Kingdom Hearts 3 Director Tetsuya Nomura Addresses Game Leak

An important message for #KingdomHearts III from Director Tetsuya Nomura: pic.twitter.com/j9aVRFTS5B
— KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) December 16, 2018

We reported earlier about the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3 game apparently being leaked online due to some gamers getting their hands on the game earlier than expected. With fans expecting a full-fledged sequel for more than 13 years already, this definitely worried some gamers about facing spoilers before they go to play it themselves.
Tetsuya Nomura, the director of Kingdom Hearts III and the series as a whole has now commented on the situation, you can read his statement below from the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter:

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

We’re aware that a small portion of Kingdom Hearts III has been circulating online before its official release. We are also aware as to how this has all happened. We’re sorry to see this caused concern amongst our fans who are excited for the release.
The whole team has been working together since yesterday night (Japan time) to investigate what we can do to better this situation, but first we would like to ask that you do not share these videos.
The game’s epilogue and secret movie, which are the biggest spoilers in this game, are planned to be released at a later date just in case, so they will not be shown before the game’s release.
We want everyone to be able to equally experience the full game after its release, so we ask for your continued support on this matter.
We’re also very grateful that our fans have been warning each other already about the spoilers. Thank you very much.
We’re one month out from the release. Let’s enjoy the game together when it releases on January 29, 2019.
– Director Tetsuya Nomura
Based on the tweet, it seems that the final portion of the game will only be released via a day one patch. This means that whoever actually can play early wouldn’t be able to finish the game no matter what.
Now that you can finally rest a little bit easier knowing the last bit of the game won’t be spoiled,Kingdom Hearts 3 will be coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 29th January 2019.
Pokdepinion: Well, as long as there’s no major spoilers on the internet, I’m happy.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Get This Race Game For Free On PC Before It Runs Out

If you’re on the lookout for something to play on your PC and you love rally cars, well here’s a treat for you. DiRT Rally is now currently free for PC gamers as Humble Bundle is offering the title on their platform free-of-charge.

Released back at the end of 2015, DiRT Rally is developed by Codemasters Racing Studio. You’ll get to ride over 40 rally cars, with each having their own specialties on what surface they race on. There’s a total of six rallies with over 70 stages where you can head to the muddy paths of Wales, the dusty trails of Greece, the snowy thrills of Sweden and even the scenery of Finland.
Here’s a synopsis of the game, thanks to Steam:

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

DiRT Rally is the most authentic and thrilling rally game ever made, road-tested over 80 million miles by the DiRT community. It perfectly captures that white knuckle feeling of racing on the edge as you hurtle along dangerous roads at breakneck speed, knowing that one crash could irreparably harm your stage time.
Over at Steam, the game is priced at RM65. So if you want to play the game for free, you can head to the link right here to do so. You might want to act fast too as the deal only lasts for two more days (at the time of writing).
Pokdepinion: They had a similar offering last time around and yeah, I’ve already got the game. Oh well, for those who missed out last time, here’s your chance :D
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Multimedia Simplicity

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Box

Let’s kick off the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 review with the unboxing. The box is pretty much standard issue as far as packaging design is concerned for their tablets, clad in white. Inside the box, you will find the following items:
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Box content

USB-C cable
Charger
User guide
Warranty card
SIM Ejector tool
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 itself

Appearance
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Display
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is a tablet with a 10.5-inch TFT display and a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is essentially your standard widescreen display with a little bit of extra vertical real estate. The bezels are quite noticeable, with the right bezel (top bezel if you’re holding it sideways) housing the front-facing camera.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Sides
On the right side, you have the volume rockers, power button, and a microphone. As for the left side, you have the microSD card slot residing in solitude. If you have the 4G LTE model, the SIM card is to be inserted in that same slot. Moving over to the top, you have two speakers and a microphone hole whereas the bottom, you have a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and another set of two speakers. This means that it’s a top and bottom-firing quad-speaker setup.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Rear
Moving over to the back, you get a good view of the tablet’s metal body with a matte finish You have the Samsung logo in the top-left corner with the single camera setup on the top-right corner. It’s worth noting that the camera protrudes quite a bit.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has their signature tablet design with a solid build quality, which is great given the price point. Despite the matte finish, the rear somewhat gets fingerprint smudges easily but since most people would use this with a protective case, it’s not a problem.
Specifications

CPU/Chipset:
Unisoc T618 (2 x 2 GHz Cortex-A75 and 6 x 2 GHz Cortex-A55), 12nm

GPU:
Mali G52 MP2

RAM:
3GB

Display:
10.5″ (1200 x 1920) TFT Display, 16:10 aspect ratio, 80% screen-to-body ratio

Storage:
32GB (expandable via MicroSD)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
8 MP, AF, Full HD @ 30FPS
Front Camera
5 MP, Full HD @ 30FPS

OS:
Android 11 with One UI 3.1

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE
USB-C

Audio:
Stereo speakers (4 speakers)
3.5mm headphone jack

SIM:
No, Wi-Fi only

Battery:
7040 mAh
15W fast charging

Dimensions:
246.8 x 161.9 x 6.9 mm, 508g

Performance
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Antutu v9
In Antutu V9, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 performed pretty well given its intended target. It’s noticeably better than the budget-oriented Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, and it’s a little better than the Nokia T20, which is using the Unisoc T610. For context, both that and the Unisoc T618, which is powering the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, are entry-level SoCs.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Geekbench 5
A similar pattern can be seen in Geekbench 5, as the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 outperformed the same tablets from before. Unsurprisingly, a midrange device / SoC can easily outperform it but keep in mind that this isn’t meant to match that.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – 3DMark
Moving on to 3DMark, we managed to get the Wild Life benchmark to run on it, something that wasn’t possible on the Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. It’s not a strong showing but it is capable of 3D graphics just fine. One way of looking at it is that you can run multimedia and game apps on it, as long as it’s not too resource-intensive, like Genshin Impact for example.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – PCMark
Moving on to PCMark Work 3.0, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 performed pretty well for what it offers. Interestingly, it falls behind the Unisoc T610 SoC but generally, it shows a good potential for productivity use.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Battery life
For battery life, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 managed to last 7 hours and 56 minutes (476 minutes) in the PCMark Work 3.0 endurance test before the battery depleted. You can’t really compare it to smartphones given that the screen is much bigger. From my experience, it can go down quite a bit when in use but the standby time is excellent as it took me over a week before I needed to charge it.
User Experience
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Display on
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 uses a 10.5-inch TFT display. Given its 1920 x 1200 resolution, it has an aspect ratio of 16:10, which is essentially the same as the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, but with a little bit of extra vertical space. The resolution puts it at about Full HD+, which is excellent as it lets you enjoy mainstream high definition content without limitations.
It’s worth noting that the display is reflective, and while it can get bright, it can be a bit hard to look under bright sunlight. With that being said, colours are generally pleasing to the eyes so I’m sure most people would be able to enjoy it just fine. If you need a higher quality display on a tablet, you may want to opt for the flagship S-series tablets instead.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Camera bump
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is powered by the Unisoc T618, which is an entry-level SoC that is positioned a little higher than the Unisoc T610. For our review unit, it has 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. It’s not meant for resource-intensive use but rather, for multimedia purposes like binging on Netflix or YouTube videos.
It can do some light gaming just fine, as long as it’s not too heavy to run. If you need more RAM, there is a variant that comes with 4GB RAM. While our review unit is Wi-Fi only, there is a variant of the tablet that comes with 4G LTE support. With the use of a nanoSIM, which inserted in the same tray as the microSD card, you can get internet connection everywhere you go.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – Gaming on the tablet
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has four speakers; two on top and two on the bottom. It’s certainly the highlight feature of the tablet as it produces a fine amount of detail with a touch of bass. If it’s not good enough for you or you want a more personal listening experience, it does have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is certainly great to have.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review – One UI 3.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is running Android 11 with One UI 3.1 on top of it. It gives the device a rather clean look and is generally easy to navigate. It’s user-friendly enough that most people should not have trouble using it. I personally use it with Dark Mode as it’s easier on my eyes.
If you prefer an affordable tablet that is more compact than this, check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite by clicking right here.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Verdict
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 Review
At RM999, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is certainly a tablet that focuses on value. It’s not a high end performer but it should be more than adequate for productivity, web surfing, and multimedia entertainment. It has its fair share of drawbacks, such as the reflective screen and low RAM but the pros certainly outshine it enough for it to be an enticing offer.
At the end of our Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 review, I award this tablet with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Samsung Malaysia for sending us this tablet for the purposes of this review.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


LazMall ‘Guaranteed Delivery’ Service Expands In Malaysia

Lazada Malaysia has announced that they’ve expanded their ‘Guaranteed Delivery’ services from Klang Valley to more states in the country in conjunction with the 7.7 Mid-Year Super Sale.
LazMall ‘Guaranteed Delivery’ Service Update
With the service, it promises faster and more reliable deliveries. Though they’ve mentioned of the expansion of the service, unfortunately the folks in east Malaysia aren’t applicable just yet.
Aside from that, the service supports two other promises from LazMall which are ‘100% Authentic’ as well as ’15-Day Returns’.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Jumping on to the 7.7 Mid-Year Super Sale, the online presale has already begun and will last until the 7th of July itself. In that period, you can enjoy free shipping vouchers with a minimum spend of RM15, Lowest Price Guaranteed deals, LazChoice promos, and plenty more.
Not to forget, you can win yourself a realme 6i smartphone by entering Lazada’s Coin Race. There’s also other prizes included to you might want to check that out.
Pokdepinion: I’m sure there will be a lot of folks from East Malaysia that won’t be too happy to hear the news.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Streamyx 8 Mbps to be offered from RM69/month

While TM treated unifi subscribers to much faster internet packages at the same price, the majority of TM users are stuck on much slower Streamyx plans which are also grotesquely overpriced. After our Minister of Communication and Multimedia has demanded a plan of action last month, this is TM’s solution.
The reduced prices was announced at the Kembara Digital Malaysia roadshow in Ipoh. Existing customers can now enjoy Streamyx 8 Mbps at RM69/month, while new customers will have to pay RM89/month for the service.
Compared to the previous pricing structure which saw Streamyx 1 Mbps users paying RM110/month, this is a huge price reduction. More details will apparently be announced at a later date, but this is really #khabarbaik for Malaysians still stuck on Streamyx!

