[LEAKED] Google Pixel 3 XL Comes With Type-C Earbuds

With Google’s upcoming smartphone, the Google Pixel 3 XL soon to arrive, there have been reported leaks on the phone circulating over the web lately.
Google Pixel 3 XL Leaked

This leak was found and shared by a Ukrainian tech blogger. He mentioned that it was a “pre-release version”. With the leak, it shows that the device will feature an Adreno 630, which will mostly mean that it will be using a Snapdragon 845 chipset. Surprisingly, it will only be packing 4GB of RAM. Coming from Google themselves, the Google Pixel 3 XL will be running on Android 9 Pie.

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The ‘notch’ still found some ways into the design (yeah, some of us will hate it). It will feature a 6.7-inch display while the battery will be packing a 3430mAh battery under the hood. Camera wise, it is listed to offer a 12.2MP main shooter and a dual 8.1MP shooter on the front.

Well that’s not all. It appears that Google have included some wired USB Type-C earbuds inside the packaging of the smartphone. Other items in the packaging includes a charging brick and cable. Though it may not be much information on the Pixel 3 XL, we expect more information to be coming as the launch date of the device comes closer. Until then, stay tuned for more details.
Source
Pokdepinion: Why are they still using notches? Hmm.. On a side note, it would be awesome if Pixel phones are officially sold here in Malaysia. Pretty sure there’s the market for them here in our shores.
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GameSir G4 Pro Review – Versatile With Great Value

Unboxing the GameSir G4 Pro
GameSir G4 Pro Review – Box

With every purchase of the GameSir G4 Pro, you are expected to get the following items:

GameSir G4 Pro gamepad
USB Type-C cable
User manual
Warranty card

Appearance

GameSir G4 Pro Review
The GameSir G4 Pro is a wireless gamepad with a layout similar to Xbox controllers. Looking from the top, you have the left analog stick on the top-left part with the D-pad below it. The right analog stick and face buttons are where you expect them to be as it’s common for most gamepads. In the center, you have the GameSir logo sandwiched between the Select and Start buttons labeled G and S respectively. There is an LED indicator above the Select button which shows the battery life. Towards the bottom, you can find the Home button, which also doubles as the power button.
GameSir G4 Pro Review – Built-in phone clip
This centerpiece can be opened up to reveal a smartphone holder. With it up and open, you will also find two additional buttons above the Home button, which are the Turbo and Screenshot buttons.

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GameSir G4 Pro Review – Shoulder
On top, you have find four shoulder buttons, or more accurately, two shoulder buttons and two shoulder triggers. The USB-C port can also be found in the center here. There’s nothing much to see on the bottom at first glance but it actually hides the 2.4GHz USB wireless receiver, which is used specifically for Windows PC in wireless mode.

GameSir G4 Pro Review – Rear
Moving over the rear, there isn’t really much to see except for the grips protruding outwards and a sticker containing product information. While most people wouldn’t reading the details here, it does contain an important piece of information; how to connect this gamepad to a variety of platforms. It’s a smart move as you don’t need to hunt for the manual in case you forget it.
Overall, the GameSir G4 Pro is a well-designed gamepad with practical design choices and comfort in mind. The only thing I find odd is the textured surface only being present on the front of the grips and not the rear. It’s still easy to hold, but it would be better if they extended it further behind for added grip.
Looking for a keyboard solution for PC or console gaming that is also wireless? Check out our review of the GameSir VX2 AimSwitch by clicking right here.
Specifications

Working Platform:
PC / 2.4G: PC, Android / Bluetooth: Android, iOS, Switch

Working Protocol:
PC: X-input / Android HID-Gamepad / iOS: Apple Arcade, MFi / Switch: Origin Bluetooth, Gyro Supported

Face Buttons:
Magnetic

Screenshot Button:
PC / Android / Nintendo Switch

Battery Capacity:
800mAh

Charging Method:
USB Type-C, 5V

User Experience
GameSir G4 Pro Review
The GameSir G4 Pro is a very easy gamepad to get started with. Some platforms are easier to connect than others, but it’s nowhere close to being difficult or complicated. On Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch, it’s pretty straightforward as it’s just a matter of holding the Home button and the respective face button to enter pairing mode. Once you’ve discovered the gamepad, just select it and it will connect automatically.
On the Nintendo Switch, it will be identified as a generic USB gamepad.
As for PC, you can’t connect the same way as you will need to use the hidden 2.4GHz USB wireless receiver. Simply searching and connecting via Bluetooth will not work as it will fail to connect every single time. Once you have plugged the receiver in, simply hold the Home and X buttons until it vibrates, then you’re good to go. Alternatively, connect to your PC using a USB-C cable and hold the same buttons for the same results.
GameSir G4 Pro Review – With smartphone attached
For added convenience, the GameSir G4 Pro will automatically connect to the last paired device when you power it on, so you don’t have to repeat the same process over and again. I personally wished that it would remember one device per platform via a switch toggler of sorts to take that convenience factor to another level. Also, I would have liked it if it could connect to PC via Bluetooth wirelessly without the receiver but still include it anyway for PCs that do not have Bluetooth functionality. Regardless, I’m still happy with its versatility and convenience as is.
I personally find the GameSir G4 Pro very comfortable to use. The size is comparable to a DualShock 4, so the likes of the Razer Raiju and DualSense are definitely bigger, but it’s not small by any means. It’s also surprisingly light given how it looks, which does make this gamepad feel rather hollow but it’s not really an issue. The vibration works really well regardless of which platform you use it on, as even a game like Fall Guys take good advantage of it by vibrating with the timer, among other things.
GameSir G4 Pro Review – Button layout
The GameSir G4 Pro layout follows the Xbox family of gamepads, which is why they use ABXY in the same order. The face buttons aren’t designed for quick execution as it has a notable travel distance to it, but it does have a slight tactile feedback without any excessive, clicky sound so it’s comfortable to use. The analog sticks work well with no drifting issues but I personally feel that the D-pad could be a little bigger to allow for slightly more precise controls for games that demand it, like fighting games for example.
As for the shoulders, the two shoulder buttons have significantly less travel distance but also significantly noisier. It sounds like a thicker version of a mouse click if you ask me. The shoulder triggers on the other hand are quiet, has decent travel distance to allow for more depth control, and has no feedback whatsoever. It does take a bit of getting used to but I doubt most gamers would have any issues with these.

GameSir G4 Pro Review – Battery indicator

Lastly for battery life, the GameSir G4 Pro excels in this area tremendously. To get an easier look of how the battery life is like for each platform, which I’ve used for at least five full charges, you can check it out below:

Android = 36.5 hours
Nintendo Switch = 38.3 hours
Windows PC = 39.1 hours
Average = 37.96 hours

These are amazing figures given that the GameSir G4 Pro is being powered by a measly 800mAh battery. If they ever wanted room for improvement, I would wish for it to come with bigger batteries for even longer battery life but to also give the gamepad a little more weight so it feels more satisfying to hold.
GameSir G4 Pro Verdict

The GameSir G4 Pro is a versatile gamepad that works great. It works on a variety of platforms, response time on wireless is more than acceptable, the battery life is amazing, it’s comfortable to use, vibration is a nice touch, gyro control works surprisingly well, and it’s affordable. The only complaints that I have is that it feels a little too light and hollow, the D-pad could be bigger, and that the travel distance for the face buttons could be shorter.
If you’re looking for a versatile wireless gamepad with a solid value-for-money proposition, it’s going to be hard to look elsewhere. At the end of our GameSir G4 Pro review, I award this gamepad with our coveted Gold Pokdeward.

Big thanks to GameSir for sending us this product for the purposes of this review.
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Motorola e40 And Motorola Edge 20 Pro Launches In Malaysia

Motorola has today announce the latest addition to their smartphone line with the introduction of Motorola Edge 20 Pro and Motorola e40 to Malaysia.
Motorola e40

First up is the Motorola e40, where it packs a custom built Unisoc T700 chipset and a big 5000mAh battery which you can charge with its 10W charging brick.

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Sporting a 6.5-inch IPD LCD HD+ display, it also comes with 90Hz refresh rate. In terms of cameras, there’s a triple camera setup at the back which consists of a 48MP main camera with PDAF, 2MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. For selfies, there’s a 8MP camera at the front. There’s 4GB RAM that’s mated with 64GB internal storage, which you can expand up to 1TB via through a microSD card.
Motorola Edge 20 Pro

On the other hand, there’s the Motorola Edge 20 Pro, which you can probably tell by its name is the higher end of the two device. Powered by a Snapdragon 870 chipset, the Edge 20 Pro sports a 6.7-inch OLED display which boasts a fast 144Hz refresh rate. In addition to that, the display offers 10-bit colour, achieving the DCI-P3 color space and offers HDR10+ standards.
For cameras at the back, there’s a 108MP main camera with PDAF, 8MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom plus PDAF and OIS, and finally a 16MP ultrawide camera to complete the setup. You are able to shoot 8K videos at 24fps too. In terms of selfies, there’s a 32MP front camera.
Coming with 12GB RAM, you have the option to select 128GB or 256GB storage options. Not to forget, there’s a 4500mAh battery under the hood which you can charge with its 30W fast charger.
Both devices run on OS11 which is based on Android 11, which they claim to be the most pure version of the skin.
The Motorola e40 is now available at the Lenovo store on both Shopee and Lazada at a starting price of RM599. For the Motorola Edge 20 Pro, it will be available in the country soon with an expected starting price of RM2,499.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: I’m kind of intrigued of how they perform to be honest. I’d like to see how the Edge 20 Pro fare against something like the POCO F3, seeing how some of what’s offered is similar but the price gap is quite a lot.
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Samsung A series 2017 is now dust and water-resistant — Priced at RM1699 and RM1899

Samsung Malaysia today officially launched its two-new smartphone the Samsung A5 and A7 2017 series. The new Samsung A5 and A7 smartphone sports with some new specifications and added the dust and water-resistant feature.

