though the camera interface is quite responsive, the autofocus speed is frustratingly slow. Of course, there’s only so much one can expect out of a mid-range smartphone, but even other similarly priced devices have better camera performance than the Honor 20 Lite.

Set to go on sale in Malaysia on 24 April next week, the Honor 20 Lite will retail at RM949 on our shores. That kind of money gets you 128GB of expandable storage and 4GB of RAM; good value for money right there.

However, that puts the 20 Lite in the exact same price point as the
Redmi Note 7
, which has better build quality, camera performance, and battery life. After all, the Note 7 has a large 4,000mAh battery, while the 20 Lite only comes with a 3,400mAh cell.

To be fair, I’ve only spent a brief time with the Honor 20 Lite. Perhaps it would prove to be a really good smartphone once I’m able to review it thoroughly. And for RM949, it offers reasonably good value for money too.

And the back panel looks
really
 good.


Foldable Smartphones – Do We Really Want Them?

Smartphones with foldable displays used to be a pipe dream not too long ago, until the
Royole FlexPai
 came into the picture. It’s then followed by other foldable phones from bigger brands like Samsung and Huawei with the Galaxy Fold and
Mate X
 respectively.

But this brings up the question: do we really
want
 foldable smartphones? As impressive as these phones are, the technology is still in its infancy. In this article, we’ll explain why foldable smartphones aren’t necessarily worth the hype…yet.

Let’s start with something that’s been catching the headlines lately: durability issues. Recently, Samsung started sending out review units of the Galaxy Fold to some media, and most of them have reported issues with the foldable phone.

Take The Verge’s unit
, for example. In normal use, the Galaxy Fold the site received started developing a bulge of some sort, which eventually damaged the phone’s display. It’s quite a worrying issue, considering the fact that The Verge was only using the Fold like any other phone.

Image credit:
The Verge
Image credit:
The Verge

Certain media, on the other hand, tried to peel off what appeared to be a screen protector on top of the Galaxy Fold’s screen. Turns out, it is actually a protective layer, which is a part of the display structure “designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches,” as Samsung puts it.

Samsung further elaborated that removing the protective layer or “adding adhesives to the main display” of the Galaxy Fold may cause damage. Basically, you can forget about putting on a screen protector on the Fold – you’ll have to live with the phone as it is.

PSA: There's a layer that appears to be a screen protector on the Galaxy Fold's display. It's NOT a screen protector. Do NOT remove it.
I got this far peeling it off before the display spazzed and blacked out. Started over with a replacement.
pic.twitter.com/ZhEG2Bqulr
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD)
April 17, 2019

Despite these durability issues, Samsung is still going ahead with the 26 April launch date for the Galaxy Fold in the US. The Korean company also added that it will “thoroughly inspect these units (the broken ones) in person to determine the cause” of the screen breaking. Hopefully, retail units of the Galaxy Fold won’t suffer from this issue.

Next, let’s talk about practicality. Looking beyond the Galaxy Fold (which is, in itself, is really thick when folded), the Huawei Mate X isn’t particularly practical either. See, unlike the Fold’s design, which has its display fold inwards, the Mate X’s display wraps
around
 the phone.

We don’t know yet just how durable the Mate X’s foldable display is, but if the Galaxy Fold’s screen can break even with the inward-style folding, we can’t imagine if the Mate X will fare any better with its outward-facing screen. On top of that, the screen will be subjected to daily wear and tear too, so expect it to collect scratches here and there.

And then we have the software side of things. Foldable smartphones that have been unveiled so far are basically Android tablets when their displays are folded out. And…well, Android-based tablets aren’t that great in the first place.

Granted, the ability to fold out your phone for a bigger display
is
 a compelling feature. But this goes back to the practicality standpoint: foldable smartphones now aren’t exactly in a compact form factor.

