Crit Lumax Titan 256C RGB LED quick review

Case lighting has been popular among enthusiasts for a long time. Before LEDs became popular for case lighting, CCFL lamps were used. Well but that’s history by now when LEDs are so much easier to set up. LED strips literally puts the spotlight on your hardware with a choice of either single color or RGB. There are lots of LED strips in the market but today let’s check out the Crit Lumax Titan 256 RGB LED strip. Thank you to Mod’n’Go for providing us with the RGB LED kits.
Unboxing

The Crit Lumax Titan RGB LED comes in two different length, 60 cm and 120cm. Both share similar specifications but with different number of LEDs, of course. On the front of the box we have the preview picture and the product specifications. Basically the 120cm version contains two 60cm LED strips.

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The back of the box lists some of the specifications of the LED strips.

Inside the box, the Crit Lumax Titan RGB LED is sealed in an anti-static bag. The package includes the Crit Lumax Titan RGB LED strip itself, a LED lighting controller, a RF wireless remote control and the simple user guide. If you purchase the 120cm version, you will get two 60cm LED strip which can be linked together.
Appearance
The Crit Lumax Titan RGB LED comes on a reel which makes it easier to handle. As I said earlier the LED strip is expandable with two power connector ends on it, one is male and the other is female. It uses 5050 SMD LEDs (also known as tri-chips), housing 3 LED diodes for higher intensity compared to single LED chip design. In order to offer better durability, the LED strip is also protected with water-proof shielding. The shielding also gives it
Unlike to the other brands, the Crit Lumax Titan RGB LED is using smaller lighting controller instead of a square box. For the connector, it uses molex power connector.

On to the RF wireless controller, it has 12 single color mode and up to 63 RGB lighting effects. Also, the brightness and LED speed is adjustable with the remote controller.
User Experience
In terms of brightness, the Crit Lumax Titan RGB LED is really bright and the illumination spread evenly. Although the lighting controller is small, but the reception is excellent even though I hid it behind the case’s motherboard tray. This is unlike some strips which use infra-red lighting controllers that would have failed in that situation.

A video posted by Pokde.net (@pokdedotnet) on Feb 1, 2017 at 10:21pm PST

The only issue I had with the Crit Lumax Titan RGB LED is the inaccurate labeling on the wireless controller. When I pressed the green, it will turn to red, and when you press red, it will be green. The same thing happens when I pressed yellow it will turn to white. The rest is fine, the effects work perfectly fine and the response time when switching modes, speed and brightness is good.
Conclusion
Crit Lumax Titan is not the first RGB LED strip I have used before. I bought quite a number of LED strip from China which some came with some quality control issues, which I am glad that I found none here on the Crit Lumax Titan. The lighting is bright enough even though it is only 60cm long. The controller reception is excellent without any disconnection and another great thing about it is that it can support more RGB LED strips daisy-chained together. The Crit Lumax Titan is priced at RM99 for the 60cm variant and RM139 for the 120cm one. If you interested, head over to Mod’n’Go Facebook page. But be wary, you might just spend more than you expected as you end up sending your PC over for a full case mod.
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Terahertz Wireless is coming in future – up to 100Gbps transfer speed

When everyone thought the 5G mobile network is the future with up to 10Gbps transfer speed. Hiroshima University yesterday together with Panasonic and DICT announced the development of a terahertz (THz) transmitter. This new technology capable of transmitting digital data exceeding 100 gigabits per second on a single channel using the 300-GHz band. Theoretically it’s 10 times or could be even faster than the fifth-generation mobile networks (5G).

Prof. Minoru Fujishima from Hiroshima University said:

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“We usually talk about wireless data rates in megabits per second or gigabits per second. But we are now approaching terabits per second using a plain simple single communication channel. Fiber optics realized ultrahigh-speed wired links, and wireless links have been left far behind. Terahertz Wireless could offer ultrahigh-speed links to satellites as well, which can only be wireless. Other possible applications include fast download from contents servers to mobile devices and ultrafast wireless links between base stations”

Last year, they demonstrated the wireless link in the 300-GHz band could be greatly enhance by using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). This year, they showed six times higher performance exceeding 100 gigabits per second. This is equal a whole content on a DVD (4.7GB) can be transferred in just a second. Terahertz Wireless was supported and as part of an R&D on Key Technology in Terahertz Frequency Bands of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan.
Pokdepinion: The technology is very far away before adopted into a smartphone or a PC. The fully potential for this technology is on industrial or on the server side.
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POCO X3 GT Review — hitting all the right notes?

The POCO X3 NFC was a nice mid-range smartphone, and then POCO refreshed it with the POCO X3 Pro with immensely upgraded performance. Now the POCO X3 GT looks nothing like them, but it might be just as worthy of bearing the POCO X3 name, as it does seem to bring excellent bang for buck, just like the POCO X3 NFC and X3 Pro. But before we get ahead of ourselves and pass judgement before actually seeing anything about the POCO X3 GT, let’s check it out.
Unboxing

While POCO usually goes with a cleaner font, the POCO X3 GT gets a more gamer-ish font to reflect its ambitions. I do think that it wouldn’t have hurt to keep the font they have used previously across their lineup, but hey, at least they still keep the clean yellow-on-black theme here.

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The lid slides off to reveal bright yellow innards. You will find a smaller box that contains the documentation along with a set of stickers, the SIM ejector pin and the soft TPU case. Meanwhile under it, there’s the POCO X3 GT, and under the device there’s the 67W charger and the USB-C cable. There’s supposed to be a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle in the box too, but we didn’t receive one with our review sample.

And yeah, it wasn’t a typo. The POCO X3 GT actually comes with a 67W charger. That’s higher than the Mi 11’s 50W charger. Right out of the box (quite literally) the POCO X3 GT is already on the right path of being a true POCO smartphone —  one that’s capable of delivering insane bang for your buck.
Appearance

On the front, you will be hard pressed to distinguish the POCO X3 GT from the rest of its siblings in the POCO X3 series. It’s 0.07″ smaller, but I am pretty sure you won’t be able to notice that just by looking at the device. There’s a central punch hole at the top, narrow bezels all around, except at the bottom. There’s a slight chin, but it isn’t too out of place, considering that we are dealing with an LCD display here.

The back of the POCO X3 GT is quite interesting. Instead of the unique rectangle-with-round-sides camera hump that graced the POCO X3 NFC and X3 Pro, the POCO X3 GT gets a somewhat generic looking rectangular block. There’s also a nice dose of glitter towards the bottom edge with our Stargaze Black variant, adding a spark to the otherwise bland-ish shiny black finish. While its design makes it the odd one out in the POCO X3 family, I would say that it is for the better. It is still made of plastic though.

POCO went with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner cum power button, and unlike most of the ones in the market, this here protrudes out of the frame and is actually curved. We saw this first on the POCO F3, so for those who like this design, you are in for a treat, but personally I prefer a recessed one. The frame here is also made of plastic, which is not too surprising as all the other members of the POCO X3 family are also all-plastic designs.

Unlike the POCO X3 NFC and X3 Pro, you won’t find a headphone jack here on the bottom. There’s only a USB-C port, the loudspeaker grille and a microphone hole. The plastic frame here meant that POCO skipped antenna lines, since you don’t need them with non-metal designs. It is also noticeably less curvy than the POCO X3 NFC/X3 Pro, and thankfully POCO has skipped the glossy chrome look for a less smudge-prone matte finish.

There’s still no headphone jack up top, but there’s another speaker grille. Yup, we lost the 3.5mm headphone jack. There’s also an IR blaster, which I absolutely love, as well as the secondary microphone hole. I guess we can live without a headphone jack? Hopefully.
POCO X3 GT Specifications

CPU
Dimensity 1100, 6nm
4 x Cortex-A78 @ 2.6GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz

GPU
Mali-G77MC9 @ 836MHz

Memory
8GB LPDDR4X

Storage
256GB UFS 3.1

Display
6.6″ FHD+ (2400 x 1080) LCD display, 120Hz refresh rate
DCI-P3 gamut, 450 nits brightness, 360° ambient light sensors, 1 nit night mode, DynamicSwitch down to 30Hz
240Hz touch sampling
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus

Main Camera(s)
64MP f/1.79 main, 1/2″ OmniVision OV64B (0.7µm pixel), 25.2mm (35mm eqv.)
8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle, 120° FoV, fixed focus
2MP f/2.4 macro camera, fixed focus
AI Camera, Auto HDR, Night Mode, Motion Tracking, Portrait, Pro Mode (Photo), Pro Video Mode
Up to 720p480 / 1080p120 slow-mo, Up to 4K30 video

Selfie camera
16MP f/2.45
AI Camera, Auto HDR, Night Mode, Portrait, Beautify
Up to 720p120 slow-mo, Up to 1080p30 video

Connectivity
Dual 5G SIM
5G Band n1, n3, n28A, n41, n77, n78
LTE Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28A, 38, 40, 41, 42
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.2
NFC
Single band GPS
USB 2.0 (Type-C)

Software
MIUI 12.5 for POCO, based on Android 11

Battery
5000mAh
67W Turbo Charging, Quick Charge 4.0, USB PD 3.0
67W USB-C power adapter included

Dimensions
163.3 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm

Weight
193g

Ingress protection
IP53

Performance
Synthetic

The POCO X3 GT slots in above the POCO X3 Pro by quite a fair margin — not so pro now are you?! — but is still behind the POCO F3 by a similar gap. I would say that this is quite the ideal positioning for the POCO X3 GT — a POCO X3 Pro Pro that’s not quite as fast as the flagship-class POCO F3.

