The vivo Z5x might come with a punch-hole display and 5,000mAh battery

369

While we all know too well that vivo has been opting for pop-up camera when it comes to getting a full display for its smartphones, recent reports indicated that the company will also be debuting a new Z series with the vivo Z5x that has a punch-hole display.

A Weibo post was uploaded recently with the picture of the alleged Z5x and the phone appears to have really thin bezels. As for whether it will sport a punch hole display, the information remains unconfirmed. If we look closely at the image posted on Weibo, the phone at the back seems to have a punch hole display on its upper left corner while the phone on the front has no punch-hole at all.

Other than the display design, the vivo Z5x is also reported to come with a 5,000mAh battery. That’s great news of course, but sadly these are the only information we are getting so far. If the phone is revealed to sport other flagship specs, then the Z5x can be an exciting device to look forward to.

There hasn’t been an official launch date or announcement about the Z5x yet, but rumour has it that the press conference for this phone will happen soon.

vivo
vivo Z5x


The Redmi Note 7S will sport a 48MP main shooter and a 4,000mAh battery

406

The Redmi Note 7 series welcomes a new member to the family, the Redmi Note 7S. Joining the Redmi Note 7 and the Redmi Note 7 Pro, the Redmi Note 7S continues to sport the similar 48MP camera.

The Redmi Note 7S comes with a 6.3-inch LCD screen that has the same dot notch that is seen on its siblings. Equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, the phone also has a FHD+ resolution and thin bezels.

Under the hood, the phone sports two different configurations — 3GB RAM + 32GB storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB storage. It also ships with MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie, and it’ll be powered by a Snapdragon 660 chipset.

The phone will also come with a 4,000mAh battery that supports up to 18W charging via USB-C, but users will need to buy the Quick Charge 4 charger on its own as the bundled charger will be a 10W charger.

Camera wise, the Note 7S houses a dual rear camera setup with a 48MP main camera and also a 5MP depth sensor. It will support EIS, AI portrait mode, and on its front, it’ll come with a 5MP front camera.

The Redmi Note 7S will be available on May 23, and will be offered in three colours — Onyx Black, Blue Sapphire and Ruby Red. The starting price of the Redmi Note 7S is INR10,999 which is around RM660.

redmi
redmi note
Redmi Note 7S


Redmi K20 set to launch on May 28, will feature a 48MP Sony IMX586 camera sensor

352

After releasing several
teasers
, Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi has finally revealed the launch date of its flagship K20 smartphone. In a post on Chinese microblogging site
Weibo
, Redmi has confirmed that the K20 flagship smartphone will be launched in China on May 28. Apart from the launch date, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun has confirmed the Redmi K20 will utilize a 48MP Sony IMX586 primary sensor.

The Sony IMX586 is the same sensor that Xiaomi uses in the Redmi Note 7 Pro. OnePlus’ latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 7 Pro also uses the same sensor. In addition to the 48-megapixel primary camera, the Redmi K20 is
rumored
 to sport a 13MP resolution ultra-wide-angle snapper and an 8MP telephoto module. It is expected to come equipped with a 20MP resolution popup camera for selfies and video calls.

In addition to the Redmi K20, the brand is expected to take the wraps off the Redmi K20 Pro as well at its launch event in China next Tuesday. Both the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro are expected to run on Qualcomm’s 7nm Snapdragon 855 octa-core chipset with liquid cooling technology, similar to last year’s Pocophone F1.

The company will also be unveiling the
RedmiBook 14
 at the event, its very first notebook. According to a recent leak, the RedmiBook 14 will come with a 14-inch display featuring Full HD resolution and up to an 8
th
 Generation Intel Core i7 processor.

flagships
redmi
Redmi K20
Redmi K20 Pro
Snapdragon 855
xiaomi


Vivo announces the iQOO Space Knight Limited Edition with 12GB RAM

352

Not too long ago, we were told that vivo has a sub-brand named iQOO that focuses on gaming phones. Its first phone was announced back in March, and now there’s going to be a new edition of the iQOO phone — iQOO Space Knight Limited Edition.

This limited edition iQOO is similar to the normal edition where it has a 6.41-inch Super AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. It has a water drop notch paired with an in-display fingerprint sensor and the phone does not skip on the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Image credit: iQOO

Under the hood, the iQOO Space Knight Limited Edition also houses a Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with Adreno 640 GPU, but it’ll only come in one configuration — 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. Just like the recent vivo smartphones, this phone ships with Android 9 with a Funtouch OS skin on top.

There will also be a 4,000mAh battery in the phone that can be charged via USB-C, and it will be supporting 44W fast charging. The main camera is a 12MP lens, accompanied by a 13MP sensor and a 2MP sensor. Meanwhile, the notch will hold its 12MP selfie camera.

Image credit: iQOO

In truth, this special edition doesn’t have much difference compared to the normal edition except for its packaging and the back of the phone itself. The rear of the iQOO Space Knight Limited edition has a matte finish with a texture that looks like the Pocophone F1’s Kevlar finish. There will also be a special box that is space-themed and includes a custom engraved nameplate on a metal piece.

The current 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant costs CNY4298, so we will be expecting this special edition to be slightly pricier. That being said, even the special edition might not exceed RM3,000, which is really something for a flagship device.

iQOO
iQOO Space Knight
vivo


Vivo Y17 Review: A budget-friendly flop

1.3K

We’re at a point where the smartphone market is so oversaturated, it takes something really special for something to stand out — the Vivo Y17 is no such device. See if you can tell what phone this is — 6.53-inch panel, dew-drop notch display, MediaTek Helio P35, 4GB RAM, 128GB internal storage. That’s right, this describes the Vivo Y17 as well as every other low-midrange smartphone since 2018.

If the specs don’t excite you, I reckon watching paint dry would — eventually. It’s not like Vivo can’t make good phones — the Nex, V15 and V15 Pro were fantastic devices; but if we could rewind time, I would advise Vivo against even conceiving the idea of the Y17.

But I digress, let’s begin by talking about the display — here’s one of the few impressive qualities of the phone. The 6.43-inch LCD Halo FullView dew-drop display is crisp despite only pushing 720p HD+ resolution; while brightness is also great. When combined with its fantastic colour production, the display on the Y17 is akin to something more premium.

Moving to the back, you’ll find a glossy glass-like gradient back panel that doesn’t really stand out but isn’t the worst either. The camera module is accented with champagne gold which adds an extra touch of class to the overall look.

However, the phone is thicker than many phones in its class measuring at 8.92mm, while the phone weighs a whopping 190.5g, which is also mighty heavy – there’s a reason for this, but we’ll get to that later.

Speaking of the camera, the Vivo Y17 gets a 13MP main shooter, an 8MP super-wide angle lens and a 2MP depth-sensor — three lenses in this price range is a bit of a commodity and they’re decent. Day-time photos were okay — it takes due diligence to get the focus right, but at least the colours are somewhat natural.

Portrait mode on this phone is your standard low-midrange affair, and again it takes some patience to get the snaps that you want. The super-ultrawide lens is good addition does its job well. Night-time shots however leave little to be desired; noise and grain present despite the subject being relatively well-lit. There’s also no night mode to speak of, so you’d want to avoid low-light photography with this.

The 20MP selfie camera is also pretty good. The lens performs spritely and the AI beautification is decent, albeit basic when it comes to modes.

Going back to the back camera, the native app itself is an issue — we find it to be laggy during mode transitions as well as delays in what shows up on screen when moving. We suspect this is due to the Y17’s underwhelming chipset.

The phone’s MediaTek Helio P35 just doesn’t cut it — especially when you take into account the Vivo Y17 costs RM999 (let’s call it RM1,000). Competitors like the Realme 3 Pro get a Snapdragon 710, Honor 20 Lite with its Kirin 710 and even the Redmi Note 7 feels nippier than this with its Snapdragon 660 chipset. Mind you, the aforementioned phones cost less than the Y17.

“But Victor, the Vivo Y17 is supposed to give you great battery life, and the Helio P35 is power efficient”, you might say; and I say that’s true, but my experience with the phone was painful — even menu transitions stutters from time to time. What’s better battery life when you don’t enjoy using the phone in the first place.

The Vivo Y17 doesn’t handle graphically intensive games well as you may already expect; PUBG: Mobile had to be played in low graphics settings; and even then, I’d get stuttering. You should be able to play less demanding games just fine. However, the phone stays relatively cool even after about an hour of gaming – which I was impressed with.

The phone also comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, which is standard – and with this memory configuration, the Y17 is slightly cheaper than its competitors.

Now here’s what the Vivo Y17 is all about – its 5,000mAh is the reason why the phone is thick and heavy; but it will last you an entire day of videos, browsing and gaming with still some juice left just before your next charge. The phone supports 18W DualEngine fast charging via microUSB, and we were able to get a full charge in a little over an hour, which is fine for a battery this large.

As standard with Vivo, the Y17 ships with Funtouch OS 9 – it’s a hit or miss with some folk, my only gripe with it is that it lacks an app tray, no big deal. It also needs to be mentioned that the phone supports face unlock as well as fingerprint unlock.

With about a two weeks of using the Y17, I have to report that the phone  just doesn’t live up to its RM999 price tag, especially when you consider its competitors such as the Realme 3 Pro and OPPO F11 are priced similarly and leaps and bounds better.

Verdict

At the end of the day, what should influence your final decision should come down to the phone RM999 price tag and whether it’s a worthy buy for that kind of money. I look at the Realme 3 Pro as well as the OPPO F11, and I say that you’re better off opting for either one of these alternatives.

At the time of writing, both phones are now priced below RM1,000 – the Realme 3 Pro 4GB + 64GB variant is priced at RM899 and has a faster chipset, while the OPPO F11 is now priced at RM999 and is leaps and bounds better than the Vivo Y17.

If you can spare about RM300, we say you could also go for the Vivo V15 – we’re saying this because Vivo can make good phones, and the V15 is a testament to that. Regardless, the Vivo Y17 falls short of its hefty price tag and could only be recommended to someone who really needs the large battery it has; and if you’re that person, you can get the Vivo Y17 can be purchased on the Vivo official online store for RM999 and is available in Mineral Blue and Mystic Purple.

The Good

Impressive battery life

Decent charging speed

Bright display

Decent photography performance

The Not So Good

Poor performance

Uninspired design

Pricey for its class

Hit or miss Funtouch OS 9

Outdated microUSB port

000 mah
5
android
dual engine
funtouch os9
oppo f11
Realme 3 Pro
review
vivo
vivo y17


The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom supports 60x zoom, launching on May 27

489

If we’re gonna talk about phones with impressive zoom capabilities, most of you will probably mention the HUAWEI P30 Pro. However, OPPO is also launching the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom edition in Malaysia that is integrated with 10x Hybrid Zoom technology and can zoom up to 60x.

