New Apple MacBook 2016 announced, comes with latest Intel Core M

Apple has updated the newly re-introduced MacBook line-up. The new MacBook will feature the latest Intel processors, improved graphics performance, faster flash storage and an additional hour of battery life. It also now available in four aluminium finishes; Space Grey, Silver, Gold and for the first time, Rose Gold.
The updated MacBook line will be powered by sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors up to 1.3 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, and faster 1866 MHz memory. It is now backed by Intel HD Graphics 515 and comes with 8GB of RAM, standard across all configurations of the new MacBook. The new batteries will last the MacBook for roughly 10 hours of wireless browsing time (less if you’re on Chrome) and about 11 hours of movie playback.

Sadly, the new MacBook still have its biggest flaw, there’s only one port available on the MacBook, the USB Type-C. It comes with the latest version of El Capitan, including the Apple software like iMovie, GarageBand and iWork Suite. The availability for Malaysia market is yet to be known, but we will update you soon.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Take a look at how Samsung tortures the Galaxy Z series to make sure that they live up to all the endurance test

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G have their fair share of innovative breakthroughs that also comes at a cost of skepticism of whether they are able to be as durable and dependable as a standard smartphone. Welp, at least Samsung has given us some answers to that question.

To test the phones, the company carried a series of different endurance tests that includes an environmental chamber, water resistance course for the IPX8 rating, S Pen usability, and folding tests. As the name suggests, the environmental chamber puts the devices to the test against various simulated climate parameters such as dry, humid, hot, and cold and there’s the water resistance test as usual. For the S Pen test, it is done to ensure the digitizer sits underneath the folding place and the folding tests basically perform automated folding routines up to 200,0001 folds or 100 folds per day for 5 years.
Check out the video down below to see all the tests in action.

I wonder what kind of tests will be created to test the inevitable rollable screens coming in the future?

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Is Now At RM1,099

Samsung Malaysia just announced that their mid-range smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) that we reviewed here, has received a permanent RM200 slash off the price tag. The smartphone is now priced at only RM1,099.
The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) is originally priced at RM1,299 and bringing it down to RM1,099 only makes it even easier for first timers to experience Samsung’s exclusive services – like Samsung Pay which I personally use frequently.

The Galaxy A7 (2018) is also Samsung’s first smartphone to come with a triple rear-facing camera setup as it consists of:

24MP f/1.7 main camera
8MP f/2.4 ultrawide angle camera with 120°
5MP f/2.2 depth sensor

As said in our review of the Galaxy A7 (2018), it is indeed a fun smartphone to use. Having this 3 different cameras do enable a bigger range of creativity and flexibility on how you want the picture to be taken.

The Galaxy A7 (2018) also comes with a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with 2220×1080 pixels in resolution and is equipped with Samsung’s Exynos 7885 Octa chipset, 4GB RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. All of these are powered by a 3,300mAh battery.
Of course, when it comes to Samsung – the specs is only a part of the story. It is also equipped with Samsung Experience 9.0 which features Samsung Pay and the super useful Game Tools as well.

Samsung’s decision to cut the price is honestly, obviously a good one. With the mid-range market getting more saturated by the weeks, having a low price is always the best and fastest way to stay competitive. Yet, the Galaxy A7 (2018) still has its own specialty.
For more information and if you’d like to buy one right now, head on over to Samsung’s online store or at Lazada right now. You do get a free thermos mug and a mini tripod for free as well!

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Review – Vivo V20 Pro: It’s really beautiful

Vivo released the Vivo V20 Pro not long ago alongside the base variant the V20, but we’re only focusing on the Pro variant today. This new variant comes with a few surprises here and there and generally, it’s a really well-built smartphone. So, let me share my experience with you in this video here.
For our full review, watch this video here.

In summary, I think that the Vivo V20 Pro is very similar in both design and specs to the Vivo X50 Pro that we reviewed not long ago. The overall design is the same, and even the color is the same. Camera cutout is also similar, but the V20 Pro uses a flat screen instead of a curved one.

The main difference here is, of course, the gimbal-like stabilization for the main camera. The Vivo X50 Pro has it while the Vivo V20 Pro does not – which is why the V20 Pro is nearly half the price of the Vivo X50 Pro, at RM1,899.
So I think the best way I can describe who the Vivo V20 Pro is for is like this – if you’re already looking for the Vivo X50 Pro but do not want that gimbal-like stabilization, then get the Vivo V20 Pro. The main camera can also take some amazing pictures and the software experience is pretty basic, but it works and I don’t have any major complaints about it.

And at the end of the day, the Vivo V20 Pro is actually a very decent, well-balanced phone in all regards – including both hardware and software.
Where to buy?

Lazada
Shopee

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


The Samsung Galaxy A12 is now RM100 cheaper until April 11

Samsung Malaysia is announcing a small price cut, or should I say a promotional rebate for its Galaxy A12 that lasts for around 2 weeks, up until April 11.

Originally priced at RM799 with a 6GB+128GB configuration, the Galaxy A12 will be having an RM100 sheared off to reach a new low of RM699. With an all-rounding performance and value at this price point and not to mention the Samsung software experience and overall user feedback, this is definitely worth your time to check it out, especially if you are looking for a 2nd phone or new to the Samsung ecosystem and not wanting to spend 4 figure money for trying them out.
We’ve also reviewed it in detail a couple of months ago and it definitely slots into our higher than average category of entry-level smartphones. Check out our video down here or the article here.

You can find the instant rebate applicable starting right now at participating retailers and Samsung’s own web store for online purchases.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Goodbye Lightning cables, EU rules all phones to use USB-C by end of 2024

The EU just ruled that a whole bunch of devices are to be using USB-C connectors – including all mobile phones. That means goodbye to Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable too.
The Apple Lightning connector was introduced in 2012 as a replacement for Apple’s horrendous 30-pin connector that scratched up devices and also snapped under a little perpendicular force. The Lightning connector also made the idea of a reversible USB cable mainstream, propelling the idea and leading to the eventual development of USB-C.

In a way, without Lightning cables, USB-C wouldn’t exist.
Thanks, Lightning.
Also no, I don’t think this year’s iPhones will be using USB-C. Realistically, I think we’ll have to wait until the next year instead.
According to the official press release from the EU, it states that these devices will require to be using the USB-C interface:

e-readers
earbuds
keyboards
computer mice
portable navigation devices
smartphones
tablets
digital cameras
headphones
headsets
handheld videogame consoles
portable speakers

The EU has given enough time for everyone to make the jump to USB-C. Officially, the deadline is vaguely mentioned as “autumn 2024” and being someone who stays in a country with only two seasons a year, I resorted to Google. and Google said autumn lasts until nearly the end of the year – so I presume the end of 2024 is the deadline for this change?

Under the EU’s official press release, it highlights a few more things other than just the cables. It will also “harmonize” fast charging speeds for devices that support fast charging, and also whether or not users want to purchase a new device with or without a charger.
I’m perplexed by these two statements. The first one is pretty simple since we already have the brilliant USB-PD charging standard, but does that mean all proprietary fast-charging standards are illegal too? Can we say goodbye to OPPO’s VOOC or whatever Xiaomi uses to cal their 120W fast charging?

Honestly, I don’t use fast charging and I couldn’t care less about this.

The second statement is what I think needs a bit more explanation. Does it mean that when I purchase a new device, I can choose whether or not to buy a charger alongside the device? Do I have to pay extra? If yes, will they cuck me with a slower charger and force me to buy another more expensive but faster charger?

Still, more questions than answers – but having the enforcement of USB-C connectors on all commonly-used devices is a plus point.
Goodbye, Lightning cables.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


[UPDATED] High-wattage fast charging degrades your battery by 20% more

This bit of news comes from Twitter, where Andrei Frumusanu published a tweet on Twitter and stated that fast charging degrades battery by 20% more compared to 15W fast charging. That’s a huge hit to the battery longevity if you want to use the phone for a long period of time.
Andrei Frumusanu is from the highly-reputable site AnandTech, who also discovered the whole issue where MediaTek is cheating in benchmarks. Within this tweet, he cites that OPPO, the pioneer of fast-charging for smartphones, were the ones who admitted and provided the numbers.

Oppo outright confirmed to us that their 40W degrades to 70% capacity in the same cycles 15W would to 90%. It's all a crock of shit marketing race seeking to have the bigger numbers.
— Andrei F. (@andreif7) May 8, 2020

Harsh words aside, retaining only 70% battery capacity by using 40W chargers compared to retaining 90% battery capacity by using 15W charger is a huge difference. We don’t specifically know how many charge cycles tested in this experiment, but we can predict that this effect is noticeable in about a year or so.

Andrei also posted a follow-up tweet saying that this is a well-known issue, and that’s why brands like Apple and Samsung are not actively pursuing high-wattage chargers for phones.

Didn't expect the reactions of this tweet. It's something that's well known in the industry and why the big players such as Apple and Samsung aren't engaging in, because they know the trade-off isn't worth it. 15W is as much as you'd ever want with current battery tech.
— Andrei F. (@andreif7) May 8, 2020

It is also why it is worth highlighting that up until today, only Samsung smartphones have the option in software to deliberately disable fast charging. That locks down the charging speed to 10W even though it is connected to a high-powered charger.
I just want to say – I told you so. 2 years ago, we published this article where we graphed out multiple different smartphones when charged using multiple different wattages of chargers. In that article, we see how the charging curve is not linear and the charging speed is not linear either. A 40W charger doesn’t mean the charging speed is half of the time taken by a 20W charger. And it hurts your battery in the long run.
Experiment – Difference Between Smartphone Chargers & How They Affect You

I have been using a Samsung phone as my daily driver for years – and I have exclusively used fast charging only when I need it. I still use a standard 5V 2A charger and charge it overnight, every night.

