CES 2021: Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4 is Coming to Malaysia

If you’re looking for a new gaming laptop, you might want to out just a bit longer. Dell has officially unveiled the new Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4, and both of these gaming laptops are confirmed to be coming to Malaysia.
Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4 is Coming to Malaysia

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The Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4 has further improved from its predecessor. It is now powered by the Intel Core i7-10870H instead of the i7-10750H, and will be using the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series laptop GPU. Apart from that, it has a 12-phase graphics voltage regulation for a consistent performance. As for memory, you get up to 2.5TB SSD storage and DDR4 RAM with a clock speed of 2933MHz.
To ensure that the laptop can run cool, it now uses vapour chamber technology for all variants so it can take advantage of the Alienware Cryo-Tech cooling technology. If you need every bit of competitive edge that you can get, you can opt to get Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4 with up to 360Hz refresh rate in Full HD resolution.
For a better look at the specifications, check it out right below here:

Products
Starting Price
Available Specs
Availability in Malaysia

Alienware m15 R4
RM10,999

10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
2.5 TB (2x1TB + 512GB PCIe SSD)
17.3” FHD (1920 x 1080) 360Hz (also available in UHD 3840 x 2160 60Hz)
Available colours: Lunar Light, Dark Side of the Moon

January 2021

Alienware m17 R4
RM10,799

10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870H
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
2TB PCIe M.2 SSD
15.6” FHD (1920 x 1080) 300Hz
Available colours: Lunar Light, Dark Side of the Moon

January 2021

The Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4 will be coming to Malaysia sometime in January 2021. It will be retailing from RM10,999 and RM10,799 respectively.
Alienware will be holding a livestream on 27th January 2020 at 4AM Malaysia time (GMT+8) to celebrate the launch of their new gaming products. Viewers can also hear from Team Liquid and NVIDIA GeForce, watch some games and stand a chance to win awesome prizes. It will be happening on the official Alienware Twitch channel.
Pokdepinion: I’m using the Alienware m15 R3 and still loving it. If anything, I kinda wished I had the R4’s CPU instead just for that small bit of strength, but I’m still happy with what I have.
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Dimensity 9000 makes huge leaps over its predecessor — Cortex-X2 CPU, Mali-G710 GPU on the 4nm node!

I guess the huge leap in numbering is sort of justified here. While the Dimensity 1200 was a pretty decent chipset, it had more in common with its contemporary mid-range chipsets than the flagships from Qualcomm or Samsung. But not this time around. The Dimensity 9000 pulled out all the stops for a chipset that will very well be on equal footing against the next-gen Samsung and Qualcomm flagship chipsets.
Dimensity 9000: The latest Armv9 architectures

MediaTek is using all the latest core architectures Arm has to offer, with the Dimensity 9000 featuring the latest Cortex-X2, Cortex-A710 and Cortex-A510 cores in a 1+3+4 configuration. The Cortex-X2 is clocked at up to 3.05GHz, faster than any mobile chipset we have seen recently. Even the trio of Cortex-A710 are running at a good 2.85GHz. The efficiency cores run at a pretty mundane 1.8GHz, but with them being the latest Cortex-A510 architecture, you should be in for a good performance uplift from last-gen chips too.

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The Dimensity 9000 was compared to the Apple A15 Bionic in terms of multi-core, and it seems to just edge it out of the water. However they didn’t compare the single-core performance, which is probably an area where Apple’s custom cores will pull ahead. In any case, it is claimed to up to 35% faster and 37% more efficient than an “Android flagship”, which we assume that MediaTek is referring to the Snapdragon 888.
Dimensity 9000: LPDDR5X-7500

MediaTek also jumped ahead of the competition to offer the first mobile chipset to support LPDDR5X. While we have seen the LPDDR5X standard scale up to 8533Mbps, the Dimensity 9000 will support up to LPDDR5X-7500, which will offer 17% higher bandwidth over the existing LPDDR5-6400 solutions. It also packs a 6MB system cache, which will reduce the need for data to be shuttled to and fro memory, improving performance and also efficiency, which are huge for a mobile chipset.
Dimensity 9000: Mali-G710MP10

On the graphics end, you have the Mali-G710MP10 GPU with the Dimensity 9000. Each of the Mali-G710 cores can be compared to two Mali-G78 cores, so you have a configuration that’s comparable to a Mali-G710MP20 GPU, like the one in the Google Tensor chip. MediaTek is reportedly going to clock it at up to 850MHz, although they have apparently yet to confirm the final clocks.
In any case, MediaTek claims that it will be up to 35% faster than current Android flagships, while being 60% more efficient. It seems that MediaTek is pushing for lower power consumption versus all-out performance with the Dimensity 9000, which is probably something that you will want in a smartphone. MediaTek also compared it to the iPhone 13 with the A15 Bionic, with it offering slightly more consistent performance than the Apple smartphone.

What I look forward to see is whether the Mali-G710MP10 can compete against Samsung’s RDNA 2 GPU as well as Qualcomm’s upcoming Adreno 730. Qualcomm has been the incumbent in the mobile GPU space, while Samsung’s RDNA 2 GPU is also looking quite promising. And oh, the Dimensity 9000 also supports raytracing on Vulkan, although it’s a software API implementation rather than being hardware accelerated. With support for WQHD+ 144Hz as well as FHD+ 180Hz displays, we might see quite a few gaming phones switch to MediaTek’s solution next year.
Dimensity 9000: Faster AI, beefier ISP and upgraded connectivity

Along with the massive upgrades in the primary CPU, GPU and memory aspects of the chipset, the Dimensity 9000 also boasts of huge improvements in the other areas like AI, imaging and connectivity. The MediaTek 5th Gen AI Processing Unit (APU) in the Dimensity 9000 is reportedly 400% faster and 400% more efficient. It is apparently faster than even the Google Pixel 6’s TPU, providing up to 16% higher performance in the ETHZ Ai benchmark.

The imaging experience will also be improved with the triple ISP setup offering support for up to 320MP cameras, or triple 32MP sensors concurrently, which will probably be more practical. As if that’s not enough, there’s also support for 270FPS 18-bit HDR across three sensors with its triple ISPs. The ISPs can also communicate with the APU directly for AI-enhanced video processing, like what the Google Pixel 6 can do. With having to shuttle data through the memory, it should allow for lower latency and reduce the need for memory bandwidth.

MediaTek enhanced the connectivity as well, supporting up to 7Gbps download speeds with 3CC carrier aggregation with up to 300MHz of Sub-6 bandwidth. MediaTek worked to make the modem in the Dimensity 9000 fully compatible with 3GPP release 16, and they are also promising great efficiency with it, a rather common theme when it comes to MediaTek’s modems. There’s also WiFi 6E and 160MHz support, Bluetooth 5.3 and also dual-band GPS.
Dimensity 9000: manufactured on TSMC 4nm

Now while I am not sure what this bodes for supply and availability, TSMC’s 4nm process node is reportedly significantly better than what Samsung has to offer. As such, it has already been rumored that the Dimensity 9000 will outperform the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 significantly when it comes to power consumption and also thermal output. Whether that’s true will remain to be seen.
One hint that TSMC has a pretty strong 4nm node is the fact that MediaTek managed to clock the Dimensity 9000 so high. We didn’t see such lofty clocks with the last-gen flagship chips, probably because Samsung’s 5nm node just isn’t that good. We have seen Qualcomm push 3.1GHz with the Snapdragon 865 Plus, only to drop it back down to 2.995GHz with the Snapdragon 888 Plus.
In any case, stay tuned for the Dimensity 9000-powered smartphones coming in 2022. I have a feeling that the mobile chipset scene is going to be really interesting next year!
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Pokdepinion: Finally MediaTek is stepping up to the plate and bringing the fight in terms of performance, and not just value!
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Nokia 7 launched with 6GB RAM for RM1719! A more affordable phone for Bothies!

HMD Global has just launched the mid-range Nokia 7 in Shanghai, China, set to hit the Chinese market this 24th October.
You may have realized that the gap between the Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 is pretty huge. We are looking at a Snapdragon 430 in the Nokia 6, and then suddenly the Nokia 8 sports a Snapdragon 835. While the Nokia 8 is pretty affordable for its specifications, where is the true mid range for Nokia? It has now arrived, in the form of the Nokia 7.
Inside

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The Nokia 7 comes with a Snapdragon 630 SoC and either 4GB or 6GB of RAM. Too bad it doesn’t come with the just launched Snapdragon 636 though. Storage is going to be 64GB of the eMMC 5.1 variety regardless of which variant you pick. There is support for up to 128GB microSD cards, so knock yourself out with the all the photos you can take. The Nokia 7 is running Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, but an upgrade to Android 8.0 Oreo is promised. Looking at how fast they are working on the update for the Nokia 8, the update should be delivered pretty soon too.
More Bothies!