Slightly larger than the standard OPPO Reno, the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom has a 6.6-inch AMOLED screen with a pivot rising structure camera, offering users an immersive full display with almost no bezels. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection and comes in two colour options — Jet Black and Ocean Green.

Under the hood, the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 855 chipset with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. It also has a larger battery size at 4,065mAh and charges via USB-C, in addition to supporting VOOC 3.0 technology. The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom will ship with ColorOS 6 based on Android 9 Pie.

OPPO Reno’s photo samples from left to right: 1x;10x;60x

This edition also comes with an extra rear camera. It has a 48MP main camera, a better 8MP secondary lens and a 13MP telephoto lens and this setup supports dual OIS. On the front, the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom has a 16MP front camera with a unique design. As mentioned, the phone is capable of 10x lossless zoom and 60x digital zoom, putting it in a position slightly ahead of the HUAWEI P30 Pro.

The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom will be launching on May 27, but for those who are interested in the OPPO Reno standard edition, you can already pre-order the phone that is priced at RM1,999 at OPPO Concept Store, OPPO official dealer stores and online at OPPO official website, Lazada and also Shopee.

oppo
OPPO Reno 10X Zoom
reno


HONOR announces the HONOR 20 series with quad camera setup from €499 onwards

374

The HONOR 20 Lite was released last month in Malaysia, and that felt like a teaser to what its siblings — HONOR 20 and HONOR 20 Pro — can do. Today at the global launch in London, HONOR unveils the glory of both phones.

The HONOR 20 series sports a 6.26-inch all-view display and has a 4.5mm punch-hole where you’ll find its in-screen camera. The HONOR 20 series also has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that can unlock your phone within 0.3 second. On the back of both phones is where you’ll find a captivating dynamic holographic design in addition to a quad camera setup, though the phones have different camera specs.

Both the HONOR 20 and the HONOR 20 Pro are powered by a 7nm Kirin 980 AI chipset and shipped with Magic UI 2.1 based on Android 9 Pie. The HONOR 20 series has up to 8GB RAM and also 256GB storage. It also has a graphene cooling sheet technology that can increase the efficiency of heat dissipation to prevent the phones from overheating when users game excessively. With GPU Turbo 3.0, HONOR promises faster performance with frame-by-frame optimisation to ensure users get a smooth gaming experience.

When it comes to camera, the HONOR 20 houses a 48MP main snapper with f/1.8 aperture, a 16MP super wide angle camera, a 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens. The HONOR 20 Pro is slightly better as its main camera is a 48MP lens with f/1.4 aperture — the widest aperture ever seen on a smartphone — and 4-axis OIS, paired with a 16MP super wide angle camera, an 8MP telephoto lens with 4-axis OIS and also a 2MP macro lens. The HONOR 20 Pro also supports up to 3x optical zoom, 30x digital zoom and dual OIS. These phones support AI Ultra Clarity Mode which helps to retain details even when the pictures are zoomed in. Both phones are equipped with a 32MP AI front camera with f/2.0, making selfies much better in terms of quality and clarity.

When it comes to battery life, the HONOR 20 Pro is slightly better as it has 4,000mAh battery while the HONOR 20 has a 3.750mAh battery. Both phones do support HONOR SuperCharge, a 22.5W fast charging technology that can charge the HONOR 20 up to 50% in half an hour.

While these phones do not come with a headphone jack, they are integrated with Virtual 9.1 Surround Sound — a system that offers great audio experience via earphones by offering enveloping sounds. In addition, HONOR uses a technology called AI frequency compensation that provides more comfort by reducing earphone irritation and also fatigue.

The HONOR 20 Pro comes in Phantom Blue and Phantom Black while the HONOR 20 comes in Sapphire Blue, Midnight Black and Icelandic White. The HONOR 20 with 6GB RAM + 128GB storage is priced at €499 while the HONOR 20 Pro with 8GB RAM + 256GB storage is priced at €599.

honor
HONOR 20
HONOR 20 Pro


Apple updates its MacBook Pro with better processors, starts from RM7,849

347

Apple’s MacBook Pro is finally updated with better processors, making it the first time its MacBook Pro has 8-cores processors in addition to being the fastest Mac notebook made.

With the newer processors, the MacBook Pro is twice better than a quad-core MacBook Pro and 40% better than a 6-core MacBook Pro, which makes video rendering, coding and computing tasks more efficient.

The MacBook Pro doesn’t only excel in performance, it also has a great Retina display with 500 bits of brightness paired with True Tone technology. There are also stereo speakers integrated within the MacBook Pro that offers immersive audio experience and Touch ID, Touch Bar and Force Touch trackpad.

The MacBook Pro comes in two models — the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Both models are available for purchase via apple.com/my and starts at RM7,849 and RM10,499.

apple
macbook
macbook pro


Lenovo Z6 Youth Edition goes official with 6.3-inch HDR10 display and Snapdragon 710

444

Lenovo had
introduced
 its flagship Z6 Pro smartphone last month. The company has now launched a more affordable version of the Z6 Pro, dubbed Z6 Youth Edition. Lenovo’s new Z6 Youth Edition comes with a magnesium alloy build and is offered in two attractive color options – Knight Black and Stardust.

The new Lenovo Z6 Youth Edition has a 6.3-inch display featuring 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution and support for the HDR10 standard. As you can see in the images above, the phone has a waterdrop notch at the top of the display, housing a 16MP selfie camera.

On the back of the phone is a triple camera setup consisting of a 16MP primary sensor, 8MP telephoto module, and a 5MP wide-angle camera. Like every other mid-range Android smartphone released so far this year, the Z6 Youth Edition has a slew of AI camera tricks up its sleeves. Some of its other key features include dual-frequency GPS, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C port, and a 4050mAh battery with 15W fast charging. As for the software, Lenovo’s latest smartphone ships with Android Pie-based ZUI 11.

The Lenovo Z6 Youth Edition starts at CNY 1,199 (RM728) for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. Lenovo has priced the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant at CNY 1,399 (RM849), while the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant costs CNY 1,699 (RM1,031). The smartphone will go on sale in China starting from May 28. No word yet on availability outside of China.

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lenovo
Lenovo Z6 Youth Edition
Snapdragon 710


The Redmi K20 is revealed in an official image confirming a triple rear camera setup

359

Redmi’s upcoming flagship device — the Redmi K20 — is supposedly launching on May 28 and yesterday, we finally got an official picture of the Redmi K20.

The company has already revealed few of the K20’s specs, including getting a 48MP main camera, a 4,000mAh battery and an in-display fingerprint sensor. It is also said that the phone will support 960fps slow-mo video recording, and in addition to the phone being powered by a Snapdragon 855 chipset, it will also be integrated with Game Turbo 2.0 for better gaming performance.

Image credit: Redmi

The official picture on the other hand reveals the outlook of the phone, which is a gradient red that darkens in the centre and has some sort of distortion effect — I’m not sure what to call it. There’s also three cameras on its rear, and the top one is protected by a ring, separated from the other two cameras. I’m guessing that’s the 48MP main camera.

It is a rather exciting turn of events for Redmi as they’ve never really ventured into the flagship market, but we’re totally on board and can’t wait till it’s May 28 to check out this beauty.

redmi
Redmi K20


Download The Sims 4 for FREE before May 28

486

The Sims has been an all-time favourite for many of us because who doesn’t like the power to control the lives of others, right? Well, now The Sims 4 can be downloaded for free. I repeat, FREE. There’s no better time to get the game, and you better get it fast because it’ll end in about 5 days.

The Sims 4 will only be free for download until May 28, and you have to get it from Origin, another gaming platform. Naturally, it means you need to download Origin and also register as a member, which is free.

That aside, The Sims 4 supports both Windows and Mac. When you download the game, you can pick between the Standard Edition or the Digital Deluxe Edition. The former is free while the latter will cost you $56.90 but it’ll also include more contents like “Awesome Animal Hats”, “Life of the Party”, “Up All Night” and The Sims 4’s digital soundtrack.

There’s no time to ponder. Get yours
now
.

The Sims
The Sims 4


HUAWEI receives another blow as ARM suspends their business deal

398

ARM has brought a halt to its business deal with HUAWEI and that’s a big deal because ARM is not just any company — it is the semiconductor IP company that has been lending a hand to HUAWEI in building its own chips.

Without ARM, HUAWEI will be facing another major setback — let’s not forget about what Google just did — and this will affect HUAWEI’s top spot in the smartphone industry. Despite the US government providing a 90-day delay for Google and HUAWEI, this doesn’t apply to ARM and all interactions with HUAWEI and its subsidiaries are immediately suspended.

It was also reported by BBC that ARM staffs are informed that they will no longer “provide support, delivery technology (whether software, code, or other updates), engage in technical discussions, or otherwise discuss technical matters with Huawei, HiSilicon or any of the other named entities”.

Currently, HUAWEI’s HiSilicon chips are built with a technology created by ARM which the semiconductor IP company said contained “US origin technology”, so HUAWEI will no longer be able to ask for their help and will have to manufacture their chips either on their own or by seeking help from other companies.

Will the Chinese company be able to survive through these major blows? Only time can tell.

arm
google
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Redmi 7A announced with Snapdragon 439, 4000mAh battery, and P2i splash resistance

324

Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand has launched yet another new smartphone. This time, the company is targeting first-time smartphone buyers with the entry-level Redmi 7A. It comes with a polycarbonate body but has the same P2i splash resistance as the other Redmi phones launched this year.

The entry-level smartphone features a 5.45-inch IPS LCD display panel with 720 x 1440 pixels resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 439 octa-core processor clocked at up to 1.95 GHz with an Adreno 505 GPU. Redmi 7A comes in two memory configurations: 2GB + 16GB and 3GB + 32GB. For further expansion, the smartphone includes a dedicated microSD card slot.

Coming to optics, the Redmi 7A is equipped with a single 13MP camera at the rear and supports AI-powered features such as AI scene detection. On the front is a 5-megapixel snapper with AI beautification and AI face unlock features. Fueling the internals of the entry-level smartphone is a 4000mAh battery with 10W charging support. As for the software, Redmi 7A runs on Pie-based MIUI 10 right out of the box.