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Pokdepinion: Well it’s a good step in the right direction, at the very least.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Plantronics RIG 800HS Wireless Gaming Headset Review; Specifically for Gaming

Introduction

Our review of the brand new Plantronics RIG 800HS wireless gaming headset. Some parts it excels in, other parts it doesn’t. See if this is the one for you.
It would appear that we have a sudden surge of gaming headset reviews, with the Edifier G4 and the Razer Tiamat 2.2 V2 being the recent ones, on Pokde.net recently. Not that it’s a bad thing since our gaming section has been growing at an exponential rate. There are plenty of gaming headsets to consider and it can be tough to choose from depending on your budget. Today, we’re going to take a deep look into the Plantronics RIG 800HS wireless gaming headset.
Unboxing the Plantronics RIG 800HS

The box of the Plantronics RIG 800HS exudes gaming in its design. The colour scheme and the information written on it just screams gaming. All of the headset’s features are written on the box; most on the back, some on the front, and the remaining on the sides.  The headset itself is packaged in a way that will minimize any possible damage from impact. Once you take off the headset from its “plastic throne”, you’ll find the wireless receiver just right below it.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Dig deeper into the box and you’ll find the optical audio cable, microUSB cable, quick start guide, and warranty information. If these words seem a little vague for you or you simply need a clearer image of how the unboxing process looks like, check out the video above. Overall, there’s really no problems with the packaging of the product. Everything is packed neatly, the design appeals to gamers, and it should be able to protect itself in most shipping situations.
Appearance

Taking a look at the Plantronics RIG 800HS, you’ll notice that the earcups are oval in shape. It’s utilizing memory foam cushions, like you hear from those fancy pillows, to maximize the comfortability factor while also providing good sound isolation. Coupled with the headset’s frame, it allows the Plantronics RIG 800HS to retain a light, yet durable build that should be able to last for quite some time.

Looking at the sides, you’d notice that there’s 3 holes there. Unlike most other headsets where you move the headband to either tighten or loosen it on your head, this one requires the use of these holes to do that. There are a total of 6 holes for this, with 3 holes on each side. I’ll explain what I think of this approach in the user experience section of this review.

As for the headband itself, it looks kind of flimsy but to be fair, it was designed this way to be flexible and light so it wouldn’t cause unnecessary pressure on gamers’ heads. The unidirectional microphone can be flipped up or down whenever you want to use it, and it works pretty smooth. This swiveling mechanism is built pretty well so it shouldn’t cause unnecessary problems, such as being stuck and unable to turn the mic down. It’s worth noting that the actual microphone itself can be bent so you can have it directed to your mouth area.

If you look at the back of the left earcup, this is where the dials, switches, and USB port is located. If you wanted to adjust volume on-the-fly, turn the headset on, balance between in-game and chat audio, or charge the headset, this is where you need to look at. On the bottom of the right earcup on the other hand is where you can adjust equalizer settings on-the-fly.
Surprisingly, you don’t see much of the branding on the Plantronics RIG 800HS. You’d see more of the ‘RIG’ branding rather than the Plantronics branding. I suppose if you’re conscious about having too many logos or too many of one particular logo on your product, this would be an attractive choice. Overall, the headset has that look that will appeal to gamers and while it doesn’t look exactly solid, it’s surprisingly durable when you get your hands on it.
Specifications

Drivers:
40mm Dynamic drivers

Frequency response:
20 Hz – 20 KHz

Battery
1,500 mAh

Impedance:
32 Ω

Microphone:
Noise-cancelling, Unidirectional pattern

Features:
Wireless, optical audio, 24-hour battery life, 4 EQ Modes, isolating earcups

Wireless:
Lag-free 2.4GHz digital RF

User Experience

Using the Plantronics RIG 800HS is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is plug the wireless receiver to your machine via USB, turn on the headset itself, and it should work immediately. If you’re on PC and no sound is coming in, you might have to change the default device on Playback Devices but generally, that should be done automatically. This works on both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. It sets up even faster on PlayStation 4 as it’s recognized almost immediately after connecting to it via USB.

Putting on the Plantronics RIG 800HS, it is a very comfortable gaming headset to wear. With its lightweight and memory-foam cushion, there are times when I felt like I wasn’t wearing a headset. This is especially the case since it’s a wireless headset, as I’ve found myself going to the bathroom and forgetting to take it off.

Remember those 3 holes I mentioned to adjust the headset? Well, it’s not as convenient as pulling the headband like most other headsets but one thing’s for sure, you will never find yourself having the headset accidentally adjusting itself for whatever reason and it will maintain this way no matter what. So for most people, this will only be a pain initially but once you’ve adjusted to the suitable hole, you don’t have to worry about it anymore.
Even after a 5-hour gaming marathon with a mix of Marvel VS Capcom: Infinite and Overwatch, my ears nor my head didn’t feel like it was too hot. Of course, it’s at least a bit warm since it’s covering my ears but it’s nowhere near uncomfortable.

How does the Plantronics RIG 800HS wireless gaming headset sound like? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag and depends on what you really need a gaming headset for. For gaming in itself, it’s excellent. It reproduces in-game environmental sounds, explosions, movements, and more perfectly. There was never a time where I felt like something was muffled or overbearing that it overshadowed other sounds going through the headset.

However, that is when you’re using it directly on the USB receiver. If you were to connect the optical cable to the receiver and utilized the sound coming from that (such as  the Realtek High Definition audio for PC), the bass is noticeably lowered and sounds become noticeably more neutral…or bland I would say. On top of that, volume is kind of lacking as at max volume, it’s only just okay for me. You also can’t adjust equalizer on the go when you’re on optical connection This is not a problem if you were to use the Plantronics RIG 800HS with only the USB receiver and not the optical connection.

Listening experience is the same on the PlayStation 4 as well for both scenarios. If you’re listening to music on the other hand, it’s not really enjoyable. It’s not exactly bad but since gaming with it gives a good experience, you’d expect much better listening experience when listening to music. Adjusting through the available equalizers help, but not by much. This is also why I feel that the Plantronics RIG 800HS is built specifically for gaming.

As far as the microphone is concerned, it’s below average. It’s just enough to chat with people online or in-game and nothing more. We’ve definitely heard better microphones on gaming headsets around. It did pickup a tiny bit of noise from the headset when listening to something loud but it’s definitely a lot better compared to the Razer Tiamat 2.2 V2 on this aspect. This could possibly be because of the wireless connection but to the least, it’s doing its job.
And arguably the part that everyone is wondering about; the battery life of the Plantronics RIG 800HS wireless gaming headset. It claims to have a 24-hour battery life but with only 1,500 mAh battery, some people are skeptical about that claim. Well, let me put those worries to ease. At full charge, I was able to use the headset for 4 – 5 hours everyday for 5 days straight before I needed to charge again. That’s essentially on-par with what Plantronics is claiming. I give my seal of approval for the battery life, that’s for sure.
Conclusion

The Plantronics RIG 800HS is a decent wireless gaming headset that’s expected to be retailing for RM899 when it starts selling (officially) in Malaysia. It’s very comfortable especially for long-hours use, surprisingly durable despite not looking the part, the battery life is good, and it sounds pretty good when you’re gaming. However, it doesn’t sound as good when listening to music, the microphone is below average, and it sounds better on USB rather than optical.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to game a lot and love the freedom that wireless headsets offer, this would be the one for you. Not once did I notice any delays, interruptions, or hissing noise, which is quite common in wireless headsets. If you need a better quality microphone, you can always just get a standalone microphone as that would be a more cost-effective option.
With that in mind, I award the Plantronics RIG 800HS wireless gaming headset with our Silver Pokdeward!

Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Raising the Bar for Foldables

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Box

For our review unit of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, we received the complete package which will be the same as retail purchases. It is noticeably thinner compared to its predecessor’s box, which gives you an idea of what to expect given previous changes in the company. Inside the box, you will find the following items:
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Box content

USB-C to USB-C cable
User guide
Warranty card
SIM Ejector tool
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 itself

Appearance
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Cover Display
Let’s start off with the phone in its folded form first. On the front, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 essentially retains the same 6.2-inch display for the “Cover Screen” with an aspect ratio of 25:9 and the usual punchhole selfie camera. The most notable change is the upgrade to Dynamic AMOLED 2X from Super AMOLED and 120Hz refresh rate, which we’ll talk more about in the User Experience section.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Sides
On the left side, you have a debossed Samsung logo, which will be hidden away when unfolded with its “Hideaway Hinge”. As for the right side, you have the SIM Card tray slot, volume rocker and a fingerprint scanner which also doubles as the power button. Moving over to the top, you have a speaker grille and microphone hole. Lastly on the bottom, you have another speaker grille, microphone hole, and the USB-C port. It’s worth noting that there’s still a gap when the device is folded, but it’s not as apparent as before.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Rear
Moving over to the rear, you get a good look at its Phantom Black color scheme which has a matte black finish, making it less susceptible to fingerprints and smudges. It’s worth noting that the rear triple-camera system doesn’t protrude as much as recent flagship-level Samsung smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Main display
When you unfold the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, you’ll get a much larger 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display that looks similar to a mini tablet. The biggest change you can see here is the use of an under-display camera here instead of having another punchhole selfie camera. It’s not invisible by any means but it’s easy to forget it’s there if you stare at the display long enough. At times, you can also see a crease in the center but for the most part when the display is on, it’s hardly noticeable.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 looks essentially the same as its predecessor but with some notable upgrades here and there. It certainly feels premium and more solid than before, and the idea of having a large display whenever you need it is still amazing.
Specifications

CPU:
Snapdragon 888 (1 x Kryo 680 @ 2.84 GHz + 3 x Kryo 680 @ 2.42 GHz + 4 x Kryo 680 @ 1.8 GHz), 5nm

GPU:
Adreno 660

RAM:
12GB

Display:
Main Screen
7.6″ QXGA+ (2208 x 1768), Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display, 374ppi, S Pen support, HDR10+, 120Hz, New Protective Film, Redesigned Layer Structure (80% more durable)
Cover Display
6.2″ HD+ (2268 x 832) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, 387ppi, 120Hz Corning Gorilla Glass Victus

Storage:
256GB / 512GB UFS 3.1 (not expandable)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
12MP f/1.8 wide angle camera with Dual Pixel AF,
12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera,
12MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with OIS 2X Zoom,
Super Clear Glass with Gorilla Glass with DX
 Cover Camera
10MP f/2.2 wide-angle camera
Under Display Camera
4MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera

OS:
Android 11, One UI 3.1

Audio:
Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot Bluetooth 5.2 5G Band: SA/NSA/Sub6 LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps

SIM:
Hybrid Sim (NanoSIM and eSIM)

Battery:
Li-Po 4400 mAh (non-removable) dual battery 25W Fast charging, 11W wireless charging

Dimensions:
Unfolded
158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm
Folded
158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4~16 mm

Weight:
271g

Ingress protection:
IPX8

Colors:
Phantom Green, Phantom Black, and Phantom Silver

Performance
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Antutu v9
Starting off with Antutu v9, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 performs excellently. This isn’t a surprise given that it’s powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. In fact, the only devices that managed to outperform it here also runs on the same chipset.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Geekbench 5
A similar pattern can be seen in Geekbench 5 as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 also performs well here. I do believe it can be optimized to improve performance further when you see how the other devices performed in this benchmark score, but it’s definitely more than enough for most users.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – 3DMark
In 3DMark, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 managed admirable scores for Sling Shot Unlimited, Sling Shot Extreme Unlimited and Wild Life Unlimited. It’s interesting to see that the better performing devices has about the same scores in Wild Life Unlimited, but they happen to score noticeably higher in the other two tests, which are easier to run.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – PCMark Work 3.0
It gets particularly interesting in PCMark Work 3.0, as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 managed to achieve the 3rd highest score in our list of benchmarked devices. Given the bigger screen and support for the S Pen, it’s certainly shaping up to be a productivity workhorse unlike anything we’ve experienced before.
User Experience
Display and Audio
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Cover Display
As mentioned before, the cover display has seen a notable upgrade as it has moved from Super AMOLED to Dynamic AMOLED 2X and adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. This means you get improved brightness, better colors and HDR10+ support. This makes it a worthy alternative display if you don’t need to do the bigger one, whereas the predecessors make it the more inferior of the two. Gorilla Glass Victus has been retained for added protection.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Display
Moving to the larger, unfolded display, we get the highly requested S Pen support, making it the first foldable smartphone that supports the feature. This is made possible thanks to redesigned layer structure making it 80% more durable than before. However, you need to use either the S Pen Pro in Fold Mode or the S Pen Fold Edition with the softer tip. The ability will certainly be seen as a major attraction point for those who want to maximize on its productivity potential.
At the time of our review, we couldn’t get our hands on the S Pen for it yet so we will talk more about that in a future article.
With that being said, the display itself may not seem like it was upgraded much at first glance, especially given the same resolution. However, the new Eco display technology sees a boost in brightness by 29%. The new under-display camera isn’t invisible by any means but as you start using it, it’s easy to forget that it’s there.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Top-firing speaker
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 has a stereo speaker setup; one on top firing upwards and another on the bottom firing downwards. It’s certainly one of the better speakers on a smartphone as it can get very loud while still maintaining on clarity so it doesn’t sound like it’s breaking. It’s a bit muffled if you fold it 90° as the speaker that’s closer to the surface has the audio disperse on the surface that it’s placed on.
While it’s an excellent speaker setup, one implementation of a dual-speaker setup I would like to see in future iterations of this device is to have dual front-facing speakers covering the the entire top and bottom bezels. I’m very certain this will turn it into the best stereo speaker setup on a smartphone ever.
Convenience
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Bottom speaker
This part might not be a surprise but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 doesn’t have a headphone jack. This means if you want to use earphones / headphones, you will either need to use a USB-C connector, an adapter, or a wireless one. Given how most flagships have omitted this, most people should be fine with it by now.
Apart from that, this foldable smartphone is listed as having Dual SIM support but not physically. It’s with the use of a nanoSIM and an eSIM. For most consumers, this should be perfectly fine but if you really need two physical SIM cards inside, then this isn’t the smartphone for you.
One major upgrade to its durability is the addition of IPX8 water resistance. This means that it can be submerged in water up to 1 meter. It may not be resistant to dust, but that’s going to be tough given the foldable nature of the device. Regardless, it’s a major step up from its predecessor and is a huge step forward for foldable smartphones.
Lastly, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 with either 256GB or 512GB UFS 3.1 internal storage, both of which have the same 12GB RAM. You can’t expand the storage further as it has no memory card slot. In all honesty, 256GB is plenty enough so unless you really need extra large space, you should go for the 512GB variant. Your only option to expand storage is the use of cloud storage.
Interested in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 instead? Check out our review of that by clicking right here.
Software – Android 11 with One UI 3.1
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – UI for Cover Display
Right from the moment I received this review unit, it was running One UI 3.1.1 based on Android 11. You will get the full Samsung smartphone experience just like on non-foldable smartphones. It’s buttery-smooth and user-friendly, but it will take time to fully understand the full suite of fold-specific UI features. Many people were worried that the UI would not be optimized for the large, unfolded screen as things would look unnecessarily big and you’ll inevitably see less.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – UI for main display
That isn’t actually the case as they’re building the experience from the ground up, with plenty of apps already having support for it. For instance, you can view Tweets, emails, and more split in half as if you have two screens joined together. Samsung has promised to improve support for this as time goes on so we can expect more apps to look and work better with the larger display.
Camera
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Camera UI for Cover Display
The camera UI on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is quite straightforward with all the available options directly on screen along with improvements on features like Single Take and more. This raises its potential for solid mobile photography and videography, making it more viable to be a secondary camera for professionals as far as options are concerned.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Camera UI for main display
When unfolded, the UI will appear very different given the size and aspect ratio but it’s still straightforward. The Flex Mode camera UI option has returned, which separate half the screen for viewfinder and the other for options and viewing the shots you take live, giving you much better control for angles and added convenience. Samsung has once again scaled the UI excellently here for easy use.

Early reports on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 made people worried that this foldable smartphone may be lagging behind even the company’s own flagships like the S21 Ultra. However, I can safely say that the rear triple-camera setup can easily match with the typical 2021 flagship device.
As you can see, the pictures look excellent with good dynamic range when the lighting is favorable. Even in low-light it does well, with the processing further reducing the digital noise. I credit the Gorilla Glass DX lens, which allows for more light and especially beneficial for low-light shots. The telephoto camera is capable of 2X OIS with up to 10X total zoom, and captures a good amount of detail, although the colors look a little more dull. The same can be said with the ultra-wide camera, but it’s still certainly a capable shooter.

