Which Apple iPad mini should you buy? iPad mini 3 vs iPad mini 2 vs iPad mini 1

Another year, another new Apple iPad mini tablet. However, this year's Apple iPad mini 3 does not really bring much innovation or change to the table, unlike the previous Apple iPad mini 2 which was basically a smaller Apple iPad Air. Updating our previous comparison article on which Apple iPad mini to buy we are now doing a comparison article between the Apple iPad mini 3, Apple iPad mini 2 and Apple iPad mini. If you've been wanting one and wondering which Apple iPad mini tablet to buy then read on and find out:

In terms of design the iPad mini 3 does not change anything except for another microphone hole on the back. While the iPad mini 2 or formerly known as the iPad mini with Retina Display is thicker at 7.5mm than the 7.2mm iPad mini, the iPad mini 3 retains the same measurements and weight. The 7.9-inch Retina Display on the iPad mini 3 is also the same along with every other visual aspect of the iPad mini tablets. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing it does make it somewhat different compared to the iPad Air 2 which has removed several buttons, become even thinner than before and has buttons which have been angled downwards to compensate for this extra thin profile. There is one other design change though, you can now get the iPad mini 3 in champagne gold. The other two iPad mini tablets are only available in silver and space grey.

The only change in design for the new Apple iPad 3 is the Touch ID home button and a gold coloured version

Our TechNave.com Tech Specs comparison tool easily shows that this new Apple iPad mini 3 does not change much in terms of tech specs or features. The Apple A7 processor is still there. The PowerVR G6430 graphics is still the same. The 5MP rear camera and 1.2MP front camera are also still the same. The only major difference for the iPad 3 is that it has a Touch ID fingerprint scanner beneath the home button. This does not do much asides from being another way to unlock your screen or authenticate payments as there is no NFC and therefore no applicable way to use Apple Pay. Connectivity is still the same, but you do get iOS 8.1 right out of the box for the iPad mini 3.

The only major difference or change that the Apple iPad mini 3 brings is a Touch ID fingerprint scanner built into the Home button

Since the Apple iPad mini 2 has the same tech specs as the iPad Air, it offers similar Geekbench 3 scores of around 2643 while the Apple iPad mini chugs along at a mere 496. This easily makes the iPad mini 2 more than 5x more powerful than the iPad mini. If benchmarks aren't your thing, a simpler way of putting it is that on the iPad mini 2 it only takes seconds to load an app which would take minutes on the iPad mini. Both tablets are relatively lag free but the hardware on the iPad mini 2 is clearly faster and more capable. Battery life is more or less the same at more than 10 hours, perhaps because the iPad mini 2 packs a larger battery. Unfortunately, in terms of both battery life and performance the Apple iPad mini 3 does worse than the iPad mini 2. In Geekbench, the iPad mini 3 gets 2431 while in initial battery tests, the iPad mini 3 gets about 1 hour and a half less than the iPad mini 2.

While we have yet to get official pricing for the Apple iPad mini 3, the Malaysia pricing of the Apple iPad mini 2 16GB WiFi version has gone down by RM250 or so from RM1249 to RM969. The Apple iPad mini 16GB WiFi version has also dropped RM150 from RM949 to RM799. Currently the US pricing for the Apple iPad mini 3 is $399 (RM1303) which could mean that the pricing for the iPad mini 3 in Malaysia could be at RM1299 or so. We'll know for sure when the iPad mini 3 gets launched in Malaysia sometime in November or December 2014 but we're guessing our estimates aren't too far off.

Current Malaysia pricing for the Apple iPad Air, iPad mini 2 and iPad mini

Overall, the comparisons above make it very clear that if you're going to get any of the Apple iPad mini tablets soon, then your best bet would probably be the iPad mini 2 or iPad mini with Retina Display. Why pay RM100 to RM350 more for the same tablet with a fingerprint scanner and champagne gold colouring? The iPad mini 2 clearly delivers a much better Apple iPad experience in terms of performance, price and battery life than the iPad mini 3. Perhaps this is the reason why Apple have retained the first iPad mini as it provides a significant difference in terms of experience compared to the iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3.

Not much has changed with the Apple iPad mini 3, including the measurements

While the price drop to RM799 is tempting, the fact that the iPad mini 1 will start choking on iOS 9 next year does not make it a good buy, even more so since it is now running a 32-bit A5 chip currently 3 generations behind the current A8. Overall, if you're looking to get an Apple iPad mini tablet this year and before the next iteration our recommendation would still be the Apple iPad mini 2.

You can get practically everything else (except for a Touch ID fingerprint scanner and gold colour) with the Apple iPad mini 2

The iPad mini 2 price is just right, the tech specs future-proof it for another 2 years or so and it's performance is still good enough to keep the ever growing iOS satisfied for a while yet. If you must have a gold coloured iPad then by all means, get the iPad mini 3, but a Touch ID fingerprint scanner is not a good enough reason to pay another RM250 to RM350 in our opinion. However, if you are getting the iPad mini 2, we'd suggest getting at least the 32GB version and above as pricing has gone down enough to make it worth the money. Add on Cellular if you're mobile most of the time and you have what is likely to be the best iPad mini tablet to get until the next one.


Which HUAWEI MatePad tablet should you get? A buying guide for Huawei fans & customers

Over the past year, computing devices surged in demand as everyone was forced to stay and work at home. Not only that, but children were also studying at home to attend online classes. Besides PCs and laptops, tablets are also one of the go-to devices and Huawei is no stranger to those.

Huawei Malaysia has offered many tablets of its own over the few years here, but which one is suitable for you? In this article, we will briefly go through each MatePad tablet and see which one caters to your need. Without further ado, read on below to check them out!

Starting with the flagship, the MatePad Pro features a 12.6-inch OLED screen panel with some excellent display capabilities. It supports 2560 x 1600 pixels, DCI-P3 and a colour accuracy rating of ΔE <0.5. In context, this grade means it's great for professional photographers who can use it as a portable monitor to preview and colour tune their images on the spot!

Moreover, it also comes with a total of eight speakers, a 10,050mAh battery supporting 40W SuperCharge technology and can even do reverse wireless charging for other devices. As usual, the HUAWEI Share function is compatible with a Huawei phone and laptop, as well as a keyboard and M-Pencil stylus (2nd gen).

As long as your device is running on HarmonyOS, any Huawei device can pair up with the MatePad Pro. You can use Mirror Mode to mirror your tablet to a MateBook laptop or even in Extend Mode as an extra display, as well as using Multi-Collaboration between two devices to save time transferring content across via drag and drop.

If you're more of a casual user but still want some sweet features, then the MatePad 11 might be for you. This tablet supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate with frame rate adaption technology that adjusts the frame rate according to your usage. Not only that, its chipset is a respectable Snapdragon 865 by Qualcomm that can let you run apps seamlessly. If you want to use it for entertainment, its quad speakers are Harman/Kardon certified.

Like the MatePad Pro, the MatePad 11 also has HUAWEI Share and do all the things we just mentioned previously such as Mirror Mode, Extend Mode and Collaboration Mode. Remember, you just need a Huawei device on HarmonyOS and you're good to go! The M-Pencil (2nd-gen) is compatible as well.

If you are looking for something smaller, the MatePad 10.4 is also another good option. Featuring a 10.4-inch display, its resolution is 2K and has an 84% screen-to-body ratio. Furthermore, the quad-speaker is the same as the MatePad 11 with Harman/Kardon sound system to give the best sound experience for entertainment.

Other notable features of the MatePad 10.4 are 4GB + 128GB memory capacity, compatible with a keyboard and M-Pencil stylus (1st gen), and supports HUAWEI Share with Huawei phones.

Finally, if you're just looking for something simple to use, look no further than the MatePad T10 and T10s. They may be just entry-level, but they are also equipped with Harman/Kardon sound system and feature a 9.7-inch and 10.1-inch display respectively.

If you plan to use this for your child, you can rest assured that this device is packed with age-appropriate content via Kids Corner. Huawei said the two tablets have six-layered eye protection, time management, app management to monitor app access, and content management to curate age-appropriate content.

So there you have it. Each MatePad mentioned above are catered to different needs. From pro-users to children, or mid-range tiers for casual users, Huawei has it covered for everyone. As for the complete price and availability, you can check out the table below for your reference:

Olive Green, 8GB+256GB with keyboard and M-Pencil

To find out more about the MatePad tablets, you may visit the official web portal right over here or the online store on Lazada and Shopee. If there's one that interest you, you should grab one now while you can during this Christmas season. Happy shopping and stay tuned for more local tech deals at TechNave.com.


Which Samsung Galaxy A smartphone is right for you?

Samsung’s Galaxy A series, most notably the Samsung Galaxy A31, Galaxy A51, as well as the Galaxy A71, are mid-ranged smartphones that come equipped with different tech specs and features depending on their price. Because of that, picking which Galaxy A series smartphone is right for you might be a daunting task especially for those who are not very well versed in technology.

