Honor View10 is now available in Malaysia for RM2,099

360

Honor Malaysia has finally brought the highly anticipated View10 phone to Malaysia. This marks the most intelligent and technically advanced phone that the company has released and it comes with Huawei’s AI-powered Kirin 970 processor. The phone’s main focus is in AI as it uses the technology that allows better photo taking and overall performance boost based on apps and your usage.

The main focus is the cameras which are powered by AI to enable Smart Scene Recognition which is able to improve the images by recognizing up to 13 different scenes and tuning the image based on the lighting and detail. Aside from that, it also has AI Accelerated Translator which can immediately detect an translate foreign language into any language that you choose, making travelling to another country easier. Other than that, it also comes with Game Suite which is able to detect if a game is running on the phone and adjust the game settings and phone performance to give you a more immersive gaming experience.

Honor View10 comes equipped with the Kirin 970 processor, 5.99-inch FHD+ screen, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage expandable via microSD card up to 256GB and a 3,750mAh battery which supports SuperCharge getting the battery to a full charge in just 95 minutes. The rear houses a 16MP + 20MP camera and on the front is a 13MP camera, both the front and rear cameras support Phase Detection Auto Focus and different modes like wide virtual aperture photo, Moving photo and more.

The Honor View10 comes in Blue or Black and is currently available for purchase for a price of RM2,099 from all authorised Honor resellers and their official e-commerce site, Vmall. Customers that purchase the View10 will get an RM60 voucher to purchase the Osmo Mobile 2 which will make you be one of the first people in Malaysia so own the DJI stabilizer. Users can also purchase a DJI Spark Fly Combo for Rm2,988 and get a Rm200 voucher for the Honor View10. All of these promotions is thanks to the partnership between Honor and DJI to bring added value to both brands.

ai
honor
kirin
malaysia
release
view10


HONOR View20 comes with an in-screen front camera and 48MP rear camera

319

HONOR announced today that the HONOR View20 will be launched on 22 January 2019 in Paris, France, and it will be HONOR’s first smartphone with in-screen camera.

The View20 is also going to come with a 48MP camera that is powered by Sony IMX586 sensor, and the camera is said to have 4x sensor HDR and also 4-in-1 light fusion, and it seems that the smartphone will be powered by the Kirin 980 chipset whereby the AI technology will be able to assist in producing HD 48MP photos.

Besides that, HONOR also hinted that View20 will come with a feature called Link Turbo, which means that the smartphone is capable of switching between 4G network and WiFi to allow simultaneous downloading of documents or media to ensure that the download speed is at its highest efficiency.

While HONOR has yet to reveal any other information on the View20, the smartphone is said to have a 25MP front camera on its in-screen camera. The global launch of the View20 is in January next year, but the smartphone will also be launching in Beijing on 26 December this year.

honor
in-screen camera
View 20


HONOR Watch Magic 2 Review: Affordable smartwatch, expensive fitness tracker

435

At the time of reviewing, the HONOR Watch Magic 2 wasn’t officially available in the country yet – the review unit that we got was from China and we’ll be reviewing it based on its Chinese specs, which isn’t all that different bar NFC payment being in the Chinese version.

In a time where fitness trackers and smartwatches are a plenty, it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd. One of these watches is of course the Huawei Watch GT 2, which the HONOR heavily resembles. Right off the bat, the HONOR Watch Magic 2 feels like a clone of its cousin, and it probably is. But you know what, at RM699, the HONOR is RM200 cheaper than its Huawei cousin – so bear that in mind throughout the review.

But once I started using the device, it started to grow on me a bit – in terms of aesthetics, it looks really good with its mix of rugged and clean. The variant that I have is the 46mm version and it has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display. HONOR gets this area right – the display is great to look at and
colours
 pop quite nicely. Plus, it gets sufficiently bright so outdoor viewing is no problem at all.

Like the original Magic Watch, there are two dial buttons at the side of the watch – the top one gets you to the list tracking modes including heart rate, workout, stress and even your call log. The bottom button can be mapped to any feature you want – mine’s programmed to tell me how many hours I’ve slept the night before.

Running the show is Huawei’s
LiteOS
, and as its name suggests, you’re not getting a lot by way of features, at least on your watch. What I’ve found lacking, is that you can’t swipe through notifications to read them. After opening a message on WhatsApp, swiping up or right only takes you back to the list of notifications you have – you’ll have to tap on one of them again to read it.

This could be a slight annoyance if you’re on the move or are working out; with that said, no reason why this can’t be fixed over an OTA update.

The watch is also packed with a mic and speaker meaning you get to take calls directly on your smartwatch. Caking calls via the watch is also easy – just add a list of contacts to your Huawei Health app, and it’ll appear on your watch. From there, you can use it to make calls too. Plus, the call audio is impressive too.

Another small gripe I have is that you can’t rearrange the order of the modes – there’s also no way to add and remove modes for quick access. One swipe left brings you to the heart rate tracking, one more lets you track your stress levels.

Speaking of stress levels, you can check that too alongside your heart rate – it’s measured in a 1-99 range and it’s measured consistently a detailed chart is presented on your watch. On the Huawei Health app. It cites the methodology as basing tests on heart rate fluctuation data and stress models – a bit vague if you ask me, but it’s supposed to be a simple reference anyways.

There is 24/7 heart rate tracking on the device and readings are presented in a graph along with the BPM trends shown right on your watch. It’s a simple tool if anything and readings can be erratic – either that or I have some serious issues with my heart,
like
very serious issues.

Our review unit also supports NFC payments via Ali Pay, but the global version (which we’re getting) probably won’t support NFC payment.

Under the hood, the watch is equipped with a Kirin A1 chipset alongside built-in speakers for notification tones and trainer audio. In terms of user experience, the watch feels sluggish when swiping across its many modes – but it’s never felt like a burden. Workout modes boot up spritely too.

This is where the watch excels – workout tracking. There are plenty of modes of to choose from – you’ve got the traditional suite of personal trainers like indoor running, swimming and more. Accessing these features is as simple as pressing the top dial button and you’ll have the full list ready to go.

The watch will also let out an audible and very loud  “start workout” notification when you hit the start button, but that can only be muted after that – meaning my first workout with the watch got me red-faced as the notification drew the attention of the entire gym – why do you do this to me HONOR?

When working out, the watch uses the heart rate tracker to tell you when you’re at your optimal ‘fat-burning zone’ and will tell you when you’re not up to pace and in the warm-up zone.

After completing your workout, you can revisit your session on your watch; but for a more complete set of data, you’ll have to revert back to the Huawei Health app. And that brings us to the next issue for the watch – its over-reliance on the app prevents it from being the holistic analytics tool many enthusiasts need – which should be HONOR’s core target audience for the watch.

If you like to get soaked, then rest easy that the watch is water-resistant up to 50m – our review unit has been drenched in a lake as well as in mud, and it’s come out absolutely fine. While riding on an ATV, I’ve bumped the watch a few times too and while my arms were scratched up, the watch remained unscathed – impressive.

After a long day of almost killing myself in the wilderness, I head home for a much-needed slumber – with Huawei’s
TruSleep
 2.0 tech, the watch monitors your sleep patterns and tells you
hoow
 many hours you’ve slept, and even keeps a record of it. The sleep timings are accurate too.

In terms of battery life, HONOR claims that you can go up to 14 days with sleep
motinor
, heart rate tracking and notifications activated, which I’ve found to be true.

Verdict

The HONOR Watch Magic 2 is a smartwatch that functions more like a fitness tracker – hence my chosen title. With its heavy reliance on its companion app, it makes you feel like you’re wearing the cheaper HONOR Band 5, which is a full-blown fitness tracker.

But hey, it’s no Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch, and it certainly isn’t priced like either products too.
So
 one can forgive the Magic Watch 2 for its sluggish performance and wonky software. But credit where credit is due, for what you’re paying for, you’re still getting a very reliable and sturdy fitness and health tracker that looks awesome, has impressive battery life and can take a beating.

Currently in Malaysia, only the 46mm variant is available and you’ll only be able to get the Charcoal Black colour. Visit HONOR’s website
here
 to purchase the Magic Watch 2.

The Good

Sturdy build and pleasing design

Long battery life

Waterproof

Loud speakers

Ample monitoring features

Wide list of personal trainer modes

The Not So Good

Sluggish performance

LiteOS is too light

Lackluster notification reading

android
honor
honor watch magic 2
huawei
LiteOS
wearable


Honor welcomes a new powerful device to its family, with a nice price

326

honor is back again with its latest unveiling of the honor 5C, a mid-range phone with flagship features and user experience. Packed with the all new Kirin 650 chipset and a large capacity battery of 3000 mAh, the honor 5C offers better performance in a value-for-money proposition.

With the 5C powered by the Kirin 650 chipset, the device delivers an increase of 65% in terms of overall CPU performance. honor has also increased your gaming experience on the 5C with its Mali-T830 GPU, which they have mentioned will ensure a 100% increase in GPU performance. By using this chipset and GPU pair, power consumption has been increased by 40%, making the battery life even longer since honor has already been well-known for its long battery life.

Camera-wise, the honor 5C is fitted with a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and 78-degree angle 5-element macro lens, which is also anti-reflective, oleophobic and infrared-absorbing, which means photos will be clearer and sharper. If you are a selfie-lover, then with the 5C’s 8MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture and 77-degree wide angle lens, your selfie addiction will be satiated. Paired with the addition of more filters to play around with, your photos will always look great.

The honor 5C is created from aircraft-grade aluminium-alloy body with a 5.2-inch Full HD display, and features dual antennas and an integrated speaker box with smart power amplifier – something that is not commonly seen in midrange smartphone segment.