The Redmi 7A will be available in two color options: Black and Blue. Pricing and availability details have not been revealed yet. Redmi says these details will be announced on May 28
th
 at the
Redmi K20
 launch event.

redmi
Redmi 7A
Snapdragon 439
xiaomi


Nvidia introduces Nvidia RTX Studio laptop branding for content creators

393

Nvidia are better known for their GPU offerings as well as developer-centric programs and features that allow for more realistic video game graphics. However, it seems like the American giants are diversifying their trade as they unveiled a new laptop branding program called the Nvidia RTX Studio.

Nvidia told the press during their keynote speech during the COMPUTEX 2019 expo in Taipei yesterday — according to Anand Tech, Nvidia RTX Studio laptops must always meet these requirements: a high-end CPU, an RTX-ready GPU. Nvidia invites parter brands to create such devices and will allow them to carry the Nvidia RTX Studio badge.

As the name suggests, these laptops are aimed at content creators — Nvidia has also listed more details of what the minimum requirements are for the laptop specs:

Image credit: Anand Tech

Depending on which Nvidia GPU brand laptop makers choose to go with, they will either get a Quadro RTX Sudio or GeForce RTX Studio badge for their product.

At the moment, the company has announced a total of 17 laptops that have already been part of the program and they belong to brands such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, Gigabyte, HP, MSI and Razer. You can expect to see Nvidia RTX Studio badged laptops sometime this June.

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Get the new OPPO Reno for free when you subscribe to Celcom’s postpaid plan

364

The OPPO Reno series has already launched both its models in Malaysia and both phones – the OPPO Reno and the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom – has been integrated with a very unique pivot rising structure. However, there are also several differences between both devices which is why there is a price difference between them.

Firstly, the Reno and the Reno 10x Zoom differ in size. The standard model comes with a 6.4-inch OLED screen while the Reno 10x Zoom has a 6.6-inch OLED display but both are integrated with Gorilla Glass 6. In addition, the Reno series has hidden fingerprint unlock. They are also spotted in two colours – Ocean Green and Jet Black, where the former comes with a matte texture while the latter has a shiny finish.

The Reno 10x Zoom is also ahead of the Reno in terms of performance as it is powered by the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset compared to the Snapdragon 710 chipset found in the Reno. The Reno has 6GB RAM and 256GB storage, and the Reno 10x Zoom has 8GB RAM and expandable 256GB storage. Both phones ship with ColorOS 6 based on Android Pie.

There are also a major difference when it comes to the camera specs. While the OPPO Reno has a 48MP main camera paired with a 5MP secondary camera, the Reno 10x Zoom replaces the secondary camera lens with a 8MP wide angle lens and adds on an extra 13MP telephoto lens. The Reno 10x Zoom not only supports 10x Hybrid Zoom, but also feature digital zoom up to 60x. Meanwhile, the pivot rising structure houses the 16MP selfie camera along with receivers and sensors.

Image credit: Pocket Lint

The Reno series supports charging via USB-C and while the OPPO Reno has a 3,765mAh battery, the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom takes it up a notch by getting a 4,065mAh battery. Both devices supports VOOC 3.0, so you won’t have to worry about extensive charging time.

The OPPO Reno costs RM1,999 wheras the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom costs RM3,399. However, you can now get the OPPO Reno for free if you subscribe to Celcom Mobile Platinum Plus postpaid plan for RM188/month. Not only will you get 100GB monthly Internet, you’ll also be getting unlimited calls to all networks and also unlimited usage of WhatsApp and WeChat.

In addition, there’s a 24-month instalment plan from Celcom known as EasyPhone Own, where customers can get the new OPPO Reno by just paying RM91/month. The OPPO Reno can already get the OPPO Reno via the Celcom Online Store, OPPO’s official stores and also Celcom Blue Cube retail outlets in Malaysia. To further express appreciation towards purchasers, those who buy the OPPO Reno will also get a free battery casing worth RM199 while stock last.

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OPPO Reno
OPPO Reno 10X Zoom
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Redmi K20 Pro rumored to launch as Pocophone F2 Pro in global markets

267

Earlier this week, Xiaomi’s independent Redmi sub-brand
launched
 the K20 and K20 Pro Android smartphones in its home market. According to a new rumor, the Redmi K20 could launch in international markets as the Pocophone F2. In Russia, however, the phone will be sold as the Mi 9T.

The latest rumor claims the Redmi K20, which features a Snapdragon 730 chipset, will be arriving as Pocophone F2 in select markets, succeeding the Pocophone F1 from last year. However, the true spiritual successor of the Pocophone F1 will be the Redmi K20 Pro, which runs on a flagship Snapdragon 855 chipset. The Redmi K20 Pro is rumored to launch in several markets as the Pocophone F2 Pro.

And almost certain, darlings. The Redmi K20 is indeed likely to be the Poco F2. The SD 855 edition is likely to be called F2 Pro and the SD730 just F2. And the prices will be astonishing!

— Tech Auntyji (@techauntyji)
May 29, 2019

Redmi K20 and K20 Pro both come with a 6.39-inch AMOLED display and a motorized 20MP popup selfie camera. On the back, they feature a 48MP + 13MP + 8MP triple-camera setup with 2x optical zoom. Fueling the internals of the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro smartphones is a 4000mAh non-removable battery. While the K20 only supports 18W fast charging, the K20 Pro has 27W fast charging support.

What remains to be seen is exactly when Xiaomi plans to launch the two devices in global markets. It is possible that the duo may debut in at least a few markets outside China before the end of the current quarter.

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Pocophone F2
Pocophone F2 Pro
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Redmi K20
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HONOR celebrates Raya with HONORaya deals for the HONOR View 20, HONOR 20 Lite and more!

442

Raya is around the corner and every brand is having promotions and deals, including HONOR. To celebrate this festive season, HONOR Malaysia is bringing HONORaya promotions that include special gifts and weekend exclusives.

The HONORaya promotions will last till June 9 with gifts such as the HONOR backpack, HONOR food container, HONOR cat tote bag, 3GB microSD card and also RM10 KFC voucher — depending on which device users choose to purchase. For example, purchasing the HONOR View20 will get you a free backpack while getting HONOR 7S will entitle you to a RM10 KFC voucher.

In addition to these gifts, if you purchase the selected device — HONOR View20, HONOR 20 Lite, HONOR 8C, HONOR 8X, HONOR 10 Lite and HONOR 7S — during the weekend on June 1 and 2, you’ll also be entitled to an addition HONOR gift box. For the HONOR View20, purchasers will get one more extra gift — the HONOR Body Fat Scale.

These promotions and deals are only available at
participating stores
, and if you’re seeking for more information, do visit HONOR’s
Facebook page.

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Honor 10 Lite
HONOR 20 Lite
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HONOR 8C
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HONORaya


Samsung launches new #iChanged campaign, giving away the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Fit-e

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Today Samsung Malaysia Electronics launches its #iChanged campaign — a campaign designed to attract non-Samsung users to start switching to Samsung devices. We could be a little paranoid, but seems like Samsung is launching the campaign at just the right time.

Samsung made sure that if they’re asking users to switch over to their brand, the switching process will be smooth and simple. With the Smart Switch software, users can easily transfer all their data from their previous smartphones to their new Samsung devices including photos, music and contacts. This is applies to both iOS and Android devices.

https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Samsung-iChanged-campaign.mp4

In addition to that, Samsung pushes their Samsung Galaxy S10 to the consumers by giving away a complimentary pair of Galaxy Buds whenever customers trade in their old devices to get a new Galaxy S10. If you’re reluctant to trade in your old devices, you can also purchase the Galaxy S10 and get a free Galaxy Fit-e worth RM139.

The promotion will last two months from May 31 to July 31 and Samsung is going to make this campaign a memorable one as the company announced that it will be seen in various platforms including billboards, YouTube and buses around KL city.

samsung
Samsung Galaxy S10
samsung malaysia


China hits back at the US with their own blacklist in response to Huawei’s ban

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Like a competitive spat over two high school kids, the whole kerfuffle between the US and China seem to have taken a very childish turn.

In retaliation to Huawei being blacklisted by the Trump administration, China – yes, the Chinese government – has chosen to retaliate by creating their own list of “unreliable entities” whereby a set of foreign business and corporations, namely those from the great US of A.

China’s vice commerce minister and deputy international trade representative, Wang Shouwen had sad that the country will provide more detailed information on who makes their naughty list soon and those that do must have “violated market principles”; therefore ties between these entities and China must be severed.

This comes after news of Huawei prepping to file a motion against the US Government in question of the constitutionality of Section 889 of 2019 NDAA.

If we could give you a visual representation of the whole ordeal, imagine two grown ups having a cat-fight where the heaviest blow dealt to any party would be an overhead slap to the cheek.

android
china
huawei
trade ban


Samsung reveals the Notebook 7 and Notebook 7 Force, available July 26 onwards

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Samsung announces three new laptops right ahead of WWDC — the 13-inch and 15-inch Notebook 7 and the 15-inch Notebook 7 Force.

According to
The Verge
, “the 13-inch model bears the closest resemblance to Apple’s MacBook Pro, with its keyboard arrangement and center-aligned trackpad, and well, just about everything else about it.”

Both models of the Notebook 7 are powered by up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U processors, and supports RAM up to 16GB and storage up to 512GB SSD. The difference between both models are their graphic cards — the 13-inch model uses the Intel UHD Graphics while the 15-inch model can opt for the Nvidia GeForce MX250. The Notebook 7 also comes with a USB Type-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, a HDMI port, a microSD slot and also a headphone jack.

On the other hand, Samsung also introduced the Notebook 7 Force that comes with the same 15.6-inch display that is found on one of the Notebook 7 model, and it also features up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U processor. The Notebook 7 Force has up to 16GB RAM and up to 512GB SSD and HDD storage.

What makes the Notebook 7 Force a better laptop compared to the other two is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card that is integrated in it. The Notebook 7 Force also has a USB Type-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, a HDMI port, a microSD slot, a headphone jack, a security slot and an RJ45 port.

The 13-inch and 15-inch Notebook 7 start at $999 and $1,099, and the Notebook 7 Force starts at the price of $1,499. All three laptops will officially launch on July 26, but they can be pre-ordered starting from July 12.

Notebook 7
Notebook 7 Force
samsung


Get the perfect Fitbit for a Father’s Day gift with discounts up to RM200

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In conjunction with Father’s Day, Fitbit is offering limited time discounts on few of its Fitbit devices, making it a perfect gift no matter what kind of dad you have.