Like its predecessor, you have two selfie cameras; the 10MP f/2.2 punchhole selfie camera on the cover display and the 4MP f/1.8 under-display camera on the unfolded display. The former certainly can capture clearer selfies with a wider dynamic range compared to the latter, but this isn’t a surprise given that the technology still requires more work.
You may be wondering why did Samsung bother including it then, and I believe they’re doing it because they have room to give the innovative technology a try. It still works great for video conference calls and if people need to take better selfies, they have the option to use the punchhole camera one or the main camera system itself. Effectively, there’s no risk for the Korean giant here. Users also get the added benefit of a near-seamless main display experience.
Battery Life
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Battery endurance test
Battery life is the biggest worry for most consumers here since the battery has shrunk a little bit, and a large display would eat it up even faster. When folded, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 lasted 9 hours and 12 minutes (552 minutes) before the battery dies out, which is more than adequate. When unfolded, that figure drops to 6 hours and 21 minutes (381 minutes), which isn’t a surprise.
As for using it personally on a daily basis, the battery life does drain noticeably faster whenever I use the larger, unfolded display, but feels like any other smartphone when using it in folded. I can still last through a day’s use, from the moment I wake up to the point where I need to sleep, with just social media apps, chats, a bit of phone calls, and food delivery service apps. In case you’re wondering, the battery capacity is 4,400mAh and my usage is about 70% unfolded and 30% folded.
Samsung Galaxy ZFold3 Verdict
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Triple camera system
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is an absolute beast of a productivity device. You get IPX8 resistance rating, the main display now works better than ever thanks to UI optimizations, both displays are vibrant and colorful, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate now available in both displays, S Pen support, great stereo speaker experience, Snapdragon 888 is a solid performer, good camera quality, and improved durability overall.
However, there are still a number of key areas that it could improve on. There’s no headphone jack, it’s harder to find protective cases, battery life / capacity could be higher, and it’s still pricey at RM6,699. Despite all of that, I do believe this iteration of the foldable smartphone has come to a point where it can easily take the place of any flagship smartphone as a daily driver without issues.
At the end of our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 review, we award this foldable smartphone with our coveted Gold Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Samsung Malaysia for sending us this smartphone for the purposes of this review.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


[CES2018] ASUS Unveils New Consumer Laptops – Portable Yet Offers Performance!

ASUS has showcase their latest products in the form of the Zenbook 13 (UX331UAL), Vivo AiO V272, Vivo AiO V222, and the ASUS X507, their new lineup of laptops and also AiO (All in One) PCs at this year’s CES 2018.
ASUS New Consumer Laptops & AiO PCs
ZenBook 13
Kicking-off their latest consumer laptops is the new ZenBook 13 (UX331UAL). It is ultralight and despite that, it is also a powerful machine. Weighing in at 985g with an all-metal-chassis build, it has a battery life of 15 hours. Performance wise, it features 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and superfast 1TB PCIe SSD that lets users breeze through their tasks easily.
In addition, it features Harmon Kardon audio system, which delivers a powerful immersive sound. New features also are on hand such as Windows Hello, Modern Standby, and Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana for more efficiency and productivity.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

ASUS X507
Next is the ASUS X507 laptop. It offers easy portability while not disregard performance for daily computing. Weighing at 1.68kg, it is powered by a 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForece MX110 graphics. It comes with slim-bezel NanoEdge Full HD display for unbounded visuals.
With Windows 10 preinstalled, it also includes Cortana. Ideally, the X507 is made for daily computing and entertainment.
Vivo AiO V272
With the new Vivo AiO V272, you will be getting up to 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics for performance. Featuring a 27-inch multitouch display, it has a wide 100% sRGB color gamut and 178-degree wide-view technology which is perfectly paired with the ASUS SonicMaster audio system to give an immersive entertainment experience.
By utilizing the ASUS ZenAnywhere App, it gives users effortless remote access and turn the Vivo AiO V272 into a personal cloud storage center. Similar to X507 laptop, it will come with Windows 10 and Cortana.
Vivo AiO V222
Last but not least is the Vivo AiO V222, which has a frameless 22-inch Full HD display with 87% screen-to-body ratio for edge-to-edge visuals. It comes with exclusive ASUS Splendid and Tru2Life Video technology, as well as ASUS SonicMaster speaker system.
The AiO PC delivers immersive visuals with superb sound for the ultimate entertainment experience. Users can utilize the ZenAnywhere app as well for more access.
Pokdepinion: Personally, I love ASUS’s laptops for work, especially the design. Often more than not, they are light, convenient and portable.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Fitbit Connect App Will Be Discontinued Very Soon

Some wearables have the ability to store music on it, which makes it convenient if you don’t want to bring your smartphone along for a workout. For those using the Fitbit Versa, Versa 2, or Ionic, it might be a bit of a pain as the Fitbit Connect app will soon be discontinued.
From what we understand thus far, the Fitbit Connect app, which is used to transfer music from your PC to your wearable, will be “deactivated” after 13th October 2022. Along with that, they will be “removing the option to transfer playlists to your Fitbit watch through your computer”.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

For those using newer wearables, it’s not a problem as they don’t support music transfers from PC. For the older wearable users, you will then be left with the option of using supported music stream services such as Deezer and Pandora instead or be stuck with the playlist that’s already on it for the rest of its life.
Source
Pokdepinion: Not sure why they chose to discontinue it but I have a feeling it’s because there is a lack of demand or use for Fitbit Connect. After all, keeping an app continuously updated can be time and resource-consuming.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


PSA: Cyberpunk 2077 Mobile is Fake and Should Not Be Downloaded

Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably one of the hottest games around right now. Like with many popular games, there are bound to be some dubious apps related to it. In this particular case, it’s Cyberpunk 2077 Mobile and if you want to stay safe, best not to even consider downloading that app.
PSA: Cyberpunk 2077 Mobile is Fake

New Android #Ransomware disguised as #Cyberpunk2077 game.
Downloaded from fake website imitating Google Play Store.
Extension: .coderCrypt
Family: CoderWare/BlackKingdom https://t.co/JBudDP6vG1 pic.twitter.com/TdM4SAkFWl
— Tatyana Shishkova (@sh1shk0va) December 16, 2020
‘

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

According to Kaspersky Malware Analyst Tatyana Shishkova on her Twitter account @sh1shk0va, there is a Cyberpunk 2077 Mobile app on the Google Play Store complete with fake reviews that make it seem legit. Unfortunately, it’s not the actual game but in fact, a ransomware called CoderWare.
For those of you who aren’t aware, CoderWare is a variant of the BlackKingdom ransomware which will encrypt the data in your smartphone once it has access to it. You will then be requested to pay a sum of money in bitcoin, typically USD $500 in value, to the perpetrators or risk losing all your precious data. Screenshots of Cyberpunk 2077 Mobile on the Google Play Store were shown for reference so people can avoid it.
If you happen to get stuck with this, there is a decryptor that can help you recover your data, especially since the malware will have a hardcoded key when installed on your device. Regardless, just avoid this so you don’t have to waste your time stressing out on something completely unnecessary.
Cyberpunk 2077 is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The optimized next gen versions will be coming later in 2021.
Source
Pokdepinion: With the game having trouble running on PS4, I don’t think it can run even remotely well on a high end smartphone.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


realme isn’t planning on a gaming phone anytime soon

In an interview with Android Authority, the Director of realme Europe, Levi Lee, shared the company’s secret to success as well as their plans for the near future. And a gaming phone isn’t exactly part of the plan.
Their justification is that:
 It is not for the common consumers, it’s not what we are after. Levi Lee, Director of realme Europe
Of course, the realme X2 Pro is still going to deliver formidable capabilities when it comes to gaming. The Snapdragon 855+, vapor chamber cooling and 90 Hz AMOLED display lends itself well to gaming, although what Levi Lee means is probably that there won’t be a dedicated gaming phone ala Black Shark or Red Magic.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

For less than RM1600, the realme X2 Pro delivers ridiculous value.
Levi Lee also shared that realme is able to deliver the value we know realme for thanks to their savings on marketing. Instead of spending on marketing, they use social media, communities and other digital tools to reach out to consumers.
Even the realme 5 Pro is well suited for gaming.
realme has definitely been bringing out some awesome devices recently, the latest one being the realme 5 Pro. It also proved to be quite a hit among value seekers, running out of stock on the very first day itself. The realme XT is also just around the corner, which should also be quite a popular device.
What do you think? Do you really want a gaming phone, or does regular smartphones suffice for your gaming needs?
Source: Android Authority
Pokdepinion: Save the gaming phones. The realme X2 Pro is more than enough for that.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


iflix Premiere My First Love – Express From Korea!

iflix has announce they will be premier up-and-coming K-drama, My First Love, joining a wide range of Korean dramas already in their library.
iflix My First Love Premiere
iflix to premiere My First Love
From today, iflix will make the show’s first three episodes available to stream and download. The series’ new episodes will be available every week every Tuesday and Wednesday, which is just 24 hours after the initial television broadcast by OCN in South Korea.
My First Love is a story based on the web-comic series titled “Aeganjang” which was made by Kim Hee Ran and Kim Byung Kwan. The story revolves around first love. With ten years passed,  Kang Shin-Woo (Lee Jung-Shin) is unable to move on from his first love, Han Ji-Soo (Lee Yeol-Eum). Kang accidentally goes back in time and meets up with his younger self (Seo Ji-Hoon), thus he tries to rewrite history as he struggles to help his younger self to keep his high school sweetheart.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The show joins iflix’s library of popular and highly-acclaimed Korean dramas, which also includes Secret Garden, Goblin, The Legend of the Blue Sea, Descendants of the Sun, The Inheritors, to name a few.
iflix is now available in over 25 territories across Asia, the Middle East, as well as Africa, offering library of Hollywood, Asian, Middle Eastern, and local TV shows and movies. Subscribers to iflix will get to stream their favorite shows and movies up to five devices, including PCs, laptops, phones, tablets and television sets everywhere, anywhere.
Pokdepinion: Well it’s not that I don’t like watching K-dramas, It’s rather that I have rarely the time to watch shows. Despite that, avid K-drama fans should go and checkout the show. Might be your cup of tea (and please make sure to watch it legally, not by streaming it at other websites :P)
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Samsung Malaysia Bringing Innovation Within Tradition This Chinese New Year 2021