This is also why we always argue that having a larger battery but with a slower charger is better than having a smaller battery with faster charging. I can charge less so that the charge cycles can be kept low, and I don’t want to lug around a power bank either.
It’s also not worth to change the battery every so often because it’s a tedious, expensive task. Batteries are getting more difficult to replace and there’s a risk whereby the loss of water resistance can happen. It is especially dangerous for those who seek unauthorized service centers to change the battery. Let’s not forget the potential dangers of 3rd party batteries too.

UPDATE: OPPO provided their numbers
I truly love data, and solid numbers are the most believable. OPPO provided further clarification on what devices were tested and how many cycles they were charged and discharged.
The data provided is based on the battery degradation test using 65W fast-charging technology on the OPPO Reno Ace2 and also the OPPO Find X2 series. Both of these devices are using the latest SuperVOOC 2.0.
OPPO also provided two sets of data – the first set of data is the result of OPPO’s own in-house testing, whereby the second set of data is tested by TÜV Rheinland, a third-party agency.

OPPO In-house Testing

Recharge Cycle
Device 1
Device 2
Device 3
Device 4
Average Maximum Charge

100
97.9%
97.8%
97.9%
97.8%
97.8%

300
94.1%
94.2%
94.1%
94.5%
94.1%

500
92.9%
92.8%
92.4%
92.1%
92.4%

600
92.0%
92.0%
92.2%
91.8%
91.8%

800
91.1%
91.1%
91.2%
91.1%
91.1%

TÜV Rheinland Testing

Recharge Cycle
Device 1
Device 2
Device 3
Average Maximum Charge

150
95.2%
94.9%
94.8%
94.8%

300
94.1%
94.2%
94.5%
94.1%

600
91.5%
91.9%
92.3%
91.5%

By looking at both the tables, OPPO’s 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 chargers are compliant with industry standards. Within 10% of battery degradation is certainly within user expectation too.
We’re in communication with OPPO to further clarify some of the questions that we have. We’ll continue updating this article when we have the information.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


ASUS unveils ROG Zephyrus G15 – powered by AMD

Recently, we reviewed the new ROG Zephyrus M GU502. And we loved that laptop to bits – it’s a well-balanced laptop with a rather affordable price tag. And now, ASUS is shaking things up with the ROG Zephyrus G15 – it’s a completely different laptop since it is using AMD Ryzen processors now.
The new ROG Zephyrus G15 now comes with a 15-inch display with up to 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time plus adaptive sync technology, with Pantone validation. That’s impressive.

An interesting thing to note here is that the adaptive sync technology is not named to be either G-Sync or FreeSync. But it is stated that the technology is somewhat different. By utilizing the integrated Radeon graphics, adaptive sync technology is now possible on the discrete GeForce GPU.

The new ROG Zephyrus G15 can be powered by up to an AMD Ryzen 7 processors with 8 cores 16 threads, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU – all cramped into a 19.9mm thin body and weighs in at only 2.1kg total. The laptop also comes with USB-PD charging and WiFi 6 capability – as we’ve tested here.

By looking at the images here, the new Zephyrus G15 seems to be using the same body as the Zephyrus M GU502, but with with a few changes in terms of connectivity and ports.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Get your TV and digital appliances this Samsung Raya Promotion Campaign 2019

As Hari Raya is approaching soon (time flies by so fast), Samsung is getting a head start with the announcement of the new Samsung Raya Promotional Campaign 2019. This comes with a lot of greats deals for Samsung’s latest QLED TVs and also other digital appliances.
The Samsung Raya Promotion Campaign 2019 runs from 15th April until 16th June 2019, you can enjoy more rewards with Samsung Raya Promotion Campaign!

Product Category
Promo RRP (RM)
Rewards

QLED TV
19,999
Free Samsung Galaxy S10e smartphone worth RM2,699

Soundbar
4,999
Purchase-with-purchase price at RM 4,999 for Atmos Soundbar with any Samsung TV Purchase

Washing Machine
4,599
Free POWERstick Essential Vacuum Cleaner (VS60M6015KG/ME or VS60M6015KP/ME) worth RM889

Air Conditioner
2,998
Purchase-with-purchase Samsung Galaxy Bud  at RM99

Refrigerator
2,099
Free Samsung Canister Bagless Vacuum Cleaner worth RM99 or 23L Solo Microwave Oven with Quick Defrost worth RM139

Vacuum Cleaner
1,199
Samsung POWERstick Package with Extra Original Battery worth RM459

Microwave Oven
1,199
Free 2L Glass Steamer (Big) worth RM99.90, Maggi’s Special Pack worth RM16 (Oyster Sauce, Chili Sauce, Cukup Rasa) and Woven Bag

Of course, I’d say this is the best time to buy Samsung’s TV or other digital appliances as Samsung obviously is having a fantastic promotion here. Buy their latest QLED TV (which we talked about here) and you can also get a Samsung Galaxy S10e for free! We here at Nasi Lemak Tech praised the Galaxy S10e because of its capabilities in a small form factor.

You can head on to the nearest Samsung authorized outlets and enjoy the fantastic deals today.For more information, clcick here: https://www.samsung.com/my/offer/samsung-raya-promotion-2019/.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


OnePlus 3 now official in Malaysia

The highly anticipated smartphone, the OnePlus 3 is here . Actually, I think this smartphone alone surprises many of us. It’s the biggest comeback from any smartphone manufacturer to this date – and I’m serious.
Take a look at the past. Maxis brought both the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, which I thought was a little off. However, Brightstar Distribution Sdn Bhd now distributes the OnePlus 3. They’re the authorized retailers of OnePlus 3, and it’s available at RM1,888 inclusive of GST.

Of course, pre-orders are available on Lazada from now till 5th of August 2016, and the expected delivery date is on 10th August 2016. The deal that I’ve found here actually includes a free original flip cover too. So if you’re into that, get this instead.
Killer specs for that price – this is a definite winner if you’re putting it against the Mi 5. Looks like OnePlus got their mojo back.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Xiaomi Malaysia is offering little bits of treats and services across service centres and stores as an appreciation token for 2022

To honor the support of both old and new-time fans for this year, Xiaomi Malaysia is currently offering special services across their stores and service centers where fans can just walk in and enjoy them.

Starting today and ends when 2022 becomes history, you’ll be able to receive up to RM20 Touch n’ Go e-wallet PIN when you purchased selected Redmi smartphones in-store (Click here for redemption instructions).
Visitors of its service centers can get away with a special 2023 limited edition Xiaomi calendar by becoming one of the three available types of customers during the campaign period:

Those who are servicing their Xiaomi smartphones
Selected users who own one Xiaomi 12 series smartphone that is visiting the service center
Walk-in visitors of the service center who checked in their visit on Facebook with the hashtag #Xiaomi Malaysia alongside relevant new year greetings

The free calendar event also starts today but ends on a different date of January 8, 2023.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


I Spent Less Than RM200 For A Complete Condenser Microphone Setup. Here’s How It Sounds

I’ve always wanted to get myself a proper microphone. Previously, I bought a lavalier microphone but it didn’t work the way I wanted it to. I ended up selling that and opted for a condenser microphone setup instead. This is what I got, and how I made everything work out.
It’s rather simple. I knew nothing about condenser microphones prior to this project, and I spent a fair amount of time researching about condenser microphones. Previously, the lavalier microphone that I bought was the Aputure A.Lav. While it was great, I found myself more comfortable doing voiceovers rather than recording both audio and visuals together. So, I sold that microphone and opted for something that can do voiceovers.

Enter this little project. I got this condenser microphone because of two reasons – doing voiceover for videos, and also using it for gaming purposes. I realized wearing a lavalier microphone that requires charging its battery is a bit troublesome. If I leave it plugged into the charger while I’m using it however, there will be static introduced.
I don’t want that!
Few things I want to get addressed
My main goals for this project were simple. I had only 3 goals, which were:

Low-priced. Other microphones were priced at least RM500. Not really an appealing option for a beginner.
Sounds good. I believe low-priced things can still perform decently. This was the most difficult of all goals, by the way.
Functional. In a way, I want to wear my headphones without Jerry-rigging a Mod Mic-esque solution with it. In a way, I want to get started faster.

With these goals in mind, I set out to find my perfect little condenser microphone solution. After a few hours of research, I found these items and went for it.
List of items
I’ve gotten the most basic items here. They’re functional, but aesthetically it might be a little questionable. I’m more of a function-over-form guy, so if it works as intended and I don’t have to break my bank, I’m already happy with it. The only special thing I’ve gotten for my setup here is the orange-colored microphone body. Again, it’s functionally the same as others. I’ve chosen the orange color for pure aesthetic purposes.
They all look the same and performs the same anyway, so just buy the lowest-priced one.
Anyway, here’s the list. Feel free to use this as a guide and pick your own variants of items instead.

Item

Option that I selected

Price (￥)

Price (RM)

48V Phantom Power

First option, no only power brick and phantom power source

48

30.83

Pop Filter

–

7.5

4.82

Boom arm

NB-39 with XLR cable

45

28.91

BM-800 Microphone

The option with shock mount, XLR-to-3.5mm cable, wind sock

129

82.87

Total

230.5

~148.07

Prices above are excluding shipment. Prices are also not definite and can fluctuate.
*For Amazon US link, click here!
Is it good?
The final price to pay was less than RM200, actually. I have a VVIP account on EzBuy, and I used sea shipping  (which was still available at that time) and waited for nearly 2 months to receive it at my doorstep. I got very excited, then proceeded to start the unboxing, assembly, and test.
It’s surprisingly sturdy!
Obviously, there is no better way to showcase the condenser microphone in action than actually doing a video with it. Here I’ll show you the unboxing experience, I’ll share you my mistakes and what I learned from them, and also the solutions to my issues.

