Car Factories Allowed to Operate From Tomorrow; Showrooms Opened Too

Great news: the government just announced that most of the automotive sector will be allowed to resume operations from tomorrow onwards, including car factories and showrooms. This even applies to states that are still in the first phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

However, there are a number of conditions that have to be met. For car factories to operate, at least 40% of the staff have to be fully vaccinated. Factories with fully vaccinated staff between 40% to 59% are allowed to operate at 60% capacity.

It goes up to 80% operation capacity if staff are between 60% to 79% fully vaccinated. For car factories to operate at 100% capacity, 80% of the staff have to be fully vaccinated. It’s worth noting that this applies to all factories in the non-essential category.

Although car showrooms are also allowed to operate from tomorrow onwards – even car washes too – only fully vaccinated customers are allowed to visit these premises. Basically, this is an extension on the
ease of restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals
 announced last week.

Given that most of the automotive sector ceased operations since June 2021, these ease of restrictions should help the industry recover lost businesses. If you’ve been waiting to receive delivery of your car, perhaps it’s time to give your sales advisor a call tomorrow.


Monokei & Singa Unveil the Neko – 40% Premium Keyboard From S$510

Monokei and Singa, two renowned names in the custom keyboard scene, are collaborating to release the
Neko
. It’s a custom keyboard with a compact 40%-ish HHKB layout – as Monokei puts it – and retailing from S$510, it is undoubtedly a premium keyboard.

That’s right, this compact keyboard
starts
 at a whopping S$510, which comes up to about RM1,590. This is only for the Standard kit of the Neko too, which features aluminium top and bottom cases – which is offered in six different colours – a polycarbonate plate, and brass weights.

There’s also the more premium SE kit of the Neko, which comes with polycarbonate top and bottom in Frosted White, a copper plate, a copper weight, and a copper “cat weight” – as pictured above – for a cool S$620 (about RM1,935). If you want a hotswap PCB instead of a solderable one, that will cost an extra S$15 (around RM45).

Of course, that’s a lot of money, but you do get a premium compact keyboard. The Neko uses a gasket mounting system, along with a pretty neat-looking weight in the shape of a cat on the bottom of the keyboard. Launched alongside the Neko are also two aluminium keycaps, a “Neko Asobi” deskmat, and a smaller “Neko Maru” deskmat.

The group buy for the Neko by Monokei and Singa will start from 17 August until 10 September 2021; it is expected to start shipping sometime in Q3 2022. As for the aluminium keycaps and deskmats – if purchased separately – they will begin delivery in Q1 2022.


Confirmed: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Retails From RM3,999 in Malaysia

It’s official! Samsung Malaysia just revealed the local pricing of its latest compact foldable smartphone, the
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
. Retailing from RM3,999, it’s quite a bit more affordable than expected.

Two variants of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 are available in Malaysia: the base model with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM costs RM3,999, while the 256GB configuration with the same amount of RAM retails at RM4,199.

It’s worth noting that the Malaysian pricing of the Z Flip 3 is quite a bit lower than in the US market. Over there, this foldable phone starts at $999, which comes up to about RM4,230.

For that kind of money, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 offers flagship-class hardware. Powering the foldable phone, for one, is Qualcomm’s fast Snapdragon 888 chipset. The phone’s cover screen has also been upsized to a 1.9-inch 512 x 260 Super AMOLED panel. With more screen real estate, it can show more detailed notifications and widgets.

Other specifications of the Z Flip 3 include a 6.7-inch 1080p Dynamic AMOLED 2X primary screen with a 120Hz refresh rate – the protective layer of the foldable glass screen is now 80% more durable too – a dual camera system (12MP primary + 12MP ultra-wide angle), a 10MP selfie camera, a 3,300mAh battery, and an IPX8 water resistance rating.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 will be available for pre-order in Malaysia from 19 August until 21 September 2021. To recap, the 128GB model costs RM3,999, while the 256GB variant retails at RM4,199. Every pre-order of the Z Flip 3 will come with a one-year Samsung Care+ Plan worth RM699, along with a RM600 Samsung Online Store e-voucher.


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Lands in Malaysia From RM6,699 – Pre-Orders Get RM850 Voucher

Aside from the
Galaxy Z Flip 3
, Samsung Malaysia also revealed the local pricing of the
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
. Set to retail from only RM6,699 here in Malaysia, it is quite a bit more affordable
than its predecessor
, which went for RM7,999 at launch.

Just like the Z Flip 3, two variants of the Z Fold 3 are offered on our shores. The base 256GB variant with 12GB of RAM costs RM6,699, while the 512GB model with the same amount of RAM goes for RM7,099. The latter configuration is actually cheaper than the
leaked pricing on Digi’s website
.

While these prices are still unmistakably steep, it’s worth noting that the Z Fold 3 is more affordable here than in the US, where it retails from $1,799 (about RM7,620). For that kind of money, you’re getting an eye-catching foldable phone, complete with a 4MP under display camera.

This allows the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s large 7.6-inch 2208 x 1768 Dynamic AMOLED 2X primary screen – with a fast 120Hz refresh rate – to not have any cutout at all for the selfie camera. On top of that, the phone’s 6.2-inch 2268 x 832 cover screen is now locked at 120Hz too.

Rounding out the hardware of the Z Fold 3 are Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 flagship chipset, a triple camera system (12MP primary + 12MP ultra-wide angle + 12MP telephoto), a 10MP cover camera, a 4,400mAh battery, S Pen support, and of course, IPX8 water resistance rating.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be available for pre-order in Malaysia from 19 August to 21 September 2021. Those who pre-order this foldable phone will also receive a generous RM850 e-voucher to be used on Samsung Malaysia’s online store, along with a one-year Samsung Care+ plan worth RM799.


Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Series Starts at RM899 in Malaysia – up to RM250 Voucher Offered

Malaysian pre-orders of the
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series
 have been revealed by Samsung Malaysia. Those who pre-order the standard Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 4 Classic between 19 August to 21 September will get up to RM250 voucher too.

Let’s start with the more affordable Galaxy Watch 4. The 40mm model costs RM899, while the bigger 44mm variant retails at RM999; both of them are the Bluetooth versions. Every pre-order of this smartwatch will also come with a RM150 e-voucher to be used on Samsung Malaysia’s online store.

The Galaxy Watch 4 (left) and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

As for the bigger Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, the 42mm and 46mm models of the smartwatch – both are Bluetooth-only too – go for RM1,299 and RM1,399 respectively. Given the slightly higher asking prices, pre-orders of this smartwatch will come with a RM250 e-voucher instead.

One of the biggest new features of the Galaxy Watch 4 series is the ability to measure a user’s body composition. This smartwatch can give you vital details like skeletal muscle, fat mass, body fat, BMI, and even your body water. Samsung even said that these measurements are up to 98% accurate.

Other specifications of the Galaxy Watch 4 series include a new Exynos W920 5nm processor that promises up to 20% faster CPU, a 1.19-inch or 1.36-inch circular display – depending on which size of the smartwatch you get – 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, as well as a 361mAh or 247mAh battery – again, dependent on the size of the watch.

To recap, Malaysian pre-orders of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series will start from 19 August until 21 September 2021. It remains to be seen if the LTE models will also be introduced here in the future.


Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 With ANC Costs RM499 in Malaysia

Samsung Malaysia revealed
the local pricing
 of quite a
number of products
 today, including the affordable Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. Despite its budget-friendly price tag, these colourful wireless earbuds still feature active noise cancellation.

For the Malaysian market, the Galaxy Buds 2 retails at only RM499. This is quite a bit lower than the asking price of the earbuds in the US, which is set at $149 (about RM630). However, Samsung Malaysia did not reveal exactly when the Buds 2 will be available for purchase here.

Nonetheless, according to Samsung, the new Buds 2’s active noise cancellation is able to cut off external background noise by up to 98%. The Ambient Sound mode has three levels too, giving you the ability to control how much of the outside world that you hear.

In terms of battery life, the Buds 2’s 61mAh battery can provide up to five hours of continuous playback with active noise cancellation switched on; 7.5 hours if ANC is disabled. With the included charging case, the battery life can be extended up to 20 hours or 29 hours with ANC off.

Speaking of which, the charging case of the Buds 2 also supports wireless charging. Otherwise, it can be charged through the USB-C connection.

Though it remains to be seen exactly when the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 will be available for purchase in Malaysia, at least we now know it retails at RM499 here. We’ll keep an eye on the local availability of the affordable wireless earbuds.


Glorious GMMK Pro Keyboard Restocked in Malaysia – Now RM759

The
Glorious GMMK Pro
 keyboard is finally restocked for the Malaysian market. If you’re looking for a reasonably good pre-built keyboard with a 75% layout, this is a decent option.

Unfortunately, it appears there’s a small price hike from Dotatech for the GMMK Pro.
Initially retailing at RM739
, the keyboard is now
going for RM759
 from the retailer. At the time of writing, there are five units left: three Black Slate models, and two White Ice (which is actually more of a silver shade) units.

One of the biggest selling points of the GMMK Pro is its gasket-mounted plate, which promises a “unique haptic and acoustic experience.” It also has a CNC aluminium case to give it solid build quality and a premium feel. After all, most custom keyboards at this price point come with plastic cases.

Other specifications of the GMMK Pro include a hotswap PCB to easily swap between different switches, a 75% layout, support for both screw-in and clip-in stabilisers – it is pre-installed with Glorious’ own screw-in (and pre-lubed) GOAT stabilisers – a USB-C port, as well as QMK and VIA compatibility for easy key mapping.

If you want to grab the Glorious GMMK Pro for RM759, you can do so
right here on Shopee
. According to the listing, it will start shipping within seven days. Alternatively, you can also consider getting the
Keychron Q1
 – it will be available for pre-order
next week on 24 August
.


Keychron Q1 – Design a Badge, Get €50 Voucher

In anticipation for the release of the
Keychron Q1
 keyboard, the company is running a rather interesting contest. Between now until 23 August, you can design a badge for the Q1 and stand a chance to win the badge you’ve designed, along with a €50 store voucher to be used on Keychron’s online store.

This contest is currently running on
Keychron’s Discord server
, where files for the Q1’s badge are available for folks to work on their own design. You have to submit your entry in the server itself, and if your badge design receives the most votes, Keychron will give you the badge
and
 the aforementioned €50 store voucher.

To recap, the Q1 is a feature-packed 75% keyboard. It features a gasket mounting system, a full CNC aluminium case, an aluminium plate, a hotswap PCB with south-facing LEDs, and support for screw-in stabilisers. It’s worth noting that these features are typically only found on enthusiast-level keyboards.

The Keychron Q1 will be available for pre-order on 24 August
right here
 at 9PM for us here in Malaysia with a $149 (about RM630) starting price. Shipping for the fully assembled model will begin a week after pre-orders are open, and it is expected to be completed by 15 September.

