U Mobile is among the most improved global networks in Opensignal's Mobile Network Experience Global Awards

Just recently, Opensignal has just celebrated their 10th Year Anniversary and released a Global Mobile Network Experience Awards 2020 report online. As of September 2020, they took account of every telco company around the world by announcing almost every category from global winners to rising stars and many more.

Looking into the Global Winners and Leaders category, none of our local telcos was mentioned inside. However, in the Global Rising Stars category, U Mobile is the only most improved Malaysian telco in terms of Video Experience, Download Speed Experience, Upload Speed Experience, and 4G Availability. Being in the top 30 list, U Mobile was placed at number 7 for Video Experience and Download Speed Experience. For their Upload Speed Experience, the orange telco is placed at number 4.

Statistically speaking, this a 39.2% improvement in Video Experience; 18.6% advance in 4G Availability; 69% better Download Speed and the percentage change was even more impressive for upload speeds, which rose by 127.8% in the same period — from 2.5 Mbps to 5.7 Mbps. It's pretty great to see U Mobile improving, but we (including Celcom, Digi, Maxis and unifi) still have a long way to catch up if we want to be in the Top Global Winners and Leaders. Just for your information, the least top download speed is 33.2 Mbps.

With U Mobile's improvement, we now wonder if they have surpassed any of the other local telcos. As of April 2020, Maxis was crowned the most dominant in Opensignal's Mobile Network Experience Report, as they excelled in Video Experience, Games Experience, Download Speed Experience, Upload Speed Experience, and Latency Experience. You can take a look at our news coverage here to refresh your memory.

If you want to check out Opensignal's latest report, you can visit the link here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Apple globally rolls out the feature that helps blur images containing nudity in Messages

Apple is globally rolling out a feature that prevents children from viewing photos that contain nudity in its messaging app. The "communication safety in Messages" feature will blur said images and prompt notifications to guide the children about what to do next.

The opt-in feature from the Family Sharing system helps scan the images on-device, so it does not go against the end-to-end encryption of messages. After finding out that the images are inappropriate for the children, it will show a "You're not alone, and can always get help from someone you trust or with trained professionals" message on the screen. Users can also directly block the person from there.

Besides that, Apple has another two child safety features in the works as well. One of them would point users towards safety resources if they searched for topics relating to child sexual abuse, while another one prevents users from uploading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to iCloud account. The latter has sparked controversies among privacy advocates by saying that it could introduce a backdoor that would undermine the security of Apple's users.

What do you think about these features? Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech report.


U Mobile is collaborating with TIME to expand its Home Fibre Broadband strategy

Today, U Mobile announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with TIME dotCom (Time). The initiative is understood to be a long-term strategy for U Mobile's Home Broadband lineup, which will increase its Malaysian household reach by more than seven folds, especially those in high-rise residential areas in major cities.

Wong Heang Tuck, Chief Executive Officer of U Mobile, said that the company will be expanding their high-speed fibre broadband services exponentially across the nation. This is in line with Time's goal to expand the coverage across Malaysia as well. The partnership will enable even more Malaysians to enjoy U Mobile’s high-speed Ultra Unlimited Home Fibre Broadband plans featuring connectivity speeds of up to 1Gbps.

U Mobile’s partnership with Time comes after its partnership with Allo Technology, a subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional, which took place last year. For more information about U Mobile’s Ultra Unlimited Home Fibre Broadband and on how to register, visit www.u.com.my/fbb.


U Mobile is giving out RM60,000 worth of exclusive Mobile Legends skins for two months

Can you believe it? It's March already and kicking off this month, U Mobile is proud to announce that they the main sponsors of Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Season 3 (Malaysia/Singapore) which is taking place between 1 March until 28 April 2019. On top of that, they will be giving away a total of RM60,000 worth of exclusive Mobile Legends skins to their customers!

To get your hands on those sweet sweet Mobile Legends skins, you will need to participate in the Mobile Legends Premium Skins Giveaway Contest. You will also need to spend a minimum of RM30 at the Google Play Store or App Store via U Mobile Direct Carrier Billing on the exclusive Mobile Legends skins, which are no longer available on the game. Below is a complete detail on the contest for your reference:

Winners will also receive a SMS notification and push notification from the MyUMobile app informing them of their win, they can redeem their prize via the MyUMobile app. The Mobile Legends Premium Skins Giveaway Contest is now live so you can visit the link here for more information.

GLHF! Stay tuned for more mobile gaming news only at TechNave.com.


U Mobile is offering a free iPhone 11 (128GB) upgrade and COVID-19 coverage with GoInsure 3

Today, in an on-going effort to ease the rakyat's burdens during the Conditional Movement Control Order, U Mobile have come up with some promotions. According to the company, they will be offering a Giler BagiLebih campaign with GoInsure 3 insurance plan alongside a free upgrade to an iPhone 11 (128GB) model when they purchase the iPhone 11 (64GB) model. But first, let's take a look at the campaign detail.

Designed as a Personal Accident (PA) insurance product, this will be offered for free to all Malaysians (and Permanent Residents) who are current and new U Mobile postpaid and prepaid users. A first for the orange telco, GoInsure 3 is bundled with all its telco plans and includes additional coverage for COVID-19. Speaking of telco plans, U Mobile will also offer up to 20% discounts on all the Giler Unlimited (GX) monthly plans (except GX30). So for example, GX50 customers will only need to pay RM40 per month instead of RM50.

As for the iPhone 11 promotion, customers can get a free upgrade from the 64GB to the 128GB model when they sign up for the Unlimited HERO P139 or Unlimited HERO P99 package. Also, depending on their preference, they can enjoy savings of up to RM1600 on the iPhone 11 128GB model.

If you would like to know more about GoInsure 3, you can visit u.com.my/GoInsure3 to check it out. Also, to learn more about the free iPhone 11 upgrade, visit their official website here. Stay tuned for more local tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile is the Malaysia Mobile Service Provider of the Year again

During the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices Awards 2020, U Mobile won the award for the Malaysia Mobile Service Provider of the Year. This is the company’s third time to win the award.

Besides this award, the company also won 5 other different categories. The categories are Overall Experience, Mobile Experience, Online Experience, Contact Centre Experience, and Dealership. According to the Research Associate (ICT Practice) from Frost & Sullivan, Sofea Zukarnain mentioned that U Mobile won this award is because of the acquisition strategy, retention of the customer, strong product lines, and service offerings.

For your information, U Mobile has also won the same award in 2017 and 2019. In 2018, the company also received the title Malaysia Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year. Does U Mobile deserve this award? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to stay tuned for more tech news on TechNave.com


U Mobile launches 4G LTE for almost all users

As teased earlier, U Mobile has finally launched 4G LTE on their networks. Offering up to 75Mbps speeds the service currently covers Bandar Sunway, Berjaya Times Square, Puchong and Taman Molek, Johor Bahru. While the coverage areas are still rather limited, U Mobile have done good on their claim of 4G for all by opening it up to Prepaid, Postpaid and Broadband users. This means you don't need to get a new 4G LTE SIM card to get on U Mobile's 4G LTE network. As long as you have an LTE capable device and a U Mobile SIM all you need to do is send 'LTE ON' to 28118.

Unfortunately, there are other limitations to this as the current U Mobile 4G LTE network does not support the 1800Mhz band used by Apple iPhone or iPad users. Still, prices for U Mobile 4G LTE are quite affordable, starting from RM38 for the UMI38 prepaid plan all the way up to RM158 on the UD158 postpaid plan. As expected, U Mobile are offering LTE enabled devices and packages that include the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Sony Xperia Z1, Sony Xperia Z, Samsung Galaxy Mega and HTC One with the Note 3 going from as low as RM999. For more information check out the U Mobile 4G LTE site.


U Mobile launches POWER Prepaid Pack with FREE 1GB High-speed mobile Internet and more

(Standing from right, U Mobile’s spokesperson unless stated) Lee Fook Heng, Head of Product Marketing; Wong Heang Tuck, Chief Executive Officer, Jasmine Lee, Chief Marketing Officer and Nicole Tan, Assistant General Manager, Prepaid Marketing unveiled the U Mobile POWER Prepaid Pack, the telco’s brand new, industry-changing prepaid starter pack

U Mobile has just launched their new U Mobile POWER Prepaid Pack with FREE 1GB High-speed mobile Internet every month for life (or at least while the account is active), the lowest call rate to all networks at 5 sen, FREE Basic Internet and more. The plan is obviously prepaid with a starter pack available for RM8.50 in Malaysia starting from today. Existing users can switch to the new POWER Prepaid Pack plan on 1 August 2015. To get the 1GB High-speed Internet for every month deal, subscribers need only make a one-time top-up minimum of RM10 but you need to register and do so before 31 December 2015. Check out what you get with the RM8.50 starter pack below:

A look at the table reveals a very competitive prepaid plan which guarantees you 1GB of FREE High-speed mobile Internet every month in addition to the 200MB of High-speed mobile Internet available with the starter pack. A closer look at the fine print reveals that for each RM10 top-up, RM1 = 1 day of active status, so to keep your account active you will need to top-up RM30 for every month. According to U Mobile there are no set speeds for the High-speed Internet so you get it on best effort depending on coverage, location and other connectivity factors. Quite obviously, the biggest competitors for the U Mobile POWER Prepaid pack are U Mobile's own UMI or Unlimited Mobile Internet plans but according to them, there will be new features coming soon for these plans to help differentiate them. Stay tuned for more developments.


U Mobile launches UNLIMITED POWER Prepaid pack with App-Onz unlimited Facebook,Twitter and Instagram

U Mobile launched and updated their POWER Prepaid pack as the new UNLIMITED POWER Prepaid pack with App-Onz. App-Onz offers unlimited data for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram use along with 300 minutes of free calls to U Mobile numbers every month. The starter pack has all of the above with 200MB (valid for 10 days) upon activation and RM5 airtime for RM8.50.

Available starting tomorrow on 17 February 2017, existing prepaid users can switch by dialing *118*6*2*3#. The App-Onz feature is also available for Hero Postpaid (U28, P50, P70 and P98) subscribers with activation happening from 17 February 2017 to 25 February 2017.