The honor 5C is priced at
RM799
 for the grey and silver coloured variants, while the 5C in gold will cost you
RM849
. They will be available on
VMall Malaysia
 and
Lazada Malaysia
, with pre-orders starting on 20 June 2016 onwards.

android
honor5c
honor5cmalaysia
midrangephone


Honor will be having discounts on its products during its World Carnival event

304

Xiaomi ain’t the only one holding a sale as Honor will be doing so as well. Unlike Xiaomi though, their sales will last for five days.

Starting next Monday and ending on Friday, Honor products will be going on sale at
VMALL.MY
 and
Lazada
, ranging from accessories such as casing, all the way to the Honor 7. Vmall, Lazada, KFit, Red Box and VuClip will also be giving out vouchers in limited quantities, allowing users to grab up to RM120 worth of vouchers during the sales period.

Also like Xiaomi, Honor will be doing a Rush Buy period where different items can be bought for as low as RM1. Starting from Monday, 10 units of the Honor Band Z1 would be available for a low price, which would then be followed by the Hybrid Earphones, the Bluetooth Headset, and the Honor 4C on subsequent days.

On the last day of the sale, Vmall will be giving away a free RM50 discount voucher, which can be redeemed for a free selfie stick with every purchase of the Honor 5X. Alternatively, they could use the voucher to get a Honor 7, a Band Z1 and a selfie stick for just RM 1,529. All of the offers are on a first-come-first serve basis. Finally, all accessories will have be 88% off on the 8th of April.

honor
huawei
sales


HONOR X8a unveiled in Malaysia with 100MP Ultra Camera System for RM999

4.5K

After announcing the HONOR X9a 5G last month, HONOR Malaysia is introducing the successor to the X8 smartphone with an ‘a’ moniker, which stands for ‘Advanced’ as explained by the brand when it launched the X9a 5G.

The HONOR X8a features a 6.7-inch IPS display with a 90Hz refresh rate, it employs the Mediatek Helio G88 chipset for its power and is paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage, storage is however still not expandable like its predecessor. Battery size has been bumped up from 4000mAh to 4500mAh and continues to support 22.5W Honor SuperCharge fast charging.

What makes things interesting is the phone’s camera system, as the HONOR X8a is equipped with a 100MP f/1.9 main camera that’s assisted by a 5MP ultrawide and depth camera, and a 2MP macro camera, the main camera should allow users to crop into images without compromising too much detail, which is a good thing as it doesn’t come with a telephoto lens, video recording resolution is however limited to just 1080p due to technical limitations of the Helio G88 chipset.

However, given that the Helio G88 chipset technically only supports up to 64MP cameras, the HONOR X8a’s 100MP resolution might be an interpolated resolution. Selfies are managed by a front facing 16MP resolution camera.

The HONOR X8a can now be purchased at HONOR stores, Shopee, Lazada and HONOR dealers nationwide for RM999, customers will receive free gifts worth RM258 including an HONOR SuperCharge Car Charger and 1+1 Year Extended Warranty.

honor
honor malaysia
honor x8a


HONOR X9a 5G launches in Malaysia for RM1499

5.4K

After a month of teasers and
series of torture tests
 performed by us on our YouTube channel, the HONOR X9a 5G has been officially introduced to the Malaysian market at a very attractive price tag of RM1,499.

Sporting an ultra-tough curved 6.67-inch 1 Bilion Color OLED display that refreshes at 120Hz, the HONOR X9a 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 695 processor paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage which can be further expanded over a MicroSD card, it features a triple camera system that comprises a 64MP main, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro lens, large 5100mAh battery capacity that supports 40W Honor SuperCharge.

Despite its large battery size, the Honor X9a 5G maintains a slim and lightweight form factor at 7.9mm and 175g, this is all due to the use of a high-density PCB and battery design, which allows it to house a larger battery than the competition and due to the power efficient processor it employs, the phone has no problems lasting up to two days of regular use.

The Honor X9a 5G ships with Android 12 with Magic UI 6.1 and full Google Mobile Services out of the box, customers can purchase the phone starting 6th January onwards on HiHonor.com and official Honor retail partners, Honor Malaysia is also giving away an HONOR Choice Earbuds X3 and 180 Days Screen Crack Protection worth RM418 with the purchase.

In conjunction with the launch, HONOR has also introduced the HONOR X7a and HONOR CHOICE Earbuds X3, which the former is a value for money mid-range phone that’s powered by a Mediatek Helio G37 octa-core processor paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, it features a large 6.74-inch HD+ display that refreshes at 90Hz, a quad camera system featuring a 50MP main, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP depth and 2MP macro camera, and a whooping 6000mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging.

As for the HONOR CHOICE Earbuds X3, it is an affordable pair of wireless in-ear earbuds that features a 40dB Active Noise Cancellation performance and up to 36 hours of listening time.

The HONOR X7a and HONOR CHOICE Earbuds X3 retails at RM799 and RM249 respectively.

Watch us put the HONOR X9a 5G through a series of stress tests:

honor malaysia
honor x7a
honor x9a 5g


Honor X9a 5G to launch in Malaysia on 4th January 2023

14.4K

The phone with the toughest curved OLED display is set to launch four days away from the New Year, as Honor Malaysia has sent out the media invite as the launch of the Honor X9a 5G will be conducted over a livestream at the brand’s official Facebook and YouTube channel on 4th January 2023, 7pm.

Honor has continuously bragged about the durability of the phone’s display for the past few weeks, while it is essentially a minor refresh of the Honor X9 and powered by a Snapdragon 695 processor, there is still lot to love about this mid-range device aside from its well-constructed built, such as its 6.67-inch curved OLED display that refreshes at 120Hz and features 1920Hz PWM dimming, a better camera system that comprises of a 64MP main, 5MP ultrawide and 2MP macro sensor, and a large 5100mAh  battery that supports 40W fast charging.

When we attended the product briefing, Honor Malaysia officials said that the Honor X9a 5G’s glass is on par with the Huawei Mate 50 Pro’s Kunlun glass, though they will not confirm if it is obtained from a similar supplier and didn’t have a marketing name for it either, it has however gone through rigorous lab tests including repeated 1-meter drops on marble and concrete floors, multiple-angle rolling drops, and 10,000 times of micro-drop tests.

The only thing left to know is the price of the Honor X9a 5G, as it is directly competing with devices such as the Vivo V25 and Samsung Galaxy A53, hence it is most certain that Honor won’t try to price the phone past the RM1500 mark.

honor malaysia
honor x9a
honor x9a 5g


HONOR’s 11.11 Shopathon sale includes free gifts, discounted prices and bundle deals

358

As November 11 approaches, you’ll notice there’s more deals and promotions. HONOR has started its 11.11 Shopathon sale with discounts and gifts for its customers.

From November 1 to November 10, there will be price discounts on phone models like the HONOR 20 series, the HONOR View20, the HONOR 10 and also the HONOR 8X. There will also be free gifts including the 10,000mAh HONOR Powerbank, HONOR Band 5 Sport and HONOR Body Fat Scale. For example, you’ll be entitled to a free power bank if you purchase the HONOR 20 Pro that is now RM2,099 — RM200 cheaper than its original price.

Apart from phones, the HONOR wearables and accessories will also be cheaper — the HONOR FlyPods Lite will be reduced to RM299 and the HONOR Mini Speaker will be reduced to RM69. All these price reductions will only be applicable for the first ten days of November.

For those who are interested in the HONOR Band 5, you can either choose to purchase it at its reduced price, purchase it in a bundle with the HONOR Smart Scale for RM189, or get two units of the HONOR Band 5 for RM130.

From November 7 to November 11, HONOR will also have Slash It Deals that lets their customers purchase the HONOR Band 5 for RM11.11 if they get to 25 slashes. HONOR also have Spin the Wheel, Flash Sale and the first 50 smartphone purchase daily will get complimentary HONOR products.

For more information, visit
hihonor
 or HONOR’s
Facebook page
.

honor
HONOR 20
HONOR 20 Pro
honor band 5
HONOR FlyPods Lite
HONOR Mini Speaker
HONOR Smart Scale
honor view20


HONOR Fansgiving Day offers daily RM48 flash deals, freebies and discounts

324

Starting from April 4 to April 12, HONOR will be having daily RM48 flash deals at 12PM — featuring some of its most popular products, in addition to discounts and freebies.

HONOR’s flash deals will be featuring the HONOR powerbank, the Band 5 and the Band 5 Sport. In conjunction with Shopee’s 4.4 Sale, HONOR will also discount its HONOR 20, the Band 5i and the Sport Pro. The HONOR 20 will be priced at RM99 while the Sport Pro and Band 5i will be priced at RM199 and RM88 respectively.

There are also various other discounts and freebies to celebrate HONOR’s Global Fans Day 2020. Freebies include the Band 5 Sport, the Band 5i, a mini phone holder and data cable. Naturally, there’ll also be discounts for devices like HONOR’s MagicWatch 2, the HONOR 8X Max and more.

For more information, check out HONOR’s
official site
 or
Facebook
 page.

honor
HONOR 20
honor band 5
HONOR Fansgiving Day


HONOR’s Fansgiving campaign includes free HONOR Play Player Edition

286

HONOR launched its Fansgiving campaign in conjunction with Thanksgiving and with this campaign, HONOR plans to gift their fans with promotions and deals.

Besides sharing their supporters’ messages on HONOR’s social media sites, HONOR is also having a Fansgiving promotion on three smartphones which are the HONOR 10, the HONOR 9 Lite and the HONOR 7X. From 26 November to 28 November, customers can purchase the HONOR 10 which originally costs RM1,399

at RM1,269 in addition to getting a RM50 Hihonor Voucher and also a free HONOR 10 flip cover. The HONOR 9 Lite and the Honor 7X can also be purchased at lower prices which are RM599 and RM679 respectively and purchasers are also entitled to a RM30 Hihonor voucher.