With every Chinese New Year, Samsung tends to release a short film to celebrate the festivities. This year is particularly different however given that Malaysia is back in MCO again due to the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly going stronger than ever. However, things don’t have to stop there, as shown in their newest Chinese New Year 2021 short film, produced in collaboration with JinnyboyTV.
Samsung Malaysia Chinese New Year 2021 Short Film

Like the annual short films, tradition plays is a major role in Chinese New Year festivities.  The latest one by Samsung Malaysia, titled “CNY Film 2021 – The Last Dance” shows how rigid it can be, particularly with lion dances. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all sorts of businesses are affected, including lion dance academies.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

As the pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, something needs to be done in order for businesses to sustain themselves, and the key here is innovation. The short film shows how innovation, even within tradition, can be used to adapt to a grim situation like the one we are facing now. Without going to deep into it and spoiling the experience for you, give it a watch at the top of this post.
From all of us here at Pokde.net, we would like to take the time to wish you a very happy Chinese New Year 2021. Stay safe, everyone.
If you have trouble seeing the short film, click right here to go straight to YouTube for it.
Pokdepinion: It’s a pretty interesting, heartwarming short film. If you’ve been around enough, I’m sure it’s easily relatable.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


HUAWEI nova 7i With Quad Cameras And Kirin 810 Arriving In Malaysia This 14 February

If you’re a HUAWEI fan, you will be glad to know that HUAWEI Malaysia is about to launch the HUAWEI nova 7i, making the country the first to get the smartphone outside from China.

They have said they are taking selfies into another level with its selfie video camera functions, where it features stickers, filters, effects, and many more. It is the first HUAWEI smartphone to introduce MeeTime, a built-in video call that helps in image and audio quality in calls thanks to HUAWEI’s low light selfie camera (16MP).

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

As for its back, it sports a quad camera setup that includes a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide shooter, 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. It’s display features a 6.4″ IPS LCD which offers a 83.5% screen-to-body ratio.
Storage wise, it comes with 8GB RAM that’s paired with 128GB of internal storage. The phone is powered by a Kirin 810 and there’s a 4,200mAh battery under the hood, which you can charge with its 40W SuperCharge. They claim that you can get 70% charge with just 30 minutes of charging, which is pretty fast.
At the moment, the price for the HUAWEI nova 7i is still yet to be revealed. They say that they will let the price to be known once they’ve prepared roadshows, most likely for the device itself.
Pokdepinion: To be frank, I was rather curious on how the new Kirin 810 performs since there was no device that featured it here in Malaysia previously.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Sony to Continue Making Android Smartphones, Extends Collaboration with Qualcomm

Despite facing challenges in smartphone sales, Sony has announced its commitment to continue manufacturing Android smartphones for the foreseeable future. Speculations about a potential exit from the smartphone business, following the footsteps of LG and HTC, have been put to rest with the revelation that they have extended their  collaboration with chip maker Qualcomm. The multi-year deal will see the Japanese giant’s future smartphones powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms, encompassing premium, high-end, and mid-tier devices.
More Sony Smartphones Coming Your Way

In a recent press release, Qualcomm announced its extended partnership with Sony for the integration of Snapdragon mobile platforms into Sony’s upcoming smartphone lines. The collaboration aims to provide users with enhanced functionality, improved performance, and immersive user experiences. This move reaffirms their dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology and meeting customer expectations.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Tsutomu Hamaguchi, the head of Sony’s mobile communications business unit, expressed his enthusiasm for the continued collaboration with Qualcomm. He highlighted the positive reception of their latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 V, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform. The Japanese giant remains focused on leveraging customer feedback to develop compelling experiences and drive the industry forward in partnership with Qualcomm Technologies.

With the joint efforts of both companies, consumers can anticipate the continuation of Sony’s existing smartphone ranges. The absence of a mention of “low-end” devices suggests that they will maintain its focus on premium and high-end segments rather than expanding into the highly competitive low-end market. By leveraging Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms, the Japanese giant aims to provide users with feature-rich devices that push the boundaries of mobile technology.
As the collaboration unfolds, we can expect exciting advancements in their smartphone offerings. Stay tuned for further updates on the Japanese giant’s upcoming devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, and more.
Source
Pokdepinion: Contrary to rumours of a potential exit from the smartphone market, Sony has reaffirmed its commitment to producing Android smartphones. The extended collaboration with Qualcomm ensures that Sony’s future devices will benefit from the advanced Snapdragon mobile platforms, promising enhanced functionality, superior performance, and immersive user experiences. Sony’s dedication to customer satisfaction and continuous innovation aligns with its mission to deliver cutting-edge technology.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


HONOR Unveils Magic Vs Foldable Smartphone For Overseas Markets

HONOR is now the latest smartphone manufacturer to dip their toes into foldable smartphones – bringing their new Magic Vs to international markets for the first time.

Weighing at 261g, HONOR claims this is the lightest foldable smartphone to date, with thickness measuring at 12.9mm. The company attributes the weight savings to a simplified gear-less hinge that reduced hinge complexity while maintaining same level of durability. The hinge is rated for over 400,000 folds – equivalent to more than 100 folds per day for 10 years.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The foldable form factor takes the traditional vertical-folding design with front FHD+ display spanning 6.45 inches at 21:9 aspect ratio. Inside, the screen is measured 7.9 inches, supports 100% DCI-P3, 10-bit color and up to 90Hz refresh rate (front display supports 120Hz). The new blue-light filter technology, dubbed Circadian Night Display, uses 1920Hz PWM dimming on both displays to minimize flickering in low-brightness environments.
The rear cameras houses three lenses: 54MP Sony IMX800 main shooter, 50MP ultrawide + macro camera and a 8MP telephoto camera with up to 3x optical zoom. Front facing camera is handled by a single 16MP camera.
On the subject of performance – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 powers the smartphone; with configurations available up to 12GB+512GB. Battery is 5000mAh combined; supports 66W HONOR SuperCharge with 46 minutes of charge time.
HONOR hasn’t revealed any details on a possible release nationwide – for that, stay tuned to HONOR’s website or their Facebook page.
Pokdepinion: Still some way to go from pushing the foldable weight down to maybe sub-220g or so. I personally thinks traditional smartphones at ~200g is already a bit too heavy.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


In a very big surprise, Square Enix officially revealed Kingdom Hearts 4 in a brand new trailer, and it confirms Sora’s fate from the cliffhanger ending. Here’s what we know thus far.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Trailer Officially Confirms Sora’s Fate

Despite many believing that we are still years away from hearing about Kingdom Hearts 4, Square Enix managed to surprise us with a brand new trailer for the game. This was revealed at the 20th anniversary event for Kingdom Hearts that was held recently.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The trailer starts off with a text reading “The Lost Master arc”, confirming that we are indeed moving away from the Xehanort saga since that concluded in the previous game. Sora wakes up in an apartment and opens the front door, revealing Strelitzia from Union X.
She then proceeds to explain that the place they are currently in is called Quadratum, and Sora has been sleeping for a week since he arrived. While it is a lively place, it essentially functions as an “afterlife” for them. This seemingly confirms the fate of Sora from the previous game, as he indeed sacrificed himself for Kairi.
Soon after, a giant Heartless reminiscent of Darkside appears and wreaks havoc. While everyone else is running to safety, Sora charges head on and summons his Keyblade. From there, we get a glimpse of a battle between the two. Simultaneously, some hooded figures (ala Organization XIII) are seen watching from a distance, mentioning that if anyone were to leave the world, they will not be able to find themselves back from where they came.
After seeing the Kingdom Hearts 4 official logo, we then see Donald and Goofy traversing the darkness, seemingly looking for someone (likely Sora). They are then greeted by a mysterious voice, who initially glows blue and then later shining in red. The screen then fades to black with the message “Magic in the Making”.
Unfortunately, no release date nor platforms were mentioned for Kingdom Hearts 4. If anything, it’s merely a teaser trailer to confirm that the game is indeed coming. Apart from that, it was revealed that Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, a new iOS / Android game set in Scala Ad Caelum, will be coming later in 2022. We will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: I don’t know who that mysterious figure is in the end but given the colours and the fact that it’s dealing with Sora / a potential death, I think it’s Hades from Disney’s Hercules. If that is true, then I’m not sure why they had to keep it a secret so there’s a likely chance I’m wrong here.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Samsung Note FE Now Available For Pre-Order – Starting This 18th October 2017!