Surprisingly, the POCO X3 GT is quite slow in Geekbench 5. While it boasts of the latest architectures, it seems that it doesn’t quite perform here, slotting in even behind the Mi 9. Compared against the other 2021 chipsets, it appears that the Dimensity 1100, or the POCO X3 GT’s implementation of it, is not quite on the same level.

Things take a turn for the better in 3DMark, where it actually edges out the POCO F2 Pro in Wild Life Unlimited which uses the Vulkan API. The same can’t be said for the rest of the 3DMark suite though. Still, it is once again ahead of the POCO X3 Pro, and just slightly behind the Snapdragon 870-toting vivo X60 Pro. I guess the Dimensity 1100 is truly a gaming-oriented chip with a focus on graphics performance over CPU performance.

Somehow, the POCO X3 GT ends up below the POCO X3 Pro here. As the POCO X3 GT has established itself as a gaming-oriented device, I guess not being good at tackling productivity workloads is a given?
Battery Life

Battery life of the POCO X3 GT is actually pretty good. After using many Snapdragon 888 smartphones with relatively abysmal battery life, the POCO X3 GT was like a breath of fresh air. In fact it ends up outlasting the weaker POCO M3 Pro 5G quite easily too, despite the latter coming with a slower display. Pretty interesting results.

In normal daily use, the POCO X3 GT’s battery life is good, but not particularly impressive. Idle battery consumption was actually pretty high, with the battery dropping overnight gradually. Overall, 4 hours and 36 minutes of screen on time over 33 hours on a single charge is a pretty decent showing, with the display set to 120Hz. The 67W fast charging makes its battery life near inconsequential though, as it goes from 3% to 83% in just 30 minutes, while another 12 minutes take it to 100%. In less than 30 minutes, you would have enough juice to last you through most of the day! And the charger comes included too, which is going to be an increasingly rare “feature” in the future.
Gaming

As you would expect, COD Mobile and PUBG Mobile do not exactly push the POCO X3 GT to its limits, so you won’t really get it to heat up much at all. It is quite interesting that I can’t get PUBG Mobile to run at 60FPS at higher quality settings, but that does seem like a software limitation, rather than a hardware one.

Now, Genshin Impact. At the maxed out settings and 60FPS enabled, the game clearly is unable to maintain the framerate, with a lot of stuttering even when just walking around. Dropping the graphics settings to “High” appears to solve the problem. It is most comfortable at the default “Medium” setting, where it can quite comfortably sustain 60FPS. Thermals are also quite reasonable after 10 minutes of gameplay, with the hottest spots on the display hovering at about 43°C, which is still reasonably comfortable to hold.
User Experience
Aside from losing the headphone jack, the POCO X3 GT is also the first POCO X3 device to not offer expandable storage. Now I would say that this is a much more acceptable omission than the missing headphone jack, simply because the POCO X3 GT comes with 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage built in, which is just as much storage as a laptop I reviewed recently. There’s still dual SIM support though, so not all is lost.

The other thing you will notice as soon as you pick up the POCO X3 GT is that the curved fingerprint scanner is really responsive, but I don’t find them as intuitive as the recessed design from the POCO X3 NFC. I felt like with it protruding, it was too easy to accidentally unlock your smartphone. Of course you have the option to need the button to be pressed before it reads your fingerprint, but I still preferred the recessed button so it isn’t as easy to accidentally lay my thumb on it, but still lets me have that immediate unlocking as soon as I want to.
Display and Audio

The POCO X3 GT’s display is actually slightly smaller than its other two POCO X3 brethren. Coming in at 6.6″, there’s still plenty of viewing area to go around. I did notice a slight dimming around the punch hole and the lower edge, which was unsightly, but not exactly unexpected when it comes to LCD panels with punch holes.
The POCO X3 GT also boasts of a 120Hz refresh rate, complete with a faux adaptive sync capability, which is supposed to allow the screen to drop its refresh rate in a number of steps to accommodate the content displayed, providing for some power savings. In normal use, it is difficult to notice the difference, but the 120Hz refresh rate definitely makes itself known by providing one of the smoothest scrolling experience you will see on a smartphone. The response time here is still not as good as OLED panels, but among LCD panels, it definitely ranks as one of the better panels out there.
The eagle-eyed among you might also notice that there’s no pre-applied screen protector. That might be due to the fact that POCO X3 GT comes with Gorilla Glass Victus, which is Corning’s most durable glass available. Usually reserved for flagships, it is quite surprising to see it here. Still, it is definitely nice to know that POCO used a better glass here than on the POCO F3, which is supposed to be the current flagship in their lineup. I still managed to scratch it though in casual use, so I would still recommend getting a screen protector.

Moving on, the audio. The POCO X3 GT doesn’t offer a headphone jack, but the stereo speakers here are pretty decent. Not as good as the recent flagships I have played with, but still very good for a mid-range smartphone. The speakers are very noticeably lacking in terms of bass response, but they are good enough for your usual Facebook videos. You can play around with the Dolby Atmos presets and also adjust the equalizer to tune the sound profile to your tastes, but you won’t be able to bring out the bass, because the speakers are just incapable of it.
Software – MIUI 12.5 for POCO

MIUI 12.5 for POCO adds a few additional improvements to the overall UI. For starters, there’s a lot more transparency this time around. The other more noticeable and notable upgrades include more widespread use of haptic feedback. The POCO X3 GT has an excellent haptic feedback vibrator, and MIUI 12.5 puts it to work. Even volume adjustments now get haptic feedback. Aside from the minor updates, not much has changed. I think the only main differentiating factor of MIUI for POCO is the app drawer that is forced upon you, unlike in the standard version of MIUI where it’s optional. I do like an app drawer anyway, so it’s fine by me.
Camera

Hardware wise, the POCO X3 GT’s rather sizeable camera hump only houses three cameras. It’s nice that they decided to drop the depth sensor, and instead we now have three functional cameras instead of having a dud called a “depth sensor” just to plump up the spec sheet. So we have a main 64MP camera from OmniVision, paired with an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP fixed-focus macro. If you have read my previous reviews, you know how I feel about fixed-focus macro shooters…. But I guess they are still better than nothing.

The camera UI hasn’t seen much change at all. However I do notice that the viewfinder is really quite sluggish in low light situations, making it quite difficult to frame your shot. It also has a random chance of throwing a curveball at you in the form of massive shutter lag, so while the animation may lead you to think that the shot has been taken, in fact it hasn’t, and what you get is a smear. This is a relatively minor issues are can usually be fixed via software updates, but we can only hope POCO gets around to it.
          Main Camera, Auto            Macro, Auto            Main Camera, Auto              Main Camera, Auto            Main Camera, Auto          Main Camera, Auto          Ultra-wide, Auto              Main Camera, Auto            Main Camera, Auto              Ultra-wide, Night Mode            Ultra-wide, Auto          Main Camera, Night Mode              Ultra-wide, Night Mode            Macro, Auto            Selfie              Main Camera, Auto          Main Camera, Auto            Ultra-wide, Auto              Ultra-wide, Auto            Macro, Auto              Selfie            Ultra-wide, Auto          Ultra-wide, Auto              Main Camera, Night Mode            Main Camera, Auto
The camera results are actually pretty decent. I really liked the dynamic range that the POCO X3 GT is able to bring to the table with its main camera, even without HDR kicking in. Both the main camera and ultra-wide don’t do that well in low-light shots, with a lot of noise creeping in, but I do appreciate that the processing doesn’t just try to suppress noise by removing all semblance of details. I would say that the Night Mode on the POCO X3 GT is really quite effective, probably due to the way it sort of overcomes the main weakness of the cameras here.
The ultra-wide camera is supported in the Night Mode here on the POCO X3 GT, which is surprising since my POCO F2 Pro doesn’t get Night Mode for its ultra-wide camera, and it does a pretty good job, lowering the visible noise very significantly. As you would expect, the ultra-wide isn’t particularly exciting, as it is just par for the course. Just like the macro camera. I can’t wait for the day we will see telephoto macro cameras be standard issue instead of these crappy 2MP fixed-focus ones. You can check out the full-sized samples here.
Conclusion
Overall, it does seem like this is a pretty decent device under the POCO brand. At RM1599, it’s actually quite a good deal for a device of this caliber with 256GB of storage. If you don’t need this much room, you can also get the 128GB variant for just RM1299, although it is worth mentioning that the POCO X3 GT does not support microSD card expansion.
I enjoyed using the POCO X3 GT as my daily driver for the past week. I really loved the precise haptic feedback and stereo speakers, as well as the smooth 120Hz display which made scrolling through social media a more visually-pleasing experience. The 67W fast charging was also very useful when you are in a rush, filling 80% of the 5000mAh battery in just 30 minutes.
It isn’t perfect though. My main complaints with it are the lack of a headphone jack in a gaming-oriented device, and a nigh useless fixed-focus macro camera. Its gaming performance is also not exactly that great, even when compared to last-gen flagships like my POCO F2 Pro.
Speaking of gaming, the POCO F3 might be a better buy at this price point. It boasts a faster chipset and a better display, for RM100 more. Quite a good deal, if you ask me. However the POCO X3 GT does pack faster charging, a larger battery and also a better main camera, so it really depends on what you really want in your smartphone.

If you find that the POCO X3 GT is right up your alley, I would recommend you get the base 128GB variant at RM1299, with the early bird price bringing that down to just RM1199. The pricier 256GB version will also have a discounted early bird price of RM1399, but I feel like that extra RM200 (or RM300 if you don’t consider the early bird price) is not exactly worth it for the extra storage.