As for the barebone kit of the Q1, it will start shipping to customers between 15 to 30 September 2021.

Again, if you’re interested to win a badge for the Keychron Q1 – along with a €50 store voucher – head on to
Keychron’s Discord server
 to submit your entry; the contest will end on 23 August. We will also be reviewing the Q1 come 24 August, so stay tuned for that!


Asus ROG Phone 5s & 5s Pro Official – Snapdragon 888+, Lower Latency Screen

Asus just introduced two new gaming smartphones powered by Qualcomm’s latest
Snapdragon 888+
 chipset, the Asus ROG Phone 5s and 5s Pro. As their names suggest, these two phones are meant to replace the
ROG Phone 5
 series, which was unveiled back in March this year.

As mentioned, the biggest upgrade the ROG Phone 5s series brings is the newer Snapdragon 888+ chipset instead of the regular Snapdragon 888 found in the original ROG Phone 5 lineup. Although there’s no GPU upgrade, the Snapdragon 888+ does offer faster CPU and AI Engine.

The Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro

Aside from that, while the new ROG Phone 5s devices feature the same 6.78-inch 1080p AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, the touch response rate has been increased to 360Hz from 300Hz. Basically, this will minimise input lag even further, something mobile gamers will definitely appreciate.

Beyond these changes, other specifications of the ROG Phone 5s series are mostly the same, right down to the design. Both phones still have a triple camera system (64MP primary + 13MP ultra-wide angle + 5MP macro), a 24MP selfie camera, ultrasonic shoulder buttons on the right side, as well as a generous 6,000mAh battery.

It’s also worth noting that the ROG Phone 5s Pro, just like its direct predecessor, features an “ROG Vision” back panel, which is basically a small PMOLED screen that shows charging information or an incoming call. It also has two extra capacitive buttons on the rear panel, which work in tandem with the ultrasonic shoulder buttons.

The Asus ROG Phone 5s

We’ve asked Asus Malaysia if the Asus ROG Phone 5s and 5s Pro will be made available here, but at the moment, there are no concrete plans yet. However, given Asus’ commitment to the Malaysian market, we reckon it’s only a matter of time before the new ROG Phone 5s series are sold locally.


Oppo Reno 6 Pro With Snapdragon 870 Now in Malaysia for RM2,999

Earlier this month, Oppo introduced the
Reno 6 and Reno 6 Z
, and now, these two devices are joined by the range-topping Oppo Reno 6 Pro. As the highest-end phone in the series, it’s naturally the fastest device among the three, thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset.

Only one variant of the Reno 6 Pro is offered for the Malaysian market. Retailing at RM2,999, this phone features 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, along with 5G connectivity courtesy of the Snapdragon 870 chip. It’s worth noting that this SoC is basically a faster version of the Snapdragon 865, Qualcomm’s 2020 flagship processor.

In the camera department, the Reno 6 Pro has a reasonably sophisticated quad camera system. It’s made up of a 50MP main sensor, a 16MP ultra-wide angle shooter, a 13MP telephoto lens, and a 2MP macro camera. On the front, this phone features a 32MP selfie camera.

Other specifications of the Reno 6 Pro include a 6.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, an in-display fingerprint sensor, a 4,500mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging, ColorOS 11.3 based on Android 11 out of the box, and two colour options: Arctic Blue and Lunar Grey.

The Oppo Reno 6 Pro is
now available for pre-order
 in Malaysia until 23 August for RM2,999. Early birds will also receive RM1,099 worth of freebies, including a pair of Oppo Enco Air wireless earbuds, a Marshall backpack, mug, and a one-year screen damage protection.


JPJ Offering up to 70% Discount on Summons Until 16 September for Merdeka

If you haven’t settled your summons with JPJ, good news: you can get up to 70% discount. This is done to celebrate Malaysia’s upcoming 64th Merdeka Day, so needless to say, now’s a great time to clear your summons – if you have any.

Of course, there are a few caveats. Only compoundable summonses from JPJ are eligible to get up to 70% discount. If the summon requires you to go to a court hearing, you will not be able to enjoy the discount. Aside from that, the 70% discount is only valid from 18 August until 16 September 2021.

[SIARAN MEDIA]
JPJ TAWAR 70% PENGURANGAN PEMBAYARAN SAMAN SEMPENA BULAN KEMERDEKAAN BAGI TAHUN 2021.
#MOTMalaysia
#JPJ2021
#DigitalisasiMelestariIntegriti
#JPJMalaysia
#infoJPJ
#aduanJPJ
#soalanJPJ
#viralJPJ
#PanduCermatSampaiSelamat
#MenangBersama
#LindungDiriLindungSemua

pic.twitter.com/jdid7knXNP
— JPJ Malaysia (@JPJ_Malaysia)
August 17, 2021

To enjoy up to 70% discount on JPJ summonses, you can make the payment over the counter, kiosk, UTC, or even online through JPJ’s mySIKAP portal. However, for offenses that are blacklisted, you are required to head to a JPJ branch for redocumentation before any payment can be made.

Anyway, to recap, if you’ve got any outstanding JPJ summons, you can get up to 70% discount from 18 August until 16 September 2021 – plenty of time to enjoy the discount.


Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 for RM3,999 Makes It Incredibly Compelling

The first foldable smartphones made their respective debuts back in 2019, but they have always been somewhat…well, unattainable. Take the very first
Samsung Galaxy Fold
: retailing at an eye-watering RM8,388, it was certainly a niche smartphone.

But this year, Samsung is really pushing its foldable phones to the mainstream market, so much so that it is not even releasing a new Galaxy Note phone; a series that was already enjoying mainstream success. Instead, the South Korean company released two foldable smartphones: the
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
 and the
Galaxy Z Fold 3
.

Though these two foldable phones are not dramatically different from their respective predecessors, they do have some meaningful changes that will help these two phones to (potentially) reach mainstream success. The most important change? Both of them are far more affordable than they used to be – well, relatively.

This is especially the case with the Galaxy Z Flip 3, as you’ve probably guessed from the title of this article. After all, retailing at only RM3,999 in Malaysia, this foldable phone is right in the same price range as Samsung’s “regular” flagship smartphone, the
Galaxy S21
 – it went for RM3,699 when it was first launched here.

In fact, compared to other markets, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is actually quite a bit more affordable in Malaysia. In the US market, for example, the Z Flip 3 starts at $999 there, which comes up to about RM4,235. Same thing in Singapore, where the foldable phone retails from S$1,398 (around RM4,350).

Affordability is one of the most important factors to help boost the mainstream appeal of foldable phones, and Samsung is taking the right step with the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Granted, RM3,999 is still a pretty high price tag, but that’s the going rate of noteworthy flagship smartphones in the market now.

To give this price point more context, let’s go through other smartphones in this price range. There’s the aforementioned Galaxy S21 (RM3,699), the
Asus ROG Phone 5
 (RM3,799 for the 256GB model), and even the
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
 (RM4,299).

Of course, each of these flagship phones have their own selling points to justify their steep prices. But the same can be said of the Z Flip 3: it has a unique, foldable form factor with hardware you’d typically find on a flagship device at this price point.

Sure, the aforementioned flagship phones can outmatch the Galaxy Z Flip 3 in certain aspects – such as camera performance – but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the money. Take raw processing power: powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, there’s no denying that the Z Flip 3 will be as fast as any 2021 flagship smartphone.

In terms of screen quality, the Z Flip 3 is packed with a 6.7-inch 1080p Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display with a fast 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Given that Samsung makes some of the best panels in the business, there’s no doubt that the Z Flip 3 has a high quality screen that will not lose out to other smartphones at this price point.

Okay, but what about durability? Now, it goes without saying that “regular” smartphones can take a beating better than the Galaxy Z Flip 3 with its foldable glass display, but Samsung has implemented some meaningful improvements to its durability. The protective layer on top of the foldable screen, for one, is said to be up to 80% more durable now.

Aside from that, thanks to the use of a new “Armor Titanium” material, the metal frame and hinge of the Z Flip 3 are also 10% tougher. Oh, did I mention that this phone has an IPX8 water resistance rating as well? Given that quite a number of flagship phones don’t even have any IP rating, this is definitely a win for the Z Flip 3.

With the feature set of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 in mind, along with its RM3,999 starting price – not too dear of a price tag, especially for a flagship-tier, foldable phone – I reckon it will be the first foldable smartphone many consumers will seriously consider to purchase.

That is an important first step for foldable phones (in general) to enjoy mainstream success. Samsung is really the first smartphone manufacturer to do this in earnest, and it’s doing a pretty good job by pricing the Z Flip 3 as competitively as it is in a price-sensitive market like Malaysia.

If you’re keen to pick up the Galaxy Z Flip 3, you can pre-order it from tomorrow onwards on 19 August until 21 September. To recap, the base 128GB model with 8GB of RAM retails at RM3,999, while the 256GB variant with the same amount of RAM costs RM4,199.


Google Pixel 5a Launched With Water Resistance & Lower Price

Google’s latest mid-range smartphone is here, and it’s better than ever. Not only is it the first A-series Pixel device to be water-resistant, it is also quite a bit more affordable than its predecessor.

Retailing at $449 (about RM1,900) in the US, the Pixel 5a is exactly $50 (around RM210) more affordable than the Pixel 4a. It also has an IP67 dust and water resistance, allowing it to be submerged underwater up to 1m for 30 minutes.

Another neat upgrade the Pixel 5a got is a slightly larger display and much bigger battery capacity. It’s now sporting a 6.34-inch 1080p OLED screen with a hole-punch cutout on the top left of the panel for the 8MP selfie camera, and packed with a much bigger 4,680mAh battery, it should offer above average battery life now.

Other specifications of the Pixel 5a include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset – giving it 5G connectivity – a dual camera system (12.2MP primary + 16MP ultra-wide angle), 128GB of internal storage, 6GB of RAM, as well as a rear fingerprint sensor.

It’s also worth noting that this is the last Pixel phone to ship with a charger in the box, so expect the upcoming
Pixel 6
 to not come with any charger, unfortunately enough.

At the moment, the Pixel 5a is only confirmed to go on sale in the US and Japan on 26 August. As usual, it’s unlikely to be officially available here in Malaysia, though we’re sure parallel importers will bring in the device here eventually.


Affordable Redmi 10 Lands in Malaysia From Only RM649

Yet another affordable Redmi-branded smartphone has entered the Malaysian market. Set to be available here from 20 August onwards, the Redmi 10 offers quite a number of interesting features despite its budget-friendly price tag.

Two variants of the Redmi 10 are available in Malaysia. The base model with 64GB of expandable storage and 4GB of RAM costs RM649, while the more practical 128GB configuration with 6GB of RAM retails at RM749.