HONOR is also organising a Spin and Win Contest that lasts for 8 days from 21 to 28 November at their official website. Those who join might win prizes such as discount vouchers, Touch N’ Go credits and even the HONOR Play Player Edition in Red. Speaking of which, HONOR finally launched the red edition in Malaysia and to show their gratification towards their loyal supporters, they will be giving out a free unit of the HONOR Play Player Edition in Red x Audi Sports LMS gift box when their Facebook page hits 700,000 fans. To join the giveaway, make sure you like HONOR Malaysia’s Facebook page, share the specific post, tag three friends and use the hashtag #700KHONORFans and HONOR will then pick a winner on 1 December.

Some specifications of the HONOR Play Player Edition include its 6.3-inch Fullview display and support for face and fingerprint unlock. It also comes with a 16+2MP dual rear camera and a 16MP from camera, and it is powered by the Kirin 970 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The battery capacity is rather large as the smartphone comes with a 3750mAh battery.

This means HONOR will be giving out two HONOR Play Player Edition during this period, so if you’re interested in getting this phone, go to the website
https://www.hihonor.com/my/honor-fansgiving.html
 and you’ll see one tab labelled “Spin and Win” and another tab labelled “Like and Win” to get more information and to join the contest and giveaway.

audi
Audi LMS
honor
honor 10
honor 7x
honor 9 lite
HONOR Play Player Edition


Honor’s most affordable 128GB smartphone to launch on October 7th in Malaysia

3.5K

Honor Malaysia is set to launch the Honor X6 smartphone on October 7th, it is the brand’s most affordable smartphone with 128GB of internal storage and comes with great durability and battery life, just like what other X series siblings have been famous for.

At RM599, the Honor X6 is powered by an entry Mediatek Helio G25 chipset paired to 4GB RAM, its 128GB internal storage can be expanded with a MicroSD card of up to 1TB. Sporting a 6.5-inch HD+ display that refreshes at 60Hz, the Honor X6 comes with a triple camera consisting of a 50MP main, 2MP macro and 2MP depth camera, it has a front 5MP camera for selfies and does 1080p videos.

Like most smartphones of the range, the Honor X6 comes with a 5000mAh battery that should offer up to two days of moderate usage, though sadly there isn’t any fast charging of sorts as it is limited to just the regular 10W charging, though thankfully it comes with a USB-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack as a consolation, you will need to plan your charges as it will take a while to juice up.

The Honor X6 will be available in colors of Titanium Silver and Ocean Blue, it can be purchased at major smartphone retailers, HiHonor.com, Honor’s official store at Lazada and Shopee.

honor malaysia
honor x6


HONOR’s new smartphone with three rear cameras is expected to be out next week

278

HONOR is confirmed to be launching a new smartphone with a triple rear camera setup but its name has yet to be revealed. In addition to being a triple camera smartphone, a new information has also been revealed — the phone will come with an ultra wide angle camera.

The new phone is expected to be the HONOR 20i that is expected to be launched in China on April 17, since it matches the description of HONOR’s upcoming mysterious smartphone. According to leaks, the HONOR 20i will have a 24MP lens, a 8MP secondary sensor — which we assume will be the wide angle lens — and a 2MP depth camera.

This mysterious upcoming HONOR phone will also be launching in Malaysia next week, which further convinces us to believe that it’s the HONOR 20i. If so, HONOR fans should also be expecting a 32MP front camera on a 6.2-inch display.

If you’re excited for the launch of the HONOR 20i, stay tuned to HONOR’s official website and also Facebook page for more information.

honor
HONOR 20i


Honor’s new teaser indicates they will launch the Honor 10 in Malaysia soon

384

Huawei has recently released the Huawei P20-series, and as usual, Honor will release a phone that comes with the same specs as its Huawei counterpart but will price it at a much lower rate. We have seen it in the Huawei Mate 10 Pro and the Honor View10, so there is no surprise that Honor will release the Honor 10 to go against the P20, and that’s exactly what they are doing.

A recent email that was sent to us from Honor shows a teaser banner with the #NEWHONOR and the caption AKAN DATANG (Coming Soon). The teaser image has a purple and blue tint to it, which if we take a look at the leaked image of the Honor 10, mimics the twilight-like colour on the phone. We assume that it will come with the same Kirin 970 processor as the Huawei P20 Pro but will lack the third camera, presumably to give it a lower price point. If we were to follow the rest of the specs as the P20, it should come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

There are no other details on when they are launching the phone or the price, but we will update you when they send us the invitation for the launch event.

10
honor
launch
malaysia
teaser


Hoolah offers up to RM58 discount on all orders this Chinese New Year

798

Hoolah, a “buy now, pay later” platform, is now offering discounts, cash prizes and cash rebates in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year festival.

Hoolah’s Chinese New Year campaign includes lucky draw and discounts

From February 8 to 11, Hoolah’s #HuatNowPayLater campaign offers 8% discount capped at RM58 for selected merchants when you use the code hoolah8 — participating merchants include Big Big Place, Decathlon, FashionValet, Focus Point and TT Racing.

In addition to that, customers will also stand a chance to participate in Hoolah’s CNY Lucky Draw. Stand a chance to win up to RM88 cash rebate and RM888 cash prize — each hoolah order is counted as a single entry and customers can have multiple entries for higher chance of winning.

But wait, there’s more discounts!

There’s various items you can get from hoolah — clothes, sports equipment and even home furniture. There are also many products on discount right now including OSIM’s uGlow Beauty Set that’s now reduced to RM666 and FashionValet’s Duduk Rumah Sale with 15% off on selected items.

You can purchase from hoolah online via its
website
 or its mobile app on
App Store
 and
Play Store
.

Hoolah


Hopes of Marshmallow for the OnePlus One revived

363

Apart from unofficial CyanogenMod releases and nightly builds, there hasn’t been any official release of a Marshmallow-ran Cyanogen OS or OxygenOS for the OnePlus One. Late last year, OnePlus One users were promised a Marshmallow update some time in the first quarter of this year, but are still left empty handed. This isn’t the first time OnePlus has delayed an update, so it isn’t surprising after all. However, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has claimed that the Marshmallow update for the One will be arriving soon.

According to Pei’s Twitter post, Android Marshmallow for the OnePlus One is in the final testing stage. He further stated that he couldn’t provide a specific date or an estimated time frame for the update because it “depends on other parties”, but should be very soon. “Other parties” might imply CyanogenMod, and it that’s true, OnePlus might be waiting on CyanogenMod to have both OxygenOS and Cyanogen OS updates to be rolled out simultaneously.

Unlike the OnePlus Two, users of the OnePlus One don’t have the liberty to join a Marshmallow beta testing. Also, it won’t be a surprise if CyanogenMod is the culprit behind the Marshmallow delay since the company has already parted ways with OnePlus due to the Chinese OEM’s dispute with Indian manufacturer MicroMax, leading to the birth of OnePlus’ own OxygenOS. Carl Pei seems to be playing safe this time, instead of making another empty promise to OnePlus One users. What are your thoughts?

Source:
Carl Pei (Twitter)

cyanogen
cyanogenmod
marshmallow
one
oneplus
os
oxygen
update


Hot Wheels have collaborated with GoPro to create a GoPro mount with wheels

323

Hot Wheels and GoPro has come together to collaborate with one another in a project to create a GoPro mount on wheels.

Known as the “Hot Wheels zoom in”, the die-cast toy car features support for a GoPro camera, through a built-in mount on the top of the toy car. According to experts online, the Hot Wheels Zoom in could only fit GoPro Hero Session or Hero 5 Session camera. Unfortunately both of the cameras has stopped production, but it is said that users can still find it available to purchase.

After reviewing footage captured by the Hot Wheels Zoom In,Business Insider’s producer, Miss Alana Yzola have said “Oh my gosh, I feel like I’m on this ride”, as the footage that was shown looks as if it comes from a scene whereby one is on a roller coaster ride. The Hot Wheels Zoom In fits perfectly onto the Hot Wheel iconic orange tracks, allowing users to use both the toy car and tracks to capture unique footages.

die cast
GoPro Mount
GoPro Mount on wheels
hot wheels
Hot wheels collaboration with GoPro
hot wheels die cast


Hotfix for image corruption issue rolled out for the OnePlus X

303

OnePlus has addressed an image corruption issue on the OnePlus X and has started to send out updates to the device. The new Oxygen OS update is said to include a hotfix, solving the issue involving the OnePlus X’s camera.

The image corruption issue has been reported by some users on OnePlus’ forums and the company has announced on the forum itself that it will try to get the update rolled out to all Oneplus X devices within the next 48 hours.

The 9.5MB incremental update comes after the Oxygen OS 2.2.0 update which was rolled out last month. The Oxygen OS 2.2.0 update came with an additional manual mode for the camera and the option to save captured images onto the SD card.

The OnePlus X is the company’s take on a mid range budget device, sporting the same Snapdragon 801 like the OnePlus One. The
OnePlus 3
 is set to be launched at the end of Q2, according to OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei. Meanwhile, do check out our video review of the OnePlus X
here
, and a different opinion on the device in our written review
here
. Leave your comments below!

Source:
OnePlus

camera
corruption
image
incremental
oneplus
os
oxygen
software
update
x


Hotlink Announces A Postpaid Plan with the Flexibility of a Prepaid Freedom

604

Hotlink revealed their latest postpaid plan today (yup, you read that right), and it was actually pretty odd to say the least. From just RM30 a month, you can now enjoy a postpaid plan that comes with all the benefits of a prepaid plan. Or should we say it’s a prepaid plan that reaps benefits of a postpaid one. Either way, we’re still a little confused.