The video above is voiced entirely using this setup alone and had some post-production to remove background noise, normalizing and amplifying the volume, and adjusted some of its frequencies. I also used the microphone without any post-production and played Overwatch competitive using it – and according to my peers, it sounds great!
Overall, I’d say it’s a pretty low-cost solution to the issue. In fact, all of our videos since November were voiced using this microphone setup. Again, for a beginner, I think this is reasonably-priced and yet offers a very good voice quality.
There’s another alternative too – and that’s the AVF Gaming Freak Chanter condenser microphone that costs about RM300. You can check out the review of that microphone over at Tekgila’s channel too!

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Review – Xiaomi 12 & Xiaomi 12 Pro

After 3 months since its official debut in China, the Xiaomi 12 and the Xiaomi 12 Pro are finally available in other countries – including here in Malaysia. These two are Xiaomi’s latest flagship smartphones and I’ve spent about 2 weeks with these two phones.
Instead of doing a one-by-one review, I’m combining and comparing them as I think these two phones do have a lot of similarities, and a lot of the same comments and criticisms apply to both.

For this review and comparison, we’ll still be using our usual 6 points when it comes to a smartphone – and we’ll start off by talking about the design.
Design
These two phones come in a very similar shape. I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just be blunt with my words. These two phones look like they have a sandstone finish like the OnePlus One, but it’s smooth to the touch.

The phone looks and feels absolutely fantastic to touch and hold, and I love to just caress the phone – particularly the Xiaomi 12. The curvatures are just fantastic.

Display
So, as you can see here, the two phones are quite tiny in today’s standard of a “flagship” smartphone. The Xiaomi 12 comes with a tiny 6.28-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2400×1080 at a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro on the other hand, is larger in size – hence it has a larger 6.73-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 3200×1440 and up to 120Hz refresh rate too. However, the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s larger display doesn’t feel like a larger display since it made the phone feel lanky as it is tall but rather narrow at the same time.

Now, Xiaomi claims that these two phones are certified A+ by DisplayMate. I have no idea how DisplayMate do their tests, but I took out our colorimeter to find out that both these phones are nearly identical. I found out that the whitepoint – as in the output of the individual red, green, and blue light intensity – is very inconsistent and jumpy. Nonetheless, both these phones can also go up to about 500 nits of average brightness at maximum.

In terms of color accuracy, we tuned it back down to 100 nits of brightness and we found out it covers nearly 100% of the sRGB color gamut and about 95% of DCI-P3 color gamut. I’d say overall, the displays are actually really good, but not the best.
One more thing I want to highlight – I have a bad habit of stacking phones in my pocket with the screens facing each other. I do tihs because I usually carry a few phones with me to take pictures with – and I realized the pre-installed film screen protector on these two phones are not exactly the best in terms of quality.

This is the first time I’m seeing that stacked phones in my pocket will result in such badly damaged screen protectors. In any case, I’m going to yank them out.

One more thing to highlight – the fingerprint scanner position is also inconsistent. The Xiaomi 12 Pro has an ergonomic position – somewhere in the middle of the screen. But the Xiaomi 12 is placed at the very bottom of the screen and that is really difficult to reach.

Performance
As for the performance, these two phones come with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. Honestly speaking, this new chipset is less hot compared to the Snapdragon 888, but still hot nonetheless. We did dedicated gaming tests for each of these phones here.

However, there are a few things that I want to reiterate the highlights again.
The Xiaomi 12 is tiny, hence it has less mass and less surface area to dissipate heat, that is why it reached the same reported temperature of 48°C but only manages to push out about 35fps on average while playing Genshin Impact at the highest graphical settings at 60fps.

For the Xiaomi 12 Pro, it’s heavier and has more surface area to dissipate heat – and we’re getting the same reported temperature of 48°C while pushing out about 45fps on average while playing Genshin Impact at the highest graphical settings at 60fps. That’s an extra 10fps on top of the smaller Xiaomi 12, just because it can kick out heat faster.

The surface temperature on these phones isn’t that much different but they definitely did roast my fingers when I tried to grab the phone after leaving it on Genshin Impact for 5 minutes.
Battery life
How about the battery life then? Well, here is where things get interesting. I calibrated both these phones to use 1080p resolution at 120Hz refresh rate and locked at 100 nits of brightness. I left it to do the PCMark 10 battery life test and to my surprise, the smaller Xiaomi 12 with a smaller battery managed to last a lot longer than the bigger Xiaomi 12 Pro!

I don’t know why this happened but I can predict that is because of the system-wide power and thermal limit. Like what we saw in the gaming test, the smaller Xiaomi 12 has a lower limit compared to the Xiaomi 12 Pro, and I think that is why the Xiaomi 12 managed to last so much longer.
Charging
Let’s talk about the charging time now. Starting with the Xiaomi 12, this tiny phone comes with a 67W charger in the box and it can charge from 15% to 100% in about 45 minutes – that’s actually quite good.

As for the Xiaomi 12 Pro, we did way too many charging tests for this phone, honestly. You see, this phone comes with a 120W charger but the phone uses a single-cell battery. In my mind, this means that the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s charging speed won’t be as fast as other 120W smartphones with a dual-cell battery, like the Black Shark 4 Pro.

The first test I did was by default – just leave all the settings as it is when I unboxed the phone and did the charging test. The result was disappointing as it took about 30 minutes to charge from 15% to 100% – and that is really slow for a 120W charger.

Then, I dug around – nested inside the settings menu, there is an option to the alleged true 120W fast charging. So I drained everything and redid the test again – and our wattmeter reported that it did charge at a very high wattage of about 110W, but not for a long time because the phone was already heating up. But the charging time didn’t improve much as it still about half an hour to reach 100%.

As a comparison, the Black Shark 4 Pro has a dual-cell battery and has a 120W charger. Our wattmeter reported sustained 120W power draw for a longer period of time, and the Black Shark 4 Pro can charge from 15% to 100% in only about 15 minutes! Better yet, the Black Shark 4 Pro has a larger battery capacity compared to both the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro!

Software
Anyway, back to these two phones at hand – the software. They both come equipped with Android 12 with MIUI 13 and I have already talked about the bugs and the supremely messy settings menu, the annoying timers while trying to enable some settings, all of those stuffs. Check out our previous reviews where we talk about the shortcomings of MIUI 13 because they’re exactly the same with these two phones.

Xiaomi also promised 3 years of Android version upgrades and 4 years of security patches for the Xiaomi 12 series – which I think is good that they are doing such commitments. It’s just that Xiaomi needs to improve MIUI.

Cameras
As for the cameras – these two phones come with rather different sets of cameras. Starting with the Xiaomi 12, we have a total of 3 cameras – and I’m surprised to see a telephoto-macro camera but it cannot be used as a telephoto camera.

As for the Xiaomi 12 Pro – this is where things get… a little interesting. It still has a triple camera setup but it has a true telephoto camera instead – so it cannot take macro shots like the Xiaomi 12. Quite a bummer, actually.

To have a look at all the pictures taken with the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro, watch our video at the top of this review.
Some other things to mention
I still have a few more things to quickly go through regarding both the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi 12 Pro. These two phones, even though they are “premium flagships” from Xiaomi, they are both still using USB 2.0. Transfer speeds are atrociously slow, and there is also no HDMI output over Type-C. Come on, Xiaomi. These phones aren’t cheap.
No HDMI output.
Oh – these two phones also do not have micro SD card slot, and they’re also not IP-rated.

Should you buy the Xiaomi 12 or the Xiaomi 12 Pro?
So, we’re at the end of this comparison review and I really think we need to look at the price. Here in Malaysia, the prices are as below:

I personally think that the Xiaomi 12 – the tiny one – is a good choice. At the price of RM2,999 (don’t buy the 128GB version please), I think it’s expensive, yes – but it’s a good compact phone. I should say – it’s also a phone that I’ll consider carrying in my pocket too.

As for the Xiaomi 12 Pro, at RM3,899, the price is high – but it does give you some of the best camera controls that you can get out of a smartphone. Having 50MP for all the camera sensors is just fantastic as we can film 4K 60fps videos on all cameras, and also take 50MP pictures on all cameras too.

Where to buy? (Affiliate links)

Xiaomi 12

Amazon
Lazada
Shopee

Xiaomi 12 Pro

Amazon
Lazada
Shopee

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Manned Mars Mission in 2018 By Millionaire

Inspiration Mars Foundation announced their plans for their Mars mission. Humans will be sent to Mars and back in 501 days on 2018.
The Inspiration Mars Foundation was formed and piloted by the millionaire Dennis Tito(72). He was the first person paid a ticket to visit the famous International Space Station.

He will reveal more next month at the IEEE Aerospace Conference on “Feasibility Analysis for a Manned Mars Free Return Mission in 2018.”
“According to the NewSpace Journal, which obtained a copy of the paper the group plans to present at the conference, the Mars mission would use a modified version of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which last year made a successful delivery of cargo to the ISS.”
–Dvice
The modified Dragon capsule will be able to carry astronauts. The plan was to slingshot the capsule onto Mars orbit and return home safely. As simple as it sounds, this is a very “time-critical” mission since the window for a normal Mars journey will open every two years. It is expected to be in the early January 2018 but since this is a slingshot method, the next window would only appear in about 2031.
This is the normal trajectory that has been used for various Mars Rover Mission           (One way trip).

This is how the slingshot method will look like. Below is an example of a comet natural slingshot trajectory.

Hopefully the two foundations will be able to make Mission To Mars a success for the sake of researching alien life, extraterrestrial geography and “terra forming”.
-Via Dvice.com

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Only 21% of businesses in the Asia Pacific and Japan region are properly using data to drive business growth, according to Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies has commissioned a study on more than 4,000 participating businesses from the Asia Pacific and Japan region and found that data burden is happening quite often.