For that kind of money, the Redmi 10 is a reasonably good entry-level smartphone. Its display, for one, is a 6.5-inch 1080p screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. It’s also packing a generous 5,000mAh battery, which should be able to offer above average battery life.

Other specifications of the Redmi 10 include a MediaTek Helio G88 chipset, a quad camera system (50MP primary + 8MP ultra-wide angle + 2MP macro + 2MP depth), an 8MP selfie camera, and three colour options: Sea Blue, Carbon Grey, and Pebble White.

To recap, the Redmi 10 will be available for purchase in Malaysia from 20 August onwards this Friday. The 64GB + 4GB model retails at RM649, while the 128GB + 6GB variant goes for RM749.


19 – 25 August Fuel Price: All Prices Still Remain

Great news folks: the price of RON 97 is unchanged yet again for the coming week. Of course, the prices of RON 95 and diesel remain the same as well, given that the price ceilings of the two have been reached.

To recap, the price of RON 97 is unchanged at RM2.74 per litre. The price of RON 95, on the other hand, stays at RM2.05 per litre. As for diesel, it still costs RM2.15 per litre.

These prices will be in effect from 19 to 25 August. New fuel prices will now be announced every Wednesday, so stay tuned to Nextrift next week on the same day for future updates!


Black Shark Magnetic Cooler – Cool Your Devices for RM219

Avid mobile gamers, you may want to check out the new Black Shark Magnetic Cooler. Now available for purchase in Malaysia, this accessory is said to be able to lower the temperature of your devices by up to 23°C.

That’s right, a cool 23°C temperature drop, though we imagine this is highly dependent on the design of the device itself. After all, the Magnetic Cooler only attaches to the back of your phone, tablet, or even
Nintendo Switch
 – Yes, you can even use this cooler on your Switch.

In order for the Magnetic Cooler to stick onto a device, it is bundled with a “heat conducting magnetic sticker.” The company said that this sticker creates a seal similar to that of a heatsink, allowing for efficient thermal conductivity.

Speaking of cooling efficiency, the Magnetic Cooler features 112 “high-quality” heat transfer fins paired to a 7200rpm fan along with a heat transfer plate. Tipping the scales at 73g, Black Shark said that it should be lightweight enough to not be cumbersome during use either.

The Black Shark Magnetic Cooler is now available for purchase in Malaysia for RM219; bundled with the cooler is a USB-C to USB-C cable for it to function. You can get the Magnetic Cooler from
Shopee
 or
Lazada
.


PlayStation Summer Deals Begin 23 August – Get the PS VR for Only RM979

PlayStation’s Summer Deals will start from 23 August to 5 September, and a number of products and games will get some pretty notable discounts. The PlayStation VR for the PS4, for one, is discounted quite a bit during the promotion period.

Once PlayStation’s Summer Deals campaign is live, you can grab the PS VR – along with the PS Camera, of course – for only RM979; that’s a good price for the VR headset. Aside from that, the DualShock 4 controller will be discounted to RM179 too, though this only applies to selected colours.

As mentioned, a number of other games will be discounted as well. These include
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
 (RM169 for both the PS5 and PS4 versions), God of War (RM39), The Last of Us Remastered (RM39), and Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition (RM39).

Evidently, this campaign is more focused on the PlayStation 4, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, there’s still a lot of excellent titles for the console, including the games on discount above, not to mention upcoming titles like
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut
 and
Horizon Forbidden West
.

The PlayStation Summer Deals is set to take place between 23 August to 5 September.
Click here
 to learn more about the sale.


Asus Unveils ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker SE – Coming to Malaysia September 2021

Asus continues its collaboration with DJ Alan Walker with this gaming laptop: the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition – G14 AW SE, for short. As its name suggests, this variant of the G14 is designed in collaboration with Alan Walker, making for a rather unique-looking laptop.

One of the standout design elements of the Zephyrus G14 AW SE is its lid, which features
actual fabric bits
 with Alan Walker’s and ROG’s brandings. Aside from that, the AniMe Matrix LED array on the lid has a unique “Spectre Blue” shade too, which is exclusive to this machine.

What’s even more interesting is the acrylic packaging of the special edition Zephyrus G14: it doubles as a DJ deck. As Asus puts it, there are “conductive pads on the surface that allow users to trigger 18 of Walker’s own sound effects” through the ROG Remix software. You can even import your own effects to the software.

Beyond these unique touches, other specifications of the G14 AW SE are the same as the regular laptop. These include a 14-inch QHD IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate, an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor paired with 16GB of RAM, 1TB of PCIe SSD storage, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU.

No word yet on exactly how much the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition will be priced at, though Asus Malaysia did confirm that the special edition laptop will be made available in Malaysia as early as next month in September 2021.


Proton Showrooms Opening Gradually – No Walk-ins Allowed

In line with the government’s
ease of restrictions on the automotive sector
, Proton just announced that its showrooms will be opening gradually nationwide. Of course, a number of new SOPs are introduced as well, such as not allowing customer walk-ins.

If you want to visit any Proton showroom, you are required to make an appointment with the respective outlet. On top of that, only fully vaccinated customers – who are also classified as Low Risk in the MySejahtera app – are allowed entry. The same goes for Proton’s sales staff: only those who are fully vaccinated are allowed to work in showrooms.

On top of that, both customers and Proton staff are required to wear double face masks in the showroom. “To safeguard the safety of everyone, all customers and Proton sales outlet staff are required to always wear double face masks and to maintain physical distancing,” Proton said in a press statement.

At the moment, Proton showrooms are only reopening in four states: Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, and Perlis. The national carmaker also mentioned that sales outlets in Sabah and Sarawak have already been open since July 2021.

Now that car factories are allowed to operate nationwide, the automotive industry should start recovering lost businesses from the current COVID-19 pandemic. If you’ve been waiting to receive delivery of your car, perhaps it’s time to give your sales advisor a call for an update.


Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on the PS5 Forces Me to Slow Down

I’ve spent a good amount of time playing through Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on the
PlayStation 5
. While one of the biggest highlights of the new version is the Iki Island expansion, I…haven’t gotten to the new area yet, as I’m replaying the game from scratch. I didn’t have the foresight to back up my
PS4 save of the game
.

Initially, I wanted to rush through Tsushima to get to Iki Island as soon as possible, but I decided not to after immersing myself in the game again. After all, the game looks
absolutely stunning
 on the PS5, and I want to slowly take it all in. So with that in mind, here’s my initial impression of Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut on the next-gen console.

Graphically, the game really does look incredible on the PS5. The beautiful landscapes of Tsushima Island is now rendered in 4K, and further enhancing the visuals of the game is the high, consistent frame rate set at 60fps.

There are two graphics settings on the PS5: Higher Resolution or Better Frame Rate. In both settings, the frame rate appears to still be set to 60fps; there’s no immediate difference between the two. I’ll keep an eye for any noticeable drop in frame rate as I progress further through the game.

While we’re on the topic of graphics, lip-syncing in this new version of Tsushima now supports Japanese voice-over too, though this is only limited to the PS5 version. Previously, proper lip-sync was only available for the original English audio.

Now, there’s definitely improvement in lip-syncing when the audio is set to Japanese, but…it still feels off. Simply put, it’s as if the lip-syncing is missing a few syllables in every sentence. I do find this quite distracting, but I imagine some folks may not mind it at all.

Anyway, let’s move on to another new feature Sucker Punch added to the PS5 version of Tsushima Director’s Cut: DualSense implementations. Naturally, the game made use of the controller’s adaptive triggers, which can be felt when you draw a bow with Jin Sakai, the protagonist of Tsushima.

It’s quite a clever implementation. If I draw back on the bow for too long, I can feel the triggers vibrating as Jin is losing grip on the bow. This may seem like a small thing, but it does add to the overall immersion of the game. I’ve
said it before many times
, and I’ll say it again: the DualSense really does make next-gen games
feel
 next-gen
.

Speaking of which, Sucker Punch also made use of the DualSense’s much improved haptic feedback. As I’m exploring the island of Tsushima on my trusty horse, I can feel the haptic feedback changing depending on the terrain my horse is galloping on. Again, this is a small feature, but this attention to detail makes for a more immersive experience.

And then there’s the
dramatically improved
 loading time of Tsushima Director’s Cut on the PS5. Throughout my time in the game so far, I have not seen
any
loading screen. Even fast travelling from one area to another can be done within seconds. This short loading time, in turn, improves the gaming experience quite a bit.

In short, I’m having a blast in Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, and I haven’t even explored the new Iki Island yet. It’s not just a new area either: it adds on to the story of Jin Sakai, which I am really, really looking forward to. After all, in my
review of the original game
, I find the main storyline to be a tad too brief.

So then, should you pick up this new version of Tsushima? If you haven’t played the game yet, it is absolutely worth getting, whether you’re on the PS5 or PS4. Granted, you don’t get the PS5’s graphics improvements, DualSense implementations, or faster loading times with the PS4 version, but the game itself is still plenty good.

However, if you’ve played Ghost of Tsushima already, it depends. If you’re upgrading from the original PS4 version to Director’s Cut on the PS5 – which will set you back RM129 – the improvements you get, along with the new Iki island expansion, will be well worth it, in my opinion.

But it’s a different situation if you’re on the PS4 thinking of upgrading to the Director’s Cut version on the same platform. You’ll need to fork out RM89 for this, and you’re essentially paying this amount just for the Iki island expansion.

Given that I haven’t reached the new island yet, I can’t say with certainty if it is worth RM89, unfortunately enough.

Nonetheless, I will post a full review of Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut in the near future. So far, I’m having a lot of fun despite the fact that I already got the
platinum trophy in the original game
 – I can’t wait to see what Iki Island has to offer.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut launches on the PS5 and PS4 on 20 August.

Read more:

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut (PS5) Review: Worth the Price of Admission


Sony Xperia 10 III Pre-Orders Open in Malaysia for RM1,999 – Free Wireless Earphones

Sony’s latest mid-range smartphone, the
Sony Xperia 10 III
, is now available for pre-order in Malaysia. Retailing at RM1,199, it’s definitely on the higher-end of the price range for a mid-ranger, though it does come with a number of unique features, including a tall, narrow 21:9 screen and water resistance.

For that kind of money, the Xperia 10 III features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 chipset, which should be faster and more power-efficient than its predecessor’s Snapdragon 665 chipset. After all, it’s built on an 8nm process instead of the Snapdragon 665’s 11nm process, which should translate to better battery life.

Other specifications of the Xperia 10 III include a compact 6-inch 2520 x 1080 OLED screen, a triple camera system (12MP f/1.8 primary + 8MP f/2.4 telephoto + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle), an 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, a generous 4,500mAh battery, and an IP65/IP68 rating.

To sweeten the deal, those who place a pre-order for the Xperia 10 III until 20 September will receive a Sony WI-C310 wireless earphones worth RM169 for free. Delivery of the phone is set to begin from 24 September, though Sony Malaysia said this is subject to change.