U Mobile launches Ultra Unlimited Wireless Broadband plans, going as low as RM48/month

Today, U Mobile just announced a new range of Unlimited Wireless Broadband plans to cater to the needs of Malaysians relying on internet connection in this period. This Ultra Unlimited Wireless Broadband initiative consists of four plans - WB48 Study Plan, WB68 Work Plan, WB88 Work & Play Plan and WB128 Max Plan, going as low as RM48 per month.

As you can tell from the plan names, each plan was designed specifically for different needs. Although it's labelled with unlimited internet data, it's only for selected apps. For example, users can access unlimited internet data on Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Office 365 apps for free on the WB68 Work Plan, then the rest of the 30GB data is for the rest. For the "Play" part, it seems to include Shopee, Lazada, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Garena Call of Duty: Mobile and Garena Free Fire.

In conjunction with launching the new unlimited plans, the WB68 Work Plan, WB88 Work & Play Plan and WB128 Max Plan will have a promotional 50% discount starting from RM34 per month for all new and current U Mobile (only for Giler Unlimited GX68, Unlimited HERO P79, P99 or P139) customers. The discount will last for 24 months and the promotion will run for a limited time only.

For more information about the Ultra Unlimited Wireless Broadband plans, you may visit www.u.com.my/wbb to find out more. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile launches WiFi Calling for all subscribers, no additional cost

U Mobile recently launched their WiFi Calling services for subscribers of their post paid and prepaid plans here in Malaysia for free, no additional charges. It turns U Mobile Network towers across Malaysia into WiFi stations allowing you to get HD Voice calls over weak mobile connections as long as you are connected to a WiFi with Internet, even your local mamak's.

This will allow you to make HD VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls through your existing mobile number without having to access an app like Skype or Whatsapp. For those U Mobile customers abroad, using WiFi Calling will not incur roaming charges and you can even make calls with in-flight WiFi connections.

Unfortunately, this can only be done if your device supports WiFi Calling. These include the Apple iPhone 5C, 5S, SE, 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus that have been updated to iOS 9.3 or higher. To do WiFi Calling on your iPhone enable it at Settings > Phone > WiFi Calling. Android phones will be able to us U Mobile's WiFi Calling service in Q3 2016.

Check out the U Mobile site for more details.


U Mobile launches 'booKu'. Pay for e-books and e-magazines with U Mobile plans

U Mobile had just launched booKu, a service that enables U Mobile subscribers to purchase e-books and e-magazines using their mobile plans. This service is in partnership with four digital publishers, namely SPH Magazines, Pubu eBook, FullAMark and NovelPlus.

To use this service, U Mobile subscribers would need to first have booKu partners’ apps installed, and connected to U Mobile’s network, before signing up for the service. For prepaid subscribers, the purchase will be deducted directly from their mobile credit, while post-paid subscribers will be charged through their monthly bills

To celebrate the launch of booKu service, U Mobile will be giving out RM20,000 worth of e-book vouchers, while a grand prize winner would stand a chance to win a brand new iPhone 7 when they participate in U Mobile’s booKu contests. To find out more about these contests, visit U Mobile's website for details.


Apple granted new patent for long-distance group selfies

Taking group selfies is hard these days with the COVID-19 situation. But a new idea from Apple could just be the thing to let you do so. Recently, the company was granted a new patent for a software that can generate "synthetic group selfies".

According to The Verge, what the software does is it lets a group of people take group selfies even if they are not grouped. With the software, you can use your Apple device to invite others to take a group selfie. Once you have all the people you want in the selfie, you should be able to take it and the software will generate an image for you. You can also modify the group image by changing the positions of people in the selfie.

Initially, it seemed that the idea resulted from our need to practice social distancing these days. However, it was reported that the patent was filed back in 2018. If nothing else, you could say that the timing is just right now that Apple has a use case for the idea. For more details, you can check out the full patent document.

Of course, patents don't always result in actual products or services. We won't know when or if Apple may implement the idea or whether it would even be a popular one. Having said that, what are your thoughts on this? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


U Mobile launches new U Postpaid plans with up to 1TB of mobile internet data & more

Today, U Mobile is excited to unveil two new postpaid plans - the U Postpaid 98 and U Postpaid 68 to join the U Postpaid 38 which was launched earlier. Promoting it as 5G-ready, the U Postpaid 98 is the first in the industry to offer 1000GB (1TB) of high-speed mobile internet data for the Malaysian market.

If you need that much data, the U Postpaid 98 is RM98 per month and it can be shared with up to six family members for only RM38 per line. Combining with unlimited calls as well, you can also get a new 5G device on instalment with 0% monthly interest via U Mobile’s U PayLater, or with U SaveMore. Meanwhile, U Postpaid 68 is RM68 per month with 100GB of data and is 5G-ready as well.

On top of that, both postpaid plans also offer 15GB of data monthly to roam for free in 63 destinations. This includes popular locations like the UK, USA, South Korea, Portugal, Turkey, Thailand and Singapore. On top of free roaming data, customers will also enjoy free incoming calls from any of the 63 destinations when abroad.

In terms of 5G availability, Tiffany Chew, the Head of Communications and Sustainability said that they can't disclose anything about the 5G rollout as it's not up to the company to decide. So I guess we still have to wait on the update whenever available. To find out more about the new U Postpaid, 5G devices bundles and U FamilyShare, you can click on any of the links below.

Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile lowers No Upfront Samsung Galaxy S5 deal to RM355

Previously, U Mobile had bundle deals going on for the Samsung Galaxy S5 with no upfront payment at just RM555 for new Standard Chartered JustOne Platinum card subscribers. However, with the recent RM200 trade-in discount from Samsung Malaysia, U Mobile are now lowering the price to RM355. All of the old conditions remain in place though, so if you want the RM355 No Upfront deal, you will have to successfully get a Standard Chartered JustOne Platinum Card, sign up for a U Plus plan and trade-in your old smartphone. Do note that the trade-in smartphone does add any discount value to the deal like the Samsung Malaysia promo, but according to U Mobile, you can bring in any phone with an IMEI number for the trade-in. In line with the Samsung promo, the extra RM200 trade-in discount is only available until 31 May 2014, so if you fulfill all the conditions and want the Samsung Galaxy S5 at a rock bottom price, then do check out this deal. The existing RM555 discount remains valid until 30 June 2014. For more details check out the table below:

For other options feel free to check out our Samsung Galaxy S5 plan comparison tool, but for more information regarding this deal check out the U Mobile site. You can also check out our other U Mobile Telco deals as well.


U Mobile makes owning a Huawei device easy with U Package

As of yesterday evening, U Mobile Sdn Bhd has announced that customers will now be able to opt for Huawei devices when they subscribe to U Package - the interest free, all-in-one postpaid plan. From now on, U Package customers will enjoy the competitive monthly rates for data and voice offered by Hero Plans while being able to purchase Huawei Honor 4C, Huawei Honor 5X and the latest Huawei P9 smartphone at subsidised rates and payment may be made over a period of 24 months completely interest-free.

To mark the launch of this new bundle offering, U Mobile is giving customers the chance to own the Huawei Honor 4C at only RM10 per month. This promotion will be available while stocks last. For those who are looking to get their hands on the latest Huawei P9, they will be able to own the smartphone at only RM76 (RRP is RM2099) when they subscribe to U Package. Hence, U Mobile’s U Package is really the easiest way for anyone to own a Huawei smartphone.

U Package bundles for Huawei phones will be available at all official U Mobile branches and the bundle package will be available at U Mobile Premier Dealers soon.

On top of that, customers will enjoy worry-free calls with an enormous data on the latest mobile devices, free exclusive T-Shirts and X-Men mobile casing when they purchase the Huawei Honor 4C, this will be available while stocks last.

For more information and the latest terms and conditions, please visit www.u.com.my/up-android


U Mobile may have successfully joined DNB's 5G network

Update: U Mobile's PR agency has reached out to us and confirmed that the company has not signed on to anything.

Just last night, U Mobile seemingly just went live with its 5G promotion page. Yes, it's past tense because the page is no longer available this morning but this caught our attention enough.

While no plans were announced on that removed page, it seems that U Mobile may have successfully signed up for DNB's 5G single wholesale network. Using its "Turbo" tagline as usual, the 5G availability is only at Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and some parts in Kuala Lumpur just as advertised. The page also set up a coverage map for you to check your area but there was no 5G option.

Initially, there were reports that our Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz had rejected Digi and U Mobile's proposal on a major control stake. Reuters report said that the two telcos were proposing a 51% controlling stake. But with this new discovery of the 5G landing page on U Mobile's website, we think that's likely not the case anymore.

At this moment, we can only wait and see U Mobile's official statement regarding its 5G plans. Do stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile named most improved Malaysia telco, alongside unifi and Digi in Opensignal's Global Mobile Network Experience Awards

Today, Opensignal is back once again with another report and this time it's the Global Mobile Network Experience Awards 2021. It wasn't too long ago that they presented us with their 10th Anniversary Global Awards 2020 last year, so if you're wondering what's new in the latest one - here's what you need to know.

Starting with U Mobile, Opensignal reported that the orange telco subscribers are experiencing improvements in mobile network connectivity. U Mobile happens to be the only one of 14 operators to be a Global Rising Star in four out of five categories, which are Video Experience, Voice App Experience, Download Speed Experience and 4G Availability. U Mobile had the 3rd highest percentage increase in that category with 36.6%.

Both Unifi and Digi were also mentioned in the report with their own achievements. For one, Unifi's Video Experience and Download Speed Experience performed well and granted the company a Global Rising Star status. On average, Unifi's Video Experience score increased by 13.1% and as for Digi, their Upload Speed Experience rose by 26.8% which is more than double the average global increase of 11.3%.

If you want to check out the full report, you can visit the page right over here. As for the rest of past Opensignal reports that we did, you can visit our website here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile now offering Malaysians RM0.99 4G VoLTE-enabled smartphones

In conjunction with Merdeka and Malaysia Day, U Mobile is having a promotion from now until 16 September 2021. In support of the government's Pakej Peranti RM1 Malaysia Prihatin initiative, the orange telco will offer an RM0.99 4G VoLTE-enabled mobile phone for U Mobile customers.