Dell Technologies has classified the irony of such phenomenon under 3 “paradoxes”. The 1st one is the Perception Paradox, where 2/3 of respondents stated that data is the lifeblood of their organization yet only a little over 20% can confidently say that they are properly utilizing data to progress their business.
The 2nd paradox is the “Want More Than They Can Handle” where 73% of businesses are gathering data so fast that they are unable to handle the demand of analyzing and utilizing them but 69% of them say still need more than their current capabilities. This has shown that businesses are under constant pressure to embrace digital transformation yet do not have proper plans to do so.
The 3rd paradox is “Seeing Without Doing” where on-demand businesses have been increasingly dependent on yet only 21% of organizations moved the majority of applications and infrastructures to “as-a-Service” models. Surely they have not seen how much cloud computing and “aaS” plans can strongly benefit an organization that hugely relies on technology.
To alleviate such problems, Dell Technologies have given out several tips to turn the situation into reversal and becoming an advantage by:

Modernizing IT infrastructure – Embrace edge computing through a consistent multi-cloud model and process data where it is captured, analyzed, and acted on
Optimizing data pipelines – With the help of AI and machine learning, data can flow more freely and securely
Software – Developing applications to deliver an integrated and personalized experience

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Acer’s 2022 TravelMate laptops gets latest “PRO” processors from Intel and AMD

Acer is refreshing the business-class TravelMate laptops to include Team Blue and Team Red’s industrial and professional variant mobile CPUs for this year’s offerings.

First up, we have the TravelMate P2 which is the simpler and more vanilla of the 3 new devices. Although it isn’t a fully rotatable unit like any of the Spin variant laptops, the TravelMate P2 can at least achieve a 180-degree full flat angle which is useful for tabletop discussions and stuff.
Available in both 14 and 15.6-inch form factors, it utilizes the 12th Gen Intel Core vPro mobile processor to give you super-efficient processing power while the chassis is made with a great portion of Post-Consumer Recycled plastics to chime in for the environmental factor, and the OceanGlass touchpad simulating a glass-like texture, feeling and aesthetic.

The long-time favorite TravelMate P4 (And the Spin P4, for that matter), returns with all sorts of upgrades as they can be fitted with either a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 vPro or AMD Ryzen 7 PRO processor and rocks a WUXGA 16:10 screen with thin bezels and protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass.
As it is created to even manage online conference calls on the go, the built-in DTS audio plus AI noise-canceling microphone will make sure you can hear everyone else loud and clear while everyone else can do vice versa.
Both the TravelMate P2 and P4 have been created equally in the sense of security features thanks to the Microsoft Secured-core feature protects low-level components down to the firmware tier,  and SecureBio fingerprint reader + IR Camera for Windows Hello in terms of user interactable security measurements.
Reference Starting Price
As there are multiple combinations of processors and screens available for the new Acer TravelMate P2 and P4 series business laptops, we’ll fix the list in a simple way for you to read.

TravelMate P4 from USD1,099

Intel, 14-inch
Intel, 16-inch
AMD, 14-inch
AMD, 16-inch

TravelMate Spin P4 from USD1,199

Intel
AMD

TravelMate P2 from USD899

Intel

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Samsung Brand Day returns to Shopee for the 2nd time during July 23 to July 25

Following last year’s commercial success, Samsung is returning for another round of collaboration with Shopee to bring you the Samsung Brand Day that runs between July 23 to July 25.
It makes sense to push for online purchases this time around and since last year’s Samsung Brand Day on Shopee was such a great success – why not do it again? Samsung has great products under its belt – and Shopee is still the best place to get the best deals.

The “Treat Yourself” themed Samsung Super Brand Day will be featured in 6 countries which are Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and of course – Malaysia. This upcoming Samsung Brand Day deal and the range of products in the sales include smartphones, wearables, tablets, monitors, TVs, and digital home appliances.
Here are some of the highlights during the sales:

Vouchers up to RM220 available for claim (RM50,000 in total, first come first serve)
Galaxy Note10+ (review) @ RM3099
Galaxy Buds (review) @ RM279
Samsung monitors from RM319
Free gifts worth up to RM1,799

Aside from the listed offers, the first 30 customers who purchased selected washing machines will be entitled to 1 year supply of detergent. Launder your clothes to your heart’s content if you can check out fast enough. Purchases will have free shipping and a 0% interest installment plan available for fellow shoppers too.
Mark your calendar and bookmark the Samsung Brand Day Campaign Page so you don’t miss out on these deals when they are available.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


ShopeePay now enables users to make instant fund transfers with DuitNow via ShopeeApp

Shopee Malaysia has announced that ShopeePay users can now send or receive funds from other e-wallets or any online banking platforms using their DuitNow IDs, making money transfers simpler and more straightforward.

This feature is now available for ShopeePay users that have activated their Premium accounts, with a daily and monthly limit of RM4,999 each.  ShopeePay users are only allowed to activate their phone numbers for their DuitNow service on the Shopee mobile app.
To enable the DuitNow transfer service, follow these simple steps below:

Tap on the “Settings” icon in your ShopeePay page in the app
Tap on DuitNow, agree to the T&C, and tap on “Link DuitNow to ShopeePay”
Obtain a verification code via WhatsApp, voice call, or SMS
Key in the verification code to successfully register your phone as the DuitNow ID for ShopeePay

By the way, ShopeePay is running a special promotion from 16th to 30th September to encourage users to try out the new feature, in which users who receive RM50 or more with DuitNow to their ShopeePay account will stand a chance to win a Free Shipping voucher.
Kindly refer to the following link for more information on the ShopeePay DuitNow transfer feature:
https://shopee.com.my/m/DuitNow-Transfer

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Facebook announces new music and video features

Let us be honest here. Facebook suffered a downtime yesterday and the whole world was on turmoil. It has not only became a household name, but a tool that we use multiple times daily. In a way, it’s like TikTok’s lip syncing videos but on Facebook instead.

On another note, Facebook is also adding a new Watch Party feature particularly for live TV shows. The one example we were shown is by having votes and comments that happen in real-time. Imagine a game of basketball or English Premier League happening and you are on your phone. You can throw in some comments and cast your votes too.
From what I can see here,Facebook will be rolling out this new slew of features to all users in the coming weeks. Please be patient if you do not have these features yet. Honestly speaking, even I do not have them yet.
To learn more about these new features, click here to head over to Facebook Newsroom.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Review – HONOR View20

Starting the new year with a bang this January is HONOR. We know that the HONOR View20 is coming already since it was launched in China, then announced that there will be a global announcement event held at Paris on the 22nd of January 2019 – which is today. But we are not here today for the announcement – we are here to give you the full in-depth review of the HONOR View20.
We actually had some hands-on time with the HONOR View20 and demonstrated a few new technologies that makes it a worthy flagship. Let’s dive into the review.

Unboxing
Looking at the box itself, the HONOR View20 comes with a fairly adequately fancy box. The front and back renders of the phone is printed at the front of the box and has reflective lines debossed onto the lid itself. Right here the blue colored HONOR View20 is shown, and the V-shaped aurora reflection is teased here.

At the back of the box… we have nothing interesting.

Opening the lid reveals the HONOR View20 itself.

Under the HONOR View20 is where we can find the accessories box. More on that later.

Under the accessories box is where we can find the Huawei SuperCharge charger and also  the accompanying USB-C cable.

Laying out everything, we have the HONOR View20 itself, a protective TPU case, the Huawei SuperCharge charger, and also the USB-C cable. What we are lacking here are documentations – which we definitely do not need.

[nextpage title=”Design”]
Then comes the design of the HONOR View20. It once again reminds me the curved design like the Xiaomi Mi A2 and the recently-launched HONOR 10 Lite – because the back is curved towards the screen at the two long edges – making it much more comfortable to hold.

That curvature is also what makes the HONOR View20 feel thinner than it already is – and that is a good thing because there are some serious hardware packed into the HONOR View20.

During the announcement of the HONOR View20, we get to know that there will be a total of 4 colors – the Midnight Black or Sapphire Blue, and then there are two more Moschino Edition color options. The one we have with us is the basic blue color which does not seem to be basic at all, because looking at other angles results in this.

Depends on how the light is shined onto the HONOR View20, the blue appears differently. It can appear purple as well, which goes to show how much thought HONOR has put into creating the View20.

As for the purple color, here is how I saw it through the camera.

HONOR says that they are using nanolithography fabrication process to create the aurora effect that is seen at the back of the phone. The pattern that reflects the aurora colors is aptly shaped like a “V”, because this is the HONOR View20 after all. And it has an alternative name known as the HONOR V20 too.

The included transparent TPU case is actually pretty decent, and the aurora back shines through the transparent TPU case too – so we do not have to worry about its beauty being compromised.

Then comes the front of the phone – which is nearly all-screen.
[nextpage title=”Display”]
Shifting around our review structure a little, let us talk about the display of the HONOR View20. This is the first ever smartphone from HONOR to be featuring a punch hole display or an under-screen selfie camera or a circular notch – however you want to call it.

The HONOR View20 has a 6.4-inch IPS LCD display with 2310×1080 pixels in resolution. It has great colors and also great white balance – though it is a tad to the colder side than what I’ve gotten used to.

Of course, there is a circular cutout at the top left corner too. HONOR actually moved that cutout so far off to the corner that I honestly forgot that it exists when I use it. It is just tiny and can be ignored easily.
If you really don’t like the notch – even though it does not bother your day-to-day usages – then you can actually disable the notch in the settings menu. You will, however, create a bar of nothingness at the top of the screen.
Because of the nature of how capacitive touch screen works, you can actually touch the circular cutout notch and drag the notifications bar down – which is impressive since that space is not actually wasted. Furthermore, if we are to look at it, the cutout itself is the entire selfie camera.

HONOR also included a film screen protector pre-installed on the HONOR View20 itself – so that you do not  have to worry about scratching up the display at all.
With the front of the phone taken up by the display, where did all the sensors go?
[nextpage title=”Connectivity & Ports”]
Remember when we said there is a preinstalled screen protector on the HONOR View20? Looking at that screen protector itself, there is a little cutout on the top right side of the screen. Upon further inspection, that is where the ambient light sensor is found.

This ambient light sensor it only samples light from a tiny little slit between the screen and the edge of the display. Yet it works like any other phone. Marvelous.