Photography is definitely one of the selling points of the Nokia 7. The 16MP camera on the Nokia 7 sports ZEISS optics and a wide f/1.8 aperture. While f/1.8 isn’t the widest you can get on a smartphone now, it is actually wider than the Nokia 8’s f/2.0 apertures. This camera is capable of 4K @ 30 fps video recording, and also comes with Nokia OZO Audio. We have tested OZO Audio on the Nokia 8 and we were suitably impressed by it, so this is definitely a good addition to the mid-range Nokia 7. The selfie camera on this one is pretty tame in comparison, with a 5MP f/2.0 camera in front. The Nokia 7 also features “Bothie” which combines images from the front camera and rear camera into one video or photo.
Outside

The Nokia 7 is quite compact with its 5.2″ 1080p IPS display and 7.9 mm thickness. The aluminium chassis is now made of 7000 series aluminium, with Gorilla Glass panels for the front and back. The fingerprint sensor is on the back now, and I must say I prefer rear fingerprint sensors. The color options of the Nokia 7 are pretty limited though, with just Gloss Black and Matt White being your options. It is unique to see a matte glass panel, and I can’t wait to touch it. There will also be a case in the retail package, so you won’t have to worry about scratches on the sleek glass panels of the Gloss Black variant.
Pricing and availability

The Nokia 7 will be available in China starting 24th October, with the 4GB RAM variant priced at ¥2499 (~RM1592), while the 6GB RAM version will go for ¥2699 (~RM1719). Availability in other markets are yet to be confirmed.
Pokdepinion: Looking good there with the glass sandwich design! The Nokia 7 seems to pack most of the features of the Nokia 8 albeit losing the dual camera and flagship SoC, but is priced well to reflect the lower-tier ambitions. Looking forward to it!
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Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – Best for PlayStation

Unboxing the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – Box

Kicking off the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset review with the unboxing, we can see that the box design pretty much follows the same theme as the PS5 and its other peripherals; primarily white with blue accents and the iconic PlayStation button pattern. Inside the box, you can find the following items:
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – Box content

USB-C cable
3.5mm audio cable
USB receiver
Quick Start Guide
Safety and Support Guide
The Sony Pulse 3D wireless headset itself

Appearance
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review
For our review unit, we received the Midnight Black color variant. For the most part, the headset has a plastic build, with cushioning on the headband and for the ears. I’d say that the cushioning is rather plush and akin to the Sony MDR-XB950 EXTRA BASS headphones. The headband itself is designed in a way that will adjust automatically to your head without the need for manual adjustments.
In case you’re wondering, it does look notably different compared to the Sony Gold wireless headset for the PS4, especially the part that connects to the ear cups. In case you want one that matches the standard PS5 design, go for the White color instead.

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Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – Buttons and switches
There are quite a few things to be found on the right ear cup. This includes the 3.5mm audio port, USB-C port, mute switch, monitor switch, audio balance rocker (chat and game audio), and power button. Compared to most gaming headsets, this may seem excessive but keep in mind that it’s intended for use on the PS5, whereas PC gaming headsets have the luxury of using proprietary software.
As far as size is concerned, it’s relatively compact for an over-ear gaming headset. The microphone is built-in, so you will not see those boom microphones here, and makes it relatively easier to store. However, as this one can’t be folded, storing it isn’t exactly easy, which reduces its portability. Highly likely if you plan on bringing it around, you will have to put around your neck or an area in your bag that lets it comfortably through the headband.
Overall, the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset is certainly one of the better looking gaming headsets around but it’s likely one that you’ll be keeping at home instead of bringing it around with you. There are plenty of buttons on it which means you can rely on simple, direct adjustments and controls. Now, let’s see if it can perform as well as it looks.
Specifications

Drivers
40mm Neodymium Drivers

Frequency Response
4Hz – 40,000Hz

Headphone Type
Circumaural (Over ear)

Connector
1 x 3.5mm audio input / output
1 x USB Type-C

Audio Formats
Stereo, 7.1-Channel Virtual Surround (Tempest 3D AudioTech)

Microphone
Yes, dual noise-canceling mics

Wireless Range
10m

Noise-cancelling
No

Battery
Up to 12 hours

Dimensions
226 x 222.25 x 132 mm. 0.6kg

Color
White and Midnight Black

User Experience
Pairing
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – Pairing
There are multiple ways to use the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset, with the most straightforward one being the 3.5mm audio jack. This means it’s compatible with a good variety of devices provided they have the audio jack. If you want to use it wirelessly, you will need to use the included USB dongle.
All you have to do is connect the USB dongle to your PS5 console and proceed to power on the headset. When the indicator light blinks blue, it means that it’s still searching for the USB dongle but when it turns white, it means that it has been connected. The same goes for Windows PC, with the exception of waiting for the USB dongle to install the necessary drivers first. It’s that easy.
To my knowledge, it’s the same process on the PS4 as well, but we no longer have one to test it.
Sound Quality
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – Headband
The sound quality you can enjoy from the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset depends on the medium. The bass is rather strong, albeit not overbearing, and vocals are quite clear. However, it might not be as detailed as some headphones and headsets around, but it works great enough for games. For music, it really depends on the genre as EDM / chillstep and similar music works best with this.
As for gaming, it works best with the PS5 given the Tempest 3D AudioTech behind it. You can have a very immersive audio experience gaming with it, with 3D audio giving a good separation of what’s happening in the game such as footsteps, explosions, and other auditory effects. The only odd part is that audio ends up sounding a little distant but it doesn’t take long to get used to.
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review
Note: It works better in some games over others, as it sounded better in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart over Tales of Arise.
It doesn’t sound quite as impressive on PC however, as you get a more traditional stereo experience. The sound quality is still good for PC gaming, but after experiencing on the PS5, it’s a shame that you can’t get the full experience on other platforms as well.
Comfort
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – Wearing the headset
For those of you who game for long hours, the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset is surprisingly very comfortable. It’s light on the head, the ear cushions are soft, and the headband conforms to your head without the need for manual adjustments. It can get rather warm after about an hour of use but it’s certainly far from the warmest headset around, so I’d say that it’s acceptable.
What isn’t particularly comfortable however is accessing the buttons on the headset itself. While it’s great that they included a lot of them, it’s hard to accurately pick out the button and switch you want while you’re wearing it. It would make more sense if they were to split it evenly between the left and right cups as it’s easier to manage that way.
It’s worth noting that given how it’s placed on your ears, sound isolation isn’t the best. You can definitely still hear environmental noises while using it so if your house is particularly noisy, this might ruin the immersion factor.
Not sure what games to play on the PS5? Check out our review of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart by clicking right here.
Battery Life
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review – USB-C port
The battery life on the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset from my own experience is about 11 to 12 hours, which is decent enough. There are plenty of other wireless gaming headsets around that easily exceed this battery life but when you consider that it’s good for one super long gaming session or two decently lengthy gaming sessions, it’s not so bad.
One thing I have a bit of an issue is that the standby time isn’t particularly good. After a week of not using it, you will find the need to charge it as it still loses charge without use. On the plus side, charging is convenient as it uses USB-C, but keep in mind that it doesn’t support fast charging so it will take about 3 hours to completely juice it up.
Microphone

https://pokde.net/assets/uploads/2021/12/Recording-22.mp3
The microphone on the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset isn’t particularly good as it sounds rather muffled and soft, but it is at least better than the built-in microphone on the DualSense. You can think of it as being good enough for in-game voice chat and nothing more. Keep in mind that the mic will only work when using the dongle as using it via a cable doesn’t let you use the microphone. It could be better, but at least it’s there.
Editor’s note: there are claims of the microphone sounding a little better on PlayStation 4 / 5 compared to PC but the difference is negligible.
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Verdict
Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Review
If you primarily game on the PS5, the Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset is a worthy purchase, at just RM469, given the great surround sound experience. But if you primarily game on the PS5 or need one that’s versatile enough for multiple platforms, you might be better off looking elsewhere. If you plan on doing livestreams, make sure you have a better, standalone microphone with you.
At the end of our Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset review we award this with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to PlayStation Asia for sending us this headset for the purpose of this review.
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WhatsApp Beta Multi-Device Support Expanding to iPad and Android Tablets

We’ve heard plenty of rumors on new features coming to WhatsApp, and usually there’s a good indication of it being real if it’s added to the beta. In the case of the latest beta version, they have expanded multi-device support to include iPad and Android tablets.
WhatsApp Beta Multi-Device Support For iPad and Android Tablets

NEWS: WhatsApp is finally working on multi-device 2.0, and you can use iPad as new linked device ☄
Android tablets are also planned to support multi-device on WhatsApp for Android!
It’s under development and it will be released in a future update. Follow me to discover more 💚 pic.twitter.com/rND4xQfBDj
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) August 20, 2021

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As many of you may know by now, WhatsApp has been working on multi-device support, allowing users to use their account on multiple devices simultaneously. In the latest beta version, they will be expanding it to include iPad and Android tablet support.
From the details that we’ve learned, you should be able to use one account on up to four non-phone devices. This also means that you can’t have it run on more than a single phone device however, so if you plan on having the same account on your primary and secondary smartphone, it will not be possible for now. You can use it on Web, Desktop, and Portal with no issues.
Previously, the only way to access your WhatsApp account on PC is by having it linked via a QR code and stay connected to the internet at all times. This means if your smartphone ran out of battery or is having trouble getting internet connection, you wouldn’t be able to send / receive messages. With multi-device support, each device can operate independently, along with a new architecture that ensures end-to-end encryption.
The extra devices where your WhatsApp account wil lbe linked to will still require a QR code to link it, and they will enforce biometric authentication to bolster security. Users can check all the account’s linked devices and remote sign out if needed. If you want to give the feature a try, then you’ll just have to get your hands on the latest beta version.
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Pokdepinion: You’d think they would include this type of feature several years ago but I suppose it’s better late than never.
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Noctua NH-D15 dual tower CPU cooler review —The “Sandwich” cooler

Although AIO CPU cooler are increasingly common in PC builds, tower CPU coolers are still recommended for most builds. One of the most legendary CPU cooler, the Noctua NH-D14, also known as the “Sandwich”, is a good example of conventional CPU coolers which are still relevant for high performance processor. Today I have the successor of the sandwich cooler, the Noctua NH-D15, which is itself a sandwich as well, and let’s see if the tower CPU coolers are still worth it nowadays.
Unboxing

Noctua NH-D15 is not a new CPU cooler in the market. Introduced in 2014, the Noctua NH-D15 improves upon the earlier Noctua NH-D14. The retail box for this cooler is big, necessary to protect the cooler when shipping. On the front, there are a few highlights of the Noctua NH-D15 listed.