To qualify for the RM0.99 4G VoLTE-enabled mobile phone, new and existing U Mobile customers will have to have it bundled with the Unlimited HERO P79, P99, P139 or Giler Unlimited GX68 postpaid plan. Registration may be done on the company’s online store, physical stores or premier dealer outlets. It's that simple.

To refresh your memory, VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is a type of voice call on smartphones that use the 4G LTE network, resulting in HD quality audio and faster call connections. With VoLTE switched on, customers can continue to use mobile data applications while on phone calls as well. Since 3G will be retired in Malaysia by the end of the year, it's best to switch now for those who haven't.

For more information on U Mobile’s Pakej Peranti RM1 Malaysia Prihatin offer, you can visit http://www.u.com.my/RM0.99devices. You can also visit www.u.com.my or contact U Mobile’s customer service at 018-388 1318 for more information on U Mobile’s products and services. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile now offering OPPO Neo 5 on postpaid and OPPO Joy on prepaid

It has been some time since OPPO came to Malaysia but it looks like they are finally warming up to Malaysia's telcos with some new bundles from U Mobile. For now, the first two devices will be the entry-level OPPO Neo 5 and OPPO Joy. U Mobile has the Neo 5 available at RM598 on a postpaid plan while the OPPO Joy is going for RM348 on a prepaid plan. Benefits includes a free 6-month U58 subscription for the Neo 5 but you have to sign up for a 24 month contract. The OPPO Joy gets a free SIM pack, free RM20 top-up voucher and 4 months worth of free Internet on a contract-free prepaid plan. There are conditions for the prepaid freebies though as you will only get the free Internet if you keep the line active (make sure you have enough airtime). However, after the four months of free Internet are up, U Mobile will also throw in 250MB worth of free Internet for every RM30 top up. Check out the table below for more details:

For more information regarding these deals, do check out the U Mobile OPPO Neo 5 and OPPO Joy sites. You can also check out our other U Mobile Telco plans as well.


U Mobile offering 24/7 unlimited data for PC gaming with brand new Game-Onz plan

U Mobile Game-Onz promotion in Berjaya Times Square

Today, U Mobile Sdn Bhd has announced a brand new Prepaid plan called Game-Onz, which offers customers to enjoy selected PC games from Steam, Garena and Playone Asia anytime, anywhere without ever running out of data. Game-Onz is a standalone plan and it's in conjunction with MSI MGA Pacific Championship, the prepaid plan is now available nationwide.

Being the first in Malaysia to offer Unlimited Data for PC gaming for prepaid customers, both U Mobile Postpaid and Prepaid customers will be able to purchase Steam Wallet Codes either by using their Prepaid credits or by charging it to their monthly postpaid bills. Below is also a list of selected games from Steam, Garena and Playone Asia:

And here are three ways to purchase a Game-Onz plan:

The XX refers to a specific Game-Onz plan, e.g. 18, 50 or 70, see the table below for more details.

Lastly, subscribers can also enjoy Music-Onz from 19 partners for free such as Spotify, hitz FM, MIX FM and much more. For more information about Game-Onz, visit www.u.com.my to check it out.


U Mobile offering Huawei Ascend P7 on pre-order

The Huawei Ascend P7 is now being offered for pre-booking at U Mobile. The super-slim flagship smartphone from Huawei was recently launched here in Malaysia at a very affordable retail price of RM1499, but the pre-order promo from U Mobile will provide the first 100 pre-book users to also get a free Huawei Power bank and Huawei Wireless Modem worth RM199 each. According to U Mobile, the pre-order is available on any U Plan as long as you subscribe using a credit card and get the Huawei Ascend P7 from VMALL.my during a certain time period. You also have to do the Pre-order at specific U Mobile stores. These include the U Store outlets at Berjaya Times Square, Queensbay Penang, Taman Molek Johor Bahru and Melaka. For more information about this pre-order deal, check out the U Mobile site and the VMALL.my site.


U Mobile offers 2021 SPM/STPM Special Data Package for M'sian students in Institutions of Higher Learning with 15GB internet for RM20

Today, U Mobile has announced that the 2021 SPM/STPM Special Data Package will be available for U Mobile prepaid users who are in institutions of higher learning. This is part of a joint industry initiative, under the Perlindungan Ekonomi dan Rakyat Malaysia (PERMAI) Assistance Package announced by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently this week.

For the record, the special package plan was initially for the SPM and STPM students on 6 January, but U Mobile decided to expand the plan to students in institutions of higher learning. This is only eligible for students who are born in between 1999 and 2004, which they can subscribe to this special data package which offers 15GB Internet data for 30 days at RM20. If you know someone interested in this, they may subscribe using the MyUMobile app or by dialling *118*3*12*2#.

Moreover, U Mobile is still continuing to provide the free daily 1GB until 30 April 2021. This free 1GB is for productivity and education purposes, and every active postpaid and prepaid U Mobile users may use it. More information on the special data package will be available on u.my/SPMSTPM effective from 25 January 2021 onwards.


Apple granted new patent for under-display Touch ID

When it comes to biometric authentication, it's hard to say whether face or fingerprint recognition is more secure. But Apple seems to think the latter would definitely be needed, with a rumour of Touch ID coming back to the flagship iPhone models appearing before. Now, we also know Apple is working on a new Touch ID.

The company has successfully patented a new Touch ID system that may be included with this year's iPhone 12s series. Specifically, it's going to be an enhanced under-display Touch ID system. The sensor underneath is supposed to detect light through the screen, which indicates that it's an optical sensor instead of an ultrasonic one.

Previously, Touch ID required the home button

So, how is this different from existing under-display sensors? The patent describes the use of a light-emitting layer covered by a transparent one, which presumably helps detect fingerprints via reflected light. Allegedly, this would create a better contrast for the fingerprint image.

Whether this new Touch ID would make it into this year's iPhone models is unknown. Plus, it's unknown if this would have any significant benefits to authentication speed and accuracy. Let us know what you think in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for future updates.


U Mobile offers Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

U Mobile recently announced the first of it's kind deal in Malaysia for the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Utilizing a new U Microcredit plan you can now get said smartphone from as low as RM98 a month. This is different from previous Malaysia Telco deals because you are paying more for the phone and not the dual combination of phone and plan. In this case it is more like buying a car than a smartphone with a telco plan. The upside is that there is no deposit and you are no longer tied to the plan and can choose to use a different provider if you choose to do so. There are conditions of course, you have to pay the first monthly installment fee plus a one-time administrative fee and you are tied to the U Microcredit deal for 33 months. There are also data plans as well which are not tied to any contract but you do have to pay the remaining phone price subsidy with no penalty. In addition, using a credit card to pay with auto debit monthly fees will allow you to get no upfront payment benefits. If you sign up on 19 March 2015, you also get unlimited Internet till 31 July 2015 for the i60 and i90 plans and until 30 September 2015 for the i130 plan. Check out the table below for more info:

For other plan alternatives you can check out our Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus Phone plan comparison tools but for more information about this deal check out the U Mobile site. You can also check out our other U Mobile Telco deals as well.


U Mobile offers Huawei Ascend P7 with no upfront payment from RM188

U Mobile has come out with the bundles for the Huawei Ascend P7 and the starting price for this 6.5mm super thin flagship smartphone is now available from a surprisingly low RM188. In addition, there is also a no upfront payment for certain subscribers. Available with the U58, U88 and U Plus plans, subscribers will have to sign up for a 24-month contract. The U58 plan is the only one that requires an upfront payment of RM538. While there are freebies of a free power bank and wireless modem each worth RM199, it is only available for the first 100 customers who pre-order from selected U Mobile stores. For more details, check out the table below:

For more information regarding this deal do check out the U Mobile site. Alternatively, you can also check out our other U Mobile Telco deals as well.


U Mobile offers Samsung Galaxy Alpha with no upfront payment from RM709

U Mobile is now offering the Samsung Galaxy Alpha from RM709 which is a good thing considering that it retails at RM1899. The Galaxy Alpha will be available on a 24 month contract with no upfront payment required. Of course, there is a catch for the No Upfront payment as you have to buy the device via credit card and subscribe auto debit for the monthly access fee. You can however, choose to sign up with the U58, U88 or U Plus postpaid plans. Check out the table below for more details:

For more information regarding this deal check out the U Mobile site or you can also check out our other U Mobile Telco deals as well.


U Mobile offers Samsung Galaxy K Zoom from RM449 with no upfront payment

U Mobile now offers the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom cameraphone from RM449 with it's now standard No upfront payment scheme. Originally retailing for RM1699 you can also get a free battery travel charger kit and Galaxy Life freebies with the deal. To qualify you will have to sign up for a 24-month contract under a U58, U99 or U Plus postpaid plan. As usual, the No upfront payment promotion comes with conditions, in this case you have to subscribe for the bundle of your choice with a credit card and activate Auto Debit. For more details check out the table below:


U Mobile offers Samsung Galaxy Note 3 from RM999

U Mobile has announced it's Samsung Galaxy Note 3 package deals from as low as RM999, which is a massive reduction from the retail price of RM2399. Users interested in the deal have to sign up for a U Mobile Ultimate Device plan under a 24 month contract with loyal customers being offered the highest tier of Ultimate Device 158 and the aforementioned lowest price of RM999. All of the Ultimate Device postpaid plans will require an upfront payment which will be credited back over the 24 period. For more details check out the table below:

The details above clearly show that there isn't any extra Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch added on, but U Mobile will sell the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch for a subsidized price of RM888 at their Berjaya Times Square store (we assume that like other telcos, stock of the smartwatch is limited so this discounted price is probably first come first serve only). As an added incentive, the first 100 customers to sign up for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 deals will get a U Mobile power bank as well. For now, you can check out other plans with our Samsung Galaxy Note 3 plan comparison tool or for more information regarding this deal you can go to the main U Mobile site . You can check out our other U Mobile telco plans as well.