If you’re keen to pre-order the Sony Xperia 10 III for RM1,999, you can do so over at
Sony Malaysia’s online store
. Two colour options are available: Black and Blue.


Genshin Impact 2.1 Arrives 1 September – 2 New Inazuma Islands, 4 New Characters

Genshin Impact
‘s next update is coming on 1 September, and it brings quite a number of new content. Not only are we getting two new Inazuma islands in Version 2.1, we’re also getting
four
 new characters: the Raiden Shogun herself, Sangonomiya Kokomi, Kujou Sara, and even
Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy
, a crossover character.

Naturally, the Raiden Shogun is a 5-star Electro character wielding a polearm; Mihoyo said she is able to deal “massive damage and provide helpful buffs to the team.” Kokomi, on the other hand – who is also a 5-star character – is a healer with a Hydro Vision, wielding a catalyst.

The Raiden Shogun
Sangonomiya Kokomi
Kujou Sara
Aloy

As for Kujou Sara and Aloy, both of them are Bow users. Sara is a 4-star Electro character, while Aloy is a 5-star Cryo character.
As previously revealed
, Aloy will be available to PlayStation players first (for free) once Version 2.1 is live. She will then be accessible to every player in Version 2.2 from 13 October to 24 November 2021.

Two new islands will also be added to the Inazuma region in Version 2.1: Watatsumi Island and Seirai Island. The former is the home to the resistance forces, while Seirai is “a place of desolation shrouded in perpetual storms,” as Mihoyo puts it.

Other new content coming to Version 2.1 of Genshin Impact include the final chapter of Inazuma’s Archon Quest – I’m personally looking forward to this – the introduction of a fishing mechanic, as well as new bosses, including the Thunder Manifestation, Hydro Hypostasis, and get this: Signora of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers.

Signora
Hydro Hypostasis
Watatsumi Island
Seirai Island

Version 2.1 of Genshin Impact is shaping up be quite a major update, especially with the introduction of so many new playable characters and areas. These new content will be available in the game come 1 September 2021, and the first event wish will feature the Raiden Shogun and Sara – Kokomi’s event wish will be available at a later date.


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Waiting List Now at 2 Months in Malaysia

The
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
 went up for pre-order in Malaysia on 19 August, and it seems to be quite well-received by Malaysians. In fact, the waiting list for the foldable phone is now at two months.

According to Samsung Malaysia, it is currently restocking units of the Z Fold 3; it’s safe to assume initial stocks of the foldable phone have already run out. With that in mind, the South Korean company said that those who placed their pre-order after 21 August at 12AM are expected to receive the phone from 30 October onwards.

We are currently restocking our
#GalaxyZFold3
 5G but pre order rewards are still valid. All purchases from 12am of 21 August, will be available for collection from 30 October onwards. Early delivery/collection is subject to availability. Learn more:
https://t.co/9I3Hhf6YAm

pic.twitter.com/byWTfLGpr8
— Samsung Malaysia (@SamsungMalaysia)
August 20, 2021

Evidently, consumers are quite eager to get their hands on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. After all,
compared to its predecessor
, it has gotten quite a bit more affordable while offering some notable improvements. These include a 4MP under display camera, a 120Hz 7.6-inch 2208 x 1768 Dynamic AMOLED 2X primary screen, and a 120Hz 6.2-inch 2268 x 832 cover screen.

Other specifications of the Z Fold 3 include Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 flagship chipset, a triple camera system (12MP primary + 12MP ultra-wide angle + 12MP telephoto), a 10MP cover camera, a 4,400mAh battery, S Pen support, and of course, IPX8 water resistance rating.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is still available for pre-order right now in Malaysia with RM1,649 worth of rewards included. The base 256GB variant with 12GB of RAM costs RM6,699, while the 512GB model with the same amount of RAM goes for RM7,099.


Asus ProArt Display PA148CTV 14″ Portable Monitor Now in Malaysia for RM1,888

If you’re a creative professional looking to get a colour-accurate portable monitor, consider the new Asus ProArt Display PA148CTV. Now available in Malaysia, it is touted as the world’s first “Calman Verified” 14-inch portable monitor, which promises “exceptional” colour accuracy.

For the Malaysian market, the ProArt Display PA148CTV retails at RM1,888. For that kind of money, you’re getting a 14-inch portable monitor with a 1920 x 1080 IPS touch-enabled panel and an anti-glare coating. Interestingly, it also has a metal kickstand and a physical dial at the left side of the monitor.

The dial is actually quite interesting. Dubbed Asus Dial, it can be used in compatible Adobe software and Microsoft Surface Dial controls. The dial allows you to “make adjustments while keeping focused on the task at hand,” as Asus puts it. It’s definitely a hardware geared towards creative professionals.

Other specifications of the ProArt Display PA148CTV include 250 nits of brightness, two USB-C ports, a microHDMI 1.4 connection, and naturally, 100% coverage of the sRGB and Rec. 709 colour spaces.

The Asus ProArt Display PA148CTV is now available for purchase in Malaysia for RM1,888. This portable monitor also comes with a three-year warranty.


Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition Review – Fast, But Expensive RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop

Alienware is one of the most recognisable names in the gaming laptop scene, and the brand’s latest product, the Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition, is through and through a fast, powerful gaming laptop. It is also sporting Alienware’s…well, unique design language.

However, the m15 R5 is a bulky machine too, and some folks may not be too fond of the laptop’s quirky looks. On top of that, this RTX 3070 configuration
currently retails at RM9,199
, so it doesn’t offer particularly great value for money either.

But that doesn’t mean the m15 R5 is not worth considering. Though it has some shortcomings, this gaming laptop has quite a number of compelling features too, including a comfortable keyboard and very long battery life.

What It Is

Display
15.6-inch FHD IPS (1920 x 1080), 165Hz
Processor
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (8C/16T, 3.3GHz with boost up to 4.6GHz)
GPU
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 (115W TGP + 10W dynamic boost)
RAM
16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Storage
1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Camera
720p
Battery
86Wh
Dimensions
356.2 x 272.5 x 22.85 mm
Weight
2.42kg
Audio
Bottom-firing stereo speakers
Ports
3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
1x HDMI 2.1
1x RJ45
Price
RM9,199

Looking at its list of specifications, there’s no denying that the Alienware m15 R5 is a capable RTX 3070 gaming laptop. But as I’ve mentioned, its RM9,199 price tag is certainly quite steep for these hardware.

To put this into context, the
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
 with an RTX 3070 graphics card – this GPU even has a higher 140W TGP – and a larger, sharper 16-inch QHD screen is priced
at only RM6,590
. I’d argue Lenovo’s offering looks sleeker too, though this is a subjective manner.

Anyway, while value for money is not the m15 R5’s strength, it does offer fast performance and very long battery life – more on these in the next section.

The Good Stuff

Since performance is the main focus of a gaming laptop, let’s talk about that first. Powered by an RTX 3070 GPU and a fast AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor with 16GB of RAM, the m15 R5 can run AAA games with little to no difficulty. Just take a look at the benchmarks below.

Games (max settings @ 1920 x 1080)
Average FPS
Borderlands 3 (DX11)
75.05
Control (DX11)
73.159
Witcher 3 (HairWorks disabled)
87.443

Even though this laptop’s RTX 3070 GPU only has a 115W TGP – it can get an extra 10W with dynamic boost – it is still able to run these demanding games at over 60fps with maxed out graphics settings at 1080p. These are by no means the best numbers we’ve seen from an RTX 3070 gaming laptop, but they’re still respectable.

Of course, I put the m15 R5’s Ryzen 9 5900HX processor through its paces too with Cinebench R20. As the table below shows, its performance is quite comparable to other Ryzen 5000 series chips in the market now in both single-core and multi-core tests.

Processor
Single-core test
Multi-core test
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (Alienware m15 R5)
563
4891
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (Acer Nitro 5)
561
5042
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (Lenovo Legion 5 Pro)
554
5116
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE)
566
5461
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS (Asus ROG Flow X13)
572
4922
AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS (Asus ROG Zephyrus G14)
481
4173
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (Asus TUF Gaming A15)
481
4106
Intel Core i7-11370H (Asus TUF Dash F15)
581
2749
Intel Core i7-10875H (Acer Predator Triton 500)
483
3773

Further enhancing the fast performance of the m15 R5 is its bright and vibrant 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS screen with a fast 165Hz refresh rate. The high refresh rate lends to good motion clarity in fast-paced games, and the quality of the panel itself is good too with vibrant colours and wide viewing angles.

And then there’s the very long battery life of the m15 R5. On average, I can get up to
eight hours
 of use (doing productivity tasks) on a single charge. Given the beefy hardware under the hood, this level of battery life is really quite impressive. The m15 R5 can definitely double as a productivity laptop if you don’t mind lugging it around.

Another hardware that makes the m15 R5 a particularly good productivity laptop is its keyboard. With 1.8mm of key travel – that’s quite long for a laptop – it provides a comfortable typing experience. On top of that, the keys are quite tactile too, so the keyboard does not feel mushy to type on.

In terms of system noise, I’m pleasantly surprised by how quiet the m15 R5 is. Even in heated gaming sessions, the fans don’t get obnoxiously loud. Naturally, it is also whisper quiet outside of gaming.

The Bad Stuff

While the Alienware m15 R5 offers strong performance, its thermals could be better. When I’m running demanding games, the temperatures of this gaming laptop can get quite high. The CPU, for one, hit a peak temperature of 101°C. As for the GPU, it got up to a toasty 90°C.

Aside from that, the build quality of the m15 R5 could use some work too. The chassis and lid creaks with added pressure, so the overall build quality of this laptop doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. For a product that sits at this price point, it’s only natural to expect build quality that reflects the high asking price.

And that brings us to the last point: the m15 R5 is an expensive machine. For the same amount of money (RM9,199), you can get other gaming laptops that are either faster or sleeker.

Is It Worth It?

Even though the Alienware m15 R5 does not offer the fastest performance or sleekest-looking design at this price point, its overall feature set may still be worth the money. After all, not many gaming laptops combine strong performance with long battery life and a comfortable keyboard – features that give this laptop its unique appeal.

If this set of features is exactly what you look for in a gaming laptop, then the m15 R5 is certainly worth considering. But if you want a gaming machine that offers the best value for money, you may want to look at other options – unless you can get the m15 R5 with a good amount of discount.


New, Lighter PS5 Model With Revised Stand Quietly Launched

It appears Sony quietly launched a new, lighter version of the
PlayStation 5
. Not only does the new variant weigh slightly less than the original PS5, it also has a new stand design that doesn’t require a screwdriver anymore to install.

This new version of the PS5 was confirmed by
Press Start
, a gaming site based in Australia. The site shared an image of the updated screw for the PS5’s stand, which can now be screwed in by hand. Twitter user bdp2007 also got the updated PS5, and it appears the design of the stand itself is slightly different too.