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The Samsung A7 2017 features a 5.7-inch with Super AMOLED display at full HD resolution. The Samsung A7 2017 is powered by octa core Exynos 7880 SoC with 3GB of RAM and 32GB internal memory. The storage is expandable up to 256GB via a mico-SD card.

For its shooter, the Samsung A7 features a 16MP camera sensor for both rear and front shooter and sports a large 3600mAh battery.

Pretty similar like the Samsung A7 2017, but the A5 will be using smaller screen at 5.2-inch and smaller battery capacity at 3000mAh. Both devices will be using reversible USB Type-C connector and will be available in Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist and Peach Cloud color options.The new Samsung A5 and Samsung A7 will be running on Android 6.0.

Specifications
Samsung A5 2017
Samsung A7 2017

Display
5.2 Super AMOLED
5.7 Super AMOLED

Processor
Exynos 7880 Octa

RAM
3GB

Storage
32GB

Front Camera
16MP

Rear Camera
16MP

Operating System
Android OS, v6.0.1

Battery
3000 mAh
3600 mAh

Price
1699
1899

Samsung A5 2017 is priced at RM 1699 while the Samsung A7 2017 will be priced at RM 1899. Both devices will be ready to be pre-order starting 6th January 2017 at 10AM. This will continue until 15th January 2017 at selected Samsung stores. During this pre-order sale, Samsung will throw in the Level U Pro wireless headset, worth RM399, for free.

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HONOR 50 Lite With 64MP Camera Arrives At RM999

If you’ve missed the news, HONOR Malaysia has previously revealed on the HONOR 50 Lite which has today landed in the country.
HONOR 50 Lite launches in Malaysia

As you may have heard, the device runs on GMS and the latest Android 11. It sports a 6.67-inch IPS LCD display that’s TUV Rheinland certified. Under the hood, there’s a 4300mAh battery which you can juice up with its 66W fast charger.

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For cameras, there’s a quad camera setup that consists of a 64MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide lens, 2MP macro shooter, and 2MP depth sensor. Selfies can be taken with the 16MP camera on the front. Not to forget, it packs 8GB RAM that’s mated with 128GB of internal storage.
It retails for the price of RM999, where you can get freebies worth up to RM350. The gift includes an HONOR Backpack and an HONOR Gift Box.
Aside from that, the company has also announced their HONOR End of Year Festival Sale which runs from now till the 30th of November at Putrajaya IOI City Mall where they are offering up to RM300,000 total worth of prizes to be won. Aside from freebies, they are also offering discounts for the HONOR MagicBook Pro and HONOR MagicBook 15.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: My question from the previous article still remains, what exactly is the SoC for the device? Unfortunately they didn’t reveal it. We will update the article accordingly when it gets known.
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MasterKeys Pro S mechanical keyboard review

I have reviewed the MasterKeys Pro L by Cooler Master, and it was a very decent keyboard. Sadly my review sample was marred by a small issue, causing me not to love it to the fullest. It was also a full length keyboard, which means it features a numpad that did not see much use. Hence, we have today’s keyboard in question, the MasterKeys Pro S, which is essentially the MasterKeys Pro L, with the numpad lobbed off. Let’s begin.
Unboxing

It is as if Cooler Master just shrunk the box of the MasterKeys Pro L. We get the same grey theme that Cooler Master is using across most of its product packaging. Cooler Master is also very proud of the RGB lighting that the MasterKeys Pro S sports. Aside from the product image which already shows a RGB spectrum across the keyboard, Cooler Master highlighted the RGB in the product description, and also did not forget to put a little label touting the 16.7 million color RGB backlighting. Oh well.

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Over on the back we have a short list of highlighted features as well as an exploded view of the MasterKeys Pro S. Once again, pretty similar to the MasterKeys Pro L.

Inside the packaging we find the keyboard which is wrapped in a reusable fabric sleeve, the microUSB cable, user manual and also a wire keycap puller. The microUSB cable features a L-shaped connector at the keyboard’s end. Not really a big issue though, as microUSB cables are plentiful in the market, including premium ones like iCable i10 Power Series microUSB cables which offer a lifetime warranty.
Appearance

The MasterKeys Pro S crams all the available space with keys, which is great for reducing the footprint. A matte plastic frame surrounding the keys is quite classic, but is seemingly becoming a rarity with more and more mechanical keyboards going for an exposed metal plate design.

Underneath the MasterKeys Pro S lies four rubber feet, with single stage flip out feet to raise the top edge for a more comfortable tilt. Notably different from the MasterKeys Pro L is the absence of cable routing channels, as the MasterKeys Pro S has its microUSB connector over on the top edge.

The MasterKeys Pro S is quite thick, but the cutout corner where the top half meshes with the lower half allows it to look more interesting than the MasterKeys Pro L.
Specifications

Body material
Plastic, with metal backplate

Keycap
Laser etched ABS keycaps

USB report rate
1000 Hz

Switch type
Cherry MX RGB Brown

Microprocessor
32bit ARM Cortex M3

Cable
1.5m, detachable, sleeved, microUSB connector

Weight
930 g

Included accessories
Quick start guide, wire keycap puller,  reusable fabric sleeve

User Experience

The first niggle I had with this keyboard was the L-shaped connector is bent towards the left of the keyboard. Depending on how you route your cables, this may or may not be ideal. I replaced it with my own microUSB cable with a straight connector, which is a lot more comfortable to route around because my system is located on my right, and routing the cables all the way from the right edge of the keyboard, all the way back to the left of the keyboard seems quite silly. Which is also why microUSB connectors should be the standard. Third party cables are so much easier to get, as compared to miniUSB cables. Or even better, USB Type-C, which would be great for L-shaped connectors to go either way.

The flip out feet here are similar to the MasterKeys Pro L’s, and they prove very stable in use.

No dedicated multimedia keys here, but you do get to use them by pressing Fn key with the hotkeys above the arrow keys. I rarely use the media keys on my keyboard, but those who rely on them might find pressing the Fn key and a hotkey together to be quite troublesome.

RGB is like the must have feature of every respectable mechanical keyboard, and the MasterKeys Pro S is sure not to miss out on it. The translucent keycaps let through the light from the large SMD RGB LEDs, while the white backplate allows the illumination to diffuse around the keys.

A driver software allows you to manage the comprehensive RGB lighting modes. Similar to the MasterKeys Pro L, the most glaring omission is the missing macro manager. For some reason, Cooler Master thinks that you should record and manage your macros on the keyboard itself, while the driver software is to be used only for managing the RGB effects.

Cherry MX RGB Brown switches are the ones in the MasterKeys Pro S I am testing. Apparently Brown switches are really popular, and they can be in shortage right now. Well for a good reason. If you have never felt a Cherry MX Brown switch, you owe it to yourself to try it. The tactile feedback that Brown switches offer is the reason why they are my favorite switches. But Cherry MX RGB switches do tend to feel slightly different from their non-RGB counterparts, so you have that to live with that too in case you are coming from a Cherry MX Brown keyboard.
Essentially, using the MasterKeys Pro S is a bliss. The TKL layout is definitely more ergonomic than full length keyboards as you get to keep your arms closer together, so there is that. The only thing I could ask for to improve the overall experience with this keyboard is PBT keycaps, but that might raise the price to beyond what most consumers are willing to pay for a pretty standard RGB keyboard. However if you are inclined to go get some PBT keycaps, do know that the MasterKeys Pro S has standard sized keys, which means that almost any third party keycaps will fit. You can easily source custom keycaps to Make It Yours.
Conclusion
If you want a keyboard that looks good without going for unnecessary gimmick and questionable design decisions, the MasterKeys Pro S is a good bet. The only complaint I have regarding this keyboard is the driver software which omits the macro manager for some reason. Aside from that, there is really nothing in the way of getting this keyboard. The SRP is RM599 but searching on Lelong.my revealed a few cheaper deals. The MasterKeys Pro S is a great keyboard with excellent build quality, extensive RGB lighting effects, and macro programming, although for the latter you will need to do it all on the keyboard itself. For that, I believe it deserves our Silver Pokdeward.

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HUAWEI may use Qualcomm’s chipsets instead of Kirin in upcoming flagships

Yes, I know the title sounds a bit silly. Isn’t Qualcomm based in the US? Well, yeah, and that might exactly be the reason why HUAWEI might start using Qualcomm’s chipsets instead of their in-house HiSilicon Kirin chips. HUAWEI is currently facing issues with TSMC, as the chipmaker may no longer be allowed to supply the Chinese company with the chips they need to power their devices with.
As HUAWEI runs out of their own in-house chipsets, they might be quite desperate to ensure that they can continue making smartphones, even if they have to use Qualcomm’s chips. According to KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst John Vinh, Qualcomm may be granted a license by the US government to sell their chipsets to HUAWEI.
He believes that the deal will come with a 5G patent license agreement between Qualcomm and HUAWEI, accelerating Qualcomm’s development in the 5G space. A deal like this could work out in favor of Qualcomm. HUAWEI is the second-largest smartphone brand globally, and if Qualcomm supplies HUAWEI’s entire lineup, it could be quite a huge boost to Qualcomm’s revenue, while also being able to take advantage of HUAWEI’s leadership in 5G networks.

