Sony will launch the PlayStation VR in October

302

At the Game Developers Conference, Sony has officially announced that the PlayStation VR will be launching worldwide in October 2016.

Formerly known as Project Morpheis, Sony’s own VR headset is quite possibly the most affordable VR Headset to date with a pricetag of USD399 (RM1654). The headset itself features a 5.7″Full HD OLED screen. The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate and the headset itself has a latency of less than 18ms. The PlayStation VR will feature 9 LEDs for 360 degree tracking.

So what are the requirements to utilise the PlayStation VR? Besides a PlayStation 4, you’re going to need to purchase the PS4 Camera if you don’t already own it. Other than that, nothing else is required for the PlayStation VR to work.

Sony has announced that more than 230 developers are currently building content for the PlayStation VR and 50 games will be available when the headset launches. Furthermore, The Playroom VR will be available as a free download for all PS VR owners at launch, featuring six mini-games that demonstrates the headset’s capabilities.

Source:
PlayStation Blog

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Sony will not be launching a Z6 this year

484

With Sony announcing the Xperia X line of smartphone at MWC 2016, the biggest question was how is Sony going to handle the Xperia Z line. According to various sources however, it seems that the Xperia Z may be on its way out.

Speaking to uSwitch, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sony Mobile, Jun Makino, states that Sony “will not be releasing a Z6” and that Sony is “turning to the next stage, with the Xperia X series”.

Sony’s North American Senior Director of Marketing, Don Mesa, has also confirmed that there will be no Z6 this year as they will be focusing more on the Xperia X’s design philosophy.

“We knew that with this line we wanted to make sure that we had a certain philosophy when it comes to the form factor, what we’re putting into the device, the camera, the battery. We wanted to make sure that it comes across not just on the surface, but from our engineers too,” says Mesa.

An important thing to note is that while Sony confirms that there will not be a Z6 this year, they have yet to explicitly state that they will be discontinuing the Xperia Z line. Whatever the case, it seems that Sony will be focusing strictly on the Xperia X line for 2016.

Source:
AndroidCentral
,
uSwitch

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Sony will release a limited edition Final Fantasy XV-themed PlayStation 4 Slim

303

With the PlayStation 4 Slim expected to launch within the next two months depending on where you live, it was only a matter of time until the PS4 Slim gets the limited edition treatment. Lo and behold, the PS4 Slim will get its first limited edition variant, and it will be a Final Fantasy XV-themed one.

Available on the 29th of November in both Japan and America, this limited edition FFXV 1TB PS4 Slim, known as the PlayStation 4 Final Fantasy XV Luna Edition, will come in a special bundle that comes with the FFXV game itself with a Steelbook case, the Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Movie Blu-Ray (or rental code for the Japanese version), and various DLCs. The PS4 Slim itself will sport a moon decal with the Final Fantasy XV wording on it, and it will come with a new DualShock 4 with an XV graphic.

If you’re longing for this version of the PS4 Slim, you’re going to have to import it as Sony has made no mentions of other countries receiving this particular bundle. The bundle is priced at USD499 or JPY39,980 depending on where you want to import it from. Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be plans for a Final Fantasy XV PS4 Pro bundle.

Source:
PlayStation Blog

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Sony will start to replace offensive PlayStation Network IDs with temporary ones

645

Not too long ago, Sony introduced a new feature to PlayStation Network, allowing its users to change their usernames. However, now the company has integrated a user-friendly update that will also help in preventing usernames that violates the terms of service of PlayStation Network.

Previously, users who have usernames that are considered inappropriate or offensive will be banned and cut off from purchased games. An example of such case is a PlayStation user with the ID of Kike_0615 which is his nickname — a common Mexican name — but also an offensive term for Jewish individuals.

Instead of users getting banned immediately, Sony will now replace offensive usernames with temporary IDs, preventing accidental bans. In addition, the temporary replacement will give the moderators time to verify if the username is really against the terms of services and if not, the username can be reverted.

Moreover, if the username is considered a violation, new users can choose a different username while existing users will end up with their original usernames with no extra charges. As announced beforehand, the first time each user change their username is free, while the subsequent changes will require an amount of payment depending on whether they are subscribers or non-subscribers.

PlayStation Network
sony


Sony introduces the WF-1000XM3 wireless noise-cancelling earbuds in Malaysia priced at RM949

272

Sony is joining the wireless earbuds race with the introduction of the WF-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones.

If the long-winded name doesn’t already spell it out, the headphones are just that – wireless noise cancelling earbuds that are equipped with Sony’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e. There are dual noise sensors that are placed at the front and back of the device to ‘capture ambient sounds’ more accurately.

In terms of aesthetics, they look more like Bluetooth headsets with the sizeable control panels that cover a part of your earlobe. It’s designed like this to house the Bluetooth antenna that supposedly helps cover wider areas and keep signals strong.

Besides that, the shape also serves as a housing for what Sony calls the ‘tri-hold’ structure that helps with ergonomics and helps the earbuds stay snug onto your ear.

In terms of battery life, the earbuds can last up to 6 hours of power, while the case provides three full charges, allowing you a total of 24 hours of listening time before you’re totally out of juice. Plus, charging takes only 10-minutes to get you 90 minutes of play time.

Other features include Quick Attention – placing your finger over the earbuds turn the volume down to let ambient sound in – handy when you need to quickly eaves drop. Plus, Sense Engine, coupled with Adaptive Sound control automatically adjusts volume levels and ambient sound levels depending on your current activity, be it walking, commuting or even nothing.

The headphones work with Google Assistant and you only need Headphones Connect app on your phone to get them to work.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 is priced at RM949 and is available in Sony Stores at KLCC and the Curve, as well as the Sony Store online.

noise-canceling
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Sony X Mount lets you mount a Xperia smartphone to the DualShock 4 controller

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We know that some of you prefer to hook up a controller to your phone for a much better gaming experience. We if you are some of the people that own an Xperia phone you are in luck. Sony has just announced the X Mount accessory that is designed to attached Xperia phones to a DualShock 4 controller so you can easily utilize the Remote Play feature on the PS4 console.

Now, it might seem like the mount is meant for Xperia phones only, but if you take a closer look, it just looks like a clamp that we have seen in a lot of phone holders. So we would assume that if the clamp can be widened, it could, in theory, fit almost any phone. Linking the DualShock 4 controller to an Android phone is actually pretty easy, as you will just need to pair the controller to your phone, it is as easy as connecting your phone to Bluetooth speakers and we have already seen other devices and accessories that come with a controller pad and mount. With the X Mount, you can use the DS4 to easily play your games.

The mount will be available in Japan starting June, but no other information like price or if it will be released to the international market as well.

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The Sony Xperia 1 II is its first 5G phone; the Xperia Pro supports 5G mmWave

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With MWC cancelled, Sony is left with no choice but to host its own livestream to introduce its new devices, including the successor to the Xperia 1.

Just like what was reported earlier today, the Xperia 1 II is exactly like what its leaked promo materials described. It features a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display and is powered by a Snapdragon 865 5G chipset. It’ll also get 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and come with a 4,000mAh battery that supports wireless charging.

Image credit: Sony

This time, Sony seemed to put in a lot of effort into its audio experience. The Xperia 1 II has a 3.5mm audio jack and also a stereo front speaker that supports Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio, resulting in the production of high-resolution audio.

Apart from that, Sony also included a triple 12MP camera setup on the phone. Sony made sure to include some features that can be found in professional cameras such as real-time Eye AF, Touch AF, custom WB and also noise reduction technology. On the front, we get an 8MP camera. According to Sony, this phone will ship in spring in three different colours.

Image credit: Sony

Sony also introduced the Xperia 10 II, a midrange with a 6-inch OLED display. It is powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset and comes with 4GB RAM paired with 128GB storage.

Although it has a triple camera setup, only its main camera is a 12MP lens. The other two lenses are a 52mm 8MP lens and another 16mm 8MP lens. It also doesn’t support 5G network and has a smaller 3,600mAh battery. This device will ship in spring with four colour options.

Image credit: Sony

Sony also revealed the Sony Xperia Pro that is still under development, but this device supposedly uses 5G mmWave and will be a game-changer for video makers. It’ll come with an HDMI port that can be used to connect to Sony Alpha cameras, turning it into a viewfinder. Sony also say that it can be used as a broadcasting device by taking advantage of its 5G connectivity.

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Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III prices shown on website

1.3K

Sony may not be right up there on the list of most relevant smartphone brands anymore in Malaysia, but that apparently isn’t a deterrent for the Japanese brand to dole out expensive flagships in the local market.

Two of their upcoming premium devices in the form of the
 Xperia 5 III

and the
Xperia 1 III

have appeared on their local website alongside their price tags – the former will set you back a whopping RM4,599; while the latter will cost an even more eye-watering RM5,799.

The Xperia 5 III comes packed with a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED panel that outputs at 21:9 resolution. The display is also capable of 120Hz refresh rate along with a 240Hz touch sampling rate. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 888 chipset alongside 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory.

For imaging, you get a triple 12MP camera setup at the back – it consists of the main lens, an ultrawide shooter, and a telephoto camera. For selfies, you get an 8MP sensor.

The pricier Xperia 1 III except it has a larger 6.5-inch display, up to 12GB of RAM, and support for Qi Wireless charging.

There’s no word yet one when these devices will arrive, but with the listings up now, we can expect at least one of them to arrive within this month.

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Sony Xperia 1 launches in Malaysia; pre-order starts tomorrow at RM4,299

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The Sony Xperia 1 is finally coming to Malaysia and the phone comes with impressive specs — especially its display.

The Sony Xperia 1 has a 6.5-inch 4K OLED display that offers higher contrast, colour accuracy and clarity due to its top-notch screen. It comes with HDR remastering technologies and a cinematic aspect ratio to offer a more immersive viewing experience. In addition, Sony also integrated Dolby Atmos technology into the device so that watching videos on the phone is not only visually satisfying but also aurally impressive.

The Xperia 1 is not only a flagship when it comes to its display because under the hood, it is powered by a Snapdragon 855 chipset. It has 6GB RAM paired with 128GB storage and will be shipped with Android 9. Moreover, the phone will sport a 3,330mAh battery that supports Xperia Adaptive Charging and can charge up to 50% in half an hour.

On its rear, the Xperia 1 houses a triple camera setup. All its lenses are 12MP but with different sensor size and different aperture. The camera setup supports Eye AF in which the Xperia 1 can focus sharply on eye-level and also capture better images in low light situations.