Samsung has announce of the availability of pre-order for the their upcoming Samsung Note FE smartphone. Pre-order promotion starts this 18th to 24th October 2017.
Samsung Note FE Pre-Order Promo
Pre-order for the new Samsung device is only available for the Black Onyx and there is only a limited number of units available. Promo for those who pre-order are able to enjoy a 1 year extended warranty program. Additionally, you would also get a 1 year screen protection plan. To be eligible for this pre-booking promo, customers are required to collect their pre-booked devices from selected Samsung Experience Stores and authorized dealers, then proceed to activate their mySamsung ownership account from 25th to 31st October 2017.
As mentioned at our earlier Samsung Note FE post, the new device will retail RM2599. The Samsung Note FE comes with Bixby Home and Bixby Reminder to lend a hand on those daily tasks. It has a 5.7-inch Quad HD Dual Edge Super AMOLED (2560 x 1440) display. At the rear, a Dual Pixel 12MP OIS (f/1.7) is built in and in the front lies a 5MP (f/1.7) shooter.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Running on Android 7.0 Nougat, the Note FE is powered by Exynos 8890 chipset. Under the hood, a 3200mAh battery is available. Memory wise, it has a 64GB internal memory and paired with a 4GB RAM.
The Samsung Note FE is available in two variants; Coral Blue and Black Onyx but as mentioned earlier, for this pre-order promo, only the Black Onyx is offered.
Pokdepinion: Samsung Note fans should really get this. If you are on the budget and can’t afford the Note 8, this is a good alternative.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review – A Must-Have for Every Nintendo Switch Owner

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Review
What is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate About?

In this instalment of the Super Smash Bros. series for the Nintendo Switch, gamers are treated to a brand new story titled “World of Light”. The game immediately starts out with “The Lord of Light” Galeem commanding an army of Master Hands to attack the Smash fighters with the sole purpose of recreating the universe in his own image.
The ensuing chaos results in all of the fighters turning into spirits except for one, Kirby, who managed to escape with the Warp Star. Galeem’s attack engulfs the entire universe in a burst of light, leaving what is left of the world a barren wasteland inhabited by hostile spirits and puppet fighters cloned from the captured fighters.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

With no choice in the matter, Kirby will have to set forth on a brand new adventure to rescue his friends, rid the world of these puppets, and ultimately take down Galeem before he manages to recreate the universe. Unbeknownst to everyone, there is yet another threat lurking in the shadows and waiting for the right time to strike.
Simple, yet Addictive Game Concept

At its core, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn’t actually a fighting game despite being treated as one. It’s more of a multiplayer party game with fighting game elements. Instead of having a health bar where having it depleted will result in a loss, players instead have a percentage meter. The higher the percentage, the easier it is for you to be sent flying off the stage.
What’s the purpose of that? Well, that’s because you win, or at least get points, by keeping your opponents out of the stage. This can happen by smashing the opponents out of the stage or simply making them fall off the stage to their doom. In this sense, the percentage meter is more of a damage accumulation meter.

There are direct attack buttons in the game, Standard and Special, with each button having four different attacks depending on the direction being pressed. These four variations are Neutral, Side, Up, and Down. Neutral Attacks are when you press the button alone, Side Attacks applies for both left and right sides, and the remaining two attacks are self-explanatory.
Aside from that, you can grab your opponents and subsequently throw them, jump, and shield. Just like the more recent entries, characters can also do their Final Smash signature move which will deal heavy damage and almost always eliminates enemies with style. Final Smash can only be used when you have broken the Smash Ball which randomly appears or when you have filled up the Final Smash meter below the characters percentage meter.

In this sense, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a game that is simplistic in nature as every character will have the same commands used to execute the attacks, just that they have their own unique set of attacks.

There are a total of 76 playable characters at the moment consisting of Nintendo characters and third party characters such as Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter, and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII. It is a simple game concept that is surprisingly addictive, and it continues to be exciting as more characters are expected to be added in the future.
A Good Variety to Keep Gamers Hooked

There are a good number of game modes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that gamers can enjoy alone and in multiplayer. For solo plays, you have Classic Mode, Adventure Mode, and Mob Smash. For multiplayer, you have Smash, Squad Strike, Tourney, and Special Smash. It’s worth noting that for multiplayer, you can play with up to 8 players at once if you have enough controllers.
Classic Mode is just like in previous entries where you select a difficulty and go through a set number of battles which will culminate in a final boss battle. The mode will tailor accordingly with characters so each one will have their own unique experience and varying final boss battles. In fact, there are a total of 8 different final bosses that can be experienced in this mode alone.

Adventure Mode is where you go through the game’s main storyline, where you initially play as Kirby, save the other fighters, and have the ability to switch to the ones you have saved. It is the lengthiest Adventure Mode in series history, and will have you fight through numerous battles with custom rules that add more entertainment value and at times, frustration due to how unfair it is. This will culminate in a final battle against Galeem.
As for Mob Smash, it is a survival-style mode where you fight against hordes of enemies and see how long you can last. While these enemies are usually weaker than their usual iterations, there is a mode where every single enemy appearing in every wave are at full strength, and it is aptly named “Cruel Smash”.

As for the multiplayer modes, they are generally the same but with different rules set. In fact, you can even set your own custom rules which can take fun and chaos to the next level. While playing all of these modes, certain achievements will be recorded and result in players receiving in-game rewards. This gives gamers incentive to try everything and continue playing for a long time.
Super Smash Bros.. Ultimate Verdict

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is arguably the most highly anticipated game for the Nintendo Switch and it is the biggest one in the series thus far in terms of content. The game is still simple in concept, yet still as addictive as ever with virtually anyone being able to enjoy alone or with friends both offline and online.
With achievements yielding in-game rewards and gamers having to unlock all the characters simply by playing through the game, it gives the gamers incentive to continue playing and trying out everything that the game has to offer. Nintendo has certainly outdone themselves this time with this entry of the series, and there is still more to come to the game in the future as DLC.
It is a must-buy game for all Nintendo Switch owners. With that, I give Super Smash Bros. Ultimate our coveted Gold Pokdeward.

Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Own the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro now with gifts worth RM1155

The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro was launched two weeks back with the Exclusive Ownership Program. The program gave early access to the latest flagship for HUAWEI Mate users who have owned two HUAWEI Mate series devices. And even with such a restriction, HUAWEI Malaysia reports that they have almost run out of stock.

To make sure that you don’t miss out on HUAWEI’s Exclusive Ownership Program which ends next week on 22nd October, all you need to do is head over to Harvey Norman stores or purchase online via SenHeng as well as HUAWEI’s official online channel.

Via the HUAWEI Exclusive Ownership Program, you will receive gifts worth a total of RM1155:

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

DJI Osmo Mobile 3 (worth RM499)HUAWEI Wireless In-car SuperCharge charger (worth RM289)HUAWEI back casing (worth RM68)HUAWEI Care: 1-year extended warranty, 6-month screen crack warranty (worth RM299)
The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro is priced from RM3899 with the following specifications:
HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro Specs
Kirin 990, octa-core @ up to 2.86 GHz, 7nm8GB RAM256GB storage (expandable via NM card)6.53″ FHD+ (2400 x 1176) OLED panel, HUAWEI Horizon Display, 88° curved edges40MP f/1.6, OIS, SuperSensing RYYB sensor + ultra-wide 40MP f/1.8 Cine Camera + 8MP f/2.4, OIS, 3x telephoto + 3D Depth Sensing Camera32MP f/2.0 selfie camera, 3D Depth Sensing Camera4500 mAh battery, 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge, 27W Wireless HUAWEI SuperChargeRM3899

If you have owned two HUAWEI Mate series devices before this and looking forward to the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro, wait no more and pre-order it via the Exclusive Ownership Campaign to enjoy the awesome freebies!
Pokdepinion: Too bad I have never owned a HUAWEI Mate… :(
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


KPJ Healthcare to use AI for better oncology treatment; adopts Watson for Oncology to aid doctors in managing cancer

Cancer is now the third most common cause of death among Malaysians at 14%, following respiratory and circulatory diseases. Women have a higher risk of cancer with the most common being breast cancer. To tackle this rising issue, KPJ Healthcare Berhad announced their adoption of IBM’s Watson for Oncology trained by Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) to help doctors deliver better treatment options for patients.
KPJ will be the first private healthcare provider to adopt Watson for Oncology at its five specialist hospitals namely KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital (KPJ Damansara), KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital (KPJ Ampang Puteri), KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital (KPJ Johor), KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital (KPJ Ipoh) and KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital (KPJ Sabah).

Watson for Oncology was developed by IBM in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It summarizes important medical attributes of a patient and provide studies that pertain to the patient’s condition for the oncologist to consider. This will help oncologists decide on better treatment plans with the large library of curated information available at Watson for Oncology’s disposal, a repository of more than 300 medical journals, more than 200 textbooks, and nearly 15 million pages of text to provide insights about different treatment options.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Watson for Oncology is now able to assist clinicians in developing treatment plans for breast, lung, colorectal, cervical, ovarian, gastric, prostate and bladder cancers.
Pokdepinion: This is the culmination of two of my interests, healthcare and tech. I am very interested to see how this technology improves treatment of cancer in Malaysia.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Steam Adds Full DualSense Support for PC Gamers

Previously, Steam added basic support for the PS5 DualSense controller. Now, a brand new update has included support for more features of the gamepad, giving PC gamers full support for it.
Steam Adds Full DualSense Support

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

In the newest Steam client update, they mentioned specifically on support for PS5 controllers which includes trackpad, gyro, lightbar, and rumble. Apart from that, you also have directional swipe for the touchpad as well.