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HUAWEI has previously worked with Qualcomm and used entry-level and mid-range Snapdragon chips in their smartphones and tablets, although they have gradually weaned themselves off by expanding the Kirin lineup to offer everything from flagship to entry-level chipsets.
John Vinh predicts that the HUAWEI Mate 50 and P50 series will use Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, which means that we will see them in 2021. Well, we will have to wait and see.
Source
Pokdepinion: A Qualcomm-powered HUAWEI device does sound good but that also means less competition in the market…
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Smartphone cameras to watch

Nowadays I rarely see someone carry around a compact camera. Almost everyone rely on their smartphone’s camera to capture their precious moments. Many critics will still say that you will need a DSLR for proper photography, but I think if you take photography as just a hobby, you can actually be quite satisfied with the cameras in smartphones nowadays. As a photography enthusiast myself, I tend to consider image quality as one of the main criteria before purchasing a new phone. While I am very happy with my Padfone S now, there are newer and upcoming phones that I would consider worthy of my attention and perhaps yours if you are like me. And here they are.

1. Asus Zenfone Zoom
Photo courtesy of www.asus.com
While it may not be the slimmest phone in the list here at 12mm thick, it has something many other manufacturers lack: a 3x optical zoom lens, making it the thinnest phone with 3x optical zoom. Lens assemblies with optical zoom are very bulky and we see Samsung’s laughable efforts with their Galaxy K Zoom which looks more like a camera than a smartphone. While the zoom range is smaller, Asus’s efforts to incorporate a 3X optical zoom into a 12mm thick body is already commendable. With a 13MP PixelMaster rear camera with an aperture of f/2.7 – 4.8 across the 3X zoom range, optical image stabilization, laser auto-focus, dual color Real Tone flash, the Zenfone Zoom is well equipped to be punching among the top dogs, especially in the camera department. The software features are not to be ignored either. Low-light mode was very impressive in the older Zenfone series and the Padfone S, so I am expecting an even better implementation here. There is also a mechanical shutter button with zero shutter lag for a more camera-like feel when using the Zenfone Zoom. Manual controls were also added to their latest camera software. Not forgetting the selfie-loving crowd, the front camera is also upgraded to a 5MP sensor with a wide-angle (88 degree) f/2.0 aperture lens. No information about the processor or amount of RAM in this phone but I am betting it will be similar to the Zenfone 2 which will have a Intel 64-bit quad-core powering it. The Zenfone Zoom will be equipped with a 3000mAh battery, much bigger than the 2100mAh one in the Zenfone 5 which was barely enough for a day’s use. It gets the top spot in my list due to a very interesting implementation of optical zoom.

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2. Honor 6 Plus
Photo courtesy of www.androidauthority.com
In what seems like an intentional coincidence, the newest devices from Honor are named Honor 6, and now the Honor 6 Plus. Putting aside the naming, let’s look at why it’s in this list. While HTC’s foray into a dual camera system with their aptly named Duo camera was more a miss than a hit, the team at Honor seemed to have gotten some inspiration from it, thus creating the Honor 6 Plus with a dual camera system named Eagle Eye Camera. With two 8MP sensors, the Honor 6 Plus’s aperture can be adjusted from f/0.95 all the way to f/16, allowing users to select the depth of focus after taking the shot, yet another feature HTC touted with their Duo camera. Instead of joining the megapixel race, Honor decided to take yet another page from HTC, focusing instead on larger pixels which are 1.98 microns. As a comparison, the size of a pixel on the ubiquitous 13MP Sony IMX214 sensor is 1.12 microns. The front camera is also a big 8MP. Under the hood is a Kirin 925 octa-core in big.LITTLE configuration mated to 3GB of RAM. With a big 3600mAh battery it should last at least a day out there shooting photos.

3. iPhone 6 Plus
Photo courtesy of GSMarena.com
Nope. I am not talking about the same phone twice. Earlier was the Honor 6 Plus. Okay. Let’s start off with me saying that I don’t really like iOS. It is smooth, efficient, but it really doesn’t suit me because I really like to customise stuff. But the camera on the iPhone 6 Plus is quite worthy of mention. First off, it produces nice photos without needing any meddling with the settings, perfect for spur of the moment shots. Next, I really like Apple’s post processing in their iPhone cameras. But this time the iPhone 6 Plus really makes the camera all the more impressive with better hardware in combination to its software prowess. While it may not be the highest resolution camera (8MP) or have gimmicky features like changing focal depth after taking a photo, it makes up for it with features that will actually be used daily. With Focus Pixels — Apple’s way of saying phase-detection — the iPhone 6 Plus is able to obtain focus faster than standard contrast detection autofocus. The iPhone 6 Plus also has OIS unlike the iPhone 6. It works in tandem with software to produce better images. Video capture is also improved with 1080p at 60fps or 720p at 240fps (slow-mo). I rarely record videos so this is rather useless to me. While it is impressive, the pricing puts it out of range for me, explaining the lower ranking.

4. Lenovo Vibe Shot
Photo courtesy of GSMarena.com
Next up is the Lenovo Vibe Shot, which has a 16MP Samsung sensor, f/2.2 lens and OIS, and a triple LED flash. It looks a lot like a Sony compact camera of yore and by the way Lenovo is marketing it, it is supposed to replace your compact cameras, if anyone still uses one. Beside the mechanical shutter key, it has a physical switch to allow changing modes from Smart to Pro. Smart is the usual Auto mode in every smartphone, while Pro gives you manual controls over the exposure. Powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 and 3GB RAM, it should serve as a capable smartphone besides being a good camera. Mentioned here due to a very minimalistic design.

5. Sony Z3 compact
Photo courtesy of www.sonymobile.com
The only one that is waterproof in this list, it is also the one with the highest megapixel count at 20.7 megapixels. While the camera may not be the best in low light, all the pixels make for a clearer image in bright conditions. Sony’s noise reduction isn’t the most subtle of them all and may cause smudgy images that look like waterpaintings. This smartphone is also listed mainly because of it’s compact dimensions and IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating. With a 4.6″ screen, it will fit smaller hands better than the other devices in the list. I would recommend this phone for consideration if: 1. female owner, 2. frequents water parks or 3. person in mind had a history of dropping his/her phone in water. If the Z3 compact is too small, the Z3 can also be considered. The image quality puts it lowest in my list.

Conclusion
While you may have noticed that I have left out some of the latest devices unveiled at the recent MWC 2015 such as the One (M9) and the Galaxy S6, my reasoning is that they do not seem to provide any special features in their cameras. One (M9) took a massive leap to 20MP from 4MP in the previous One (M8), and Samsung improved on the aperture of their camera. I personally think HTC overdid the upgrade with the 20MP sensor. Most of phones in the list I have also never used thus it is merely my opinion based on specs and feature lists but image quality is untested yet. So YMMV. Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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PMNC 2020 kicks off with new option for solo players to get a bite of the RM100 000 prize pool

PUBG Mobile is best played with a full four-man squad, but if you are a one-man army, your teammates might just slow you down. Respecting that some people are just better off alone, the PUBG Mobile Malaysia National Championship (PMNC) 2020 has kicked off with a RM100 000 prize pool and an enticing new format to allow solo players to shine.
You can now join PMNC 2020 as a an individual instead of joining as a team. You will play as an individual in the first stage of Solo Mode, before getting grouped up with other solo players in the second stage. Your band of solo players will then face off against other groups consisting of solo players. Of course, those who already have a team can register as a team in Squad Mode.

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PMNC 2020 will see participants split up into four zones: Erangel, Sanhok, Miramar and Vikendi. The zones are based on the states in Malaysia, and participants will carry scores to represent the state they are from. A state champion will also be crowned at the end of the tournament.
There will be a total of three stages for PMNC 2020: Zone Qualifiers, Zone Finals and Playoffs. After working their way through the stages, the top four teams from Squad Mode will face off against the top team from Solo Mode, which should make things very interesting.
The Official Partner for PMNC 2020 is Yoodo, which has been the official sponsor for two years. Yoodo hopes that their push as Official Partner for PMNC 2020 will cement their image as the telco for gamers.
Registrations has already begun, with each zone having different registration closing dates. For more info, head on over to PMNC 2020’s official website.
Pokdepinion: Anyone flying solo to PMNC 2020?
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Amazfit Will Be Launching New TWS Earbuds With Health Monitoring Capabilities

Amazfit has just announced that they will be releasing a new pair of true wireless earphones that will come with health monitoring features. Amazfit is well known in the smart wearables
industry, offering advanced products and technologies across multiple categories.
Amazfit’s new TWS earbuds with health monitoring features coming soon

Amazfit’s new TWS earbuds have sophisticated new health monitoring capability in addition to heart rate tracking. This includes the capacity to identify the user’s head’s position in relation to their cervical spine and provide feedback in the app to help improve posture and play rhythms when a lack of movement is detected for an extended period of time. The earphones also track loudness and listening patterns to ensure that users’ hearing is protected.

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The new TWS earbuds will become an indispensable all-in-one companion with immersive sound that blocks out undesirable noise and tracks health and fitness data, in addition to offering cutting-edge audio technology.
The company has yet to unveil the new TWS earbuds proper though we suspect it’ll be the Amazfit PowerBuds Pro as those have not yet been released here in Malaysia. More information on the earbud’s features is expected to be released soon. Until then, stay tuned to us here at Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: These new TWS earbuds sound pretty interesting especially with their health monitoring capabilities. Looking forward to testing them out when they eventually release.
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HP Malaysia Launches the New OMEN 15 Gaming Laptop

At a virtual launch event today, HP Malaysia has officially launched the new OMEN 15 gaming laptop. Apart from that, they also introduced a variety of gaming-focused products for the masses to enjoy.
HP OMEN 15

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The HP OMEN 15 gaming laptop is powered by up to the Intel Core i7-10750H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Max-Q. It has a 15.6-inch Full HD display with up to 300Hz refresh rate and G-SYNC support. Unsurprisingly, you have the option of having a per-key RGB keyboard with this gaming laptop.
Its new IR thermopile sensor is said to optimize thermal efficiency, allowing it to run quietly under normal operation, and then speed it up with the Dynamic Power feature when needed. With large vent openings and the Tempest Cooling technology, it’s said to have 3-sided venting and 5-way airflow to allow it to perform close to a desktop PC.