But it’s still quite worthwhile though. Not only do you get to customize your own data plan, you can also get unlimited ease of benefits at such a reasonable price. The RM30 base plan offers unlimited calls and SMS as well as 1GB of Internet data. Not bad for a deal actually.

Here’s the fine print. If you’d like to add on unlimited usage of social, music, and chat bundles, there would be an additional charge. The first two bundles would be an additional of RM10, while the unlimited chat bundle requires RM5. Take a look below:

Apart from that, users can opt for an additional 5GB of Internet priced at RM25 per month, which will renew every month. To learn more about Hotlink’s first postpaid plan, head on over to their official website
here
.

hotlink
Hotlink Postpaid Flex
postpaid
prepaid


Hotlink lets you top up your Steam wallet with reload tickets or airtime

1.6K

Steam’s summer sales is here again and I’m sure many of you are really tempted to buy those discounted games, but things won’t be as fun if you do not have a credit card, which is why Hotlink has decided to let gamers top-up your Steam wallets easily with Steam codes by using Hotlink reload tickets and airtime. From as low as RM10, gamers do not need to be a Hotlink user to be able to receive up to RM80 of Steam code when they purchase a reload ticket via hotlink.com.my/games, first time users will receive RM8 worth of Steam code and there will be a 7% discount on subsequent purchase of reload tickets.

If you are an existing Hotlink subscriber and have way too much unused credit on your account, you can also convert them into Steam codes by simply visiting the same website and get 7% off the usual price while having a one time additional RM8 Steam code. Apart from that, Hotlink is giving away four TI6 Battlepasses with the Compendium a month until 2 August, the company is also launching a Hotlink Games Sale which will be held from 15-31 July that lets users purchase game points from Garena, IAHGames, CIBMall and more. To purchase the Steam wallet codes, here’s how you can do it:

Step 1:
 Visit www.hotlink.com.my and click STEAM

Step 2:
 Select the ‘Use Credit’ button

Step 3:
 Select preferred amount of ‘STEAM Wallet Codes’, enter phone number and click ‘Next’

Step 4:
 Reply TAC SMS to confirm transaction

Step 5:
 STEAM code will be sent via SMS

Now, here’s finally one way of getting your discounted game without a credit card, enjoy and go broke!

games
hotlink
maxis
steam


Maxis unveils Hotlink Postpaid Flex plan with more data for Persons with Disabilities

705

Disabled persons in Malaysia now finally have another option for their broadband needs, as Maxis has announced that it will be giving a lifetime RM10 monthly discount for its Hotlink Postpaid Flex plan to disabled customers at RM30/month.

With this special postpaid plan, disabled customers will enjoy 5GB of high speed 4G data, unlimited calls and SMS to all networks, making this an extremely affordable package.

Starting today, customers can head over to any Maxis Centre and Maxis Exclusive Partners to sign up, which you will need to present the disabled’s NRIC and original OKU (orang kurang upaya) card during the registration.

Disabled customers already on the Hotlink Postpaid Flex plan can also apply the rebate at any Maxis Centre.

“We are pleased to offer this special Hotlink Postpaid Flex package, which is part of our
 commitment to greater inclusiveness for all Malaysians through more affordable connectivity for persons with disabilities. We will continue to develop and bring more personalised services that are relevant to our customers, who are at the heart of everything that we do,” said Tan Lay Han, Maxis Chief Sales and Service Officer.

Find out more details over
here
.

Hotlink Postpaid Flex
maxis


Hotlink’s upgraded Postpaid Flex Plus adds another 10GB data for YouTube

375

Hotlink has upgraded its Postpaid Flex plan, where Hotlink subscribers can now get 20GB data when they sign up for the Flex Plus that cost RM60/month.

The Postpaid Flex Plus plan currently offers unlimited calls and SMS, in addition to its 20GB data. However, 10GB of data is specifically for YouTube, so those of you who are constantly watching YouTube videos will be delighted with this upgrade.

You can also sign up for Hotlink Postpaid Flex for RM40/month and get 5GB Internet data and ax extra 3GB data for YouTube. Like all the Postpaid Flex plans, there will be unlimited calls and SMS. As for the Postpaid Flex Basic plan, while it doesn’t come with extra data for YouTube, you’ll still get 1GB Internet and unlimited calls and SMS.

You can also get yourself a new smartphone when you sign up for the Postpaid Flex Plus. You can get the OPPO A1k from RM1, the Samsung Galaxy A20 from RM199 and even an iPhone 6s from RM599.

For more information, visit Hotlink’s
website
.


New Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited comes with unlimited internet and calls

619

Maxis is now introducing new
Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited
 to cater to its customers’ need for more Internet and higher connectivity. These new plans will be able to provide
Hotlink
 users with unlimited internet and unlimited calls to all networks.

Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited

Users can enjoy unlimited internet and unlimited calls in three ways — daily, weekly and monthly passes. The unlimited internet will be capped at 3Mbps, but if you purchase the RM45 monthly pass, you’ll get to enjoy internet speed up to 6Mbps. In addition, all the internet passes will offer users free premium access to streaming service Viu.

Subscribers of Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited are also entitled to 10% cashback on app purchases made by Hotlink credit and will be entitled to exclusive rewards and deals on the Hotlink app.

Hotlink Prepaid Video

Hotlink also rebranded the Hotlink SUPERRR pack to Hotlink Prepaid Video — a prepaid plan for those who constantly stream videos. Internet passes for Hotlink Prepaid Video also comes in three categories like the Prepaid Unlimited, ranging from RM3/day to RM60/month. The highest-priced plan will get you 10GB internet with unlimited calls to all networks and 20GB of video internet so you can continue to enjoy HD videos.

The
Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited
 and
Hotlink Prepaid Video
 packs can be purchased at any Maxis Store, Hotlink dealer or convenience stores.

hotlink
Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited
Hotlink Prepaid Video
Hotlink SUPERRR
maxis


Hotlink Rewards offer daily prizes to be redeemed by its users

387

With the brand new Hotlink Rewards feature on the Hotlink RED app, Hotlink users are able to get rewards when they log into the app and collect points which they could collect on a daily basis on the app and redeem exciting gifts and rewards. Other than that, customers will also receive a daily mystery gift, in which they could stand a chance to win free flights to domestic or South East Asia destinations, or earn extra free points to redeem merchant deals or internet passes.

Hotlink users who have yet to own the Hotlink RED app could download the app for free on the Google Play Store or Apple App store. Once the user have downloaded the app and had set up their account, they could then log into their account and claim their daily reward points.

For each beginning of the month, the users would start off at “Silver” level. If the user logs into the app on a daily basis, they could increase their level up to “Gold” level and when its already on the Gold level, their daily points would double in value which means the user would be able to get more points and redeem more deals and rewards every day. On top of that, they would have higher chances to win free flight tickets under the mystery gift section.

In addition to that, users could also use the points to redeem a variety of rewards such as discounted deals from various brands and merchants, internet passes, and many more. Hotlink has partnered up with various e-commerce and retail brands that have chain outlets nationwide to enable customers to enjoy the rewards such as Shopee, Expedia, Klook, Zalora, McDonald’s, Dominos, Watsons, Tealive, and many more. Hotlink users could log into their Hotlink RED app to check the full list of brands and merchants.

hotlink
Hotlink rewards
maxis


Hound can reply you as fast as lightning

364

It’s been a long time since SoundHound founder Keyvan Mohajer want to make a system to allow people talk to computer casually. Which this technology will be implemented in most of the machine that’s available now – a toaster, an information kiosk in the shopping mall and even a self-service kiosk. A few months ago, they announced the new voice search – Hound and it works and feel almost exactly like Google’s Voice Search.

Besides that, Hound can act as a personal assistant which similar with Cortana and Siri but it could understand what you are looking for or trying to do in better recognition. This application is built for a hands-free world to allow you get the information, entertainment, and communications by saying, “Ok Hound”. What makes Hound so special because of the engine on it delivers unrivaled speed and accuracy with which you compare to previous traditional approaches that perform speech recognition first, then it will only send the result to a search or understanding engine.

You can check out a few examples that I had tested early on, you can get the invitation over here. In addition, I can change from Google Now to Hound and use it as my daily personal assistant and it are also able to ease my job daily on finding places to eat or petrol station nearby when I’m on the wheel.

Download Hound over
here
, get the invitation over
here
.

assistant
fastest
hound
keyvan
mohajer
ok
reply
soundhound
voice


How did Huawei gain momentum on its flagship smartphone launch?

413

A few days ago, I was at Huawei’s Mate 20 sales launch at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, a prestigious mall that has housed a number of major smartphone sales launches and roadshows in the country.

I was there around 9.30am to witness the event, which at that time the doors are barely open to the public, I was surprised by the crowd waiting outside the main entrance, all of them were eager to get their hands on the new Mate 20 and some had even started camping the night before.

Tell anyone that the queue is about a new smartphone launch, it will be easily assumed as a new iPhone or Samsung phone launch.

However, this is a Huawei phone launch, and probably the largest that the company has ever held to date in Malaysia.

If you have been following Huawei’s launch history in the country, you would have realized that in recent times, its smartphones were launched a week after it was announced in its global event, and the queue of every new smartphone launches, regardless of the mid-range Nova series or flagship P and Mate series, have received overwhelming response in major city launch events.

In comparison to the Galaxy Note 9 launch event at KLCC, which I was personally there to purchase the phone, the Mate 20 Series crowd was at least five times bigger during the first day, Huawei seems to have handled the situation really well despite launching its phone two months after Samsung’s flagship.

A well known Huawei user group known as Huawei Cui Shui Zhan (Gossip Talk Station), where users are able to share photos taken with their Huawei devices and ask questions about them.