U Mobile offers Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with no upfront payment and trade-in options

U Mobile is currently offering the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phablet for as low as RM1099. In addition to this, they are also offering a special trade-in feature, so you can send in your old and unwanted smartphone for hopefully some rebates off the asking price. Since the Galaxy Note 4 retails at a very high RM2499, this is quite welcome and you can find out which phone qualifies from the trade-in list. For the no upfront payment scheme, you will have to sign up with your credit card and activate auto debit for the monthly commitment to qualify. Citibank credit card holders get an extra RM100 rebate provided you sign up for a 0% easy payment plan and and the aforementioned auto debit. In any case, you will have to sign up for a 24 month contract on U Mobile post paid plans. Check out the table below for more details:


U Mobile offers Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 from RM0

U Mobile has cut down the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 tablet price all the way down to RM0, provided of course that you sign up for one of their Ultimate Device postpaid plans. Available under 24 month contracts, users can get the tablet, which has a retail price of RM1099, at RM699, RM459 or for FREE with one of the three Ultimate Device postpaid plans. For more details, check out the table below:

For other plan options but with the same device, do check out our Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 plan comparison tool. If you need more information regarding this U Mobile deal, check out the U Mobile site. Alternatively, you can also check out our other U Mobile telco plan deals as well.


U Mobile offers Sony Xperia Z2 from RM999 and No Upfront payment

Following in their recent No Upfront payment deals, U Mobile are now offering the Sony Xperia Z2 LTE from RM999 and with no upfront payment. As usual, there is a catch to it, but not nearly as limited as the previous No Upfront payment deal with the Samsung Galaxy S5. This time around, to qualify for the No Upfront payment you have to sign up for either the U88 or U Plus Plan, purchase the phone via credit card and subscribe to auto debit for the monthly access fee. The contract period is 24 months while the promotion period is only valid until 30 June 2014 or while they still have stocks. For more details check out the table below:


U Mobile offers U PayLater & U SaveMore plans for the iPhone 14 series, as low as RM149/month

The iPhone 14 series are now officially launched in the Malaysian market and all the telcos and authorised Apple retailers are doing the sales launch today. If you're looking at the orange telco, here's what you can get from U Mobile.

Upon visiting U Mobile's website, the plans are pretty straightforward. As always, you can get the iPhone 14 series from the company's U Postpaid plans for as low as RM149 per month via the U PayLater. That would be the iPhone 14 (128GB), and if you want the pro variants, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are RM190 and RM209 per month respectively.

Alternatively, there's also the U SaveMore where you can get any iPhone 14 series model without the monthly instalment payment. For the iPhone 14 (128GB), you can purchase it at a discounted price of RM3109 + RM98 per month via U Postpaid 98 (24 months). There is no upfront payment and this is ideal for you if you have been thinking of porting into the U Mobile network.

For more information, you may visit U Mobile's official page here for the iPhone 14 series and other older iPhone models as well. As a reminder, the iPhone 14 Plus is not launched yet as it will only arrive in Malaysia on 3 October 2022. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile offers Unlimited Data & Calls from as low as RM38 a month

U Mobile has just introduced two affordable postpaid plans called P38 and P48 from as low as RM38 a month to RM48 a month. The U Mobile P38 plan is now available starting today, while the P48 plan will only be available on 17 April 2017.

Both plans come with a new Call-Onz that allow you to get unlimited calls to all networks, as well as 4GB and 5GB month data respectively. You also get unlimited App-Onz (free data for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), unlimited Music-Onz (free data for popular music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, etc.), and Unlimited Waze.

An additional 5GB of data for Video-Onz will only be available for the P48 plan(applicable on popular video streaming services including YouTube, Vimeo, iflix, Netflix and many more).

U Mobile does always offer great deals and yet keeping it affordable. To find out more about U Mobile P38 and P48, visit their website at www.u.com.my/postpaid. Stay tuned for more U Mobile news at TechNave.com.


Apple had to pay Samsung USD 950 million for not buying enough OLED panels

Upon reading the title of this news, you must be thinking "why". But it seems that Apple had to pay Samsung a nice chunk of money as a penalty. Sources claim that Apple had to pay out a hefty USD 950 million (~RM4.06 billion) for not buying enough OLED panels in the Q2 of 2020.

According to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), the one-time payment turned what should have a loss for Samsung in terms of operating costs in Q2 2020 into operating profit. But why did Apple have to pay a penalty? As you may have figured out, Apple has a contract to buy OLED panels from Samsung and there's a minimum volume involved in the contract. It's quite likely that by not fulfilling that minimum purchase order, Apple became liable for contract penalty.

Despite the good news on that end, DSCC reported that Samsung's revenue for Q2 2020 saw a dip of 11% compared to last year. Specifically, the company's revenue fell by USD 3.7 billion (~RM15.8 billion) year-to-year for Q2 2020. This drop in revenue can mostly be attributed to poorer market performance due to disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's funny how Samsung ended up making an operating profit in this way. At the least, it would seem that Q2 2020 isn't a disaster for Samsung. The company will probably have a strong Q3 with Samsung Unpacked coming soon, but we'll have to see if that happens. For now, do stay tuned to us on TechNave.com for more news and updates like this.


U Mobile officially announced their partnership with Facebook, Netflix and Twitter for Video-Onz

(left to right) Alex Tan, Chief Sales Officer; Tan Hoon San, Chief Financial Officer; Wong Heang Tuck, Chief Executive Officer of U Mobile; Jasmine Lee, Chief Marketing Officer of U Mobile; Tan Chee Sen, Chief Information Officer; and Too Tian Jen, Chief Technology Officer

In conjunction with the announcement made by U Mobile on their new partnership last week, U Mobile Sdn Bhd has made an official partnership with Facebook, Netflix and Twitter by hosting a house party today that allows guest to be "transported" into the worlds of TV Shows, Videos and Live Events. With 'Celebrate Originality' as the theme, the telco wanted to highlight the hours of original content that their customers can enjoy with the addition of Facebook, Netflix and Twitter onto its already extensive list of Video-Onz Partners.

With this new partnership, U Mobile customers who are on Hero P98, i130, Ultimate Device Plan 130 and MB 128 plans the chance to enjoy unlimited free data to stream videos. On top of that, new Netflix customers get to enjoy one month free trial as well and will never have to worry about their data usage, this applies to Facebook live streaming and Twiter videos .For other postpaid, prepaid and broadband customers, they will receive free extra data for Video-Onz.

Video-Onz was launched earlier this year on April which enables its customers to enjoy unlimited video streaming for free without using their data when they stream video content from any of the Video-Onz partners. To date, U Mobile has 21 partners for Video-Onz.


U Mobile opens its registration of interest page for Apple iPhone SE with U MicroCredit

Apparently U Mobile have created a page where you can register your interest for the upcoming Apple iPhone SE phone plan from them as well. Unlike the other telcos you can get the iPhone SE using their U MicroCredit installment plans or their UPackage all-in-one installment plan. You can choose to receive updates for both options as well.

There is two way to using U Mobile MicroCredit. The first one is U MicroCredit where you can apply for full financing plan of your selected phone. The other one is Flexi U MicroCredit if you only want a partial loan instead of getting a full loan for your selection phone plan.

The U Mobile UPackage installment plan lets you choose one iPlan + Any iPhone and get the lowest monthly installment fee that they can offer. These are just the installment plans that U Mobile have been using for a while now and may be available for the iPhone SE in the future. If you are interested in their upcoming deals for iPhone SE, submit your interest on their page here.


U Mobile opens up Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV Pre-registration

U Mobile recently opened up their Pre-Registration page for the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV here. Their pre-registration closes on 30 April 2013 but they say that they will contact you starting from 24 April 2013. If you're interested about getting a Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV under U Mobile then you should definitely try it out. Details include your name, IC number and other personal details but it does ask if you're an existing U Mobile customer. No details on whether this gets you anything special but this may just be the case when 24 April 2013 swings about.

For more U Mobile telco plans click here.


U Mobile partners with ZTE to build first 5G network in Malaysia

U Mobile recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ZTE Corporation to drive the development of pre-5G and future implementation of 5G mobile network technologies here in Malaysia. While it will likely be a while yet till 5G actually gets implemented, pre-5G tech could get implemented first and even then pre-5G can offer speeds of up to 10x the current 4G LTE networks. When it does come in though, 5G networks are expected to hit peak download speeds of up to 20Gbps (LTE-A is currently 1Gbps). No specific dates when we might see pre-5G or 5G networks in U Mobile yet but here's what they had to say about it:

“U Mobile is constantly exploring new technology that will provide best in class users experience to our customers. We see 5G technology as the technology that would support the ever increasing communication needs of the future. The collaboration with ZTE will also support our government’s vision of being a Smart Digital Nation by 2020.” Too Tian Jen, Chief Technology Officer, U Mobile Sdn Bhd

“ZTE is delighted to work on 5G technologies with U Mobile, the leader in network innovations in Malaysia. ZTE is making major investments in 5G to lead the industry in the research and standardization of this key technology of the future” Steven Ge, Managing Director of ZTE Malaysia


U Mobile prepaid customers can now enjoy Unlimited 5G Weekends for free

To get more Malaysians to experience 5G connectivity, U Mobile is introducing free Unlimited 5G Weekends for its prepaid customers on Prepaid U35 and the newly launched Prepaid U40 plan. The free 5G weekend will begin at midnight every Saturday and end at 11.59 PM every Sunday.

To experience Unlimited 5G Weekends for free, customers just need to redeem it weekly via the MyUMobile app. That being said, they also must be within a 5G network coverage area with a compatible device. Customers who are not located within a 5G network area or do not own a compatible device, will still be able to enjoy uncapped data speeds on U Mobile’s 4G network.

For your information, the newly launched Prepaid U40 plan is priced at RM40 per month. Not only does it offer customers unlimited data and unlimited calls, but it also provides unlimited hotspots so customers can share their data across multiple devices. On the other hand, prepaid customers who are keen to experience 5G uncapped high speeds may also now purchase 5G Daily or Weekly Plans starting from just RM3 per day.