With a wide range of options, it is almost certain that there is a Fitbit device that your dad will like. If you’re trying to encourage your dad to engage in a healthy lifestyle, then the Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR will be a great choice. These two devices are swimproof, minimalistic and also comfortable. The Inspire HR also has heart rate tracking that can constantly track its user’s heart rate and analyse his sleep pattern to provide accurate data for sleep improvement. The Fitbit Inspire HR costs RM468 while the Fitbit Inspire costs RM348.

For dads who are more into advanced technology and looks for more functions in a fitness tracker, users can opt for the Fitbit Versa Lite — a smartwatch that also works as a fitness tracker. It keeps track of your apps and notifications, and comes with more than 15 exercise modes. If you want to get a smartwatch for your dad that has on-screen workouts and can store and play music, then perhaps the Fitbit Versa is a better choice. The Fitbit Versa costs RM848 while the Fitbit Versa Lite costs RM768.

However, if your dad is someone who focus solely on fitness and would like a more advanced device, then the Fitbit Charge 3 would be the perfect option. It is accurate, lightweight, durable and it also supports 24/7 heart rate tracking like the Inspire HR. Apart from that, it also has a longer battery life of seven days and has a larger display compared to the Inspire series. The Fitbit Charge 3 is priced at RM728 while its special edition will be slightly pricier at RM838.

However, we’ve already mentioned that Fitbit is offering various discounts for its devices, so do not fret. Here is a list of all the discounted devices:

RM200 discount

Fitbit Alta HR at RM 498 (normal retail price at RM 698)

Fitbit Alta HR Special Edition at RM 608 (normal retail price at RM 808)

Fitbit Charge 2 at RM 508 (normal retail price at RM 708)

Fitbit Charge 2 Special Edition at RM 608 (normal retail price at RM 808)

Fitbit Ionic at RM 1098 (normal retail price at RM 1298)

Fitbit Ionic Adidas at RM 1198 (normal retail price at RM 1398)

RM150 discount

Fitbit Versa at RM 848 (normal retail price at RM 998)

Fitbit Versa Special Edition at RM 978 (normal retail price at RM 1128)

Fitbit Ace at RM 248 (normal retail price at RM 398)

RM100 discount

Fitbit Charge 3 at RM 628 (normal retail price at RM 728)

Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition at RM 738 (normal retail price at RM 838)

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Chage 2
Charge 3
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Inspire HR
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Versa
Versa Lite


Apple introduces new iPadOS updates to improve productivity thanks to new gestures and multi-tasking features

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Besides the announcement of Apple’s iOS 13 and watchOS, we saw the introduction of new additions of the iPadOS.

The new updates revolve around productivity and multitasking – gestures are the order of the day and with the new update, you can easily perform split screen across more apps for better productivity.

Another update comes by way of the humble but important copy, paste and undo action – in the new update, all it takes is three fingers – pinch to copy, spread to paste and swipe left to undo.

Lastly, you can now swipe up using the Apple Pencil to bring up a mark-up of the screen whereby you can seamlessly work on the screen shot with the Pencil, and then share it to anyone. The Apple Pencil is also upgraded to now perform with only 9ms latency as compared to 20ms latency previously.

We for one are eager to try out the new iPadOS updates, because God knows how we need the added productivity.

apple
ipad
ipados
wwdc 2019


Apple’s tvOS 13 is compatible with Xbox and PS4 controllers and supports multi-users

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Apple announced a series of great news at WWDC, but it all started with tvOS 13, the operating system that Apple TV 4K runs on. With tvOS 13, Apple TV 4K gets several new features that also includes another Apple service — Apple Arcade.

Image credit: Apple

Apple TV 4K now comes with a new home screen that enables full-screen video previews so discovery is made easy. In addition, Apple introduced new 4K HDR screensavers that include shots taken under the sea, bringing marine life to its Apple TV 4K users.

One of the greatest announcement from Apple regarding tv OS 13 is its multi-user support. With Apple TV’s new Control Center, family members can now switch between accounts to get their own personalised recommendation and entertainment. It kind of resembles Netflix’s and PS4’s multi-account feature, so you get your own account with Up Next list and recommendations based on your preferences.

Image credit: Apple

In addition to that, Apple Music on tvOS 13 will also be utilising multi-use support, so even your playlists and recommendations can be personalised based on your account. tvOS 13 also include time-sync lyrics for Apple Music so users can sing along to their songs with the onscreen lyrics.

Image credit: Apple

I’ve also mentioned Apple Arcade, so let’s get to it. The new gaming service will be available to Apple TV 4K this fall and with one subscription, up to six family members will have access to more than 100 new and exclusive games. These games will not come with ads or additional purchases, and can be supported across Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and of course, Apple TV.

Lastly, tvOS 13 will add support for both Xbox and PlayStation game controllers, so Apple users can take advantage of these controllers to play games found in both Apple Arcade and also App Store.

apple
Apple Arcade
Apple Music
Apple TV
apple tv 4k
tvos
tvOS 13


Facebook users can create their own Avatars for News Feed and Messenger

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Avatars are quite popular these days. Take Snapchat’s Bitmoji and Apple’s Memoji for example. Now, Facebook doesn’t want to get left out and started its own Facebook Avatar.

Similar to Bitmoji, you get to customise your avatar according to your liking — from your facial and body features to the outfit you wear. You’ll be able to use your new Avatar in Messenger and News Feed, but currently the feature is only available in Australia.

When the feature is finally out to all other countries, there should be a “smiley-face” button in your News Feed comment section and Messenger sticker tabs, so you can begin to create your avatar from there onwards. Phone Arena also said that all Facebook users will be able to see these Facebook Avatars even though Australia is the only country where its users can create the avatars at the moment.

Facebook also mentioned that the avatars will not be monetised, so you won’t have to worry about spending real cash to get certain accessories or clothes for your avatar. There are also plans to let users change their profile pictures to their Avatars, but that’s further down the road.

facebook
Facebook Avatar


iOS 13 allows the iPad to automatically connect to your iPhone’s hotspot

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There are many great updates and features coming in iOS 13, but one of it that wasn’t mentioned during the keynote is its Wi-Fi and hotspot enhancements.

According to CultofMac, iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 will let iPads connect automatically to the personal hotspot of user’s iPhone when there are no other available connections, and instead of the hotspot stopping when the iPad goes to sleep, it will instead stay connected.

Currently in iOS 12, users have to manually connect their iPads to their iPhones’ hotspots and it disconnects when the iPads go to sleep to preserve battery life. With iOS 13, users will have to be more cautious in managing their battery life.

Apart from that, iOS 13 also upgrades its Control Center to be more functional. It is said that in the new update, users will be given a drag-down window, allowing them to choose Wi-Fi networks from the Control Center itself. This will also apply to Bluetooth, so it’s a great update compared to the current Control Center that only allows users to toggle the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on/off.

apple
ios
iOS 13
ipados


Nokia 2.2 Android One smartphone launched with 5.71-inch waterdrop screen, 3000mAh battery

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Finnish brand HMD Global has expanded its Android One portfolio with the launch of the entry-level Nokia 2.2. The Nokia 2.2 is the company’s most affordable Android One smartphone yet, positioned below the Nokia 3.2.

HMD Global’s latest offering features a 5.71-inch HD+ resolution LCD display with a waterdrop-style notch at the top and a 19:9 aspect ratio. The display panel is said to offer a peak brightness of 400 nits, which is quite impressive considering its affordable pricing. Under the hood, Nokia 2.2 runs on MediaTek’s Helio A22 quad-core processor clocked at 2.0 GHz.

Moving on to the memory department, Nokia 2.2 will be available in two variants: 2GB + 16GB and 3GB + 32GB. When it comes to optics, the latest Android One handset from HMD Global has a single 13MP snapper at the rear with an f/2.2 aperture lens and an LED flash. Like most other smartphones in the entry-level segment, the Nokia 2.2 has a 5MP resolution front-facing camera for selfies. The smartphone packs a 3000mAh capacity battery with 5W charging support. While there is no fingerprint sensor, the handset does support Face Unlock.

The Nokia 2.2 has been priced at INR 6,999 (RM420) for the 2GB RAM variant and INR 7,999 (RM479) for the 3GB RAM variant. These are introductory prices and will only remain valid until the end of this month. Starting from July, the 2GB RAM variant of the phone will cost INR 7,699 (RM461), while the 3GB model will cost INR 8,699 (RM521). The phone will be available in two colors: Steel and Tungsten Black. It is slated to go on sale in India starting June 11. HMD Global hasn’t announced any details regarding availability in other markets.

hmd global
nokia
Nokia 2.2


The OPPO A1k is available for FREE when you sign up for Celcom Gold Plus plan

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OPPO revealed another smartphone in Malaysia, this time catering to entry-level consumers. The OPPO A1K is OPPO’s latest smartphone in Malaysia, and you can get it for free if you sign up for Celcom mobile plans.

The OPPO A1k comes with a 6.1-inch LCD display paired with a waterdrop notch and topped with Corning Gorilla Glass. Powered by a MediaTek Helio P22 processor, the OPPO A1k has 2GB RAM and 32GB storage which can be expanded via a microSD slot. It also ships with ColorOS 6 based on Android 9.

Furthermore, the A1k houses an 8MP rear camera paired with a 5MP front camera, and it comes in two colour options — Black and Red. The device holds a huge 4,000mAh battery and charges via microUSB.

The OPPO A1k costs RM499, but it can be yours for free when you sign up for Celcom Mobile Gold Plus plan at RM98/month. This postpaid plan entitles you to 40GB Internet and unlimited calls to all networks, in addition to unlimited WhatsApp and WeChat. For those opting for a cheaper plan, they can also get the OPPO A1k for RM99 when they choose the Celcom Xpax XP60 plan.

A1k
oppo


ASUS ROG Phone 2 is coming in July with a 120Hz display and a Snapdragon 855 chipset

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ASUS ROG Phone is a hit when it first launched, hence why its successor is coming soon in July. This time round, ASUS will be collaborating with Tencent to produce a successor to the ROG Phone.

The ROG Phone 2 will be launching in July in China if the Weibo post by ROG is indeed true. The collaboration between both companies is said to bring optimisation in the ROG Phone 2 for Tencent games, including PUBG Mobile.

While there are no confirmed specs whatsoever, many of us are expecting a 120Hz display and the latest Snapdragon 855 chipset. The device will also keep its Air Triggers and sport improved thermal systems to prevent overheating.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, the Asus ROG Phone on Lazada — that’s on a RM1,000 discount — is now sold out.

asus
rog phone


Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro will have quad rear cameras but no 3.5mm jack, CAD renders reveal

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After posting the
first CAD renders
 of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10, leakster
OnLeaks
 has now shared the first renders of the Galaxy Note 10 Pro. While the bigger Galaxy Note 10 Pro will look very similar to the regular Galaxy Note 10 from the front, there is one major difference on the back.