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At the back, we have detailed specifications printed on the box. There are two versions for this cooler, the Noctua NH-D15 which comes with two fans and the Noctua NH-D15S which only comes with a single fan.  From the specifications, we know that this cooler comes with a 6-year warranty (that’s really long!) and support for Low Noise adapter.

On one side of the box we have specification tables for the cooler and the fans, with Noctua’s company introduction in multiple languages on the other side.

Unboxing experience for this cooler is very straight forward. This is the new packaging design which sees all the accessories and mounting systems packed into one box unlike before where they will be found in three separated boxes. We have a total of three boxes within the external box, each holding the cooler itself, accessories and mounting system as well as the second NF-A15 PWM fan.

In the accessories box, we have the Secufirm 2 mounting kit for AMD and Intel LGA 115X sockets. We also have installation guides for every socket, a L-shape screw driver and a plastic bag labelled “common parts”.

Inside the common parts bag, we have two Low Noise fan adapters, a Y-splitter, fan mounting wires, Noctua’s high end NT-H1 thermal paste and also a exclusive Noctua badge.

The second fan is included in a separate box. Same like the primary one, this is a Noctua NF-A15 PWM fan.

Inside the cooler box, we have the Noctua NH-D15 itself with its pre-mounted fan sandwiched between the two banks of fins.
Appearance

The Noctua NH-D15 is still a dual tower CPU cooler like its predecessor, but it has grown in size. As it is wider, the distance between each heatpipe is also wider. The older Noctua NH-D14’s width is only at 140mm while the new Noctua NH-D15 measures in at 150mm.

From the side view we can see that Noctua solves RAM clearance issues with a cut out of seven fins. This allows for high profile memory modules with 65mm of clearance. Noctua did the cut out on both sides, ensuring compatibility with the Intel LGA 2011 socket and quad channel memory too.

The Noctua NH-D15 contacts the CPU with its copper base, which transfer the heat to the six 6mm heatpipes. To improve the aesthetics, the baseplate is plated with nickel plating. For the mounting, Noctua’s SecureFirm 2 supports most AMD and Intel sockets except for LGA 775 and LGA 1366 that require you to purchase different mount kit. For the upcoming AM4 socket, Noctua offers a free upgrade kit.

Noctua includes two Noctua NF-A15 PWM fans. with the NH-D15 These Noctua premium fans are claimed to be better than the NH-D14’s fans. These new fans come with Noctua’s SSO2 bearings which uses metal bearing shells and new injection molding techniques. Also, the magnet is now placed closer to the rotor axis and thus exerts higher magnetic force to it. This results in even better stabilization, precision and durability. However, the two-tone color scheme is still maintained.
Installation

The Noctua NH-D15 is going to be tasked with cooling the Intel Core i7 5820K in our bench rig. The installation with Noctua’s SecureFirm 2 kit is very easy despite the daunting size of the Noctua NH-D14.

As the ASUS X99 Deluxe uses a square Independent Loading Mechanism (ILM), mounting the cooler here is very easy. Skipping the backplate here, all I needed to do was install the bolts on every edge of the LGA 2011 socket frame.

Then install the mounting bar and secure with the thumbscrews. Make sure that the mounting bar faces outward. Apply the Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste before mounting and secure the Noctua NH-D15 with the provided L shape screw driver.

This is what it looks like after the cooler is successfully mounted. Here we can see how precise Noctua’s measurements are by looking at the minimal gap between the cooler and GPU.
Specification
Cooler Specification

Fan Specifications

Test Machine
Hardware

Processor
Intel Core i7-5820K

Motherboard
ASUS X99-Deluxe

Memory
Avexir Blitz 16GB DDR4

Storage
Sandisk Ultra II 256GB

Power Supply
Cooler Master V850

Software

OS
Windows 10 64bit Annivesary

Utilities
LinX, OCCT, Intel XTU, RealTemp, CPU-Z, HWMonitor

Test Methodology
We are testing the Noctua NH-D15 on our official Pokde’s rig. With an Intel Core i7 5820K with a 140W TDP, it could be a challenge for any cooler to tame the heat output when all the cores are under load. The CPU will be running [email protected] and also overclocked to 4.1 [email protected] Turbo Boost is disabled and SpeedStep enabled in both BIOS and operating system. For the testing phase, I will also be using three different tools to stress the CPU cores to the max: LinX, Intel XTU and OCCT. The tests are run for an hour each.
Our target is to monitor how high the temperatures can rise during the test. We also monitor closely during the test to check if any thermal throttling happens when the temperature hit the CPU’s Tjmax of 103°C. If it is just a spike there will be no thermal throttling unless it stays at the temperature for a certain period of time. This is just to see the maximum potential of the cooling performance of any CPU cooler. The fan speed settings are left at default. The system runs in an open test bench, with ambient temperatures of 25°C.
Noctua said that the NT-H1 doesn’t need any cure time, but I believe that it can get better after some thermal cycling. So after applying new thermal paste, I ran a stress test for 1 hour before letting it sit for more than 12 hours. After the idle period I stressed it again for 1 hour before shutting down the computer completely for more than 6 hours before I start recording the temperatures.
Performance
You might be surprise with the results, especially in the LinX stress test. This is why LinX is my favorite tool for CPU stress testing as it can really push the CPU to the limit. From the results, it clearly states that the Noctua NH-D15 has no problem at all handling the heat output of the Intel Core i7 5820K. During the stress test, there is no thermal throttling detected as the highest reading is at 92°C.
Stock clock

Overclock

Comparing the results between the Cooler Master MasterAir 4 and Raijintek Triton, the Noctua NH-D15 sit between these two coolers. The real differences between Noctua NH-D15 and these two coolers are the acoustic levels. Noctua NH-D15 fan are surprisingly quiet. I was truly impressed as I could barely hear the fans even during the stress tests. Meanwhile, the MasterAir Pro 4 and Raijintek were rather noisy as the fans ran full tilt to keep the temperature down.
Recommended CPU:
Intel : LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 2011 processors
AMD: AM3+, AM4, FM2+ processor
Recommended form factor:
Mini-ATX, ATX, E-ATX
Conclusion
Noctua has done everything very well, starting from the packaging to the cooling performance. The improvements over the older Noctua NH-D14 are noticeable such as better cooling fans and fixed RAM clearance. Noctua claims this cooler as their premium product is also undeniable. With the silent fan operation during load and its solid design, Noctua’s effort for more than three years is worth it. For me the Low Noise adapters are rather redundant as the fans are very silent to begin with.
Some people might be put off by Noctua’s color scheme for the fans, but it didn’t bother me at all. Another one thing that I love about the product is that Noctua threw in their very good NT-H1 thermal paste along with the NH-D15, and a decent amount of it too. With the same amount as the Noctua NT-H1 sold in retail, I managed to reapply up to four times on the rather large LGA 2011 socket processor. I believed it can be used for more than six times or even more if used on the smaller Intel LGA 115X or AMD AM3+ processors.

With one of the best unboxing experiences I ever had, easy installation, great cooling performance along with the very low noise level even when under load, the Noctua NH-D15 deserves our Gold Pokdeward. Noctua NH-D15 is not new in the market, it has been around since 2014, which means that Noctua may blow our minds pretty soon with a even better performing cooler. If you interested and want to test the cooler itself, you can get it from retail shops for RM415. It is worthy for the money? For me, if you are using CPU with a lower TDP, or not planning on doing overclocking, the Noctua NH-D15S would be better value at RM379. Let’s not forget that the Noctua NH-D15 is backed by a very long 6-year warranty.
Thank you Noctua for providing us the Noctua NH-D15 to review!
We would like to thank our sponsors for our very own benchmarking rig – The PokdeRig. These companies believe in us and put their trust into what we do. They deserve all the love in the world!
Asus X99-Deluxe
Intel Core i7-5820K
CM MasterAir Pro 4
CM V850 PSU
Sandisk Ultra II
Avexir Blitz 16GB DDR4
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TM Unifi to Provide Free Wi-Fi Nationwide; You Don’t Have to Be Unifi Customer

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has launched the TM Unifi i-foundit! app. It will enable all Malaysians to access the Internet via [email protected]

TM Unifi to Provide Free Wi-Fi Nationwide

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has launched Unifi’s “i-foundit!” app that will enable all Malaysians to access the Internet via [email protected], previously known as TM WiFi.
Alongside the launch, our Prime Minister has also announced that charges for [email protected] will be waived until the end of this year. Interested users can download the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
The i-foundit! app locates Wi-Fi hotspots and connect users to over 5,800 hotspots nationwide. After the free promotion period, [email protected] users will only be charged 10 sen per hour, according to our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
You can expect speeds of up to 4Mbps. The best part is, you don’t have to be a Unifi customer to enjoy this free Wi-Fi access.