I had a chance to chat with some Huawei officials during the event and was told that over the years, the company has been working hard at engaging its customers on social media via community groups, this gives customers the advantage of being closer to the brand on giving feedback about their products, despite facing backlash on working with some medias on the concept, the effort has proved to be effective and has created brand conversions and a loyal user base.

Of course, Huawei’s recent smartphone releases have certainly helped boost its popularity, and it all starts with the collaboration with Leica three years ago on the Huawei P9, as it steered the company to the right direction of focusing in smartphone photography where companies like Nokia used to do, but neglected in the early HMD Global manufactured devices.

Apart from that, the company has managed to sell its own hardware innovation on its smartphones. Starting from last year’s Mate 10, it was the first commercially available Android smartphone that comes with artificial intelligence processing power, which later influenced other Android phone makers to do the same, and it has certainly made everyone believe that it is an essential selling point of the product.

Huawei’s overwhelming sales response can be partially attributed to the introduction of the new MateBook D and MateBook X Pro notebooks, which both are great computing products and have helped the company stepped further into the PC market, they were sold out during the first day of the sales event.

The Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are now available in Malaysia, stay tuned for our review of the Mate 20 coming right up.

huawei
Mate 20
Mate 20 Pro


How do you use these COVID-19 tracing apps?

430

When our locally-developed tracing apps were first introduced, we wrote an article detailing what they are made for, which you can read
here
. It began with MySejahtera and Gerak Malaysia, while MyTrace was still in beta – now that the latter is available to download, and new features added to the other apps, we thought it would be fitting to give you an update on how to use these apps.

MyTrace

 With the Conditional MCO (CMCO) now set in place, the
rakyat
are beginning to head back to work; so the MyTrace app serves to monitor cluster infections and to alert individuals who may have gone near someone carrying the virus.

The app is jointly-developed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti), and a group of local experts – and it’s made to be used alongside the MySejahtera app.

Once you’ve registered yourself onto the MyTrace app, you’ll have to give location access to the app; however, a note in the app says “Rest assured that your location information is NOT collected in this app” – suggesting that the app does store your movement data, but rather access it when the your phone’s Bluetooth detects a COVID-19 carrier in proximity.

While on the subject of Bluetooth, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
explained
 that the Bluetooth waves detect individuals based on the strengths of the waves, which is also determined by the distance between each user. The data is collected for 21 days should there be a detection, which should allow authorities to investigate further into the encounter.

The MyTrace app is currently only available for Android users, iOS users will have to wait a little bit longer for it to arrive.

Gerak Malaysia

 This app was more rudimentary when it first launched, but with V2.0 rolling out to all devices, the app now lets you log your intentions to travel between different states, or other travelling plans, such as heading out to buy groceries, seek treatment, as well as important or emergency activities.

As you already know, the app generates a QR code that the authorities will require you to produce upon inspection. The code will carry your personal details along with your request for travelling. At the moment, you can only log your intentions for interstate travel as announced previously for those who need to head home during the CMCO.

MySejahtera

This is a comprehensive COVID-19 tracing app that serves as a one-stop digital guide if you will on all you need to know about the pandemic.

The most important features include the self evaluation feature that lets you check if you or your family members show signs of carrying the virus; as well as the hot spot checker which uses your location to tell you the number of cases detected within your area of residence.

There are other features too like news updates, easy access to medical hotlines and more. From here, you can also access the aforementioned MyTrace too – how convenient.

With the help of these three apps, we should have the tools to help us navigate the MCO. As we relish in the gradual re-opening of businesses in the country, and more people able to continue earning a living; it is imperative that we continue to remain disciplined and practice social distancing until the MCO is lifted.

cmco
conditional mco
Coronavirus
covid 19
covid 19 tracing app
gerak malaysia
mco
mysejahtera
mytrace
pkp
tracing app


How does the Apple Watch Series 4 detect a fall?

405

Sometimes, the smallest things can become a great deal, and this applies to the Apple Watch Series 4, the biggest change that Apple has ever done since the first generation Apple Watch, to many it may only seem that Apple has improved the Series 4’s performance, screen size and included a new built in electrocardiogram, Fall Detection is in fact a key feature that shouldn’t be ignored.

Fall Detection isn’t a standard feature on smart watches and fitness trackers, but it sure is a big deal and could potentially help save lives if the wearer accidentally falls, if the watch detects the wearer unconscious, it triggers a SOS call to emergency services via its built-in LTE cellular connection or through your iPhone for the GPS-only model.

You may ask, how does the Apple Watch Series 4 knows if you have taken a hard fall, can someone just fake it? In fact, Fall Detection knows so accurately due to the next generation Accelerometer and Gyroscope inside the watch that measures up to 32 g-forces, this has allowed Apple to build custom algorithms that analyzes wrist trajectory and impact acceleration based on years of research from thousands of real users.

A real world test performed by Wall Street Journal on the video above has proven that even a properly trained Hollywood stunt artist can’t really trick the Apple Watch’s Fall Detection feature with a fake fall, which proves that it isn’t pure gimmick.

“Features that promote user health have always been at the core of Apple Watch and
fall

detection
 in Apple Watch Series 4 is the latest innovation that supports safety right from the wrist,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “
Falls
 can have serious effects, so we designed this feature to automatically connect users to emergency services when Apple Watch detects a hard
fall
. Our customers are wearing Apple Watch throughout the day, so we believe this accessible solution to a real problem will provide peace of mind to Apple Watch wearers worldwide.”

To set up Fall Detection on your Apple Watch Series 4, you will first need to set up your Medical ID and add emergency contacts in the Health app. The Fall Detection feature can then be enabled in the Apple Watch app, under the Emergency SOS menu, the feature claims that if you are more physically active, you could possibly trigger Fall Detection due to high impact activity, and if the alarm happens to trigger accidentally, all you need to do is to just dismiss it by tapping the “I did not fall” button.

Apple Watch Series 4 is available in 40mm and 44mm case options with a retail price of RM1,749 and RM1,899 respectively.

apple
apple watch series 4
Fall Detection


How Entry Level Smartphones Survived and Thrived in 2022, Chinese Brands in Struggle, and a New Smartphone Contender?

4.8K

Counterpoint Research
, the Hong Kong based global analysis firm, recently released a press release concerning the shipment of smartphones in the South East Asian market in 2022.

The article, titled
Entry-level Smartphone Shipments Bounce Back in Key SEA Countries, Up 28% QoQ in Q4 2022
, contained a multitude of interesting information.

The Rise of the Entry-Level Smartphones?

2022 saw an overall drop in the shipment of smartphones to the SEA countries, with 13% less shipments compared to last year.

While mid-tier smartphones (priced $200-$400) and high-end smartphones ($401-$600) saw a slight decline in shipment from Q3 to Q4, there was an upward trend towards the shipment of budget smartphones (priced less than $200) and premium smartphones (priced more than $600) by the end of the year, with each smartphone price category gaining 28% and 22% over their previous quarters respectively. Could this suggest the rising popularity of budget smartphones, as well as premium smartphones?

Malaysian Smartphone Shipments

Regarding Malaysia in 2022, data shows that the country suffered a steady, but not steep, decline in smartphone shipments Q1 to Q3, before slightly rising in Q4 2022. Malaysia was also said to be one of the small markets of SEA, alongside Myanmar and Cambodia, to be the most affected in declining smartphone demand. This was most likely due to the countries’ high share of economically disadvantaged citizens, the ones who were the most affected by the declining overall smartphone shipments of 2022, especially that of the entry-level smartphones.

Chinese Brands in Trouble?

In 2022, Chinese smartphone brands such as vivo, Realme, and Xiaomi all suffered from overwhelming consumer demand and underwhelming inventory and stock. Amidst the group, OPPO was the only brand who was able to meet their consumer’s demand expectations.

However, all of the brands mentioned above suffered in smartphone shipments throughout 2022, posting lower numbers compared to their previous year. Amongst the most popular smartphone brands, only two remained relatively undisturbed, that being Samsung and Apple, who posted similar numbers to their previous year’s shipments.

The report also mentioned how companies looking to diversify their production might impact China’s economy, as more and more smartphone brands are building manufacturing plants in SEA countries such as Vietnam.

A Challenger Arrives

In this year of declining smartphone shipments, however, one brand managed to rise above the rest, posting a positive increase in shipments compared to the other brands’ declining shipments. Infinix was said to have made 21% more smartphone shipments compared to last year, an impressive feat considering the overall downward trend this year had. Infinix’s focus on budget oriented devices might have helped propel them forward, especially considering the popularity of entry-level smartphones towards the end of 2022.

Overall, it can be seen from the data that entry level smartphones are on the rise, Chinese brands aren’t fulfilling their demands, and Infinix could be a real contender in the future of smartphone brands.

infinix
samsung
smartphones
xiaomi


Check out how I spend my whole day with the Samsung Galaxy A30…

343

I’ve just gotten the Samsung Galaxy A30. What is it like? Well, I’m about to find out.

Today’s a weekday — that means work. But that’s the great thing about working at a tech company, I get to spend my time messing with the phone. After I’m done charging it and setting it up, the first thing I was greeted by is its stunning display.

With a 6.4-inch display, what’s not to love? Being me, I had to test it out with a bit of Gossip Girl on Netflix. It’s just a few minutes of “me time”, but I’m loving the display. Vibrant colors, awesome contrast, great brightness range — it’s a home run when it comes to the Galaxy A30’s Super AMOLED display.

Oh well, it’s time to get to work, but let me just talk about the cameras for a bit. There’s nothing much to capture in the office, but I could still test out its 16MP front camera. Unless you’re in backlight conditions, the Galaxy A30 works really well for a midrange phone — the details are retained, and it even has beauty effects to smoothen my skin for an Insta-worthy selfie. I love taking selfies, especially with friends because it captures all the precious moments that we’ve had together.
Brb, gonna
upload this picture on my Instagram.