Similar to the Galaxy S10 5G, the Galaxy Note 10 Pro has a quad-camera setup with a 3D ToF sensor. We do not see any fingerprint sensor, which is certainly not a surprise. Both the vanilla Galaxy Note 10 and the Galaxy Note 10 Pro are expected to come with an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor similar to the Galaxy S10 series.

According to OnLeaks, the Galaxy Note 10 Pro will have a 6.75-inch display and measure 162.3 x 77.4 x 7.9mm (8.5mm including rear camera bump) in terms of dimensions. In comparison, the vanilla Galaxy Note 10 will have a 6.3-inch display, marginally smaller than the current Galaxy Note 9.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Pro are expected to run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor in select markets such as the United States. In most other markets, however, the phablet is likely to be running on Samsung’s Exynos 9825 octa-core chipset.

Galaxy Note 10
Galaxy Note 10 Pro
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samsung


Three Xbox consoles reported to arrive next year – one of it supports ray-tracing, 120 FPS and 8K gaming

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We’re in the midway point of 2019 now, and that means we’re also about half a year – give or take – before the new generation of consoles are introduced by the three pillars of console gaming – Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

Sony had already confirmed certain specs we should expect in the upcoming PlayStation 5, which includes an SSD, an AMD Ryzen CPU, Navi-based GPU; and it supports 4K gaming with up to 8K scaling as well as VR.

Now, reports suggest that Microsoft may follow suit by introducing a high-end Xbox codenamed Project Scarlett, for the next console generation; and it’s to be offered alongside the usual flagship console and a smaller version of that.

The specs of Project Scarlett include a custom-designed AMD CPU that’s based on Zen 2 and Radeon RDNA architecture. It will also apparently be utilizing GDDR6 RAM and will support 8K gaming, ray-tracing and even 120 FPS while gaming – no more “30 FPS” memes I guess.

Project Scarlett will also use an SSD for storage – so in many ways, Microsoft’s Project Scarlett mirrors the purported PlayStation 5 and both consoles are reported to be introduced next year.

console
gaming
microsoft
playstation
project scarlett
sony
xbox


WIKO’s View3 and View3 Lite are now in Malaysia for less than RM600

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Malaysians may not have heard, but a French mobile brand named WIKO has just launched two of its new devices in Malaysia, and they’re both lower than RM600.

First seen during MWC 2019, WIKO now brings the View3 and View3 Lite to Malaysia with bigger battery and bigger display. Starting with the View3, the phone sports a 6.26-inch IPS panel with HD+ resolution and has a U-shaped notch. It has a fingerprint sensor on its back and also a headphone jack, in addition supporting AI face unlock.

Under the hood, the View3 is equipped with a MediaTek Helio P22 chipset paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage which is expandable up to 256GB. It ships with Android 9 Pie and has a 4,000mAh battery that supposedly can last users around two days.

On the back, the View3 has a triple 12MP + 13MP + 2MP rear camera setup, while its front holds an 8MP selfie snapper. The cameras also support AI Face Beauty, Night mode, Slow motion and Time Lapse.

Moving on, the View3 Lite comes with a slightly smaller 6.09-inch HD+ display. It also sports a U-shaped notch and supports both face and fingerprint unlock, in addition to housing a headphone jack.

As for its internals, the View3 Lite is powered by a Unisoc SC9863A chipset coupled with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage which is expandable up to 128GB. It also has a 4,000mAh battery that charges via microUSB and comes with Android 9 Pie.

Unlike the View3, the View3 Lite only has a dual rear camera setup — a 13MP main camera paired with a 2MP depth sensor. In addition to that, the 5MP front camera is also a downgrade from the 8MP camera spotted on the View3.

However, the less high-end specs found in View3 Lite also means that it will be cheaper than the View3. The View3 and View3 Lite will be available from June 11 onwards and there will be an exclusive launch of
WIKO’s Official Store
 on Lazada. The View3 — normally priced at RM599 — will be available at RM489 from June 11 to June 13, while the View3 Lite — normally priced at RM449 — can be yours for RM369 from June 14 to June 16.

View3
View3 Lite
wiko


Samsung launches the Galaxy Fit and Fit-e in Malaysia for RM369 and RM139 respectively

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Fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular and smartphone brands have already started producing their own fitness trackers, including Samsung. Samsung’s new Galaxy Fit and Fit-e are now in Malaysia and both are going to be available from June 14.

The Galaxy Fit is clearly to higher-end model; it sports a bigger 0.95-inch AMOLED full colour display while the Fit-e has a 0.74-inch PMOLED mono display. Despite that, both wearables runs on FreeRTOS and supports Bluetooth v5.0, in addition to having a 5ATM rating that makes the devices water resistant up to 50m for 10 minutes.

Both devices are also able to track activity status and receive smartphones notifications, and while the Galaxy Fit-e can automatically track three types of workout (walking, running and dynamic workout), the Galaxy Fit can track up to six activities automatically. The wearables also have HR sensor and can automatically track user’s sleep pattern, but the Fit-e can only track three sleeping stages while the Galaxy Fit can track four.

The Fit has a 120mAh battery while the Fit-e has a 70mAh battery, but the former also has an additional 32GB storage. Both devices are also made with military-level durability standards. The Galaxy Fit is available at RM369 in either Black or Silver, while the Galaxy Fit-e is available at RM139 in either Black or White. They can be purchased at Samsung Malaysia Online Store and also Samsung Experience stores.

Galaxy Fit
Galaxy Fit e
samsung


HTC launches two midrange smartphones in Taiwan — the U19e and Desire 19+

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HTC made an appearance again — this time with its two new midrangers, the U19e and the Desire 19+. Both devices were just launched in Taiwan, and while the U19e still has no notch, the Desire 19+ is HTC’s first phone to sport a water drop notch.

Starting with the HTC U19e, this device comes with a 6-inch OLED FHD+ display with no notch and a slightly thick chin. On its back, we still spot a fingerprint sensor alongside a dual rear camera setup. The back is also pretty cool as it has a design on its back that looks transparent when you look at the area surrounding the fingerprint sensor.

Image credit: Cool3c

The U19e is powered by a Snapdragon 710 processor, in addition to having a configuration of 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. It also has 3,930mAh battery that supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 via USB-C. That aside, its back houses a 12MP lens paired with a 20MP sensor, while its front has a 24MP shooter paired with a 2MP depth sensor.

Image credit: Cool3c

Moving on, the Desire 19+ has a 6.2-inch HD+ display coupled with a waterdrop notch. The metallic finish gradient back comes with a triple lens camera setup and also a fingerprint sensor. The Desire 19+ also sports a headphone jack.

Under the hood, the phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 chipset and comes with two different configurations — 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage. It also ships with Android 9 Pie and holds a 3,850mAh battery that charges via USB-C.

Image credit: CCC Tech News

Camera wise, the Desire 19+ has a triple rear camera with a 13MP main lens, an 8MP telephoto camera and a 5MP wide angle lens while on its front, the phone houses a 20MP selfie shooter with f/2.0 aperture.

Desire 19+
htc
U19e


Xiaomi announces the waterproof Mi Band 4 in China with NFC support and coloured display

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Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is officially launched yesterday in China and it has several major upgrades compared to the Mi Band 3 in addition to getting three variants of the model.

The Mi Band 4 is more attractive because it comes with colours in its 0.95-inch AMOLED display and has a 2.5D scratch-resistant glass. Not only is it bigger than the Mi Band 3, it also has a higher resolution of 120x240p.

The Mi Band 4 is also equipped with high precision accelerometer that will support swimming stroke recognition, meaning it can recognise various swimming styles like butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and so on. Since you can take it to swimming, the Mi Band 4 is obviously waterproof as it has a 5ATM rating which allows it to be in water up to 50 meters deep.

For those who look for more functionality, the Mi Band 4 also supports voice commands via the Xiao AI voice assistant as it has a built-in microphone. It can be used to control IoT devices and now comes with NFC support and Bluetooth 5.0. More importantly, the new Mi Band 4 is said to be able to last 15 day for the NFC model and 20 days for the non-NFC model.

The standard version of Mi Band 4 is available in four colours — Black, Brown, Blue, Orange and Pink and costs CNY169. The NFC version will cost slightly more at CNY229, and the Avenger limited edition band will cost CNY349. Its global pricing and availability remains unknown.

Mi Band 4
xiaomi


The Samsung Galaxy M40 is launched with a Snapdragon 675 processor

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The Samsung Galaxy M40 has been launched with its Infinity-O display and it looks like a great midrange phone is here to join the market.

Differentiating itself from the rest of the M series, the Galaxy M40 comes with a 6.3-inch Infinity-O display that is topped with Corning Gorilla Glass. It also ditched the headphone jack while still keeping its rear fingerprint sensor.

The M40 is powered by a Snapdragon 675 processor paired with Samsung’s OneUI skin on top of Android Pie. Moreover, it has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage which is expandable via microSD up to 512GB.

Image credit: GSMArena

With an Infinity-O display, the cutout houses a 16MP front camera while its rear sports a 32MP main camera, an 8MP ultra wide camera and a 5MP depth sensor. The cameras support 4K video recording, Hyperlapse and also Super Slow-Mo at 240fps.

The M40 also comes with a 3,500mAh battery and supports 15W charging via USB-C. It is available in Midnight Blue and Seawater Blue and can be purchased at ₹19,990 and will be officially on sales on June 18.

Galaxy M40
samsung


HP brings the Tango X to Malaysia at RM799 — a smart printer that comes with a sleek design

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HP has launched its first convertible leather laptop today, but that’s not all. The company also launched its first smart printer today, the HP Tango X.

This smart printer is capable of printing via smartphone and tablet. It can also be used to make copies or as a scanner via the HP Smart App, so users can print documents and share them to the cloud or via email.

The Tango X also supports voice activation, meaning that users can also print their documents just by speaking to the printer that supports Amazon Alexa, Windows Cortana and Google Assistant. With IFTTT, users can also create various commands for easy printing. The Tango X is compatible with Windows and MacOS and has 360MHz processor speed paired with 256MB DDR3 storage.

HP also ensure that the Tango X can produce great quality prints as it utilised HP Thermal Inkjet to offer up to 1200×1200 dpi for black prints and up to 4800×1200 dpi for coloured prints. Moreover, it is not limited to only plain paper; the Tango X is also compatible with other types of paper such as HP Photo Papers, HP Matte Brochure or Professional Paper, HP Matte Presentation Paper and many more.