The new PS5 screw (left) for the stand. Image source:
Press Start

Not only is the screw different it’s a different clamp as well.
pic.twitter.com/JLr6eK2tae
— B (@bdp2007)
August 23, 2021

It’s worth noting that a Japanese manual for an updated PS5 started circulating online last month, and this seems to be the very same model. The manual also revealed that the new PS5 is slightly lighter (300g for the Digital Edition), though it remains to be seen what’s the weight difference for the standard model with a Blu-Ray disc drive.

At the time of writing, Sony did not confirm the existence of a new PS5 model. Given the small changes implemented here, we reckon this will remain to be an unannounced minor update to the PS5. After all, Sony did this many times throughout the life cycle of the PS4.


Keychron Q1 Available for Pre-Order Tonight at 9PM From $149

After much teasing, the
Keychron Q1
 will finally be available for pre-order tonight at 9PM Malaysian time. If you’re interested to get into the custom keyboard hobby without breaking the bank, the Q1 looks to be a good option.

To recap, the Q1 is a feature-packed 75% keyboard. It has a gasket mounting system, a full CNC aluminium case, an aluminium plate, a hotswap PCB with south-facing LEDs, and support for screw-in stabilisers. It’s worth noting that these features are typically only found on enthusiast-level keyboards.

What makes the Q1 particularly interesting – aside from the aforementioned features – is its relatively affordable price tag for a keyboard of this calibre. The Barebone kit retails at $149 (about RM630), while the fully assembled model, which includes Gateron Phantom switches of your choice and double-shot ABS keycaps, costs $169 (around RM715).

Shipping for the fully assembled Q1 will begin next week, and it is expected to be completed by 15 September. As for the barebone kit, it will start shipping to customers between 15 to 30 September 2021.

You can place your pre-order for the Keychron Q1
over here
 at 9PM tonight for us here in Malaysia. Our review of the Q1 will also be posted at the same time, so if you’re not sure if this keyboard is for you, stay tuned for our written (and video) review of Keychron’s most exciting keyboard yet!


KBDfans’ Blade65 Now in Stock – 65% Gasket-Mounted Keyboard From $269

In stock products in the
custom mechanical keyboard scene
 is (unfortunately) quite rare, which is the very reason why KBDfans’ new Blade65 keyboard is a compelling keyboard. Not only is it available for purchase right now, it’s a rather interesting 65% gasket-mounted keyboard too.

It’s worth noting that the Blade65 is essentially a more premium version of KBDfans’ other popular offering, the
KBD67 Lite
. The only difference lies in the case of the two keyboards: the Lite has a polycarbonate case, while the Blade65 sports an aluminium case…with a rather quirky-looking design.

That also means it is quite a bit more expensive. The KBD67 Lite was relatively affordable with a $109 (about RM460) price tag, but the Blade65 starts at a much steeper $269 (approximately RM1,135). If you want the Skull badge on the bottom of the keyboard, that’s an extra $20 (about RM85).

While the Blade65 is by no means an affordable custom keyboard, it does look to be a decent mid-range offering. This keyboard uses the same gasket mounting system as the KBD67 Lite, including the same hotswap PCB and polycarbonate plate. Also bundled with the kit are KBDfans’ very own “transparent” screw-in stabilisers.

At the time of writing, the KBDfans Blade65 is still available for purchase, including the configuration with the Skull badge. If you’re keen to get this custom keyboard, you can do so over at
KBDfans’ official store
. Already got the KBD67 Lite? Then you can get
just the Blade65 case
 for $199 (about RM840).


Keychron Q1 Review: Brimming With Potential

Keychron has been in the keyboard scene for quite some time, and its latest product, the Keychron Q1, is really the company’s most exciting keyboard to date. Not only does it have features only typically found on enthusiast-level keyboards, it also offers pretty good value for money.

Of course, the Q1 does have some shortcomings here and there, but for Keychron’s “first attempt” at a keyboard that’s meant to appeal to the custom mechanical keyboard folks, it’s a commendable effort. Keep on reading this review to find out if it’s worth considering!

What It Is

The Q1 is a 75% pre-built keyboard, but unlike Keychron’s previous products, it has (as mentioned) features that are usually only found on enthusiast-level keyboards. These include a gasket mounting system, a full CNC aluminium case, an aluminium plate, a hotswap PCB with VIA support out of the box, as well as screw-in stabilisers made by Gateron.

There are two variants of the Q1. The barebone kit retails at $149 (about RM630), while the fully assembled model, which includes Gateron Phantom switches of your choice and double-shot ABS keycaps, costs $169 (around RM715).

Looking at sheer value for money alone, the fully assembled Q1 is the better option. After all, you’re essentially only paying $20 more (about RM85) for the Gateron switches and ABS keycaps. On top of that, both of these parts are actually quite good too – I’ll discuss them at length in the next section of this review.

In terms of lead time, shipping for the fully assembled Q1 will begin next week, and it is expected to be completed by 15 September. As for the barebone kit, it will start shipping to customers between 15 to 30 September 2021. If you want to get the keyboard as quickly as possible, opt for the fully assembled model.

The Good Stuff

One of the best qualities of the Keychron Q1 has to be its flexible nature. This is thanks to its gasket mounting system, which lends to a soft, very comfortable typing experience. This is in stark contrast to most pre-built keyboards that typically use a stiffer tray mounting system.

The Gateron Phantom Brown switches

As for the Gateron Phantom switches that come with the fully assembled Q1, they’re really quite good. Three switches are offered: Phantom Brown (tactile), Phantom Red (linear), and Phantom Blue (clicky). These switches are factory lubed reasonably well – though they do feel a tad too oily – and more importantly, they have very little stem wobble.

The lack of wobble on these Gateron Phantom switches makes for a more stable typing experience, which is a desirable trait for any mechanical keyboard switch. Out of the three switches, my favourite is the Phantom Red. Though it has a clacky sound signature, it is quite muted with a smooth downstroke.

I’m also pleasantly surprised by how good the Q1’s Gateron screw-in stabilisers are. They are lubed quite well out of the box to minimise rattling, but they do tick slightly after some use. Nonetheless, with some proper tuning, I’m sure these stabilisers can be even better. I don’t feel the need to swap them out with aftermarket stabilisers.

Stock keycaps are usually not of particularly good quality, but that doesn’t entirely apply to the keycaps that come with the fully assembled Q1. This keyboard is bundled with double-shot ABS keycaps, and while the legends don’t look particularly sharp, the keycaps themselves do feel nice and smooth to the touch.

Basically, these stock keycaps are above average, especially for a pre-built keyboard.

Another hardware of the Q1 that’s worth a mention is the PCB. Thanks to its hotswap nature, I can easily swap out switches whenever I want to without needing to solder. This PCB also supports VIA, so I can seamlessly change the mapping of the keyboard with the software – not a feature you typically find on a pre-built keyboard.

The badge on the top right corner of the Q1 is worth a mention too. It’s a nice bit of personalisation – you can get your own badge designed
here for $30
 – and if you don’t need one, it can be swapped for a key of your choice. There’s already a hotswap socket underneath the badge.

Oh, there’s also the coiled cable that’s bundled with every pre-order of the Q1. While it’s just a regular sleeved cable that’s coiled, the aviator connector is a nice touch.

With all of these positives in mind, the Q1 is shaping up to be a fantastic keyboard for those who are new to the custom keyboard scene, especially with its $149 starting price. However, it does have one big shortcoming, which could be a dealbreaker to some folks.

The Bad Stuff

There’s really only one major negative with the Keychron Q1: it doesn’t have a very pleasant sound profile. The flexible nature of the Q1 is due to the soft gaskets that isolate the plate from the case, but because these gaskets are so soft, a lot of case ping is generated with every key press.

This case ping is especially evident on keys closer to the edges of the Q1, such as the backspace and enter keys. It’s worth noting that the aluminium plate of this keyboard actually has eight cutouts for the gaskets, but only four of them are installed with the gaskets out of the box.

The gaskets are quite soft
Only four of eight cutouts on the plate are installed with the gaskets out of the box

There are 10 extra strips of gaskets bundled with the Q1, so we installed them to the remaining four cutouts on the aluminium plate to see if the case ping can be eliminated. Thankfully, this does minimise the unpleasant metallic tone, but if you listen closely, you can still pick up on it.

Of course, by installing all of the gaskets to the plate, the Q1 also loses quite a bit of flexibility. While it doesn’t feel particularly stiff, it’s definitely not as “bouncy” as the stock configuration. Personally, I think this is a worthy tradeoff to minimise the case ping.

The bottom case foam

However, with the case ping mostly gone, the Q1’s hollow sound profile becomes more evident. Keychron is aware of this issue, so the company is bundling extra bottom case foam in a bid to solve it. Our review unit only came with a single case foam, so we don’t know for sure how the extra foam can improve the sound profile of the Q1.

Is It Worth It?

Despite its less than ideal sound profile, I still think the Keychron Q1 is worth getting. After all, its feature set still provides very good value for money. Besides that, the Q1 has a lot of modding potential too.

A big part of the custom keyboard hobby is the customisation that we do to our keyboards to improve typing sound and feel. I reckon the sound profile of the Q1 can be improved quite a bit by installing more foam, or using denser gaskets to further isolate the plate from the case.

With all of these in mind, the Keychron Q1 is an excellent first keyboard to get into the custom keyboard hobby without putting too much strain on your wallet. If you’re keen to get the Q1, you can place your pre-order over at Keychron’s online store
right here
.


Keychron Q1 Unboxing – What Do You Get for $169?

After its first teaser back in April 2021, the
Keychron Q1
 is finally
available for pre-order
. After using the keyboard as my daily driver for the past week, it’s really quite good,
especially
 for a pre-built keyboard at this price point.

If you’re interested to pick up the Q1, here’s an unboxing of the keyboard, so you’ll know what you get in the box. Compared to other pre-built keyboards, the Q1 does come with a number of neat accessories too. Without further ado, let’s get to it!

The packaging of the Q1 itself is quite nice. It doesn’t feel cheap at all, and the keyboard itself inside the box – along with the accessories – is well protected with foam. Rest assured, it will survive the shipment process.

Depending on which variant of the Q1 you get, there will be some differences. I got the $169 (about RM715) fully assembled model, so the keycaps and switches are already installed onto the board. If you get the $149 (about RM630) barebone kit instead, you’ll get the Q1 without these two components.

One particularly neat accessory that’s bundled with the Q1 is a colour-matched coiled cable. While it’s really just a sleeved cable with a coil to it – so it’s not quite as premium as a “proper” custom coiled cable – it still has an aviator connector to complete the look; it’s a nice touch.