Our Prime Minister YAB @NajibRazak unveils a brand new look for #UniFi! #JomBersamaPMdiTM pic.twitter.com/CfsVurNYDv
— Telekom Malaysia (@TMCorp) September 25, 2017

In other news, TM also revealed 2 new Unifi packages called Unifi ebiz and Unifi edu packages. The former is said to be catered to e-entrepreneurs whereas the latter will be focused more on youths and students at higher learning institutes. Both packages will have speeds of up to 100Mbps, along with [email protected] access for when you’re out an about.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said:
The development of these segments is crucial in elevating Malaysia into a high-income nation. I hope the introduction of these new packages by TM will open up borderless potentials for the segments to grow further.
And lastly, TM also introduced Flow, an in-house chat application that replaces other popular instant messaging applications at work. The application is co-developed internally by TM.
For more information on the free Wi-Fi access by TM Unifi, click here to find out more.
Google Play Store link | Apple App Store version coming soon!

Pokdepinion: Well, it looks like we’ll have free Wi-Fi access outside until 31st December 2017. Sounds neat. I mean, who doesn’t like free stuff? Just keep in mind that it’s not free forever.
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Celcom is Offering 100,000 Free Smartphones, Discounts, and More This Ramadan and Raya Season

This year’s Ramadan and Hari Raya season will be completely different from before as we have to adhere to a new norm brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The folks over at Celcom will be doing something special by not only ensuring their customers stay connected, but also with a host of special offers and services for you to enjoy.
From now until 31st July 2020, they are offering new and existing customers a chance to get a free smartphone from a wide selection of devices with zero upfront payment. There will be a total of 100,000 smartphones given out when signing up for any Celcom MEGA Lightning postpaid plans (M, L, and XL). Some of the smartphones that were mentioned include the OPPO A12, Samsung Galaxy A51, Apple iPhone 7 Plus, HUAWEI Nova 5T, and more.

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Apart from that, there will be a #CelcomSale online sales event on Facebook Live hosted by local celebrities. The livestream will be happening on their official Facebook page, with phone bundle discounts (up to 60%), RM50 voucher giveaways, and one-off limited time offerings for customers who make purchases on the Celcom Online Shop or through their social media agents.
Special Offers for Celcom Postpaid and Prepaid Customers

Furthermore, there are special offers for all postpaid and prepaid customers during this season. This includes:

1 May 2020 until 24 June 2020 – Keep yourself updated with Nak Hadiah Raya content available via USSD *118*9# which includes 1 week FREE trial access to Muslim Kids TV, 3 of your favourite Ramadan or Raya tunes and many more attractive Raya digital content.
50% off for Celcom MEGA and family lines’ postpaid bills for three months – the rebate is offered to new MEGA registrations with any pass; Unlimited M, Unlimited L or Lightning M, L or XL via Online Shop. The offer is valid until 31st May 2020.
1 May 2020 – 30 June 2020 – online exclusive prepaid offer:
Celcom Xpax SIM pack is now available via Online Shop
Enjoy 10% cashback on all Internet passes till 31st December 2020
Free SIM delivery to your home.

If you want to know more about what Celcom is doing this Ramadan and Hari Raya season, you can check it out by clicking right here.
Pokdepinion: Well, there’s an assortment of good deals you can make use of. If you have been looking for them for a while, no reason not to check it out and evaluate your options at least.
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Lenovo ThinkPad Lineup Updated with 10th Gen Intel Core and Ultra Performance Mode

The folks over at Lenovo have announced that they have updated their Lenovo ThinkPad laptops. They will now be powered by the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors, and also come with a new Ultra Performance mode.
Updated Lenovo ThinkPad Laptops
ThinkPad X1 Extreme
The 15.6-inch 4K Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme will be powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core H-series vPro mobile CPU, up to an Intel Core i9. Consumers will also be able to choose to have it with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU. It will have support for Wi-Fi 6 with LTE connectivity being optional.
Apart from that, there are four new P series models; the P17 Gen 1, P15 Gen, P15v Gen 1, and P1 Gen 3. The former two laptops differ from the P14s and P15s introduced earlier, and they both have improved thermal design with up to 13% more airflow and 30% larger heatsink. It is said to adopt a more module design so consumers will have more choices on CPU and GPU configurations. Apart from that, it’s expected to have up to 4TB storage, 128GB RAM, UHD Dolby Vision HDR displays, and a whopping 94 WHr battery.

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ThinkPad P17
Moving on to the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3, it is the company’s lightest and thinnest 15-inch mobile workstation. It has a 15.6-inch 600-nit 4K resolution LCD display, but consumers can also opt for older Full HD panels from its predecessor. LTE connectivity is optional, and it has upgraded speakers along with a new anti-smudge coating. As for the P15v Gen 1, it will be powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core H-series CPU with an NVIDIA Quadro P620 GPU and a 600-nit 4K LCD display.
What is Ultra Performance Mode?
ThinkPad P1 Gen 3
The Ultra Performance mode available in all the refreshed Lenovo ThinkPad laptops essentially allows the machines to go over its limits on noise and temperature for a healthy boost in performance. While most people wouldn’t like the added noise and power draw on a regular, there are times where we might just need a bit of extra performance. This mode allows you to do just that.
These are the newest lineup of Lenovo ThinkPad laptops thus far, with previous announcements by the company having a focus on AMD Ryzen CPUs. No word yet on when these laptops will arrive in Malaysia, but we will be reporting more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: Personally interested in the X1 Extreme, looks like a pretty interesting machine to me. Hopefully I’ll get to play around with it sooner or later.
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Total War Three Kingdoms Blasted With Negative Reviews After End Of Support Announcement

Total War Three Kingdoms has been a solid entry to the franchise since it was released back in 2019. Despite that, a recent announcement from the game’s developer, Creative Assembly, has made the game to be bombarded with negative reviews over at Steam.
Total War Three Kingdoms get negative reviews after announcement
Prior to this, the game had an average user rating of Mostly Positive reviews. The sudden surge of negative reviews comes after Creative Assembly had announced that they are ending official support for the game itself.
Players of the game were initially upset with the bugs that Fates Divided (most recent DLC) brought, where they have voiced out that Creative Assembly still failed to fix them. Last year in 2020, the company revealed in a blog post that they’d bring an update to expand the northern part of the map that. Well guess what? It never happened.

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The decision to end support for the game clearly angered the game’s community. Creative Assembly on the other hand is seemingly working to work on a new project based on the game’s story in a new title.
You can check out our full review of the game when it was first launched right here. For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Source
Pokdepinion: Seeing how they’ve let the game to be on sale prior to the announcement, it would seem like they’re just milking players before they end the support. Not a good move, Creative Assembly.
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We’ve seen it, we’ve heard it, and now it’s here. At the Play Music Together launch, Acer Malaysia brought in the Predator Helios 300 Special Edition.
Acer Malaysia Introduces New Predator Helios 300 Special Edition Gaming Laptop

Right from the Acer Day “Play Music Together” launch at Kuala Lumpur, Acer Malaysia took the time to introduce the new Predator Helios 300 Special Edition gaming laptop, clad in an all-white aluminium chassis with accented gold trims.

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The Predator Helios 300 Special Edition gaming laptop is powered by the 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750H and a GTX 1060 6GB. As for memory, you have a 256GB PCIe SSD, a 1TB 7200RPM HDD, and 8GBs of DDR4 RAM. As you can expect from the firepower its packing, the laptop is VR-ready.

With a 15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz IPS display, you can look forward to tear-free gameplay experiences with low input lag. Inside the machine, you have the dual-fan system running on their signature AeroBlade 3D metal fans with the world’s thinnest metal fan blade at only 0.1mm. It is said to not only be capable of gaming for long hours without thermal throttling, you can also overclock it to some extent. You can overclock it, and also customize it, via the PredatorSense software.
For the full specifications of the Predator Helios 300 Special Edition, check it out right below here:
Predator Helios 300 Special Edition Specs

15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz IPS Display
Intel Core i7-8750H
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB GDDR5 VRAM
8GB DDR4 RAM
256GB PCIe SSD + 1TB 7200RPM HDD
Intel Wireless-AC 9560, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0
1 x USB Type-C (3.1 Gen 1), 1 x USB 3.0 with power off charging, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI port with HDCP, 1 x RJ45 LAN port
48Wh 3220 mAh 4-cell Li-ion battery
2 Years Local Onsite Warranty + Accidental Damage / Theft
390 x 266 x 26.75 mm (W x D x H), 2.7kg

The Predator Helios 300 Special Edition gaming laptop will come together with a Predator gaming backpack, earphone, gaming mouse, and a white mousepad to match its appearance. It will be available with a retail price of RM6,199 and will be available starting mid-August onwards at all Acer Official Online Stores and authorized Predator Partners throughout Malaysia.