In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at all the Galaxy A series smartphones mentioned above and see which Galaxy A smartphone would be right for you. With all that said, let’s get to it.

The A71 looks quite premium for a mid-ranger

Can handle constant gaming without any issues

At the price of RM1699, the Samsung Galaxy A71 comes equipped with the best tech specs of the bunch with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage (expandable up to 512GB), 6.7-inch FHD+ display, as well as a 4500mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Camera-wise, it has 64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP quad rear cameras while the front has a 32MP front-facing selfie camera.

With that in mind, the smartphone comes with flagship-like performance, as well as features like Samsung Knox, Samsung Pay, that are typically found on flagship Samsung smartphones. I bet after using the smartphone for a while, you’ll end up forgetting that what you’re using is only a mid-range device.

As for the Galaxy A51, it has an Exynos 9611 chipset, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, a 6.5-inch FHD+ display, as well as a 4000mAh internal battery with 15W fast charging. As for the camera, it has 48MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP quad rear cameras and a 32MP front-facing selfie sensor all for the price of RM1299.

Just like the Samsung Galaxy A71, the A51 comes with the Samsung Pay functionality as well as Samsung Knox to ensure the safety of the data stored in your smartphone. With that said, if you’re looking for a smartphone that’s feature-filled but you don’t need the excess performance, the Galaxy A51 would make a great candidate.

Even though it's the most affordable of the 3. It still looks quite premium!

If you’re looking for a more budget option, you can opt for the Samsung Galaxy A31 which is priced at only RM999, which is not only more affordable but still packs quite a punch in the performance and features department. To go into more detail, the phone has a Helio P65 chipset, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 6.4-inch FHD+ display with 5000mAh battery that supports 15W fast charging.

Other than that, you’ll find 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 5MP quad rear cameras and a 20MP front-facing selfie camera. Even if you do opt for the more affordable option, you’ll still get the same notable features as both the more expensive Samsung Galaxy A51 and A71 smartphones.

Other than the 3 smartphones mentioned above, there are 4 other smartphones in the Galaxy A series that are worth considering as well depending on your budget. These smartphones are called the Galaxy A01, A01 Core, A11, as well as the A21s which are priced at RM399, RM329, RM529 and RM899 respectively.

As far as tech specs go, you can expect hardware such as up to an Exynos 850 chipset, up to 64GB ROM, as well as up to 5000mAh internal battery with up to 15W fast charging. If you’re looking for a backup phone, these smartphones would make a great candidate because of the affordability of these devices.

Do you think you'll be able to win any of these?

From 14 September until 18 October 2020, Samsung will be hosting the Confirm Amazing Promo where you could stand a chance to win up to a Samsung 65-inch 4K Smart TV simply by purchasing selected Samsung Galaxy A smartphones. Other than the TV, there are also other prizes up for grabs such as a Samsung Convection Microwave Oven with HOT BLAST™, as well as the Danister Bagless with Twin Chamber System Vacuum Cleaner.

All you need to do is to take a creative selfie and upload it to Samsung’s website along with details such as your name, contact information, and IMEI number. If you want to find out more information in regards to the Confirm Awesome Promo, as well as information on all the prizes, head over to Samsung’s official website.

With all that said, would you be interested in getting any of the Samsung Galaxy A series smartphones mentioned above? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Apple iPhone 11 series launching date leaked and could start from ~RM3K

As per tradition, Apple always releases a new iPhone every September and according to tech.sina.com from China, they claimed that the next Apple event will be held on 12 September 2019, while PhoneArena.com says either 10 or 11 September (#closeenough) to showcase the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Plus and iPhone 11R as the new successors.

However, we can't be too sure yet given with the tariffs thing going on with President Trump and an alleged American telco marketing calendar that was leaked by Evan Blass on Twitter, PhoneArena.com also thinks the new iPhones could be delayed a bit moving to mid or late September. Well, it sounds like just a wild guess that anyone can make so we are just going to stick with tech.sina.com for this, as the previous iPhone generation was revealed on the 12th of September as well.

We also got some rumours on the prices tags. The most "affordable" one is the iPhone 11R with a starting price of $750 (~RM3114), followed by iPhone 11 (128GB) for $1000 (~RM4152), $1100 (~RM4567) and $1200 (~RM4982) for the 256GB and 512GB model respectively. Compare with last year's models, the prices are exactly the same and given that there will be a triple rear camera lens, we are a bit surprised that it's not more expensive but that remains to be seen.

In terms of tech specs and features, we only know about the ugly camera bump that will house the triple rear camera module, as well as the potential of having a USB Type-C port and the disappearance of the 3D Touch. Are you looking forward to the new iPhone generation? Let's discuss in the Facebook post and stay tuned for more Apple news at TechNave.com.


Which are the top Smartphone brands in Malaysia in 2016? IDC: Samsung still on top, OPPO in second spot

According to International Data Corporation (IDC)’s latest report, despite the whole Galaxy Note 7 fiasco last year, Samsung remains as the top smartphone brand in Malaysia. OPPO and Huawei takes second and third spot respectively, to make up the top 3 brands that took up more than 50% of the Malaysian market share in 2016. Compared to 2015, smartphone shipments in Malaysia had dropped by 5.9%. This could be due to various negative economic factors, which included the weakening of Malaysian Ringgit against the US Dollar, as well as the rising costs of living in Malaysia.

While smartphone shipments were generally on a decline on a yearly basis, in the last 3 months of 2016, smartphone shipments picked up. Samsung took first spot, taking up 32.8% of the market share, followed by Apple (13.1%) and OPPO (10.9%). Huawei and Asus filled up the fourth and fifth spot with 8.2% and 7.7% market shares respectively.

Samsung maintained its lead while selling 77.2% more phones than the same period in 2015. IDC attributed Samsung’s success to the popularity of its Galaxy J series which jives well with the budget conscious crowd. Apple’s launch of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in mid-October caused a spike in their market share in the last quarter. Rounding up the Top 3, OPPO made the largest growth in the fourth quarter, by having a 109.3% increase of market share over the same period in 2015, which IDC attributed to its marketing initiatives, focusing on few key products like the F1 series, which gained a large following among the selfie generation. Huawei remained solidly on 4th place in 2016Q4, with its Huawei P9 series remaining popular despite being almost a year into its release, while ASUS dropped to 5th place for the same period of time.

Looking at 2016 as an overall, Samsung remained the best selling smartphone brand, with 34.3% market share, selling a total of over 3 million smartphones with a steady 17.2% growth. OPPO, the surprise entrant securing second place, took up 10.2% market share, selling 916,000 smartphones in 2016, with the highest growth of 66.8%! Huawei sold 852,000 smartphones in 2016, taking third place with 9.7% market share. ASUS, which shipped considerably less smartphones compared to the previous year, is placed fourth with 9.6% market share, a drop of 43.3% compared to 2015. This is partly due to its latest range of ZenFone 3 having higher price tags, which, whilst making a marked improvement over its predecessor, is probably priced a little higher compared to the more budget friendly ZenFone 2 which was released in 2015. Making up the Top 5 brands would be Apple at fifth spot with 8.1% of total market share.


Which combination of Digi Fibre Broadband plan is right for me?

After years of saving, I finally have enough to move out of my parents' house and into a studio apartment I just bought. Not only will I be the man of the house, but I could go out or invite friends over without anyone nagging me.

That might sound nice and all, but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm responsible for paying my own utility bills such as water and electricity. Thankfully, Digi recently unveiled their brand new Digi Fibre Broadband which bundles together postpaid and Digi Fibre home plan into one simple package. (Yay! Fewer bills to pay!)

But that's not all, I heard that the package actually costs less than getting the plans individually, and they also come with free goodies such as up to 24 months of Viu membership when you sign up. Plans are priced as low as RM90 a month for Home Fibre and RM38 for the postpaid plan. But let's have a closer look at the Digi Fibre Broadband, shall we?

Combo plans start from as low as RM190 a month!

First and foremost, when choosing a plan, I need to determine how much bandwidth I need. Being an avid gamer, as well as someone who loves to watch Netflix before bed, it's safe to say that the Digi Internet Freedom 130 should be more than enough for one person since it comes with up to 100Mbps speed for RM130 a month.

However, I could imagine a family of four or more opting for the Digi Internet Freedom 190 or 290 a month because they offer much higher Internet bandwidth of 500Mbps and 1Gbps respectively. Having higher bandwidth will not only increase the download and upload speed but also allows multiple devices to connect and stream at the same time without lagging.

This is useful especially when you have that particular uncle who carries around two or even three mobile phones at once! But that's not all, by signing up for a more expensive Digi Internet Freedom plan, you'll be able to get up to 4 exclusive Digi Postpaid Unlimited lines for you and your family members.

If you're a light user and you're also constantly out and about, you might want to consider getting the Digi Internet Freedom 90 instead which provides up to 50Mbps speed for only RM90 a month. Be sure to evaluate your household's internet usage to see which Digi Fibre Broadband Plan is right for you.