Also included with the Q1 are a number of extra keycaps with Windows and macOS-specific legends. Naturally, you only get these spare keycaps if you opt for the fully assembled model. Extra screws for the Q1’s case are given too, along with a USB-C to USB-A adapter for the coiled cable.

Aside from that, you also get 10 extra strips of gaskets in the packaging of the Q1. Do note that out of the box, only eight strips of gaskets are applied to four cutouts (top and bottom) of the Q1’s plate. There are actually a total of eight cutouts on the plate for the gaskets, so four of them are completely empty.

As
pointed out in our review of the Q1
, leaving these gasket cutouts empty introduces quite a bit of case ping to the keyboard, though you do get a lot of flex for a soft, comfortable typing experience. Installing the 10 extra gasket strips does reduce the case ping quite a bit, though as expected, it does stiffen up the keyboard accordingly.

Basically, keeping in mind these two factors, it’s up to you if you want to install the 10 extra gasket strips to the Q1 or not.

Anyway, I digress. Completing the list of accessories that are bundled with the Q1 are a metal switch puller, as well as a rather nice wire keycap puller. Do note that you will also get
a screwdriver and an allen key
 to disassemble the Q1, though we didn’t receive these two items with the review unit.

So these are what you get in the box of the fully assembled Q1. Do note that you can also get a number of add-ons with the keyboard on
Keychron’s official store
, including a
custom badge
 – Nextrift’s review unit has our logo on it – a resin or wooden wrist rest, and even a wide range of OEM profile dye-sub PBT keycaps.

Like most custom keyboards, the Q1 can be purchased with other plate materials too. It comes with an aluminium plate by default, and you can add-on either a brass plate, a polycarbonate plate, or an FR4 plate.

If you’re keen to get the Q1, here’s what you need to know about this 75% pre-built keyboard. It uses a gasket mounting system – this mounting style is typically only offered on custom keyboards – it has a full CNC aluminium case, along with a hotswap PCB that supports VIA out of the box for easy key mapping.

Keychron also worked with Gateron quite a bit for the Q1. Not only can it be purchased with three new factory lubed Gateron Phantom switches – Phantom Brown (tactile), Phantom Red (linear), or Phantom Blue (clicky) – it features screw-in stabilisers made by Gateron too.

Usually, the stock stabilisers of pre-built keyboards are not of particularly good quality, but that’s surprisingly not the case with the Q1. These Gateron-made stabilisers are lubed quite well at the factory to minimise rattling, and they feel nice and secure too. In fact, I don’t feel the need to swap them out with aftermarket stabilisers.

Not quite sure yet if the Keychron Q1 is for you? Then watch our video review of the keyboard above. Alternatively, you can also read our thorough review of the Q1
right here
.


Perodua Resumes Operations – “Nearly All Existing Orders” Will Be Delivered This Year

Thanks to the government’s
ease of restrictions on the automotive sector
, Perodua has resumed its operations. According to the carmaker, “nearly all existing orders” will also be delivered within this year – great news for those who have been eagerly waiting to receive the popular
Perodua Ativa
.

This is confirmed by the CEO and President of Perodua, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad. “We thank our customers for their patience, understanding and loyalty in receiving your Perodua vehicle. We expect to be able to deliver nearly all existing orders within the year,” he said.

Dato’ Zainal also added that Perodua has started deliveries in stages this week, and that more cars will be produced and registered in the coming weeks. On top of that, the carmaker mentioned that it has “met the required criteria for vaccinations of its employees.”

Naturally, Perodua is introducing a number of safety guidelines for those who plan to visit its showrooms and service centres. Customers have to be fully vaccinated, an appointment has to be made prior, wearing a mask is required, and physical distancing must be observed at all times.


Keybot Bringing in Keychron Q1 to Malaysia in September 2021

Keybot, the official Keychron partner here in Malaysia, will be opening local pre-orders for the
Keychron Q1
 sometime next month in September 2021. If you’re not keen to purchase the Q1 directly from
Keychron’s online store
 to save on shipping costs, it may be worth waiting for Keybot to bring the keyboard in.

Unfortunately, Keybot did not reveal the local pricing of the Q1, though the
company’s website
 does show that both the barebone kit and the fully assembled model will be offered. On
Keychron.com
, the barebone kit costs $149 (about RM625), while the fully assembled version – with Gateron Phantom switches and ABS keycaps – go for $169 (around RM710).

What makes this 75% pre-built keyboard particularly interesting is its feature set. The Q1 uses a gasket mounting system – this mounting style is typically only offered on custom keyboards – it has a full CNC aluminium case, along with a hotswap PCB that supports VIA out of the box for easy key mapping.

Keychron also worked with Gateron quite a bit for the Q1. Not only can it be purchased with three new factory lubed Gateron Phantom switches – Phantom Brown (tactile), Phantom Red (linear), or Phantom Blue (clicky) – it features screw-in stabilisers made by Gateron too.

Usually, the stock stabilisers of pre-built keyboards are not of particularly good quality, but that’s surprisingly not the case with the Q1. These Gateron-made stabilisers are lubed quite well at the factory to minimise rattling, and they feel nice and secure too.

If you’d like to learn more about the Keychron Q1, check out our video review above or our
written review
. Rest assured, we’ll keep a close eye on the local pricing of the Q1 from Keybot – we’ve also gotten in touch with the company.


Affordable Samsung Galaxy A03s With 5,000mAh Battery Coming to Malaysia Soon

Launched in India just last week, it appears the affordable Samsung Galaxy A03s will be coming to Malaysia soon. Packed with a generous 5,000mAh battery, this budget-friendly smartphone is ideal for those that want a long-lasting phone without breaking the bank.

In our routine search through SIRIM’s database, we noticed that Samsung Malaysia registered the Galaxy A03s with the model number SM-A037F/DS just today. Electronics have to be registered with SIRIM first before they can be officially sold here in Malaysia, so there’s a good chance the A03s will be made available locally soon.

One of the best selling points of the Galaxy A03s has to be its large 5,000mAh battery, which should be able to return above average battery life. Aside from that, it’s also powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 processor. It’s not a particularly impressive chip, but this
is
 an affordable phone – the chip should still be fast enough for everyday use.

Other specifications of the Galaxy A03s include a 6.5-inch 1600 x 620 display, a triple camera system (16MP primary + 2MP macro + 2MP depth), a 5MP selfie camera, up to 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of expandable storage, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

No word yet from Samsung Malaysia on the local availability of the Samsung Galaxy A03s. Given that it’s been registered with SIRIM already, we reckon it won’t be long until the affordable phone is officially available here.


Akuma From Street Fighter Will Be Added to Monster Hunter Rise

Monster Hunter Rise
 for the Nintendo Switch has been getting some
pretty interesting DLCs
 since its initial release, and this latest addition is quite interesting. Come 27 August this Friday, Akuma from Street Fighter will be added to the game – sounds unreal, doesn’t it?

Looking at the trailer for the new “Capcom Collab 3” content, Akuma seems to be a hunter…that doesn’t even need a weapon to take down monsters. Jokes aside, his moveset in the trailer is actually taken from the Sword and Shield class; Akuma’s unique skin is applied over the weapon.

Capcom
confirmed
 that these special Akuma skills will be applied when a player equips the Sword and Shield. On top of that, with the Akuma layered armor equipped, the animation when you’re attacking with a kunai will change too. Naturally, your hunter’s voice and appearance will be swapped to Akuma’s with the armor equipped as well.

As is the case with other Monster Hunter Rise DLCs, the Akuma layered armor can be unlocked by completing a special Event Quest. However, it remains to be seen exactly what the quest requires players to do.

The Event Quest for Akuma’s skin from Street Fighter will be available in Monster Hunter Rise this Friday on 27 August. Not sure it’s a game for you? Then check out
our review of this fantastic Switch game
.


26 August – 1 September Fuel Price: RON 97 Finally Down 2 Sen

After many weeks of price hikes, the price of RON 97 is finally going down this coming week by 2 sen. Of course, the prices of RON 95 and diesel remain the same, given that the price ceilings of the two have been reached.

To recap, the price of RON 97 is now set at RM2.72 per litre (down from RM2.74). The price of RON 95, on the other hand, stays at RM2.05 per litre. As for diesel, it still costs RM2.15 per litre.

These prices will be in effect from 26 August to 1 September. New fuel prices will be announced every Wednesday, so stay tuned to Nextrift next week on the same day for future updates!


HP ZBook Firefly G8 Mobile Workstation Now in Malaysia From RM5,959

If you’re looking for a premium, portable mobile workstation, consider the new HP ZBook Firefly G8. Now available here in Malaysia, this premium laptop offers a number of features creative professionals will appreciate, including a colour-accurate display.

There are two distinct variants of the ZBook Firefly G8 for the Malaysian market: the 14-inch configurations retail from RM5,959, while the larger 15.6-inch models start at RM6,133. However, at the time of writing,
only one configuration of the 15.6-inch model
 is available for purchase on
HP Malaysia’s online store
.

We were told that other models of the Firefly G8 will (usually) be restocked within two to three days, so there’s a chance other variants of the laptop will be available for purchase later this week.

Anyway, aside from the larger display, both models of the ZBook Firefly G8 share the same hardware. These include Intel’s latest 11th generation Core i5 or Core i7 processors, a 14-inch or 15.6-inch 1080p “DreamColor” IPS display that covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour space, and two GPU options: Nvidia T500 or Quadro T1000.

Other specifications of the ZBook Firefly G8 include 8GB or 16GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage, Windows 10 Pro out of the box, as well as a chassis that measures only 17.95mm thin. The Firefly G8 is quite lightweight too: the 14-inch model weighs 1.35kg, while the 15.6-inch model tips the scales at 1.7kg.

The HP ZBook Firefly G8 is now available for purchase on
HP Malaysia’s online store
. Although only one model of the 15.6-inch version
is in stock right now
, other configurations of the mobile workstation could be restocked in the next few days.


More Glorious GMMK Pro Stocks Available in Malaysia for RM739

It appears there are now more stocks of the
Glorious GMMK Pro
 in Malaysia. Previously, this 75% pre-built keyboard was available from
Dotatech for RM759
, but you can now get it for RM739 from more retailers.

Both
ETECH PC
 and
MYBEST.MY
 on Shopee – both of them are Preferred retailers to boot – have the GMMK Pro in stock right now for RM739. They have quite a good number of stocks for both the Black Slate and White Ice (which is actually closer to silver) colour options too.

One of the biggest selling points of the GMMK Pro is its gasket-mounted design, which promises a “unique haptic and acoustic experience.” It also has a CNC aluminium case to give it solid build quality. After all, similar keyboards at this price point come with plastic cases.

Other specifications of the GMMK Pro include a hotswap PCB to easily swap between different switches, a 75% layout, as well as support for both screw-in and clip-in stabilisers, though it is pre-installed with Glorious’ own screw-in (and pre-lubed) “GOAT” stabilisers.