Our thanks to POCO Malaysia for sending us the POCO X3 GT for review.
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The Elite Championship Series (TECS) Esports is Official: Biggest Esports Tournament in Penang

For the big fans and followers of the Esports scene here in Malaysia, this news will surely excite you. In partnership with Phidisk and The Pantheon Group, the Penang State Government will be organizing The Elite Championship Series (TECS) Esports tournament.
The game that will be contested is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and there will be a total prize pool of RM50,000 on the line. The TECS tournament will be having 64 teams consisting of both local and international teams duke it out to see who’s the best around. Thus far, we are seeing 4 teams from different countries; 1 from Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, and Philippines.

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Kendrick Hung, Founder and Chairman of PhiDisk Sdn Bhd (2nd from the left) and Franky How, Managing Director of The Pantheon Group (3rd from the left) holding up the TECS sign.
Prize Money

Champion = RM20,000 Prize Money
Runner Up = RM10,000 Prize Money
2nd and 3rd Runner Up = RM6,000 Prize Money
5th to 8th Place = RM2,000 Prize money

It is said that TECS was created to raise awareness on Esports as well as to provide opportunities for growth for the economy in Penang. In 2018, the Penang State Government has allocated a budget of RM1 million towards the growth of Esports, and this is seen as a huge step forward for the industry. While there has been a number of Esports tournaments in Penang previously, this is said to be the biggest one yet.
Phidisk will be the host for the TECS tournament. For those of you who aren’t aware, Phidisk is a company based in Penang which supplies NAND-flash products locally and internationally.
We have actually reviewed some of Phidisk’s offerings. If you want to give it a read or are looking for a value-for-money SSD, click here and also here.

Aside from the TECS tournament, the company has more plans for the the local Esports scene. They are also looking to partner with The Pantheon Group to open an Esports Centre in Penang. The plan is to eventually expand the Centre’s presence nationwide and in Southeast Asia. This will include long-term plans such as developing educational and training programmes for aspiring gamers and provide coaching opportunities to local and international professional gamers.
In Southeast Asia, there is said to be roughly 9.5 million Esports enthusiasts, with there being roughly 2.4 million in Malaysia alone. Furthermore, Malaysia is ranked number 21 in global game revenue estimates for 2018 at USD $633 million (RM2.6 billion). With Southeast Asia being the fastest growing market for competitive gaming, such developments like with Phidisk and Pantheon is to be expected if the country wants to keep the momentum going.

The online qualifiers for The Elite Championship Series (TECS) Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament will be running from 23rd to 25th April 2019. The final stage will be taking place at The Top, Komtar Penang from 3rd to 5th May 2019. The tournament is supported by the Penang Youth Development Centre and Penang State Government, and venue is sponsored by The Top, Komtar.
If you’re interested in the tournament and would like keep track of it, click right here.
Pokdepinion: If you’re a fan of the game or just Esports in general, be sure to come down to Penang this May 2019. There’s expected to be plenty of giveaways and interactive activities. It’s gonna be pretty huge.
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MSI Motherboard’s BIOS Oversight Presents High Security Risk, Says Security Researcher

An oversight in MSI’s BIOS settings has effectively left the doors open for boot files to run regardless of the result of security checks.
Image: Dawid Potocki
Dawid Potocki, a Polish security researcher, has discovered this vulnerability as he sets up Secure Boot on his new PC. This feature is designed to check on the boot files to make sure everything is digitally signed by authentic sources, preventing any unsigned code (in most cases, rootkits) from running on BIOS-level – which is difficult to recover once compromised.
Potocki says the default settings for MSI’s BIOS firmware updates since around Q3 2021 until January 2022 has been changed, in particular a setting called “Image Execution Policy”. Under this setting, affected firmware will have it set to “Always Execute”, and as the name implies – this option will boot anything bootable even if it’s unsigned code. While this setting is likely for developmental purposes only, it presents a huge security risk as malware will have effectively unrestricted access to the system’s operating system once compromised.

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Image: Dawid Potocki
The impact is said to be very wide, affecting over 290 motherboards from MSI – full list here – which all have the same setting. Since this is merely a setting rather than a bug, users can fix this vulnerability by simply changing the setting for Image Execution Policy. To do that, change the settings from “Always Execute” to “Deny Execute” under Removeable Media and Fixed Media settings. That being said, it’s always important to make sure to update to latest BIOS versions in cases like this.
Source: BleepingComputer | Dawid Potocki’s research blog
Pokdepinion: That’s a huge amount of boards potentially vulnerable… it’s going to be a mess if hackers starts targeting their systems in particular.
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New WhatsApp Update Could Show Video Previews

We are used to getting message previews on our smartphones for WhatsApp, but now it seems that there’s a possibility that they will be introducing an update that previews videos.
WhatsApp Update Could Preview Videos

✅ WhatsApp is rolling out the possibility to view videos directly in the push notification for any iOS beta user having the 2.18.102.5 version installed!
It will be available soon for App Store users.
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) November 20, 2018

The new feature was leaked by WhatsApp leaker, WABetaInfo, whom last time shared that WhatsApp would go on to an advertisement route where you could soon see ads in the Status section.
The company is said to be working on an update which displays previews of videos when one of your contacts sends you a clip. Now it all sounds pretty decent, up until someone decides to send you something that is totally inappropriate.

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As of now, notifications only pop out in your devices with the name of your contact as well as a short preview of the top of their message. Mentioned in the Tweet, the update is for  beta iOS 2.18.102.5 version installed, with it soon to be available for App Store users.
Though there’s no confirmation whether Android users will get the update also, they probably could. For those who are at the receiving end of ‘naughty’ videos, you will be able to customize your notification settings (thank god). You can then set for your device to not show the previews.
Pokdepinion: So the next time you try and share those ‘videos’, just remember about this possible update. Think of all the innocent people’s lives you’ll ruin..
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HONOR View20 is still HONOR’s best gaming phone!

The HONOR View20 was HONOR’s first flagship of 2019, and we are still impressed by it until now. It may have been quite an interesting 7 months since, but the HONOR View20 still has a few tricks up its sleeve that we think make it still a very attractive proposition for mobile gamers, regardless.
Work smart, not hard?
The HONOR View20’s Kirin 980 definitely lives by the motto “work smart, not hard”. Thanks to GPU Turbo 3.0, an exclusive technology that’s only available on HONOR and HUAWEI devices, allowing them to make better use of the performance on hand.

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With Magic UI 2.1, the HONOR View20 has an impressive list of 25 titles that are supported by GPU Turbo 3.0:

Fortnite
PUBG Mobile
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
Vainglory
Arena of Valor
Rules of Survival
Knives Out
Free Fire

PES 2019
DRAGON BALL LEGENDS
FIFA Mobile
Minecraft
Helix
Plants vs. Zombies Heroes
Subway Surfers
Battle Bay

Brawl Stars
Speed Drifters
Real Racing 3
Into the Dead 2
NBA 2K19
Dragon Nest M
Duel Links
Crazy Taxi
NBA 2K18

Most of the popular mobile games are in the list, and if your favorite game isn’t, looking at the cadence at which HONOR is updating their devices, you should be able to see the next iteration of GPU Turbo supporting your favorite titles already.

The Kirin 980 is a very powerful chipset, and it doesn’t have to run at full throttle to deliver a smooth 60 fps gaming experience. GPU Turbo intelligently adjusts the clock speeds of the CPU and GPU of the Kirin 980, delivering a consistent 60 fps, while also potentially extending your battery life. This is because the chipset is now working more efficiently to deliver the same 60 fps gameplay. An added benefit of drawing less power is that there will less heat produced, which will bring us to the next point.
Play cooler
There’s a reason why PC gamers invest so much into their cooling. Electronics produce heat as a waste product, and if the heat is not dissipated fast enough, it can damage the hardware. Chipmakers install safeguards to force the chips to throttle before they ever hit dangerous temperatures, but the downside is that you will suffer from reduced performance as the temperature rises.

That’s what makes the HONOR View20’s liquid cooling technology so important. The presence of the cooling system makes the HONOR View20 the best gaming smartphone powered by a Kirin 980, allowing you to enjoy better performance even if you play games for hours on end as it dissipates the heat a lot better than devices without a heatpipe.
Lasts longer, charges faster
The HONOR View20’s 4000 mAh battery promises longer battery life, which means longer gaming sessions. When you finally run low on juice, the HONOR View20 also charges faster with 22.5W HUAWEI SuperCharge that’s faster than many flagships in the market which can only charge at 15W, giving you the ability to start gaming again as soon as possible to quickly rank up in your favorite mobile game. And unlike certain phones, the 22.5W HUAWEI SuperCharge power adapter is included in the box.
One more thing…

Last but not least, the HONOR View20 is better suited for gamers than even some “gaming phones” in the market now, thanks to the headphone jack. Ask any gamer and you would know that a headphone jack is still better than dongles. The central position of the USB-C port is just not ergonomic for gaming once you connect a dongle, as anyone who has used a smartphone without a headphone jack will tell you.
HONOR is also a brand that works closely with game publishers to bring extra goodies to their users. From Fortnite to now Perfect World, there’s always something nice for HONOR users. And with the HONOR View20 now priced from just RM1499 with extended warranty, it is also one of the most affordable flagships you can get for gaming! Also since HONOR Malaysia is running their 62nd National Day Double Celebration campaign, you will be getting even more with your HONOR View20!
This is an exclusive article for HONOR Malaysia.
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New Galaxy S10 Leak Reveals More On Battery

Though we’ve heard loads of rumors on the new Galaxy S10, one thing of the device has been kept in the dark; its battery. Well according to new leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S10 series will have faster charging than before (15W) and a fast 25W charging.
Additionally, a Brazilian telecom regulatory body Anatel, has added to the fuel that the three new smartphones will come with 3000mAh (Galaxy S10 Lite), 3300mAh battery (Galaxy S10), and 4000mAh (Galaxy S10+).