Just keep in mind that this model has a limited number of units. To be precise, there’s only 50 of them here in Malaysia.
Pokdepinion: Thank the lord they didn’t go with a 5400RPM HDD. Sure, it already has an SSD but 5400RPM HDDs are just a pain to use.
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iPhone 2018 to Support Apple Pencil? Prices May Start at $699

It appears that we may see something interesting from Apple this year as the iPhone 2018 is said to have support for the Apple Pencil and priced from $699.
iPhone 2018 to Support Apple Pencil?
Picture credits: TrendForce via 9To5Mac
We recently saw the launch of a major smartphone in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 but of course, there’s still more to come for 2018. Now, we turn our eyes towards Apple the iPhone 2018, and we got to know some interesting things about it.
According to a report which surfaced on 9To5Mac, TrendForce believes that Apple is taking a couple of steps to boost the appeal of their devices even more than last year’s iPhone X. It is said that the iPhone 2018 OLED models will have support for Apple Pencil, albeit in a more limited fashion compared to using it on the iPad Pro.

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This is understandable given that no matter how big the iPhone 2018’s display size will be, it will still be far smaller than the iPad Pro. However, it will still be useful in certain tasks such as taking down notes and making annotations. With the belief that there will be a 6.5-inch model, it should be plenty useful tool to have for users.
It has also been mentioned that there have been reports of iPhones supporting the Apple Pencil for a while now as Apple CEO Tim Cook made an apparent slip of the tongue in which he mentioned using both of them together. If it it true, it will certainly have more people interested in the Apple Pencil and thus, instantly boost sales for the accessory.
Aside from that, TrendForce expects that the iPhone 2018 OLED models will have three storage tiers rather than the two of the iPhone X. It’s being suggested that in addition to the existing 64GB and 256GB options, Apple will also offer a 512GB option.
The entry level LCD variant is expected to have a design similar to the iPhone X, albeit at a lower price point,. It’s said to have 64GB and 256GB storage options, and 3GBs of RAM whereas the OLED models will have 4GBs of RAM instead.
TrendForce indicates that pricing for the LCD model could start from USD $699, but they gave a range of about USD $699 to USD $749 for its estimate. Some analysts have argued it could even be as low as USD $600. The iPhone 2018 OLED models are expected to start from somewhere in the USD $899 to USD $949 range, which is believed to be something Apple can offer without impacting its margins thanks to lower component pricing.
Source: 9To5Mac
Pokdepinion: I’m still holding on to the belief that regardless of how it’s being priced, people will still buy them anyway. Why? Because it’s an iPhone.
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Win A Samsung Galaxy A31 Worth RM999 With The #GalaxyAwesome Contest

Calling all pet lovers and foodies out there! Samsung Malaysia is currently organising the #GalaxyAwesome Contest where you can take creative picture of your furry friend or your mouth-watering food photos and win Samsung Galaxy phones.

The #GalaxyAwesome Contest will run from 1 to 28 November with two different themes bi-weekly:

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AwesomePawesome
AwesomelyYummy

Winners of the contest will stand a chance to win either a Samsung Galaxy A31 worth RM999, a Samsung Galaxy A21s worth RM899 or a Samsung Galaxy A11 worth RM529. In order to participate in the contest, all you have to do is follow the steps below:

Follow the @SamsungMalaysia Instagram account.
Take a creative picture of furry friend(s) or food; according to the week’s theme.
Post it on your Instagram feed with the hashtags #GalaxyAwesome, #AwesomePawesome or #AwesomelyYummy (2 nd Theme), tag @SamsungMalaysia and 2 of your friends to follow Samsung Malaysia.
Be sure to set your Instagram profile to public.

You can also check out some of the pet photos taken below for some inspiration.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
For more information about the #GalaxyAwesome contest, please visit the official page right here.
Pokdepinion: Now’s the time to let your pet and food photography skills shine!
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Samsung will make 20% of its smartphones in China next year

When you can’t fight them, join them, as the saying goes? Samsung is reportedly going to outsource a fifth of its smartphone production to China to compete with increasingly aggressive competition from the slew of China phones.
Samsung has interestingly closed down their own factories in China, with the last one shuttered in October. Instead, they will be using the services of ODMs like Wingtech to make certain Galaxy A models. While Samsung will have the final say, ODMs will be in charge of designing and producing the smartphones.
While Samsung has reportedly not revealed the volumes involved, sources claim that Samsung will be making around 60 million devices, or around 20% of the devices stipulated to ship in 2020.

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The realme 5 is a formidable smartphone that annihilates Samsung’s lineup in the same price segment.
With Samsung’s mid-range devices having trouble competing directly against budget devices from the likes of Xiaomi and realme, this move might make the cheaper Samsung Galaxy A devices more interesting from a value-for-money perspective.
Critics of Samsung’s strategy worry about poorer build quality, but with certain smartphones from China competing on equal footing with the best from Samsung themselves, there probably isn’t much to worry about.

The more affordable Samsung Galaxy A smartphones made in Chian will reportedly be shipped to Southeast Asia and South America, relatively price sensitive markets.
Pokdepinion: Well if Samsung can bring features like Samsung Pay and still be competitive with the Chinese smartphones, I am all for it!
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AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT and Ryzen 9 3900XT appears on Amazon Italy

While I personally think that the AMD Ryzen XT series doesn’t make much sense considering that AMD is still in the lead for almost everything except for gaming performance, apparently AMD doesn’t feel the same way. The Ryzen 5 3600XT and Ryzen 9 3900XT has appeared on Amazon Italy, revealing more about the upcoming Matisse Refresh processors.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT and Ryzen 9 3900XT slaps on an extra 100 MHz of maximum boost, while maintaining the same TDP as its predecessors. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT will run at up to 4.5 GHz with a 95W TDP, instead of the 4.4 GHz that the Ryzen 5 3600X is capable of. Meanwhile the Ryzen 9 3900XT still carries a 105W TDP rating and now is specced to run at up to 4.7 GHz, versus the Ryzen 9 3900X’s 4.6 GHz boost clocks.
That’s all nice to know, until you find out that the new processors are up to 32.5% more expensive than the currently available AMD Ryzen processors. I am not exactly sure if you can justify a massive price hike like that with a small 100 MHz bump.

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Amazon Italy’s listing of the AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT puts it at a cool €569.69 (~RM2738), while the AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT is positioned at €284.84 (~RM1369). The Ryzen 9 3900X goes for €462.48 (~RM2223), and the Ryzen 5 3600X is a lot more affordable at €214.99 (~RM1033). That’s a 23% hike for the AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT from the Ryzen 9 3900X, and a 32.5% increase with the Ryzen 5 3600XT from the Ryzen 5 3600X.
AMD Ryzen XT Specs

Max Boost Clocks (GHz)
Cache
TDP
Price

AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
4.7
70MB
105W
€569.69 (~RM2738)

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
4.6
70MB
105W
€462.48 (~RM2223)

AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
4.5
35MB
95W
€284.84 (~RM1369)

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
4.4
35MB
95W
€214.99 (~RM1033)

Of course, these listings might be to throw us off a bit. According to the Amazon Italy listing, more information will be revealed on 16th June when the NDA lifts, with the Ryzen XT processors set for 7th July launch date. Stay tuned!
Source
Pokdepinion: Well, those prices definitely don’t make any sense.
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MediaTek readies the new Helio P25 SoC for dual-camera smartphones

Designed as a premium performance chip for dual-camera smartphones, MediaTek today has introduced a new member in the MediaTek Helio P series with the MediaTek Helio P25 SoC. This new chip is an upgrade to the MediaTek P20, combining the power of an octa-core CPU built on the 16nm FinFET+ process with a superior MediaTek Imagiq ISP.
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The MediaTek Helio P25 features the same MediaTek Imagiq ISP that was featured on the Helio X20, X25 and also the P20. This allows for some nifty real-time depth-of-field manipulation with dual camera setups. The Imagiq ISP allows for dual camera setups of 13MP + 13MP sensors or a single camera with up to 24MP resolution. It also offers support for Bayer & Mono dual sensor support, a setup which is now implemented by Huawei in their flagship smartphones.

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Two ARM A53 CPU clusters deliver the processing grunt in the Helio P25, with the low-performance cluster running at 1.6GHz while the high-performance cluster runs at 2.5GHz. This next generation of MediaTek’s chip also support up to 6GB of LPDDR4x memory. Power efficiency is managed by CorePilot technology, promising better overall power efficiency of up to 25%. For gaming performance, it sports an ARM Mali-T880 MP2 clocked at up to 900MHz, for video and gaming applications.
Smartphones powered by MediaTek Helio P25 are expected to hit the market in Q1 2017.
Pokdepinion: I always wanted to try MediaTek’s higher end chipsets, but it is really difficult to get a device with the higher end MediaTek SoCs here.
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Make your ever-connected lifestyle better with HUAWEI!

A major pain point with our always-connected lifestyles is that we are always on our gadgets. But these gadgets which allow us to communicate and work anywhere and anytime, are always limited by their battery life. And we all know how antsy we get without our gadgets to keep us connected. Which is why we all need devices with good battery life to keep us well throughout the day.
HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro
Amazing battery life

Smartphones are like literally our primary portals to the internet right now. And we absolutely can’t bear living without one right? There are few smartphones with battery life on par with the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro, which easily delivers two days of battery life on a single charge of its 4200 mAh battery.