After picking a fibre plan, now I have to pick a postpaid plan to pair it with. As an active and outgoing person who is constantly out and about, the RM190 Digi Fibre Broadband package with the exclusive Digi Postpaid Unlimited for RM60 a month (originally RM100 a month) is sufficient for my needs. It comes with unlimited Internet data for my mobile phone, as well as 100Mbps fibre speeds at home.

When you sign up for the Exclusive Digi Postpaid Unlimited, you'll be eligible for unlimited internet quota, unlimited speeds (depending on coverage) and unlimited calls. In addition to that, you'll also get 20GB tethering, as well as 300 free SMS per month. But let's face it, who sends SMSes nowadays?

However, if you picked the Digi Internet Freedom 90 plan, you're only limited to the Digi Postpaid 38, which provides up to 28.5GB of internet data at the price of only RM38 a month. With both the fibre and postpaid plan combined, the total is RM128 per month, which is quite affordable by today's standards.

For families that are at home most of the time, they can even fully take advantage of up to 24 months of VIU where they can watch hundreds or even thousands of shows for free! Who doesn't like free memberships?

I'm pretty sure you're wondering which combination of the Digi Fibre broadband plan is right for you. To sum it all up, if you're living all by yourself then the RM190 package is more than enough to cater to most of your needs. However, if you're a married couple with no children (for now), you might want to consider getting the RM250 package as it comes with 2 Digi Postpaid Unlimited, more than enough for you and your partner.

If your family consists of 3 or more members including yourself, then you could opt for the RM370 or RM510 plans, which not only provide you with more Digi Postpaid Unlimited lines but also the potential for larger savings. To go into more detail, by signing up for the Digi Fibre Broadband plan that's priced at RM510, you'll get up to 4 Digi Internet freedom Mobile 60 lines. That gives you savings of up to RM160 a month, as well as a free VIU membership worth RM5 per month. In other words, you could potentially save up to RM165 a month and a total of RM3960 after 24 months.

With all that said, which Digi Internet Freedom plan is the right fit for you? Head over to Digi's official website, if you are keen on finding out more information, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates like this.


Which instant messaging app should you use in 2021?

Not too long ago, WhatsApp updated its privacy policy to require users to share data such as phone numbers, profile names, pictures, and more to Facebook. That’s not all, if you do not agree with the new policy by 15 May 2021, you will not be able to use WhatsApp and all its services, which is a huge bummer if you’re not keen on sharing your data.

If you can't agree with this new privacy policy, there are other alternatives to WhatsApp you can consider. For instance, there's Signal, Telegram, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and Line. In this article, we’ll be giving you a rundown of the pros and cons of the apps mentioned, so you can see which one is suitable for you. With that being said, let’s get to it.

WhatsApp is currently the most popular instant messaging app available for iOS and Android users. It currently has over 2 billion monthly active users worldwide. The platform features end-to-end encryption for text, video, and audio to ensure that the content of your messages would be safe from being intercepted.

There is a web version for WhatsApp, but note that you can only have one active session of the app at a time. Logging in on another computer will call the first session to end. You can also send files as large as 16MB, which is usually good enough for documents but not for high-quality video files. If group chat size is a concern, WhatsApp allows for chat groups of up to 256 participants, which is more than enough for a few classrooms.

While Telegram comes with many of the same features you'd find on WhatsApp, it also has features like self-destructing messages, well-integrated bots, games, and more. Furthermore, users can create groups with up to a whopping 200000 participants.

Managing that many users can be a daunting task, which is why Telegram also lets you create one-way group chats. These 'Channels' allow you to broadcast messages to other users. You could also send and receive files up to 2GB in size, which is more than enough in most cases.

Not only that, but the animated stickers on Telegram are cool as all heck and can be used on a web browser! Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram only uses End-to-End encryption when sending messages via Secret Chat. Messages sent outside of Secret Chat are encrypted on the Client-Server instead.

Unlike WhatsApp and Telegram, Signal currently does not have a web client, which means that interaction is done exclusively on your mobile phone. It lets users send content up to 100MB in size depending on the file type, and it also comes with a self-destructing chat feature.

Signal is a bit lacking when it comes to features. For example, it can only accommodate up to 1000 participants in a group chat and only up to 5 users on audio or video call. But it boasts one of the most secure end-to-end encryption technology, which is even used by WhatsApp and Google's Allo. Also, it does not store any of your data on the cloud.

Mostly used in certain countries like Japan and Korea, Line is another messaging app with end-to-end encryption. Not only that, but it also comes with many cute stickers called LINE friends. It has a huge collection of mascots, including Moon, Brown, James, Cony, and more.

On top of that, Line functions as a SuperApp, allowing users to pay for purchases, book transportation, or order food via their delivery service. Unfortunately, some of the features are currently unavailable in Malaysia. Instead, they'll only work in other countries such as Japan.

Last but not least, we have WeChat - the all-in-one app predominantly used in China. WeChat has many of the features expected from a typical instant messaging app. But beyond that, it also has extras such as an e-wallet functionality, allowing you to order food, purchase airline tickets, and more.

Since it's developed in China, the government has full access to all the calls, texts, images, and video sent and received on the app. Another drawback is that most of its features are geared towards users based in China. In other words, users who are in other countries might not be able to experience all of the app's services.

With all that said, which instant messaging app are you using at this moment? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Which is the best E-Wallet to claim the RM30 E-Tunai Rakyat from?

E-Wallets offered by Touch ‘n Go, Grab, as well as Boost started giving out the RM30 E-Tunai Rakyat from today onwards until 14 March 2020. Malaysians who earn below RM100000 a year and are above 18 years old, will be able to claim the RM30 from one of the platforms mentioned.

But that’s not all, each of the e-wallet providers will also bundle a bunch of goodies alongside the E-Tunai Rakyat cash such as vouchers, entries for contests and more. With all that said, let’s have a closer look at each of the e-wallets and determine which provides the best value when claiming the RM30 E-Tunai Rakyat.

Those who claim through the Touch ‘n Go eWallet will get an additional RM30, bringing the total claimable value up to RM60 which expires on 14 March 2020. Not only that, but you will also get two entries to win prizes worth up to RM2000000 in prizes as well.

Moving onto GrabPay, the first 10000 users to claim the RM30 E-Tunai Rakyat will be eligible for vouchers worth up to RM3000. After that, the 10001st and 110001st user onwards are eligible for vouchers worth up to RM2850 and RM2760 respectively.

If you claim on Boost, you will be eligible to take part in a shake minigame where you could stand a chance to win up to RM8888 on top of the RM30. With all that said, which of the E-wallet providers will you be claiming the RM30 E-Tunai Rakyat from? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Which new Huawei Y9 series smartphone should you buy?

When it comes to budget-friendly phones, there are plenty of options in the smartphone market and all of them are quite similar in one way or another. In this article, we will be taking a look at the Huawei Y9 series which has the Huawei Y9s and the Huawei Y9 Prime (2019). Both are priced under RM1000.

The reason why we are picking these two against each other is that consumers might probably be confused between the two. If there's the word 'Prime' in there, does it mean it's better? Why does the Y9s cost just a bit more then? What's the difference between the two? Let's break it down for you.

As the subheader title suggests, the design of the Y9s and Y9 Prime (2019) are more or less the same with each other. Both have a triple rear camera setup, USB Type-C, a pop-up front camera, even the same screen panel size of 6.59-inches. The two phones' size measurement isn't that far off either, which is 77.2 x 163.1 x 8.8mm vs 77.3 x 163.5 x 8.8mm respectively.

The two pop up cameras are placed at the exact position on the two phones

A closer look on the rear design of the Y9 Prime (2019)

The side-mounted fingerprint/power button on the Y9s can be seen there, while on the bottom the two are the same

The only way to tell them apart is by the colour, the Y9s comes in Breathing Crystal and Midnight Black while the Y9 Prime (2019) is more straightforward in Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black. Also, the one last minor difference is that the latter is still using a rear fingerprint sensor while the Y9s' fingerprint sensor (cum power button) is mounted on the side below the volume buttons.

If you thought the identical features have stopped, that was just the tip of the iceberg. In terms of tech specs and features, both phones are basically clones at this point but with some minor differences. Below are the features that both phones share:

As for the minor differences that I mentioned, the Y9s' main camera is 48MP and the Y9 Prime's one sits at 16MP. On the other hand, the RAM memory is just a mere 2GB in difference (6GB vs 4GB respectively), as well as using the same hybrid dual SIM card tray.

Since the Y9s and Y9 Prime are using the same chipsets, the gaming performance should probably be the same more or less. But what about the camera performance? Is the 48MP really superior to the 16MP camera sensor? Well, we took some photo samples so take a look at them yourself below.