With the hybrid setting in OMEN Command Centre, it has a claimed battery life of up to 12.5 hours. For future upgrades, all you need is a Phillips-head screwdriver and unscrew the single panel access to get to the RAM and storage drives. Compared to its previous iteration, it is 8% shorter and 11% thinner.
The HP OMEN 15 gaming laptop is now available with a retail price of RM4,439. If you purchase it, you will also be getting a free e-Wallet voucher worth RM100.
HP Pavilion Gaming 15

Apart from that, you also have the new HP Pavilion Gaming 15, powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU. It has a 15.6-inch Full HD display with micro-edge bezels 144Hz refresh rate.
As for thermals, you have dual fans with wide rear corner vent and additional air inlets for airflow. This gaming laptop also comes with front-firing speakers tuned by B&O Audio for improved immersion.

The HP Pavilion Gaming 15 is now available with a retail price of RM3,989. If you purchase it, you will also be getting a free e-Wallet voucher worth RM100.
Other HP Gaming Products

Apart from the two gaming laptops, there’s also the 27-inch OMEN 27i Gaming Monitor with 165Hz fresh rate and 1ms response time. It uses Nano IPS panel technology with QHD resolution which is said to deliver 98% DCI-P3 colour. It will be retailing for RM1,799.

Then you have the OMEN by HP Citadel Gaming Chair, which features extra thick cushions, pillows for lumbar and neck support, spacious seats, and a high back for better posture. The seat height can be adjusted with a tilt that locks in place. It is said to have an aluminum base which supports up to 300lbs / 136kg in weight. It will be retailing for RM1,399.

Next, we have the OMEN Vector Mouse, which is said to feature the “Esports grade” OMEN Radar 3 sensor with 16,000 DPI, 400 IPS, acceleration, and self-calibration. It uses Omron switches with a 50 million click lifespan and braided cables. It will be retailing for RM189.

Lastly, we have the 7.1 OMEN Blast Headset. It is said to offer 360° spatial awareness with 7.1 surround sound and has an audio equalizer where you can create custom audio profiles for each game via the OMEN Command Center. It also has a suspension headband and soft padding. It will be retailing for RM319.
If you’re interested to get any of these products, click right here.
Pokdepinion: I’m curious to try out both of those gaming laptops, especially the OMEN 15. Hopefully, I’ll get my hands on them soon.
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Get RM40 GrabFood Vouchers with ASUS Say It Review Campaign!

If you have purchased any ASUS or ROG PC this year, well, you won’t want to miss out on this. From now until 31st September, all you need to do is to leave a constructive review of your device and you will receive a GrabFood Gift Card worth RM40. Sounds cool right?
Well, all you need to do to join the ASUS Say It Review Campaign is as follows:

Buy any ASUS PC from authorized online/offline stores
Rate the product and leave a constructive review
Submit your entry with all the necessary information here
Wait for your GrabFood vouchers from ASUS!

The GrabFood vouchers will be sent only after the entry and information provided are verified. You will get the details sent to your email.

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Oh and if you bought your laptop before this campaign period, fret not, because ASUS is giving everyone who purchased an ASUS or ROG PC from 1st January 2020 until now the opportunity to get RM40 worth of GrabFood vouchers. This includes any PC within ASUS and ROG’s lineup, including their consumer, gaming, business laptop, desktop or All-in-One PCs.
This is actually the second time ASUS has launched their Say It Review Campaign, so make sure not to miss out this time around! As usual, the vouchers are only available while stocks last. So go ahead and complete the steps to get yours quick! Check out this link for more info: https://bit.ly/ASUS-SayIt
Pokdepinion: Well we won’t ever say no to free food…
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The HUAWEI P40 may launch with GMS

While the US government has been giving out licenses to US companies to work with HUAWEI, Google has yet to receive one. The latest update is that they have just applied for an exemption too, which would enable HUAWEI to use Google Mobile Services (GMS) again, and hopefully in time before the HUAWEI P40 launches.

HUAWEI has been on the US’ entity list since mid-2019, losing the ability to trade with US companies. Recently, Microsoft have received the license to resume trading with HUAWEI. Both Intel and AMD must have gotten their license to trade with HUAWEI too, as the Chinese giant has been able to offer the latest processors in their HUAWEI MateBook lineup.

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If Google is granted an exemption and is able to start offering their services to HUAWEI again, HUAWEI has promised to be able to update their devices with GMS overnight. We might be able to see whether HUAWEI can live up to their promise, if the US government allows for it.

HUAWEI’s recent devices like the Mate 30 Pro have launched with HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS) in place of GMS, but while the new framework is rapidly growing, it’s still some ways away from being to able to fully stand in for Google’s matured offerings.
Some users have resorted to sideloading GMS on their own HUAWEI devices, but Google has recently spoken out against that as they believe it will be a security risk. That might also be why Google is applying for the license now; to make sure HUAWEI users get to use GMS officially.

If everything goes well, Google should be able to get their license within the coming weeks, just in time for the HUAWEI P40‘s 26th March launch date.
Do you think the US government will grant Google the license to resume trade with HUAWEI? Leave your comments below!

Pokdepinion: I sure hope Google gets the license! The story now looks like HUAWEI wants Google and Google wants HUAWEI, but the US government is the evil stepmother standing in their way. 😂
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The Rugged Acer Enduro Series Finally Arrives in Malaysia

Apart from the new laptop offerings, Acer Malaysia has also finally launched their rugged line of products, the Acer Enduro series, in the country. If you need something that’s rough and tough, this would be the one to go for.
Acer Enduro N3

Designed with a balance of durability and portability, the Acer Enduro N3 laptop meets the MIL-STD 810G and IP53 standards, allowing it to withstand the harshest of environments with ease. It’s said to be the thinnest and lightest 14-inch rugged laptop, with a thickness of 24.85mm and weighing in at just 1.985kg.

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This laptop has reinforced corners, Corning Gorilla Glass display, and a unique water-resistant Aquafan which repels water. Furthermore, the keyboard and I/O ports have drainage holes with seals so the laptop can remain dry and work like normal even when exposed to water.
It is said to have a battery life of up to 13 hours, making it ideal for professionals who need to work off-site often or for long hours without access to power points. For added security, it has the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 to protect your data.
The Acer Enduro N3 laptop can be pre-ordered now on the Acer official website with retail prices starting from RM4,699. You have the choice of either the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 with 8GB RAM and 256GB NVMe PCIe SSD variant or the 10th Gen Intel Core i5 with 8GB RAM and 256GB NVMe PCIe SSD variant.
Acer Enduro T1

Next up, we have the Acer Enduro T1 tablet, which meets the MIL-STD 810G and IP54 standards. You can choose from either the Intel Celeron or MediaTek MT8385 option, which will also come with 64GB eMMC storage. It weighs a mere 500g and is said to withstand drops from over 1.2 meters. Apart from that, it’s also resistant against water and dust, so it can withstand quite a bit of damage that normal laptops would normally suffer from.
It is said to have a battery life of up to 10 hours, comes with reflection-free Corning Gorilla Glass display, and is operable even if the user is wearing gloves. This way, you can stay protected and don’t have to go through the hassle of removing protective gear to use it.
The Acer Enduro T1 tablet is now available for pre-order via the Acer official website with a retail price of RM1,599. You also have optional accessories and programmable keys that can be customized to suit your working environment.
Pokdepinion: I guess this would be a drop test I can do without worries. Would also make for a great, yet functional prop to hit someone with.
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Voice Actress for Tifa Lockhart in FF7 Remake Received Death Threats

With many gamers excited for Final Fantasy VII Remake, it appears that some people have a more sinister plan in mind. The voice actress for Tifa Lockhart, Ayumi Ito, has received multiple death threats this past summer.
The death threats are said to be from an unnamed man and woman. However, both individuals are said to have no relations with each other. In June 2019, the woman sent an email to Ayumi Ito’s agency which mentions the following:
I hate her so much I want to kill her. I’m going to stab her in the back of her hand with all my might.Death threat email
The death threat allegedly stemmed from the voice actress’ attendance at a preview showing of a drama show leading to her absence at the event. Soon after, the man sent a message to an undisclosed game company threatening Ayumi Ito’s life if her part was not recast.

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While nothing has been confirmed, another Japanese site called Sanspo says that the company helps with the production and sales of Final Fantasy. Ayumi Ito has filed charges against both individuals. As of now, there is no clear explanation as to why the culprits are targeting the voice actress.
Ayumi Ito is known for voicing Tifa Lockhart several times, including Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Kingdom Hearts II, and the Final Fantasy Dissidia series.
Final Fantasy VII Remake will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on 3rd March 2020.
Source: Kotaku
Pokdepinion: I think being unhappy or displeased about a voice actor / actress is fine. Death threats however is a big no-no regardless of who it’s being sent to.
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Get RM100 Rebate On vivo Smartphones With Standard Chartered Mastercard 0% Instalment Plan

vivo has teamed up with Standard Chartered Bank and Pine Lab to offer a special promotion to its customers in which they can receive an instant rebate of up to RM100 when they purchase vivo smartphones with a 0% Instalment Payment Plan.
RM100 instant rebate on vivo smartphones with Standard Chartered Mastercard 0% Instalment Plan

For a limited time, the first 100 customers who spend a minimum of RM1,500 during the promotion period will receive an RM100 instant rebate. Furthermore, Standard Chartered Mastercard users can convert their in-store vivo smartphone purchases into a 12-month or longer instalment plan at no cost.