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When you actually run low on battery, the 40W SuperCharge makes charging faster than ever. And if you are too lazy to connect a USB-C connector, you can also make use of the HUAWEI Wireless Quick Charging. And if your mates run low on battery, you can also make use of Wireless Reverse Charging to give them some extra juice.
Incredible camera

Also, with the Leica Triple Camera on the back of the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro, you won’t need to carry a camera with you anywhere, so you don’t have to charge yet another device. The Leica Triple Camera covers all the focal lengths you need, with an ultra-wide angle camera as well as a 3x telephoto shooter, ensuring that you can leave your heavy camera at home and not miss a shot. In addition to the amazing hardware, HUAWEI’s Master AI ensures that your shots are always spectacular, even in low light settings thanks to the Night Mode which allows for up to 4-second exposures, handheld.
Designed for Professionals

As a member of the HUAWEI Mate family, the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro comes equipped with all the productivity chops you would need. Think working on the 6.3″ OLED display will be too taxing on your eyes? The HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro comes with EMUI Desktop, allowing you to work with a PC-like experience by simply connecting the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro to a larger display. And with the Kirin 980 under the hood, you have more than enough performance to handle any task you throw at it with ease.
HUAWEI Watch GT
Up to 2 weeks of battery life

One sore point about most smartwatches is that they often need to be recharged daily. What’s the point in having a sleep monitoring feature, if you are going to wake up to a flat battery on your smartwatch? The HUAWEI Watch GT offers up to 2 weeks of battery life, so you don’t have to take it off every night to recharge it.
You can wear it through the night to monitor your sleeping patterns, and get tips to improve your sleep quality, so you get a good recharge every night, while the HUAWEI Watch GT just needs one every 14 days.
Never miss a beat
Keep a tab on notifications with the HUAWEI Watch GT. You won’t miss any notifications with it all neatly organized on the large 1.39″ OLED display of the HUAWEI Watch GT. You will not only save time by not having to reach for your phone every time you hear a notification tone, but also save some crucial battery life as you won’t have to turn on your phone just to check for notifications. Health-related notifications will also be pushed to the screen, reminding you when you need to take a breather from work.
For the fitness buffs

If you are a fitness buff, you would also enjoy the HUAWEI Watch GT’s built-in GPS feature. It will indirectly extend the battery life of your phone, as you do not need to use your phone’s GPS to track your run. Not a runner? The HUAWEI Watch GT is also capable of providing feedback for you, regardless if you prefer swimming, cycling or even mountain hiking. It is water resistant up to 50 meters, while also featuring a built-in barometer, so you can to the depths and heights without worry with the HUAWEI Watch GT.
HUAWEI MateBook X Pro
12-hour endurance

Working on the go on the smartphone is great, but even EMUI Desktop cannot replace a proper Windows PC. For starters, we can’t run Photoshop on Android. Yet. And so you will still need an ultrabook, and what good is a laptop if you are going to work tethered to a wall plug anyway? Which is where the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro comes in, with its massive 57.4 Wh battery delivering up to 12 hours of battery life. Want to keep entertained through that long flight, or just want to quickly tap out a document while outside? The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro has it down pat.
Performance for days
And it’s no slouch when it comes to performance either, with an 8th Generation Intel Core ultra-low power CPU that sips on power yet is beefy enough for any task you can throw at it. There’s is even a dedicated GeForce MX150 in there so you can have a little fun gaming when you aren’t working. The performance of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro ensures that you won’t be a dull boy, what with all the work and no play, as it is fully capable of doling out the fun.
Ridiculously portable

All of that endurance and performance is crammed into a compact package that’s enabled by the slim bezels around the 13.9″ 3K display. The solid aluminium body also helps the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro survive the rigors of your daily commute, and look good doing it.
With these three gadgets, you will enjoy better battery life, while also being more free to do whatever you want, wherever and whenever your heart desires. Work, play or just sleep, HUAWEI is ready to improve your day. Especially when you don’t have to charge it at the end of the day. Bliss. You can check out these devices on HUAWEI’s official online sales channel. Also, stay tuned to HUAWEI’s Facebook page for more updates and information about their latest devices!
This is an exclusive article for HUAWEI.
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Redmi 10X 5G series launched with 5G support from just 1599 CNY

The Redmi 10X is now official, with it being launched as what might be the most affordable 5G-capable smartphone to date. The Redmi 10X 5G and Redmi 10X Pro 5G both feature the MediaTek Dimensity 820, which probably helped Redmi keep costs low on the new 5G smartphones.
Interestingly, despite its mid-range ambitions, Xiaomi decided to name it the Redmi 10X 5G instead of making it a member of the Redmi Note family. But by looking at the design, you can clearly see that it will fit right in with the current Redmi Note 9 lineup. But of course the Redmi 10X series are actually quite different under the hood aside from chipset.

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For starters, both the Redmi 10X 5G and 10X Pro 5G tout 6.57″ OLED displays, which are a clear step up from the Redmi Note 9 series’ LCD panels. The battery of the Redmi 10X 5G series is also rather small, coming in at 4520 mAh. The Redmi 10X 5G settles for just 22.5W fast charging, while the Redmi 10X Pro 5G gets faster 33W charging.
The cameras are also quite different between the two, with the Redmi 10X Pro 5G getting an 8MP 3x zoom camera and a 5MP macro camera instead of the Redmi 10X 5G’s 2MP depth sensor and 2MP macro camera. Here’s a breakdown of the specifications:
Redmi 10X 5G Series Specs

Redmi 10X 5G
Redmi 10X Pro 5G

Chipset
Dimensity 820 5G
CPU: 4 x Cortex-A76 @ 2.6 GHz, 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2 GHz
GPU: Mali-G57MP5
7nm

RAM
Up to 8GB LPDDR4x

Storage
Up to 256GB UFS 2.1 storage

Display
6.57″ FHD+ OLED display, HDR10+ support

Rear camera
48MP + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP depth sensor
48MP + 8MP ultra-wide + 8MP 3x zoom + 5MP macro

Selfie camera
16MP
20MP

Battery
4520 mAh
22.5W fast charging
4520 mAh
33W fast charging

Price
6GB + 64GB: 1599 CNY (~RM978)
6GB + 128GB: 1799 CNY (~RM1100)
8GB + 128GB: 2099 CNY (~RM1284)
8GB + 256GB: 2399 CNY (~RM1467)
8GB + 128GB: 2299 CNY (~RM1406)
8GB + 256GB: 2599 CNY (~RM1590)

The Redmi 10X Pro 5G also sports NFC, with the Redmi 10X 5G does without it. In addition to the Redmi 10X 5G duo, there’s also a Redmi 10X 4G, which appears to be a rebrand of the Redmi Note 9 introduced globally. Prices start from 999 CNY (~RM611) for the 4GB + 128GB variant.

Would affordable mid-range 5G smartphones entice you to pick one up, or would you rather wait until flagship 5G smartphones become more accessible? Let us know in the comments!
Pokdepinion: Affordable options like these are exactly what we need to really ensure that everyone gets to use 5G!
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ASUS Zenfone 3 to be announced on 30th May at Computex 2016

We just recently received a blast from ASUS, informing us about their Zenvolution press event that will be held at Computex 2016 on 30th May. Apparently their key leaders will share with us how our Zen-inspired creativity has evolved to revolutionize computing experiences in the new era.
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At the end of the email, ASUS also included a link to a teaser of their upcoming Zenfone 3, or #Z3N. We found the video quite interesting. The Zenfone 3 has been a rather anticipated smartphone, with rumors appearing as soon as May 2015.

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The first tease was of the rear end of the Zenfone 3. Nice. A protruding camera cover glass flanked by what appears to be a laser autofocusing system and LED flash suggests that the laser focusing that ASUS has added to almost every recent Zenfone after the original Zenfone 2 will be back. Below the camera module, it appears to be an elongated fingerprint sensor, as buttons would not have such a flat appearance. Maybe ASUS will allow the fingerprint sensor to serve double duty as volume control as well? Swiping up to increase the volume and swiping down to lower it seems novel.

The next tease was of the upper front bezel which features their signature Zen concentric circle pattern. We could actually be looking at a metallic phone this time, marking ASUS’ departure from the budget market which they have all but dominated with their affordable and powerful Zenfone series. It is high time ASUS come up with a proper high end smartphone to take on the big dogs.

What does Unlimited mean in a smartphone? Well from this image, I seem to see no side bezels. I wonder if it is what ASUS defines as unlimited. The sides also seem to be curved, further increasing the possibility that we will finally see a premium Zenfone 3 clothed in metal.

Last but not least, we see three models, which shows that ASUS is returning to its roots and releasing three variants in different sizes, like they did with their first Zenfone series.

Now let’s talk about the rumors. ASUS is said to not use Intel SoCs for the upcoming Zenfone 3, and instead use Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs. However the Zenvolution banner sports Intel’s logo beside ASUS’, which could also mean the rumors were false. However, ASUS has a wide range of Zen products, including Zen all-in-one PCs and also the much acclaimed ZenBook ultrabook series, which will most probably be using Intel CPUs.
We did see a lot of Zenfones that had a Snapdragon inside, like the Zenfone Selfie and Zenfone 2 Laser, which lends a certain credibility to this rumor, actually. Until the event, we will just have to wait and see.