Using the main camera between the Y9 Prime (2019) (16MP, left) and Y9s (48MP, right)

Cropped image of the Y9s 48MP mode, pretty good

Cropped image of the Y9 Prime (2019) main camera, it's not so bad

The bokeh mode shot on the Y9 Prime (2019) and Y9s respectively

The ultra wide-angle shot on the phones in the same order

The Y9s has some advantage over the Y9 with its' side-mounted fingerprint sensor and 48MP camera sensor (the Y9s has a slightly better colour contrast if you look closely on the PC). If anything, this all boils down to design preference and budget, which is RM999 (Y9s) vs RM799 (Y9 Prime). Getting either one of them is still a good deal, especially if you're into big fullview displays. Personally, I'd get the Y9s just for the Breathing Crystal design.

The Y9s is available right now across the nation on the official Huawei online store here, while the Y9 Prime can be found over here. So what do you all think? If you want to compare more devices, you can use our comparison tool on our website for your convenience. Stay tuned for more fun comparison articles at TechNave.com!


Whistleblower suggests Facebook to get rid of its algorithm and other issues

Right after the Facebook outage on Monday, news about the company has been quite controversial because of a whistleblower, Frances Haugen. In case you missed it, she used to work at the company but resigned due to how they work unethically.

The day after the outage, Haugen had a meeting with the US Congress for three hours explaining how Facebook should fix the wrong things. One such example was how the algorithm encourages engagement even if it includes misinformation and 'hate' speech. With that, she said, “engagement-based ranking on Instagram can lead children from very innocuous topics like healthy recipes… to anorexia-promoting content over a very short period of time.”

She also has evidence of documents to back her calling, further stating that Facebook's algorithm is not as effective as the company claimed. In other words, the AI is the one that decides what we focus on even if it was just for a moment. Haugen thinks Facebook could fix this by moving it to a chronological feed in terms of recency instead of engagement.

Besides the algorithm, Haugen also said Section 230 should be reformed. Section 230 is a 1996 law that protects companies from being responsible for what the users say and do on their platform. Should Congress reform section 230, this would "make Facebook responsible for the consequences of their intentional ranking decisions". This could make Facebook undo the engagement algorithm because it would be a liability.

Other notable suggestions from Haugen include the initiative by Facebook itself to encourage slowing down viral posts (like how Twitter prompts users to 'read before sharing'). On top of that, she said Facebook researchers should make their studies accessible to the public especially academics and researchers to understand how algorithms work.

Recently, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said Haugen's claims "don't make sense" and doesn't represent what the company stands for. But what do you think of this whole controversy? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


White iPhone 4 Malaysia Coming to DiGi!

DiGi posted a message on their Twitter that includes a link to the site above which pretty much proved once and for all that the White iPhone 4 is indeed real and is coming to Malaysia very soon.

I don’t think the DiGi would want to hurt his customers and this is certainly Apple selling strategies all the while. So, head on to DiGi's website right now and register yourself to make sure that you will not miss a single bit of information about the new white iPhone 4 offering from DiGi.

If you’re one of those iPhone 4 hopefuls that wish to stand out from the crowd, the white iPhone 4 is something worth considering. No dates or pricing details were mentioned as usual but we believe it should be offered at the same price as its Black iPhone 4 models.


Who made the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus dual-camera system?

Huawei recently revealed the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus with their dual 12MP camera setup, featuring Leica-certified optics. However, Leica has always been better known as a high-end digital camera and interchangeable lens manufacturer, with next to no participation in phone cameras. So who actually made the dual camera system on the P9 and P9 Plus?

Turns out, they are made by a domestic mobile phone camera module manufacturer authorized by Leica, named Sunny Optical Technology in China. This is also the first time for the Germany-based Leica to cooperate with a Chinese OEM. According to Huawei, they said the cooperation with Leica is strategic and that the P9 and P9 Plus is just the beginning, as there could be more Leica lens in upcoming Huawei flagship devices.


Whoa, Digi's offering rewards of up to RM100 as MyDigi app users reaches 3 million!

Not so long ago, handling your mobile subscription plan wasn't as simple as it is now, due to the fact that there was no dedicated mobile app to handle such a task. Instead, many users had to use USSD codes such as *128# in order to check their accounts, but now there are solutions like the MyDigi app which allows Digi users to manage their Digi line, pay bills, check internet quota and more.

As the number of active users rapidly swelled up to more than 3 million active users, Digi is giving out special offers along with limited time deals from Wendy’s, Rotiboy, and more! Heavy data users rejoice as there are also data plans starting from as low as RM3 for 3GB (WOW, 1GB for RM1!) a day until the end of March 2019. You can check out the full list of participating merchants and offers below.

Left: Login page, Middle: New billing page with option to instantly pay your bills, Right: Usage monitor

In addition, Digi is now introducing their MyDigi 3.0 app which simplifies the look of the app as well as providing an extra layer of protection by requiring them to utilize a one-time password along with their mobile number for authentication purposes. Digi has also streamlined many of the existing features found on the MyDigi app as well as incorporating new features to provide peace of mind to the users.

These features include functionality such as instant bill payments by using either credit or debit card, which can then be saved for faster and more efficient payments. If you top-up your prepaid number through it you can also get an additional free 10% of the total top-up while data roaming add-ons are as easy to activate as a tap of a button.

While you can track your own 'Usage' with the MyDigi app, you can also track and manage other mobile numbers registered under your name as well, such as your children, family members and so on. Last but not least, Digi also made it easier for you to help your friends and family members top-up or even pay their bills on their behalf through the ‘My Favourites’ section.

Aside from the many new features that it has to offer, the app also comes with the Box of Surprise rewards system which carefully analyzes your usage and rewards you with relevant offers and gifts from Digi, as well as more than 500 brands and merchants across Malaysia. These tailor-made deals include exclusive rewards, birthday month specials and also discounts on smartphone purchases. Your chances of obtaining these deals increases as you move up the membership tier from Yellow, all the way to Platinum.

If you haven’t had it installed, the MyDigi app can easily be found on Google Play Store if you are an Android user, while iOS devices can download it on the Apple App Store. For more information, you can check out Digi's official website and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Whole Samsung Galaxy S22 lineup is said to support 65W fast charging

Besides having AMD graphics performance and a cooling system that uses vapour champer, the latest information has arrived by claiming that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S22 would also feature better fast charging technology. It is said that the series will have a higher fast charging capacity at 65W compared to its predecessors.

According to the source, the whole Galaxy S22 lineup will feature 65W fast charging support. Previously, the highest charging power that a Samsung smartphone has is 45W, and it belongs to the Galaxy Note 10+. Most of the other models only support 15W to 25W. Therefore, it's exciting to see that Samsung has finally decided to level up its charging game with the upcoming flagship series.

However, it's known that many Chinese smartphone manufacturers are already releasing smartphones that support up to 120W wired charging, which makes 65W seems like a non-competitive feature. It's also reported that Xiaomi is already testing 200W wired fast charging and possibly be commercially available in June next year.

Let us know what you think about the news on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone updates.


Apple iPhone 11 series official with triple rear cams, A13 Bionic chipset, & more starting from RM3399

Today, Apple has unveiled the iPhone 11 series officially. Promptly named as the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max as previously speculated. Without further ado, here's everything you need to know from tech specs to features, and availability.

Let's start with the design, shall we? As almost everyone knows, Apple has not been putting a lot of effort the design for a long time now and the iPhone 11 series are no different. In fact, the only thing we can tell you is that the body has an aluminium glass (a really tough cookie, they said) the triple rear camera is real, and maybe the notch is a bit thinner, but still wide nonetheless.

Screen panel measurements are exactly the same as the predecessors. The iPhone 11 sports a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display, bigger than the iPhone 11 Pro at 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR display, whereas the iPhone 11 Pro Max is the biggest of all with 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display. As for the colours, the iPhone 11 has the most colour selections as well (green, red, purple, black, yellow and white), and the other two gets the usual standard Space Grey, Silver, Gold, but with a new additional Midnight Green.

The new Midnight Green, looks good actually

The triple rear camera on the iPhone 11 Pro variants

The iPhone 11 has a dual rear camera (12MP, f/1.8, wide camera + 12MP, f/2.4, ultra-wide camera), a little late to the party but Apple's version seems to bring ultra-wide to the extreme of 120° (not the widest, but still impressive). Portrait mode is still available as the software is doing all the work just like the iPhone XR but can now take animal portrait modes, as well as having a mono filter and improved night mode.

The ultra-wide can be applied to video recording up to 4K and 60fps, Slow-Motion, Timelapse and others. In addition, the iPhone can take several shots and video recording with all the rear lens together just by pressing hold on the shuttle button.  The Slow-Motion is also available on the front 12MP (f/2.2) TrueDepth camera and they are calling it Slofie (#cringe). The triple rear camera on the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max consist of a 12MP (f/1.8, OIS) + 12MP (f/2.4) + 12MP (f/2.0, OIS), which consists of the main sensor, ultra-wide and a telephoto lens.