Even if you can overlook these points, the current crop of foldable smartphones are
expensive
. This is the biggest hurdle with phones of this category now, and you’re basically spending a lot of money for unproven technology. Only time will tell if foldable smartphones will be as reliable as traditional ones.

At the end of the day, that is the reality of being an early adopter. New technology will be costly, and while there’s no denying the impressive engineering that went into developing this new category of smartphones, they’re still ultimately a gimmick at this point in time.

That is not to say foldable smartphones will never reach mainstream appeal. As the tech matures, prices will go down, and if things go well, we will undoubtedly see better implementations of the technology further down the road. Any possible durability issues should be addressed as well.

But until that day comes, it will remain to be a niche product. Yes, a smartphone with a foldable screen is an engineering marvel in the palm of your hand, but it is not something most of us would want right now – not yet, anyway.


Deal: Samsung Galaxy S10e Just Hit Its Lowest Price Yet

We really like the
Samsung Galaxy S10e
 for its
compact form factor
, and the last time we checked, it was going for
as low as RM2,399
. Now, however, it is ever so slightly more affordable: you can currently
grab the Galaxy S10e for only RM2,369
.

As far as we can tell, this is the lowest price the Galaxy S10e
ever
 went for, and we check the prices of smartphones quite often, as some of you may have noticed. However, this is only for the Prism Black model; the Prism White and Prism Green models go for
slightly more at RM2,469
.

As the listing detailed, this deal is offering official Malaysian units of the Galaxy S10e. Warranty coverage is provided by Samsung Malaysia itself, so you won’t have to worry about warranty claim if the need ever arises.

Not sure if the Samsung Galaxy S10e is for you? Then check out our extensive review of the compact flagship smartphone
right here
.


Deal: Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones Hit New Low Price

Remember the last deal we wrote on the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones? This pair of headphones with active noise cancellation were going
for only RM1,089
 then, but now, you can get it for
as low as RM1,052.50
.

That’s an odd-looking price tag, but rest assured, this is a legitimate offer. After all, plenty of users have bought the headphones from this particular retailer on Shopee. Both colour options of the WH-1000XM3 – Black and Silver – are offered too at the same price.

Although there were a couple of times where the WH-1000XM3 went below the RM1,000 mark, those deals were limited time offers. This one, however, seems to be readily available for purchase, but there is always a chance the retailer will change the price tag.

Nonetheless, if you’re keen to get the Sony WH-1000XM3
for only RM1,052.50
, you may want to act fast. Of course, it also comes with one-year warranty from Sony Malaysia itself.


Xiaomi Mi 9 Review: More Than Just Value for Money

Xiaomi’s range of flagship smartphones are always known for their excellent value for money, but unfortunately enough, that’s the only reason consumers would go for a Xiaomi-branded flagship. Other aspects of the company’s high-end phones simply weren’t up to snuff when compared to their competition.

Well, the Xiaomi Mi 9 aims to change. Not only does it still retain the phone maker’s competitive pricing, it
finally
feels like a good enough flagship smartphone. It definitely has what it takes to go against the best in the segment.

Specifications

Display
6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED (2340 x 1080)
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 2.84GHz octa-core
GPU
Adreno 640
RAM
6GB
Storage
64/128GB, non-expandable
Camera (rear)
48MP f/1.75
12MP f/2.2 (telephoto)
16MP f/2.2 (ultra wide)
Camera (front)
20MP f/2.0
Battery
3,300mAh
Dimensions
157.5 x 74.67 x 7.61 mm
Weight
173g
OS
MIUI 10.2 based on Android 9 Pie
Connectivity
LTE
NFC
Bluetooth 5.0
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)
USB Type-C

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, the Mi 9 is as fast as it gets for a 2019 flagship smartphone. It also has reasonably good storage and RAM capacities at up to 128GB and 6GB respectively. Unfortunately, however, there’s no support for expandable storage.