The Tango X measures at 389 x 246 x 91mm and weighs 3.4kg. Like the HP Spectre Folio that is launched today, the Tango X smart printer is also available now from RM799.

hp
HP Tango X
smart printer


The 2019 iPhone models may come with Apple Pencil support

327

There’s already a list of things that we like and dislike about the iPhone 11, but recent reports suggested another one that should be favourable — Apple Pencil support.

All these times the Apple Pencil has only been functional when it comes to Apple’s iPads and nothing else. The Apple Pencil is as long as a normal pencil, meaning they’re bigger than an average stylus you use for smartphones. So, let’s just take this with a grain of salt because it sounds a little farfetched.

Nevertheless, newer iPhones supporting the Apple Pencil is more of an extra feature than a feature that we’ll need. It’s also good enough for Apple to include mouse support for the iPads and iPhones with the launch of iOS 13, so we’re not complaining.

Reports also suggested that the iPhone XR successor will come with a dual rear camera setup while the other two models will sport a triple rear camera setup. With iOS 13, we’re also expecting to see the iPhones and iPads with mouse support.

apple
Apple pencil
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iOS 13
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iPhone 11


Shopee launches the 9.9 Super Shopping Day and reveals Christiano Ronaldo as its new ambassador

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As September is approaching, Shopee is launching its 9.9 Super Shopping Day that comes with various deals and offers for its e-commerce users.

From August 19 to September 8, Shopee will have different Super days that will offer different kinds of rewards and deals. For example, every Friday will be Super Goyang Shopee Day for those who love playing Shopee Shake and also Super RM1 Day that lets customers stand a chance to win Yamaha motorcycles for RM1 each.
 Of course, September 9 itself will be Shopee’s Super Shopping Day.

Speaking of the RM1 Day, customers can also stand a chance to win a Honda City 1.5L E via the One Or Not feature. Just spend RM1 to stand a chance to win the Honda City or Yamaha motorcycles, and those who didn’t win the prizes will get back their RM1.

Apart from that, Shopee also has 9.9 Super Voucher Pack that includes more than RM150 worth of vouchers for only RM9.90 including vouchers for MBO, Grab and Agoda. Furthermore, Shopee’s 9.9 campaign will have up to 90& discounts from over 120 brands including Tefal, Acer, HONOR, Ice Watch, Carlo Rino and more.

Shopee’s 9.9 campaign will feature minimum RM9 for free shipping, 9x Shocking Sale and 99million coins to be won on Goyang Shopee. Shopee also revealed Christiano Ronaldo as its latest ambassador, in which the famous football player will be appearing in Shopee’s TVC and will be working together for the next few months.

9.9 Super Shopping Day
shopee
shopee 9.9


Garmin launches the fēnix 6 series in Malaysia, starting from RM2,999

356

Garmin just released the fēnix 6 series in Malaysia, featuring the fēnix 6S, fēnix 6X and fēnix 6. These smartwatches come with Power Manager and Body Battery, two features that help prolong their battery lives and better manage their fitness and health progress.

The Power Manager feature allows users to see their battery life in hours and days so that they can clearly plan their activities without worrying about the smartwatch running out of battery. In addition, users can customize the battery saving modes to extend battery life. The fēnix 6 series also uses Body Battery feature to monitor their body energy levels so that they can schedule their workouts, rest times and sleep times.

The fēnix 6 has a 1.3-inch display while the fēnix 6S and the fēnix 6X have a 1.4-inch display. Garmin also added Sapphire editions to these three models that so that they’re more scratch-resistant and durable.

The fēnix 6X Pro Solar edition also has a sunlight-readable display as it is designed with Power Glass — a transparent solar charging lens. With this lens, the smartwatch can extend its battery life when it gets solar energy (sunlight). According to Garmin, the smartwatch can last 21 days even without the solar charging feature.

Moreover, the fēnix 6 series has topographic maps for various outdoor activities like ski maps and golf courses. It also comes with on-device music storage, so you can listen to up to 2,000 songs with any of these devices without needing your phone with you. Like any other smartwatch, the fēnix 6 series also alerts you when there’s incoming calls, texts, and notifications.

Other features include heart-rate tracking, Pulse OX for advanced sleep monitoring and also altitude acclimation. It also has a compass, barometric altimeter, gyroscope and of course, GPS. These smartwatches come with 10ATM rating and 32GB of storage.

The fēnix 6 series is officially available from today onwards and the models are priced as below:

fēnix 6 – Silver with Black Band: RM2,999

fēnix 6 – Carbon Grey DLC with Black Band (Sapphire Edition): RM3,950

fēnix 6S – Silver with Black Band: RM2,999

fēnix 6S – Rose Gold-tone with Powder Gray Band (Sapphire Edition): RM3,950

fēnix 6S – Carbon Gray DLC with Black Band (Sapphire Edition): RM3,950

fēnix 6X – Carbon Gray DLC with Black Band (Sapphire Edition): RM4,199

fēnix 6X – Titanium Carbon Gray DLC with Black Band (Pro Solar Edition): RM4,699

fēnix 6X – Titanium Carbon Grey DLC with DLC Titanium Bracelet (Pro Solar Edition): RM5,699

Do note that the RM5,699 fēnix 6X model will only be available later this year.

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HONOR View 30 and View 30 Pro announced – available globally early next year

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The HONOR View 30 and View 30 Pro has been announced in China and will be available globally in Q1 of 2020.

The HONOR View 30 Pro is a 6.57-inch device that sports a double-punch hole notch. On that module, you’ll find a 32MP selfie shooter that’s paired with an 8MP wide-angle lens too.

Image credit: Tech Radar

At the back, we see a rectangular main camera module, something akin to what Samsung’s Galaxy S11 is rumoured to also sport. Here, you’ll get three lenses – the main is a 40MP shooter, a 12MP wide angle lens, and an 8MP telephoto camera.

Under the hood, the View 30 Pro sports the latest Kirin 990 5G chipset along with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The phone is powered with a 4,100mAh battery and the device supports up to 40W fast charging.

Image credit: Onmobi

Meanwhile, the regular HONOR View 30 boast
the same screen size, while the difference between the two can be seen in its hardware. The regular View 30 boasts a non-5G ready Kirin 990 chipset, and its camera setup sports an 8MP wide angle lens instead of a 12MP one. The View 30 also has a slightly larger 4,200mAh battery which also supports up to 40W fast charging.

Both devices will run on Android 10 and will ship with Huawei Mobile Services instead of Google.

The HONOR View 30 is priced from CNY3,299 (RM1,960) while the HONOR View 30 Pro is priced from CNY 3,899 (RM2,315).

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360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 launched: Red Dot Award-winning vacuum priced at RM1899

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The Red Dot Award-winning 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 from 360 Smart Life will be making its way to Malaysia this 16 July, priced at RM1,899.

The device is equipped with a ‘triple-eye’ LiDAR sensor that, with the help of dToF scanning, and autopilot technology allow the device to get a 360-degree view of the room. This allows the vacuum to create a precise mapping of the space, letting it avoid obstacles as slim as 0.4 inches.

Unlike regular robot vacuums, the 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 does away with the bulging sensors at the top regularly found on devices of its kind, and hides it within its chassis. Thanks to this, the device only measures 8.5cm tall, which is useful when it needs to vacuum under sofas.

On top of that, the vacuum is equipped with a large 520ml water tank that 360 Smart Life claims is enough to cover a 2,153 square foot of space. You can customize mopping zones and times to suit your schedule. The vacuum comes with a 5,000mAh battery that lasts up to 3 hours.

Using the vacuum requires the 360Robot companion app that lets you pair easily with the device, check use status and cleaning paths, and schedule cleaning times.

If you’re interested in buying the 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10, pre-orders start this 16 July via the brand’s

Shopee
 store.

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360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10: Best robot vacuum for under RM2,000?

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Automatic robot vacuums are a dime a dozen these days, but finding one that not only offers the features you need, but is also priced reasonably? That’s the challenge.

Thankfully, the
 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10
 from 360 Smart Life is one of the very few that is exactly that; for RM1,899 at the time of writing, the Red Dot Award-winning device is built with all sorts of premium features such as a Trinocular LiDAR sensor, smart mapping capabilities, and powerful 3,300Pa vacuuming power.

Complete AI-powered vision

The 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 comes with a LiDAR system that consist of one LDS Laser and two OLS lasers that help it navigate through your home more accurately, by mapping out the space in 3D.

With the help of aerospace-grade dToF scanning technology and SLAM algorithm – the S10 is able to not only plan a comprehensive route for cleaning, but also effectively avoid obstacles and trap zones too.

Enabling this precise mapping ability is the team’s extensive R&D that spans 15 years – 360 Smart Life claims that the S10 offers 300% better obstacle avoidance, and 100% better room mapping accuracy.

Smart Mapping

But how does that help you at home? The vacuum’s smart mapping capability can detect objects to millimeter accuracy and can detect 100 types of obstacles and objects which. These include household items like slippers and weighing scales; or even objects like pet droppings, which is something no vacuum cleaner should clean up.

The vacuum does all this good work at up to a 2080 point/s sampling rate, with a 200% increased scanning range compared to its predecessor. This means that you don’t have to worry about it struggling to map out your large living room, or it taking too long because the S10 can map at nanosecond-speeds as well.

All the mapping can be done via the 360Robot companion app that’s easy to connect using Bluetooth – on the app, you’ll get a real-time display of the use status of the device, real-time checking of cleaning routes, schedules for sweeping and mopping, and other modes such as do not disturb, and remote-control mode.

Impressive suction power

The S10 has a maximum suction power of 3300Pa, almost double the power of what competing robot vacuums offer. If 3,300Pa is a little overkill for the task at hand, there are other modes too such as quiet mode, which only uses 600Pa of power, standard mode which is 1,000Pa, and powerful mode, which is 1,500Pa.

Even at its most powerful, the S10 can remain relatively silent thanks to noise reducing design that use features such as a dual-noise reduction duct, longer rectifier duct, a brushless motor, and more, which 360 Smart Life claims lead to 10x less noise reduction compared to its predecessor.

Price and availability

The 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 is priced at RM1,899 and can be purchased via 360 Smart Life’s
Shopee

page.

This article is sponsored by 360 Smart Life

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360 Smart Life vacuum cleaners: Which model suits you best?

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Many of us would consider vacuum cleaners as an essential product in our homes – it is simply more efficient than using a broom. There are many types of vacuum cleaners and plenty of different brands to choose from, but if we’re talking about affordability, one brand comes to mind – 360 Smart Life.

Who is 360 Smart Life?