At the top of the phone is where we can find another row of electronics. We have the 3.5mm audio jack (thank you, HONOR!) and then we have the proximity sensor (more on that later), a microphone, and also an IR blaster to control your TV or AC.
The proximity sensor – again – works just like on any other phone. Its function is the same since the early Android smartphones – to detect if the phone’s earpiece is near your ear. Even when the proximity sensor is placed at the top, it still works fine.

At the right side of the phone is where we can find the usual volume rocker and power button.

At the left side is where we can find the dual nano SIM card slot. That’s right – the HONOR View20 does not have any expandable memory card slot. They just have a big internal storage – which is fine by me.

At the bottom is where we can find the speaker grill, the USB-C port, and a microphone.
What’s interesting here is that HONOR still retained all nearly all ports for the View20, and yet still packs a huge 4,000mAh battery. That means the HONOR View20 almost does not have any compromises in terms of connectivity and ports.
[nextpage title=”Cameras”]
Then comes the cameras that are found in the HONOR View20. It comes with the fancy new Sony IMX586 sensor – which can take pictures at 48MP in resolution. With a bit of software magic, that sensor can do wonders.

The HONOR View20 also comes with a secondary camera. It is actually a 3D TOF camera, similar to what we have seen on the OPPO R17 Pro that we reviewed here. However, HONOR already has all of the functions baked in and ready to go for the View20. We will show you more on that later.
The 3D TOF camera is working!
Not only that, the HONOR View20 comes with 3 very special photography modes too – their iconic AI mode, then there’s the 12MP night mode that combines 4 pixels into 1, and also the new 48MP AI Ultra Clarity mode.
Here are the list of specs for the cameras found in the HONOR View20:

Rear-facing cameras

48MP Sony IMX586 sensor with f/1.8 aperture lens; laser autofocus
3D TOF camera

Selfie camera

25MP f/2.0 with fixed focus

With all that said, all of the pictures shown in this review can be viewed in full size with all metadata at our Shutterfly album here. It is highly recommended since the HONOR View20 takes pictures in 48MP in size.
Rear-facing cameras
Let’s first take a look at a few shots taken with the HONOR View20. All pictures here are taken only with the 48MP sensor and that means that in the camera app itself, there are no fiddling around with which camera to use while taking certain shots. This one single Sony IMX586 sensor with a f/1.8 lens can take some amazing shots.

I also realized that taking pictures with the AI mode results in a much clearer picture overall. This patch of grass is taken in 48MP, and in AI mode, I can see the individual strands at full resolution.

In the usual HONOR’s AI mode fashion, colors are slightly more saturated, and the dark spots are brightened as well.

Obviously, the HONOR View20 is also good in taking indoor shots.

Then comes the night. I was “fortunate” enough as the electricity went out and . I compared the normal 48MP shot against the 12MP night mode shots and realized that there are some loss in details when 4 pixels were combined to create a single pixel while using the night mode.
Without night mode.
With night mode.
48MP AI Ultra Clarity mode
This is actually a brand new camera feature that was brought to the HONOR View20 about 2 weeks after we got the review unit. The pictures taken with this AI Ultra Clarity mode are actually very close to manual mode.
HONOR themselves recommend to only use AI Ultra Clarity mode on non-moving objects and sceneries that are brightly lit – either in a studio or outdoors when the sun is up. That is because it will take a few seconds to take the picture – like the night mode.
Here, we have 4 different pictures – all taken with different modes. Take a look at them.
Taken without AI or AI Ultra Clarity mode.
Taken with AI mode.
Taken with AI Ultra Clarity mode.
Taken in manual mode.
From these 4 images, we can see a huge difference in the final image that the HONOR View20 produces. The first image is without any AI or AI Ultra Clarity, which results in a darker image but retains many of the details of the controller, particularly the grainy texture.
AI mode on the other hand, creates a HDR-looking image instantly – which does show its weakness since the image was taken with just one snap. Hence, the image looks washed out and over-sharpened as well.

Then comes the 48MP AI Ultra Clarity mode. This is indeed my favorite mode of all since it takes about 2~4 seconds to take a brightly-lit scene or object, but the result is stunning. From above, we can see that the HDR is done correctly and the entire image is lit evenly, yet retains the natural look of the details and gives an eye-pleasing amount of saturation to the colors. For some not-so-bright places, the AI Ultra Clarity mode can actually decrease the ISO automatically – hence decreasing noise as well.
As for the manual mode that we took as a reference. From here we can see that the dynamic range is retained but the colors are a little washed out. Of course, you can take RAW format images with the HONOR View20 on manual mode and put it in Snapseed or Lightroom to fine-tune it however you want – but that consumes a lot of time.
Hence, the 48MP AI Ultra Clarity Mode is here to combine a few modes together – HDR, a healthy amount of saturation, low noise, and narutal-looking details. All of these in its full 48MP glory.
3D TOF camera
As of now, HONOR does have a two games developed for demonstration that makes use of the 3D TOF camera. We do have a demonstration coming soon.
However, HONOR worked their creative juices and implemented a “body shaping” mode that is found within the portrait mode. Take a look at these two images where we compare the 3D TOF camera’s body shaping feature at zero and maximum levels.
Zero body shaping.
Maximum body shaping.
Selfie camera
Once again, I’m not much of a selfie fan. There are a few features worth highlighting here but from what I can judge, the selfie looks pretty good for social media. I mean, no one wants to see your pores up close, right?

Camera UI
The camera UI is pretty much the same in terms of design language and button layout. It works, though I do wish it is easier to jump between different modes.
The central hub for different camera modes. You can even download more modes, if you want to.
As for the Pro mode or manual mode, you can select ISO down to just 50 and shutter speeds from 1/4000s to 30s. For those who have a tripod for smartphones, then the HONOR View20 can definitely take some fantastic shots. You can take RAW format images too, by the way.

Then comes the 48MP AI Ultra Clarity option that is found within the resolution menu. It’s a little awkward to change between the basic 48MP mode and 48MP AI Ultra Clarity mode since I need to navigate to the resolutions menu each time. And each time I exit the camera app, it will automatically switch back to the basic 48MP mode.

Also, in the 48MP AI Ultra Clarity mode, all other buttons are locked. Flash, moving picture, and the AI buttons are automatically disabled, and a message on how to use the 48MP AI Ultra Clarity mode appears.

[nextpage title=”Software – Magic UI 2.0.1 with Android 9.0 Pie”]
By the name itself, I think it is pretty telling that the HONOR Magic UI is based on their Magic series of smartphone – which is meant to showcase their technological advances over the years. Without beating around the bush, the Magic UI 2.0 is essentially EMUI 9.0 that we have seen on the Mate 20 Pro.

Both of them are so similar here that I don’t actually see any discernible differences from a user’s perspective. The screen knocking gesture is still here – whereby you can knock twice to take a screenshot or knock and drag to take a custom sized screenshot.

One thing I do like is the fact that the HONOR View20 actually has a dedicated fingerprint scanner at the back of the phone. I honestly, personally still prefer a physical fingerprint scanner over under-display ones for its speed and reliability – and also the gesture. I enabled the option to slide down the fingerprint scanner to bring down the notification, and that is my all-time favorite gesture.

Then comes the IR blaster which HONOR also included an app called Smart Remote. There are quite a few devices that already works with the HONOR View20 out of the box, but not every device is compatible. Of course, you can download other apps to take advantage of the IR blaster as well. Some other apps can even “learn” and mimic your current remote control.
One funny thing to point out here is that the HONOR View20 does have the option to hide the notch. Not sure why anyone would want to hide the notch though, since it is small enough to be ignored.

[nextpage title=”Performance & Gaming”]
In terms of performance, the HONOR View20 is definitely a smartphone that packs the latest and greatest hardware available. The specs of the HONOR View20 are as below:

6.4-inch IPS LCD display with 2310×1080 pixels in resolution with circular cutout notch
HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset

2×2.26GHz Cortex-A76 + 2×1.92GHz Cortex-A76 + 4×1.8GHz Cortex-A55
Mali-G76 MP10 GPU

10 GPU cores at 720MHz

6GB LPDDR4X RAM
128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage (no expandable memory card slot)
4,000mAh battery
Android 9.0 Pie with Magic UI 2.0.1

Just like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro with EMUI 9.0, the HONOR View20 with Magic UI 2.0 also comes with different performance modes – which actually makes a huge difference in benchmarks particularly on Antutu. While we have seen smartphones like the ROG Phone reaching 300k points on Antutu, it is quite inconsistently. The HONOR View20 can reach beyond 300k points in Antutu by just turning on performance mode.
Let us first show you how the HONOR View20 competes against its competition with performance mode turned off and on.

In the benchmark scores, we can see that the performance mode unleashes the CPU and GPU’s performance. Upon further inspection, the performance mode actually increased the GPU performance by a huge margin as shown on 3DMark, VRMark, and Geekbench scores for graphics. When we broke down Antutu benchmark score to its individual score, we can see that the graphics performance increased by 12%.

Gaming
The one thing that HONOR always touts since the HONOR Play is GPU Turbo. This one feature is touted to be the literal game changer as it uses AI to lift some burden off the GPU, hence saving battery. Kind of like how NVIDIA uses AI to take advantage of DLSS.
We tested all of these games with performance mode turned off.
Let’s start off with Honkai Impact 3. It can play the game with the highest possible settings, with the Honkai Impact 3’s “God Kiana” character causing a barely noticeable frame rate drop when casting her ultimate skill. Other than that, it is completely smooth sailing.