They also mention a new feature called Deep Fusion for the Pro variants, and this Deep Fusion do is collecting several photos even before you tap the shutter by machine learning so that the photo has the best results possible. By all means, it only observes the environment through the lens and not taking the shot before you do. It will be updated via iOS software in the future.

Going into the tech specs, the A13 Bionic chipset was expected to be featured and from the presentation, it's said to perform even better than the A12 Bionic by a quarter. Apple was able to demonstrate a graphics intense game without any sweat, as well as an improved machine learning to optimize CPU, GPU, NPU and battery efficiency as much as it can. It has over 8.5 billion transistors.

To accommodate the terror A13 Bionic chipset, they have added more battery juice. Comparing with the predecessors, the iPhone 11 has one more hour of battery longevity, 4 more hours from the iPhone 11 Pro, and 5 more hours from the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The iPhone 11 pro variants have a 18W fast charger adapter, too bad that the little brother only gets 10W.

In other features, the minor ones will be the water and dust resistant (probably IP68 grade), better matte finishes, better gigabit-class LTE connectivity strength, WiFi 6, Dolby Atmos speakers (with spatial speakers, meaning on both sides), iOS 13, and enhanced Face ID, Wireless Charging, and more.

Going into the price, they have appeared on the Apple Malaysia website already and will be available from 27 September 2019 onwards. You can refer to the table below for the official pricing:

It's interesting to note that Apple has announced a new Trade-In program for other countries as well, but it's not known if Malaysia will be part of it.

So what do you think of the new iPhone 11 series? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more Apple news at TechNave.com.


Why Digi could be an excellent choice for a faster and more reliable mobile network

Most of us don't switch mobile networks once we settle on one (because it's a hassle!) Having said that, some people get frustrated with their current telco and wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. Although most Malaysian service providers have similarities, some differences could be worth exploring.

But like anything important in life, you should learn all about what the other options can offer before switching mobile networks. Today, I'll be taking a look at one of the biggest mobile service providers in Malaysia - Digi - and why it could be an excellent choice for a fast and reliable mobile network.

Digi's average network speed in Q3-Q4 2020

There are a few things first thing that any of us would want from a mobile network and one of them is speed. Personally, being able to stream a 720p or 1080p YouTube video on my phone without having to buffer is important. Like all major mobile service providers in Malaysia, Digi has a 4G network that has substantial coverage. But how does it perform?

In the 2nd half of 2020 and Q2 2021, Ookla's Speedtest Intelligence declared Digi as the fastest mobile operator in Malaysia. On average, Digi can deliver download speeds of 29.59 Mbps and upload speeds of 11.75 Mbps. That's pretty much the top range for what you can get for a 4G network here until 5G becomes more accessible in Malaysia.

Mind you, most of the local mobile service providers can provide similar speeds. But from a user's standpoint, these quarterly awards tell us that we can expect Digi to hit these numbers.

Here's a speed test we did; nowhere near the maximum speed, but it's fast enough

This 'consistency' refers to how often a network can deliver a minimum level of download/upload speed

Of course, having high-speed mobile Internet is great. What if I had a long elevator ride or ran into an area with poor coverage? In such cases, consistency in network speed is important, especially if there's a video meeting that I can't miss.

According to Ookla, Digi managed to get the highest network consistency throughout 2020. Specifically, the company consistently achieved a minimum download speed of 5 Mbps and upload speed of 1 Mbps for 85.9% of its users in 1H 2020 and 88.6% in 2H 2020. This means that a vast majority of Digi users all had at least that much download and upload speed within that period. It does mean that around 10% of users didn't enjoy that consistency, and these could be those areas with poor coverage.

But in most cases, I probably won't have to worry about being absent for important video meetings or conferences. Of course, I might have to switch to audio-only to ensure the quality of the meeting.

Have to join a video meeting on your phone? No problems!

While enjoying media content on your phone, you don't want to be cut off halfway, right? That's the same for me! And the thing is that sometimes this isn't due to low speed or poor network signal. It can be other reasons, like your mobile service provider having poor latency and data throughput (aka successful data transfers) to the target servers.

After all, the fast Internet speed is pointless if the connection isn't stable. In another recent independent report, it was revealed that Digi did well in most areas. The company managed to score well in video experience, voice app experience, and even multiplayer gaming experience.

For users like us, it means we won't experience videos stuttering, audio cutting off, or games disconnecting us from the server. Of course, in my experience, there are some sites or platforms that you just can't reliably access in Malaysia. But that could be the fault of the site/platform in question.

Overall, I'd say that Digi is an option you can consider, especially if you feel like your current mobile service provider isn't as fast or stable. Of course, other providers in Malaysia may excel in other areas. Personally, fast download speeds and reliable connectivity are my top priorities, which makes Digi a good option if I ever want to switch. How about you?

If you want more details on Digi's prepaid and postpaid plans, do visit the official website. And for more news and articles like this one, please stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Why do business people prefer the Samsung Galaxy Note 9?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 not only takes great photos and offers brand-new S-Pen stylus functionality but it is also one of the most suitable smartphones for business users on the go. Find out the top reasons why business people prefer the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in no specific order below.

Now, with the Galaxy Note 9, Samsung Dex connects easily to nearly any HDMI display with just a cable (HDMI to USB Type C) to turn your Note 9 desktop into a PC and Note 9 into a touchpad. You can even add on a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse and if you have the right adaptor, you can also plug in a power cable so your Note 9 gets charged at the same time.

So you’ve got your presentation slides all done and rehearsed your pitch until it is super smooth, the projector is up and running and your laptop has enough power, but you forgot the darn clicker or even worse, it decides to not work today. Don’t panic or worry, be happy, especially if you have the Galaxy Note 9.

Just download the presentation to your Galaxy Note 9, hook it up to the HDMI projector or HDTV (see the Dex cable above) and pull out the S-Pen which you can now use as your presentation clicker. Yep, the new S-Pen can now be used as a presentation clicker, so when you press the S-Pen button, it goes to the next slide and you have a range of 30 feet, so you can move about while you’re presenting with no problems.

Never forget the clicker because it can now be the S-Pen

One of the biggest nightmare error message any business user can get at any time is “Out of Storage” or if you’re running multiple apps and everything just hangs. Thankfully, that won’t happen with the Galaxy Note 9 as it currently offers the top-of-the-line 512GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM so you’ll never run out of memory, be it storage or RAM.

On top of that, the Galaxy Note 9 also supports up to 512GB microSD so you can expand this 512GB memory as you need it. Apps and high resolution content are growing ever larger with 4K videos and 1GB (and above!) sized apps becoming the norm, and there are even larger apps and files coming in the future, so best future-proof yourself now than regret later!

Offering a 4000 mAh battery and intelligent power saving modes, the Galaxy Note 9 is currently the Samsung Galaxy Note with the biggest battery yet. Even during our battery testing and review, the Galaxy Note 9 delivered optimum performance for a full 12 hour work day with a bit more to spare so if you need to, you can ditch your laptop but still be work ready at any time.

Despite having a big battery, charging time on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is very fast. Provided you have the compact charger and supplied cable with you (or you can use the wireless charger), you can easily get 100% from completely zero in just 1 hour 44 minutes. So even if you only managed to get 2 hours of sleep last night, your Galaxy Note 9 will be ready for whatever the work day has in store for you.

Sometimes, to do one thing, you have to have 2 or more apps open, like writing an article based off a youtube video, or making an event in the Calendar from the email. For a Multi-window like that, you can choose to put the Galaxy Note 9 in Split Screen for 2 apps, or open up an app in a pop-up window.

Further expanding these multi-tasking features is Dual Messenger, which allows you to have 2 different social media accounts on your Galaxy Note 9 at one time. While this could be just your way of separating business and personal life, you can just as easily have 2 different WhatsApp accounts for different businesses and so forth, allowing you to multi-task better and easier.

These days, it isn’t enough to have just pattern, pin and password security, biometrics security ensures that your password comes from your own body so you’ll never lose it or have to even remember it. Instead of just the usual fingerprint scanner, the Galaxy Note 9 also has an Iris Scanner and Face Unlock, all designed to provide fast yet secure unlocking of your smartphone.

In addition, there’s also Intelligent Scan which offers a dual level of biometric security using both the Face Unlock and the Iris Scanner, a security feature that not all supposedly secure smartphones can offer.

All the biometric security in a smartphone yet

This time around you may not be able to see Samsung Knox security in practice but it is there in the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, ensuring that security is maintained throughout. The more obvious features are Secure Folders which makes your files and folders only accessible after you enter the password. There’s also Samsung Pass which lets you unlock your apps using the biometric security features above, so no more passcodes to remember for non-system apps either.

On top of all these, the Galaxy Note 9 also comes with a built-in anti-malware scanner which you can find under Device Security. Powered by McAfee, the updates are free and are downloaded automatically to keep your Galaxy Note 9 protected from all the latest malware and viruses.