360 Smart Life is a brand that has been established for 13 years, focusing on smart devices and IoT solutions. Clearly, vacuum cleaners are one of their fortes, starting with the 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S6 that was launched just three years back. From then, the company continued to expand its vacuum cleaner lineup, introducing more products like the S10, C50 and UC-1XC10.

So, which of these vacuum cleaners should you go for? We’re here to help.

360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S6 – for smaller living spaces

360 Smart Life already included LiDAR sensor and its own SLAM artificial intelligence in its first vacuum cleaner. This enables the S6 to do room-mapping, plan cleaning routes and avoid obstacles.

Like many robot vacuums you may have seen or heard of, the S6 also supports auto-docking and recharging – it’ll automatically return to dock when it has completed its task or if it runs low on battery. Once it’s fully recharged, the vacuum cleaner return to where it stopped and resume cleaning.

One reason why the S6 is more suited for smaller homes is because it’s on 10cm tall, meaning it won’t take up too much floor space. This vacuum cleaner is also better for smaller spaces because it can only operate up to 90 minutes, has an 80ml water tank and a 1,800Pa suction power. If you own a big home, you may have to recharge the device or refill the water tank before it’s done completing tasks.

360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 – for the big homes

The
S10
 is 360’s latest flagship offering and can be said as the “more advanced” model compared to the S6. It’s also equipped with LiDAR sensor and SLAM algorithm, but has upgraded specs like a 5,000mAh battery, a 520ml water tank, a 500ml dust box, and suction power up to 3,300Pa.

What does this all mean? First, it means that the S10 can run for a longer time – 171 minutes to be exact. Secondly, the much larger water tank can store more water, so mopping your home won’t require additional refills like the S6. Finally, the high suction power means that the robot vacuum can also clean carpets, in addition to usual floor surfaces. These upgrades make the S10 an ideal choice for larger spaces.

The S10 also has a built-in LiDAR; unlike other vacuums, there’s no bulge on top. Because it’s not externally mounted, it doesn’t lead to additional height, and has less tendency to be damaged. This also means that the S10 can enter narrow spaces and clean areas like under the bed, sofas and cabinets.

In addition to having mapping and obstacle avoidance features, you can also control the water levels when mopping and suction power when vacuuming. But best of all, you can add disinfectants when mopping to sterilize your floor – many robot vacuums don’t allow this as it may damage the product.

I’m sure many will agree with me that being able to sterilize your floor with a robot vacuum is a much-needed feature these days.

360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner C50 – for a low-budget user

But hey, if you’re limited by a tight budget, then 360 has an even cheaper robot vacuum – the C50. It’s comparable to the S6, but it lacks the LiDAR sensor. Despite that, it has a higher Pa suction power and a larger 300ml water tank. It also lasts longer at 120 minutes even though it has a smaller 2,600mAh battery.

What makes the C50 stand out is its numerous cleaning modes. There are eight modes in total – mopping, scheduled cleaning, edge cleaning, spot spiral cleaning and spot zigzag cleaning. It even comes with a remote control that lets you manually control where the vacuum goes and switch between cleaning modes.

Just like the S6 and S10, the C50 can also be controlled on its companion app in which you can also check the battery status, cleaning status and cleaning schedules.

360 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner UC-1XC10 – for manual, precise cleaning

We get it, robot vacuums may not be for everyone. If you’re not keen on robot vacuums, the UC-1XC10 is an option you can consider. This cordless vacuum cleaner has a strong suction at 18,000Pa and is only 1.1kg.

Apart from its high suction power, it is equipped with a filtration system that breaks down into five stages – primary filtration of dust, cyclone filtration, stainless steel mesh filtration, screen filtration and HEPA effective filtration. The UC-1XC10 also comes in four different brushes – an electric floor brush, an electric mite removal instrument, a 2-in-1 crevice tool and another long crevice tool. If you’re particularly worried about bacteria and mites inside your bed or sofa, the mite removal instrument that also comes with ultraviolet light will be a useful accessory.

The UC-1XC10 promises a 60-minute run time; that’s lesser than the robot vacuums mentioned above, but since it’s being manually operated, you may not need a full hour to clean your home.

Another advantage it has over robot vacuums is precise cleaning. Robot vacuums, however cool and advanced, does not have human intelligence. We can always go back and clean the same spot when we see dirts and stains, but the robot vacuums may assume that the area has already been cleaned. You’ll also get complete controls over the vacuum’s movement, meaning you can clean every nook and cranny of your house without missing a spot.

Here’s where you can get them

If you’re interested in any of these vacuums, they’re now available in Malaysia and can be purchased from 360 Smart Life’s official store on
Shopee
. The price of each product is listed as below:

360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S6
: RM899

360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10
: RM1,899

360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner C50
: RM599

360 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner UC-1XC10
: RM499

360 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner UC-1CX10
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3D Pen anybody?

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“The pen is mightier than the sword.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton

This phrase simply means that communication is far more powerful than violence and was coined in an old English play. However, with the booming of technology this day, a pen could (in actual fact) create a sword!

Introducing the world’s smallest 3D printing pen – the Lix 3D Pen. This mighty sword pen boasts a sexy anodized aluminum body powered by a standard USB port which empowers users to create (somewhat)
lofty
3D art with only the use of a pen! This neat little trick would definitely turn a few heads in a boring office meeting room. Being dubbed a ‘professional tool’, Lix is purposefully crafted for a hassle-free-imagination-stimulating thought process as anyone wielding handling the pen would just have to pause for less than a minute for the filament tip to heat up before driving the pen in mid-air and quickly melting “the lix colored plastic to create rigid, freestanding structures”, Lix stated.

With this miniature-sized 3D printer-cum-pen, architects, stylists and designers would have a ball of a time displaying their works to anyone willing to be bedazzled by this quirky little piece of gadgetry.

And for those with sensitive noses, be rest assured as the Lix 3D Pen works with PLA filament too which comes in a wide array of colors and has a sweet-smelling odor as it is plant-based. However, it has a lower tensile strength and flexibility compared to the conventional ABS and it is also moisture-sensitive.

The Lix 3D Pen is up for Pre-Order for
$139.95
 and comes in White/Black Matte color variants.

LIX THE SMALLEST 3D PRINTING PEN
 from
LIX 3D PEN
 on
Vimeo
.


3D Touch technology to be on new HTC Nexus handset

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Apple has introduced the 3D Touch and Force Touch feature on its iPhones, the Apple Watch and the 12 inch Macbook. The embedded technology seems to be a cool feature, rather than a useful one. Just recently, we have rumors of Meizu’s upcoming flagship having Force Touch capabilities, and now it seems that the new Nexus smartphone by HTC will be joining the reins as well.

According to a Weibo source, Google and HTC will be bringing pressure touch technology to the next Nexus line of smartphones. The somewhat trend, which apparently originated from Apple, isn’t something new among Chinese OEM’s. Rumors suggest that Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo are in the midst of developing such technology. In fact, OEM’s such of ZTE have been experimenting with the technology, with the likes of its Axon Mini.

The interesting part is Google is rumored to have a 3D Touch equivalent available natively on the Android operating system. It’s hard to tell whether the feature will be introduced at Google I/O later this year, but we’ll just have to wait and see whether this supposedly convenient feature will make its way to every other OEM in the future.

Source:
Phone Arena

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3DMark delists the OPPO Find X due to inaccurate benchmark scores

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3DMark, the most popular graphics benchmarking application for PC and smartphones, has announced that it has delisted the OPPO Find X on its benchmark rankings as the phone was caught producing artificially high scores in the Sling Shot Extreme benchmarks.

First discovered by
Tech2
, a media publications that has performed an extensive test on the device then reported the issue to UL Benchmarks, the developer behind the app. The OPPO Find X was initially ranked at #4 for the said benchmark, it has since been delisted and users will not be able to compare to other devices.

How 3DMark validates the actual score is through a private version of the app, while the ones that we install from Google Play is the public version, which the company has found that the OPPO Find X performed 41% higher than usual.

OPPO has issued an official statement and admits that the OPPO Find X does indeed tend to maximise its performance when running games or 3D benchmarks, while running unknown apps will adopt the default power optimisation strategy, the phone will automatically be adjusted to 70%-80% of the maximum performance after users have left it unattended for 5 to 10 seconds.

Fortunately, OPPO says that it is looking into this and will be upgrading the phone’s software and strives to distinguish between the requirements on undetected apps or the subjective needs of its users.

Under 3DMark’s rules, optimising performance by detecting heavy computation demands is allowed, however when it comes to benchmarks, a phone should detect it as if it were any application.

In our phone reviews, we generally do not judge the phone’s performance by looking at its benchmarks and while it serves as a reference to us, a great smartphone experience is ultimately determined by how reliable its usability is on a day-to-day basis.

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3rd Generation Google Chromecast are already on shelves in US, shows new design and price

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Google is having an event on October 9th, where they will be showing off the new Pixel 3 phones as well the latest Chromecast 3. But it looks like the surprise for both these products have already been exposed as the Pixel 3 phones were found on the black market and now retailers in the US are already selling the new Chromecast 3.

Little information on the Chromecast 3 has been exposed based on an FCC listing, which showed it coming with a 5GHz WiFi and Bluetooth support. The devices were spotted in Best Buy and many Redditors were sharing images of the new Chromecast after purchasing them. Its functionality is generally the same but the design has been changed as it comes with a more simple minimal design compared to the glossy finish the previous generation had. Sadly, it does not support 4K UHD and only 1080p, so if you are looking for 4K output, you might still have to stick with the Chromecast Ultra.

Most of the products that Google has to show during their October even have already been exposed, so it will be interesting to see how the company makes their show more interesting to viewers. The 3rd generation Chromecast is priced at $35 (RM144.83) which is the same price as the previous Chromecast when it released.

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4 best gadget organizers for travel and everyday use

371

When it comes to traveling – and I don’t mean just out of the country, it is a tad bit annoying when you just can’t find what you’re looking for in a hurry. I am pretty sure girls are not the only ones who experience this with their huge totes, but guys as well when carrying a backpack with every single thing dumped into it. So I’ve compile some nifty organizers everyone should have to reduce stress and insanity when digging through a bag full of gadgets.

#1: Grid-It Organizer |
RM40 – RM150

This is one of my favorite to-go accessories as it really keeps all my gadgets from getting tangled or scratched up when throwing it in the bag. Grid-It by Cocoon is basically a woven grid of elastic bands that lets you hold almost anything, from your phone to cables, and even pens and powerbanks; all you need to do is just slide it into one of the elastic bands to keep it in place. The Grid-It comes in many different sizes and some even have a little sleeve to hold your tablet or laptop. This organizer doesn’t come with any pockets for a specific product, so you can literally fit anything – it all depends on your laying out skills.