So, a bit of “work” here and a little bit of mucking around there, it’s now after work hours, which can only mean one thing — time to relax. Great views are meant to be shared, which is why I’m sharing this beautiful view I’ve taken with the Galaxy A30 using its 16MP + 5MP ultra-wide dual rear camera. I’ve also got a perfect picture of my favorite dessert. It’s time to make everyone on Facebook drool over these pictures.

After dessert, I did some shopping at KLCC. Since I’m already here, I’m not going to miss out the gorgeous sight of the PETRONAS Twin Tower. The sight is still as magnificent as ever, despite the crazy number of tourists and locals here. I didn’t have to walk very far because the ultra-wide lens can capture the building in all its glory, and I love that most of the details are still retained as many phones fail to perform during nighttime.

I’m back home now and this is the remaining battery life of the Galaxy A30. I’ve still got a lot of fuel left in the tank despite bingeing on Netflix, gaming, snapping photos and checking out social media throughout the day, and I have yet to charge it yet. At this rate, the phone can probably last me till the next afternoon.

The Galaxy A30 is available in three colors – Blue, Black and White. It can be purchased at Samsung retail stores or its online site. Oh well, that’s another day well-spent with the Galaxy A30. Let’s see what else I can do with it tomorrow.

This is a sponsored advertorial by Samsung.

Galaxy A30
samsung


How Microsoft overtook Apple in market value?

356

Apple had started building their brand much earlier than Microsoft’s conception. It had years of experience in the IT industry and its brand value had been soaring when the first Microsoft OS was launched. But Apple always remained in the heart of people as the company that brought computer to people’s homes.

Until very recently there was no match for Apple products in the market, be it the iPhone, the iPad or the Mac Book. But things have started to change as various
excellent phones are competing with iPhones today.

As a brand Apple has always looked down upon Microsoft as the cheaper product. But that does not change the reality that majority of the Personal Computers are running on Microsoft. It seems that Apple’s ignorance has given rise to a situation that Microsoft has now become the bigger of the two.

Let’s take a look at how this came about.

The recent developments in the tech industry

There is no simple answer as to how Microsoft managed to become
the top company in the world.
 The two major factors have largely contributed in Microsoft’s rise. Recently major companies like Google and Facebook have been embroiled in a lot of controversy over privacy issues. Apple is facing problems because the rate of sale of iPhones has slowed down.

All this has made the investors wary and they have been selling-off their shares. However Microsoft has done impressively in retaining investors’ trust which has not affected their market value.

Microsoft played to its strengths

In the beginning of this decade Microsoft’s value began to go down. The last successful product they had introduced was the Windows 7 while Apple was disrupting the tech world with smartphones. Hence to rival Apple they decided to launch smartphones of their own. They even took over Nokia in their quest to re-establish themselves. However the product failed to battle the android wave let alone the iPhones.

They immediately learned from their lesson and scrapped the plans rivaling Apple in their forte. They have set an exceptional example in how a company can make the best of their circumstances and regain their dominance. When Satya Nadella took over Microsoft he outlined the path for the future, which is returning to their original identity as a supplier of technology.

It’s foray into cloud computing

Microsoft had built its empire on the Windows OS during the age of personal computers. But it was not proving enough for them to compete with other giants in the tech world. Since 2010 they have been involved in the cloud market which has proven very beneficial for them.

Amazon, who were in the business since 2006, were proving too much to compete in the beginning. Since Satya Nadella took over Microsoft has firmly established itself as the second largest cloud service behind Amazon.

The company is now delivering their software the Windows 10 online. A cloud version has been brought in which has reconfigured the apps such as MS Word, Excel and PP into Office 365.

This write up is provided by DigitalContentZone and does not represent any opinion of the KLGadgetGuy editorial team.

apple
market share
microsoft


How much can you get done with the HONOR 9X?

564

We recently wrote about the HONOR 9X’s
latest features
, which entail all-things big – from screen size to hardware, the HONOR 9X is the go-big-or-go-home device you’d expect of a proper daily driver.

Now, two of these stand-out features we wrote about are its 4,000mAh battery, and 6GB+128GB memory configuration – these allow the phone to function at the highest level while lasting you an entire day. But what exactly
can
you do with these features? Let us tell you.

Reliable gaming
performance

One no-brainer answer to that, is with so much memory, storage, and battery life, mobile gaming is effortless. With a capable Kirin 710 chipset under the hood, the HONOR 9X will run most popular games at high framerates – no fuss, no muss.

With the 4,000mAh battery, you can also game for up to eight hours continuously – useful for those end-of-season rank pushes. Even if you’re not gaming, the phone has a
 standby time of around 740 hours, so it’s ready to be picked up anytime you want.

Binging
 videos and movies

Binging is such a ‘2019’ thing, and it’ll mostly likely be a 2020 thing too – and for good reason too. Services like Netflix and YouTube have made enjoying content so easy, but what good are they if your smartphone doesn’t last half a day.

So
 bring forth the 4,000mAh battery – with this, you’ll be able to binge over half a day consistently; or the entire day periodically, in a single charge.

Getting work done

Play hard, work hard – when you’re done gaming and binging, work beckons. With 6GB RAM, you’ll be able to multitask like you’re on a computer. Open up tabs after tabs of apps and browsers and the phone will still run smoothly.

Plus, with an internal storage of 128GB, you can store as much documents and images as you want – crucial for quarterly meeting presentations. Also, with that massive battery, you can rest easy knowing that you have enough juice to let you burn the midnight oil, replying e-mails and whatnot.

You’ll be glad to know that the HONOR 9X is priced at only RM999 and comes in Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black. Visit HONOR’s official store
here
 to make your purchase.

android
battery
gaming
honor
HONOR 9X
kirin 710
netflix
storage
youtube


How the OPPO X 2021 rolling display phone works

578

The
OPPO X 2021
 concept phone is the brand’s take on a rollable smartphone – you may remember it being
announced
 back in November 2020 during the brand’s INNO Day event.

Since then, the brand has been tight-lipped on talking about the product, that is until now as more details about the device has been shared on their official YouTube channel.

The video shows off how the rollable display works on the OPPO X 2021 – it details the intricate engineering feats that happen inside the smartphone.

The flexible OLED display unrolls from its original 6.7-inch size to a larger 7.4-inch tablet thanks to a couple of drive motors that grip onto cogs on a track-like mechanism underneath called Warp Track. This allows the motors to pull and push the display.

https://image.oppo.com/content/dam/oppo/event-page-asset/oppo-x-2021/v2/assets/sec6-video3.mp4

When the display is extended, a support structure – also placed under the display – prevents the panel from drooping or collapsing under its own weight.

The video also shows that the phone can dynamically adjust a content’s aspect ratio should you extend the display while said content is still appearing on the screen.

At the time of writing, there’s no word on when the device will be put into production but with Samsung also
planning
 their own take on the technology, we’re optimistic that this could become something consumers can actually buy in the near future.

Foldable phone
oppo
OPPO X 2021
rollable phone


How Samsung's AOD (Always On Display) works on the Galaxy S7

300

Samsung has implemented the Always On Display (AOD) on this year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, allowing users to check on notifications without having to fully power on the display, saving a significant amount of battery juice in the process. The Galaxy’s AOD is also customizable, with different clocks, calendars and themes to choose to have on the AOD.

The idea and concept of AOD have been conceived by the Korean OEM approximately three years back. However, to ground breaking innovative feature, power consumption had to be taken into consideration, since Samsung’s flagship devices don’t have a history of excellent battery life. The fact that the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge had AMOLED displays, provided them an edge when it comes to power consumption, since the black pixels of AMOLED displays are shut off, instead of powering on a less dark black, like on LCD displays. Also, a power hungry component, known as the Display Driver IC (DDI) consumes a whole lot of power, hence power consumption during sleep mode was greatly reduced, to less than 20% compared to previous handset models.

Furthermore, Samsung mentioned that the power consumption of AOD depends on the information displayed on it. For instance, if you’d only want the date and time to be displayed, the AOD will only utilize eight colors, whereas if you want to display images, the AOD will be increasing the colors to a bit depth of 16 million. To further address the issue of power consumption, the frame rate of the AOD is also reduced as compared to using the device in normal circumstances, making the feature more power-friendly. The full detailed explanation by Samsung can be accessed
here
.

Source:
Samsung

always
amoled
aod
battery
consumption
display
edge
galaxy
on
power
s7
samsung


How the HONOR 20 excels in the dark with the widest aperture camera in the market

1.2K

Hello there, glad we got your attention. You’re probably here because you want to know what our headline is all about – HONOR + night time photography + widest aperture in the market = Huh? Let us explain ourselves.

You may already know a thing or two about photography – or not, we don’t judge – and you can probably piece together that wide aperture equals better night time photos, and you’re right. But for the uninitiated, here’s a quick explanation on how aperture works on a DSLR – or any camera for this matter.

What is Aperture?

Image credit: Shivan Trivedi

It’s just a fancy way of saying how much the camera lens opens up – the wider the lens opens up, the more light its image sensors are exposed to. This is useful during night-time photography or low-light situations, as more light into the lens means brighter images. Simple right?

Here’s where it can get confusing – aperture is measured in F-Stops (f/x) – a number after the slash determines the diameter of the lens opening; and the lower the number, the wider the aperture.

What’s up with the HONOR 20?

Great, so now you know a little more about cameras, let’s talk about the HONOR 20. Obviously, it’s the follow-up to last year’s HONOR 10, and they’re the brand’s entry in the affordable flagship market.

Now, the reason why we’re talking about the HONOR 20 is because the device is touted to feature the widest aperture capability in the market – if true, the device could potentially produce impeccable images during both day and night.