While the Glorious GMMK Pro is a decent 75% keyboard, consider the new
Keychron Q1
 as well, which is actually quite a bit more affordable with a
very soft, flexible typing experience
. Although it’s only available for purchase directly from Keychron right now, the brand’s Malaysian partner, Keybot, will be bringing in the Q1 here
as early as next month
.


Horizon Forbidden West Delayed to 18 February 2022 – Pre-Orders Open Next Week

We finally got a release date for Guerrilla Games’ highly anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. Originally set for a 2021 release,
Horizon Forbidden West
 will now launch on 18 February 2022. Pre-orders for the PlayStation exclusive will be open next week too on 2 September.

“It’s no surprise that our teams were hugely impacted by the global pandemic; we have been adjusting to new workflows, protocols, and other challenges, while keeping our teams safe and prioritizing a healthy work/life balance,” said Mathijs de Jonge, Game Director at Guerrilla Games.

“While the decision to move the game’s launch to 2022 certainly wasn’t easy, we’d like to take a moment to thank all of our fans for their unwavering support,” de Jonge added.

Back in May this year, Guerrilla Games showed off a pretty extensive gameplay demo of Forbidden West. It showcases the stunning environment of the new region, along with new traversal mechanics for Aloy, the main protagonist. Her Spear seems to have a new set of combos now too, and Aloy got a number of new weapons as well.

Aside from the release date of Forbidden West, Guerrilla Games also revealed a pleasant surprise: an Enhanced Performance Patch for Horizon Zero Dawn is now available on the PS5. This lets PS5 players run the game at 60fps, which should make for a more enjoyable gameplay experience.

Horizon Forbidden West will be launched on both the PS5 and PS4 on 18 February 2022. Pre-orders for the game will be open on 2 September, so stay tuned for that next week.


Custom Keyboard – How to Manage Long Waiting Times?

If there’s one thing that absolutely needs improvement in the custom keyboard scene, it would be the long waiting times for products. In fact, it’s not even considered unusual to wait upwards of one year to get your items, especially keycap sets.

Personally, I’m currently waiting for
eight
 products to arrive. The longest being the
Zenith keyboard from Rama Works
, which was initially available for purchase back in July last year. Unfortunately, plenty of other folks in this hobby are in a similar position, so with that in mind, here are some tips to manage long waiting times.

Purchase Readily Available Products First

No, really. One of the benefits of the custom keyboard scene is the fact that most items can be resold relatively easily without incurring much lost – or none at all, depending on the product. This gives you the freedom to purchase readily available items first while waiting for a particular keyboard or keycap set to arrive.

Of course, it’s important to only spend within your means; don’t expect to recoup your expenditure with every keyboard-related purchase. I’ve gotten quite a number of switches and keyboards – most of which are for…review purposes and curiosity – and I lost a fair bit of money when I resold them. It’s part and parcel of the hobby.

Anyway, because of long waiting times, in stock products in the custom keyboard hobby are especially attractive. Take the
Keychron Q1
, which is expected to be delivered from next week onwards. Though it’s not a “traditional” custom keyboard, it has many features that are usually only found on enthusiast-level custom keyboards.

Get in on Extras Sales

If you don’t mind paying a premium to get certain products quicker, grab them in extras sales. Once all orders of a particular group buy for a product have been fulfilled, vendors will usually have a number of extra stocks in the event a replacement is needed for faulty items.

When that’s settled, these extra stocks will be sold as…well, extras. That being said, extras sales command a certain premium over the original asking price, so be prepared to pay more. There’s also the fact that extras sales – as the name suggests – are very limited in stock, so you’ll have to be quick to secure an order.

Manage Expectations

Obviously, this is easier said than done, and it’s highly dependent on the product that you’re getting. GMK keycaps, for one, are known to be delayed quite a bit. On top of that, in this current COVID-19 pandemic, plenty of other manufacturers are facing delays as well.

Basically, expect delays to happen, though it’s worth mentioning that vendors play a role in managing expectations too. Needless to say, it can be frustrating when vendors don’t give proper updates, especially if the original timeline has not been met. A few vendors are guilty of this, though we won’t be naming them here.

The KBD67 Lite

Naturally, there are also a good number of vendors that have proven themselves to be timely with its updates and product deliveries. KBDfans usually meets the timelines it sets for its group buy products – I even received the
KBD67 Lite
 ahead of the expected timeframe – and the same goes for Mode as well, despite being a relatively new company.

Speaking of these two companies, that brings us to the next point..

More Vendors Are Reducing Waiting Times

Recently, quite a number of vendors are offering their latest products with much shorter waiting time. KBDfans, for example, recently released the
Blade65 as an
in stock produc
t
, so you won’t have to wait for months to get the keyboard to your doorstep.

The Mode SixtyFive

Mode is going with a similar approach too with its latest keyboard, the
Mode SixtyFive
. Granted, it is not sold as an in stock product, but the company is aiming to get the keyboard delivered with only a three-month lead time; that’s quite a short waiting time in this hobby. On top of that, it will open pre-orders for the SixtyFive
until 2022 as well
.

Hopefully, more vendors will follow suit to offer their range of products with shorter waiting times. Rest assured, we will keep a close eye for vendors that are planning to do so.

At the end of the day, you still have to be very patient in the custom keyboard hobby, especially if you want a specific product. Yes, it can be frustrating to wait months and years for products to arrive, but some of them are really worth waiting for.

I’m personally excited to receive the Zenith from Rama Works, even if I’ve waited well over a year for that particular keyboard to start shipping. In the meantime, I’ve got switches, keycaps, and stabilisers to prep for the Zenith, among the eight other products I’m waiting with anticipation..


Why Am I Getting the Older 10th Gen Honda Civic Instead of the 2022 Civic?

The
2022 Honda Civic
 is slowly but surely arriving in more markets. Thailand, for one, already received the brand new C-segment sedan
earlier this month
. If it weren’t for the extended COVID-19 lockdowns in Malaysia, the local debut of the new Civic could’ve happened
as early as next month in September 2021
.

So with that in mind, why am I still getting the older 10th generation Civic TC-P? Well, for a number of reasons! I’m fully aware that a newer, more mature-looking Civic is just around the corner, but I’m still eagerly waiting to receive the “last-gen” Civic FC – keep on reading to find out why I’m sticking with the older model.

The 10th Gen Civic Looks Sportier

This is really the biggest reason why I’m much more interested in the current 10th gen Civic: it simply looks
better
, in my opinion. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that the Civic FC looks more modern than the 11th gen Civic FE with its more mature, understated styling.

The aggressive styling of the Civic FC is certainly not for everyone, but I absolutely love the “ketam” C-shaped taillights; it gives the sedan an almost futuristic look. Up front, I’m really fond of the sharp, full LED headlights too, as well as the blacked out grille to complete the sporty appeal of the Civic.

The 10th gen Civic FC
The 11th gen Civic FE

In contrast, the new 2022 Civic is a much more mature-looking car – so much so that it can easily pass off as a
Honda Accord
. Of course, I’m sure folks that want a less aggressively styled sedan will find the 11th gen Civic more appealing, but it’s just not what I look for in my car.

Similar Performance From a Familiar 1.5L Turbo Engine

Both the 10th and 11th generation Civics are powered by the same 1.5L turbocharged engine, and although the 2022 model is tuned to deliver more power – up by 5PS and 20Nm of torque – the 10th gen Civic’s output of 173PS and 220Nm of torque are still very respectable.

Sure, there is a bit of power difference between the two models, but I reckon it won’t be all that noticeable in real life use. Both engines are still paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) too, with drive sent to the front wheels.

However, this is only applicable to the 1.5 TC and 1.5 TC-P variants of the current Civic FC, which are powered by the 1.5L turbo engine. It’s a different scenario if we’re comparing the 1.8S model with a more modest 1.8L SOHC i-VTEC engine that offers 141hp and 174Nm of torque.

That being said, it remains to be seen if Honda Malaysia will still offer the 1.8L engine option with the 2022 Civic once it is officially available here. After all, this mill is no longer offered in Thailand; the 1.5L turbo engine is the sole option there for the new Civic. If the Malaysia market follows suit, that brings us to the next point..

It Is (Likely) More Affordable

If Honda Malaysia does remove the 1.8L engine option for the 2022 Civic, the starting price of the sedan will definitely increase accordingly. To put this (somewhat) into context, the 11th gen Civic goes from about RM122,000 to RM151,000 in Thailand.

As for the Malaysian market, the current 10th gen Civic – with
sales tax exemption
 applied until 31 December 2021 – starts at RM109,000 to RM135,000. It’s also worth noting that with all of the upgrades the 2022 Civic brings, it’s even more likely that the price of the new C-segment sedan will be increased across the board.

Plus, it still remains to be seen exactly when the 11th gen Civic FE will be launched here in Malaysia. If it debuts here next year, it won’t be able to take advantage of the current sales tax exemption, which is only valid until 31 December 2021. That is, unless the government
extends this tax break yet again
. Either way, it’s a gamble.

But the Interior..

Okay, if there’s one area where I think the new 11th gen Civic has an edge over the current Civic FC, it would be interior quality. Really, the interior of the new Civic FE looks much,
much
 more premium. While I’m not sure if I like the honeycomb mesh that stretches across the dashboard, it’s smart that the air vents are hidden there.

Aside from that, the interior itself just looks very…upmarket. The 10.2-inch digital instrument panel looks great, the floating infotainment system gives the interior a more modern touch, and the ample use of soft touch material really elevates the interior of the Civic FE.

Interior of the 11th gen Civic
Interior of the 10th gen Civic

Even so, I would still go for the “older” 10th generation Honda Civic FC. Yes, its interior isn’t quite as premium, but I prefer the sportier exterior and (likely) lower price tag of this model. Plus, I won’t have to wait that much longer to receive my Civic, given that the automotive sector is
now allowed to operate
 after more than two months of lockdown.

Still, I’m hoping Honda Malaysia will bring in the 2022 Civic soon – I’m excited to see how it would compare against its predecessor.


2021 Honda HR-V Hybrid Finally Gets New, Lower Price Tag – RM114k, LED Lights

If you’ve been eyeing to get the 2021 Honda HR-V Hybrid, great news: Honda Malaysia finally gave the SUV an updated pricing with some upgrades here and there. Of course, given that it’s locally assembled (CKD) right here in Malaysia, it also receives 100% sales tax exemption.

Previously priced at RM120,800 when it was first launched in 2019, the HR-V Hybrid is now going for only RM113,954.82 – that’s with sales tax exemption applied
until 31 December 2021
. This puts it closer in price to the V model now (RM113,421.92) instead of the RS variant (RM118,581.81).

The 2021 Honda HR-V Hybrid

Aside from the new, lower price tag, the HR-V Hybrid gets some neat upgrades too. On the outside, it’s been updated with LED headlights, LED front fog lamps, LED taillights, as well as chrome door handles for a more upmarket look.