For more info on Unlimited 5G Weekends and all of U Mobile’s prepaid offerings, visit www.u.com.my.


U Mobile presents "Unlimited Ideas" music events for music lovers, including Ed Sheeran's Malaysia Tour

Today, U Mobile is excited to bring Unlimited Ideas campaign for their customers. Unlimited Ideas consist of multiple music festivals line up for this year which their customers can enjoy, such as the highly anticipated Ed Sheeran Malaysia Tour, Urbanscapes 2017, Upfront concert, and Good Vibes Festival 2017. Got your groove on yet? Read below for more details.

Coming back for the 15th year with the theme of #RediscverKL, the event will be packed with art installations, talks, thematic markets, workshops, and music performance headliner by local and international artists such as Clean Bandit, Mew, Yellow Fang, and Kyoto Protocol. If you're a U Mobile user and planning to go to Urbanscapes, here are the benefits you can get

To be held in The Bee, Publika on 19 July 2017, the music event will feature London-based duo, Oh Wonder. U Mobile customers will also get to enjoy

Returning back for the third time since 2013, fans will enjoy musical performance from various artist of both international and local artists. To be held on 12 - 13 August 2017, it is not know which artist will be performing yet but fans will be granted:

If you're one of his fans, chances are you already knew he's going to come to Malaysia as part of his ÷ [Divide] Tour. Unfortunately, U Mobile has yet to give full details on how to get free tickets to the concert, but do stay tuned for more information on their website in June next month.

For more information about the said events, click either one of the links below to check them out. As for Good Vibes Festival 2017 and Ed Sheeran’s Tour in Malaysia, all will be unveiled in www.u.com.my on June 2017.


U Mobile promises to provide 5G services despite not investing in DNB

The news about Maxis and U Mobile backing out of taking up stakes in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) for the 5G deal came out last night. Fast enough, U Mobile has made a statement today to clarify the situation and ensure its customers that 5G services will still get provided through the telco company.

In a public release, U Mobile says it's "supportive of the government's vision of a single wholesale network (SWN) model for 5G deployment in Malaysia and is grateful to have been invited by the government to invest in DNB". However, after "extensive discussions and deliberations on the matter and taking into consideration the terms of the investment", it has decided not to invest in DNB.

Despite skipping the investment, the company promises that it does not affect its capability to provide 5G services as it still has access to DNB's 5G network infrastructure governed by a separate access agreement. It's now in discussion to finalise the 5G access agreement with DNB. Once done, U Mobile will proceed with the deployment of the 5G network.

What do you think about the news? Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more local tech reports.


U Mobile registration of interest page reveals Apple iPhone 6s will be available with U MicroCredit

With the Apple iPhone 6s already officially on it's way to Malaysia on 16 October 2015, Malaysia's telcos have started the pre-registration or registration of interest pages for the smartphone. U Mobile is no different but unlike the others, it appears that they will be offering the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on U MicroCredit. Previously available for the iPhone 6, U MicroCredit is an installment payment plan with no deposit or credit card required so everyone can own the latest iPhone 6s despite its rather high price tag. Again, unlike the other telcos, this method means that even U Mobile prepaid users can get an iPhone 6s.

In addition to the U MicroCredit plan, we recently got news that the iPhone 6s will also be offered on a new Flexi U MicroCredit plan which will allow you to choose the financing amount and repayment months as you want, so even more Malaysians can afford the iPhone 6s. Check out the Registration of Interest page at www.u.com.my/iphone6s for an early notification of when it will be available on U Mobile. Granted, Apple have yet to reveal Malaysia pricing details but with last year's iPhone 6 going for RM2699 and this year's drop in currency value we estimate the iPhone 6s going for as high as RM3199 but you can check our other estimated pricing details and full price list of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus around the world below.


U Mobile release HTC One bundles

With the HTC One officially launching last week, it was only a matter of time before the telco bundles came out as well, which is what U Mobile had in mind with these HTC One bundles. Considering that the HTC One is probably higher priced than most other smartphones of its class at around RM2299 it is great that U Mobile is offering the smartphone from as low as RM1488. For more details, check out the table below:

For more U Mobile telco plans click here but for more information about this HTC One deal with U Mobile check out the U Mobile site.


U Mobile releases official statement on their future departure from Maxis' RAN share agreement

As most of you already heard, U Mobile will be terminating their network agreement with Maxis. It will take effect by the end of next year (2018) on December, reason being that the company wants to focus on expanding their own network instead piggybacking. U Mobile has also assured their customers that the change in network won’t affect their data usage dramatically. Anyway, below is the official statement by U Mobile:

"With our growing subscriber base, U Mobile has decided that it will be more appropriate to focus on expanding our own network, especially with the additional spectrum of 2x15MHz of 1800MHz bands and 2x5MHz of 900MHz bands that were awarded by the government last year. The additional 1800MHz was made available on 1 April 2017 whilst the 900MHz will be made available on 1 July 2017. We are currently upgrading our owned networks progressively to support these new spectrum bands so that our customers can enjoy an enhanced network experience when the spectrum bands are turned on and the upgrade is complete.

This notice to terminate the RAN share agreement is not expected to impact our customers’ network experience or our service quality to our customers. We expect to be able to replace the RAN share sites within the stipulated timeline as we continue with our planned network investment program. U Mobile customers can look forward to an enhanced network experience and coverage once the exercise is complete."

Stay tuned for more U Mobile news at TechNave.com.


Apple has a new cleaning cloth for its products' displays that costs you RM99

Apple has always emphasised care for its products' displays, especially for those with special coatings like the Pro Display XDR. This should apply to the new MacBook Pro laptops too, which is why the company recommends getting a cleaning cloth for its devices.

Now, here's the ridiculous part: It's not free. Earlier today, Apple has added a new Polishing Cloth for its devices. You can order it now for RM99 and Apple will start delivering it from 27 October 2021. The cloth is allegedly made with a "soft, non-abrasive material", making it ideal for Apple displays like the nano-texture glass.

On Apple's website, you'll find a list of compatible products that includes iPhones, iPads, Mac PCs, and more. If you're a big Apple fan, you could show your support to the brand by getting this. But what do you think about that? Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


U Mobile reveals new #GetClever mobile Internet plans

U Mobile recently showed off their new #GetClever prepaid and postpaid plans specifically for mobile Internet. These include new Unlimited Mobile Internet (UMI) or UMI 20, UMI 30 and UMI 50 for prepaid plans along with new Unlimited P50 and P70 for postpaid plans. The addition sees the removal of the UMI 18 plan but the UMI 20 plan doubles the data quota to 500MB from 250MB, an increase which can be seen for all of the new plans. The old UMI 38 prepaid plan and U28 post-paid plan remains the same though. In addition, you can also accumulate unused free calls. Check out the pictures below for more details or go to the U Mobile site for more information.


U Mobile rolls out 4G LTE Advanced in Kota Belud, Sabah

True to their word on expansion into Sabah and Sarawak, U Mobile recently announced that they had rolled out their latest 4G LTE Advanced network at Kota Belud, Sabah. In line with the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC) ‘Smart Community Programme’ the launch was officiated by YB Senator Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Salleh Tun Said Keruak, Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia and witnessed by YB Datuk Hajah Jainab DSP Ahmad Ayid, Minister of Community Services and Consumer Affairs of Sabah, YB Datuk Haji Musbah Haji Jamli, State Assembly Member of Tempasuk , YBhg Dato’ Seri Dr Halim Shafie, Chairman of Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Malaysia and Tuan Haji Abdul Gari bin Itam, District Officer of Kota Belud, Sabah. Check out the U Mobile site for more information.


U Mobile's GoPayz #GiveBack campaign to aid Malaysians with a total of RM1 million and COVID-19 Relief Fund

Today, GoPayz, a universal e-wallet platform by U Mobile have joined the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. From now on until 30 June 2020, GoPayz will be giving away a total of RM1 million worth of cash throughout their #GiveBack campaign. So how does that work? Read on below to find out more.

According to the company, new users will need to sign up for the GoPayz after the successful registration, they will receive RM5 cash within 3 working days. Even better, if the new user is also a U Mobile customer, they will receive an additional RM3 e-voucher from 7-Eleven. Jasmine Lee, the U Mobile's Chief Marketing Officer, hopes that this initiative can help some Malaysians to purchase various essential products and services via the app, from micro-life insurance, mobile top-ups and food deliveries to making zakat contributions.

Wait, what about for current GoPayz users then? Well to add on, there is also a promotional price for those who subscribe to GoLife Plus. For just RM2 per month for the first 2 months, it is a micro-life insurance plan underwritten by SunLife Malaysia, who has recently set up a special COVID-19 Relief Fund for customers who have been impacted by COVID-19. Quite an affordable package at this uncertain time, if you ask me.

To get yourself started, you can download the GoPayz app at the Apple App or Google Play Store for free. For more information, you can check out gopayz.com.my. Stay tuned for more tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile's Ultra Unlimited Home Fibre Broadband now available with a special launching price of RM64.50/month

Today, U Mobile has announced a new collaboration agreement with Allo Technology Sdn Bhd and together, U Mobile is offering a new Ultra Unlimited Home Fibre Broadband for Malaysians residing in Melaka, Cyberjaya, Perak and Kedah as a pilot. The orange telco intends to make its fibre broadband plans available to more locations and non-U Mobile customers soon.

The Ultra Unlimited Home Fibre Broadband plans are available starting today with a starting price of RM129 per month (100Mbps), followed by RM199 per month (500Mbps) and finally, RM299 per month (1 Gbps). To mark the official launch, U Mobile is giving a 50% discount for all three plans for 24 months to both new and existing U Mobile customers who are subscribed to Giler Unlimited GX68, Unlimited HERO P79, P99 or P139 postpaid plans.

With the 50% discount, that means U Mobile customers can enjoy a high-speed fibre 100Mbps plan broadband service from as low as RM64.50 per month. On top of that, any U Mobile customer who signs up for Ultra Unlimited Home Fibre Broadband plans before 16 December 2021 and completes the fibre installation at their homes by 15 January 2022 will also be able to enjoy their first month free under the 24-month contract.