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The promotion is valid from 14th March to 13th June at participating vivo locations below:
Kuala Lumpur

vivo Aeon Big Kepong
vivo Wangsa Walk Mall
vivo Setapak Central Mall
vivo KL East Mall
vivo Pavillion

Selangor

vivo 1Utama
vivo Plaza Alam Sentral
vivo Rawang Walk
vivo Central I-City
vivo IOI Mall Puchong
vivo IOI City Mall Putrajaya
vivo Taman Puchong Prima
vivo Setia City Mall
vivo IOI Mall Puchong
vivo IOI City Mall Putrajaya

Penang

vivo Sunway Carnival Mall
vivo Queensbay Mall

Kedah

vivo Aman Central
vivo Kulim Landmark Central

Pahang

vivo Kuantan Parade

Perak

vivo Billion Mall
vivo AEON Mall
vivo Tesco Mall
vivo Taiping Sentral Mall

Johor

vivo KSL
vivo Paradigm Mall Johor

Sarawak

vivo Vivacity
vivo Emart Batu Kawa
vivo The Spring

For more information on this promotion, head over to vivo Malaysia’s official Facebook page here.
Pokdepinion: If you’re with Standard Chartered, maybe this is something to look into especially if you’re on the hunt for a new phone.
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ROG Gladius III Wireless And ROG Claymore II Now Available In Malaysia

The folks at ROG Malaysia has recently announced the availability of the ROG Claymore II gaming keyboard as well as ROG Gladius III gaming mouse series which was introduced at this year’s CES 2021.
ROG Claymore II & ROG Gladius III Series now available in Malaysia

First up is the ROG Gladius III and ROG Gladius III Wireless. As you can tell by the name, you have the option to go for either a wired or wireless option for the mouse.

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The ROG Gladius III Wireless features tri-mode connectivity through 2.4GHz RF, Bluetooth LE, or wired USB, giving you the flexibility to select the mode that suits you best.  There’s a Pair button that allows you to easily switch between the modes.
It boasts a range of 100 to 26,000 dpi which comes with 1% deviation, allowing it to track at up to 400 inches per second at 50g acceleration. The Gladius III also provides 1000Hz polling rate in both 2.4GHz wireless and wired modes too.
Adding to that, it comes with mechanical switches and you can save up to five profile settings on its onboard memory. Its Push-Fit Socket II design allows you to hot-swap traditional 3-pin mechanicals switches and the latest 5-pin Omron optical micro switches.
Not to forget, it comes with RGB-illuminated laser-engraved ROG markings on the side and features ROG Paracord and 100% PTFE round-edged mouse feet for a smoother glide.

With the ROG Claymore II, it can be used as a standalone 80% TKL keyboard or a full sized keyboard with the numpad on the right or left (swappable). The keyboard adopts a new slot-in design to give the detachable numpad a more secure and robust connection to the keyboard.
For convenience, it comes with customizable keys, a volume control wheel, and a detachable wrist rest for more comfort.
You can get the ROG Claymore II in ROG RX Blue or RX Red optical mechanical switches, as seen with the previous ROG Strix Scope RX gaming keyboard. The keyboard comes with per-key lighting with Aura Sync support and they have a lifespan of 100 million keypress.
Summing it all up, the Claymore II offers a 1ms response time in both wired and wireless 2.4GHz RF modes, bundled together with a USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB Type-A adapter.
If you are interested in getting them, the ROG Claymore II Wireless gaming keyboard is priced at RM999, RM439 for the ROG Gladius III Wireless and RM299 for the standard ROG Gladius III.
They will be hosting a special pre-order for the ROG Claymore II and ROG Gladius III Wireless where you can get them bundled together for the price of RM1,299 (SRP RM1,438) starting from this 22nd of May till 29th of May 2021. On top of that, early birds for the pre-order stand a chance to get an ROG Scabbard II that’s worth RM199 as a free gift.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: We will be reviewing both peripherals so you can definitely wait for that to find out if they’re worth purchasing or not!
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Cooler Master Cryofuze Violet Review – More Than What Specs Say

Cooler Master has sent us their latest creation in the thermal paste department, in this case the Cryofuze Violet. It’s among the most heat-conductive thermal paste so far (on paper), so let’s see if it can truly handle the heat.
Unboxing

Most Cooler Master thermal pastes comes with a plastic packaging with the thermal paste itself visible right at the front, but for this Cryofuze they went with a box packaging instead. While not explicitly mentioning the company’s 30th anniversary, the packaging does fit the new design language at least.

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Opening the box you get three things: the Cryofuze Violet itself, scraper to flatten the paste for full die coverage, then the alcohol-based grease cleaner. The tube itself has a sealed plastic wrap that needs knife to cut it open, but I’d like to see if they can do away with the plastic wrap – saves the material and the planet too.

Cooler Master has transitioned some of its products (such as MasterGel) to the flat tube shape which can double up as a scraper in itself, however that shape to me is a bit more difficult to determine the amount of paste needed to apply on the die (though I can see CM may save some material by integrating the scraper into the tube itself). I’d still prefer traditional cylindrical-shaped syringes and have a separate scraper if I need to flatten the paste for proper die coverage, like in this case.

As it says in the name, it’s purple (or violet, I guess). Since the LGA1700 socket is in a rectangular shape, I opted to apply the Cryofuze Violet in a straight line which gives it enough coverage over the die surface. The CPU in question is the Intel Core i9-13900K, a 253W monster capable of pushing most high-end coolers, and anything in between, to their limits.
Specifications

Thermal Paste
Cooler Master Cryofuze Violet
Cooler Master MasterGel Maker

Color
Purple
Gray

Thermal Conductivity
12.6 W/mK
11 W/mK

Specific Gravity
3.0g/cm³ (25°C)
2.6g/cm³ (25°C)

Volume / Weight
0.7ml (2g)
1.5ml

Test System

CPU
Intel Core i9-13900K

Cooling
ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360 AIO
Cooler Master Cryofuze Violet

Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 HERO

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Founders Edition

Memory
Kingston FURY RENEGADE RGB DDR5-6400 CL32 (2x16GB)

Storage
Samsung SSD 980 PRO 256GB (Boot)
Kingston NV1 1TB

Power Supply
Cooler Master MWE Gold 1250 V2 Full Modular 1250W

Case
VECTOR Bench Case (Open-air chassis)

Operating System
Windows 11 Pro 22H2

Thermals
Temperature on CPU package (lower is better) – data from HWiNFO64
With both thermal paste applied (on two separate runs, of course), we put them on a 10-minute Cinebench R23 run which cranks the Intel Core i9 to its full 253 watts of power. Despite the better specs from Cryofuze on paper (better heat conductivity) – the MasterGel Maker has in fact edged out the Cryofuze by a miniscule 1°C on average, with its slightly “worse” specs.
A lot of things can go into affecting a thermal paste’s performance, including viscosity, density and more, some of which manufacturer never publicize the data with – all of which can affect thermal paste’s performance on a case-by-case basis. Still, despite that, the Cryofuze can still manage the hottest CPU in town just fine. There are still redeeming qualities for this purple paste, which we’ll talk about shortly.
Conclusion
Cooler Master’s Cryofuze Violet is an interesting looking product, to say the least. Oddly, despite its better specs on paper – the venerable MasterGel Maker still gets a better overall performance, at least with our Core i9-13900K here. Though given the temperature difference are very small between the two, I’d call it a tie for the most part.

So, what’s the killer feature you might ask? The price. The Cryofuze Violet officially is priced at RM29.00 (you may find listings on the lower end of RM20 at times) – not the cheapest, but for its performance it’s fairly respectable in value. On the other hand, the MasterGel is priced at RM39.00 (surprisingly) so you’re actually getting a better value out of the Cryofuze Violet instead. That being said, the MasterGel offers more volume for the price: however if volume is not part of your concern, perhaps the Cryofuze Violet may be the better option, value-wise.

Special thanks to Cooler Master Malaysia for providing us Cryofuze Violet for the purpose of this review.
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Microsoft Partnering with Seagate to Offer Unique Xbox Series X Expandable SSD Storage

The memory cards/add-on NVMe drivers are pretty cool. This is what you’ll use with that rear slot to expand storage. pic.twitter.com/OmiIsIVh6F
— John Linneman (@dark1x) March 16, 2020

As games continue to grow in complexity, so will its storage requirements be. Games used to take up 1GB or less and now, 100GB seems to become more common. Microsoft is looking to tackle storage space issues with the Xbox Series X expandable SSD storage.
According to details from a data dump on the next-gen console, there is an unmarked slot in the rear. This is said to be a memory card slot of sorts for you to gain extra storage on the console. The Xbox Series X expandable SSD storage cards will be known as “Xbox Series X Storage Expansion cards”, and it is developed in partnership with Seagate.

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It’s no secret that the both the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will be ditching HDDs as storage devices in favour of the speedy SSD. They are much faster but it’s also much pricier than your standard HDD. This expansion card will instantly add 1TB of storage space for the console.
How Does the Xbox Series X Expandable SSD Storage Perform?
The expansion card is said to perform similarly to the internal storage, and will come with more storage sizes in the future. At the moment, we are only aware of a 1TB model but we expect more to be unveiled in the future. At the moment, no pricing information is available just yet but if price is a concern, you still have the option of plugging in an external HDD to the console via USB.
Microsoft Xbox Series X is currently set to launch sometime in Holiday 2020. If you missed out on the in-depth specification reveal, click right here.
What do you think of the approach to solve potential storage upgrades? Join the discussion right below here:

Source
Pokdepinion: It’s like a memory card and I really like the idea. It’s like we’re going back to the old days, but with much better functionality.
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Razer Launches New Razer Kiyo X Webcam And Razer Ripsaw X Capture Card

Razer boosts its streaming line with the Razer Kiyo X and Razer Ripsaw X starter webcams and capture cards, designed for up-and-coming streamers who want to give high-fidelity video streaming.