The
Sony Xperia 1
 is available in three colours: Black, Purple and Grey. It will be available from early October 2019 and can be purchased at Sony Stores KLCC and Curve, Sony Store Online and Sony Centres. However, you can also start pre-ordering the phone from August 24 to October 6 where you’ll get a free WH-1000XM3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones. The Xperia 1 priced at RM4,299 will also make an appearance on August 30 onwards in Sony Expo 2019 at Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur so if you’re excited to see it in person, you can do so next week.

sony
Xperia 1


The Sony Xperia 10 II reaches Malaysian shores for RM1799

279

Sony isn’t quite as competitive when it comes to their smartphone offerings, but the company has continued to introduce the Xperia 10 II to the Malaysian market, it is a mid-range spec device that comes with a 6″ 21:9 Full HD+ OLED display, perfect if you don’t want to pay too much for the more expensive Xperia 1.

Specs is pretty modest for this one, as it is powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset  supported by 4GB RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. The phone is IP68 certified water and dust resitant, while you get a triple camera system on the rear that comprises of a 12MP f/2 Sony Exmor main lens, an 8MP telephoto lens and 8MP ultra-wide 120-degree lens, it supports 4K video recording with SteadyShot stabilization.

The XPERIA 10 II is really all about its 21:9 display, where you get to enjoy a cinematic viewing experience when watching videos in landscape and less scrolling when viewing content in portrait, most video content on smartphones are usually formatted in 16:9, which will result in huge black bars or cropped when zoomed in.

Additionally, the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack and will support Sony’s DSEE HX Hi-Res audio upscaling feature, audio performance should be decent.

Sony is selling the XPERIA 10 II at RM1,799 when it is made available starting in June, with color options of Mint, Blue, White and Black, while the specs are downright underwhelming when compared to the rest, the entertainment features of this phone is something to look forward to.

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Sony Xperia C4 Dual First Impressions

344

Previously we just did our first impression on the mid-range phone, and now we had a chance to take a closer look at their new selfie-phone,
Sony
 Xperia C4 Dual. Trending today make smartphone manufacturer to approach users in a new way due to its requirement, Sony though of that and deliver a new approach with dual sim advantage. This might look unnecessary, but many users nowadays bring more than two phone and dual sim features can relieve bulkiness of your daily devices.

Design

Comparing the
Sony
 Xperia C4 Dual to its predecessors
Xperia
 C4 Compact, it looks almost identical by the looks. The
Xperia
 C4 Dual offers a compact and robust build quality, it also features a large 5.5-inch display. We also feel the phone isn’t too big for a small hand with its lightweight and slim, it measures just 7.9mm thick and weighs 147 grams. But bad news for users that want dust and water resistant, Sony stripped it away but it still has the sealed unibody and the rear looks rubberized to resist regular scratches.

However, the sides of the Xperia C4 Dual are covered in curved aluminium structure with rounded edges and there will be power button, volume rocker keys and a dedicated camera button are directly sitting at the
right side panel
, whereas a power charging port sits on the side of the device.

Display

The
Sony
 Xperia C4 Dual features a 5.5-inch display as in the
Xperia
 C3 but luckily it packs a higher resolution of 1920 x 1080. Surprisingly the phone uses Sony’s proprietary Mobile Bravia Engine 2 and super vivid mode to deliver better clarity, besides that it also offered a wide-viewing angles.

Camera

For this phone,
Sony
 has clearly put a lot of effort by having dual’s camera and clearly we are impressed with the collection of interesting modes offered in the camera. There will be various camera modes such as AR mask, Creative effect, AR fun, Face-in, Style portrait and Info eye. At the rear will be a
13MP
 camera features Sony Exmor RS camera and shockingly the front camera has a 5MP camera with 25mm wide angle sensor. You also able to take a selfie by using the
rear camera
 with interesting features, voice-guided selfies.

Specifications

Despite the price of the device, the Sony
Xperia
 C4 Dual is powered by MediaTek MT6752 octa core processor at 1.7GHz together with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory that can be expanded up to 128GB. The
Xperia
 C4 Dual also has a built-in 4G LTE modem to support high-speed internet and you will get Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box.

Battery

Having a long day at outside without your power bank or
charger
? Stay calm because the phone packs a
2,600mAh
 unit equipped with STAMINA Mode 5.0 technology that are able to push battery life by few extra hours when you getting warning about your battery going drain soon.

Conclusion

Based on our first impressions, we found the Xperia C4 Dual to be an ideal phone for those who are searching for a great camera phone, because the quality images are superb base on our experience and it uses an Exmor sensor technology to enhance the user experience more.

Furthermore, the additional STAMINA 5.0 features now users can have a better lasting battery for those who travel a lot. A combination of a good camera and the long lasting battery is a great combination for those who often being out for outstation, travelling, and then you are able to capture a lot of beautiful memories.


Sony Xperia C6 Ultra spotted in concept video

316

Apart from the Xiaomi Max, Sony is also said to be working on a phablet refresh of the Xperia C5 Ultra, dubbed the C6 Ultra, rumored to feature a slightly smaller display this time. But “small” just isn’t the word for its display. @OnLeaks has uploaded a video onto YouTube, specifically, less than half a minute of a 3D concept video of the rumored device.

Other than its looks, there isn’t much to talk about the Xperia C6 Ultra, with the video consisting of the device render spinning like a lazy-susan on its front and rear sides. The C6 Ultra is said to sport a slightly thicker frame than its predecessor, 8.4mm compared to the C5 Ultra’s 8.2mm. As seen in the video, major design elements are still retained from the C5 Ultra, with super-slim bezels on the sides.

We will also be looking at another super-selfie camera on the C6 Ultra, which is likely to be of 16MP, coupled with another impressive 20MP primary shooter on its rear. The display is rumored to be of 6 inches in 1080p resolution and the handset is tipped to be sporting a MediaTek Helio P10 SoC alongside 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable via micro SD. That seems to be all we have for now but do take these rumors with a pinch of salt to avoid disappointment. Till, then, stay tuned!

Source:
 NowhereElse

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Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual First Impressions

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Yesterday we had the chance to hands on
Sony
 latest mid-range smartphone –
Sony
 Xperia M4 Aqua Dual. We bring you take a closer look with the device with our first impression on the phone, it might not be the best mid-range phone out there but it truly suit for certain users that want use it during outdoor activities or rugged conditions.

Design

Sony
 hasn’t fiddled with the basic design by keeping the traditional aesthetic look integral in the
Xperia
 M4 Aqua and has a slim unibody with necessary slots for microSD and
SIM card
. With the round panel around the phone gives a comfortable feel in hand, at the rear side has a glass finish like Xperia Z3 to enhance the feel of a premium look.

At the bottom right of the smartphone, there is a dedicated camera button for taking photos quickly, besides that there are a power button and volume rocker keys near the top right. As usual the top of the Xperia phone will have a 3.5mm headphone jack and the best part with this phone is that Sony included phone-charging slot right beside the microSD slot that you are able to cover with a flap.

Display

Shockingly, the
Sony
 Xperia M4 Aqua dual uses a 5.0-inch HD display but only uses a 720p panel. And the phone does not come with Gorilla Glass protection but it uses a tempered glass. During using the handset, I actually found smudges appearing on the display quite often, but the display offered great viewing angles from the different side.

Camera

As you expected from Sony, they also include a great camera which surprisingly is better than most rivals. At the rear have
13MP
camera with Exmor RS sensor improves the image quality, especially during low light conditions. When it comes to the front side of the phone, Sony packed a 5MP with super wide angle lens to capture good selfies and even group selfies. Furthermore, there will be different modes that can be used, such as AR fun, AR effect, Sound Photo, Multi-camera, and a lot more.

On the front side of the handset, Sony packed a 5-megapixel shooter with super wide angle lens to capture good selfies and even group selfies. To snap unique photos, there are different modes that can be used, such as AR fun, AR effect, Sound Photo, Multi-camera and a lot more.

Specification

If you sceptical about the specifications, you might like this phone, it equip by a 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset and 2GB RAM with 16GB onboard storage. Besides that, the phone also support dual SIM with high-speed 4G LTE bandwidths but with only one SIM will work with 4G. You will get Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop with
Xperia
 launcher on top, but you hardly see the difference between the
Xperia
 launcher with vanilla Android.

Battery

Once again, this is the interesting part with the phone is finally here. The phone runs on a 2,400mAh battery which allow you to last for days because of its STAMINA Mode 5.0. We hope that we can take one opportunity to review this phone in near future.

Conclusion

Although the
Xperia
 M4 Aqua Dual isn’t the top notch phone you can get in the market, but it placed at a decently priced smartphone. You will get 4G to allow you constantly to use your phone to be productive thru out the day without worries about the connection and if you like taking photos you might be initially satisfied with the results.

We personally hope that the phone will have a price cut when the time is here, with its RM 969 price point which still consider near RM 1000 budget doesn’t seem a very good bargain at the moment. Compare to its competitor the same Xiaomi M4i that only price at RM 749 that has 1920 x 1080 display will easily win over the heart because the
Xperia
 M4 Aqua Dual only has a 1280 x 720 display only.


Sony Xperia Pro-I leak shows 1-inch sensor and new pro video modes

516

UPDATE: The phone has officially launched. The phone packs a Snapdragon 888 chipset, a 12MP camera setup, two physical camera controls, a 6.5-inch 4K OLED 120Hz panel, and a 4,500mAh battery. The phone is priced from EUR1,799 (about RM8,654).

According to
leaked

press renders, Sony’s upcoming Xperia PRO-I looks like quite the photography beast as it comes packed with a large imaging module at the back.

There looks to be a large 1-inch sensor being housed in the main camera module, and it’s co-engineered with ZEISS.

The set of imaging features touted to come with the Xperia PRO-I include Eye Autofocus, a new pro video mode, and even a remote monitor function and controller.

These renders show a display that has very thin bezels on the sides, which would make for great content consumption.

The phone will charge via USB-C and support side-mounted finger print scanner.

There’s no word on what chipset the PRO-I will pack, with its imminent launch set for this week, we won’t have to wait long until we see what else the phone offers.

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Sony Xperia X Compact to arrive with great specs and sub par display

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As impressive Sony’s smartphones can be, they are typically outside the mainstream line of sight. The Xperia XZ Premium is definitely a contender for the best smartphone of the year award. It was the first ever Snapdragon 835 powered device, ahead of devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 series. Now a possible Sony Xperia X Compact has been spotted via an AnTuTu benchmark.