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Now, let’s get this straight. A bigger battery size doesn’t always mean that it will last and perform longer for your smartphone, but despite that, it’s always assuring that your device packs a big amount of mAh. As with any leaks/rumors, take the news with a pinch of salt. We should learn more about the Galaxy S10 at their Unpacked press conference on the 20th of February in San Francisco.
Pokdepinion: For me personally, it’s more important for phone to feature fast charging (with a decent battery size of course). Let’s see what Samsung has to say at the Unpacked event.
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[CES2019] The ROG Mothership GZ700 is literally the most insane gaming laptop you have seen

Perhaps calling the ROG Mothership GZ700 a laptop isn’t exactly accurate. It would be nigh impossible to use it on your lap. In fact it would be borderline unsafe to put all that powerful hardware on your lap, as you will be balancing some really expensive hardware on your thin forgot-leg-day thighs.
What kind of hardware, you ask? Well, we are looking at an Intel Core i9 8950HK processor and the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080. All overclocked beyond stock clocks to deliver the ultimate performance in a mobile form factor. The beefy CPU and GPU are complemented by a RAID 0 array consisting of three NVMe SSDs for flawless performance.

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Components wise, the ROG Mothership GZ700 is definitely ready to live up to its name as a desktop replacement. It comes with support for up to 64GB DDR4 RAM and the 6C/12T CPU runs at up to 4.8 GHz when maxed out. The RAID 0 arrays also offers throughput of up to 8700MB/s, so you aren’t held back by anything in your system. And let’s not forget the sweet raytraced visuals the GeForce GTX 2080 can deliver to the 17.3″ 144 Hz G-SYNC display.
The reason why ROG went with a tablet form factor for the ROG Mothership GZ700 wasn’t for portability. But it was in fact for performance reasons, as well as to better serve users who use their high-end gaming laptops as true desktop replacements by connecting monitors, peripherals and all that jazz.

The upright configuration relies on a kickstand which looks pretty similar to the Microsoft Surfaces’. This configuration allowed the ROG Mothership GZ700 to maintain much cooler temperatures than a standard laptop can offer, simply because it is much easier to draw cool air from the back than from under the laptop. It also gives gamers the ability to not use the provided detachable keyboard, and instead use it like an all-in-one desktop with their own peripherals.
Now when we say it is designed as a desktop replacement, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t portable. For starters, ROG engineers did equip the ROG Mothership GZ700 with a switch to select between G-SYNC or Optimus modes. Back then, you had to choose between laptops with G-SYNC which offered shorter battery life without Optimus, or sacrifice G-SYNC for laptops with Optimus. So now you get to have your cake and eat it too with the ROG Mothership GZ700.

In addition, the solid aluminium chassis is machined out of slabs of aluminium. It involves 114 separate tooling stages, and each ROG Mothership GZ700’s chassis takes 20 hours to complete. The keyboard housing is made of aluminium too, and serves to protect the ROG Mothership GZ700 from hard knocks during transportation. The keyboard works when connected to the ROG Mothership GZ700 via pogo pins, but also sports a wireless mode for a more ergonomic experience.
Speaking of wireless connections, the ROG Mothership GZ700 goes over the top with support for 802.11ax (WiFi 6) WiFi. Coupled with ROG RangeBoost, the ROG Mothership GZ700 is designed to maintain a solid wireless connection without being tethered to a router. The ROG Mothership GZ700 also comes with HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 3, USB-C display outputs and four USB 3.1 ports for all the connectivity you need for a full desktop experience.

Interested? Well you are out of luck if you are a Malaysian. For the rest of you, the ROG Mothership GZ700 is expected to be launched in Q2 2019. Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but you should take better care of your kidneys from now if you want one.
Pokdepinion: Definitely a cool form factor to explore for ROG. Perhaps we can see less overkill designs soon?
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ROG Ryujin II 360 Review — significantly better!

When ASUS sent us the original ROG Ryujin 240, it was slightly underwhelming. Performance was not spectacular for its price, the OLED display’s customizability was limited in a number of ways, but it did have its perks, like a VRM cooling fan to keep your toasty VRMs cool and it also had a really fancy design. Now, the ROG Ryujin II comes back with a larger LCD display and it is based on the newer Asetek Gen 7 technology. We received the 360mm version, so obviously performance isn’t directly comparable, but we do have other 360mm AIOs to compare it against. So, let’s see if the ROG Ryujin II 360 is a better cooler this time around.
Unboxing

The ROG Ryujin II 360’s packaging is quite basic, reminding us of their motherboards. A clean front with a pretty detailed rear listing out of all the features is typical of ASUS’ packaging.

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Here’s your customary “Welcome to the Republic of Gamers” message…

And this is the inside of the box. Unlike most AIOs which have their accessories in a plastic bag somewhere in the box, ASUS has clearly paid some attention to the arrangement of the contents.

Packed away into the various compartments around the AIO itself are the three fans, the full array of mounting hardware to get the ROG Ryujin II 360 onto any recent processor, even the humongous AMD Ryzen Threadrippers. There are also a separate AIO Fan Controller, which we will get into more detail shortly.
Appearance

The pump block looks absolutely amazing now, with a much larger screen, with a nice mix of reflective and matte finish on the bezels. ASUS used the same finish here as they did on  the ROG Maximus XIII Hero, which makes it a perfect match for the board.

The sides of the pump feature the ROG logo set in the diagonal vent-like pattern. They serve as the intakes for the fan underneath, which is quite well hidden this time around. On the top and bottom we get the Republic of Gamers text running diagonally. You will most probably see very little of these sides when you have the ROG Ryujin II 360 installed in your system though, but it’s still nice to know that ASUS paid this much attention to detail here.

The radiator is pretty standard, with all the necessary holes for you to mount three 120mm fans. The side of the radiator gets the ROG text stamped into it, although I would probably have preferred the ROG eye emblem here instead.

And here we have the Noctua NF-F12 industrialPPC-2000 PWM fans. These are the same fans that ASUS bundled with the first-gen ROG Ryujin as well, and they look pretty good with the fully-blacked out aesthetics. Too bad that ASUS couldn’t get Noctua to make them black NF-A12x25 fans though, as those would probably be even better performing. There’s no RGB on the fans here, with the only bit of color being the cables that are in blue, green, yellow and black.

Instead of cramming all the controllers into the pump block unit, the ROG Ryujin II 360 comes with a separate AIO Fan Controller that has both connections for both fans and ARGB. It also looks like a deck of cards for some reason. It is finished in matte black, with glossy chromed corners which add a touch of contrast. I think that you will most probably hide this behind the motherboard, but as usual, the Republic of Gamers’ attention to detail is just immaculate.

There’s no RGB to speak of on the ROG Ryujin II 360, with it being a nearly all-black setup aside from the 3.5″ LCD on the pump block. You might also notice that the cables coming out of the pump is significantly easier to manage now, with just two cables: one to the motherboard and one to the AIO Fan Controller. There aren’t many orientations that you can install the ROG Ryujin II 360 in without messing up the looks, but the ROG Ryujin II 360’s pump block is slightly smaller than its predecessor, which should allow it to fit onto more motherboards, even tighter ITX ones.

The LCD is a significant upgrade from the tiny 1.77″ OLED panel on the first-gen ROG Ryujin. It is double in size, and it looks downright amazing. You also don’t have to worry about burn in when displaying a static image or repeating animation, as LCDs are a lot more resilient. I would also like to see a few ARGB accents along the sides, but I guess ASUS wanted to keep the focus on the screen here.
Specifications
ROG Ryujin II 360

CPU socket compatibility
Intel LGA1156 ~ LGA1151 / LGA 2011 ~ LGA2066
AMD AM2 ~ AM4 / FM1 ~ FM2+ / TR4 ~ sTRX4 (with mounting bracket included with the CPU)

Radiator dimensions
394 x 121 x 27 mm

Fan(s)
Size
120 x 120 x 25 mm

Quantity
3

Speed
450 ~ 2000 rpm

Airflow
71.6CFM (max)

Air pressure
3.94mmH2O (max)

MTTF
>150 000 hours

Noise
29.7dBA (max)

Pump
Size
78.15 x 87.5 x 81 mm

Type
7th Gen Asetek Pump

Embedded Fan
60mm fan, 4800RPM
3.23 mmH2O, 19.41CFM

Display
3.5″ LCD, 320 x 240

Speed
800 ~ 2800 rpm

MTTF
N/A

Noise
Embedded fan: 31dBA
Pump: N/A

Included accessories
AIO Fan Controller, stickers, M.2 double-sided tape, fan splitter, ARGB extension, user manual, a lot of mounting screws

Warranty
6 years

Test System

CPU
Intel Core i5-11600K, 4.9GHz all-core @ 1.43V

CPU Cooler
ROG Ryujin II 360

Motherboard
GIGABYTE AORUS Z490 MASTER

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition

Memory
2 x 8GB KLEVV Bolt XR DDR4-3600 CL18

Storage
Plextor M9PeY 512GB

Power Supply
Cooler Master V850

Case
MasterFrame 700

Testing Methodology
Our Intel Core i5-11600K will be clocked at 4.9GHz, with a Vcore of 1.43V set in the BIOS. The thermal paste of choice will be the MasterGel Maker, sponsored by Cooler Master. To test the performance of CPU coolers, we run Realbench, with the “Up to 8GB RAM” setting for 30 minutes. This results in a power draw averaging 227W. The fans (and pumps, if available) will run at maximum speed to gauge maximal performance. Ambient temperatures are fixed to 25°C, in an air-conditioned room. The temperature measured by HWiNFO will be recorded. Noise levels are recorded approximately 30cm away from the test system.
Installation

As the ROG Ryujin II 360 is a design based on the Asetek Gen 7 platform, the mounting is similar to many other coolers out there. For Intel, you get a flexible plastic backplate with metal mounting points that connect to the standoffs in the front. If you are an AMD user, you will first need to switch out the mounting bracket on the pump block itself to the AMD one, and also use the metal backplate that’s included with your motherboard to screw standoffs into.