Pokdepinion: The Zenfone 2 is a huge step above the first generation, with much better battery life and performance. I hope to see a similar leap this time, with a similarly affordable price as well!
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New Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition Coming To Malaysia This 18th February

Wizards of the Coast has just announced that they will be holding a special “Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition – 83 Artists who Drew the World of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty” together with the release of the new Kamigawa: Neon Destiny expansion this 18th February. With a new VR viewing experience, visitors will be able to experience the magnificent art of Magic.
Experience the art of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty with Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition

The “Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition – 83 Artists who Drew the World of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty” will open on Friday, February 18th, in connection with the release of the new Magic The Gathering set Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. It will be an interactive art exhibition with VR and gameplay features that will allow viewers to actively experience the art. The experience of walking around the exhibition while conversing with other participants from around the world via PC or VR device can be had from the comfort of one’s own home.

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The show will contain card art from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, created by 83 artists, the majority of whom are Japanese. Cards drawn by Tetsuo Hara of “Fist of the North Star” fame, Yoji Shinkawa, the Art Director of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS Co., Ltd., and Katsuya Terada, the character designer of “Kamen Rider W” will be among the pieces on show.

The Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition not only allows you to immerse yourself in the realm of magic and card art through virtual reality, but it also includes a number of tricks. Your avatar, for example, will change depending on the cards you receive and how successful you are at catching them. Special content, such as 3D characters popping from cards, characters appearing to multiple people at once for a shared experience, and images, are also available.
What’s in Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition?

A total of 134 works of card art from 83 artists will be on display. Visitors will be able to see the beauty and power of MTG art as well as enjoy five different content features that will allow them to get a better understanding of the MTG world. Below are some of the content viewers can expect to see:

Into the card art – In the world of Kamigawa – a fusion of Japanese mythology and technology, you can enjoy the confluence of Japanese mythology and technology. We haven’t visited this plane in over 1200 years. Explore Towashi’s and Boseiju’s concept art. View the show in the midst of a bustling cityscape.
Viewing experience evolves in a virtual world – Take the art in your hand and draw it toward you for a new art viewing experience. You’ll witness artist commentary, behind-the-scenes preliminary sketches, and a card that you can hold in your hand and look at right in front of your eyes.
A 3D Experience that Brings Life to the Artwork – In this unique virtual experience, the player’s power releases the universe and tale contained within the card. Right in front of your eyes, you can summon the legendary Dragon Spirit portrayed on the cards.
First Public Release of Artwork from World Guide – See over 30 previously unreleased things from the Wizards of the Coast Development Studio World Guide for the first time. This is certain to be a show that fans will enjoy.
A community gathering in the Magic world – You can find a variety of Magic-related material in the “Octagonal Pavilion.” You can come here to interact with other players, whether you are a new player or a long-time fan.

That’s not all, those who view all 134 artworks in the “Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition – Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty” will stand a chance to win some MTG goodies from Wizards of the Coast. Five random winners will be selected and will take home a B2 size poster autographed by Tetsuo Hara, artist of “Fist of the North Star”. All you have to do is view all 134 cards and fill out a form afterwards at the special campaign website. The giveaway period is from 18th to 24th February.

You can check out the upcoming Kamigawa: Neon Destiny expansion here. You can also check out our preview of one of the cards from the upcoming set here.
Pokdepinion: I’m really excited about the Magic The Gathering Virtual Art Exhibition. Wizards recently provided us with a set together with the boosters and I must say that they look pretty fun and the art on them is exquisite.
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Many people are aware of Donald Trump’s attempts to ban TikTok and WeChat. Now, it appears that the Trump Administration has their sights on two notable game industry companies; Epic Games and Riot Games.
Donald Trump May Be Looking to Ban Riot Games and Epic Games Next

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The Trump Administration is putting the limelight on game developers who have ties to Tencent, the company behind WeChat. According to Bloomberg, they are requesting game companies to “provide information about their data security protocols involving Chinese technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.”
For those of you who aren’t aware, Tencent is a major driving force in the games industry. They own Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends and Valorant, and they own a 40% stake in Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite and the Epic Games Store. They’re not the only ones affected however as Tencent’s gaming portfolio is rather wide, which includes notable companies like Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and Bluehole.

At the moment, what the Trump Administration wants to know is how the personal data of Americans are being protected. If the situation ends up being similar to TikTok’s case, both Epic Games and Riot Games may either have to seek ownership in the United States or face the banhammer in the country.
For now, nothing is set in stone just yet. As it is with TikTok, they are looking to partner up with Oracle, as we reported here, so they might not actually get banned in the States. For now, we will be reporting more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
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Pokdepinion: For the sake of the game industry, I really hope nothing develops from this.
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HUAWEI MatePad 10.4 Pre-order Available From RM1,499

Should you’ve been eyeing for the HUAWEI MatePad 10.4, well the folks at HUAWEI Malaysia has just revealed the pre-order session, which starts tomorrow.
HUAWEI MatePad 10.4 pre-order Malaysia
In case you’ve missed our previous article, the HUAWEI MatePad 10.4 comes with a Kirin 820 chipset and sports a 10.4-inch screen, as you can probably tell by the model name.
Under the hood is a 7250mAh battery and it comes equipped with 128GB storage, which you can expand up to 512GB via microSD. Having Wi-Fi 6 support, the tablet comes with quad speakers by Harmon Kardon and features HUAWEI Histen 6.1 sound effect.

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You can get the HUAWEI MatePad 10.4 from the price of RM1,499 (excluding M-Pencil) which will also gets you free gifts worth RM665 that includes HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard, Entertainment Gift Package and 3 months of HUAWEI Video VIP access.
The pre-order for the tablet starts tomorrow, 16th of March till the 19th of March 2021. Aside from that, the company has also revealed that the HUAWEI Wi-Fi AX3 Dual Core that’s Wi-Fi 6 capable will also be launching soon for the price of RM199.
For more of the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: It’s kind of an average price if you look at the specs. I guess what makes it a deal is the freebie. Will you be getting one? Let us know in the comments.
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OPPO F1s review — but first, let me take a selfie

Selfies are quite a common habit for young and old alike, nowadays. Before front cameras were mainstream, if one wanted to be in the photo they are taking, they either have to trust the autofocus to not turn them into a blurry mess, or get someone to take the photo for them. Thankfully, we now have increasingly powerful front cameras, which brings us to today’s device being scrutinized at Pokde.net. Say hello to the OPPO F1s, packing a 16 MP front camera.
Unboxing

The OPPO F1s comes in a pretty standard rectangular packaging, with the product image and of course the labels.

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The underside of the package comes with a few highlighted features as well as a sticker with regulatory information on it.

The outer sleeve with all the print slides off to reveal a clean white package with only the OPPO emblems.

Lifting off the lid reveals the OPPO F1s basking there for you to admire.

Lifting the tray the phone lay in reveals more compartments. Here are all the contents of the package. The charger is of the standard 5V 2A variety, which means you don’t get the blazing fast VOOC charging with the OPPO F1s. The OPPO F1s comes with a pre-installed screen protector and also a soft clear case, to protect your device from day 1.
Appearance

The OPPO F1s looks quite generic. The front is dominated by the 5.5″ display, with the navigation buttons on the lower bezel. The home button also houses the fingerprint sensor, and is framed by a nice golden line. The top bezel is home to the hidden notification LED, 16 MP front camera, the usual call speaker and proximity sensor.

The back looks like a seamless aluminium panel, except for thin silver bands that run along the top and bottom edges. The 13 MP camera and single LED flash are all the hardware you see on the back.

The volume rocker is placed on the left edge, which feels quite jarring coming from devices that have all the buttons on one side. As you can see here, the OPPO F1s does not go for a unibody design. Instead, you get a plastic band wrapping around the side, with chamfered edges. We do know it is plastic, but at first glance it can easily pass of as lacquered metal.

Over on the right we have the power button and the SIM tray slot.

The mono loudspeaker is the rightmost grille, with the one on the left concealing the primary mic. No Type-C love here, as the OPPO F1s features a microUSB port. OPPO has not taken a leap of courage and the OPPO F1s still comes with a 3.5mm jack.

Only the secondary microphone calls the top edge home.
Overall, the design of the OPPO F1s looks pretty premium, but one which is is pretty overused by now. Still, it is nice to see premium designs in affordable smartphones.
Specifications

CPU:
MediaTek MT6750 64-bit (4x A53 @ 1.5GHz + 4x A53 @ 1.0GHz)

GPU
ARM Mali-T860 MP2 @ 520MHz

RAM
3GB LPDDR3

Display:
5.5″, HD (720p) IPS display

Storage:
32GB internal (expandable with microSD up to 128GB)

Camera:
13MP f/2.2, single LED flash
16MP f/2.0 front camera

OS:
ColorOS 3.0 based on Android 5.1

Connectivity:
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0

SIM:
nanoSIM (dual SIM support)

Battery:
3075 mAh (non-removable)

Performance
The MediaTek MT6750 SoC is manufactured on the very mature 28nm HPM process. The 28nm manufacturing process has been around for quite some time already, so should be rather matured. As it is, we have tried out several devices with 14nm-based SoCs, and the difference in battery life is really quite noticeable. Still, the OPPO F1s should sport a pretty good battery life as the MediaTek MT6750’s CPU cores are clocked rather low. 3GB RAM should keep things running smoothly. The ARM Mali-T860 MP2 GPU should also ensure graphics performance on par with the latest mid-range devices. Well, that’s enough talk. Let’s run the usual suite of benchmarks.