The Razer Kiyo X USB webcam offers either Full HD clarity or ultra-smooth 60FPS streaming at 1080p 30FPS or 720p 60FPS. Streamers may modify video settings on the fly using Razer Synapse’s fully programmable settings while remaining sharp with built-in Auto Focus. The Razer Kiyo X includes the free Razer Virtual Ring Light programme, which is a customised lighting app that uses the PC monitor as a source of illumination for ideal lighting during video calls and streaming.

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The Razer Ripsaw X dedicated capture card provides excellent video quality up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. It delivers a near-zero latency connection with maximum detail for content from any suitable source device, including DSLRs and other hand-held cameras with HDMI output, by utilising both HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.0. The Ripsaw X is a plug-and-play capture card solution that works with popular streaming programmes without requiring you to install hardware directly into your PC tower.
Razer Kiyo X and Razer Ripsaw X price and availability
The Razer Kiyo X webcam will retail for RM429 while the Razer Ripsaw X capture card will retail for RM629. Both of these new Razer products are available to purchase now and can be gotten at authorised retailers and the Razer website.
Pokdepinion: The Kiyo X webcam looks pretty good and the price is somewhat decent. Might get that for me to be honest.
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One of the sleeper hits of the last generation will be back and better than ever before as Square Enix’s tactical RPG The Last Remnant Remastered is coming.
The Last Remnant Remastered Announced by Square Enix

Not too long ago, we learned that Square Enix would be removing The Last Remnant from Steam. It seemed like a rather odd move given how popular the game was. Now we know why as The Last Remnant Remastered has been announced. It will be released in Japan on 6th December 2018.
The Last Remnant Remastered will be a digital-only title on the PS4. It’ll also drop Unreal Engine 3 in favour of a more modern game engine. Since its launch back in 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PC, you don’t hear too many, if any, Square Enix fans talking about The Last Remnant.

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When it launched nearly 10 years ago, the game received mixed reviews. As of right now we do not know whether or not the remaster will be localized.
We’ll hopefully hear more about the remastered version of the game once Tokyo Game Show begins later this month on 20th September 2018. You can check out the reveal trailer at the top of this post but you can also see more at the game’s website.
Once again, The Last Remnant Remastered will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on 6th December 2018 in Japan. No word yet on an English release.
Pokdepinion: Personally, I enjoyed playing the game on my old Xbox 360 but I can understand why people couldn’t get into it. It’s still a JRPG and feels like it but the combat mechanics are somewhat unique, and it has a bit of a slow start.
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AMD Ryzen Stuttering Has Bugfix Available Now

AMD AM4 Motherboards Received Microcode Update

AMD’s new AGESA 1207 microcode has worked its way onto the large majority of AM4 motherboards, both old and new. This update fixes the renowned fTPM stuttering bug and enables full Ryzen 5000 series CPU compatibility to all previous generation AM4 motherboards, including the 300 and 400 series.
The microcode bug AGESA 1207 fixes first came to be when  AMD revealed in March that it has discovered a serious stuttering issue on Ryzen computers that was primarily due to the Trusted Platform Module. The problem would cause Ryzen computers to stutter or freeze for a short period of time. The situation is aggravated by the fact that TPM support is necessary for Windows 11.

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On another note, the early USB difficulties that affected Ryzen systems have been resolved following the release of the AGESA 1.2.0.2 microcode patch earlier this year. If your board did not come with a 1.2.0.2 patch or others like 1.2.0.5 and 1.2.0.6b, AGESA 1.2.0.7 does.
So be sure to update your BIOS to the latest AMD microcode, even if you do not intend to upgrade to a Ryzen 5000 CPU as it may be worth the effort to eliminate these long-term difficulties.
Precautions When Updating To BETA BIOS Revisions AGESA 1.2.0.7 Packing
There are some extra considerations to take if you plan on upgrading to AGESA 1.2.0.7 on an older 300 series or 400 series motherboard.
Many of the older motherboards receiving the latest AGESA version are acquiring it in the form of beta BIOS updates. However, unlike official BIOS revisions, these beta BIOS are only partially tested. This results in extra issues when installing a beta BIOS.
Below is an overview of the present state of AGESA 1207 and how motherboard manufacturers are dealing with it.
ASROCK
ASRock is currently the most uncertain motherboard manufacturer in terms of new AGESA 1207 updates. Boards that you would never expect to get official BIOS updates to have it, while boards that you would expect to have it officially either don’t or have it in a beta BIOS.
However, most of ASRock’s motherboards, from the entry-level A320M to the top-of-the-line X570S, include AGESA 1207, whether in beta or non-beta version.
The B350 follows a similar pattern, but there is more variation in terms of beta and official BIOS upgrades depending on the model. Only one B350 model is completely lacking 1207.
The B350 follows a similar trend, but there is more variance based on the model in terms of beta and official BIOS upgrades. Only one B350 model, 1207 is completely absent.
Unfortunately, B450 support is limited at the moment. Only a few motherboards are currently receiving AGESA 1207 in beta BIOS format. It is worse with the X470, as no ASRock models are currently receiving AGESA 1207.
In comparison to A320 boards, A520 boards currently offer less support for 1207. With 1207 only being available in beta bios format for little more than half of ASRock’s models. Except for one model, all B550 motherboards feature the 1207 upgrade in beta form only.
Most X570 boards support AGESA 1207, but only in beta BIOS format, as with the B550, and some do not support it at all. The Riptide, ASRock’s sole X570S motherboard, does, however, include AGESA 1207.
Asus
Asus has made it quite simple to see which 500 series boards have already received the new AGESA 1207 version, with comprehensive motherboard support detailed here on Reddit.
Most of the A320 and B350 dos support AGESA 1207 version. However, all of the flagship ROG boards lack AGESA 1207 compatibility, with some offering merely a beta bios upgrade to the previous 1.2.0.6b microcode version. Meanwhile, the mid-range and entry-level X370 boards all receive certified 1207 bios updates.
B450 support is sufficient but not exceptional, with only half of Asus’ B450 lineup sporting the 1207 bios update. The X470 boards exhibit the same weird behavior as the X370 boards, with all lower-end and mid-range variants receiving the 1207 update but not the flagship ROG model.
MSI, Gigabyte, Biostar, and EVGA
MSI is one of the strongest manufacturers of AGESA 1207, with practically all of its motherboards supporting the new microcode in either official or beta bios forms such as the A320, B350, 400 series, and the 500 series.
All Gigabyte motherboards in the 300, 400, and 500 series have received the upgrade as official BIOS updates, with no beta BIOS variations available. Only the A520 board is missing the update.
Biostar 300, 400, and 500 series AM4 motherboards are receiving the AGESA 1207 update officially. The only disadvantage of Biostar is it lacks B350 support, with only half of its models supporting the recent 1207 upgrade.
EVGA currently only offers two AM4 motherboards, the X570 Dark and the FTW, however, both support AGESA 1207.
Source
Pokdepinion: To those who own the listed AMD motherboards, be sure to check before updating it and double-check before patching it!
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Samsung’s new 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor is 33% bigger than their 48MP sensor!

We thought the megapixel race was over as smartphone manufacturers adopted sensors with larger pixels like the Sony IMX 363. It seems that sensor makers has found a way to add more pixels without compromising the low-light performance of their cameras though. To that end, Samsung has released two new sensors, the 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1 and an updated 48MP ISOCELL Bright GM2.
64 million pixels… all for a 16MP photo.
Samsung didn’t reduce the pixel pitch of the 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor, with it sharing the same 0.8μm pixel size of the 48MP ISOCELL Bright GM1 and GM2 sensors. What this means is that you will have a 33% physically larger sensor, which might make it harder to cram into compact devices. On the plus side however, you will be getting an equivalent pixel size 1.6μm when you make use of the increasingly common pixel merging technologies. The resulting image will sport a resolution of 16MP, 33% higher than what the 48MP Sony IMX586 and Samsung GM1 deliver by default.
An upgraded version of the ISOCELL Bright GM1 with Super PD and DCG
Aside from offering a higher resolution without sacrificing on pixel size, the Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 also offers Dual Conversion Gain (DCG) which helps it perform better in good lighting as well as Super PD, a new high performance phase detection autofocus. These technologies are shared with the revamped Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM2 sensor, which is an updated version of the Samsung ISOCELL Bright GM1 sensor. Considering how the latter is often considered inferior to Sony’s 48MP IMX586 sensor, hopefully these upgrades will help the Samsung sensor gain its footing.

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The new sensors are expected to be in mass production in Q4 2019, so you probably won’t get to see it in the Samsung Galaxy Note10, but perhaps the Samsung Galaxy S11 will sport the new 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1.
Pokdepinion: 100MP really isn’t that far away now, is it?
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Microsoft Store vastly expands library, even lists Epic Games and Amazon Appstore!

How many of you have never opened the Microsoft Store app on your Windows 10 PC? I wouldn’t blame you, since there aren’t that many software to download from there anyway. That should be changing in a big way with Windows 11, with Microsoft adding even third-party storefront apps like Epic Games and Amazon Appstore to the Microsoft Store.