Does your phone have a built-in Anti-Malware scanner?

Anyone who has had to oversee the work of others will be the first to say that it is a lot more difficult to do digitally than using just a pen and paper. Sure you can take a screenshot, but circling it and then pointing it out with just your fingers isn’t the easiest of tasks. The Samsung S-Pen stylus makes this whole process a lot more efficient and precise with more control.

While you can do this sort of reviewing or commenting straight from your app (like WhatsApp), the screenshot features on the Galaxy Note 9 also lets you capture a long image or draw directly onto the image, which you can then share to whatever app you want. As usual, you can activate this by either pressing the power and lower volume buttons together or swiping your palm across the screen.

Definitely more precise with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 S-Pen

Now, most mobile road warriors don’t usually go swimming or take showers with their phones, but accidents do happen. So when you accidentally spill hot coffee or soy sauce on your Galaxy Note 9 it's great that you can just wash it off thanks to the IP68 water and dust resistance.

Bathroom and poolside accidents also happen a lot too and while we’re not pointing fingers from where you get your best ideas, at least you won’t panic if your Galaxy Note 9 drops into a body of water. Or other liquid. Just wash it clean and dry it out and your Galaxy Note 9 will take a licking and keep on ticking.

Accidents happen, so it's always good to be prepared

So these are all our reasons for business users and mobile road warriors to get the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Did we miss any? Feel free to add on your contribution in our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for all the latest tech news and tips.


Why does the Mi 10T series have an LCD panel and not OLED? A Xiaomi executive explains

The recently launched Mi 10T series from Xiaomi has been well-received so far. It's a powerful flagship series with good specs and features, but as always nothing is perfect. The company decided to go with an LCD panel instead of something high-end like AMOLED for its display, which some users have been questioning about.

According to Gizmochina (via TechRadar), a Xiaomi product marketing manager said that it was because a top-class LCD panel was the better choice compared to an AMOLED panel that isn't top-tier. He also claimed that some people could experience heavy eye strain when looking at an AMOLED display. Another claim he made was that 60% of users prefer displays with flat edges, instead of curved ones.

144Hz is great, but an LCD doesn't have high contrast and brightness

For your information, the Xiaomi Mi 10T series comes in two models with a third on the way. Using our phone comparison tool, you can see that the main differences between the two current models are the storage capacity and main camera resolution. But one thing you will immediately notice is that it's quite affordable for a flagship. So to be honest, we think the decision to use LCD could just be motivated by cost reduction.

Of course, that's just our guess but what do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


Why is now a great time to get yourself a Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series now

Now, more than ever, it is important that we look after our mental and physical health. You may be finding some ways to keep your health in check, but what should you get? A treadmill? A set of gym equipment? What about a more convenient and powerful device? A smartwatch like the new Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series.

The latest Galaxy Watch4 series comes equipped with new upgrades such as having a bigger memory, a new Wear OS powered by Samsung and much more. If you have been thinking of getting one and would like an opinion about the smartwatch, you have come to the right place. Here's why this is a great time to get yourself a smartwatch from the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series now.

BIA technology for Body Composition reading

At its core, all the smartwatches like the Galaxy Watch4 series are designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Its predecessor does the same thing, but the Galaxy Watch4 series has a brand new BioActive Sensor that delivers advanced health tracking. How advance are we talking about? Get this - it can now measure your body composition, including your body fat percentage, skeletal muscle, and body water! Also, wearing your Galaxy Watch4 while you sleep and when paired with a compatible smartphone, it is able to detect the sounds of your snores! Not forgetting, the Galaxy Watch4 devices are also able to measure your blood oxygen level during your sleep!

With BioActive Sensor at your wrist, you will get a more holistic picture of your health and decide how to better live a healthier lifestyle. You can choose a wide range of fitness routines and over 90 workout modes to track your progress accurately. If you also happen to have a Samsung Smart TV at home, you could even do more. By pairing your watch with the TV, you can select training programmes and monitor your heart rate and calories burned in real-time on the screen.

Manage your sleep schedule with the Galaxy Watch4 series sleep management feature

Of course, it's also important to get sufficient good sleep after a day's work so Samsung has built-in advanced sleep monitoring. As aforementioned, you can check out your Sleep Scores alongside a new snoring detector and blood oxygen level tracker that detects and monitors your blood saturation when sleeping. Plus, you can also arrange a group challenge with your friends and family to reach a shared fitness goal just for fun!

In case you missed it, the new Galaxy Watch4 series comes with a new One UI Watch that was introduced back at the end of June. One UI is an ecosystem based on the new Wear OS Powered by Samsung, in collaboration with Google which allows you to install selected apps automatically on the Samsung smartwatch if the smartphone has the same app. Meaning, not only will you get to enjoy the pre-existing Samsung apps like Samsung Pay and SmartThings but also have access to Google services!

Clean and minimalistic interface and design

In other words, any other app or settings on your phone should appear on the Galaxy Watch4 series too. This includes Strava, Adidas Running, Calm, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Google Maps! That being said, you can also seamlessly auto-sync the settings and apps between your smartphone and smartwatch. Another device you can easily connect to is the new Galaxy Buds2.

One UI Watch makes sure that you can navigate through the smartwatch without much trouble. Thanks to the simple interface, you can get incoming notifications efficiently. You may also play around with the features and settings that offer a wide range of easy-to-use controls, such as Bixby and Gesture Controls via the smartwatch's rotating bezel for Watch4 Classic, and touch bezel for Watch4 bezel.

A wide variety of bands and straps to choose from!

Last but not least, Samsung didn't compromise the design from all the aforementioned features. There are two Galaxy Watch4 variants to suit your lifestyle - if you want a modern and minimalist look, you should choose the Galaxy Watch4 whereas the Galaxy Watch4 Classic offers a more premium style with the rotating bezel.

As always, you can switch out the straps or bands and go for the more eye-catching Hybrid Leather Band or Sport Band. From high-quality material to sweat-resistant straps, Samsung has a wide variety of them that fits everyone’s needs. Let's also not forget that you can customise your watch face to fit your personality!

Before we end, we thought you should know some more details of the Galaxy Watch4 series. There are two variants for both the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic based on size. The pre-order is ongoing until 21 September 2021, and you'll get a free e-voucher worth up to RM250 by getting either one of them! You can refer to the details below:

So, what do you think of the Galaxy Watch4 series? Are you convinced? If you are, you can head over to the official Samsung Malaysia eStore right over here to get started. Stay healthy and stay tuned for more local tech deals at TechNave.com.


Why is the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV Exynos 5 Octa Version so Rare?

The Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV is an impressive smartphone in either its Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version and its Exynos 5 Octa version. However, recent benchmarks of the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa have revealed that it is a lot more powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version. The question here is, why has Samsung made nearly 70% of its Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV smartphones using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600? Why haven't they used just the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa?

Early analysis and brainstorming pointed towards the fact that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV seemed to indicate that it could be related to its LTE capabilities. Perhaps the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa couldn't handle LTE networks? However, this assumption was soon put to rest when news regarding the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa's LTE capabilities recently came to light. A tweet from the Samsung Mobile Chip department clearly stated that:

"the Exynos 5 Octa supports LTE and all 20 bands".

Like the HTC One before it, it seems that the most likely reason only a few Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV smartphones are actually getting the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor is due to supply problems. Apparently Samsung decided to go for a more affordably way of designing the 28nm fabrication process that churns out the Exynos 5 Octa called gate-first. The current industry standard for 28nm fabrication as done by the rivaling Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is Gate-last which is harder to transition (and more expensive). However, the Gate-first process has been known to have yield problems which can be made worse the more complex the chip is. With 8 cores to contend with, the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa is probably one of the most complex chips around so the likelihood of these Gate-first yield problems happening were very high. The end result remains the same though, there just aren't enough Samsung Exynos 5 Octa chips to cover the demand.

Samsung themselves probably did not foresee the sheer amount of demand for the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV which is why the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa is in such short supply. However, those buyers receiving the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 powered Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV smartphone can still rest assured of a processor that can run rings around most of its other smartphone competitors. Samsung needs to consolidate its fabrication process and foundries for now, so later versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV will probably be more readily available but we foresee that there might be a slight price increase for such smartphone versions as Samsung makes the transition to the more expensive Gate-last fabrication process.


Why is the new Xpax better than the other prepaid plans?

In case you still haven't heard, a new Xpax Prepaid Plan has been around now for quite some time since December 2016, and probably the best part of the new plan is that there is no Internet split for weekdays and weekend, nor any split for music or video only. Sounds great right? Well, if you're still contemplating on the best-prepaid plan, allow us to lay it out for you for comparison.

As you can see, Xpax's plan is easy and simple to understand with no terms and conditions at all. Xpax gives you 10GB high speed FB and 10GB Basic Internet with no limitation, as compared, Plan HL only provides 8GB Hi-Speed Internet which is only available for the weekend and on 4G network only. In terms of total GB, Xpax definitely has better price value compared to Plan DL and HL at only 8.8GB, and Plan UM in the last place at 3.2GB.