Then Asphalt 9, obviously it has no issues here. However, the cars still look jagged as there is technically no anti-aliasing for this game.
As for PUBG Mobile, I am very impressed that the Kirin 980 chipset is now supported out of the box – unlike the Mate 20 Pro during the launch. The game recommended the highest settings (obviously) and I played the game at a very smooth frame rate with zero issues. The best thing is that the game itself looks so beautiful that I couldn’t even see my enemies as the scenery of Sanhok is too beautiful.
Currently, GPU Turbo is in its second iteration – and PUBG Mobile is one of them those games that are supported by GPU Turbo 2.0.
[nextpage title=”Battery & Charger”]
The HONOR View20 comes with a massive 4,000mAh battery – which what seems to be the current goal for new flagship smartphones. With a relatively big battery, the HONOR View20 managed to last for 14.37 hours. That’s impressive!

Once we turned on performance mode, the battery life drops to about 11.80 hours. However, considering that PUBG Mobile runs smoothly without performance mode, I highly doubt that we need to turn on performance mode for gaming at all.
Charger

As for the charger, the HONOR View20 comes with a Huawei SuperCharge charger that is rated for 5V at 4.5A or 4.5V at 5A – resulting in a maximum output of 22.5W. It is not the same super fast charger as found on the Mate 20 Pro, but still a pretty fast charger.

The HONOR View20 with SuperCharge needs 18 minutes to reach 50% and a total of 37 minutes to reach 75%. When we swapped to a generic 5V 2A, it needs 60 minutes to reach 50% and a total of 103 minutes to reach 75%.
Again, the HONOR View20 offers a pretty fast charger and big battery in a single package. That is impressive.
[nextpage title=”Wrapping up the HONOR View20 review”]
Honestly speaking, I am surprised by how well the HONOR View20 worked right out of the box. The new 48MP camera combined with the night mode is a bliss as I can take great pictures with a beautifully designed smartphone – especially with the 48MP AI Ultra Clairty mode. And yes, the unique design at the back of the phone is most certainly something that I personally like.
Let’s not forget the circular cutout for the selfie camera – it’s so tiny and tucked away so far to the corner that I didn’t even know it exists after using the HONOR View20 for 5 minutes.

Then comes the 3D TOF camera. We know that HONOR is at an uphill battle here since Google does not officially support 3D TOF yet, so HONOR has to develop apps themselves. Yet the 3D TOF camera works pretty well out of the box – which is impressive, unlike the OPPO R17 Pro.
The HONOR View20 is honestly a fantastic smartphone – from the beautiful design to its fantastic performance to its beautiful screen, I can recommend the HONOR View20 easily. The HONOR View20 is far more superior than the Mate 20 Pro too. By the way, the HONOR View20 has a 3.5mm audio jack.
For the price of only RM1,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage version – like the one that we reviewed here, is available in both Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black colors. The price is just so good that I can recommend the View20 any day.
For those who seek the the highest specs available, then you can get the 8GB RAM + 256GB version for only RM2,499. This is only available in the Phantom Blue color, which was created in collaboration with Moschino.
Honestly, for this price, this is a much better smartphone to buy compared to the recently-launched Huawei Nova 4 or the Mate 20 Pro. And you can already get the HONOR View20 this Satruday at 9.30am! Early customers can get the HONOR Watch Magic for free too! Learn more about the roadshow here.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Ninetology wants your old phone; rebates for a new U9R1

Ninetology surely do have something up within their sleeves. They launched the new Ninetology U9 product line recently with an impressive price and looks. Now, they’re hungry for your old phones so that you can get a new U9R1.

The image above shows the general idea of the campaign. Trade in an older Ninetology device and get RM200 off your new Ninetology U9R1. If you don’t have any older Ninetology devices however, you can still get a rebate of RM150 through the trade-in.
Ninetology calls this their Smart Ecology 2 campaign, as it is the sequel of their similar campaign since a year ago. They even made a simply yet handy image of the trade-in and purchase process. With the same goal as before, Ninetology seeks to reduce wasted electronics by recycling them, yet rewarding you for it. It’s a win-win situation, is it not?

Of course, lets also talk about the phone itself. The phone is has a certain appeal and it’s not deceiving at all for a budget smartphone.

1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor
7.8mm thick
8MP rear-facing camera
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Sure, the specs aren’t amazing but it is priced at a RRP of RM799 only. Since you’re already going to change your smartphone, why not trade-in and get some rebate?
The rebate is valid from now until the 30th of November 2013 while stocks last.
Check out the website on Ninetology for more details!

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Transcend Introduces Industrial Grade SSDs with 96-layer 3D NAND

Transcend is proud to announce a line-up of industrial-grade SSDs based on the 96-layer BiCS4 3D NAND flash technology. Bit-Cost Scalable Generation 4 (BiCS4) uses a 96-layer 3D stacked-cell structure to create high performing solid-state memory dies for storage products. Compared to 3D NAND at 64 layers, this density breakthrough greatly improves storage efficiency. The new generation SSD lineup is offered in various form factors: MTE652T (PCIe M.2 2280), SSD452K (SATA III 2.5-inch), MTS952T (SATA III M .2 2280) and MTS552T (SATA III M.2 2242) to accommodate multiple platforms on the market. Built with DRAM cache for fast access, the new line of industrial SSDs is fully tested in-house to guarantee reliability in mission-critical applications, boasting an endurance rating of 3K Program/Erase cycles.
3K P/E Cycles Plus Wide Temperature Functionality

Made of top-tier 3D NAND and featuring enhanced endurance as well as exceptional thermal tolerance, this latest line-up comprises SSDs in the 2.5” SATA III, PCIe M.2, and SATA III M.2 form factors. Rated to endure 3K P/E (Program/Erase) cycles, and engineered to withstand extreme operating temperatures from -40°C to 85°C, these SSDs are made to reliably operate in extreme operating environments for an extended period of time.
PCIe NVMe Interface for Consistently Impressive Speeds
Within the new line-up, the MTE652T M.2 2280 SSD meets NVMe 1.3 standards and utilize the PCIe Gen3 x4 interface, meaning four lanes are used for transmitting and receiving data simultaneously. The result is a compelling performance of up to 1,700 MB/s read and 1,600 MB/s write. Low power consumption and excellent reliability are also hallmarks of this construction, ensuring long-term dependability.
In-House Technologies for Prolonged Product Lifespan
The new line of industrial SSDs offers features such as Advanced Global Wear-Leveling and Block management for reliability, Advanced Garbage Collection, low-density parity-check (LDPC), and other features that make for a stable, long-lasting product ready for write-intensive industrial and embedded applications.
Exclusive SSD Scope Pro Software
Transcend’s SSD Scope Pro is a convenient software package that helps users monitor and manage SSD status via an intuitive interface. It offers various useful features, including drive information and S.M.A.R.T. status monitoring, diagnostic scan, secure-erase, health indication, system clone, and remote monitoring.
Warranty
Transcend’s industrial SSD solutions have undergone strict qualification testing to guarantee product dependability, reliability, and longevity. All of Transcend’s 96-layer BiCS4 3D NAND SSDs are covered by a three-year limited warranty
More information can be found on the Transcend Embedded Solution page at https://www.transcend-info.com/Embedded/

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Long-term review: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – Still the best after 6 months?

In lieu of the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, let’s do a long-term review of the Samsung S21 Ultra. We’ve seen many smartphones in the first half of the year 2021, but the S21 Ultra is the phone that has always been in my pocket since I got it.
After using it for 6 months, here are my thoughts and experience.

The phone – after testing so many other phones, the S21 Ultra is still one of the best-looking phones. The design is iconic and sexy and I still take a moment to stare at it when I clean the case every now and then.

Now, I have not spent any time without a case on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but honestly – I really still do like the matte black finish of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
We should also talk about the accessories though. The S Pen is a separate purchase and I end up ditching the bundled case because it was too grippy. I got this case from Spigen which is thinner than the bundled case from Samsung, but it’s a bit wider.

While we’re talking about the back of the phone, let’s talk about those cameras once again. This time, Samsung really stepped up their camera game on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, touting a total of 4 cameras – whereby two of them are telephoto lenses at different focal lengths.

I have taken a lot of pictures and videos using this phone. I sometimes even just straight up use the Galaxy S21 Ultra to take pictures and videos to use in videos that you are watching right now – and no editing is required. That’s a big time saver for me.
To have a look at many point-and-shoot pictures I took with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, watch the video at the top of this long-term review.
Transferring data is also quick since the Galaxy S21 Ultra uses USB 3. Some other wannabe “flagship” phone still uses USB 2, by the way.

And while on that matter, I have to highlight one thing. The Galaxy S21 Ultra that I’m using comes with 256GB of storage and so far, I got about 140GB of stuff in the phone. I got too lazy to delete or organize my files and I end up just hogging data now. And yet, I still can’t finish up that 256GB of storage.

I know, many people are complaining about the lack of a microSD card slot – and I was kinda weirded out at first too. But, I end up not needing a microSD card slot.

For me, I use my phone to work. That’s why the Galaxy S21 Ultra is pretty much perfect for me. The Exynos 2100 is surprisingly good this generation since it doesn’t overheat like the Snapdragon 888 chipset and never lags when I use the phone to do my stuff.

I usually hop between multiple different apps, saving and cropping screenshots, and using the S Pen to write, draw, and mostly to illustrate stuff.

And that is why I like Samsung’s One UI. Edge Panel compliments the overall user experience so well that I find myself breezing through tasks that everyone else that’ll be complaining. For example – Edge Panel has an option to select a part of the screen then save a screenshot.

But before you hit save, there’s another option to extract the text. I find these kinds of features too useful – especially since some people like to take a picture of my parcel’s tracking code through a picture in WhatsApp. So I use this feature to extract the tracking code in a second and put it in the parcel tracking website.

Then comes Samsung Pay – it’s very convenient. I mean, as the pandemic literally raging nowadays, I find myself not even using cash. I just use my cards and e-wallets nowadays. And that is also because I don’t want to go to the ATM to withdraw cash as the daily cases are skyrocketing.

Foooh… anyway, I don’t play games on mobile phones because I have a decked-out PC behind me that I use to edit the videos that you are watching now and also to play games.
And throughout my usage, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery rarely goes below 45%. Even during the days when I need to go back to the studio, I still end up more than 45% of battery. And every day, I get a lot of emails and notifications too.