GPU scores are quite poor, but then this is not a phone destined to break benchmark records. You may not get the best experience in games like Real Racing 3, but if you are just an avid fan of Pokemon Go, you should be fine.

The CPU is also relatively weak compared to recent offerings from the competition.

Overall performance is tested in Antutu, and with the weak CPU and GPU score, it is no surprise to see a low score here too.

The OPPO F1s does not do well in PCMark either.
For battery life, the OPPO F1s does not offer a way to keep track of the on-screen time. Therefore I just recorded the time I spent away from the plug. With a mix of WiFi and LTE connections, I managed to get around 24 hours of battery life. This was with quite heavy Whatsapp, Messenger, Facebook and Instagram use. I believe that it should be quite adequate for most users to last through a day of usage.
User Experience

Single-handed usability is possible with this device, as it features pretty slim bezels. A 5.5″ display is pretty standard nowadays, so I believe no one will have trouble handling the OPPO F1s.

As usual, the first thing I do when I start reviewing a device is to insert the SIM cards into the device. Lo and behold, when I thought true dual-SIM functionality is dead, the OPPO F1s actually features two separate nanoSIM slots and a microSD slot on a single tray!

Front-mounted fingerprint sensors are not really my thing. Since I am used to fingerprint sensors placed on the rear of devices, a front one seems counter-intuitive. While I did not like the placement, the fingerprint sensor is pretty fast, unlocking the device immediately when I pressed down on it to wake it.

UI-wise, you will not have an app drawer, as usual for most Chinese-manufactured devices. OPPO uses their own skin called ColorOS 3.0, which is based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. Yes, a 2016 device with Android 5.1.1. The stock apps have square icons with rounded corners, looking pretty similar to iOS. Thankfully, they do not try to enforce this theme on every third-party app.  The settings menu is simple, but I think it may be over-simplified, actually. One thing they threw away was the battery life breakdown, which really annoyed me when I was testing the battery life. I know it isn’t something people usually look at, but why remove it?

Continuning to the camera UI, it looks pretty decent. Once again, it looks very simple. So simple, that you cannot even pick the resolution or add a grid to help you compose your shot. The main difference is you can enable HDR on the rear camera, and not for the front shooter. You do get a quick shortcut to the few settings available, and that’s it. Really, this is a point-and-shoot smartphone camera. The must-have beauty mode is where you can tweak how flawless you want to look, as well as your skin tone.

The image quality obtained from the rear camera is decent. However it can be quite disappointing because the image looks superb in the viewfinder, but when the photo is taken, the resulting quality can be a little off. The 16 MP front camera does take great shots, and selfies are about as detailed as they can get. In fact, you can actually use the front camera for landscape shots. Try and identify which one of these photos I took with the front camera. If you dislike the detail, you can also use the beauty mode to remove the detail and enhance your appearance. Have a look at the samples to see for yourself.Check out full-sized samples here on our Flickr page.

The 5.5″ 720p display is really kinda outdated. As we are pushing towards 1440p screens, the 720p screen here is really just not as sharp as the competition. Still, colors are vibrant and brightness is more than adequate for sunlight visibility. Aside from text that looks a little less sharp, this is a pretty solid display.

The mono loudspeaker on the bottom edge is loud, but can exhibit some distortion at maximum volume. Plugging in some earphones, audio is acceptable, with a pretty strong emphasis on bass tones. This can be tweaked with the Dirac HD Sound feature, which offers a simple but effective way of tweaking the audio output.
Conclusion
The OPPO F1s is a decent smartphone, with a smooth user experience and simple to use features. However it does not have blazing fast performance that the competition may offer. Considering that the main highlight of the entire device is its 16 MP front camera, this phone is targeted at the fairer sex This is a phone that just works, and should satisfy those who look to post the best #OOTD and #POTD on social media. The OPPO F1s is priced at RM1198, which is quite reasonable considering you are getting one of the best selfie cameras in a smartphone. If you are an avid selfie-taker, do give this phone a double take. I award this a Bronze Pokdeward for its smooth user experience, simple user interfaces and great front camera.

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Spyro The Dragon HD Remaster LEAKED – Spyro: Reignited Trilogy Possibly Out in 2018

The long awaited remaster of Spyro the Dragon has apparently been leaked. It has the title Spyro: Reignited Trilogy, and it looks really awesome.
Spyro: Reignited Trilogy HD Remaster LEAKED

As one of the most iconic platforming series from the PS1-era, Spyro the Dragon took players through a variety of colourful and cartoonish worlds, and after quite some time of fervent fan demand, it appears that the little purple dragon will get to fly again.

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A listing for Spyro: Reignited Trilogy has appeared on Amazon Mexico, seeming to confirm that the collection will be a remastered trilogy of the first three Spyro games: the original, Ripto’s Rage, and Year of the Dragon.

In addition to the collection leaking through the Amazon Mexico page, Amazon India also corroborated the leak with another listing that provided our first look at box art for the game, and several screenshots of the remastered collection in action, making for a striking comparison to the PS1 originals.

The listings on both Amazon Mexico and Amazon India indicate a release date of September 21st 2018 (which falls on a Friday) for the collection and a price point of USD $39.99. This information may purely be a placeholder for now, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility, given that Activision’s Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy also launched at a $40 price tag, and also released on a Friday last year (June 30th).

The listings have also indicated that the collection will be coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, though no other platforms or release details are apparent just yet.

Take this article with a grain of salt, as the collection has not been officially announced yet, but recent teases have indicated that it seems likely we’ll get the remastered games that fans have been asking for. Given the success of last year’s Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, it only seems like a matter of time.

For now, we’ll have to wait for an official confirmation of the collection, but in the meantime, enjoy the screenshots of the beloved purple dragon throughout this post.
Source: ResetEra
Pokdepinion: I am honestly way too excited for this game. I hope September comes very soon.
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[Computex 2018] ASUS VivoBook gets refreshed – Vibrant Colors, Slim Bezels and Unprecedented Performance

ASUS VivoBooks are the next best alternative that you can purchase if your pocket size doesn’t fit their ZenBooks. They’re averagely lightweight, beautifully crafted, bear subtle performances, in other words, they’re the definition of practical. In fact, they’re the best notebooks that you can buy for pretty much anything your daily productivity throws at you while still carry enough juice to even game on it. ASUS keeps improving them and they are, indeed, getting much better over time. In fact, this time they’re adding youth to the demographics pool to make them fun as much as they are serious.

Introducing VivoBook S15 (S530) and VivoBook S14 (S430), stylish and lightweight Windows 10 laptops designed to target the young at heart. Both models introduce bold color-blocking designs, offering five color options and textured finishing, allowing you to express your mind. The ErgoLift hinge, much like they introduced in the ZenBook series, provides better typing comfort and the NanoEdge display maximizes the real estate on the display panel providing an immersive experience. Both S15 and S15 are powered by 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, coupled with Nvidia GeForce MX150 discrete graphics and feature dual-storage designs with the S15 offering up to a 512GB SSD and 2TB HDD for its highest configuration.

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Both VivoBook S15 and S14 are available in Firmament Green, Star Grey, Silver Blue, Gun Metal, and Icicle Gold. Firmament Green features a textured woven finish surrounding the keyboard, while Icicle Gold sports a brushed finish with diamond-inspired motifs.The NanoEdge design is a three-sided NanoEdge that has even narrower bezels along the top and sides of the display. It gives the VivoBook S15 an 86% screen-to-body ratio while the S14 reaps an 84% screen-to-body ratio. These panels also feature wide-view technology and exceptional color reproduction for lifelike visuals at any angle.

The  portable S15 and S14 are smaller than most laptops in their class, with profiles that taper to just 18mm at their thinnest point. The 15.6-inch S15 weighs only 1.8kg, while the 14-inch S14 has an overall weight of 1.4kg.

Unlocking VivoBook is a bliss as an optional fingerprint sensor built into the touchpad provides one-touch access with Windows Hello. The VivoBook S15 has a large full-size keyboard with 1.4mm key travel for comfortable typing experience. The I/O ports on the S15 and S14 are pretty comprehensive too. They include reversible USB Type-C port, USB Type-C 3.1 Gen 1 delivers 10 times faster transfer speeds than older USB 2.0 connections and if USB 2.0 is what you need, it’s also available in Type-A configuration along with HDMI output and a microSD card reader.

All VivoBooks feature high-quality batteries with all-day battery life and a lifespan that’s up to 3X-longer than standard lithium-ion batteries. Fast-charge technology enables users to charge a low battery to 60% in as little as 49 minutes. Integrated ASUS Battery Health Charging technology also makes for a safer charging experience, with measures designed to decrease the battery expansion rate during charging to help ensure the battery stays in good condition.
Pokdepinion: The good just got better. Bringing the fresh breath of colors to the VivoBooks just gave a new life to them. As practical as they were before, now they’re equally fun to own!
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