What else is missing? Well, there’s the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as any form of water and dust resistance. The rather average 3,300mAh battery also raises some concern, but surprisingly enough, it can actually return very good battery life.

Design

Depending on which colour you get, the Mi 9 can look really minimalist or eye-catching; the Piano Black model I have for this review fits the former. If you want something more striking, the Lavendar Violet and Ocean Blue models have iridescent effects on the back.

Naturally, the Mi 9 feels great in the hands, thanks to the metal frame and glass back. It looks and feels premium, just like a flagship smartphone should be. However, I do find the back panel a tad too slippery. Thankfully, a casing is bundled together with the phone.

On the front, you have a “Dot Drop” notch at the top of the Mi 9’s display. I would’ve preferred for there to be no notch at all, but I didn’t find it all that intrusive throughout my time with the phone. I also like the small bottom bezel of the phone: it gives the device a more modern-looking design.

While I don’t mind the Mi 9’s notched display, the presence of the notch
does
 negatively affect the user experience of the phone. More specifically, the software experience, which I’ll get to in a bit.

Overall, the Mi 9 is a great-looking phone that feels equally good to hold. I also love the iridescent look of the Lavendar Violet and Ocean Blue colourways, but if you want something more traditional, there’s the Piano Black model here.

User Experience

MIUI 10 on the Mi 9 is largely similar to the software experience of previous Xiaomi devices I’ve reviewed, including the
Redmi Note 7
 and
Mi Mix 3
. It’s a functional, lightweight version of Android, and I didn’t run into any serious bug throughout the review period.

But remember the software issue I had with the notch? Yeap, just like how it was with the Redmi Note 7, notification icons are not shown on the status bar
despite
 the fact that there are plenty of empty space. It doesn’t matter if the notch is small; MIUI 10 will still treat it like a conventional, wide notch.

Besides that, notifications can only be dismissed with a right swipe, and I cannot interact with notifications on the lock screen. Small, niggling issues that have plagued MIUI 10 for the longest time. It’s also worth noting that recording videos on Instagram Stories haven’t been a very pleasant experience either: all the videos I took with the app stutter quite badly.

That being said, there are some software features that I really like with MIUI 10. I love that the always on display shows the different positions of the sun throughout the day – even though some apps are not shown there – the AI button on the left side of the phone is customisable, and I really appreciate the dynamic wallpaper that changes according to the time of day. These are small, but very nice touches.

Another thing that I really like is the Mi 9’s in-screen fingerprint sensor, which works incredibly well. This is by far one of the best in-screen sensors I’ve ever used, even in comparison to the
Samsung Galaxy S10+
‘s more sophisticated ultrasonic sensor. It is fast, accurate, and consistent.

Performance, as expected, is excellent with the Mi 9. The Snapdragon 855 is a blazing fast chipset, and it does not skip a single beat. I can multitask seamlessly, the phone feels very quick, and gaming on this phone is extremely enjoyable.

Sporting a 6.39-inch 1080p AMOLED display, the Mi 9 has a good screen too. AMOLED panels are known for their punchy colours with deep blacks, and these qualities are all present on the Mi 9. Naturally, viewing angles and brightness level are great as well.

Even though the Mi 9 only comes with a 3,300mAh battery, it has surprisingly good battery life. On average, I can get about five hours of screen on time. On a good day, it can even go up to six hours. Needless to say, this is very good battery life.

Charging rate of the Mi 9 isn’t all that bad either. Within 30 minutes of charging, the phone got up to 57% from completely empty. Reasonably good charging rate.

Although the software experience of MIUI 10 isn’t particularly great, I had a lot of fun using the Mi 9 as my daily driver for the past few weeks. Now, let’s get to one of the phone’s best qualities: camera.

Camera

Featuring a 20MP selfie camera on the front and a triple camera system (48MP + 12M telephoto + 16MP ultra wide) on the back, the Mi 9 has
excellent
camera performance. You have a choice to take pictures in 48MP with the camera, but by default, the phone shoots in 12MP with pixel binning.