To add on to that, customers can have more freedom with Xpax's Weekly and Monthly plans; as they offer the best value Weekly Internet Plan @ RM10 for 2GB, and Monthly Internet Plan @ RM30 for 10GB. Once again, the chart above speaks for itself; not only does it show Xpax's weekly and monthly plan as offering more data than others, but also no limitations, no weekend-only split, and no data reserved for video and music only.

Even the simplest Add-Ons with just 2 price points and 2 validity are tailored according to your needs and Value for Money, while other telcos only offer Internet and Calls Add-ons.

That being said, those that still like the Internet Burung Hantu plan can still enjoy it with their old sim packs; for Add On Internet Burung Hantu is now known as Late Night Internet. With this huge varieties of add-ons, customers can have unlimited calls for just RM1 daily or just RM7 weekly; as well as surfing YouTube for just RM1 daily with 1GB or just RM7 weekly for 10GB.

So there you have it, no limitations, free to use anywhere, anytime with the new Xpax Prepaid plan! The new Xpax pack is available across all convenience store and Bluecube outlet across Malaysia. If you are still on the old Xpax plan and wish to migrate to the new Xpax plan, just type MIG XPAX and send to 28882. For more information, kindly visit their website to check it out!


Why is your WiFi so slow? Here's how to check if you have a proper WiFi router setup

A few months ago, we did an article about being able to tell the difference between Mbps and MBps. We hope that it has given you some knowledge on how to leverage it, especially in these trying times. But if you are still experiencing bad WiFi connection in your office or especially at home - calm down and don't throw your WiFi router to the wall, you can fix this.

There are a few factors on what can affect the Internet network speed. There's the hardware, who's hogging the download data, and even the placement of your router. Without beating around the bush too much, here are some tips on how to check if you have properly set up your WiFi router.

First, we have to understand the structure of the router. It basically features four main structures:

So why do you have to know these structures? Well, that's because the router's interface rate is critical if you want the best Internet speed. The WAN (Wide Area Network) port is the network input port and from there into the router, it becomes part of the WiFi connectivity as well as to the LAN (Local Area Network) port which affects the maximum network speed. In simpler terms, if your house is using a network speed of 1Gbps (or 1000Mbps), the WAN port will then support around 100Mbps, same goes to the WiFi and LAN being limited to that.

Similarly, if the WAN port is a gigabit port (1000M), and the LAN port is a 100M port (100M), it would still be 100 megabits if you use the network cable to connect to a computer, smart TV and other devices that require an Internet connection. So to achieve the best network speed possible, it's best to choose a router that supports more than 1000Mbps and always remember to check the product details on the WAN and LAN port that can support gigabit broadband.

It's best to have the latest router that supports gigabit WAN and LAN ports

They sort of look like futuristic crowns of thorns

We are quite sure that you have come across some "spikey" WiFi routers online, especially the ones that promote gaming. ASUS is particularly known for manufacturing this but this begs the question - does having more router antennas mean we would have a better WiFi experience?

Well, yes and no. This is because increasing the number of antennas is only intended to strengthen the signal channel. If the router is transmitting the signal strength of 20dBm, the power transmission does not necessarily become better as it's meant to stabilize the connection. So say if you have someone downloading a massive game online during the daytime, you won't lose the connection - you'll just get a slower surfing experience.

You would also often see these two figures in your network settings, but keep in mind that 5GHz does not mean 5G as it's a completely different thing. But what is the difference between the two?

The 2.4GHz WiFi is definitely relatively slower than 5GHz but let's not be quick to put it down to just that. That may be the case, but the signal going through walls is strong and its transmission distance is quite far. This is usually the most-used channel for everyone as it offers a better and wider WiFi experience. In other words, 2.4Ghz has a slower speed but longer-range whereas 5GHz is the opposite of that. 5GHz has a higher transmission rate, stronger anti-jamming ability, better stability, low latency, but is not strong enough to go through walls.

Since 5GHz does not have good longe ranged WiFi connectivity, positioning your WiFi router is important as well. It's always best to place your WiFi router at a central spot in your home or office so that the whole area can receive the signal and not lose any connection. It's also best if the area is a living room or anything that doesn't have many blockages (like walls, duh).

If you have already placed your WiFi router at the most central place possible and the connection is still lousy, then this is where getting a WiFi booster (or extender/repeater) comes in. There's not much difference between the three as they do the same thing which is amplifying the WiFi network's coverage, but be sure to consult with your local seller because some WiFi boosters may have different specialities or work better with routers of the same brand. Some have twin extenders, some are wall-plug types and others.

So with these tips, it should be more than enough to improve your WiFi network speed experience. It's also worth mentioning that you shouldn't use your old routers anymore as the majority of them cannot support gigabit-rated broadbands. Do you have any other tips that we missed out? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more at TechNave.com and stay safe.


Why the Samsung Galaxy A02 & A02s are the most affordable phones now with Digi Prihatin 35 Prepaid Bundle

In Malaysia, most consumers want to get the best out of the products that they have purchased. This is true even for tech gadget enthusiasts, especially with the current global situation. Digital devices are so important now, as they help us stay connected. But what if someone just wants something affordable, reliable, and easy to use?

This is where the Samsung Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s come in with the special Digi Prihatin 35 Prepaid Bundle subscription, which offers a rebate of RM300 where subscribers can bring home the latter at only RM95, whereas the former can be theirs absolutely free of charge. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, read on below to find out more about the features of the two phones and the Digi plan.

For starters, both the Samsung Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s have a large display size of 6.5-inches. The Infinity-V display houses the same 5MP front camera under the notch on top and provides HD+ (720 x 1600 pixels) resolution so you can enjoy it with any media content.

Do you know what else is big? The battery pack! But why am I mentioning this? Well, it's because the 5000mAh battery onboard (for both) can last almost an entire day. You'll get to enjoy all the online activity you want, including social media, media entertainment or casual mobile gaming on the Samsung Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s' display.

In terms of performance, both the Samsung Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s feature a MediaTek MT6739W and Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset, respectively. As they are budget-friendly phones, don't expect them to deliver amazing performances and the capability to run graphics intense mobile games. However, they are enough for your daily needs.

By the way, the two devices come with different memory configurations. The Galaxy A02 sports a 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM configuration, with an expandable memory of up to 1TB via a microSD card. On the other hand, the Galaxy A02s provides a slight upgrade at 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM. The storage can also be expanded by 1TB via the microSD slot.

Finally, let's talk about that promotion we mentioned earlier. With the ongoing MCO (until 14 June 2021), Samsung Malaysia is working with Digi to offer the Samsung Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s through this special subscription plan. All you have to do is pay an upfront fee of RM100 to get the Galaxy A02 for free. You can also top-up RM95 and get the Galaxy A02s.

This prepaid plan has a monthly payment of RM35 without any contract commitment. With it, you can enjoy 30GB of Internet data per month, unlimited calls, and 2GB of extra data daily for one hour for up to a year.

For your information, the Samsung Galaxy A02 and Galaxy A02s + Digi Prihatin 35 Prepaid Bundle subscription plan will end on 31 July 2021. So if this is the kind of smartphone and prepaid plan you've been looking for, you ought to sign up for it now! For more information, you may visit the official links below:

That's it, folks. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay tuned for more local trending tech gadget deals at TechNave.com.


Why the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G & Galaxy Watch4 are great for outdoor activities

Recently, our TechNave Chinese team collaborated with Samsung Malaysia to host a  Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G: Lover's Mountain Hiking Love Diary fan event. We invited five couples to try not just the phone but also the Galaxy Watch4 smartwatch! So how did the devices perform during the outing? Read on below!

Nowadays, consumers generally want high-quality performance, especially in battery endurance. In the Galaxy S21 FE 5G's, you get the Exynos 2100 chipset, a lightweight body, and a 4500mAh battery. According to one of the couples, the phone lasted had 50% remaining even after a long hike while taking photos.

As a reminder, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G supports 25W fast charging. It's capable of restoring more than 50% of the battery within 30 minutes. So if you have forgotten to charge the phone last night, a quick 30-minute fast charging session while preparing yourself in the morning can be a lifesaver.

Took many photos the whole morning, yet the battery is still running strong

That's not all, as our hiking event was met with an unexpected guest - rain. Our writer who was there said it was raining cats and dogs. Luckily, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G features IP68 water and dust resistance rating, protecting it from the heavy downpour that morning. It's also worth mentioning that the phone uses the latest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to resist scratches, perfect for outdoor activities such as this.

The Galaxy Watch4 is Samsung's first wearable to use WearOS operating system. Compatible with a wide array of Galaxy devices, it gives users access to their favourite apps on the watch. It also allows users to view and control the settings of the Galaxy Buds2. The Galaxy Watch4 is also Samsung's first wearable that lets you measure your body composition. This includes data like body fat percentage, skeletal muscle, body water, and other data that could be monitored during our hike that day.