Just recently, a Sony smartphone with the model number G8441 has been rumored to be of the Xperia X Compact. Based on the AnTuTu benchmark result, the alleged handset features top of the line specs, except for its display. The benchmark shows the Xperia X Compact having a less than expected 720p display instead of a Full HD display. Although the resolution could eventually be justified by its potentially small screen size, 720p smartphone displays are either of entry level standard or from yesteryear.

Apart from that, nothing else seems to be compromised on – a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Camera is still a mystery as we can’t tell whether or not the benchmark indicates a dual camera setup of 8MP sensors or 8MP sensors on the rear and front respectively.

The last significant detail is that the Xperia X Compact will run on Android 8.0 when it launches. The phone has been rumored to be unveiled at IFA 2017 Berlin come late next month.

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Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a hidden 120Hz screen mode which is tricky to enable

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Sony has been hiding a secret from its users for a rather long time but, it’s for a good reason. Apparently, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium comes with the same 120Hz screen as the Razer Phone. However, you need to be well versed in rooting, flashing and modifying the kernel of your phone to enable it. Even after you managed to do all that, there is a good chance that the phone will not function as intended.

Recently, a number of users have been playing around with the hidden mode, a mode that has been locked by Sony but is accessible via kernel modifications. From there, these users found that the Xperia XZ Premium actually supports three display modes, 1080p and 2160p at 60fps and a hidden 1080p at 120fps. Thanks to Sony’s Open Device program, developers have managed to build a ROM that will unlock the 120Hz mode on the phone, but the results have been inconsistent. Some users have reported that they can see an obvious difference, and some users are saying there is no change.

The mysterious 120Hz option extends to other Xperia phones listed below but the custom ROM does not support these devices:

Xperia X

Xperia X Performance

Xperia XZ

Xperia XZ1

Xperia XZ1 Compact

Xperia XA2

Xperia XZ2 Ultra

The only Xperia phone that does not have the 120Hz option is the Xperia X Compact. If you want to try out the custom ROM that will enable this feature for the Xperia XZ Premium,
click here
. Do note that flashing or installing a custom ROM wrongly
will brick your phone
,
rendering it useless
. Proceed with caution if you are planning to flash the custom ROM.

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Sony Xperia XZ and XZs can now be updated to Android Oreo

313

Its the end of the year and that means companies are updating their phones to the latest Android, the Xperia XZ line is the next phones to get the Oreo update. The phones were debuted at IFA 2016 with Android 7.1 out-of-the-box but we were expecting it to receive the update end of this year.

Some of the features that it will be getting are, reminders that you have not finish drafting our your emails or messages, redesigned app shortcuts with long-press action, and smart text selection. There is also an enhanced Xperia Actions that suggests settings based on your usage. Other than that, you will be getting Oreo features like Picture in Picture mode, new Quick Setting menu and Google Play Protect integration.

Last month, the Xperia XZ Premium received the Oreo update which brought features like 3D Creator which was originally on the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact which rendered a 3D Avatar or a free-form image of users using only the front-facing camera and it could do it in less than a minute. It also brought improvements to the audio listening experience by including aptX HD audio support.

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Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact is a 4.6-inch phone that can record in 960 frames and has 3D capture

339

Sony Mobile announced today the availability of their most cutting-edge compact smartphone, the Xperia XZ1 Compact. Taking the compact term to the next level, Sony has included the Motion Eye camera with support for slow motion video, 3D Creator, a super wide-angle front camera and premium audio experience all into the palm of your hand.

3D creator is Sony’s in-house algorithm for fast and easy scanning of 3D objects by using the four scan modes, head scan, face scan, food scan and freeform scan. Each mode offers its own custom guides making it easy to use and after completing the scan, it allows you to make them come to live by using them as avatars on the camera’s AR effects options, third-party apps or use them as a live wallpaper.

With Motion Eye camera, you will be getting all the features including Predictive Capture and Autofocus burst which can intelligently follow your subject and adjust the focus to make sure your action shots stay sharp. By recording at 960 frames per second, it can provide you with a stunning Super slow motion video playback for your enjoyment. Finally, with the 120 degrees FOV that the front camera provides, you will always get the selfie shot with all your friends and family in it.

To wrap up all the features mentioned, the XZ1 is packed with Sony’s latest audio technologies like Hi-Res Audio, DSEE HX upscaling, LDAC, Digital Noise Cancelling and ClearAudio+. Combined with the new stereo speakers that have 50% more sound pressure, this makes the most powerful Xperia speakers ever.

Specs-wise, the phone comes with a 4.6-inch screen, Snapdragon 835, Android 8.0 and offers download speeds of up to 800Mbps. The Xperia XZ1 Compact is available starting from 23 October at the following locations Sony Store The Curve, Sony Store KLCC, Sony Online Store, Sony Centre Plaza Low Yat, Sony Centre Berjaya Times Square, Sony Centre Mid
 Valley, Sony Centre Sunway Pyramid, and Sony Centre IOI Mall Puchong. It will be priced at RM2,099 and will come with four colours, White Silver, Black, Horizon Blue, and Twilight Pink.

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Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact has arrived in Malaysia

343

The Sony Xperia XZ2 has made its debut in Malaysia that comes with a new design language different from its predecessor with specs that is up-to-date with current flagships. It also comes with a range of features that are more interesting compared to the other flagships we have seen released this year.

The XZ2 comes with a beautiful 5.7-inch FHD+ 18:9 display which supports HDR and has the capability to convert content to a near HDR quality. Aside from improving content quality, it also has a Dynamic Vibration System which will bring games and movies to live by analysing the sound and provides a haptic vibration to immerse you into the content you are consuming. There are stereo speakers on the front that provides a 360 degrees surround sound quality with great volume and audio quality. The great audio is thanks to Hi-Resolution Audio technologies and together with DSEE HX technology, it can upscale audio quality, providing a better audio experience.

As mentioned above, Sony has taken a different design approach by curved the back of the phone, allowing it to rest comfortably in the palm of your hand. Alongside the 3D glass surface and Corning Gorilla Glass 5, it provides an elegant design and a metal frame for added durability. The device is equipped with the latest Snapdragon 845 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage expandable via microSD card up to 400GB. Powering the device is a 3180mAh battery which Sony said will be no problems providing a day worth of use and it supports Qi standard wireless charging.

The Xperia XZ2 comes with other features like 3D Creator, which will scan your face or head and even objects and create an accurate 3D model which you can use as an asset in your 3D work.

There is also a Compact version of the phone which comes with a 5-inch HDR FHD+ screen and comes with the same features as the standard version minus the Dynamic Vibration System.

The Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact will be available in Malaysia starting April 2018, with pre-orders starting from 23 March until 4 April. The XZ2 and XZ2 Compact will be priced at RM3,299 and RM2,899 respectively and will be available in four colours, Silver, Black, Moss Green and Ash Pink.

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Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium’s latest update brings bokeh and monochrome modes to the phone

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The Sony Xperia XZ2 is a very decent performing phone and for a phone that has one camera sensor, it could easily rival other phones that had more than one sensor. However, if you still are adamant about getting a dual-sensor phone, there is the Xperia XZ2 Premium which comes with a dual-sensor setup.

Sony has recently released an update that further improves the camera on the Xperia XZ2 Premium which adds a Bokeh effect and Monochrome modes to the camera app. The new features can be accessed by pressing the button below the shutter button and this update also brings the 1st August 2018 security patch to the phone. If you own the phone in Malaysia, the update might take some time to arrive on your phone as the update is a gradual rollout.

The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium retails for RM3499 which is quite expensive for what it offers. However, you could get the regular Xperia XZ2 for below RM3000 if you don’t need the new and fancy features that come with the Premium model.

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Sony Xperia XZ3 will come with a 48MP back camera

285

Sony has really gone all out with the release of the Xperia XZ2, changing the design language and producing what can probably be considered the best phone they company ever produced. They are keeping that status with their next phone, the Xperia XZ3 and this time they are improving its photography game by including a 48MP sensor on the back.

This camera sensor is made possible thanks to their recent mobile image sensor, the IMX586 which is capable of taking up to a 48MP image. However, it looks like they will have a very similar design to the Xperia XZ2 which is not a problem as the new design was a welcome sight from the previous blocky phones they released. Other than that, they also increased the RAM storage to 6GB, a 2GB increase from the XZ2, and a 12MP front-facing camera that supports 4K video recording. Other specs include a 5.7-inch FHD+ screen as well as the Snapdragon 845 processor.

Sony has planned to launch the Xperia XZ3 on August 30 during IFA and we are definitely looking forward to the improvements on an already excellent device.

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Sony Xperia XZ4 hinted to feature CinemaWide display

326

According to GSM Arena, Sony has teases updates for their upcoming Xperia XZ4 – which is touted to come with a 52MP main camera, mind you – via a short Twitter video.

Texts on the video displays the date of this year’s MWC, while the caption below the video says, “Embrace a new perspective with Xperia at MWC”. According to GSM Arena, Sony could be hinting the use of their new CinemaWide display on the Xeperia ZX4.

Embrace a new perspective with
#Xperia
 at
#SonyMWC

pic.twitter.com/RrWJFShpGR

— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia)
February 18, 2019

Reports by Xperia Blog claim that CinemaWide is Sony’s patented 21:9 ratio display tech which will allow for ultrawide viewing experiences.

As a recap, previous rumors suggest that the Xperia XZ4 will come equipped with a triple-camera setup, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage and a 6.5-inch display. It’ll be interesting to see how CinemaWide works on the 6.5-inch display.

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Sony XPERIA Z3 Series announced at IFA 2014

232

Shortly after the
GALAXY
 Note 4’s announcement,
Sony
 has just announced the XPERIA Z3, the company’s next flagship smartphone. Sony doesn’t seem to be making much changes to its new flagship, it maintains the same 5.2-inch 1080p Triluminous display and waterproofing features, camera resolution is also the same at 20.7 Megapixel as well. Here’s what different though, the XPERIA Z3 introduces a new wide-angle 25mm camera lens with an extremely high ISO 12,800 light sensitivity and records 4K videos, a Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad-core CPU is also present in the new flagship. Instead of making major hardware bumps, Sony has decided to bring media experiences to the table such as DSEE HX audio upscaling technology and digital noise cancelling, these technologies are certainly in line with
Sony
’s music player products so the company definitely wants to make sure that the best of
Sony
 is updated and available in its latest XPERIA Z3 smartphone.

Also announced together with the XPERIA Z3 is the XPERIA Z3 Compact and the XPERIA Z3
Tablet
 compact, which apparently shares the same specs but in different form factors and screen sizes, all three devices are IP65 and IP68 certified with the ability to submerge in water up to 1.5m. Expect the XPERIA Z3 series to go on sale before the end of 2014.


Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium receive Android Nougat

352

Sony’s 2015 flagship series has finally gotten Android Nougat after what seems to be a pretty long wait. The Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium now have Nougat rolling out to them, with an Xperia Z5 Compact rollout expected to commence really soon. The latest software update comes with a bunch of improvements, Nougat exclusive features and more.

According to Xperia Blog, the software update with the build number 32.3.A.0.372 is currently on the roll out to selected Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium handsets. Software updates for the Z5 Compact, Z3+ and Z4 Tablet is slated to arrive shortly as well. Nougat software for Sony’s 2015 flagship lineup will definitely include multi-window support as specified by Sony. The update will bring a smarter Xperia home screen as well, with Google Now integration. Sony has also made selfie capturing much easier along with the software update, adding a new self timer button for selfie shots.

Another notable improvement is Sony’s promise of better battery life with the Android Nougat update, including more battery saving features on top of the already impressive STAMINA battery saving mode which is exclusive to Sony devices. Do note that the software update is nearly 1,300MB in size, so it is more advisable to have a stable Wi-Fi connection for downloading.

Have you gotten your copy of Nougat for your Xperia device? Let us know at the comments below!

Source:
Xperia Blog

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Sony's Dualshock 4 controller now fully supported on Steam

431

Remember that time
 where Valve announced that they will be working on Dualshock 4 support for Steam? Well, Valve has announced today that the Dualshock 4 is now fully supported on its gaming platform.

According to the
patch notes
, the Steam client will be able to recognize the Dualshock 4 controller in its entirely. This means that every part of the Dualshock 4 can be mapped to various functions in Steam, including the buttons, analog sticks, the trackpad and even the gyroscope.

On top of that, the Dualshock 4 will also have access to the full rage of APIs that the Steam Controller has. Other features that the Dualshock 4 will have access to includes an LED control setting, a joystick-controlled mouse, haptic feedback preferences, and software-based gyroscope and accelerometer integration.

In short, the Dualshock 4 will be able to control the entirely of Steam in Big Picture mode. If you’ve already owned a PS4 at home, your Dualshock 4 controller can now double as your PC controller as well.

Source:
Steam

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Sony’s latest invention on an old technology–a 185TB cassette tape

345

If you’re born in the 1980s, you should be aware that cassettes and floppy disks are the most biggest things in storage technology and
Sony
 is one of the companies making them. Today, although floppy disks are history but cassette tape still plays a major role in enterprises on performing data backups,
Sony
 has therefore introduced the world’s highest density tape that records at 148Gb/in2, which makes up to a storage space of 185TB!

The production of this tape will be in collaboration with IBM, and we definitely won’t be seeing this cassette tape selling on retail shelves since its meant for commercial use. With the increasing demand and popularity of high speed SSDs, we doubt if enterprise would want to spend on a single 185TB tape since this isn’t going to be cheap as well.

Source:
Sony


Sony’s latest XPERIA Z3 flagship to sport better waterproof capabilities

286

As IFA 2014 is about to kick off in Berlin,
Sony
 just can’t wait to tease us on what its got up its sleeve by releasing the teaser image above, which tries to tell us that its upcoming smartphone and we presume its the flagship XPERIA Z3 to be able to submerge itself up to 2 meters, double of its current XPERIA Z2 smartphone at 1 meter.
Sony
 has been the leader in making smartphones with great waterproof capabilities and its going to be very interesting to see how the phone will pull its competitors off this time.

We’ll be getting deep at
#IFA2014
. But how deep..?
#SonyIFA

pic.twitter.com/elDGs2wXfl

—
Sony
 UK (@SonyUK)
August 31, 2014

IFA 2014 will kick off soon and we’ll be seeing many more powerful smartphones this time from other manufacturers, as rumors have suggested, the XPERIA Z3 will be launched together with the XPERIA Z3 Compact
tablet
 as well, let’s do the countdown till then.

Source:
Sony (Twitter)


Sony’s MHC-V90DW is a 170cm tall speaker that rocks your house party

993

Sony’s home party speakers are funky, huge boom boxes that meant business for what it is capable of, the company has launched probably the tallest speaker in the series, the MUTEKI, otherwise known as the MHC-V90DW, has made its debut with a 170cm height and sports 11 speakers, which comprises of four tweeters, two subwoofers and four mid-range speakers.

Like the rest of its home party speakers, the V90DW comes with party lights which reacts according to the music playback, you can also control the speaker’s lighting and special sound effects using the Fiestable app, which is available as a free download on Google Play and Apple App Store. Not only the V90DW is big on sound, but it also features a Spread Sound Generator that helps spread music playback further, which makes it rather useful for parties at large houses or a big hall, Sony has even went on to boast that it could easily fill a night club.

The control panel has a few tricks of its own, apart from being able to control the features, it has a trackpad which you can perform gestures on music playback and DJ effects, there’s even a voice changer feature which you can mimic your voice as a woman or guy if you want to, a mic input is also available as a standard, and if you prefer, this could even be your home theater system as it can play DVD movies and comes with HDMI in and audio inputs. Should you want bigger sound, you can also pair the V90DW with other compatible Sony speakers with its Wireless Link technology. The V90DW also supports music playback via Bluetooth and has Google Chromecast audio built-in.

Sony Malaysia has already started selling the MHC-V90DW speakers nationwide for the price of RM2,999.

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Sony’s new a6400 camera arrives in Malaysia with world’s fastest autofocus system

361

In addition to introducing the RX0 II, Sony also announces its next-generation a6400 mirrorless camera, a new member to its E-mount mirrorless camera series.

The new a6400 has several technologies that was previously only found in full-frame Sony cameras, such as its autofocus system that has 425 phase-detection AF points and 425 contrast-detection AF points. This system is paired with the BIONZ X image processing engine — also found in the RX0 II — allowing the camera to focus in just 0.02 second. The new a6400 comes with 24.2MP APS-C sized image sensor and its standard ISO ranges up to 102400, yet it can minimise noise reduction when it comes to high and medium sensitivities.

Moreover, Sony has integrated Real-time Eye AF in the new a6400 that can detect and process face and eye data using AI technology. The camera will also bring Eye AF support for animals in summer 2019, so in the near future photographers, especially wildlife photographers, will be able to shoot of animals more conveniently. Sony also introduces its Real-time Tracking, which once again depends on AI to recognise objects and subjects to provide excellent accuracy and quality when it comes to photography and videography.

Similar to the RX0 II, the a6400 also supports internal 4K recording and goes without pixel binning so that it can collect more data for its 4K videos. Also, the camera has a built-in interval recording with AE tracking sensitivity in three levels — preventing drastic changes in exposure during shooting — and can be capture up to 9999 shots.

The a6400 has a XGA OLED viewfinder, and sports a LCD screen that can be tilted up to 180 degrees upwards. With its tough magnesium alloy design paired with a durable shutter, the a6400 is also moisture and dust resistant, ensuring that it’s a long-lasting device.

The a6400 is already available in Malaysia and starts at the price of RM3,999.

a6400
sony


Sony's new action cameras has better stabilisation and faster performance

346

Even though Sony’s involvement in the action camera market doesn’t seem to be as aggressive as competitor GoPro, the company’s action cameras have been rather impressive when it comes to video quality and image stabilisation. The company has pulled the curtains off two new action cameras this round, namely the FDR-X3000R and HDR-AS300R, both cameras sport an all new Balanced Optical Image Stabilisation (B.O.SS) hardware that is usually found on the company’s Handycam video recorders, waterproof up to 60m with the supplied Underwater Housing, a new ZEISS wide angle lens with a 1/2.5″ Exmor R CMOS sensor that takes 8.2-megapixel photos, and the familiar BIONZ X processor found on the Alpha A7 cameras.

With the all new B.O.SS hardware, users can be assured that their videos will be properly stabilised when doing extreme activities, the FDR-X3000R in particular takes 4K videos at 100Mbps and Full HD videos at 50Mbps with the XAVC-S format, which is one of the highest recording bitrate we have seen on an action camera, it also supports taking 120fps slow-mo videos in Full HD resolution. In addition, Sony has also supplied the new RM-LVR3 Live View Remote out of the box for both cameras, it is 30 percent smaller than its predecessor and can be attached to various mounting accessories for viewing your footage and configuring the cameras’ settings.

Sony’s new FDR-X3000R and HDR-AS300R action cameras are already available in selected dealers and Sony Stores nationwide, the FDR-X3000R retails at RM2,199 while pricing of the HDR-AS300R will be revealed later by Sony Malaysia.


Sony’s new CFexpress memory cards are capable SATA SSD-like speeds!

306

We’ve been seeing a lot innovations in the smartphone sector, both in hardware and software. Perhaps its time to take a break from smartphones and turn our attentions to cameras.

Sony has announced that they’re working on a memory card that’s so fast it could even match SARA SSD speeds. The upcoming CFexpress memory cards are capable of write and read speeds of 1,700 and 1,480 MB/s respectively.

According to Engadget, CFexpress utilizes PCIe Gen technology paired with a arge CompactFlash format. However, regular cameras haven’t quite caught up with CFexpress’ speeds yet unless you’re shooting RAW. The memory cards will be available with 128GB of storage at the moment while 256GB and 512GB configurations are in the pipelines.

cfexpress
memory cards
sata
sony
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storage


Sony’s new EXTRA BASS GTX-XB72 speaker is now in Malaysia for RM1,499

447

Sony has just introduced its new EXTRA BASS wireless speaker, the GTK-XB72 that is now available in Malaysia for the price of RM1,499.

The GTX-XB72 from Sony’s well-known EXTRA BASS series comes with a large cabinet and big speakers that results in stronger bass and a wider field of sound that makes it a great audio system for parties and events. In addition, it also supports Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), which provides hi-res audio quality.

Its design also makes it a great device for parties thanks to its built-in accelerometer and its convenient and portable design, which allows both vertical and horizontal setup. Although it can be rather heavy at the weight of 12kg, the speaker has a Party Booster feature that can create various lighting and sound effects that will bring your party to the next level.

Image credit: Sony

The GTX-XB72 also supports bluetooth and NFC, and if you’re worried that it might not be able to last, you can always charge it via USB and continue playing music at your parties. Furthermore, there’s a LIVE SOUND mode that will utilise Digital Signal Processing technology to produce three-dimensional audio to give the feeling of live experience.

The GTX-XB72 can be purchased at Sony Stores and with authorised dealers, and it only comes in one colour option, Black.