For those who don't know, Allo Technology is a telecommunications infrastructure service provider. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, U Mobile can leverage its partner's fibre broadband infrastructure and growing location coverage expansion for Malaysians.

For more information about U Mobile’s Ultra Unlimited Home Fibre Broadband and on how to register, visit www.u.com.my/fbb to find out more. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile's new Unlimited HERO P79 offers 6 months of free Spotify premium subscription

Today, U Mobile has announced some new addition to the Unlimited Grooves campaign. In case you're not sure what's that, the programme is about raising fund passion projects with music and the telco will be adopting 3 local music artists - Kyoto Protocol, Masdo and Bil Musa for the course. In conjunction with that, a new Unlimited HERO P79 postpaid plan offers consumers 6 months of rebates on Spotify Premium in addition to unlimited data for music streaming via Music-Onz and unlimited data for video streaming via Video-Onz.

Furthermore, there's a new postpaid HERO P68 launched by U Mobile for consumers who love social media. This postpaid plan offers unlimited data for Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp and WeChat. Aside from that, there are also two new prepaid plans - UMI 36 and UMI 26 where customers will get to enjoy free 30-day JOOX VIP subscription. Both Unlimited HERO P79 and HERO P68 are available from today at all U Mobile stores nationwide.

As U Mobile get themselves more associated with music, they are looking to add more to its Unlimited Grooves Campaign which includes an instalment plan service made available to their customers for concert tickets. For more information, visit their official website here. More details will be revealed later this year so stay tuned for that at TechNave.com.


U Mobile's updated Hero Postpaid P70 plan confirmed to offer 15GB of data for still RM70 a month

As mentioned earlier yesterday, U Mobile have updated their Hero Postpaid P70 plan. So on top of unlimited calls to all networks, you can now get 15GB of high-speed Internet, all for the same pricing of RM70 per month. As before, this promotion is open to new and existing Hero Postpaid plan subscribers up until 30 June 2016. If you're already on the plan lucky you, the update is automatic, but if you're new you will have to sign up and do some registration.

While you get unlimited calls to all networks, SMS is pay-as-you-use at 3 sen per SMS for U Mobile users and 8 sen per SMS to other networks. Bear in mind though that so far, the extra 8GB of data (7GB + 8GB = 15GB) is still set for just 30 June 2016, but U Mobile could extend this period if demand increases. Check out our other U Mobile telco plans as well but for more information about this check out the main site.


U Mobile signs agreement with DNB, 5G to be commercially available for U Mobile postpaid & prepaid users soon

It seems that U Mobile has cleared the air and announced that the company has signed the 5G Access Agreement (AA) with Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) on 30 October 2022. Before this, it was rumoured the orange telco jumped ship but that's not the case anymore.

From 3 November 2022 onwards, customers of U Mobile’s 5G-ready postpaid and prepaid plans will be able to enjoy the benefits of 5G connectivity when using compatible devices. Recently, U Mobile launched a line of 5G-ready postpaid plans, namely U Postpaid 38 (30GB of 4G and 5G data), U Postpaid 68 (100GB of 4G and 5G data) and U Postpaid 98 (1,000GB of 4G and 5G data, read more about it here).

For prepaid customers on U Mobile’s U25 and U35 plans, they will be able to enjoy 5G speeds when they redeem the Speed Booster feature for free on their plans. The free Speed Boosters enable 5G speeds as it allows customers to enjoy data at uncapped speeds for 1 hour a day, or 30 hours a month.

U Mobile customers on plans other than those aforementioned are advised to stay tuned for more developments on their subscriptions. For more information on U Mobile’s 5G-ready plans and to check for 5G coverage availability, you can visit www.u.com.my/5Gnow. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile slashes the Samsung Galaxy S10 to RM1899 with Unlimited HERO P139 plan

Now coming from the orange telco, U Mobile has just announced their pre-order package for the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. Packed together with the UNLIMITED HERO P139 postpaid plan, you can actually get the Galaxy S10  from just RM1899 only!

According to the website, it seems that the Galaxy S10e didn't make it to the list. You can also only get the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ 128GB model from either the said P139 or P99 postpaid plan and depending on which package you're getting, you will have to pay an upfront payment first from RM504.

The Galaxy S10 package plan on P99 and P139

The pre-order period has already started today (22 February 2019) and will end on 28 February 2019. For more information on the pre-order details, you can head over to their website here to check it out. Stay tuned for more local pre-order news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile teases Samsung Galaxy S5 offer, NO Upfront payment

While many of the other major Malaysia telcos have already come up with their Samsung Galaxy S5 bundle plans, U Mobile has only just started with a teaser ad. However, the teaser ad from U Mobile offers the Samsung Galaxy S5 with no upfront payment, something which could be tempting for those who just want to pay the subsidized price. In our experience this means that the subsidized price isn't as low as that offered by some of the other telcos but anything lower than the current retail price of RM2399 is a good thing we think. The teaser ad doesn't reveal any other details except that it will be available at U Mobile stores on 25 April 2014 so set that date free on your calendar should you be waiting for a Samsung Galaxy S5 from U Mobile. [Source]


U Mobile to celebrate Kaamatan with 5G flagship phone prizes, free RM5 GrabCar vouchers & more

If you are in Sabah, you're in for a treat from U Mobile. The orange telco is part of its Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) campaign, thereby offering plenty of freebies and gifts if you stop by and visit its booth there on the 30th and 31st of May 2023.

For starters, Sabahans may redeem a RM5 GrabCar voucher* for their rides either to or from the venue simply by using the promo code ‘5GUMobile’ on the Grab app. Once at KDCA, Sabahans who visit U Mobile’s booth during the festival between 30 to 31 May 2023 are invited to experience 5G as it's now available in Kota Kinabalu.

There are also various activities such as VR gaming experiences and prizes to be won with the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 5G phones or a ride home in an ultra-fast Lamborghini supercar when they purchase a U Prepaid Starter Pack for RM10. By the way, the U25, U35 and U40 prepaid unlimited data plans have 4G/5G connectivity.

That being said, the 45/5G connectivity (where available) has no extra cost via Daily Speed Boosters for an hour (for Prepaid U25), or Unlimited 5G Weekends (for Prepaid U35 and U40). Prepaid U40 subscribers also enjoy Unlimited Hotspot with their plan with no device restrictions, whilst Prepaid U25 and U35 subscribers may add Unlimited Hotspot for an additional RM5 per month.

For more information, visit www.u.com.my/prepaid to check them out. Also regarding the RM5 GrabCar voucher, it's on a first-come-first-served basis with up to 1000 redemptions and only one redemption per account.


Apple has a new robot that recycles 200 old iPhones in a hour

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that smartphones are a part of our lives now, but this also contributes to the growing problem of e-waste. Where do all the smartphones go after they are done? Well, Apple happens to be one of the companies that are tackling the problem - they have been recycling old iPhones with a new robot technology, turning them into new ones in Austin, USA.

For those who aren't aware, Apple has been recycling old iPhone since 2016 with its robot named Liam by tearing an iPhone into separate parts that can be reused such as cameras, plating, battery and more. This time around, a new robot has replaced it as the new successor called Daisy and works even faster than before. According to a YouTube channel that showcases the robot, Daisy can disassemble 200 iPhones in an hour starting with iPhone 5 and other 14 different models.

Sources say that about 217.7 million iPhones were sold in 2018, and in return - 68 million pounds of electronic materials were invested by Apple and renewed. Apple hopes to put more effort into recycling as they have just opened another Material Recovery Lab (in Austin) in April this year to conduct research on recyclable materials.

Since April 2019, 9 million iPhones have been recycled through Apple's trade-in program. The machine in Austin Lab is added to another machine in the Netherlands and is processing about 1 million of them. Most of them are mostly refurbished and resold.

The upcoming iPhone 11 series will make their debut in September as usual. Until then, stay tuned for more Apple news at TechNave.com.


U Mobile to offer Sony Xperia Z1 from RM1188

U Mobile is going to offer the Sony Xperia Z1 soon and has already revealed the plans available for Sony's current flagship smartphone. While the official retail price is RM2399, the U Mobile plans will allow you to get the smartphone from RM1188 under one of the Ultimate Device postpaid plans. The plans are all set for under 24 months contracts but for more details check out the table below:


U Mobile to update new Hero Postpaid plan with 15GB of data at RM70 a month

Upping the ante again, U Mobile may be increasing their Hero Postpaid plan's data from 7GB to 15GB with unlimited calls for just RM70 a month. The promotion starts on 15 March 2016 with the extra 8GB of data being offered until 30 June 2016. This does mean that after 3 months and a half, the data will go back to 7GB but it should some good news to existing and new Hero Postpaid customers. The news comes courtesy of Jasmine Lee, U Mobile's CMO and so far isn't updated on the official site just yet but we should know for sure tomorrow.


U Mobile unveils Ultimate Device Plan for Data users from RM68/month

While other postpaid plans seem to focus most of their attention on the free calls and free SMS, U Mobile has come up with their new Ultimate Device Plan series featuring a renewed focus on Data. Featuring three plans in the form of Ultimate Device 68, Ultimate Device 98 and Ultimate Device 158 you can now get 3GB of data from as low as RM68. The deal comes with at least four devices including the HTC Butterfly, HTC Desire 600, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 under 24 Month contracts. For more details, check out the table below:

Granted the call rates are a bit higher in comparison to non-Ultimate plans but it should be perfect for those of you who surf more rather than text. If the devices caught your eye more you can also check out our HTC Butterfly, HTC Desire 600, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 plan comparison tools. More information regarding this deal is available at the U Mobile site but if you're interested in other plans check out our other U Mobile Telco plans.


U Mobile updated website now shows its upcoming 5G network coverage in Malaysia

U Mobile earlier this month launched new U Postpaid plans that are “5G ready” with up to 1TB of mobile internet data in Malaysia. Now, it looks like the telco company is further closer to 5G enrolment as its official website now shows U Mobile’s upcoming 5G network coverage in our country.