Using pixel binning improves the camera performance of the Mi 9 quite a bit, so I left it at its default setting throughout the review period. After all, it’s not exactly practical to shoot in 48MP – there’s only so much space this phone has.

Anyway, let’s get back to the camera performance. Even though there’s noticeable shutter lag in between shots, the camera does not feel sluggish. More importantly, the image output is excellent in all lighting conditions.

16MP ultra wide-angle
48MP primary
12MP telephoto

That being said, the disparity in image quality between the three sensors is worth pointing out; just look at the difference above. Most folks probably won’t mind it anyway, and the flexibility the different lenses offer may outweigh this disadvantage.

There is also one other feature I have to talk about: the camera’s night mode. Depending on the shooting condition, you can either get a really impressive shot, or…one that looks quite artificial. Nonetheless, it’s certainly a nice feature to have, and it’s quite fun to experiment with.

Normal shot
Night mode enabled
Normal shot
Night mode enabled

Xiaomi devices from a couple of years ago weren’t exactly fun to photograph with, but more recent devices from the phone maker really changed this. However, does the Mi 9 have class leading camera performance? Not exactly. Samsung and Huawei still hold on to that title, and the Mi 9 isn’t quite
there
yet, despite its impressive camera system.

Competition

Retailing at only RM1,699 and RM1,999 for the 64GB and 128GB models respectively, the Mi 9 is priced extremely well. At these price points, no other device can offer the same bang for your buck, but there are certainly noteworthy alternatives to the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Even though the
Samsung Galaxy S10e
 costs considerably more at RM2,699, it is still the most affordable device in the S10 series. For that kind of money, the Galaxy S10e offers a more impressive – though smaller – Dynamic AMOLED display, water resistance, support for expandable storage, and better overall camera performance.

Opting for the Mi 9, however, will get you a telephoto sensor, which is not available on the Galaxy S10e. On top of that, the 128GB model (the same storage capacity as the S10e) of the Mi 9 only costs RM1,999. Of course, you will get more features with the S10e, but you’ll have to ask yourself if it’s worth paying RM700 more.

Black Shark 2

If you absolutely want a Snapdragon 855 smartphone, the
Black Shark 2
 is your only other option in Malaysia. Besides having the same SoC as the Mi 9, the Black Shark 2 also has a bigger 4,000mAh battery, a cleaner version of Android, a notch-less display, and a more sophisticated vibration system.

Then again, you would have to pay RM2,499 for the 128GB variant of the Black Shark 2. The Mi 9, on the other hand, costs RM500 less, and you will get a more minimalist, subdued-looking phone, as well as superior camera performance.

Conclusion

No other phone in the market right now can rival the Xiaomi Mi 9’s
sheer
value for money. Until we see more 2019 flagship smartphones hit the market, this phone will be the default choice for those who want the absolute best smartphone for the least amount of money.

Yes, MIUI 10 still has room for improvement, but it’s not like the software suffers from any serious fault. Plus, other aspects of the phone more than make up for this, especially the camera system.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 is a testament to Xiaomi’s immense growth over the past couple of years. It is a refined, premium flagship smartphone that isn’t
just
competitively priced anymore. The Mi 9 is a high-end offering through and through, and I reckon most owners will be very happy with this smartphone.


Deal: This RTX 2060 Gaming Laptop Is Going for Less Than RM4,500 Now

If you’re shopping for a brand new gaming laptop, and you want the most performance for your money, Nvidia RTX 2060 gaming laptops fit the bill just right,
especially
this one right here. Now, you can grab the MSI GL63 8SE
for less than RM4,500
.

Originally retailing at RM5,399, retailer Thunder Match is offering this gaming laptop
for only RM4,508
. On top of that, you can use the discount code TMTAPR50 to get additional RM50 off, reducing the price to just RM4,458. Do note that this code will expire by the end of April 2019.