EXTRA BASS
GTX-XB72
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wireless speaker


Sony’s new Xperia C5 Ultra and Xperia M5 are one of the best mid range phones you can buy

321

We talked back in our Oppo R1x review that flagships are no longer stealing the spotlight these days and Sony’s announcement of two mid-range devices have proven that statement to become even more relevant, the Xperia C5 Ultra and M5 are the new mid-range superstars in Sony’s smartphone line up and they pack some decent features under the hood.

The Xperia C5 Ultra is what
Sony

calls it a PROSelfie phone, the phone is actually a step up from the company’s Xperia C4 and its front camera has been upgraded to a 13-megapixel Exmor RS camera with LED flash while maintaining the very same 13-megapixel main camera, performance is managed by a Mediatek MT6752 64-bit Octa-Core SoC with 2GB of RAM, the phone has a huge 6-inch Full HD display, 16GB of internal flash with storage expansion, and a 2930mAh battery that aims to deliver two days of battery life.

On the other hand, the Xperia M5 is a waterproof smartphone that features a 21.5-megapixel Hybrid AF f/2.2 Exmor RS main camera that supports 4K video recording and a front facing 13-megapixel Exmor RS camera, the phone has a finger friendly 5-inch display size that produces Full HD resolution and it is also noteworthy that a Mediatek Helio X10 SoC with 3GB of RAM powers the device, which makes it a serious contender to flagship devices such as HTC’s One M9 Plus.

Its been a while since
Sony

has such exciting mid-range devices and they are now the very best mid-range smartphones you can buy, as these two phones feature really great smartphone performance and most importantly, the pair of powerful cameras. According to 9to5Google, the Xperia C5 Ultra and Xperia M5 are slated to have an August launch date so we should’t be waiting too long for our local debut, but lets hope these phones are reasonably priced.

c5
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Sony’s next flagship Snapdragon 845 Xperia phone might launch at CES 2018

402

Sony might be unveiling a new Xperia phone equipped with the latest Snapdragon 845 and Adreno 640 GPU during CES 2018 in January alongside other products like smart TVs, cameras, audio products and more.

The phone will come with two variants, 4GB of RAM with 64GB storage and 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage which can be expanded. It will also come with Android 8.0 out of the box, which indicates this is the rumoured Sony H8226 smartphone. It is now listed on Geekbench, the 4GB RAM model has a 2393 score for single-core performance and 8300 for multi-core tests. Other than that, it will come with an 18:9 ratio display with 4K resolution. The H8266 is said to be the successor to the Xperia XZ Premium and some leaks indicate this to be the Xperia XZ2.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

All of this is still rumours and speculations for now, we will know more when CES 2018 comes about where Sony will have their press conference on 8 January 2018. Are you excited about their new flagship phone coming out? Let us know what you think.

ces
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Sony’s RX0 II is the new ultra-compact camera for vloggers, priced at RM2,799

277

Compact cameras are capable of doing so much more these days, and Sony further proves it with its new RX0 II, an ultra-compact camera that weighs around 132g.

The RX0 II comes with a 1.0-type stacked Exmore RS CMOS image sensor paired with advanced BIONZ X image processing engine, enabling the production of great image quality and efficient performance. In addition, it has a ZEISS Tessar T 24mm lens that is a wide angle-lens that can produce high-quality images with minimal distortion, ensuring the sharpness and contrast of the images.

The RX0 II also has a spectacular exterior. It is waterproof up to 10 metres deep, and can be dustproof and shockproof up to 2 metres. Moreover, the compact camera is said to be crushproof, where it can withstand up to 200kg force. The camera also has a LCD screen that can be tilt up to 180 degrees and down to 90 degrees.

As for its video capabilities, the RX0 II supports 4K 30p internal recording that has full pixel readout and no pixel binning, which ensures smooth footage with unrivalled detail. It has a feature known as in-body electronic stabilisation, and this further steadies the footages taken even when users are shooting without tripod. The camera also comes with Super Slow Motion recording, and it can shoot up to 1000fps with uncompressed 4K HDMI output.

In terms of photography, the RX0 II offers an Anti-distortion Shutter up to 1/32000 second and can shoot up to 16fps, ensuring that users will never miss a moment no matter how quickly it is. Sony also upgraded the colour reproduction in the RX0 II and also its Eye AF function that now comes with higher speed and accuracy.

The RX0 II will be available in May 2019 at the price of RM2,799.


Sony’s ‘Vote To Play’ allows PS Plus Users vote on a free game

311

On PlayStation 4, the PlayStation Plus subscriber will have a better advantage to play online rather than non-subscriber. However, the service also provides the players with a set of free games every month that called the “Instant Game Collection” for your PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. Previously,
Sony
 has always hand-picked these free games and then revealed them to the public a week or two before the new month rolls in. But, that will change soon, as the company is introducing a new way to decide which games will end up on the monthly rotating list of free titles.

Sony
 has introduced a new system; Vote to Play. It allows the subscribers to vote for one PlayStation 4 title to be added to the free games roster. The game with the most votes will be added to the collection next month, and surprisingly for the runner-up will be offered with an unknown discount.

Other than that, it’s safe to assume that not every game on the PlayStation 4 will be up for consideration because
Sony
 might narrow down the choices to a select few, and then the players will cast their vote amongst the games presented. This happens because it’s also worth nothing that the voting process doesn’t cover PlayStation 3 or Vita titles.

The ability to play online multiplayer matches, PlayStation Plus provides free games and discounts on certain titles and more details are bound to come soon. Hopefully, this new feature will be beneficial mainly for existing and new PlayStation Plus subscriber.


Sony's Xperia XZ and X Compact arrives in Malaysia

383

Xperia fans rejoice as Sony is finally bringing in the new Xperia phones to Malaysia, the Xperia XZ and the Xperia X Compact.

The main star of the day is the Xperia XZ of course, being the flagship of the Xperia X line of smartphone. the XZ is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 2,900mAh battery.

Imaging is the biggest selling point of the Xperia XZ, as it comes with 23MP 1/2.3″ rear camera that includes the Exmor RS mobile image sensor. This rear camera is then paired with Sony’s own Predictive Hybrid Autofocus, as well as the triple image sensing technology which comprises of an image sensor, a Laser AF sensor, and a RGBC-IR sensor. Other technology that is included in the Xperia XZ’s rear camera includes the G Lens, the BIONZ mobile image-processing engine, as well as Steadyshot. For the front camera, the Xperia XZ comes with a 13MP 1/3.06″ snapper with Exmore RS mobile image sensor.

Next on the list is the Xperia X Compact, the affordable option out of the two smartphones launched today. Powered by a Snapdragon 650 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a 2,700mAh battery, this smartphone is, as the name implies, a compact device thanks to its 4.6″ display. Small though it may be, the Xperia X Compact’s camera is no pushover, as the rear camera is similar to the one found on the Xperia XZ. For the front camera, the X Compact comes with a 5MP 1/5.0″ Exmor R snapper.

Both phones are now available for preorder on 11street. Those who preorder the phones via 11street will get themselves some accessories for their phones. The Xperia XZ will retail for RM2,699, while the Xperia X Compact will go for RM1,999.

smartphones
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Sony’s Xperia XZ4 could be first smartphone with a 52MP camera

316

Look alive mobile photographers! Leaks have surfaced detailing the specs of Sony’s upcoming Xperia XZ4 – what stands out among all other details is that the phone might sport a 52MP primary lens – yikes!

Image credit: Sumahoinfo

The phone is supposedly equipped with a three-camera setup is a 16MP telephoto camera with an f/2.6 aperture lens, the middle camera a 52MP lens with f/1.6 and the third a 0.3MP ToF sensor with f/1.4 aperture. If anything, that just screams a clear intent on Sony’s part to rival all brands in the mobile camera market.

The leaks also detail the 52MP sensor’s ability to use 4 to-1 pixel binning, suggesting good performance under low-light conditions. In any case, it’s safe to say it’s obviously an improvement from XZ3’s single, 19MP camera set up.

Image credit: Zackbuks

Other details from the leak indicate that the XZ4 will be a 6.5-inch mammoth, half an inch larger than its predecessor. It comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

We suspect more concrete information of the phone are to come soon, so stay tuned for the more news on the Xperia XZ4.

camera
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Soon, everyone can play Star Wars: Battlefront beta

266

We are all getting super excited about Star Wars: Battlefront as we keep getting news here and there on what to expect from the game. With so much hype going on, we are a little worried though: can it live up to the expectations? But then, we now don’t have to worry since EA has announced that Star Wars: Battlefront beta will be open to everyone.

Apparently this beta version offers players a chance to experience a little bit of every part of the game. There will be game modes for all types of players whether competitive or solo, with game modes such as Walker Assault and Drop Zone game modes for the former and Survival Mission mode for the latter.

You can download the beta as soon as it is live, in offline and online modes on PlayStation 4,
Xbox
One
 and Origin for PC.

battlefront
beta
gaming
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wars


Soon you will be able to control Spotify using Google Assistant

303

Spotify is finally bringing Google Assistant integration update to its app which will allow you to control the music streaming app using your voice. The news comes directly from Spotify that the company shared in a press release on their website.

The company also goes on to mention that the voice assistant integration will work on all Android phones that support Google Assistant and will be available to both free and premium users of the streaming service without any limitations. To get started, link your Spotify account and set Spotify as the default music app as it will give more freedom to use your voice to control it. At the time of writing, I found that I still could not change the default music service to Spotify but there is still some integration with the assistant. However, it is still quite limited as I can only pause the song playing, go to the next and previous track.

In the press release they did mention that full support for Spotify on Google Assistant will be rolling out in the coming weeks, so don’t forget to update both your Spotify app and Google Assistant when the updates are available.

assistant
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Soul Sync ANC, S-Nano & S-Gear Review: Which of these 3 should you buy?

1.4K

Soul
 is a company that have been offering audio products since 2010; among the wireless earbuds that have been launched, we’ve got our hands on three models — the Soul Sync ANC, Soul S-Nano and Soul S-Gear.

Each of these earbuds have their own strengths and weaknesses, but if you want to know which is the earbuds for you, here’s where you find out.

They’re all designed differently

The Soul TWS earbuds and cases come in different shapes and sizes; the Sync ANC has the longest, cylindrical case while the S-Nano has a compact, square case that stands out among others. All three models comes with a matte finish and are smooth to touch.

There is one thing that I like about these cases — they come with a tiny loop that can be attached to a carabiner. I can hang them on my bags for easy access, and that also eliminates the chances of me losing the earbuds.