To mount the pump block onto the standoffs, you will first need to remove the top cover of the block to expose the mounting points. Unlike previous generations, the cables are all connected to the cover, so you don’t need to worry about the cables getting in the way of your screwing. Another quality-of-life improvement that ASUS baked into the ROG Ryujin II 360 is a tighter magnetic mount. ASUS has made the lower half of the block solely for cooling, with the embedded fan and pump getting their power through these pads. The top half is where the connections are running into, and you also get the LCD’s circuitry up there.

Due to this design, ASUS has to make sure that the top half is securely attached so that your pump and embedded fan gets a proper connection. The magnets are extremely strong and feature these long standoffs that go right into their sockets on the lower half.

The standoffs screw into the backplate on one end, and then you put the cooler on and tighten down the screws. The installation is extremely simple, and I have no complaints here. ASUS even pre-applied thermal paste onto the cooler, making the initial installation process even easier.

The pre-applied thermal paste is more than sufficient to cover our 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11600K, and I do believe it should suffice even if you have a larger HEDT processor. The AMD Threadrippers might need some extra thermal paste, but maybe just a tiny bit. Now let’s move on to the AIO Fan Controller.

Oddly enough, the AIO Fan Controller actually comes with ARGB connections, when the entire system does not have any ARGB. I guess ASUS just wanted to be ready to provide additional ARGB headers in case you want to replace the fans with ARGB ones down the line. Another oddity is the way that you have three fan connectors on one side, and three ARGB connectors on the other. I think four on each side would be better? But maybe three on each side makes for simpler cable management.

On the bottom side you get the SATA power, microUSB port which connects to the AIO pump block and the ARGB input port. Overall, this made the ROG Ryujin II 360 much easier to install and cable manage, since you don’t have to deal with that many cables heading to the pump block itself. All you have is one USB header that connects to the motherboard from the pump block, and another microUSB cable that connects to this AIO Fan Controller. A very neat arrangement and I really appreciate that ASUS managed to come up with this solution.
One thing I hope that ASUS improves with the AIO Fan Controller is to add magnets inside for easier mounting. Currently, ASUS expects you to use the included double-sided tape to attach the controller, which is decent, but it also means that you will have to really plan ahead before installing the ROG Ryujin II 360 in your system.
Performance

The ROG Ryujin II 360 ties our MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360, which isn’t all that surprising considering that both are based on Asetek Gen 7 designs. It keeps our CPU below 82°C at all times in our 30-minute Realbench stress test, which is excellent. The pre-applied thermal paste on the ROG Ryujin II 360 is also very good, matching the temperatures we got with our application of MasterGel Maker. On top of all that, this is also the best performing cooler in this stack, which is even more interesting once you see the next chart.

At 100% fan speed, the ROG Ryujin II 360 is audible, but the lower pitch of the noise makes it more bearable. But when compared against the similarly performing MSI MPG CoreLiquid K360, the ROG Ryujin II 360 is significantly quieter. It seems that their partnership with Noctua really pays off, with the fans delivering excellent performance while still being rather quiet.
As the ROG Ryujin II 360 has an embedded fan on its pump block for VRM cooling, we also tested it at 100%. As usual for small fans, they are quite loud, and the higher pitch is also quite annoying. The good news however is that the keeping the fan below 70% doesn’t really add to the noise, and the auto fan curve for the embedded fan usually keeps it below 70%. So yeah, it’s all good.

Most of the premium motherboards that you would pair the ROG Ryujin II 360 with will most probably not need any additional airflow over the VRMs. Our AORUS Z490 MASTER is no different, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t benefit from it. The VRM temperatures dropped by a good 6°C by just leaving the fan at the inaudible auto setting, and up to a whopping 10°C when we set the fan to its maximum speed. I wouldn’t recommend keeping it at maximum RPM though, as it sounds quite annoying at this setting.
User Experience
Display Customization

I believe that the biggest improvement in the overall user experience coming from the original ROG Ryujin is that you no longer need three separate software to manage all the settings on the ROG Ryujin II 360. Now with the ROG Ryujin II 360, all you need is Armoury Crate, which lets you play around with the display contents quite easily. ASUS has clearly worked a lot on their software support, with the ROG Ryujin II 360 now being much less picky when it comes to the GIFs that you can use on the panel. You can even create slideshows of up to five animations/images here if you want!

There’s are also other customization options, including what to show on the display of the ROG Ryujin II 360 when your system is off. By default it will show the… well, default animation, but you can also change it to your own custom image or GIF animation. You can’t set it to show the time though, which is quite peculiar.

There’s also official AIDA64 support, which is fully customizable, if you are up for it. ASUS was kind enough to throw in a free copy of AIDA64 Extreme, and it comes with four preset layouts.

Of course, if you are into full customization, these four presets are definitely not going to cut it. The full customization options are available to you if you want to as well, and it’s nice to see that ASUS worked with AIDA64 to enable extensive customizability for your monitoring needs.

But I am not particularly a huge fan of this, and I prefer the monitoring options in Armoury Crate, which is already very detailed, with the ability to show up to four stats per page, and you also have the ability to create five slides here. What I hope will be added is the ability to change the background to your preferred image or animation. Right now, ASUS only gives you the choice of either the Dark or Light theme. Alternatively, you can also pick a color for the font and the background, but that’s about it. I guess that’s why you should use AIDA64.

A much less useful option is the Custom Banner mode. This is quite limited right now, with only three different wallpapers to choose from and you only get one choice of font and font size for the text. If you are only using short messages, they look extremely awkward. I am definitely looking forward to ASUS expanding on this.

Fan Control

Now the ROG Ryujin II 360 has three things that you can control the speed of: the radiator fans, the embedded fan in the pump block, and the pump itself. There are four presets, and you can also create your own with both the Smart Mode which lets you create a three-step PWM curve, and a fixed RPM mode that I used for the tests, as I needed the fan and pump to be at full speed.
Overall I do really like the software experience in Armoury Crate when it comes to customizing the ROG Ryujin II 360, and I really think ASUS deserves a good number of cookies for their efforts to integrate everything into one software that works properly.
Conclusion
The ROG Ryujin II 360 is not cheap. At RM1399, it is one of the more expensive AIO liquid coolers out there. But it isn’t all that expensive, when you take into account the bundled Noctua fans which cost more than RM150 each. And there are three of them here! Then you have the great performance, beautiful LCD display and excellent software integration, including support for AIDA64, and it starts to look pretty good. You don’t often see me commending the value proposition on ROG products, but yeah, you do get a good deal with the ROG Ryujin II 360.
Not to mention that ASUS actually bundled an AIO Fan Controller that has ARGB controls, even though the ROG Ryujin II 360 doesn’t actually have any ARGB accents on it. If that’s not value, I don’t know what is. You no longer have to worry about having to use other software to manage your ARGB accessories even if you don’t own an ROG motherboard, as the AIO Fan Controller will take care of that.

My main concern with such a premium cooler is whether the ROG Ryujin II 360 will support the upcoming AMD AM5 and Intel LGA1700 sockets, because I would want to use this for more than just one generation of CPUs. I guess ASUS could easily ship you an Asetek retention kit to let you use the ROG Ryujin II 360 on the newer sockets, or you probably can source one elsewhere, since Asetek-based designs are quite ubiquitous, and it doesn’t look like Asetek is going to change their mounting system anytime soon. I sure hope ASUS has plans to support them with the ROG Ryujin II 360, as there has been rumors of the next-gen sockets using different cooler mounting points.

Our thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us the ROG Ryujin II 360 for review. You can check out the ROG Ryujin II 360 on Shopee via this affiliate link to support what we do here at Pokde.net.
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Be amazed by the JOI Amazer GL7000 series gaming laptops powered by Intel and NVIDIA

JOI’s previous lineup of mobile PCs were more directed towards the professional crowd with efficient chipsets and portable designs, but this latest creation by them is a little different. It is designed for more fun and games, literally. The JOI Amazer GL7000 series is their first lineup of gaming laptops and they are looking awesome.
For starters, JOI harnessed their experience at designing portable machines to make the JOI Amazer GL7000 series among the most portable gaming laptops in the market. Weighing in at around 1.87 kg and measuring a mere 20.5 mm thin, the JOI Amazer GL7000 is one svelte gaming laptop that you can easily carry around with you, and yet still throw down some heavy punches when you need it to.