The interior of the HR-V Hybrid sees some changes too. These include a new three-spoke leather wrapped steering wheel, along with a 7-inch infotainment screen that now supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Beyond these additions, other aspects of the HR-V Hybrid are unchanged. It’s still powered by a 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC engine that does 132PS and 156Nm of torque. Paired with an electric motor (30PS and 160Nm) and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the HR-V Hybrid has a total output of 152PS and 190Nm of torque.

The 2019 Honda HR-V Hybrid

To recap, the 2021 Honda HR-V Hybrid is priced at RM113,954.82, and bookings can be done online
here
. Alternatively, you can also place a booking through Honda Malaysia’s HondaTouch app – you can download it from the
Apple App Store
 and
Google Play Store
.


Huawei Nova 8 With 90Hz Curved OLED Screen Lands in Malaysia for RM1,899

Huawei just launched another mid-range smartphone here in Malaysia. Sporting a 90Hz curved OLED screen, the Huawei Nova 8 looks to be a rather premium device despite its mid-range positioning.

For the Malaysian market, the Nova 8 is available in only one variant, which retails at RM1,899. For that kind of money, this mid-ranger features 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, along with the aforementioned 6.57-inch 2340 x 1080 curved OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate.

Aside from that, the Nova 8 is also powered by Huawei’s own Kirin 820E chipset. Built on a 7nm process, it should be quite power-efficient too. Paired with the phone’s 3,800mAh battery, it should be able to provide reasonably good battery life.

Other specifications of the Nova 8 include a quad camera system (64MP main + 8MP ultra-wide angle + 2MP macro + 2MP depth), a 32MP selfie camera, and support for Huawei’s 66W SuperCharge technology. The company said this allows the phone’s 3,800mAh battery to be charged from empty to 60% in only 15 minutes.

The Huawei Nova 8 is now
available for purchase in Malaysia
 for RM1,899. Every purchase of the mid-range phone will also come with an “entertainment gift package”
worth RM189
.


Xiaomi Pad 5 Appears in SIRIM Again – Malaysian Launch Imminent?

Xiaomi’s latest tablet, the Xiaomi Pad 5, made its debut in China
earlier this month
. It’s a relatively capable Android tablet, and based on what we’ve gathered, we believe Xiaomi Malaysia will be bringing in the Pad 5 to our shores very soon.

As usual, we were going through SIRIM’s database when we stumbled upon a peculiar device with the model number 21051182G registered under Era International just today. This is confirmed to be the model number of the Pad 5, and it was actually registered with SIRIM by Xiaomi Malaysia itself
last month
, though the entry has been deleted since.

Anyway, as mentioned, the Pad 5 is quite a capable Android tablet. After all, it’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 chipset, which is essentially an improved version of the Snapdragon 855. This was the chipmaker’s flagship offering back in 2019.

Aside from that, the Pad 5 also features a sharp 11-inch 2560 x 1600 TrueTone display – it can adjust the screen’s white balance to match ambient lighting – with a fast 120Hz refresh rate. It can be paired with a magnetic stylus and keyboard cover too, just like other notable tablets in the market now.

Other specifications of the Pad 5 include a 13MP rear camera, an 8MP selfie shooter, an 8,720mAh battery, 6GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage.

No word yet from Xiaomi Malaysia on the local availability of the Xiaomi Pad 5, but rest assured, we will keep a close eye on this. It’ll be interesting to see if the
Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro
 will also be offered here alongside the standard model.


Volvo XC40 Recharge EV Malaysian Debut Pushed Back to 2022 – Locally Assembled?

Originally set to debut in Malaysia
this year
, Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) just revealed that the local launch of the Volvo XC40 Recharge EV has been pushed back to 2022. This is due to the extended COVID-19 lockdown in our country, along with the disruption of supply chain caused by the pandemic.

The delayed Malaysian launch of the XC40 Recharge EV is confirmed by VCM itself in an interview with
Paultan.org
. With a big backlog of orders to fulfill, the carmaker will “use all its capacity to make good the orders that are in hand, to reduce waiting time for customers,” as Paultan wrote.

That statement is particularly interesting: it seems to indicate that the XC40 Recharge EV will be locally assembled (CKD). If this is the case, it will be the first-ever EV to be assembled here in Malaysia.

Nonetheless, the XC40 Recharge EV is Volvo’s first mass-produced electric SUV, and it’s packed with a number of interesting features. According to the carmaker, the SUV has an all-electric range of 418km on a single charge, thanks to its 78kWh battery.

As for charging time, the XC40 Recharge EV can be charged up to 80% in only 40 minutes with a 150kW DC charging station (under ideal conditions). When charging at home instead, a three-phase 11kW wallbox can fully charge the XC40 in about eight hours from completely empty.

In terms of performance, the XC40 Recharge EV can go from 0-100km/h in only 4.9 seconds; this figure is highlighted on the product page of the SUV on Volvo Car Malaysia’s website. This suggests that the Malaysian market will at least receive the AWD variant, which gets 408PS and 660Nm of torque out of a dual-motor setup.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge EV will make its Malaysian debut sometime in 2022; no specific timeframe was given beyond this. In the meantime, you can still register your interest for the electric SUV over at
VCM’s website
.


Custom Keyboard – This Scratchy Switch Is My Favourite Linear Switch

Anyone who’s been in the custom keyboard hobby long enough would’ve probably heard of the NovelKeys Cream switch. With a housing and stem made out of “self-lubricating” POM, it’s marketed as a smooth linear switch with a unique typing experience.

Well, while the Cream definitely has some unique qualities, it is far from being a smooth switch. In fact, it is arguably one of the
scratchiest
linear switches out of the box, and mind you, this is not an affordable switch either. It sits in the same price range as other high-end switches like the
Gazzew Boba U4T Thocky
 and
SP-Star
.

However, even though it’s a scratchy, expensive switch, I always find myself coming back to the NovelKeys Cream. Out of all the linear switches I’ve tried throughout my time in this hobby, the Cream is still my favourite. Keep on reading to find out why!

It Has a Unique Sound Profile

It may sound (excuse the pun) silly to some folks, but the unique sound profile of the Cream is really what I love the most about this linear switch. See, no other switches sound quite like it; even the
Cobalt POM
 – which also has an all-POM housing – does not have the same sound signature as the Cream.

While the Cobalt POM has more of a thocky, “poppy” sound profile, the Cream is a decidedly “clacky” switch. Both the downstroke and upstroke have a pleasant, high-pitched clack, which are quite loud to boot. While there are other clacky switches in the market too – such as the aforementioned SP-Star – the pitch of the Cream is more…well, unique.

Of course, we can’t talk about the sound signature of the Cream without mentioning (arguably) the most popular custom keyboard on the internet: Tfue’s very own Keycult No. 1/60 commission built by Taeha Types. The keyboard was put together with Cream switches, and it sounds
absolutely
 heavenly – well, to me anyway.

Granted, the Keycult itself is a nice, clacky board, but you can definitely hear the unique sound profile of the Cream in the sound test above, especially the loud upstroke of the switch. Personally,
this
is the sound profile that I want to achieve with my custom keyboards, which is one of the reasons why I’m fond of the Cream switch.

It Feels Great After Breaking in

There’s no denying that the Cream is very scratchy out of the box, even when compared to, say, the much more affordable Gateron Yellow linear switch. It has a gritty, “leathery” scratch throughout the downstroke, and given that it is not factory lubed at all, it’s not a great switch to use in stock form.

However, after a good amount of breaking in – I’m talking about hundreds of hours of use, which can span to a few months of heavy use – the Cream
does
 get smoother. While it’s still nowhere as smooth as a stock JWK switch like the Cobalt POM, the scratch is far less pronounced.

Now, once a nicely broken in Cream switch is lubed, it
definitely
feels as smooth as any high-end switch. This, combined with the unique sound profile of the Cream, makes it an incredibly compelling switch for those that want a uniquely clacky, smooth linear switch.

It Doesn’t Need to Be Filmed

Another great quality of the NovelKeys Cream is its tight housing, so there’s no need to film this switch at all to remove housing wobble. In fact, the housing tolerance of the Cream is so tight, you will have a hard time installing switch films.

That being said, I was able to film the Cream by using a Deskeys switch film, thanks to its compressible nature. Doing so also lowers the pitch of the switch slightly, so if you find the Cream too clacky, you can always film it. Do note that even with the compressible Deskeys films, it will still be quite difficult to close up the switch.

But It’s Not for Everyone

If you want a no-nonsense linear switch that’s good to go straight out of the box, the NovelKeys Cream is not for you. In order to bring out the full potential of this switch, you need to spend a good amount of time breaking it in before you can even consider lubing it – some folks may not have the patience for this.

While it’s possible to just lube the Cream without breaking it in, you can still feel some of the scratchiness, even with a rather thick lube such as Krytox 205g0. I can personally attest to this…because I’ve tried it.

Nevertheless, I still absolutely love the NovelKeys Cream. If you’re new to the custom keyboard hobby, I’d recommend picking up a couple of this switch to see if you’ll like it or not. While it’s not the best linear switch in the market now, the Cream really is worth trying for its unique sound profile and feel.


The Cute Monokei x Singa Neko 40% Keyboard Is Now on Pre-Order Until 10 September

Monokei and Singa’s cute 40% custom keyboard,
Neko
, is now available for pre-order. Though the 40% HHKB layout of the Neko is not for everyone, it may appeal to folks that want a really compact, premium custom keyboard.

Two variants of the Neko are available. The more affordable Standard kit, which starts at S$510 (about RM1,590), features a full aluminium case in six different colours (Blush Pink, Olive Green, Royal Purple, Suave Blue, Titan Grey, Silver), a polycarbonate plate, and brass weights.

The Neko Standard (left) and Neko SE

As for the more premium Neko SE kit, it comes with polycarbonate top and bottom in Frosted White, a copper plate, a copper weight, and a copper “cat weight” for a cool S$620 (about RM1,930). If you want a hotswap PCB instead of a solderable one, that will cost an extra S$15 (around RM45).

Of course, that’s a lot of money, but you do get a premium compact keyboard. The Neko uses a gasket mounting system, along with a pretty neat-looking weight in the shape of a cat on the bottom of the keyboard. Launched alongside the Neko are also four aluminium keycaps, a “Neko Asobi” deskmat, and a smaller “Neko Maru” deskmat.

If you’re curious as to how the Neko sounds like, take a listen to Taeha Types’ video below. He tried out a prototype unit of the Neko SE with both copper and polycarbonate plates.

The
pre-order of the Monokei x Singa Neko
 will end at 11PM (Malaysian time) on
10 September 2021
. It’s set to start shipping sometime in Q3 2022, while the
Neko accessories
 will be delivered in Q1 2022.