The earbuds themselves are also slightly different; the Sync ANC have little stems like the AirPods while the S-Gear and S-Nano are stemless and fits more snugly in my ears. All these earbuds weigh below 5g each; the S-Nano weighs the lightest overall at 28.6g while the Sync ANC weighs at 39.6g.

Interestingly, the S-Nano has an IPX5 rating which protects it from low-pressure water jet spray, but the S-Gear and Sync ANC are only resistant to water splashes due to their IPX4 rating.

That being said, these earbuds can survive a little rain —
just don’t attempt to wash them with water.

These earbuds all come with touch controls; you can control music playback, answer/end calls and even switch between modes (only applicable to the S-Nano and Sync ANC that have multiple modes). However, the S-Gear doesn’t have volume control like the other two.

Among these three models, the Soul ANC is the only one with Active Noise Cancellation. You’ll also get Transparency mode with this model and the S-Nano; the S-Gear stays basic with no option to switch between modes.

Surprise, surprise! The priciest isn’t the best.

Soul S-Nano – balanced

It’s time to throw away the assumption that something is better if they’re more expensive. The
Soul S-Nano
 turned out to have the best audio quality among the three devices, followed by the Sync ANC and the S-Gear. It has better bass than the premium model and a more balanced audio profile.

Soul Sync ANC – inconsistent bass, clear vocals

On the other hand, the
Sync ANC
’s bass is inconsistent. Depending on songs, sometimes the bass aren’t punchy enough; other times it’s over-exaggerated and covers up the mids. That being said, these earbuds have clear vocals and lean towards a warmer profile.

Soul S-Gear – average at best

As for the
S-Gear
, the highs and mids tend to overpower the lows. The overall audio quality is not as clean and can be improved, but they’re okay for a pair of budget earbuds.

They all have decent battery lives

According to the official site, the S-Gear takes the lead by a narrow margin in terms of battery life as it can last the longest (up to 6 hours) on a single charge. This is followed by the S-Nano (up to 5.5 hours) and the Sync ANC (up to 5 hours).

However, the difference between the S-Gear and S-Nano isn’t obvious when I use them. Both lasted me almost two weeks with about two hours of usage daily. The Sync ANC lasted about a week only, but that’s because I’m always using it with ANC turned on.

Verdict

So, which earbuds should you go for? To put it simply, go for the:

Sync ANC if active noise cancellation is a must

S-Nano for better audio and a compact design

S-Gear if you just need an affordable pair of earbuds with decent quality and features

They’re all decent earbuds with different selling points, so it all depends on your budget and what you’re looking for when selecting a pair of earbuds. These earbuds start from RM199, but here’s a good news!

All these earbuds are available at
discounted prices
 on our e-commerce site,
GoodDeals by KLGG
. You can even purchase them via instalments with IOUPay if you own a debit/credit card.

Soul TWS Earbuds

Price:
 RM189-RM459

These Soul TWS earbuds cater to different kinds of users, but they all come with good battery life and decent builds.

KLGadgetGuy

Sync ANC

7

S-Nano

8

S-Gear

6

The Goods

Battery life is up to expectation

Durable build quality

Strong ANC (Sync ANC)

Balanced audio (S-Nano)

Affordable (S-Gear)

The Bads

Overwhelming, inconsistent bass (Sync ANC)

Unimpressive bass (S-Gear)

 7.0

Average Score

S-Gear
S-Nano
Soul TWS earbuds
Sync ANC


Soundcore Frames: Anker’s first audio glasses will cost $199.99

1.4K

Soundcore by Anker recently announced Soundcore Frames, a $199.99 audio glasses with up to 10 different swappable frames.

Each additional frame will cost $49.99 each, and the selection of frames include polarised, blue-light filtering and prescription lenses. However, you’ll be able to pick a frame of your choice when your buy the Soundcore Frames.

Similar to many audio glasses, the Soundcore Frames will also have noise leakage when the volume is slightly higher — each temple will come with two speakers.

You can either touch or use voice-based controls with these glasses, and they come with an IPX4 rating.

The Soundcore Frames promises 5.5 hours of music playback, and a 10-minute charge will offer extra 90 minutes of battery life.

If you’re unsure whether you want to get these glasses, you can even try them on virtually via Soundcore app which can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices.

Soundcore Frames

The
Soundcore Frames
 will be launching in November and will be available on Anker’s website, Amazon and Best Buy, but there’s no announcement on its Malaysian availability yet.

anker
Soundcore
Soundcore Frames


Source code for Android 7.0 Nougat is now available

370

With Android 7.0 Nougat now available for Nexus users, Android developers can now join in the Nougat fun as
Google has released the source code
 for Nougat today!

The release of the Android 7.0 Nougat source code means that developers are now able to update their apps to support Google’s latest version of the Android Operating System. Indeed, the team at CynogenMod has been busy working on integrating Nougat into CyanogenMod 14.0 on the Nexus 5X. Outside of CyanogenMod, it is expected that other third-party ROMs will be available in the coming weeks, so if you can’t wait for your phone manufacturer to come out with their own version of Nougat, you can always opt to flash your phone.

For those who prefer the ‘legit’ route, you’re going to have to remain patient. While we do know that the first Nougat-powered phone will be the LG V20, we don’t know anything about when manufacturer-skinned Android Nougats will be available.

Source: Android Authority

android
google
nougat
sourcecode


Sources indicate that facial recognition will replace the Touch ID in the new iPhone

320

Yet again, another rumour about the new iPhone has surfaced, this time it is big. These rumours indicate that Apple might include face recognition on the next phone as it is apparently more accurate and secure compared to a fingerprint. Based on Bloomberg sources, it will come with a depth sensor that can scan your face with accuracy and speed, unlocking your phone in a few hundred milliseconds, even while lying down on a table. Because it collects more data, the phone will not be fooled by a photo.

Sources also mentioned that Apple wants to stick with face recognition rather than using Touch ID for verifications, but it is still unsure if this will replace the Touch ID due to the problems Apple is facing putting the fingerprint scanner under the screen. However, conflicting reports mention that the under-screen fingerprint sensor will come to the new phone and a representative at chip maker TSMC claimed that it will be there.

What do you think about the new way to unlock and authorise things on your phone, do you prefer using your finger or face? Perhaps, Apple is using your face because they can’t get the fingerprint sensor to be under the screen? We will find out soon enough when the phone launches at the end of this year.

apple
facial
fingerprint
ios
iphone
recognition
sensor


South Korea plagiarizes Battlefield and Ace Combat in order to sell its fighter jet

403

Back in 2015, South Korea produced a video in order to promote the Kai KF-X fighter jet. Today, said video has come back to bite them in the rear as the Korea Times found out that the video in question used footage from video games in order to show off the fighter’s performance.

According to the report, it appears that whoever it was that was in charge of making the promo video for the Kai KF-X has used gameplay footage from Battlefield 3 and Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, presumably without actually licensing the content in the first place. South Korea’s military has since acknowledged that the video wasn’t authorized and has since pulled the clips from use.

Not surprisingly, the companies involved in this controversy have begun blaming each other for this mess. The South Korean military has placed the blame with the company that was responsible for making the video, while the video producers are blaming South Korea’s Agency for Defence Development and Korea Aerospace Industries for greenlighting the video. Neither EA nor Namco Bandai have commented on this odd happening as of yet.

While it is unlikely that this controversy will gain much traction in South Korea, it is nevertheless amusing to see defence companies use video game footage in order to promote their machines of war.

Source:
Korea Times
,
Engadget

acecombatassaulthorizon
advertisement
battlefield3
kaikfx
military
plagarism
southkorea


South Korean LG G5 users taste the first fruits of Android Nougat

258

With Android Nougat 7.0 readily available on the LG V20, it is no surprise that the LG G5 users are keen on getting their share of the latest Android operating system. South Korean manufacturer LG has finally announced the rollout of Android Nougat 7.0 for the G5. This makes it the first company apart from Google to rollout Nougat to its smartphone(s), after being the first company to have Nougat running on its handset.

The Android Nougat 7.0 rollout however, will be gradual. LG has announced that users in its home country South Korea will be the first ones to get the software update. Users from other respective regions will be getting their share of Nougat in the weeks to come. The rollout comes after LG conducted a Nougat preview program for 2,000 of its South Korean G5 users. The software update will mean that LG G5 users are getting their hands on an improved version of Android with a slew of new features such as smarter notifications, multi window support to run apps side by side, and the ability to search inside apps with In Apps.

Most of the OEM’s are hinting at an Android Nougat update in the near future, hence we do hope for more rollouts before 2016 comes to a close. Anyone here an LG G5 user? Let us know your thoughts at the comments section below!

Source:
LG

70
android
g5
korea
lg
nougat
rollout
software
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update


South Korean prosecutors looking to arrest Samsung's leader over presidential scandal

307

Late last year,
South Korean prosecutors raided the Samsung headquarters
 as the company played a part in the scandal the involved South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Unfortunately for Samsung, that isn’t the end of the story as it appears that the South Korean prosecutors are currently seeking a warrant to arrest the head of Samsung Group Lee Jae-yong.

Better known as Jay Y. Lee, the de facto head of Samsung Group and Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. is being accused of bribery in exchange for political favours. Investigators believe that Lee had bribed Choi Soon-sil, Park’s confidant, in exchange for government support in the company’s succession planning as well as the merger between Samsung C&T Corp and Cheil Industries.

While the warrant has yet to be issued as of the time of writing, the mere thought that Samsung’s head may be arrested over a political scandal can have grave consequences for the company. On top of that, considering the fact that Samsung is one of the biggest companies that operate in South Korea, anything that happens to the company will also directly impact the economy of the country.

Source:
Bloomberg
,
Engadget

arrest
leejaeyong
politics
samsung
southkorea
warrant


SpaceX’s Starlink is now available in Malaysia from RM220/month

3.7K

SpaceX’s Starlink, the satellite-powered internet service, has finally marked its presence in Malaysia, following a hint-dropping tease over a year ago. Not long ago, it secured the much-needed Network Facility and Service Provider License, clearing its legal pathway to operate in the region.

Subscriptions are now open, and the service, coupled with essential hardware, is available to everyone in Malaysia, spanning both Peninsular and East Malaysia. As SpaceX indicates, subscribers could tap into download speeds hovering around the 100Mbps mark.

Subscribing to the service is a commitment-free affair at RM220 per month, but you’ll need to part with RM2,300 for the standard kit. This kit packs the Starlink dish, a base, a Wi-Fi router, and all the necessary cables.