Considering the kind of performance you can get out of the GL63’s RTX 2060 GPU, you’re getting a reasonably powerful gaming laptop for the money. To learn more about this gaming laptop, check out our hands-on
right here
.


There’s Never Been a Better Time to Buy a Gaming Laptop

Gaming laptops have gotten more powerful over the years, and thankfully, prices of these portable gaming machines have gone down quite a bit too. And with the recent release of the mobile versions of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1650 GPUs, you can expect budget-friendly gaming laptops to be even more powerful now.

If you’re in the market for a new gaming laptop, it’s the perfect time to purchase one now, especially if you want the most performance for your money. Let’s take a look at what the mobile GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1650 offer, shall we?

Out of the two new mobile GPUs, the GTX 1660 Ti is naturally the more powerful one. In fact, compared to the mobile RTX 2060 GPU, the GTX 1660 Ti is only slightly slower.
Notebookcheck
, for one, went as far as to say that the GTX 1660 Ti is essentially
on par
 with the RTX 2060. At least, when it concerns the mobile versions of both cards.

Basically, if you don’t care for RTX-exclusive features like ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), the GTX 1660 Ti is a mighty good option. You will get almost the same level of performance for less money; in theory, at least. Plus, the cost difference will ultimately depend on the pricing strategy of different brands.

Take MSI, for example, which is already offering a couple of GTX 1660 Ti gaming laptops in Malaysia. According to
Tech Hypermart’s listing
, the MSI GL63 8SD officially retails at RM6,099, though the retailer is discounting the price to only RM5,799.

For that kind of money, the gaming laptop comes with a GTX 1660 Ti GPU, an Intel Core i7-8750H processor paired with 16GB of RAM, a 15.6-inch 1080p display, 512GB of fast PCIe NVMe SSD storage, as well as a 1TB 7200rpm HDD.

But compared to the
RTX 2060 variant
 of the very same laptop, you only have to pay RM5,899 – that’s only RM100 price difference. Granted, the GTX 1660 Ti model does come with double the amount of RAM and SSD storage, which explains the small price difference.

Anyway, let’s get back to the topic at hand with the GTX 1650. Compared to the GTX 1660 Ti, this mobile GPU is far less powerful. To put its performance into context, the GTX 1650 is only 1.7x faster than the GTX 1050. This comes as no surprise: Nvidia is touting it as a successor to the GTX 1050.

While the GTX 1650’s performance may not be quite as impressive as the GTX 1660 Ti, it
is
 quite a capable GPU still. Nvidia claims that the GTX 1650 is able to push over 60fps in popular games such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, as well as PUBG at high settings and 1080p resolution.

Right now, there are a couple of brands that are offering GTX 1650 gaming laptops in Malaysia; Acer is one of them. The company’s new
Acer Nitro 5
 is packing a GTX 1650 GPU, a Core i5-9300H processor paired with 4GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display. How much does this gaming laptop cost? Only RM3,499 (or RM3,449 from Tech Hypermart). That’s good value for money.

Of course, there are also Max-Q variants of the GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1650, so it
can
 be quite confusing to shop for gaming laptops with either one of these two cards. Max-Q cards, while more power-efficient, are also less powerful than the standard models. You really have to pay close attention to which variant you’re getting to avoid disappointment.

Nonetheless, the introduction of the GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1650 mobile GPUs are good news for those who are looking to get a budget-friendly gaming laptop that is still powerful enough. The GTX 1650 is ideal for those who want a good, entry-level gaming machine, while the GTX 1660 Ti is made for gamers who want something more powerful without breaking the bank.

All that’s left now is for gaming laptops with these new mobile GPUs to arrive in Malaysia, especially ones powered by the GTX 1660 Ti. We reckon gaming laptops with this GPU will offer one of the best – if not
the best
 – performance-to-price ratio for the near future.