The network coverage map, which can be viewed here now has a new option to show “5G Network - Coming Soon” alongside 4G Network and Future Coverage options. By selecting that option, you can see areas throughout Malaysia where U Mobile will be offering 5G network coverage in the near future.

Unsurprisingly, the areas are all within Klang Valley, from as north as the outskirts of Serendah to as south as Putrajaya. However, there is no official announcement by the telco company yet as to when it will be offering 5G connectivity to its customers or what devices will be supported.

During the launch of the aforementioned U Mobile Postpaid plans, the company declined to comment on its rollout of the 5G network in Malaysia. Furthermore, U Mobile also said that matters are still being discussed with DNB and other stakeholders regarding the general 5G rollout in our country.

Earlier today, we reported that MCMC is meeting today to decide on some terms in regard to our country’s 5G rollout. As it stands, the final deadline for the six telcos, including U Mobile for the 5G service agreement with DNB is on 31 August 2022.

So, what do you guys think of the upcoming 5G rollout by U Mobile and other major telcos in our country? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more engaging tech news from Malaysia and beyond!


U Mobile will be bringing in WiFi-calling to its customers

To supplement calls made with the usual cell towers, telco companies have been testing WiFi-Calling to extend their services to places where normal signals may not reach. U Mobile looks to be the first to have the feature to their customers, as they will be launching their WiFi-Calling service sometime this week.

In a nutshell, WiFi-Calling is a form of Voice over IP (VoIP) where voice is transmitted through data channels and WiFi hotspots, rather than the radio towers. This has the advantage of allowing calls to be made even when there are no signal bars on your phone.

We expect this service will be a value add-on, like their Video-Onz and Waze that was previously offered to their customers. The launch is expected to be on the 26th of May, so we will share more info once more is available.


U Mobile wins four awards including Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year

Sapan Agarwal (left), Vice President, Frost & Sullivan & Jasmine Lee Sze Inn (right), U Mobile's Chief Marketing Officerards

At this year's Frost and Sullivan Malaysia Excellence Awards, U Mobile has once again been recognized as Malaysia's Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year and this marks their second win in a row, along with a total tally of four awards. So why does U Mobile deserve the award? Well, Ajay Sunder, Vice President of ICT, Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific has only this to say:

“Competitive pressure coupled with changes in usage behaviour are challenges confronted by all mobile operators in Malaysia. U Mobile’s focus on data service innovation and aggressively priced flexible plans targeted at the youth segment has achieved remarkable success, leading to a higher double-digit data services revenue growth for the company, significantly higher than its competitors.” said Ajay.

On top of that, he also added that U Mobile constantly defies the industry's status quo, such as introducing App-Onz for prepaid customers for unlimited Facebook, Instagram and Twitter data that was unheard of. They are also the first to offer free data for Waze, the first to commercially launch its 4.5G service on 1800Mhz and 2600Mhz, and the first to offer mobile life microinsurance to their customers.

Besides winning Malaysia's Mobile Data Service Provider of the Year, the orange telco has also been awarded the 2018 Malaysia Excellence Award in Customer Experience - Online Experience in Telecommunications Industry, Mobile Experience in Telecommunications Industry, and Overall Experience in Telecommunications Industry.

That's really great for U Mobile and we hope to see more giler innovations from them in the near future. Until then, stay tuned for more U Mobile news at TechNave.com.


U Postpaid 38 mobile data doubled & new Ultra Hotspot 5G released for a limited time

Today, U Mobile announced that its U Postpaid 38's mobile data has been doubled. Not only that, all the 5G U Postpaid Plans will have hotspot data unlocked which is a limited-time promotion.

Starting the lowest postpaid plan, all new and existing U Postpaid 38 subscribers will enjoy 60GB of high-speed 4G/5G data for life. The RM38 monthly payment remains the, as well as its unlimited calls to all networks. Besides that, U Postpaid 38, 68 and 98 are also part of the limited-time promotion called Ultra Hotspot 5G.

With the Ultra Hotspot 5G enabled, the subscribers can now hotspot from their plan’s main data quota, instead of from a separate hotspot data quota. This also means that U Postpaid 98 subscribers will be able to share their massive 1000GB high-speed 4G/5G data across multiple devices and with family and friends. For RM68 and RM98 monthly respectively, they also offer free 15GB of roaming data and incoming calls across 63 destinations, as well as unlimited calls.

For the moment, Ultra Hotspot 5G benefits are available immediately for new U Mobile subscribers or U Mobile subscribers who wish to upgrade to the 5G postpaid plans. For existing U Postpaid 38, 68 and 98 customers, the hotspot enhancements will be made available very soon.

Although Ultra Hotspot 5G is a limited-time promotion, U Postpaid 38, 68 and 98 subscribers will enjoy the hotspot benefits permanently once it is unlocked for them. For more information, you may visit www.u.com.my to check the new promotion out. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


UE BOOM year-end promo slashes prices

Ultimate Ears have announced a UE BOOM year-end promo starting on 16 November until 31 December 2015, prices are slashed from RM799 to RM599 for the first unit and RM399 if you happen to get a second one. As according to the date, this promotion is on a limited time offer and will be available at selected local stores:-

The UE BOOM is a one-of-a-kind portable social music player that you can bring to a party, social gathering and even the outdoors. Battery is rechargeable for 15 hours straight, and its wireless speaker is designed with a 360-degree surround sound that drops bold and immersive music; wrapped by an acoustic skin, specially made to resist both water and stains. Besides that, two UE BOOMs can be connected together through a free UE BOOM app that’s available on both Apple and Android devices to play both speakers in either stereo-to-stereo mode or the traditional left-right stereo mode.

“The digital age has changed how we listen to our favorite songs and interact with music,” said Rory Dooley, general manager of Ultimate Ears. “While online music services have made it easier to access your music, it's remained a challenge to have an anytime, anywhere listening experience that can be shared with others. UE BOOM solves that problem. Ultimate Ears strives to amplify the social experience of listening to music, bringing people together around the music they love. UE BOOM is designed to bring music out into the world, and that’s why we’re also supporting this introduction with a campaign to inspire young music fans to make music social.”

To find more information of the product, visit www.ultimateears.com.


UK-based ARM suspends relationship with Huawei over US blacklist, but it isn’t all grim

According to the BBC, ARM Holdings, designers of nearly all the smartphone chipsets and processors in the world recently sent out a memo to stop "all active contracts, support entitlements, and any pending engagements” with Huawei due to the US blacklisting. While ARM is a UK-based company owned by Japan-based SoftBank, it purportedly uses “US origin technology” in their designs which are also used in Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin chipsets. While this means that we could see less Huawei Kirin chipsets in the future, it isn’t all as grim or “insurmountable” as some may believe.

Huawei still have the license for the latest Cortex 76 processor cores, 4 of which were used in the 8-core Kirin 980 chipset. With it, they could create a faster clocked chipset (probably the upcoming Kirin 985) or create a chipset with more of such Cortex 76 processor cores. Since, they’ve already come out with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 powered Huawei MateBook E, it seems quite possible that they could release an 8-core or higher Cortex 76 based chipset for that laptop with their rumoured Linux and Android compatible Hongmeng OS or even Ubuntu.

Huawei have also traditionally recycled their flagship chipsets, reusing them in their higher-end MediaPad M series tablets, so we see no reason why there can’t be more Kirin 980-based Huawei midrange devices or even Kirin 970-based Huawei entry-levels. It seems like a great opportunity for consumers as Huawei may be forced to consider such options. If it does come true, it could mean more powerful entry-level devices and midrangers from Huawei in the near future that may shake the market even more.

If you could get a flagship Kirin powered Huawei device with Huawei’s own Hongmeng OS at affordable entry-level prices would you be interested? Let us know and stay tuned to TechNave.com


UK telco company says iPhone 12 series could be launching in a few days

iPhone 12 concept image by EverythingApplePro

When the latest Apple event ended without the iPhone 12 series revealed, fans were understandably disappointed. But the company is still going to launch it soon and now sources claim it could be in a few days.

According to MacRumors, CEO of British Telecom Marc Allera told the company's employees in an internal presentation that the launch of the "5G iPhone" is just a few days away. If we take Allera's words literally, the iPhone 12 series could be launched as soon as next week or around the end of September. After that, we can expect the phone to officially start selling in October.

Besides that, Apple Senior VP for Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue confirmed that the phone could come with subscriptions to Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+. From the description, it would seem that Apple plans to include the recently launched Apple One subscription bundle. This could mean that when the iPhone 12 series launches in Malaysia, the phone could come with Apple One subscription bundles too.

Of course, this is still considered an unconfirmed rumour, so do take it with a grain of salt. But would you be interested in grabbing a new iPhone 12 with an Apple One subscription bundle? Do let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates on this.


Apple has begun offering iPhone repairs at your location in selected cities

Photo taken from The iPhone Repair Malaysia

If you've been an iPhone user for a long time, you probably know that official repairs always have to go through an Apple store. But it looks like the company might be looking to be more flexible from now on by offering to bring limited repair services directly to you, at least in certain cities.

According to Gizmodo, Apple will be delivering this repair service through Go Tech Services in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. With this service, customers within those cities can have repairs of their iPhone completed at their homes or workplace. Essentially, iPhone users in those cities can now go through the Apple support site to get access to the repair service.

There are a few caveats to this service. First, an additional visitation fee that may be imposed along with the standard repair cost. Also, it doesn't seem to cover battery replacements. But before we consider all that, it's important to note that this is likely a premium service that will be limited by costing and logistics, so Apple may not even want to offer it in Malaysia at all.

With all that said, have you ever felt an urgent need to have repairs done without needing to go to an Apple store in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


UL Benchmarks and Huawei confirm that there was no cheating involved with the honor play

Contrary to what many sites have been parroting and what some have plainly assumed, Huawei and UL Benchmarks (formerly known as Futuremark) have come out with a joint statement confirming that there was no cheating involved with the Kirin 970 equipped honor play. Instead, it is due to the AI or Artificial Intelligence powered Kirin 970 automatically increasing the performance (by activating “Performance Mode”) when it detected the need for it, in this case when the 3DMark benchmark was run.