For most folks, the standard kit would be ample. However, for businesses and enterprises seeking to harness the satellite service, a high-performance kit could be a worthy investment despite its hefty RM11,613 price tag. This premium kit not only includes a power supply but is also built to tolerate high temperatures, connect to a greater number of satellites, and resist extreme environments.

Regardless of the kit chosen, the monthly subscription remains a flat RM220, plus a shipping fee of RM100 for either kit. Plus, Starlink backs its hardware with a 30-day return policy, ensuring a full refund if customers are not thrilled with their purchase.

Head here if you are interested to subscribe to
Starlink
.

elon musk
spacex
starlink


speakOUT offers affordable prepaid wireless services with 4 new packages

535

If you’re looking for a wireless service provider other than the usual big boys, then you might want to check out these 4 new packages offered by speakOUT, a prepaid wireless service provided by Pavo Communications Sdn Bhd. speakOUT offers no-contract phone bundles and various pay-as-you-go plans for data, talk and text, which gives youths and tourists more options when it comes to connectivity.

speakOUT was initially introduced in Malaysia in 2011, with a carrier agreement with Digi. Being available in 7-Eleven convenient stores around the country, speakOUT make its prepaid services easily available. speakOUT offers a basic prepaid SIM pack with a preloaded talktime amount of RM2 and 500MB worth of data valid for 30days.  Fair usage policy will be applied upon reaching the allocated data quota, with an option of to boost the continuous highspeed Internet experience via various Mark booster plans.

Having also analysed the tourist segment and tourist trends, speakOUT also offers a unique prepaid Tourist Pack which offers prepaid talktime of RM5 and 100GB of data for 7 days, which retails for RM50 (approximately USD 12.50) making it arguably one of the most value for money offerings in the region.

According to Greg Oon, Group Co-CEO and Executive Director of speakOUT, he mentioned that speakOUT is focused on offering a hassle-free solution for its customers. On top of convenience, you can also obtain phone bundles as speakOUT has made agreements with various smart device makers like ZTE, Ding Ding and GOMAX, in order to bundle their smart devices with its SIM packages.

gregoon
prepaid
simpackages
speakout
speakoutpackages
telco
wirelessservices


"Special announcement" for the Oculus Rift coming soon

318

It seems that new information regarding the much awaited Virtual Reality headset, the Oculus Rift, will be due this week.

According to a tweet by Geoff Keighley, Oculus’ Founder, Palmer Luckey, will be present at the “Game Awards” which is due to be held on Thursday at Los Angeles.

Don’t miss
@thegameawards
 for a special announcement from
@oculus
 founder
@PalmerLuckey

https://t.co/Ui4UR1nhVR

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley)
November 30, 2015

While there are no hints as to what exactly Luckey is planning to announce during the event, many are speculating that the announcement would centre around the release date of the Oculus Rift, which currently has a general release date of January 2016.

For those interested, the event will be livestreamed on
Youtube
 and
Twitch
.

oculusrift
thegameawards
virtualreality
vr


This Special Edition Galaxy Note 8 costs nearly RM 7,500

338

Special edition smartphones are becoming more common lately. We saw the likes of OnePlus launching a Star Wars Edition OnePlus 5T in white and an Anniversary Edition Lava Red color option of the same handset. Of course, there’s also the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10, and now Samsung has announced a special edition Galaxy Note 8 in collaboration with art brand 99AVANT.

First things first, the 99AVANT edition of the Galaxy Note 8 will only be limited to South Korean consumers, just like most of its beautifully colored flagship smartphones. The handset will be the Midnight Black Galaxy Note 8 with no difference in design. The specs also remain the same throughout – a 6.3-inch QHD+ display, Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB RAM, 256GB storage, dual 12MP rear cameras, 8MP selfie camera and a 3,300mAh battery.

What makes it different is of course the packaging. the 99VANT edition Galaxy Note 8 will come bundled with a tiger artwork case that is autographed by renowned artist Han Seung Woo. On the software side, the Galaxy Note 8 will have several custom wallpapers as well. The phone will also come with a 69cm X 45cm artwork poster to top off the collaboration.

All of these, for a premium price tag of KRW 1,991,000 (RM 7,481.46). We aren’t able to justify on anyone’s behalf, but if someone is an art enthusiast, perhaps he would be willing to spend that amount of money on a smartphone.

99avant
art
galaxy note 8
premium
special edition


A special edition OnePlus 5 will be launched in Paris

307

Last year saw OnePlus launch its flagship in an aluminium build for the first time in the company’s history. The aluminum body OnePlus 3 paved the way for the company to offer more color options with the OnePlus 3T. OnePlus even partnered up with colette in France to release 250 units of colette edition OnePlus 3T’s in a sleek black design. OnePlus is probably doing something similar this year.

The Chinese startup won’t be collaborating with colette this time round, but will instead be working with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a popular French designer. The launch event will be held in Paris next week on September 19, where a teaser with a statement saying, “When the style meets its machine, one night in September in Paris.

We’re guessing that like what OnePlus did with the OnePlus 3T last year, the special edition OnePlus 5 will sport some form of designer logo on its back panel. It is possible that the 2017 flagship might even see a new color option with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. The phone is currently available in Midnight Black, Slate Gray and more recently, Soft Gold color models.

The special edition OnePlus 5 will also be extremely limited when it launches next week. Judging by the fact that only 250 units of colette edition OnePlus 3T’s were made, OnePlus might just do the same with the OnePlus 5.

colette
color
oneplus
oneplus 3
oneplus 3t
oneplus 5
special edition


Specifications of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1080 Ti leaked

347

With both the GTX 1080 and the Pascal-based Titan X now out, it was only a matter of time until Nvidia announces the GTX 1080 Ti. While the company has yet to do so, a user on the OC3D forums have leaked what is supposedly the specifications for the upcoming graphics card, and it is an interesting one to look at.

For starters, the GTX 1080 Ti will be using Nvidia’s GP102 core design, which is the exact same design that Nvidia has used to develop the current gen Titan X. The GTX 1080 Ti is also expected to come with a total of 3328 CUDA cores that runs at a base and boost frequency of 1503MHz and 1623MHz respectively, beating out the Titan X in terms of clockspeed.

Perhaps the most curious part of the GTX 1080 Ti’s specifications has to do with its VRAM. Unlike both the GTX 1080 and the Titan X, the memory of the GTX 1080 Ti is stated to be GDDR5 instead of GDDR5X. Also, the GTX 1080 Ti will have 52 SM units, four short of the Titan X’s 56 SM units.

As always, do take the specification of the GTX 1080 Ti with a grain of salt, as these are not the final confirmed specification for the card. While Nvidia has not mentioned anything about the GTX 1080 Ti so far, an educated guess has been made by many that Nvidia may only reveal the card at CES 2017. If so, we are still three months away from the official unveiling of the card.

Source:
OC3D Forums

ces2017
geforce
graphicscard
gtx1080ti
leak
nvidia
specifications


Specs and price of the Oppo Find X leaked prior to the launch even

356

Oppo is all set to launch the Find X tomorrow morning at 3 AM but it looks like we might just have all the information on the phone prior to their launch. TENAA has already published the phone on their website complete with all its specs and another website might have just published its price as well.

Just like the Vivo NEX, the Find X will have a full-body display. Other than that, it will come with a 5x lossless zoom and Super VOOC fast charging. The phone is said to come with the Snapdragon 845 processor and 8GB of RAM, putting it on a different level than the Vivo NEX. Reports also indicate that it might come with 128GB and 256GB variants and some even claim that there will be a 512GB model. It also has a 6.4-inch display with a screen-to-body ratio of 93.8 percent and on the back will be a 20MP+16MP camera while the front houses a 25MP camera. Powering all of this is a 3,730 mAh battery which as mentioned before, will support Oppo’s VOOC fast charging technology.

Based on the price comparison above, the phone will be priced at 4500 Yuan (RM2786.25), however, it does not mention which variant of the phone it will be. If you are feeling up to it, they will be streaming the launch event on 20 June 2018 at 3 AM, you can watch the stream on YouTube or Facebook.

find
leak
oppo
release
specs
x


Specs, design and pricing of the Moto G6 and G6 Play leaks

380

We just got news that another Motorola phone has surfaced in a leak that shows the entire phone and everything it comes with. This time its the upcoming Moto G6 and G6 Play, which shows us its design, specs and even pricing.

Moto G6 Play

The G6 Play comes with a 5.7-inch HD+ display and from the images of the phone, we can see that Motorola opted for a larger screen size.

The phone is equipped with a Snapdragon 430 processor, clocked at 1.4GHz. On the rear is a single 13MP camera and powering the device is a massive 4,000mAh battery.

Moto G6

The G6 comes with the same 5.7-inch HD+ display and it comes with a Snapdragon 450 processor with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM. It will also come with storage variants of 32GB or 64GB.

The back has a dual-camera with a 12MP+5MP setup and on the front is a 16MP camera. Powering the device is a slightly underwhelming 3,000mAh battery.

Both the phones will come with fingerprint sensors on the front, below the screen and should come with Android Oreo out-of-the-box. As for pricing, the G6 Play will come with a $199 (RM769.15) price tag and the G6 comes in at $249 (RM962.41).

g6
leaks
moto
motorola
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Specs leak on the Asus ZenFone 4 Pro shows a Snapdragon 835 and 6GB of RAM

350

Just as the unveiling of the new ZenFone 4 devices is about to happen this week, leaks of the new ZenFone 4 Pro shows up on GFXbench and it looks like it will be equipped with a Snapdragon 835 processor and Adreno 540 GPU which will be powering the phone along side 6GB of RAM to run even the most demanding apps and games smoothly. The storage will be 64GB following the other variants of the Zenfone 4.

On the back will be a 10MP camera that is capable of shooting in 4K and the front camera is a 7MP and capable of recording in 3280×1846 resolution format. However, the report indicates that it will have space for only one SIM slot, but it might still support expansion on the storage via microSD card. The phone will come with Android 7.1.1 out of the box and will have the latest version of Asus’s ZenUI which will all be unveiled in the next couple of days in Taiwan.

The Zenfone 4 Pro is said to cost $650 and the standard ZenFone 4 will cost $400, but prices for the Taiwanese market has listed the Pro at over 70% more expensive than the regular version of the phone.

4
android
asus
price
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snapdragon
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Specs of the Samsung Galaxy A10, A30 and A50 are fully revealed

690

Three new Samsung Galaxy phones are going to be released this year: the Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30 and Galaxy A50. What makes things better is that MySmartPrice managed to get the spec sheets of all three devices, so we can know all about these devices ahead of their launch.