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In that sleek design lies the latest 9th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-9750H, which delivers more processing power than you would ever need. Be it gaming or content creation, it will handle it without breaking a sweat. In addition to great performance, the Intel® Core™ i7-9750H can also deliver excellent battery life thanks to Intel®’s Speed Shift Technology intelligently adjusting itself to deliver the best balance of raw horsepower and efficiency.
Meanwhile in the graphics department, the JOI Amazer GL7000 series is ready for all the latest AAA titles with it packing the latest NVIDIA Turing graphics. JOI offers the laptops with options ranging up to the GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, which is among the highest-end mobile graphics cards available, letting you enjoy high frame rates as well as beautiful raytraced graphics in the latest RTX titles like Metro Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Last but not least, you will get to experience all the stunning visuals on the 144 Hz 15.6″ 1080p display that comes standard in the JOI Amazer 7000 series. 144 Hz displays are still relatively rare in gaming laptops, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see JOI list it as a standard feature in your first gaming laptop. Another feature that comes standard across the JOI Amazer 7000 series is Windows 10 Pro, giving you all the features Microsoft has to offer including Remote Desktop, Bitlocker and more. JOI is currently offering two configurations as follows:
JOI Amazer GL7000 Series Specifications

JOI Amazer GL7916BK/GM
JOI Amazer GL7927BK/GM

CPU
Intel® Core™ i7-9750H, 6C/12T, up to 4.5 GHz, 14nm

RAM
4GB
16GB (8GB x 2)

Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q 8GB GDDR6

Storage
512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD

Display
15.6″ FHD (1080p), 144 Hz refresh rate

Price
RM4899
RM6599

If you are interested to get the JOI Amazer GL7000 series, you can head over to the GLOO Concept Store @ Plaza Lowyat, 2nd Floor, or register your interest via the following link to check out the JOI Amazer GL7000 series:
Register your Interest!
This is an exclusive article for JOI Malaysia.
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Grab Offers More New PayLater Payment Options To Consumers

Merchants will be able to provide PayLater payment methods at checkout using the GrabPay wallet, allowing customers to buy what they want, when they want, and pay for it later without interest. Customers will have the option of making four interest-free payments (PayLater Instalments) or paying the following month (PayLater Postpaid).
More merchants offer PayLater options via GrabPay wallet

Zalora reported a 20% rise in new shoppers and a 15% increase in consumers utilising GrabPay to complete a purchase after Adyen introduced this postponed payment method on May 1. Customers who used Grab PayLater had bigger basket sizes than those who used Grab Wallets, which resulted in an increase in sales for the online merchant.

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“We expanded our partnership with Adyen to offer PayLater to businesses, starting in Singapore and Malaysia, as many of our merchants are already integrated with Adyen via their existing APIs. This means they can now easily add deferred payment methods as another flexible option for their customers, at no extra cost,” said Chris Yeo, Managing Director and Head of GrabPay, Grab Financial Group.
“Buy Now, Pay Later options are becoming more popular in Asia, and we see demand growing. This partnership gives our merchants the ability to offer this payment method, so their shoppers have more flexibility in paying for their purchases via their preferred payment approach,” said Warren Hayashi, President of Asia-Pacific, Adyen.
Grab and Adyen have been working together since 2016 when the superapp chose Adyen to expand its GrabPay capabilities throughout Southeast Asia. The two firms collaborate closely to guarantee merchants have the quickest path to market while also optimising procedures and improving revenue.
Pokdepinion: Now this is useful. While personally, I am not a huge fan of paying for something later, I do understand that sometimes people need to use this payment option due to not having the means on hand at the time of purchase.
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Your next iPad Pro might come with an OLED display

Apple might be using an OLED display panel for their upcoming iPad Pro coming next year. After updating their entire iPhone lineup to use OLED displays, Apple’s premium tablet lineup is a natural next step to get the OLED treatment. Samsung Display and LG Display are reportedly hard at work developing new OLED panels that will have a longer lifespan than the current generation of OLED panels.
To achieve this goal, Samsung has reportedly renovated its production facility in Asan to produce this new generation of OLED displays. The emitting layers will be stacked to avoid burn-in from happening as quickly. Considering that tablets are used more extensively for displaying text and other static elements on the screen, this development might be quite necessary.
LG has already applied a similar technology for their OLED displays meant for in-car displays, so they are at least on par in that area. With that said, Apple might not be adopting OLED panels as quickly in their tablets, as they might be exploring mini LED displays first before making the jump to OLED panels.

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Earlier rumors have pointed to Apple unveiling a new iPad Pro with a mini LED panel in Q1 2021. According to the rumors, Apple’s shift to OLED displays in the iPad Pro lineup might be delayed depending on the “scale of adoption” of mini LED displays. This might mean if the mini LED displays prove to be a hit among consumers, Apple might push back the release of the iPad Pro featuring OLED displays.

For now, Apple is reportedly considering launching the iPad Pro with OLED panels in the second half of 2021. It does seem quite unlike Apple to release two significantly different iPad Pros in a year, unless Apple intends to space out the iPad Pro 11″ and iPad Pro 12.9″ launches for 2021.
Mini LED technology offers a significant advantage over regular LCD backlighting, as it allows for much finer control of contrast and brightness across the screen. In entirely dark areas, the mini LEDs can also be turned off to save power. You still won’t be able to get the contrast that OLED panels are known for, but the advantage here is that you won’t have to worry as much about burn-in happening.
Source
Pokdepinion: I do think keeping LCDs for tablets and laptops makes more sense. The mini LED update should satisfy most users anyway.
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We have confirmed some of the new features that will be coming to your smartphones via Android 13, including one focused on wallpapers. Here’s what we know thus far.
Android 13 Set to Breathe New Life Into Wallpapers

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Recently, Google released the Android 13 developer preview 2 so we managed to learn of some of the new things coming to the mobile OS. For starters, we have redesigned media controls, which is found between Quick Settings and Notifications. Unlike before, the widget is larger to the point of fitting both the title and description, making it easier to see and use.
Apart from that, the media output picker has also seen a redesign to make it match better with the Android 13 design language. You can use this to pair to a new device, making the process more convenient.
The highlight of what we learned from developer preview 2 is the new wallpaper effects called “Cinematic Wallpaper”. Essentially, it lets you apply effects to your wallpaper to tweak the look or give it a different vibe. While the full list of effect aren’t known, we do know that you can dim the wallpaper, but you can already do this with Xiaomi’s MIUI and Samsung’s One UI.
Lastly, we have the Foreground Services task manager now positioned at the bottom of Quick Settings and Notification Panel. You can use it to monitor the apps that are currently running in the background, and choose to kill the process or not. It will notify you if an app has been running for more than 20 hours so make sure that you’re aware of what’s running.
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Pokdepinion: If it makes my wallpaper look livelier, I look forward to it. I’m sure they’re going to add more and more new effects with future updates, so having the framework there is good enough for me.
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[UNBOXING] Razer Panthera Evo Arcade Stick

Unboxing the Razer Panthera Evo Arcade Stick

Sometime ago, we got our hands on the Razer Panthera arcade stick and it was a joy to use. The only downside was its asking price, which was pretty high. Now, we have the brand new Razer Panthera Evo, taking your fighting game experience to the next level.
Razer is no stranger when it comes to gaming peripherals and as such, they have made another one to cater to the fighting game community. The Razer Panthera Evo still has the authentic Sanwa joystick with the balltop but this time, it doesn’t come with the battop. Not to mention, the buttons are using Razer mechanical switches, the same one you can find on Razer mechanical keyboards.
Unlike the original Panthera, you can actually customize the artwork on this one easily by first removing the acrylic panel on top. We’ll talk more about the product in our review post so for now, you can check out our unboxing video at the top of this post. For more details on the Razer Panthera Evo arcade stick, check it out right below here:

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Razer Panthera Evo Specifications

8 Razer Mechanical Switch pushbuttons (Viewlix Layout)
Authentic Sanwa joystick with ball top
Fully accessible internals for easy modification
9.8 ft / 3 m hard wired cable and cable management storage
Approximate size: 385 mm x 260 mm x 121 mm (L x W x H)
Approximate weight: 2.1 kg / 4.6 lbs

Our full, in-depth review for the Razer Panthera Evo arcade stick will be coming soon so stay tuned to Pokde.net for that.
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Smartphone Camera Shootout: Samsung Galaxy A5 VS Samsung Galaxy A7 VS ASUS Zenfone 3 VS OPPO F1s

A smartphone camera shootout between 4 of the most notable mid-range smartphones of 2016.
When we wanted to photos in the past, we always had a camera of some kind with us. Be it a compact camera or a full-sized DSLR, we just needed it because it wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Soon enough, smartphones began to have cameras built in them. Of course, it wasn’t great at taking pictures initially but soon enough, we saw some good images produced by our very own smartphones.
There was always this misconception that to have a smartphone with a good camera, you have to buy something high end or from some notable brand but that’s not always the case. You don’t have to break your bank account to get a smartphone with a good camera and that’s what we’re going to show you today.

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We will be pitting 4 mid-range smartphones against each other in a camera shootout and it will be between the Samsung Galaxy A5, Samsung Galaxy A7, ASUS Zenfone 3, and the OPPO F1s. Here’s a brief look into each smartphone.

ASUS Zenfone 3

Samsung Galaxy A7

Oppo F1s

Samsung Galaxy A5

Display
5.5″ FHD Super IPS+
5.5″ FHD SuperAMOLED
5.5″ HD IPS
5.2″ FHD SuperAMOLED

CPU
Snapdragon 625 (8 x A53 @ 2.0 GHz)
Snapdragon 615 (4 x A53 @ 1.5 GHz, 4 x A53 @ 1.2 GHz)
Mediatek MT6750 (8 x A53 @ 1.5 GHz)
Snapdragon 615 (4 x A53 @ 1.5 GHz, 4 x A53 @ 1.2 GHz)

GPU
Adreno 506
Adreno 405
Mali T860MP2
Adreno 405

RAM
4GB
2GB
3GB
2GB

Storage
32GB (expandable)
16GB (expandable)
32GB (expandable)
16GB (expandable)

Rear camera
16MP f/2.0, OIS, TriTech AF
13MP f/1.9, OIS
13MP, f/2.2, PDAF
13MP f/1.9, OIS

Front camera
8MP f/2.0
5MP f/1.9
16MP, f/2.0
5MP, f/1.9

Battery
3000 mAh
3300 mAh
3075 mAh
2900 mAh

Android version
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow

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Samsung battery woes far from over? Galaxy Note9 catches fire in woman’s purse

While Samsung has been highlighting their eight-point inspection process to prevent the explosive mess that the Note 7’s battery was, it seems that they might still have issues with their batteries. A Samsung Galaxy Note9 has apparently spontaneously caught fire in a woman’s purse in New York.
This is the first report of a Galaxy Note9 catching fire, and the lawsuit filed by Diane Chung, the unfortunate woman, stated that she felt the device heat up excessively, and she stopped using it and put it into her purse. Probably not the smartest move to put an overheating device into a closed purse, and she then noted a “whistling and screeching sound” as well as “thick smoke” coming from her bag. The fire also didn’t stop until someone put the phone into a bucket.