The lowest aperture on a smartphone camera now is f/1.5 which you will find on the Samsung Galaxy S10 and the LG V40 – but the thing is, they’re flagship devices with flagship prices. Now, an f/1.5 aperture is lower than many DSLR lenses can go; what the HONOR 20 could come with an aperture size of around that number, all while costing less than a DSLR camera; and we reckon less than the Samsung and LG too, since the HONOR 10 was priced at RM1,699.

Image credit: HONOR

However, since the phone hasn’t been officially launched, we can’t tell exactly what the specs of the phone are let alone the camera’s full capabilities; but what we do know is that the HONOR 20 series of devices will be introduced in London this May 21, so it’s not long now before we get to see what the HONOR 20 can really do.

For more updates on the phone or news from HONOR, visit their Facebook page
here
.

aperture
HONOR 20
huawei
lens
night time photography
photography


How the Huawei P20 can help save money on your next holiday?

545

The Huawei P20 is a great smartphone that performs exceptionally well in the photography department. Now, you might be thinking to buy the phone for your next solo or family trip, so that you don’t need to carry that clunky DSLR of yours to save some space in your backpack. Furthermore, if you are going to travel on a budget, then you certainly do not want to spend too much on a tech gadget as you would want to have more cash for the trip. Therefore, this is the reason why you should totally consider Digi’s Huawei P20 and P20 Pro phone bundle postpaid plan, as it is more than just getting a huge discount on the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro.

Sign up as a Family or Individual

Digi is the only telco that offers the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro with both family and individual postpaid plans, which gives you the flexibility in choosing the postpaid plan you truly want to go with the Huawei P20, and most importantly there isn’t any hidden cost when you sign up for either one of these plans.

The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro are offered with Digi Postpaid 80 and 110, Digi Postpaid Family 150 and 250. All of these postpaid plans come with the same borderless experience, which lets you roam in 10 countries with 5GB of data and 60 minutes of calls, this even applies to the family plans too, this could probably save you from buying a traveler’s SIM if you are on a short trip.

GBoost with 10GB of Data and All-Day Internet

No postpaid plan would ever offer you extra data when you sign up for a phone, Digi offers GBoost when you sign up for either one of the postpaid plans at Digi Online Store, giving you an additional 10GB of monthly data on top of the already generous amount of quota. Furthermore, your weekend data quota will also be upgraded to all day data, you no longer need to worry on how you use your data be it on the go during weekends or be a couch potato staying at home.

Voice over WiFi saves you from roaming charges

Although we can make WhatsApp calls to home while travelling abroad to save costs, there are times where the phone number you are supposed to call doesn’t support data calls (for e.g. banks), this is where Digi’s Voice over WiFi service comes in handy on the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro, which as long as you are connected to an internet enabled WiFi network, you will be able to make calls like you do when you are in the country without incurring expensive roaming charges.

Value for money plan and attractive device price

While some other telcos may offer a cheaper device price, Digi offers the best value when it comes to both monthly commitment and device price. For instance, the Digi Family Postpaid 250 Plan lets you share 120GB of data with up to 4 additional lines with unlimited calls at no additional cost, while you will only need to pay the Huawei P20 for RM959 and Huawei P20 Pro for RM1119. Furthermore, if you still think the device price is still a huge amount to pay, you can perform easy installment for up to 24 months, the Huawei P20 can be yours for only RM40/month, and you will only need to pay RM93/month for owning a Huawei P20 Pro.

Digi Postpaid and Huawei P20 are the best combo for a borderless smartphone and photography experience, and whether you are a new, port-in or existing customer, you can sign up for one at your convenience over at
Digi’s Online Store
, there’s no need to make a visit to a physical Digi Store and all you need to do is to make sure that you have paid your outstanding bills to be eligible to enjoy this offer.

digi
huawei p20
huawei p20 pro


How the OPPO F9 Starry Purple sparked the collaboration between OPPO and SHISEIDO?

665

The OPPO F9 broke the conventional smartphone design by being the first mid-range device to come with a gradient color chassis and frame, not to forget to mention its full screen design with a good looking water drop notch, combined with great mid-range performance hardware and the revolutionary VOOC Flash Charge feature, making it the most beautiful yet capable mid-range smartphone that we have ever seen.

However, things start to get interesting when OPPO announced the Starry Purple color of the OPPO F9, as it has partnered with world renowned cosmetics brand SHISEIDO in releasing a limited-edition gift box, which comes with a free make up service and a Primrose Sun lipstick.

A brand collaboration might seem common to the average person, but the partnership between OPPO and SHISEIDO goes further than just that.

As a smartphone company, not only OPPO is in pursuit of being the most popular smartphone brand, it also wants its customers to relate its products to their lifestyle for convenience, which is why making a smartphone according to its customer’s requirements just isn’t enough, the company also seeks collaborative opportunities to complete the user experience and offer more value to its customers.

Just like the bold effort to create the stunning OPPO Find X, which further signifies that a smartphone is more than what it is, but a beautiful masterpiece with a perfect marriage of powerful advanced technology, OPPO has made a huge effort to produce the best and unique smartphone design that excites and one that everyone will love.

The collaboration between OPPO and SHISEIDO was made possible due to shared goals and target audience, which they both strive to continuously innovate and share the same corporate culture of providing high end products, services and brand image to customers, while at the same time using high tech approach in making great products.

Like the OPPO F9, SHISEIDO has also launched a completely new line up of cosmetic products this year to excite its customers. During the launch of the OPPO F9 Starry Purple, OPPO and SHISEIDO has teamed up to perform a live make up session for its fans and has even given them the opportunity to engage with artistes Ayda Jebat and Hebe Tien, this allows both brands and its customers to get closer in such an event, in return creating customer loyalty towards the products.

This is the very first time that OPPO has successfully collaborated with a cosmetics brand for a smartphone launch, and it proves that the OPPO F9 isn’t just a mere communication device, but a beautiful product that blends well with one’s lifestyle and needs. Unlike other companies, OPPO didn’t increase the price for the OPPO F9 Starry Purple SHISEIDO Gift Box, as it wants to deliver the ultimate value and brand experience to its customers.

The OPPO F9 Starry Purple is now readily available for purchase at OPPO’s official online store at Lazada for RM1,399.

This feature story is proudly sponsored by OPPO Malaysia

oppo f9
oppo shiseido
shiseido
starry purple


How the Sony BRAVIA OLED A8F TVs can enhance your FIFA 2018 viewing experience

385

The biggest football event is just around the corner, once every four years, people all around the world gather to support their country in hopes they will be crowned FIFA World Champions. Whether it’s rain or shine, day or night, you can be sure to see supporters and lovers of the sport gather in front of the big screen cheering their country to victory. Sony has taken the initiative to release the Bravia OLED A8F 55-inch and 65-inch, which comes with the best visual and audio experience. What makes their TVs perfect for the World Cup? Let’s take a look at what they have in store to give us the best FIFA viewing experience.

OLED Panels

Most of us know the capabilities of OLED displays, it offers excellent colour reproduction and the blackest black possible. This makes for great visuals especially if you are streaming a match in 4K UHD quality. You might not think colour can play a big factor when watching a game like football, but colour quality always helps when it comes to immersion and with a game as intense as football, watching on an OLED panel will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat from minute 1 all the way to minute 90 of a match. Lastly, OLED panels offer one of the best viewing angles, perfect if you are going to have friends and family crowding around the TV, everyone will definitely get a slice of the action.

Acoustic Surface™ technology

Regular TVs have obvious speakers either on the sides, below or at the back of the TV, this makes the TV slightly bigger in size and sometimes, loses the elegance in design. To combat size and design issues, Sony has implemented the Acoustic Surface technology to bring audio to life. They have designed the surface of the screen to act as the sound source by using actuators at the back of the panel to vibrate the screen. This allows the sound to move from side to side within the screen and it can even isolate sound to certain objects. For example, when watching a football match, cheers of the crowd could sound like it far off in the distance, while the commentator’s voices will be more prominent, taking up the full focus of the sound emitted. Kicks and passes performed by the players will be more obvious and the sound would feel like it was coming exactly from the player’s foot when it comes into contact with the ball. If you have the time, you can try the Acoustic Surface audio experience for yourself at a Sony official store around Malaysia.

Triluminos Display

Implementing an OLED panel for great colours and viewing angle would seem like it a more than enough step to offer the best colours, but Sony wanted to go even further by adding in a Triluminos Display which is unique to Sony’s TVs. Triluminos Displays do a great job in producing the best reds, greens, and blues, colours that most TV manufacturers have problems with. You will be seeing beautiful shades of greens on the grass, colours of a player’s jersey will definitely pop out and finally, the FIFA opening ceremony will look marvellous with its colours from the OLED panel and sound thanks to the Acoustic Surface. If you think an OLED panel is good enough for colour, wait until you see the combination of an OLED panel with a Triluminos Display.

Support for Android TV

Most people generally watch football matches on our national TV stations. However, there are some of us that have their own prefered source to watch the game, may it be on a website or through live channels that stream the game for you. With the Sony TVs, you will be able to cast the content on your phone to the TV, giving you a much larger screen to watch matches.

Convinced? Well, Sony is having a promotion for their Bravia OLED A8F TVs, customers have the chance to win one autographed jersey from Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar or Eden Hazard with any purchase of the mentioned TVs. All you need to do is follow these steps:

Register product warranty at
sony.com.my

Fill the slogan, “I like to watch football on Bravia OLED because…”

The most creative slogan will stand a chance to win their favourite jersey

There is also a free limited edition Bravia OLED jersey with any purchase, but this promotion will end on 15 June 2018 so be sure to act fast. The 55-inch variant of the Sony Bravia OLED A8F TV cost RM10,999 and the 65-inch variant comes with a price tag of RM15,999. These TVs are available at all official Sony stores nationwide.

a8f
acoustic
oled
sony
surface


How to buy the right tablet in 2022?