Image credit: MySmartPrice

Galaxy A50

The device with the highest specs among the three devices is the Galaxy A50. With a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, the A50 has a U-shaped cut-out for its notch. It supports in-display fingerprint sensor and comes with a 3D glossy plastic body design and has three colour options; Black, White and Blue.

Powered by an Exynos 9610 processor, the A50 will come with either 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, or 6GB RAM with 128GB storage. The A50 can be expanded up to 512GB via a microSD card. On its back, the A50 houses a 25MP main camera, a 8MP depth camera and an8MP ultra wide camera whereas on its front, the phone comes with a 25MP selfie camera. The A50 also has 4,000mAh battery that supports 15W fast charging via USB-C port.

Galaxy A30

The Galaxy A30 also comes with the same screen size and Infinity-U display with the Galaxy A50. Not only that, the phone also comes with the same colour options and also body design. However, the A30 doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint sensor as it uses a rear fingerprint sensor.

The A30 is equipped with an Exynos 7904 processor with 3/4GB RAM and 32/64GB storage. It can also be expanded up to 512GB with a microSD card. This phone comes with a dual rear camera setup consisting of 16MP main camera and a 5MP ultra wide camera while its front camera is of 16MP. With 4,000mAh battery, the A30 also supports the same fast charging via USB-C port.

Galaxy A10

The A10 is the lower end model amongst three devices with a smaller screen size of 6.2-inch that comes with Infinity-V display. It has a glossy plastic body with either Black or Gold colour, and unfortunately the A10 will not have any fingerprint sensor.

The A10 is powered by an Exynos 7884B processor, and comes with only one variant: 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. MySmartPrice also updated that the dual-sim variant of the A10 will support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi b/g/n and Wi-Fi Direct, and it will be shipped with Android 9. Though the A10 will come with a 4,000mAh battery, it charges via a microUSB port that supports 5W charging.

Though we’re pretty clear about these devices’ specs, its availability and pricing remains unknown.

Galaxy A10
Galaxy A30
Galaxy A50
samsung


Specs on the upcoming Snapdragon 670, 640, and 460 has surfaced

359

Qualcomm has just introduced their new flagship processor, the Snapdragon 845 which proves to be a decent upgrade from its predecessor, the Snapdragon 835. Recently, there was a leak that surfaced on Weibo which gives us details on the new mid and low tier processors from the company.

First, is the Snapdragon 670 which will succeed the 660 and will be using 10 nm manufacturing process. It will feature octa-core design with four Kryo 360 cores at 2GHz and four Kryo 385 cores at 1.6GHz with an Adreno 620 GPU. Devices equipped with this processor will support 26MP sensors or 13MP + 13MP setup. It will support LTE Cat 16 with speeds up to 1Gbps for download and 150Mbps for uploads.

Next in the mid-tier range is the Snapdragon 640 which comes with a unique 6+2 core setup. There will be six Kryo 360 cores clocked at 1.55GHz and two Kryo 360 cores clocked at 2.15GHz which is possible thanks to ARM’s DynamIQ which allows mix and match of Cortex-A75 and A55 CPU cores. As for transfer speeds, it will support 600Mbps download and 150Mbps upload.

Finally, is the Snapdragon 460 which comes with eight cores, four Kryo 360 cores clocked at 1.8GHz and four Kryo 360 cores clocked at 1.4GHz. Phones equipped with this processor will support a single camera up to 21MP resolution and it shares the same download and upload speeds as the Snapdragon 640.

We should be seeing phones that come with these new mid and low range processors in 2018, offering a broader range of budget and entry-level phones.

460
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Speedtest indexes average country Internet speeds on a monthly basis

478

When we call our Internet Service Providers (ISP) about our slow internet connection, the first thing that they tell you is “sir/madam can you please perform a speed test for us” and the first place we will head to is speedtest.net. Well, all that testing that we have done is valuable data collected by the company and now, they have open up a new section on their website to compare speed reports from countries around the world. The test is called
Speedtest Global Index
 and it will be compiled into a monthly report.

The test not only keeps track of broadband speeds but also mobile internet connection speed but it is still counted as an average of the country and not the individual service provider. Spoiler alert, we are in the 63rd position falling one position from last month. Currently, Singapore is still in the lead with the fastest broadband speed of 154.38Mbps and in second place is South Korea with speeds of 125.69Mbps. On the mobile speeds, Norway is currently in the lead with an average download speed of 52.59Mbps and second is Netherlands with speeds of 46.94Mbps. Clicking on the country will give you more detailed information such as the average download and upload speeds on a graph showing the rise and dips in speeds on a monthly basis.

Let’s hope that our ISP and telco providers are watching this because let’s face it, if our closest neighbour could reach first place ranking and maintain their position, it should not be a problem for us to at least be in the top 50 by this year.

global
index
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Spend RM1 on any vivo smartphone & win prizes worth up to RM10,000!

1.4K

Grab vivo devices on the cheap at their

official Shopee page

from 14 to 15 November 2021. Offering up to 95% storewide discounts, shoppers can enjoy the limited-time V-deals by purchasing selected vivo devices while standing a chance to win prizes worth up to RM10,000.

Shoppers can enjoy a discount of up to RM900 when purchasing a
vivo X50
 (RM1,499). Aside from that, the vivo Y1s and
V21e

smartphones are also available at RM359 and RM1,199 respectively. If you purchase a vivo smartphone during the sale, you can also
enjoy add-on deals for selected vivo accessories and get them from as low as RM35.

Below are some of the promotional prices:

vivo Product/Accessories

RRP

Promotion Price

vivo TWS 2 ANC Earbuds

RM369

RM299

vivo TWS 2e Earbuds

RM269

RM209

Wireless Sport Earphones

RM299

RM209

Colour Earphone

RM49

RM38.90

Moreover, with a minimum spend of RM1, shoppers can redeem limited-time discount vouchers of up to 95% (capped at RM5), and ShopeePay users are entitled to a RM10 rebate with a minimum spend of RM399.

Complimentary Gifts for vivo X70 Series

With a price starting from RM2,499, any shopper who purchase the
vivo X70-series
 device from vivo’s official Shopee store will receive complimentary gifts such as the X70-series casing, UR screen protector, a 1-month VIU TV subscription, and a Bluetooth speaker. The first ten customers to purchase the X70-series smartphone on 14 and 15 November will get to bring home a free Joyoung Thermo Cup (Brown or Sally).

As you may already know, the vivo X70-series come with ZEISS T* coating lenses that reduce stray lights and ghosting effects when taking photos. The phones are also equipped with the enhanced Ultra-Sensing Gimbal and Real-Time Extreme Night Vision features that help users’ shoot crystal-clear images even in low-light environments.

Attractive V-deals

Limited-time V-deals are available on 14 November, and customers get to purchase selected vivo products or vouchers at RM1, RM11 or RM111. These items include:

vivo TWS 2e earbuds (original price: RM269)

vivo Colour Earphone (original price: RM49)

vivo Y33s casing (original price: RM49)

RM100 Voucher

RM50 Voucher

If you missed out on vivo’s limited-time V-deals, don’t fret, you can still snag selected vivo smartphones at the lowest prices (only on 15 November).

Smartphone Model

RRP

Promotion Price

vivo V20 Series

V20 SE (8GB RAM + 128GB ROM)

V20 (8GB RAM + 128GB ROM)

RM1,199

RM1,499

RM799

RM959

vivo V19 (8GB RAM + 128GB ROM)

RM1,499

RM799

vivo Y11 (3GB RAM + 32GB ROM)

RM499

RM409

Spend and Win Contest: 14 – 15 November 2021

Shoppers who spend more than RM200 in a single receipt at vivo’s Shopee store will stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM7,114 – including 2x vivo Y15s, 1x Joyoung Smart Steam Electric Rice Cooker, 3x vivo Wireless Sport Earphone, and 1500 units of Shopee Coins.

vivo x Shopee Super Brand Day Top Spender: 14 – 15 November 2021

Customers who spend the most at vivo’s official flagship store will be rewarded as well, as they stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM2,966:

1st Prize

1x vivo TWS 2e Earbuds

2nd Prize

1x Joyoung Wall Breaker & Joyoung Dry Grinding Cup

3rd Prize

1x vivo Wireless Sport Earphone

For more information about vivo Malaysia or vivo x Shopee Super Brand Day, do visit

vivo Malaysia’s Official Facebook Page
 or
vivo’s official Shopee store
.

shopee
vivo
vivo v day
vivo x70
zeiss t coating


Spider-Man: Homecoming is the title for the upcoming Spidey film

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Many rumors have emerged since Sony Pictures registered the SpiderManHomeComingTheMovie.com domain online. And yes, everyone has guessed it. Sony has announced the title to the next Spider-Man film – Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The announcement was made by Sony Pictures at CinemaCon. Spider-Man: Homecoming will be the sixth modern-age Spidey movie since the Spider-Man trilogy and the Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2. The film is scheduled to be released next year, specifically July 7, 2017 if everything goes smoothly. If you haven’t known, Tobey Maguire won’t be taking on the wallcrawler’s role, as many fans have been hoping for, neither will Andrew Garfield be starring in it. The new Spidey role will be assumed by 19-year old British actor Tom Holland, also starring Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. The film is directed by Jon Watts, who has directed Clown (2014) and Cop Car (2015) in the past.

Spider-Man will be making his appearance in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War which is set to release in theaters this coming May 6. The special appearance might just tell us what to expect a year from now as we wait for Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Source:
Marvel

2017
film
homecoming
jon
marvel
movie
pictures
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Spire released PowerCube 715 Micro-ATX pc chassis

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PowerCube 715 PC has announced Spire, a chassis which is built to accomodate both the more powerful Micro ATX boards as well as the smaller Mini-ITX boards. Besides computing cases, the company has some products like CPU cooler, tablet PC, power supply, fans and mobile accessories. It features an elegant and neat enclosure to fit any setting whether at home, business or the public sector.

The chassis is made from strong 0.45 SPCC steels with a cool, ventilated top, front, and side panel for fresh air intake and optimized component cooling. Of course, it has a large side panel ventilation and standard ATX 12cm fan power supply situated on the bottom part on the back of the structure. Connectivity is made easy through the front USB3.0 and HD audio ports. The case looks like Bitfenix Phenom, but obviously this has better clearance to show off your hardware compare to it due to its big clear side panel.

The PowerCube 715 chassis measures at 27 x 27 x 20.1 cm and weighs only 2.2kg, which will be an awesome choice for your next small system build, especially if you want to put in your living room. Priced at USD69.95 (approx. RM300).

Source:
Guru3D

case
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miniatx
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