Windows 11 users can soon download the Epic Games launcher and Amazon Appstore, just like any other app. While the former might not be all that exciting, the Amazon Appstore will be Windows 11’s main source of Android apps. The blog post also goes on to mention that they look forward to welcoming other stores, so we might see more game launchers make their way onto the Microsoft Store.

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Aside from Epic Games, gamers can also look forward to more apps like Discord on the Microsoft Store, among other things. Microsoft is really expanding their app library, with apps like Zoom Cloud Meetings, VLC, Kakaotalk and even productivity apps such as TeamViewer and LibreOffice making their way onto the Microsoft Store. LibreOffice is definitely a cool addition, considering that it pretty much directly competes against Microsoft Office.

While previously there were reports of Microsoft limiting third-party browsers on Windows 11, it seems that they will still keep a rather open outlook on the matter. Opera Browser and Yandex Browser will be available via the Microsoft Edge for users who need it. We aren’t sure if Chrome will make it though.
In any case, it seems like Microsoft will try much harder this time to make Microsoft Store the go-to app download platform. They are also very keen to take a jab at Apple, with them mentioning that app developers no longer need to share their revenue with Microsoft when apps are using their own in-app payment systems.
Pokdepinion: I definitely hope the Microsoft Store can vet their apps properly, and be a trusted source of apps for those who are particularly worried about getting their apps from other sources on the internet!
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Next Gen Console Games Expected To Have Price Increase

Recently, 2K Games revealed that NBA 2K21 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be priced at USD $69.99, an increase of USD $10 from the usual retail price for games. It looks like more game publishers are considering a price increase of next gen console games as well.
Price Increase for Next Gen Console Games

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According to an interview by GamesIndustry.biz, research firm IDG mentioned that are publishers aside from 2K Games are considering a price increase for next gen console games. The increment will also be similar, to USD $69.99 over current gen’s retail price for games.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a similar price hike as around 2005 when the game industry was moving towards the PS3 and Xbox 360, the retail price for games jumped from USD $49.99 to USD $59.99. This was said to be caused by the increase of costs and prices in other “affiliated verticals”.
According to IDG CEO Yoshio Osaki, the cost of producing next gen console games have increased between 200% to 300%. It would make sense for companies to raise the prices for better sustainability, but consumers will obviously not be happy with it. However, the price cannot retain as cost of development continues to increase. As such, major publishers believe there needs to be a price increase for next gen console games.

IDG President and CEO Yoshio Osaki said:
Even with the increase to $69.99 for next-gen, that price increase from 2005 to 2020 next-gen is only up 17%, far lower than the other comparisons. While the cost of development and publishing have gone up, and pricing in other entertainment verticals has also gone up substantially, next-gen software pricing has not reflected these increases. $59.99 to $69.99 does not even cover these other cost increases completely, but does move it more in the proper direction.
Keep in mind that this will not necessarily affect every single game coming out for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. This will most likely be for AAA games or similar blockbuster titles. There will still be a good amount of games on both platforms that are relatively more affordable. Just keep this in mind in case you need to be more budget-conscious moving forward.
Source
Pokdepinion: Even I’m starting to think twice with the expected price increase. If the console itself is expensive, it’s still just a one-off payment but if games are expensive, my expenditure will really start to rack up.
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Edifier Announces Edifier GM5 Dual-mode TWS and Edifier R1280DBs Bookshelf Speaker

Edifier has just two new products today; the Edifier GM5 dual-mode TWS earbuds and Edifier R1280DBs bookshelf speaker. The Edifier GM5 is a wireless gaming earbuds that comes with Qualcomm aptX Adaptive, while the Edifier R1280DBs is an updated version from Edifier’s bookshelf speaker line with better acoustic performance and better wireless connection.
Edifier GM5 Dual-mode TWS
The Edifier GM5 features Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive audio codec that is capable of Dynamic low latency as low as 40ms, yet still capable of High Definition quality audio. The Edifier GM5 inherits the unique dual-mode feature found on the Edifier GM4 which can be used to swap between Music and Gaming mode easily.

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Furthermore, the Edifier GM5 sports a large 12mm composite diaphragm which is often found in high end speakers for great audio bass quality. Powering the earbuds is a 500mAh battery that can deliver up to 8 hours of continuous playback while the case can hold up to 32 hours of charge. The earbuds are also equipped with Dual Mic environmental noise cancellation for each earbud crystal clear call quality.
The Edifier GM5 is available now at the price of RM259 on Lazada and other major stores.
Edifier R1280DBs Bookshelf Speaker

The Edifier R1280DBs is the newest addition to Edifier’s mainstream bookshelf speaker line up. It features an MDF woof enclosure which is a staple signature of the R1280 series. Each speaker unit of R1280DBs has well-balanced 4-inch speaker drivers dedicated for bass, maximising bass frequency. The speakers also feature front-facing bass reflex ports to complement the bass driver, directing the punch to the listener and deepen the bass frequency even further.
Moreover, the Edifier R1280DBs used studio-grade silk dome tweeters, capable of creating a wide range of high audio frequency with much lower distortion compared to common tweeters. They also come with a sub-out output which can be used to connect to a dedicated subwoofer.

The Edifier R1280DBs also sports side-panel control for precision tuning and wireless remote included for maximum convenience. Furthermore, with dual RCA inputs, Bluetooth 5.0, Optical, and Coaxial input available, the Edifier R1280DBs bookshelf speakers can be connected to a wide range of devices ranging from TVs, PC, smartphones, to home audio systems.
The Edifier R1280DBs is available now at the price of RM399 on Lazada and other retails partners.
Pokdepinion: The Edifier GM5 looks pretty good and reasonably priced although I am a bit disappointed that they are not using the in-ear design the GM4 had.
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honor 9 Lite Fansgiving Special – Get It At A Lower Price This 25th April!

honor Malaysia will be hosting another promotion, this time around it is their fansgiving promotion for their honor 9 Lite smartphone which is bound to commence on April 25th 2018.
honor 9 Lite Fansgiving
This one-day offer will be made available on the 25th of April on both vmall and also the official honor store on Shopee’s platform. The phone is the brand’s first-quad camera device that came out in Malaysia early of last month. During the special period, you can get it at a cheaper price of RM699 due to honor fans who voted on a poll conducted on honor Malaysia’s social media page.
Made for selfie lovers, it features a 5.65-inch FullView HD display. As mentioned earlier, it features a quad-camera setup, sporting dual 13MP+2MP camera (front and back). Coming in with 4GB of RAM, it is paired with 64GB internal memory (expandable up to 256GB). It uses a Kirn 659 chipset and runs on EMUI 8.0 (based on Android 8.0 Oreo).

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honor 9 Lite Specification

CPU/Chipset:
Kirin 659 (4×2.36 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)

GPU:
Mali-T830 MP2

RAM:
4GB

Display:
5.65″,IPS LCD (2160 x 1080) 18:9 ratio display

Storage:
64GB (expandable with microSD up to 256GB)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
Dual: 13 MP + 2 MP
Predictive phase detection, HDR, Panorama, LED flash
Front Camera
Dual: 13 MP + 2 MP

OS:
EMUI 8.0 (based on Android 8.0 Oreo)

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.2

SIM:
hybrid dual SIM

Battery:
Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh

You can get it on Shopee from 12am to 9am or even at honor’s vmall platform from 9am to 6pm during the promotion day itself.
Pokdepinion: While it’s always good and nice to see sales and promotions going on, but this seems like a repetitive act from honor. We’ve reported previously when they had the same price tag during their anniversary sale. If it’s going on like this, they might as well slash the price permanently. Going from RM749 to RM699 isn’t that much of a big difference.
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New iPhone Feature Not Working As Advertised

Now we all are aware that the new iPhones had issues, infamously with the charging issue, but if you think the problem stops there, well think again. It seems that Apple’s new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR can’t deliver 4G or 3G and instead gives a measly 2G data speeds.
New iPhones Dual SIM Problem

This case took place in the United States, where telco company Verizon has confirmed that in some cases the new dual-SIM feature that they’ve advertised in their new lineup of iPhones fails to deliver 4G or let alone 3G speeds and left users with 2G.

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The company added that any users that inserts a Verizon SIM card then adds a primary number through the new SIM slot, they will experience themselves to the carrier’s old 2G CDMA network services.
As a result, Verizon is suspending this service as they’ve said “It is affecting our own customers’ iPhones with dual SIM capabilities as well as iPhones on competitors networks.”.
Verizon has confirmed that they are in discussions with Apple on how to solve the issue and the carrier is hopeful that a solution can be found before the year ends.
Source: Forbes
Pokdepinion: Okay some might point out that it’s the telco’s fault… but dual SIM has been around for so long, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Android devices having the same issue. Hmm, I wonder if any users of the new iPhones have the same issue here in Malaysia.
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PS4 Pro Monster Hunter: World Rathalos Edition Is Coming To Malaysia!

For the fans

You may remember a couple of months ago that Sony, in collaboration with Capcom will be releasing a special Monster Hunter version of the PS4 Pro, to the delight of gamers everywhere. However, when it was announced that it would be a Japan exclusive many fans had their hopes dashed a smidge. Well here’s some good news Monster Hunter fans! Sony Interactive Entertainment Hong Kong Limited Singapore Branch (SIES) announced today that the PlayStation 4 Pro Monster Hunter: World Rathalos Edition will be releasing in Malaysia this coming January! (Cue fan screams)

The PS4 Pro Monster Hunter: World Rathalos Edition is a CUH-7100 series and will have a 1TB hard disk space. The console will also be available in limited quantities (so get them while you can!).

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The design of this PS4 Pro is just beautiful with a glossy silhouette of an angered Rathalos—a popular monster from the MONSTER HUNTER series—firing flares from its mouth emblazoned across the console. A gold printed logo of the game as well as certain icons can also be seen on the console.