Through joint talks with Huawei and UL Benchmarks, Huawei have also confirmed that this “Performance Mode” will be made available in EMUI 9.0, so users can choose to have this AI boost-like mode if they want to. As it is, both UL Benchmarks and Huawei have agreed to temporarily delist benchmark scores of a range of Huawei devices, which will be reinstated after Huawei grants access to their “Performance Mode”.

To be honest, we had our suspicions that it was just the NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit) or AI detecting this need for performance even when the story first broke as it matched more with our experience with the Kirin 970 chipset rather than fishy sounding statements (which could have been lost in translation and therefore taken out of context unintentionally). As always, stay tuned to the latest tech news and reviews from TechNave.com


UMI X2S is world's first true 8-core smartphone

China's smartphone makers reveal another world's first, this time being the first manufacturers to put in MediaTek's MT6952 8-core processor into a smartphone, which they have announced as the UMI X2S. All 8 of the cores on the MediaTek MT6952 are working at the same time unlike Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa which also has 8 cores but only has one set of quad cores working at one time. Other tech specs include 2GB RAM, a 5-inch 1080p display, 32GB storage, 13MP camera with Sony lens and probably a Mali 450 GPU. Other features include LTE and NFC support but there is no mention of a battery. Overall, the design looks much like a slightly larger Samsung Galaxy S3 but we have no idea as to how the battery life or processing benchmarks are as the UMI X2S is a China only smartphone. We could still see it in Malaysia from local sellers but so far there are no exact Malaysia release dates or official pricing just yet. In China it may be sold from RMB1499 (RM776) to RMB1999 (RM1035). Keep an eye out at MobileMegaMall.com or other similar Malaysian markets and it may crop up.[Source]


UPS also looking into unmanned drones for delivery as well

UPS has also announced that they are looking into using unmanned drones for delivery as well. However they have not said how their drones will look like, how they would use them and what range their drones would fly. The only official comment from UPS was quoted as:

"the commercial use of drones is an interesting technology and we'll continue to evaluate it."

It makes more sense that a courier delivery and logistics company like UPS would look into unmanned delivery drones than Amazon, but again there comes the issue of airspace regulations and permissions. No news when we may see UPS delivery drones in Malaysia but since we do have an official UPS presence here, it seems more likely that we'll see UPS delivery drones here first before Amazon's.[Source]


US Budget chief asks for at least 2-year delay for ban on Huawei

While Huawei is still within the previous 90-day ban delay, Russell T. Vought, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget has called for a 2-year delay on the ban for Huawei as it would impact American companies (yes, US companies sell a lot to Huawei) and US rural telcos (yes, they also use a lot of 3G/4G Huawei networking equipment). You can read the quote below, but it basically means that banning one of the largest smartphone makers and leading networking companies in the world immediately isn’t such a good or feasible idea.

If the delay were to be implemented, it could result in a 3-year delay on the ban but Huawei is already in high-gear to become independent of US companies with their ARK OS, chip stockpiles, other supply sources and a more solid Huawei AppGallery. Granted, Huawei have repeatedly said that they have a plan B ready, but it would still offer plenty of relief for the company if they had another 3 years to do so. It would also give the millions of Huawei and Honor users more time and support from Google.

However, if such a 2-year or 3-year delay in the ban does become official, it could also mean that when it does come into play, Huawei (and in relation, China) will be even more ready to stand apart from the US by that time. Perhaps with an ARK OS that can annihilate Google’s Android and thoroughly compete against Apple’s iOS along with a supply chain sourced (opportunities for Malaysian chip makers, hint, hint) entirely out of the US. After being placed on the US Entity list once, we expect that the weaponization of US Tech companies by the US government isn’t something Huawei (and other non-US tech companies) will take lightly.

“While the administration recognizes the importance of these prohibitions to national security, a number of agencies have heard significant concerns from a wide range of potentially impacted stakeholders who would be affected", Russell T. Vought, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget


US Government to ban new Huawei and ZTE buys from 13 August 2019

In an apparent U-Turn from US President Donald Trump’s earlier supposed intervention, the US administration has released an early publication of a rule that will ban all new contracts or buying of equipment from Huawei, ZTE and a number of other Chinese companies starting from 13 August 2019. The rule further states that these companies are still allowed to service previous infrastructure (the old US networks in various rural towns) as long as they provide full disclosure but only until August 2021, so it’s not a complete ban, but just one that benefits the US government (how surprising, lol).

This comes after ZTE already paid all their millions in fines and Trump’s statements that Huawei can resume buying US components, but the rule does state that a waiver can be provided by a chief of agency, so Trump can still step in personally if he wants to. Huawei have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing that would warrant such a ban but the US have long been wary about Huawei. The rule does not explicitly stop Google and other tech companies from selling to Huawei though, just that Huawei and ZTE aren't welcome by US agencies.

Huawei have also repeatedly stated that whatever the US does, has little impact on them. They seem set to come out with a Hongmeng OS smartphone this year and have replaced various US parts in their supply chain from other sources (with complete independance due in 2021) while also challenging the constitutionality of the ban. We think this is the right way to go rather than hope for another U-Turn from the US, but what do you think? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com.


US Navy says no to TikTok, calling it a cybersecurity threat

It seems that another Chinese software has run afoul of the US government recently. The US Navy has just banned all of its personnel from using the app TikTok on any government-issued mobile device. It's claimed that the app presents some cybersecurity concerns.

A bulletin was posted to announce this ban, according to Reuters. It warned all US Navy staff to delete the app from their devices or be blocked from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet. The alleged type or form of cybersecurity threat was not detailed, but a Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland issued a statement to explain that the move is but one of another to address existing and emerging threats.

This is not the first time the app has been called out by US government personnel. TikTok has proven to be quite popular with youngsters in the US, but US army cadets were informed a few weeks ago that they were not allowed to use the app. Once again, the reason given was concerns on the app's cybersecurity.

What are your thoughts on this, do you think there is any validity to the US Navy's worries? Do let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for other interesting news.


US Officials mistook and seized 2000 "fake" Apple AirPods that are actually OnePlus Buds

It's not uncommon that we tend to see fake ripoff brands based on popular brands and most of them can be found in Asia. With that, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have proudly announced one of their latest raids which seized 2000 counterfeit Apple AirPods from Hong Kong. However, a closer look tells us a different story - those are actually the OnePlus Buds (HAHAHA).

Reading from their official press release a few days ago, the seize was a "success" on 31 August 2020. Troy Miller, Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations said that the "counterfeit Apple Airpod Earbuds" were on the way to Nevada at an air cargo facility at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. The statement also continued that if the merchandises were genuine (which they are), the overall Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) would have been $398,000 (~RM1,651,501.00).

THAT'S NOT AN —CBP officers at JFK Airport recently seized 2,000 counterfeit Apple AirPods from Hong Kong, valued at $398K had they been genuine.Details via @CBPNewYorkCity: https://t.co/XMgjkfT56i pic.twitter.com/Ofn9REJ9ZB

Obviously, people have tried to correct the CBP that these are legitly the OnePlus Buds from the brand OnePlus. But the responses they got were "In the US imports are not allowed to infringe on patents or copyrights these are so similar that they can actually argue they are counterfeit". I mean, they do have an argument on that...only if OnePlus is truly a fake brand (which they are not) as they have been selling their smartphones globally since 2014.

Should CBP continues to ignore the tweets about the legitimacy of the OnePlus Buds wireless earbuds, it's going to be really funny when things go down for real. Until then, stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


US President Donald Trump agrees to speed up Huawei special licenses

After the recent announcements by both US President Donald Trump and subsequently various White House officials, he has agreed to expedite or make ‘timely’ decisions (basically hurry it up) regarding special licenses for US companies like Google to sell to Huawei. Initially, US President Donald Trump said that Huawei would be allowed to do so, but afterwards White House officials said otherwise.

This comes after the US President recently had a meeting with CEOs of Cisco, Intel, Broadcom, Qualcomm, Micron, Western Digital and Alphabet Inc’s Google, all of whom are selling components or firmware to Huawei in some form or another. These supplies were stopped after Huawei was placed on the US Entity list but there’s still no exact news when these supplies will begin again just yet.

Despite this, Huawei remains committed to their users with plans to unveil various devices including the Honor 9X, Huawei Y9 Prime and more. Huawei also are supposedly working on being completely independent of US Tech companies by 2021 but have also repeatedly reiterated that if given the chance, they would much rather work with these US Tech companies like Google, Microsoft, Intel and Qualcomm.

Huawei Malaysia in particular have kept this commitment up for their Malaysian users, providing various sales, contests and freebies such as the recent NEXT-Image Masterclass photography workshops. We expect Huawei’s presence in Malaysia to remain strong as the Malaysian government and Prime Minister have also maintained strong support for Huawei.


US President Donald Trump is not happy with Apple for refusing to unlock iPhones

From all the YouTube ads promoting how secure are Apple’s devices (nope, not skippable), we might already get the idea that the company values privacy very much. However, what we don’t know is the tech giant actually does not have the ability to access data that is being encrypted on an iPhone. From there, they have dissapointed the President of the United States, Donald Trump, as Apple refused to decrypt the data from criminals’ iPhones to assist the government.

Today, Trump has posted a tweet to express his dissapointment towards the company. In the tweet, he mentioned that the US Government has helped Apple with tradings and many other issues, but the company refused to return the favor just by unlocking phones used by criminals. Also, he used his favourite quote at the end which is “Make America Great Again” by implying Apple is not doing enough for their country.

We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements. They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.

Apple didn’t stay silent regarding the issue as well. They have released a statement saying that the company is unable to access the encrypted data from their consumers. By doing so, they would be required to create a ‘backdoor’ to retrieve the data, and this ‘backdoor’ has never existed as it is contrary to Apple’s virtue.

This is not the first time for the US Government to request data from Apple. In the past, the company had been asked to unlock criminals’ iPhones as well, but they refused to do so. It seems like Apple is doing a really good job when it comes to protecting their customers’ privacy, but with situations like these, the moral dilemma is what the company has to face.

Let us know what you think about this issue on our Facebook page! For more viral news, stay tuned to TechNave.com.