Added support for PS5 Controllers to Steam Input including trackpad, gyro, lightbar, and rumble functionality
Added a directional swipe mode for use with trackpads and gyro

It’s worth noting that all games will make use of every feature available on the PS5 DualSense controller. Ports of PS4 games would most likely be your best option for that. It’s also worth noting that this new update is available for all users and is not a beta update.
While it may not be the best idea to get a DualSense controller purely for PC gaming, PS5 owners can enjoy using the gamepad with more than just the next gen console. It’s certainly a very convenient thing, especially if you’re looking for reasons to buy extra controllers.
Source
Pokdepinion: Didn’t think this would happen so soon. Figured it would take another month or so at least. It’s certainly wonderful news for PC gamers.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


[E3 2018] Command and Conquer: Rivals Announced – RTS Game for Mobile Gamers

E3 2018 isn’t just for console and PC gamers as there’s even something for the ever-growing mobile gaming community. It’s an RTS game called Command and Conquer: Rivals, unveiled at EA Play 2018.
E3 2018: Command and Conquer: Rivals

At the EA Play Live Press Conference 2018 today, EA announced something for mobile gamers to enjoy. It’s a brand new mobile PvP RTS  game called Command and Conquer: Rivals.
Command and Conquer: Rivals had a reveal trailer as well as gameplay overview showed during the live stream. We can see that it will be a top-down game with vehicles and armed forces that move across the map towards the other player’s team. The goal is to fight in a 1v1 setting for control points situated in the centre of the map. Once control has been taken a missile fires and whichever team lost control gets a hit to the base.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Different forces can be spawned but will cost points to spawn. The different forces spawn at the player’s bases and can then be controlled and directed to specified points on the map and engage in combat. Infantry and vehicles can be seen in action throughout the presentation.
The game will require combinations of factions to succeed, using tanks, aircraft, and behemoths to fight for control. The 2 armies to choose between are the Global Defense Initiative (GDI), and the Brotherhood of Nod (Nod). You can check out the official reveal trailer at the top of this post, and the gameplay overview just below here.

Android devices seem to be seeing a fair amount of titles coming to the platform, with major titles you usually see on PC such as Life is Strange and the popular battle royale game, Fortnite.
Command and Conquer Rivals is available today to pre-register on Android devices and will be available for iOS devices as well . Players can do this through Google Play with a possibility of being invited into the pre-alpha. Click right here to pre-register.
For more developments and news on EA’s reveals at E3 2018, be sure to stay tuned to Pokde.net :)
Pokdepinion: Well, if you have been looking for something to pass the time while you’re outside, this might just be the game to do it. I know I need a new mobile game since Puzzle Fighter is about to shut down.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


TP-Link sold 68 million ports in 2016, largest quantity of fixed-unmanaged ports sold

IDC concluded in it’s analysis of Ethernet switch sales in 2016 revealing that TP-Link has earned the No. 2 ranking for the year (by ports). Complete figures are available in the Worldwide Quarterly Ethernet Switch Tracker 2016Q4, published by IDC on Mar 1, 2017.
Compared to 2009, where it sold 6.6 million ports comprising 2.01% market share, TP-Link sold a staggering 68 million ports in 2016 reaping 11.50% market share, boasting an exponential market share growth of 472% in just seven years.
We at TP-Link are happy to see our continued growth in the industry. It indicates several takeaways, one of which that people are choosing more and more to be reliably smart with their networks. It also motivates us to push further to make sure that our products and solutions are innovative, dependable and available to everyone and their unique needs. Andy Chen, Director of International Business of TP-Link
Although TP-Link’s rapid ascension in the Ethernet switch market is unprecedented in the industry, it comes as no surprise. Robust pre-sales services, such as free on-site network analysis and recommendations, as well as punctual post-sales assessments ensure complete client satisfaction. Apart from that, channel partnerships across several industries have introduced more businesses to TP-Link’s reliable wired and wireless connectivity with a portfolio of managed, unmanaged and smart Ethernet switches. A dedication to service has led the company to diverse partnerships and lauded solutions across the globe.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Pokdepinion: We believe that good products coupled will excellent service will always reap its rewards at the end of the day. Pokde Team would like to take this opportunity to congratulate TP-Link for this proud achievement.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Good Start, Great Value

Unboxing the HUAWEI MateBook 14

Unlike our other laptop reviews, we actually produced a HUAWEI MateBook 14 review video earlier, which you can watch right above here. If you’d like to read about it instead, then continue downwards. With every purchase of the HUAWEI MateBook 14 laptop, you’re expected to find the following items inside the box:

65W power adapter
USB-C cable
User guide and warranty
The HUAWEI MateBook 14 laptop itself

Appearance
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Lid
The HUAWEI MateBook 14 is an ultraportable productivity laptop. This is why the lid has a simplistic design with only the HUAWEI text present. It has a more matte finish so it doesn’t attract fingerprints much. You can get a good feel of metal build here, and it’s pretty good. For our review unit, we received the Space Gray colour option.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Open up the lid
Open up the lid and you’ll get a good view of its 14-inch 2K IPS display with slim bezels around. The thickest bezel is on the bottom, where the HUAWEI name can be seen. The webcam is not located on the top bezel, as it’s located on the keyboard above “7” key, in between F6 and F7. Just press it and it will pop up. The buttons on the keyboard are rather large and reminds me of something from a MacBook. Surprisingly, the trackpad is rather large. The power button is located above the Delete key.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Ports

On the left side, you have a USB-C port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a HDMI port. On the right, you have two USB-A ports. There’s nothing on the rear but it’s worth noting when you have the lid opened, the bottom of the laptop is given a bit of a lift, most likely for ergonomics and improved airflow.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Bottom

Moving to the bottom of the HUAWEI MateBook 14 laptop, you can find a long air vent, two long rubberized stands with the top one being taller than the bottom, two speaker grilles, product stickers, and about 10 exposed screws. There may be a hidden screw behind one of the product stickers and when all of them are removed, you get access to its internals.
Overall, the HUAWEI MateBook 14 laptop has a simple, yet elegant look. It’s clearly catered to those looking to do work / studies on it but do not want a heavy machine to lug around. The build quality is pretty solid as the build is made up mostly of metal, with the only non-metal part being the hinges and side covers. I personally wished it had a wide variety of colour options but it’s not a dealbreaker.
Specifications

CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H @ 2.3 GHz (up to 4.2 GHz Boost), 8C/16T, 7nm FinFET, 45W TDP

RAM
16GB (2 x 8GB) 2666 MHz DDR4

GPU
AMD Radeon Graphics

Storage
512GB PCIe NVMe SSD (WD PC SN730)

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home

Connectivity

Wireless 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5.0 Wired 1 x RJ45 LAN 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C 1 x HDMI 1.4b

Display
14″ (2160 x 1440) 60Hz IPS display with touchscreen support, 185 PPI

Audio
2 x speakers 4 x digital microphones1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack

Power
65W power adapter 56 WHr Li-polymer battery

Dimensions
307.5 x 223.8 x 15.9 mm

Weight
1.49 kg

Performance
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – CrystalDiskMark
Starting off with CrystalDiskMark, the storage drive in the HUAWEI MateBook 14 performed pretty well. It should be more than enough for most people so you can expect fast boot ups and minimal loading times, if any. In case you’re wondering, it is the WD PC SN730 SSD.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Cinebench R15
On Cinebench R15, the HUAWEI MateBook 14 performed admirably with the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H essentially performing on par with Intel’s 10th Gen i7-series but also scoring the highest in tems of multi-core performance.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Cinebench R20
As for Cinebench R20, it may not have the highest but the score is excellent nonetheless. It would be a shame for Intel if it managed to beat an Intel Core i9, and the only CPU that beat its single score by a noticeable amount is the 11th Gen Intel CPU.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Unigine SuperPosition
On Unigine SuperPosition’s 4K Optimized benchmark, it could only obtain a rather low score but this is understandable as this test is GPU-reliant. You will need a decent discrete GPU to score above 1,000 here.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – 3DMark Time Spy
The same can be said with 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, with the HUAWEI MateBook 14 scoring low due to a lack of a discrete GPU. Even something as simple as NVIDIA’s GeForce MX-series GPU would elevate the score.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – PCMark
In PCMark, you can see that the HUAWEI MateBook 14 makes for a good all-rounded laptop here. It’s no surprise that digital content creation is the lowest here as it needs more firepower. It would make for an excellent laptop for light gaming, work, and studies, that’s for sure.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Gaming
We were curious as to whether you can play any games on it at all so we tested two of the most popular games that are relatively easy to run; DotA 2 and Valorant. I’m surprised that Valorant can run at a smooth 60FPS for the most part but for DotA, you will need to lower down the graphics settings to get a more palatable experience. You can also drop down the game resolution, as we ran the game in its native 2K resolution.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Battery life
Lastly, we have PCMark’s Modern Office endurance test which tests for battery life for productivity-based tasks. The battery life is pretty good as it lasted 8 hours and 34 minutes (514 minutes) before it died out. It may not have the longest battery life for a laptop of this kind, but it’s definitely more than enough within practical reasons.
Looking for another HUAWEI laptop? Check out our review of the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro by clicking right here.
User Experience
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Powered by AMD
The HUAWEI MateBook 14 laptop is quite an interesting machine. For starters, it’s powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H CPU and it’s an ultraportable productivity laptop. It’s worth noting that it tends to run quietly, and thermals are good for the most part. I can understand that a lot of consumers may be wary and stick to something they’re familiar with, like Intel, but if you’re looking to make the most out of your money, this is a great choice.
On the memory side, it has a 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD and 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM (8GB x 2). Personally, I feel like this is the perfect amount for an ultraportable productivity laptop in this day and age. The only complaint I foresee is whether 512GB is enough for you, so you might want to get a higher capacity but looking at what you’re getting, it’s hard to complain.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review
As for the display, the 14-inch display is great. You get good viewing angles and vibrant colours with it. Furthermore,you get touchscreen support, which makes it that much more attractive. The 3:2 aspect ratio helps as you get more vertical space so you can see more. It does use a 2K display so it’s a step up from Full HD, and I feel is a reasonable step up as 4K can be a little too much still. One downside here is that the display is reflective so while it isn’t dim, it can be a pain if you’re using this outdoors.
The HUAWEI MateBook 14 is a little short on ports in my opinion but it definitely does it better than other, similar laptops. You have a USB Type-C port which is also used to charge the laptop, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and two USB Type-A ports. This is still okay given the fact that the MacBook Air only has a single USB-C port.

HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Keyboard and trackpad

As for the keyboard, we have a backlit chiclet keyboard with no Numpad. It’s a decent enough experience with short travel distance and large key size so it’s easy to press. It’s just a little mushy for my liking but this is rather subjective. The trackpad works fine and is rather wide, but nothing much to say about it. You’re better off using your own mouse.

HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review – Nahimic

In the sound department, you have the Nahimic software where you can optimize your listening experience on speakers and with your headset. It doesn’t improve the audio experience by a huge margin, but you can tailor your experience to your liking, which is great.
As for the speakers themselves, it’s loud and decent but there’s nothing to shout out about. It has more emphasis on the highs, so don’t expect bass here. For the best listening experience, it’s best to use your favourite pair of headphones or external speakers.
If you’re looking for something more premium, check out our review of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus by clicking right here.
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Verdict
HUAWEI MateBook 14 Review
The HUAWEI MateBook 14 is an excellent ultraportable productivity laptop. It has good build quality, the CPU performs well, the RAM and storage configuration is perfect to start off with, the 2K display is appealing especially with touchscreen support, it’s easy to bring around, and the battery life is good.
Sure, the reflective display makes it a bit annoying to use outdoors, it could use more ports, the speakers are decent at best, and it lacks a discrete GPU, but for the price of RM4,399, it’s hard to complain. If you’re looking at something like the XPS 13, the price is higher than this. Realistically, most people would be uncertain to buy this just because of the Ryzen CPU but if you’re willing to take that leap, it will not disappoint you. It’s not perfect, but it’s still pretty damn good.
At the end of our HUAWEI MateBook 14 review, I award this laptop with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to HUAWEI Malaysia for letting us use this laptop for the purpose of this review.Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Tronsmart Offers New Mobile Charging Products – Quick Charge Galore!

Tronsmart has officially entered the Malaysian market with the introduction of mobile charging products which includes the Titan Plus 90W Multi-Port USB Charger, BRIO 20,100mAh  PD Power Bank, AIRAMP Dual Coil Wireless Charger and W2DT Wall Charger.
Tronsmart New Mobile Charging Products
First introduced by Tronsmart is the U5TF Titan Plus desktop charger, which features five USB-A charging ports that supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging. You can utilize smartphone that supports Quick Charge 3.0 charging, such as the Xiaomi Mi 6, HTC U11, LG G6, Nokia 8 and many more.
Coming with VoltiQ, it can identify the device that it is charging and segregate power accordingly to each device. In addition, it supports HUAWEI’s FCP fast charging. It will support a maximum of 2.4A charging output for non-Quick Charge devices and has multi-level protection, ensuring the safety of your devices when charging.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The U5TF Titan Plus desktop charger will be made available this Christmas on the 25th of December with a price tag of RM209.
Next is the Tronsmart BRIO 20,100mAh PD Power Bank. It features two USB Type-A ports with VoltiQ and a USB Type-C port that supports Power Delivery 2.0, which the latter can deliver up to 30W of output to supported devices such as Macbooks, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X, Nintendo Switch, and more.
It is able to charge up to three device at the same time with a maximum output of 54W. Under the hood, it uses LG battery cells. The BRIO 20,100 will be coming to our shores in January 2018 with a retail price of RM329.

They have also come up with a wireless charger in the form of the AirAmp Dual Coil Wireless Charger. It is quite a versatile charger in device compatibility terms as it supports a wide range of smartphones ranging from Android devices, to the latest iPhone models (iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X). To make sure heating issues won’t disturb your charging, it has rear cooling vents to help on that matter.
For safety purposes, it provides over-charging protection, over-voltage protection, over-current protection, as well as short-circuit protection. Additionally, if you’re using a phone cover, you don’t need to remove it to charge with the AirAmp. Coming in at a price of RM199, the AirAmp Wireless Charger is officially available in Malaysia.
Finishing the list is the Tronsmart W2DT 48W USB Wall Charger. It features USB Power Delivery along with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and VoltIQ. It is compatible with multiple connectors including Type-C and Micro-USB.
The USB Type-C port offers 30W of total power. This charger can also charge your Macbook, Google Chromebook Pixel, iPad Pro and more.
The W2DT USB Wall Charger will be coming in January 2018 at a retail price of RM179.
Tronsmart products can be purchased at most major IT and consumer electronics retailers. If you would prefer to buy them online, You can do so at Lazada, 11street, Lelong, and Shopee.
Pokdepinion: Quite a decent offer of products and at decent prices too.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


ASUS Malaysia announces local pricing for ROG Zenith II Extreme and ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming

If you are checking out motherboards to pair with the latest AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors, well, look no further. ASUS’ ROG Zenith II Extreme and ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming are now here in Malaysia priced from RM2499.
Both boards feature a 16 powerstages cooled by a rather substantial heatsink with two semi-passive fans that only turn on when temperatures hit above 60°C, allowing silent operation under low load scenarios and well-controlled thermals when you are crunching heavy workloads.

Both motherboards also offer a LiveDash OLED display on the I/O shroud. While the first ROG Zenith Extreme and several other high-end ROG boards has already offered it, this is the first time a ROG Strix board touts the LiveDash OLED panel. Of course, the ROG Zenith II Extreme takes it a step even further with a color display instead of the ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming’s monochrome one.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

ROG AMD TRX40 Motherboards
ROG Zenith II ExtrmeROG Strix TRX40-E GamingForm factorE-ATXATXRAM Support8 x 32GB (256GB DDR4)8 x 32GB (256GB DDR4)Multi-GPU support4 x PCIe 4.0 x16, 3-way SLI/CrossFireX3 x PCIe 4.0 x16, 2-way SLI/CrossFireXStorage2 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 4.0 / SATA)3 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 only)8 x SATA 6 Gbps1 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 4.0 / SATA)2 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 4.0 only)8 x SATA 6 GbpsConnectivity1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps)1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) Type-C6 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps)8 x USB 3.02 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) headers1 x Aquantia 10GbE1 x Intel Gigabit Ethernet1 x Intel WiFi 6 AX2001 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C7 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)4 x USB 3.01 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) headers1 x Realtek 2.5GbE1 x Intel Gigabit Ethernet1 x Intel WiFi 6 AX200 AudioSupremeFX S1220SupremeFX S1220LiveDash OLED1.77″ colored1.3″ monochromePriceRM3299RM2499

Both the ROG Zenith II Extreme and ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming come with 3+1 year warranties.
Pokdepinion: Well, the new TRX40 boards sure aren’t affordable.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


AMD Ryzen 2 to be built on 12nm; to arrive early next year

AMD is having a good run with their current Ryzen CPUs codenamed Summit Ridge, but they are going to take it to the next level with their upcoming Ryzen 2 series, codenamed Pinnacle Ridge. Based on the same Zen architecture, Pinnacle Ridge will also use the current AM4 socket, true to AMD’s promise to support the socket four to five years.

AMD has plans to release the Pinnacle 7 CPUs which will succeed the current Ryzen 7 lineup in February 2018, with the Pinnacle 5 and Pinnacle 3 CPUs to follow later in March 2018. There aren’t many details about Pinnacle Ridge known aside from the fact that it will feature up to 8 core CPUs and it is set to be built on GloFo’s 12nm LP process node.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

There will also be new motherboard chipsets to accompany the new Pinnacle Ridge CPUs. The X470 and B450 chipsets will still be designed by ASMedia and are expected to start shipping in January 2018 according to reports. AMD’s slides point to the Pinnacle Ridge CPUs to work with the same AMD “Promontory” chipset that Ryzen CPUs worked with, so the 400-series should be backward-compatible with Ryzen as well. We do not know what new features it will bring to the table but rumors are pointing towards Thunderbolt 3.
Pokdepinion: If the new Pinnacle Ridge CPUs can reach at least 4.5 GHz, AMD will rip Intel a new one again, just as Coffee Lake is starting to show some promise.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related