6.2K

Over the years, tablets have become just as capable as our laptops when it comes to mobile productivity, more manufacturers are starting to embrace the tablet form factor all thanks to the success of the iPad Pro and Surface Pro, not to forget the advancement of iPadOS and desktop modes on Android such as Samsung DeX, but choosing a tablet for your workflow can in fact be as complicated in choosing between a gaming laptop and ultrabook, so here are the list of questions to ask yourselves when buying a new tablet.

What do you want to do on a tablet?

Similar to choosing a laptop, always ask yourself on what do you really want to do and achieve on a tablet, because this answer ultimately lands you on the right operating system and ecosystem that you want your workflow or activities to be associated with.

Also, you might want to check out the available apps on the particular operating system on whether it suits your workflow, check user reviews of apps on the respective app store, or even e-mail the developer to check if a certain feature is available on the tablet version of their app.

Even if you are looking to use mainstream apps such as Microsoft Word that’s readily available as a native app on Android and iPadOS, there’s bound to be certain features that’s missing from the full fledge desktop version, which is why it is always better to do your own research on the app by asking through tech forums or head over to the store and try the app yourself.

Which camp are you on? Apple, Google or Microsoft?

Image Credit: T3

Here’s the most crucial part of the purchasing process, as most of you would have owned either an iPhone or Android phone, and have gotten comfortable with the suite of apps and services.

If you are on Google and Microsoft’s suite of apps, there’s basically no need to worry about choosing between an Android and iPad because most native apps are already available for download on their respective app stores, while you can easily synchronise contacts and calendars from these services. In short, it works similarly as your existing smartphone.

However, if you are on Apple’s iWork and have been working on a Mac and iPhone, there’s absolutely no reason to consider an Android tablet since there is no way that you can bring files over from iCloud, not unless you access it through a web browser, which isn’t as intuitive as a native app.

How would you be using (or handling) the tablet?

As much as we love to have big beautiful screens on our tablets, there comes a time when you wished you picked a smaller tablet especially when you are holding the device a lot, which is why it is important to consider the form factor and aesthetics of the tablet, as a large screen tablet will be more suitable for desktop usage and content consumption, while a small screen tablet offers the portability and lightweight form that goes easy on your hands.

Best tablets to buy in 2022

Now that you have answered the three questions properly, here are some tablet recommendations you can go check out, including watching and reading our reviews too.

Xiaomi Pad 5 – flagship tablet at an affordable price

Retailing from RM1,399, the Xiaomi Pad 5 is a flagship spec Android tablet that’s hard to beat, it has a premium aluminium and glass build quality, a very capable flagship Snapdragon 870 chipset and an 11-inch 2K IPS display that refreshes at 120Hz, this Android tablet will easily blaze through any tasks you throw at it, you can also top up a little bit of cash to get its official keyboard accessory and active stylus, which ultimately costs you near RM2,000.

You can buy the Xiaomi Pad 5 on
Lazada
 and
Shopee
.

iPad 9th Generation – most affordable iPad with a polished user experience

The iPad may look dated, but its internals and software experience are not. Sporting a 10.2-inch display, the iPad 9th Generation supports the first generation Apple Pencil that works extremely well for note taking and casual doodles, while powered by a future proof Apple A12 Bionic chip, you are guaranteed of a speedy and reliable performance, not to mention yearly software updates that brings new features that further enhances your user experience, and last but not least, the ever growing Apple App Store is full of high quality tablet apps that you don’t really get on Android tablets.

However, the base storage of 32GB if definitely something to consider if you intend to store media and download apps, so definitely go for the 128GB model for a future proof ownership.

You can buy the iPad 9th Generation on the
Apple Online Store
,
Lazada
 and
Shopee
.

iPad mini 6th Generation – most powerful small tablet

Image credit: SlashGear

Looking for something small that’s powerful for games and suitable to be a e-book reader? The iPad mini 6th Generation is one great choice if you are willing to shell out cash, as this is a very expensive tablet that starts at RM2,299 for the base 64GB WiFi only model, which to some it might not be sufficient if you tend to use a lot of local storage, though thankfully you can easily expand storage with a USB-C drive as it features a USB-C port for both charging and data.

Otherwise, the iPad mini 6th Generation features a decent sized 8.3-inch display that supports the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil input, a 12MP ultrawide front camera that supports the ‘Center Stage’ feature which automatically puts you in the centre of the frame in a video call, and a powerful A15 Bionic chip that also powers the current iPhone 13 Pro.

Buy the iPad mini 6th Generation on the
Apple Online Store
,
Lazada
 and
Shopee
.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE – largest 12-inch tablet under RM2,000

If you don’t mind having a big screen tablet but want to be careful with your wallet at the same time, you can’t go wrong with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 FE, which is the only 12.9-inch Android tablet that’s sold for under RM2,000 in the Malaysian market.

Performance is still pretty decent with a Snapdragon 778G chipset powering your productivity and entertainment workflow, though we would recommend topping up extra cash to opt for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage model if possible, the tablet features the full suite of One UI software that’s also found on the company’s flagship tablets, which features the exclusive Samsung DeX mode that converts the tablet into a PC desktop interface, so you can use it like a laptop when you need to.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE on
Lazada
 and
Shopee
.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite – small and affordable tablet

Love the iPad mini but hate the price and don’t require all that firepower? The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite can be yours for a good RM599 price tag, featuring an 8.7-inch display and powered by a Mediatek P22T chipset, this tablet also offers you the option to slot in a 4G SIM card for data and making phone calls.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite on
Lazada
 and
Shopee
.

The list is in development according to current market trends and availability.

apple
Galaxy Tab S7
ipad
samsung
tablet


How to celebrate Chinese New Year during the MCO

761

Chinese New Year is upon us! Although we can’t quite celebrate the festivity like how we used to due to the pandemic, it doesn’t mean we can’t still make a grand occasion with what we have – and what we have
are
 technology and sweet, sweet internet.

Family reunions

Image credit: Twnty20

Of all the many traditions and customs carried out during the Lunar New Year, visiting family and relatives is probably the most vital of the lot. This year, we can’t physically clink beers with our uncles, or have chopstick fights during
yee
 sang
tosses – connecting though video calls is still a great way to bring the family together.

Image credit: WhatsApp

We know this is an obvious option, but it works – and you have a plethora of platforms to choose; WhatsApp will likely be
the
go-to app since you can have massive
group video chats
 of up to 8 people with their families in the frame as well; plus, practically aunty in Malaysia knows how to operate WhatsApp.

Just get yourself a tripod and you’re set to chow-down on that reunion lunch from the comforts of your own dining room.

Image credit: iPhoneHacks

Another app you could use is
Facebook Messenger
 – again mainly because every aunty in Malaysia has a Facebook account. Plus, you can add filters and funny AI skins to yourself, which will make for an interesting
bai
nian

(paying respects) experience for grandpa.

Giving/receiving ang paus

Image credit: Asian Inspirations

It’s a shame that the age-old tradition of exchanging
ang paus
can’t be done face-face-face this year, particularly for those who’re still single (you know how you are); not for married folks though – they’ll be glad that they get to keep their wallets full this year…right?

Wrong! electronic
ang paus
or e-ang paus are a thing and they keep the tradition alive, even if it means your uncle’s bank account isn’t.

Depending on which bank you use, you can enjoy
goodies  too
 when you make these e-ang pau transactions – for example, using
 Maybank’s MAE
 app to do so will give you a chance to participate in games that could earn you huge cash prizes!

Game nights

Image credit: NewYorkFamily

When all the formalities are over, that’s when the gloves come off – game time with the family is always a must (we’re not suggesting you gamble, but you do you).

Image credit: Tenor

To usher in the cheers and cries of CNY game nights, you can turn to online multiplayer games! If you’re up for some treachery and deceit, then
Among Us
 is the perfect game to play – all you need is a smartphone, and it’s free! It’s such a great game to you and your cousins on edge for hours on end, fun!

Image credit: Steam

If you want something with less kill-y but with the same amount of sabotage-y – Uno is a great pick-up! You can play
Ubisoft’s
 version on PC (RM31 on
Steam) which
 has plenty of modes and skins to spice things up; or you try
 UNO Friends
 on mobile which is free, but still offers multiplayer!

Image credit: Reddit (u/ShadowCimmer)

Any other online game is fine too – maybe even

Genshin
 Impact
 with its bright and cheery world; have a virtual gathering at the
Liyue region
 and let its Chinese aesthetics and soundtrack generate that oh-so important CNY vibe.

Movie nights

Image credit: The Daily Meal

One downside of visiting relatives living outside of KL involves nights where there’s jack-all to do – dinner has been had,
grandpa’s
 gone to bed, and there’s nothing left to do but bond.

So, what better time than to catch a movie! Netflix is a great source of Hong Kong comedy classics such as God of Gamblers, All’s Well End’s Well, and basically anything by the great Stephen Chow!

 Get the cousins involved using
Teleparty

(formerly Netflix Party) so you can enjoy the films together and chat using the browser extension!

If you’re not up for a movie, you could always fire up Spotify and get a group session going – Spotify has just added a
Lunar New Year
 playlist full of obnoxiously loud, but cheery hits!

These are only a few ways you can celebrate this festive season from the comforts of your own home – we’ll leave everything else up to your level of creativity and means. This writer would like to wish every Malaysian a Happy (and safe) Lunar New Year!

amnong us
ang pau
chinese new year
e ang pau
electronic ang pau
facebook messenger
netflix
spotify
uno
whatsapp