As if this thing doesn’t already look as boss as ever, the PlayStation 4 Pro Monster Hunter: World Rathalos Edition comes bundled together with its own specially designed DualShock 4 controller. The bundled controller is adorned with the wings of a wyvern and is red in colour, just like the colour of the wyvern’s flame.

That’s not all folks! This special edition PS4 Pro comes together with a physical Blu-Ray copy of Capcom’s upcoming action role-playing game, Monster Hunter World, which will arrive at our shores on 26 January next year. An exclusive Monster Hunter PS4 theme and extra downloadable content will also be included with the console.
The PlayStation 4 Pro Monster Hunter: World Rathalos Edition will be available for purchase in Malaysia sometime in end of January for the retail price of RM 2048 (slightly more expensive than the normal PS4 Pro, mind you). Those who purchase the console will also get a 3 month PlayStation Plus membership and a 1-year PlayStation extended warranty service voucher card.
For the actual Monster Hunter World game itself, as mentioned above it will release on 26 January 2018 and will retail for RM 249 for the Digital Version and RM 273 for the Digital Deluxe Version.
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realme 5 Review — bigger is better

Many smartphones occupy the mid-range segment. Today we will be looking at the realme 5, the successor to the realme 3. A lot of cool features debuted in the realme 3, but the realme 5 isn’t exactly a slacker either. It too offers nice upgrades over the realme 3, packing a quad-camera setup like the realme 5 Pro, and is probably the first to offer such a camera setup in this price bracket. But hey, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at what’s in the box, shall we?
Unboxing

The box of the realme 5 is exactly like the realme 5 Pro. Predominantly white with a picture of the device taking up the most space up front. I still prefer the packaging of the realme 3 series, so if realme is reading this review, I hope we see a return to the minimalistic design of yore.

The usual suspects lay in the box. A flexible TPU case, a SIM ejector tool, USB cable and 10W power adapter, and of course, the realme 5 itself. You don’t get VOOC charging here on the realme 5.

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Big is beautiful

Taking a closer look at the realme 5 itself, we see that it does share most of its design cues with the more premium realme 5 Pro. You get the fancy polygonal patterns here, although it is slightly more subdued here on the realme 5 than it was on the Pro version.

Over on the front, we get a large 6.5″ display, which is actually quite a bit bigger than the realme 5 Pro’s display, and a clear step up in size from the realme 3’s screen. There’s a sizeable bottom chin, which is pretty common for a device of this caliber.

We still get a headphone jack with the realme 5, which is nice to see. Not so nice to see is the microUSB port, which is definitely getting quite dated. But then again this is a common feature at this price point. You can also see that the realme 5 is rather thick, presumably to accommodate the massive 5000 mAh battery inside.
Specifications
CPU: Snapdragon 665 (4 x Kryo 260 Gold @ 2.0 GHz + 4 x Kryo 260 Silver @ 1.8 GHz), 11nm LPPGPU: Adreno 610RAM: 4GBDisplay: 6.5″ HD+ (1600 x 720), IPS LCD, 480-nit max brightness, 89% screen-to-body ratioStorage:128GB eMMC 5.1 (expandable via microSD)Camera: Main Camera(s)12MP f/1.8 + 8MP f/2.25 ultra-wide angle camera + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 2MP f/2.4 depth sensorNightscape, Expert mode, Chroma Boost, Ultra macro, 4K30 video, 720p240/1080p120 slow mo, AI beauty, AI HDR, AI scene recognitionFront Camera13MP f/2.0AI Beauty, AI HDR, 1080p30 videoOS: ColorOS 6 based on Android 9 Pie  Connectivity:  LTE Band 1/3/5/8/38/40/41Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)Bluetooth 5.0SIM:Dual SIMBattery: Li-Po 5000 mAh (non-removable)10W chargingDimensions: 164.4 x 75.6 x 9.3 mm Weight:198gIngress protection:Splash-resistant design, no IP rating
Performance

The realme 5 does pretty well in Antutu, beating out its predecessor. The rest of the devices in the same price range, or were in the same price range are quite a bit slower than the realme 5.

Interestingly, switching over to the Snapdragon 665 actually caused the realme 5 to come in below the realme 3. It is faster in the ES 2.0 and ES 3.0 benchmark runs, but it is a bit slower in the Sling Shot Extreme benchmark. It’s a middling result, fitting of a mid-range device.

It does gain the upper hand against its predecessor in CPU performance, as well as most of the competition in its price segment as well.

In PCMark’s productivity-oriented bencmark, the realme 5 did really well, although it still comes in below the realme 2 Pro.

The battery life is excellent on the realme 5, partly due to the efficient Snapdragon 665, but mainly thanks to the massive battery. Also, the display is a 720p one, so that should help a bit also. With the largest battery in its price segment, and it definitely delivers the numbers you would expect. In real use, you would easily get two days of battery life, probably with juice to spare too. Recharging it is a slow affair, with only 16% regained after 30 minutes. The 10W charger definitely struggles to feed the massive 5000 mAh battery.
PUBG MobileCOD Mobile
If you are planning on using the realme 5 for gaming, keep your expectations realistic. It has enough grunt for an acceptable experience, but you won’t be pushing 60 fps in PUBG Mobile even at the lowest settings. PUBG limits you to 30 fps. In COD Mobile however you will be able to get 60 fps on low graphics. On the bright side, you will be enjoying a lot of gaming on one single charge.
User Experience

The realme 5 touts a near-all plastic build, but that has been the case since the realme 2 Pro was introduced in Malaysia. You will want to make use the included TPU case to avoid scratches on the beautiful patterned back of the realme 5. The fingerprint scanner is also located on the back, in a relatively easy to reach location, but of course, that depends on the size of your hands.

The screen is huge, and coupled with the hefty weight of the device, I somewhat doubt the fairer sex will feel comfortable using the realme 5. It’s somewhat of a bummer that realme still used a 720p panel here. And it isn’t even that great of a 720p panel, with it having a rather low maximum brightness that meant poor visibility under sunlight. I wish realme threw in a FHD+ display here too.
For audio you will only be getting a single speaker down bottom that does suffice for the casual video or ringtone, but there’s a headphone jack for you to plug in earphones for a better experience.

On the software front we see ColorOS 6, and it is shared with the rest of realme’s lineup. It looks good, performs okay, although the realme 5 does exhibit some minor stutter when diving through the UI, but I would attribute it to optimization issues that should get ironed out in later software updates.
Plenty of cameras to go around

Now you know that realme did the leap to quad, and that includes the realme 5. It is probably the first to offer such a camera setup in its price range, and I must say that the camera does seem to be an upgraded over the realme 3.

Once again, if you have seen the UI on recent realme devices, you would find this familiar. The only changes include a button to switch to the ultra-wide angle camera, and a longer list of options that make switching between modes a bit more troublesome.

The realme 5 can deliver some good shots, although it is worth noting that checking out the photos on the subpar screen doesn’t do justice to them. The wide-angle camera and macro camera are exactly the same as the ones on the realme 5 Pro, so deliver similarly middling results. Not too bad, but not great either. But having a wide-angle camera and macro camera is already extras that few other devices in the same price segment can boast of. Paying some attention to the Nightscape shots reveals that you will have to deal with a narrower field of view as the camera crops in to allow for some electronic stabilization. You can check out the full-sized images over on Google Photos.
Conclusion
The realme 5 is an incremental upgrade over the realme 3. Just like the realme 5 Pro, you aren’t seeing big gains in performance, but you do get a better camera and much better battery life. Priced at RM799 for the 128GB variant here, it is still a decent deal. It would probably be best to just go for the realme 5 with 64GB of storage which goes for RM599 if you are talking from a value standpoint, as the realme 5 supports expandable storage anyway.

realme probably built the realme 5 with two goals in mind: deliver the longest battery life in its segment, and deliver a camera that’s better than most of the competition. They have largely succeeded, but still there are some low-hanging fruits that realme should have picked to make the realme 5 a bigger upgrade over the realme 3.
I can’t get behind the 6.5″ display touting a 720p resolution. Also worth noting is that some of the competition offer support for fast charging, something which the realme 5 lacks. I wouldn’t fuss about the microUSB port, but I know some would, and that is once again something which realme could have easily changed coming from the realme 3.
Our thanks to realme Malaysia for sending us the realme 5 for review!
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TSMC begins 16nm production — Nvidia Pascal, Ops! iPhone 6s is near

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has starts producing 16nm chips in volume. However the first production is not for the Nvidia Pascal but based on the source here, it is most probably to produce the SoCs that will be powering Apple’s upcoming revolutionary iPhone, not NVIDIA Pascal, yet.

Last month, TSMC said that it was scheduled to ramp up production of an enhanced version of 16nm chips, or 16 FinFET+ chips in the third quarter and that high volume production will be achieved in the same quarter.

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TSMC’s 16FF+ (FinFET Plus) technology can provide above 65 percent higher speed, around 2 times the density, or 70 percent less power than its 28HPM technology. Comparing with 20SoC technology, 16FF+ provides 40% higher speed and 60% power saving. By leveraging the experience of 20SoC technology, TSMC 16FF+ shares the same metal backend process in order to quickly improve yield and demonstrate process maturity for time-to-market value.
Pokdepinion : Base on the figures above we may soon see double the transistors on a single die. With this advancement we can expect to greater GPUs by next year. With 16nm manufacturing process we also can see smaller wafer size for the same amount of transistors and lower heat output, as well as improved power consumption due to less leakage, giving substance to NVIDIA’s claims on Pascal’s insane transistor count.
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