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The case may seem very similar to the Galaxy Note7’s disaster back in 2016. The Galaxy Note9 also features the largest battery the Korean giant has ever fitted into a Galaxy Note smartphone, just like the Galaxy Note7 back then. The Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note FE actually featured smaller batteries than the Galaxy Note7, until the Galaxy Note9 came along.
Samsung’s statement regarding this issue to CNET is that they will be investigating this issue, and they have not received any other reports of exploding Note9s. We have seen Samsung handle the whole issue with the Galaxy Note7’s battery very admirably, so we expect Samsung to do the same with this case.
And a quick PSA, do not put overheating devices into your pocket or purses.
UPDATE: Here’s Samsung full statement regarding the issue:
“Samsung takes customer safety very seriously and we stand behind the quality of the millions of Galaxy devices in use. We have not received any reports of similar incidents involving a Galaxy Note9 device and we are investigating the matter.”
Source: CNET
Pokdepinion: That was probably an isolated case, but we will be keeping our ears and eyes peeled for any similar reports.
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ASUS ZenFone 4 series Technical Specs Comparison – featuring ZenFone 4, ZenFone 4 Pro, ZenFone 4 Selfie, ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro, ZenFone 4 Max Pro

I know, it sounds confusing, but it’s actually a lot simpler than it looks. I’ll make it easier for you guys too. There are 3 iterations of the ASUS ZenFone 4, and their Pro counterpart is a step-up of their baseline model. I’ve made a comparison table for your pleasure, each along with their Pro counterpart. I’ll elaborate them in their respective sections ahead.
ASUS ZenFone 4 & ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro
Spotting a 5.5″ display and dual rear cameras, both the ASUS ZenFone 4 and the ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro, while being very similar, carry a significant amount of differences. The devices are perfectly flat with no camera bumps, and the thickness stands merely at 7.5mm only. Standing at the top of the ZenFone 4 series, the quickest way to spot the difference is the availability of the Laser Auto Focus sensor behind the Pro version, which the non-Pro counterpart doesn’t have.
Notice the Laser AF behind the Pro version (right)
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 on the ASUS ZenFone 4 is probably one of the most balanced CPU in terms of performance vs battery consumption while the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 on the ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro is a powerhouse that delivers unrivaled performance with a plethora of new technologies bundled with it. Let’s dive into the specifications.

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Model
ASUS ZenFone 4 (ZE554KL)
ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro (ZS551KL)

CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Octa-core 2.2GHz, 64-bit, 14nm
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-Kyro 280 (4 x 2.45GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz), 64-bit, 10nm

GPU
Adreno 508
Adreno 540

RAM / Storage
6GB / 64GB
6GB / 128GB

Rear Camera 1
12MP, Sony IMX362, 1/2.55″ sensor, 1.4μm, f/1.8, 25mm focal length, 83° field of view
12MP, Sony IMX362, 1/2.55″ sensor, 1.4μm, f/1.7, 25mm focal length, 83° field of view, Dual Pixel PDAF, Laser AF, Subject Tracking AF, SuperPixel Engine, 4-axis OIS with 4-stop slower shutter speeds

Rear Camera 2
8MP, Omnivision 8856, 1.12μm, f/2.2, 12mm focal length, 120° field of view
16MP, Sony IMX351, 1.00μm, f/2.6, 50mm focal length (2X), 47° field of view

Front Camera
8MP, Omnivision 8856, 1.12μm, f/2.0, 24mm focal length, 84° field of view
8MP, Sony IMX319, 1.4μm, f/1.9, 24mm focal length, 88° field of view, PDAF, SuperPixel

Display
5.5″ FHD (1920 x 1080) Super IPS+ LCD, 600 nits
5.5″ FHD (1920 x 1080) AMOLED, 500 nits

Wireless
CAT12 3CA – 600Mbps D/L and 100Mbps U/L
802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi

Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0
USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C (with OTG support)
0.3s fingerprint sensor

SIM and Expansion
Dual nano SIM with LTE + 2nd SIM combo SD card (up to 256GB)

Battery
3300mAh
3600mAh

Audio
Smart amp powered speaker with DTS 7.1 virtual, dual internal mic with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology, VoLTE
Dual Smart amp powered speakers with DTS 7.1 virtual, triple mic system with ASUS Noise Reduction Technology, VoLTE

Colors
Midnight Black
Moonlight White
Mint Green
Pure Black
Moonlight White

Now, this is a VERY generous list of features that ASUS has put into the ASUS ZenFone 4 series this time around. These specifications are tailored for Malaysia, with other regions getting different specifications. We also have deets about ASUS including 802.11ad 60GHz Wi-Fi band into the ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro for selected countries which would be a solid breakthrough. As for now, we can only confirm that ASUS Malaysia has no immediate plans to bring in the ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro yet, but the ASUS ZenFone 4 will be available by end of August 2017.
ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie & ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro
The rogue red has a very beautiful color combined with a black front facade
Next up, we have the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie and it’s Pro counterpart. BOTH of these devices will be making their way to Malaysia, and these will be highly available in our country. Their specifications are very well decided and their prices are spot on! At the fourth generation of the ZenFone series, ASUS has finally decided to price their products with the consumers in mind!
The ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro has it’s lenses aligned next to each other, side-by-side
Let’s have a look at their specifications. Oh, and take note that the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie series have dual cameras in front as opposed to the rear, so don’t get confused reading the specifications ;)

Model
ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie (ZD553KL)
ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro (ZD552KL)

CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa-core 1.4GHz, 64-bit, 28nm
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-core 2.0GHz, 64-bit, 14nm

GPU
Adreno 505
Adreno 506

RAM / Storage
4GB / 64GB
4GB / 64GB

Front Camera 1
20MP, Omnivision 20880, 1.0μm, f/2.0, 31mm focal length, 69° field of view
24MP SuperPixel, Sony IMX362, 1.4μm, f/1.8, 25mm focal length, 83° field of view

Front Camera 2
8MP, Omnivision 8856, 1.12μm, f/2.4, 12mm focal length, 120° field of view
5MP, Omnivision 5670, 1.0μm, f/2.2, 12mm focal length, 120° field of view

Rear Camera
16MP, Omnivision 16880, 1.0μm, f/2.0, 26mm focal length, 80° field of view
16MP, Sony IMX351, 1.0μm, f/2.2, 26mm focal length, 80° field of view

Display
5.5″ HD (1280 x 720) IPS LCD, 400 nits, 74.2% screen-to-body ratio
5.5″ FHD (1920 x 1080) AMOLED, 500 nits

Wireless
Integrated 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi Direct

Connectivity
Bluetooth 4.0
Micro USB 2.0 (with OTG support)
0.3s fingerprint sensor
Bluetooth 4.2
Micro USB 2.0 (with OTG support)
0.3s fingerprint sensor

SIM and Expansion
Dual nano SIM with LTE + dedicated SD card (up to 2TB)
Dual nano SIM with LTE + 2nd SIM combo SD card (up to 2TB)

Battery
3000mAh
3000mAh with fast charging

Audio
New 5 magnet structure speaker
New 5 magnet structure speaker with DTS 7.1 virtual, dual mic system

Colors
Rose Pink
Mint Green
Sunlight Gold
Deepsea Black
Rogue Red
Sunlight Gold
Deepsea Black

Price
RM1,299
RM1,799

As you can see, ASUS didn’t just slap the Pro for no reasons. There are significant differences that ASUS has added to the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie series to cater to different demographics. You can pick the one that fits your pocket basically. The price stated includes several accessories like selfie stick (both), OTG cable (both), Micro USB cable (both), Screen Protector (both), ASUS ZenPower 10,050mAh power bank and 16GB Micro SD card (Pro only).
ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro
Yup, the ZenFone 4 Max Pro also gets a dual-camera!
Now the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro has only the Pro version. There is no “base” model for it and don’t ask me why. This one is going to be the most affordable in the ASUS ZenFone 4 series as usual. Spotting very similar looks to the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom, the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro got itself a pair of dual-lenses camera too. But that’s not the key feature of the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro. We all know what the ZenFone Max has been famous for – it’s battery.
Under the hood, there is a non-removable 5000mAh battery that does not jeopardize the outlook of the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro at all by retaining a slim profile. With up to 46 days of 4G standby, 40 hours of 3G talking, 26 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing and 22 hours of video playback, battery life is going to be the last of your worries with the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro. And if you do managed to deplete it in one way or another, it has fast charging capabilities using it’s 10W adapter that brings the device alive to 3 hours of talk time just with a mere 15 minutes charging. And if you are very much in a hurry after this short charging time, put the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro into Super Saving Mode, you will get 91 hours of standby time with the battery at 10%! Impressed yet?
The ASUS PowerMaster app gives you complete control of your battery
With the ASUS Power Master app, you will be in full control of how efficiently would you like to utilize the battery of the ASUS Zenfone 4 Max Pro. The Performance Mode will grant you ultimate performance, perfect for resources intensive operations like gaming and downloading multiple applications. The Power Saving mode turns of network connectivity when the device is put to sleep for better efficiency. The Super Saving Mode  turns off all Internet connections and keeps only basic features on including the telephone, text messaging, alarm clock, etc. This mode offers extreme levels of power-saving performance.
Let’s checkout the specifications to see what ASUS has to offer.