#2: StopKnot Earbud Tangle Preventer |
US$9.99

There is one thing that frustrates me to no end – untangling a nest of knots every time I retrieve my earphones from my bag or pocket. This is especially apparent when I am trying to get ready for the gym, or when trying to commute. So, this earbud organizer comes in handy since it secures both the ear pieces and audio jack together to prevent a wiry bird nest. Just deploy the StopKnot, and you can slide it into your pocket or bag, and once you are ready to use it, just slide the ring down. In fact, you can even use the ring to keep your earphone wires from flopping about when running or exercising by sliding it to the desired position.

#3: Bandits Elastic Bands with Hooks |
US$7.09

This little thing looks so simple but it really is super convenient when it comes to organizing things, whether it is wires, drawing supplies, or even hanging a bottle from a bag. Not just any rubber band, Bandit’s elastic bands are made from sturdy materials to ensure it doesn’t come undone or give way easily. Carrying a few of these with you wherever you go to secure your essentials would save a lot of time instead of rummaging through the bottom of your bag.

#4: AViiQ Portable Charging Station |
US$169.95

I’m not sure about you, but personally, I have too many gadgets that need charging. Just charging my usual basic devices would require me to carry at least 3 different cables and charging adapters, so not only is it a pain to pack them all when I’m traveling overseas, but even just as frustrating when going traveling to office and back home. Now, this here is one thing multiple gadget users will appreciate: the AViiQ portable charging station. This charging device has an integrated 5,200mAh battery pack, which can store a lot of power to charge multiple devices simultaneously without a power point. On top of that, this all-in-one “station” features a 4-Port USB Hub, detachable wall adapter, and Cable Rack System (CRS) for cable management – all packed into one compact zipper bag.

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4 biggest improvements of the Galaxy Z Flip4 that will make you want one

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The Galaxy Z Flip4 might resemble its predecessor a lot when it comes to first impressions, but that doesn’t mean that Samsung hasn’t done much to make it a worthy successor, as the phone features several improvements that finally makes it worthy as a first foldable for anyone, and here are four biggest improvements that I absolutely love while using the Z Flip4 as my daily driver.

Improved performance and power efficiency

The first thing I noticed upon setting up the Z Flip4 is how buttery smooth and snappy it is, this is mainly all thanks to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 system-on-chip, which has significantly better processor and graphics performance over the Snapdragon 888 on the Z Flip3, there is also no lags and stutters that I can detect during my test despite only having 8GB of RAM and to run more apps in the background, there is thankfully the RAM Plus feature which you can take advantage of to virtually expand it up to 16GB RAM.

In addition, the Z Flip4’s larger 3700mAh battery offers better battery life than the Z Flip3, while its system-on-chip’s power consumption is also lower than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that’s found on the Galaxy S22 series, this results in lesser heat when using it for extended sessions, and the inclusion of 25W fast charging means it can get juiced faster in the event you really exhaust the battery in the middle of the day.

In my tests, the Z Flip4’s battery would usually last me through the day with close to 4 hours of screen on time when using to text and browse my social feeds, which would not have been possible back on the Z Flip3.

More fun and useful cover screen

The Z Flip4’s 2-inch cover screen has been improved with more intuitive clock faces and you can even put a video that you recorded with a your camera, you can also reply to WhatsApp messages directly on the cover screen with templated messages or speech to text, and finally, there are new widgets that lets you quickly access settings and save up to three favorite contacts for calling.

Moreover, taking photos and videos with the dual cameras of the Z Flip4 through the cover screen is finally more practical, as you can see the full live view instead of a cropped image by just double tapping the cover screen, take photos in both portrait and landscape orientation, and most notably, photos can now be taken in its actual 4:3 aspect ratio instead of the square 1:1 aspect ratio.

Improved cameras for low light photography

Shot on the Z Flip4’s main camera

Although the dual cameras on the Z Flip4 still takes 12MP photos, the primary optically stabilized camera has been upgraded to a larger 1.8μm sensor size from 1.4μm that absorbs more light and captures sharper detail in low light, while the same excellent ultrawide camera from its predecessor has been retained, real world tests with the camera resulted in very favorable shots and you can definitely see improvements on the indoor shots the above photo sample.

Improved Flex Mode for most apps

One of the coolest things that Samsung has introduced back on the Z Flip3 is Flex mode, where you can have YouTube videos show on the top part of the screen when the phone is folded up. This time, the Z Flip4’s improved Flex mode let’s you enable it on certain apps to show at the top part of the screen, and you can enable a trackpad at the bottom part to navigate around the app, which is great if you want to use the phone with the display tilted instead of laying flat all the time.

The Galaxy Z Flip4 is currently available for purchase from RM4,099 at
Samsung.com
,
Lazada
,
Shopee
 and authorized resellers nationwide.

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4 cashless ways you can send (and receive) ang pows this Chinese New Year

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One of the famous traditions of Chinese New Year is the act of giving and receiving red packets. It represents good luck and the red colour of the packets is said to ward off evil spirits. However, it is sometimes inevitable that we fail to make it back home for the festive season and miss out the chance to give and receive red packets. But, now with technology we have options like online transactions hence today I’ll tell you four apps that can allow you to give and receive ang pows via cashless methods this Chinese New Year.

Hong Leong Bank

There are only a few banks in Malaysia right now that offers this e-Ang Pow service, and Hong Leong Bank is one of them. You can send e-Ang Pow during this festive period by first registering for a DuitNow ID with Hong Leong Bank (learn how to do so
here
), and send e-Ang Pow to your friends and family via the Connect App by entering their phone numbers, the amount of money you want to give them, and your Chinese New Year greetings. Hong Leong is also organising a contest now that lets you stand a chance to win cash prizes daily when you send an e-Ang Pow or use DuitNow, so you might as well benefit from it while you’re sending e-Ang Pows to your family who couldn’t meet up with you this year.

RHB Bank

Now RHB Bank also offers the e-Ang Pow service so all RHB users can enjoy this feature. Just launch the RHB Now Mobile Banking App and select RHB e-Ang Pow. You are then offered three types of Transfer modes which are Mobile, Email or Facebook. Just select who you want to send the money to and how much you want to give him/her, then get an OTP to confirm your transaction. For the recipient to receive the money, he/she will need the 9-digit Passcode that you will be given, and when it is confirmed, the money will be transferred. Recipients can choose to perform web collection or collect through the app itself. If you’re looking to sending e-Ang Pow via DuitNow on RHB Bank, it is also possible because there is also a contest that is ongoing from 5 February to 19 February that allows you to win RM8,888 cash back.

Maybank

Another bank that joins this e-Ang Pow service is Maybank, and like the rest of the banks, there is a time period for this service’s availability. Maybank users can send e-Ang Pow to their loved ones from 21 January to 17 February and they can do so via Maybank2U or M2U Mobile App. You can send e-Ang Pow to maximum 10 persons in one transaction, and you’ll also get a 6-digit Collect Code that you’ll have to give your recipients so that they can redeem the e-Ang Pow. Do note that you’ll have to collect your e-Ang Pow within the campaign period, so make sure you redeem it by 17 February 2019.

Grab

This is a little bit different from the bank e-Ang Pow service, but Grab also offers the Angbao feature this Chinese New Year. Basically, it allows you to transfer GrabPay credits to your friends and family who are also Grab users, and you’ll given the option to choose the amount you want to give and send them a short greeting. Each successful transaction will also grant you with 88 GrabRewards points and you can be rewarded up to three times, so you can still earn some points while you’ore sending cashless angbaos. Besides that, every 88th transaction will stand a chance to win 18,888 GrabRewards points, so you might just be the lucky 88th person. This contest and promotion ends at 19 February and you’ll have to make sure that your Grab app is at its latest update.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone, now there’s no more excuse for you to not send and receive ang pows even if you’re not physically together with your family and friends!

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4 Reasons why you shouldn’t buy the Honor View 20

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Everytime when Huawei releases a new flagship, its sister brand Honor is bound to release a competing device with the same or better hardware specs, except for its camera hardware and Leica engineered software.

In fact, the Honor View 20 managed to steal the Mate 20’s spotlight by having a starting price of RM1,999, making it a rather attractive buy. However, this doesn’t mean that you should absolutely purchase it this Saturday, and here’s four reasons on why you should just skip this phone.

The 48MP Camera is nonsense

The megapixel game may have continued with the View 20, and it might just be as good as what most reviewers have claimed. However, storing your photos with a 48MP resolution will have your phone crying for more storage, as the View 20 supports neither Huawei’s own NM card nor MicroSD card, you could run out of storage easily during your ownership if you aren’t careful enough in managing your storage, as a 48MP resolution photo can easily come up to at least 10MB in file size.

No water resistance

While it is perfectly fine to omit wireless charging for the price it is charging, up till today Honor hasn’t offered water resistance on its phones, which has become an essential feature on flagship smartphones and there is absolutely no reason not to offer it on the View 20, which unfortunately doesn’t sport any IP rating, the 48MP camera that will probably be useless if you accidentally dropped the phone into water.

The Mi MIX 3 is a better buy

While I don’t consider myself a fanboy of sorts, but Xiaomi’s gorgeous Mi MIX 3 is a no-brainer for those looking to own a true full-screen display phone.

Unlike the punch-hole display on the View 20, the Mi MIX 3 offers none of that and even offers a cool slide down mechanism that houses the front camera while allowing you to  access some shortcuts on its software.

Furthermore, the Mi MIX 3 uses a Super AMOLED display that supports HDR, which is far superior to the Honor View 20’s IPS panel, it also supports 10W wireless charging and Xiaomi even includes a wireless charger in the package.

On the other hand, the Mi MIX 3’s main camera is supported by a 4-axis optical stabilization system, coupled with Xiaomi’s recently updated Night mode feature that works similarly to Huawei’s AIS, the Mi MIX 3’s main camera alone is already superior despite sporting 4 times less the resolution, not to forget to mention that the Mi MIX 3 sports a secondary telephoto lens that helps you get closer to your subject if you want to.

Bad Value Retention

If you so badly want to own the Honor View 20 simply because of hardware specs, it is recommended that you hold off your purchase as Honor smartphones usually have bad value retention.

For instance, when the View 10 was released last year, we continue to see other similar spec devices such as the Honor 10 and Honor Play, though both of these are targeted at different market segments, they are priced significantly lesser than the View 10.

Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to rush and get yourself the Honor View 20.

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