Now, you might have realized that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra that I’m showing here has a pretty hazy screen. That’s because I changed to a matte screen protector recently. I replaced the original pre-installed screen protector since it was a bit scratched up.

While I’m using a matte screen protector, the fingerprint scanner still works perfectly fine.
Speaking of the display, I am using this display at 1440p resolution at 120Hz. That’s because I can – and I still have a lot of battery juice left to burn at the end of the day. That goes to show that the LTPO backplane is really working its hardest to ensure the battery life is as long as possible.

Sometimes if I am too busy doing something else, I go to bed with still about 60-ish% of battery left – and I just end up not needing to charge for the day.
And since I have such good battery life, I never needed fast charging. I just use a 10W charger and charge whenever I go to bed and unplug when I wake up.

But, the battery life does get affected by software updates. Every month, without fail, there will be an update available for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. I do feel that certain updates prolonged the battery life a bit more. It’s not that significant but definitely noticeable and consistent.
But the price…
If you’re thinking of picking up the Galaxy S21 Ultra today, then I have good news. You can even get this phone with 256GB storage at about RM4,299 now which I think is a big price drop from the initial RM5,299 that Samsung was asking for.
While the RM4,299 price tag is a much more reasonable price, it’s still an expensive phone overall. With that said, throughout my usage, I think I found the phone that suits my use case the most. Perhaps this is an example of “you get what you pay for”?

Where to buy? (Affiliate links)

Amazon US
Lazada
Shopee

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


OPPO Malaysia Photography Contest & Workshop Launched

OPPO really wants you to take great pictures – with their smartphone and that’s why they organized this photography contest and workshop. It will definitely help to sharpen your photography skills, so that you can take great pictures using your smartphone.
Let’s talk about the OPPO Malaysia Photography Contest first. It starts from 5th April at 12pm until 21st April at 3pm.
As far as I can see right now, there are no specific themes of what pictures that they’re looking for. OPPO just mentions that they want you to send them your masterpiece to them, and they’ll notify the winner on 22nd April 2017.

The OPPO Malaysia Photography Contest is, of course, exclusive only for pictures taken with an OPPO smartphone. Which means you have to already own an OPPO smartphone – or buy one and take pictures and submit it before the deadline.

As for the photography workshop, it will be led by known photographers – Kim Teoh, Asmady and Kedaz. There will be three sessions of photography workshop at different stations, which are Johor Bahru Station – Cafe de Flore (8th April 2017), Penang Station – 163-D- 6-20, OPPO Concept Store, Gurney Paragon Mall (15th April 2017) and Kuala Lumpur Station – (location to be confirmed, kindly refer to OPPO Official Facebook Page) (29th April 2017).
Since it is again an OPPO-hosted event, there will be a hands-on experience with the OPPO R9s (that we reviewed here) and R9s Plus.
For more information about the OPPO Malaysia Photography Contest & Workshop, kindly go to https://www.facebook.com/malaysiaoppo/
To know more about the photographers, do proceed to:-

Asmady: http://studioaston.com/wedding/?page_id=2
Keda. Z: https://www.kedaz.com/
Kim Teoh: https://www.facebook.com/Kim-teoh- 176028559227134/

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Top smartphones to buy before GST

Seriously, GST is upon us – a little more than a week only! With all the shopping frenziness going on right now (trust me, I’ve seen the craziness) and all I have to say is – buy now.
We also have a list of recommended laptops to buy before GST which you should really check out.

Before beginning, I’d like to say that this is my personal top smartphones that are available in the market today, so you might disagree. Also, the iPhone are not included in this list, and these are higher end phones which GST will affect at a reasonable degree. The list below are in no particular order.
OnePlus One

How could I not start off the list with my favourite phone, and currently my personal daily driver. It’s not the best smartphone out there obviously – camera is lacking in performance, but the entirety of the OnePlus One makes it the best all-rounder device – especially for the price. I’ve also reviewed this epic phone before – check it out here!
Check out DirectD’s offer for the OnePlus One right here.
ASUS PadFone S

We reviewed the one and only superphone with a 5-inch screen, yet have a sub-1k price tag on it.  All I have to say is for the price of RM899, it has one of the best software for the camera hardware, and certainly top-notch in terms of build quality and the entire experience of the phone. Feels look, looks good, performs excellently, priced perfectly.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4

If you’re looking to get a super top-notch phone of the highest of the high-end phones available now, the Galaxy Note 4 is for you, and has the special S Pen too. I like the Note 4 too much that I treat it like a baby. That S Pen gives more value to the phone than its price for sure. And also, DAT CAMERA – OIS is a must for these shaky hands of mine. Check out how much love I have to give to the Note 4 right here.
According to the RRP, 6% of it translates to RM150. Save that RM150 and buy the Note 4 now, then get a 64GB micro SD card instead.
HTC One M8

It’s a rather old phone, and yet the One M9 was announced around a month ago, but it still is the best overall premium phone available in the market now. Full metal that gives the chill when grabbed, full front-facing stereo speakers with BoomSound, magnificent 5-inch size and build quality – what else can be more perfect than this?
Comes with some very great features which we talked about it in our review too.
So, do you agree with our list? What other phones you’d like to see here?
If you have any questions, leave a comment below or ask us at our Facebook page for even quicker replies!

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Here’s how you can get truly low-latency wireless audio with aptX LL at a low price

We have talked a lot about low-latency wireless audio in the past. Up until today, aptX LL remains relatively elusive. And today, we’re going to tell you how we can actually get the magnificent wireless low-latency wireless audio.
What we have here is a full set of peripherals from Ugreen. We have a Bluetooth audio transmitter and another Bluetooth audio receiver – both of them are aptX LL-compatible. Remember – you need both transmitter and receiver to have aptX LL to actually use aptX LL.

The pros
Ugreen’s new aptX LL transmitter is made to be compact and made to be a companion to the Nintendo Switch. I think they’re calling this the Mario color scheme where you have both red and blue parts.

Its design is pretty smart as there is a hinged part that makes it compatible with basically every single Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite cases. But… it’s not compatible with the original dock. You’ll have to get this little cable for it.

However, this also means that we can plug it into any smartphones with a 3.5mm audio jack to enjoy aptX LL. And since it has a 180° turn, it won’t even hinder the user’s grip on the smartphone while gaming!

Since we have the aptX LL receiver, I can use any other wired headphones, earphones, or speakers wirelessly with ultra-low latency.
The cons
Using this Ugreen Switch wireless audio transmitter means you’ll have to charger yet another device. The charging port is at the bottom – which I’m glad it’s USB-C and not micro USB. But the receiver is using micro USB for charging, though.

In total, we have a total of 3 devices to charge, just to enjoy aptX LL.
A little bit of information on Bluetooth audio codec and aptX LL
There are a bunch of true wireless earbuds, or TWS, in the market that is advertised as “low latency” and from my personal experience with all of them, it’s bullcrap. None of them are using aptX LL codec, and hence – they’re not “low-latency”.

It doesn’t matter if it’s Bluetooth 4.2 or Bluetooth 5.0, this latency issue persists across SBC, AAC, and even both aptX and LDAC codecs. They’re not purpose-made to be low latency. Only aptX LL is truly low latency.
Of course, there are new technologies on the way which may improve the wireless audio latency – like the Vivo TWS Neo that uses aptX Adaptive codec, which changes between aptX HD and aptX LL dynamically. But then again, your phone – the transmitter – will need to support aptX Adaptive to fully take advantage of this technology.
Sorry for going off on a tangent here, by the way.
Should you buy the Ugreen Bluetooth 3.5mm Transmitter Adapter for Nintendo Switch aptX LL?
Okay, Ugreen – you really need to fix your product naming scheme – but that’s besides the point.
Either way, this is a great product. The transmitter alone costs RM82.99, but if you want to use it with your dock, then you’ll need yet another dongle – which totals up to RM112.99.
The aptX LL receiver will cost about RM58.89, but I’m unsure if Ugreen is going to restock this particular product, since it’s out of stock. Else, you gotta buy Ugreen’s other aptX LL receivers.
Where to buy?
Ugreen Bluetooth Audio Transmitter

Lazada
Shopee
Amazon US

Ugreen Bluetooth Audio Receiver

Lazada
Shopee
Amazon US

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Trade-in up to 5 devices for your new device with Samsung’s Tukar beli

If you’re already considering getting either the new Galaxy Z Fold3 or the new Galaxy Z Flip3, maybe the new Galaxy Watch 4 series of smartwatches – then here’s your chance. You can trade-in your existing devices (yes, plural) to knock off up to RM4,680 on these new devices.
The deal here is pretty straightforward – take up to 5 of your existing devices to your nearest Samsung Experience Store, then trade them all in for your new device. Check out our review of the Galaxy Z Fold3 too.

We also have 5 more reasons why the Galaxy Z Fold3 is a fantastic device.
As the new Galaxy Z Fold3 comes with S Pen support, IPX8-rating, and also a more immersive inner display, it has now become my daily driver device.
I am also using the Galaxy Z Fold3 as a portable emulation device since it is so powerful while offering an impressively immersive display. I think that I’m spoiled now since there is literally no other device in the market that can offer this type of experience.
Galaxy Z Fold3 is the best portable emulation device

Also, check out our review of the new Galaxy Watch4 Classic! We reviewed it about a month ago but I eventually upgraded to the Galaxy Watch4 44mm.

Upgrading from the Galaxy Watch Active to the new Watch4 is a massive difference, by the way. Ranging from the features, the shape, size, and even – the display quality.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


I tried living without Google Mobile Services – it’s not that bad

When we started using the HONOR 9X Pro about a month ago, that phone showed me its strengths – and I like what I see. In our full review, we talked about its performance and battery life. However, our comment section was flooded with many of the similar comments – “no Google?”
Yes, the HONOR 9X Pro doesn’t have any trace of Google apps or services on it. It’s using Huawei’s Mobile Services.