Model
ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro (ZC554KL)

CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa-core 1.4GHz, 64-bit, 28nm

GPU
Adreno 505

RAM / Storage
3GB / 32GB

Rear Camera 1
16MP, Omnivision 16880, 1.12μm, f/2.0, 25mm focal length, 80° field of view

Rear Camera 2
5MP, Omnivision 5675, 1.12μm, f/2.2, 18mm focal length, 120° field of view

Front Camera
16MP, Omnivision 16880, 1.0μm, f/2.0, 26mm focal length, 80° field of view

Display
5.5″ HD (1280 x 720) IPS LCD, 400 nits

Wireless
Integrated 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi Direct

Connectivity
Bluetooth 4.1
Micro USB 2.0 (with OTG support)
0.3s fingerprint sensor

SIM and Expansion
Dual nano SIM with LTE + dedicated SD card (up to 2TB)

Battery
5000mAh

Audio
Speaker with PMIC internal amplifier, dual mic system

Colors
Rose Pink
Sunlight Gold
Deepsea Black

Price
RM1099

The ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro also includes similar accessories like the ASUS ZenFone 4 Selfie which makes this price very interesting indeed.
So, there you go, a comparison of the ZenFone 4 series. I hope I have shed off some confusion in terms of the naming and product positioning so far. Let’s talk about the products’ features in the next posts. Eventually, we will also be doing reviews accordingly so subscribe to our site if you not already have :)
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New PlayStation Patent Hints at PSP 5G – Companion Console for the PS5?

New PlayStation Patent Hints at PSP 5G

When it comes to new PlayStation-related details, the hottest ones around are related to the upcoming PS5 console. However, it’s not the only gaming project that Sony is working on allegedly. A new leak has surfaced which reveals that Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a patent for a game cartridge.
First seen on Dutch website LetsGoDigital, the leak shows a document filed with Brazilian patent office, INPI. The document depicts a thick, Gameboy-styled game cartridge with an indented space on the casing possibly for a label.
The designer of the product was listed with the name Yujin Morisawa. For those of you who aren’t aware, he is a senior art director at Sony Interactive Entertainment and plays a key role on all PlayStation products. This could indicate that the cartridge is meant for a PlayStation product, possibly the rumoured PSP 5G.

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While the PS Vita can be considered a commercial failure, many expected the company to give up on portable game consoles. However, they may be going a different route with this that is more akin to the Nintendo Switch. In 2018, PlayStation boss John Kodera said:
 In my opinion, rather than separating portable gaming from consoles, it’s necessary to continue thinking of it [portable gaming] as one method to deliver more gaming experiences and exploring what our customers want from portable. We want to think about many options.John Kodera, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO
There is a possibility that it’s for a revamped Sony Toio, which Morisawa created in the past. The Sony Toio is a hands-on toy platform which allows children to build and control constructs via a ring-shaped controller. Adding a cartridge could provide more gaming software for the platform.
Another possibility is that they are simply testing different hardware. This would mean that the cartridge may not necessarily be released to the public. It is just a patent after all. For now, we’ll just keep an eye out and see what other interesting details that we can find.
Source: T3
Pokdepinion: I’m really hoping it will be something like the Nintendo Switch. Call it a rip-off all you want but ultimately, the consumers will be the winner here.
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OnePlus Nord 3 Leaked Photos Show Off The Midrange Phone In Its Entirety

The OnePlus Nord 3 has been a subject of rumours and speculations for quite some time, leaving fans eagerly anticipating its arrival. While an official launch date is yet to be announced, the rumour mill continues to churn out intriguing details about this highly anticipated mid-range smartphone. In the latest leak, a set of photos showcases the phone, retail box, and charger, providing an in-depth look at what OnePlus has in store for its Nord series enthusiasts.
Leaked Photos Unveil OnePlus Nord 3: A Closer Look at Design and Specs

Initial rumours suggested that the OnePlus Nord 3 might be a rebranded version of the Ace series smartphone. However, the unveiling of the OnePlus Ace 2V, featuring the Dimensity 9000 CPU instead of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, seemed to dismiss this possibility. The leaked images, however, confirm the Nord 3’s similarities to the Ace 2V, with distinct “Nord” branding and slight variations in specifications.

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Leaked photos reveal the alleged OnePlus Nord 3 alongside its retail box, showcasing a design reminiscent of the OnePlus Ace 2V. The black box features prominent “OnePlus Nord 3 5G” labeling and includes blue cards adorned with the “Nord” branding. Notably, the leaked specs indicate an 80W fast charging capability for the included charging brick.

In terms of camera capabilities, the Nord 3 is expected to feature a 50MP primary camera, a slight departure from the Ace 2V’s 64MP sensor. However, other specifications remain similar, including a powerful chipset offering up to 16GB of RAM and a 5000mAh battery. The phone will also sport a 6.74-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,772 x 1,240 pixels of resolution.
The leaked photo also confirms the return of the Alert Slider, a beloved feature in the Nord series, as well as the inclusion of an IR sensor. The introduction of the IR Blaster suggests OnePlus aims to compete with other brands offering this functionality to users. As for software, the OnePlus Nord 3 is expected to run OxygenOS 13 based on Android 13, ensuring a seamless and feature-rich user experience.

While an official launch date for the OnePlus Nord 3 is yet to be revealed, the flurry of leaks suggests that OnePlus may make an announcement soon. As anticipation builds, fans eagerly await the official unveiling of this highly anticipated mid-range smartphone. Stay tuned for further updates as we await the official launch date of the OnePlus Nord 3.
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Pokdepinion: The leaked photos of the OnePlus Nord 3 provide a tantalizing glimpse into what OnePlus has in store for its devoted fans. From its design similarities with the OnePlus Ace 2V to the impressive camera setup and powerful specifications, the Nord 3 is poised to make a splash in the midrange smartphone market.
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Upcoming Nokia Flagship Smartphone Reported To Be Delayed — To Be Equipped With Snapdragon 865 Chipset

Nokia’s flagship smartphone for last year, the Nokia 9 PureView was launched in the early parts of 2019, which came with 2018’s Snapdragon 845 SoC. Now it seems that HMD Global doesn’t want to repeat that move with their next flagship smartphone.
It’s reported that the device that’s coming is called the Nokia 9.2. You’re probably wondering on why they skipped 9.1, and truth be told, we are too.
Planned to be release in Q2 of this year, it seems that the device will be pushed back even further with reports that HMD wants to feature this year’s Snapdragon 865 and 5G connectivity to the phone.

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The report is according to a tipster Nokia Anew, who previously leaked that the previous Nokia 9 PureView would be introduced at MWC.
As far as the news goes, the information of the leak is still to be confirmed officially, so do take it with a pinch of salt.

Other than that, HMD Global did however teased a 5G-powered midrange smartphone that’s utilizing a Snapdragon 765 chip, where it is teased of having a triple camera setup at the back.
Pokdepinion: If the leak is indeed real, then it’s sure to be exciting news for Nokia fans out there. Then again, will it ever make it to our shores? The Nokia 9 PureView sure didn’t…
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Nokia 5.4 With Snapdragon 662 Revealed At ~RM931

HMD Global/ Nokia has recently unveiled their new mid-range smartphone in the form of the Nokia 5.4, which is powered by a Snapdragon 662 chipset and features quad cameras.
Nokia 5.4 introduced

With the Nokia 5.4, it comes with a 6.39-inch IPS LCD display that comes in HD+ resolution plus a punch-hole camera (16MP) at the front. For memory, it offers 4GB that’s mated with either 64GB or 128GB storage options.

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Over at the back, you’d see its circular cutout that fits in a quad camera setup that consists of a 48MP main camera, 5MP ultrawide lens, 2MP depth sensor, and finally a 2MP macro shooter. They’ve chose to offer a traditional fingerprint sensor just below the cameras.
Other than that, it runs on Android 10 out of the box but we expect it to soon receive the newer Android 11 through an update. Under the hood is a 4000mAh battery which you can charge with its USB-C 10W fast charger.
The Nokia 5.4 is priced at €189 (~RM931) in Europe and comes in purple and blue color variants. Despite that, there’s no confirmation that the device will arrive here in Malaysia but if it does, rest assured that we’ll let you know. Till then, stay tuned to Pokde.net for the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews.
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Pokdepinion: When you look at the hardware, it doesn’t seem much.. but I guess from the product renders it looks like a quality finish. Would you spend that much for a device such as the Nokia 5.4? Let us know in the comments.
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One of the key highlights of the PS5 console is the ability to easily expand its SSD storage via an M.2 slot. However, this feature was locked at launch. Based on recent reports, it looks like the PlayStation 5 will be getting this feature soon.
PS5 SSD Storage Expansion Expected to Arrive Soon

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The PS5 is certainly a technological marvel on its own. The most notable change for most users is the use of SSD storage so horrendous loading speeds would be a thing of the past. However, the sub-650GB storage may not be enough for many people, especially in the long run. Soon, you should be able to take advantage of its SSD storage expansion feature.
According to Bloomberg, Sony is looking to add the PS5 SSD storage expansion feature sometime in Summer 2021. Interestingly, it will also support HDD storage, but no word exactly on how it will work, especially limitations.
When you consider its competitor, the Xbox Series X / S, they do support external HDD storage but it will load slower and will not support the quick resume feature. As such, we do expect the same with the PlayStation 5. As for the external SSD solution, it’s a proprietary, memory card-like solution from Seagate, so your options aren’t as wide as the PS5.
For those of you who have yet to get your hands on the next gen console, more stocks are expected to arrive soon, and it will continue to be the case for the months to come. Rest assured, there will be more than enough stock for everyone eventually.
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Pokdepinion: This will certainly be helpful, but not sure if my wallet can stomach purchasing an M.2 drive that can match the speeds of the internal one.
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