Starting with the security
Since the AppGallery is new, there are lots of concerns and skepticism over its security. Huawei and HONOR have reassured us that the AppGallery utilizes a developer identity verification system with 4-layer detection mechanism to ensure app security.

The 4-layer consists of checking for security vulnerability, privacy, malicious behavior, and also manual real-name security check. User feedback is also a part of the detection mechanism so that the app wouldn’t do anything funky after being released.
Adapting to the AppGallery
It’s obvious that the catalog of apps is growing quite fast. When I started the HONOR 9X Pro, I saw that there are many developers who already made their apps available on the AppGallery. Most of the apps I use are available – like Facebook for my daily dosage of memes.
Some apps that are essential during MCO – like food deliveries and online shopping apps – are available on the AppGallery already.

Here are some of the apps that we use which are already available on the AppGallery today:

For travels

Agoda
Booking
Trip.com

Messaging apps:

Viber
WeChat
Weibo
WhatsApp (redirects to official APK download)

Social media

TikTok
Facebook (redirects to official APK download)
Twitter (web wrapper)

Entertainment

TikTok
Kwai
Viu
Joox
VLC

Food

dahmakan
McDonald’s (web wrapper)

Shopping

Lazada
Shopee
Zalora
AliExpress
Mudah
Shopback

Banking

Maybank
Hong Leong Bank
RHB Bank

E-wallet

TnG eWallet
Boost

While the catalog of apps is growing, many apps that we use on a daily basis just aren’t available. And that’s why I installed 3rd party app stores into the HONOR 9X Pro. I installed both APK Pure and Aptoide to get some other apps like Gboard, Facebook Messenger, or the full-fledged Twitter app.
Can I truly get the full experience on the AppGallery?
Maybe not entirely – but you can get other essential apps like Grab, Food Panda, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram. I need Telegram since I use it for work.
However, games are a little funky. For example, there are two versions of COD Mobile. The version available on APK Mirror or APK Pure is not the same version from the Play Store – so it’s a little difficult to hunt down the correct version.
I also downloaded Waze from APK Pure and it works without any issue.

But if you’re coming from another phone that already has a bunch of apps installed, why not directly import them to your new Huawei or HONOR device with Phone Clone?
Save time and effort with Phone Clone
Literally just clone everything from your existing device to your new Huawei or HONOR device. Don’t waste your time redownloading the apps – just copy it. It is stated that all apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps, will be transferred to your new smartphone.
But not all apps can be transferred directly like this. For WhatsApp, I wanted to copy over my WhatsApp chat history over to the HONOR 9X Pro. It’s actually quite simple – just follow these steps:

Download WhatsApp on your HONOR 9X Pro
Go to WhatApp on your old device, select settings > chat > chat backup
Tap Backup to Google drive and select Never, then select backup
Go to Files, select internal storage > WhatsApp > Databases
Select the last file in Databases (db.crypt.12) and send it to your HONOR 9X Pro through Bluetooth or WiFi direct
On your HONOR 9X Pro, go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Permissions > Storage. Choose the Allow option.
Go to Internal Storage > WhatsApp > Database > check if the db.crypt.12 file from earlier is there
You may now log-in to WhatsApp on your HONOR 9X Pro. Your chats have all been backed up from your previous device.

Is it an easy transition?
With any change in life, it will definitely take some time to adapt. For me, it’s only the initial setup that needs a bit more work. Other than that, it works as usual. There are some other hiccups like COD Mobile as mentioned earlier, but that’s fragmentation caused by the game developer instead.

UPDATE: We can now backup WhatsApp chat to Huawei Cloud too!
Yes – it’s now doable on all devices running Huawei Mobile Services. Transferring your data to your new Huawei or HONOR smartphone is a bit finicky, but once that’s done – everything works fine.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


The HUAWEI WATCH 3 series is coming to Malaysia soon with preorders opening at 10a.m. June 25

HUAWEI Malaysia is officially bringing in the latest flagship wearable HUAWEI WATCH 3 into the country.

Both models of the WATCH 3 Pro features an ultra curved 3D glass panel for the display while the base model is built with ceramic glass with the Pro model getting better quality in the form of a titanium body. The crown at the side has an actual dial to simulate the classic watch feel that also lets you access the smartwatch’s features. Another practical function is native support for eSIM that allows itself to make and receive calls without your smartphone around – essentially it is a “smartphone” by itself.
Of course, like a smartwatch, there’s a bunch of fitness and physical wellness tracking as well as dual GPS mode to precisely pinpoint your location, all supported by the latest and (controversial)? HarmonyOS 2.0 and powered by a battery that can go up to 21 days in power saving mode, or around 5 days in its standard Smart Mode.
Price and Preorder Bonus
Preorders for the HUAWEI WATCH 3 series are currently up at running with the base edition priced at RM1,699 while the Pro version is at RM2,199. The preorder freebies given to all buyers are the Easy Fit 2 Distilled Blue Nylon Strap for both models with the base WATCH 3 getting a FreeBuds 3i and Pro version having the FreeBuds 3.
Available platforms for placing preorders are the HUAWEI Online Store, Shopee, Lazada, and Senheng.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Infinix takes on the challenge of highest fast charging wattage with new All-Round Fast Charge solution at 260W and 110W wireless

Fast-charging technology has been a hot topic in recent years. The mobile market sees brands racing against each other to find out who’s capable of churning the most power into their devices within the shortest time. The latest achievement comes from Infinix where the magical numbers pin at 260W and 110W.

Branded under the “All-Round FastCharge” solution, the 260W All-Round FastCharge tech promises to juice up your device by 25% in just a minute and if you have 7 and a half minutes to spare, you’ll see the 100% displayed loud, and clear.
Defined by a special 4-Pump Intelligent Circuit Design, the amount of power and subsequently the required charge pump count can be allocated accurately to make sure everything is charged safely.
Durability testing shows that the Li-Ion 4400mAh battery maintains 90% of its energy even after 1,000 cycles therefore users can trust in the 260W process and get into action within minutes.
On the other hand, the charger utilizes a triple GaN material PFC + AHB circuit architecture to present itself as a small and compact power brick packed with intelligent and safe charging components.
For the wireless department, the brand new 100W Wireless All-Round FastCharge charger has a dual coil design for both vertical and horizontal orientation so that no matter what direction you’re placing your device on, it will be charged at the best efficiency. Speaking of the rate of charging, it can take the battery percentage to 100% in about 16 minutes.
Infinix also made sure that sufficient cooling is delivered during charging by implementing a fan at the base of the charging station together with optimized internal designs of the coils with lower resistance that further restricts the rise of the phone’s temperature.

Another piece of good news is that Infinix will not be hogging everything to themselves by making the tech proprietary because they confirmed that it works with multiple fast charging protocols including PD 3.0 in addition to some of the more quirky ones like delayed charging for nighttime and bypass charging during gaming.
As for when will it reach the hand of end users? Well, the answer is the next generation of NOTE series smartphones so it will not be long before everyone can get a taste of that flash action on steroids.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!


Review – SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro 2.1 Speaker : Slight Improvement

Earlier this year, we reviewed the SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI. This new variant is an updated version – hence the appendage of the word “Pro” at the end. Hence, we’re here today to take a look at the brand new SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro.
As SonicGear did tell me that this new Pro version has some sound quality enhancement and a new price but everything else is the same, this review will largely be based and referred to the original Titan 7 BTMI’s review.

Check out our original review of the SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI here.

Unboxing
Looking from the outside, the box design did change. It now has a much darker look compared to the beige color that it used to have on its predecessor.

Inside, however, is the same as its predecessor – which you can learn more about the unboxing here.

Design and features
The SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro still has the same design overall, and surprisingly, same outputs and control panels too. Totally nothing is different here – the colors and design are the same, too.
Even the build quality is the same.
Even the asynchronous colors are still present.
The subwoofer’s air intake is still exposed.

Speaking of its features, the ports are still the same behind the speaker as its predecessor, as mentioned earlier. The top panel where all the buttons and SD card/USB port are found is still there, and it still works the same as before.

Literally, nothing has changed, but one thing sure did – and that’s the frequency response.
Using the SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro
SonicGear claims that nothing else has changed except the sound it produces. To which I say – yes, it does sound a whole lot better than it used to be.
It no longer sounds teeny and trapped inside, and the bass is stronger than before – though still limited by its physical size. Just that this time around, the sound has been tuned.

I can enjoy some classic Monstercat tracks (new ones aren’t as good, in my humble opinion) with an adequate amount of bass and treble. Clarity is surprisingly much better this time around.
Though, that said, the sound produced is still a little muffled. The frequency range on the SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro isn’t large, too. As I was adjusting the bass dial while listening to orchestral music, it sounds… like I can either choose to emphasize on brass or woodwind. I can’t have both.
Its other flaws in terms of functionality are still the same as the non-pro version. Bummer.
Wrapping up the SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro review
Let’s wrap up by saying this – the non-pro version and pro version looks and functions exactly the same. The packaging material, aesthetics, size, ports, and whatnot are still the same. Even the flaws and problems that I’ve pointed out in the original non-pro version’s review are the same!
But – one big but – the sound did improve. As per what SonicGear told me, nothing has changed other than the sound quality. Is that true? Yes – quite a lot better in terms of sound quality, actually. Is that enough? Not quite.
See, there are a few major build quality concerns that I have with the SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro. Firstly, the cables coming out of both satellites aren’t held in place. You can accidentally yank the satellite and damage the internal connections. The entire SonicGear Titan 7 BTMI Pro is made out of the same material as the non-pro version too.
Yeah, the cable is not secured on the opening.
Let’s not begin nitpicking the other things that might affect user experience – like the asynchronous lights across the speaker.

Like our Facebook Page here at NasiLemakTech.com for more news and in-depth reviews!
Also, join our Facebook Group for insightful information and memes!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel too!