Smartwatches can be fashionable as well. With the Galaxy Watch4, you can personalise it with different straps for work, lifestyle, exercise, and other scenarios. Of course, the bands can also endure the rain and can be used when swimming (up to 50 metres). The smartwatch's aluminium body is also quite resistant to scratches.

Hiking up the mountain was great, and despite the strong wind and rain, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G and Galaxy Watch4 survived. But what do you think of this combination? If it's what you're looking for, wait no more and don't miss out on the current promotion!

If you want to read about our outdoor experience, you can visit this link to learn more. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Why the Samsung Jet 60 turbo can be your best cleaning companion for Christmas

You know the rules - November magically becomes a Christmas season right after Halloween. With the upcoming holidays, you could be getting your house or condo ready for when your close friends and family can finally travel back home. And we don't mean to jinx it, but what if your vacuum happens to be damaged right now?

11.11 may be over, but it doesn't mean that vacuums aren't on sale anymore. For one, Samsung still has a discount for the Samsung Jet series, so if you want to find out what's good about it, you're in the right place! Read on to learn why the Samsung Jet 60 turbo can be your best cleaning companion for Christmas!

The aerodynamic design of the air system optimises airflow, while a multi-cyclonic air filter traps fine dust particles

First off, a vacuum that can really 'suck' needs a strong suction power, or it would be quite useless. The Jet 60 turbo features a Digital Inverter Motor inside that can generate suction power of up to 150W and a strong input power of up to 410W. So not only is this a high level of energy but also a powerful suction that allows you to clean both carpets and hard floors effectively.

Having a powerful suction is one thing, but sometimes the air released can be...stuffy. Not to worry, the Samsung Jet 60 turbo can clean air with a Multi-layered Filtration System that traps up to 99.999% of dust and reduces allergens.

This is all thanks to the JET Cyclone that's located below the Digital Inverter Motor. The Main Cyclone and metal mesh grille filter inside can pick up a large number of dust particles. Fine dust will then be caught by the microfilter, while the fine dust filter traps micro dust.

While there's nothing wrong with getting regular and cheap vacuum cleaners, they usually can't clean carpets and hard floors that well. But the Samsung Jet 60 turbo's Jet Fit Brush can easily do the job. Moreover, it's flexible with its 180-degree swivel head, allowing you to easily change directions and clean corners effortlessly. You can also detach the brush and remove the dirt quickly.

You may switch this Jet Fit Brush with an extension crevice or a shorter combination tool

The battery is detachable, and you can charge it anywhere

When it comes to charging vacuum cleaners, you usually have to store them in one spot. However, the Samsung Jet 60 turbo can be stowed away with the 2-in-1 Charging Station. What this means is that if you want to save some space, you can mount it on a wall or use it as a stand-alone charger by removing the battery and charging it anywhere you want. This is compatible with any home, so it makes it super easy, barely an inconvenience.

In terms of battery life, the Samsung Jet 60 turbo can function for up to 40 minutes. According to Samsung, this vacuum will retain 70% of its original performance for 500 cycles. And when the battery is no longer at its peak, it's easily removable and replaceable with a new battery!

You can buy a new battery pack to replace the old one

While the JET Cyclone filters may collect a ton of dust particles, you still need to remove them. Well, this multi-cyclone system and the entire 0.8L dustbin are fully washable. Samsung also ensured that you don't need to dismantle the pipe from the body, so you can simply tip out the dust, and you're pretty much done!

Finally, in relation to cleaning the bin - you can also enjoy another convenient way of emptying it. Called the Clean Station™, this accessory lets you place the detachable dustbin in it and can then suck out the dust automatically. Compared to the conventional method of throwing the dust, the Clean Station™ will prevent fine dust particles from scattering in the air via the Anti-Dust Emitting Structure.

Currently, there's an online promo sale with a price of RM1349 (RRP RM1399). But if you want a more advanced edition, there's also the Jet 70 with an extra Digital Display function and with Soft Action Brush for RM1649 (RRP RM1699). So what do you think? If macam yes, then what are you waiting for?

If this is the vacuum you've been looking for, you can visit the official page on the Samsung Online Store. You can get one now and clean up your home for Christmas before your loved ones come back home!


Apple iPhone 11 series pre-order now available on Shopee with RM150 Shopee Coins Cashback & a Remax Wireless Charger gift

As most Malaysian Apple fans know, the iPhone 11 series are making their way to our shores on 27 September 2019. Many distributors are preparing for that and Shopee is one of them, which has already put up the pre-order sale starting today until the launching date.

According to the pre-order page, all the memory and colour variants of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max will be available with the same price tag starting from RM3399 (see the full price list here). On top of that, pre-ordering on Shopee's page will grant the customer a RM150 Shopee Coins cashback (voucher code - IP11COIN) upon checkout. The first 50 buyers will also receive a Remax Wireless Charger worth RM100.

For the kiasu customers, you will be able to collect your latest iPhone 11 series at Shopee Malaysia's HQ in Southpoint Tower, Mid Valley, during the launch date in between 12 AM and 2 AM. If you can still chill and lay back, you can also opt to have it delivered to your homes or offices.

Just so you know, we aren't scamming you because we don't release #fakenews. All iPhone 11 devices sold on Shopee is guaranteed to be 100% original Apple Malaysia products; with standard warranty applied. The pre-order page can be found right here.


Why video recording with 4K resolution is not that useful on your phone

With a barrage of phones releasing this year amidst the pandemic, we are starting to see a trend of smartphone brands integrating 4K resolution (3840 × 2160 pixels) video recording on entry-level and mid-range phones. A special feature that used to be exclusive to flagships, you can now see 4K video recording on devices like the Redmi Note 9S, realme 6, and the Samsung Galaxy M31. Having this feature on a budget device is pretty cool, but this begs the question - do you actually use it?

4K recording is a useful feature for professional videographers or vloggers for their projects, but let's be honest - most casual users aren't going to jump over the moon for this. In fact, 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) is more than enough for the majority. Allow us to tell you why video recording with 4K resolution is not that useful on your phone.

The difference between a 108MP (left) and 12MP (right) image, you can decide for yourself

To a casual user, it's easy to assume 4K footages are better and more beautiful than 1080p ones. However this is not the case, a higher resolution only means more pixels count in the video (duh) and its quality depends on the camera sensors used on the phone.

Phones typically use either a Sony IMX or other branded sensors and each has its own grade. So if you're using a low-grade sensor to record a 4K video, it's likely that the video won't look as good and the same applies for 1080p video mode. If your phone is either an entry-level or mid-range, don't expect amazing 4K video footages.

As we've mentioned, 4K has a higher pixel count than 1080p, which also means it will take up much space in your smartphone. If your phone supports a microSD card, that's great! But nowadays, new models are slowing leaving out that option so good luck with that.

To give you a better understanding, you can refer to the table above. What you're seeing is a comparison from Apple on how much space videos would take. Most affordable phones that have 4K video recording set the limit at 30FPS, so if you have video footages totalling up to 1-hour in your phone, that's already taking up 10.2GB (more or less). Not to mention that pre-installed apps already take around 10% of storage space on your phone. Also, don't forget those budget devices tend to skip high-grade camera sensors.

Another factor to consider is that many budget devices have display panels that are IPS-grade at best. If you play a 4K video on an IPS display that supports 1080p only, your 4K video will get scaled-down to...1080p. To give you another example, if your laptop screen does not support 4K, 4K videos aren't going to show their true colours for you.

This phone can record up to 4K resolution but cannot play a 4K video lol

Going off topic a bit, this applies to TVs as well. I'm sure most of you have seen 4K televisions around in malls but if you think about it, most households don't own a 4K TV yet as it is still relatively young in the industry (the first 4K TV debuted in 2013). Also, most videos, TV shows, and movies look a bit weird in 4K resolution if you know what I mean.

We already mention that a 4K video takes up a lot of space and pixels. So let's say that you have successfully recorded one and you want to edit it into a short clip, but is your phone capable of doing so?

Editing on a PC is much easier, honestly

If you want to edit 4K videos, make sure you have a smartphone or computer capable of handling those high-quality media files. This is because 4K video edits are resource-intensive and may give your phone's chipset a sucker-punch. It goes without saying - if your gadget doesn't have high specifications, you are very likely to experience lag while editing and video rendering may not complete due to the lack of hardware capability. Trust me, I've tried.

On paper, 4K video footages are a nice thing to have thanks to the high amount of pixels. But it's also very useful for professional videographers and video editors because it gives them more flexibility in post-production. For example, they can crop the video without losing too much quality, stabilise the video if needed, add more colour grading details, and more.

While professional videographers always record videos in 4K resolution, some videographers still export their final video clip in 1080p after it is edited thoroughly. Wait, so what's the point of having 4K video mode then? Well, the purpose of 4K recording is more about giving flexibility in the editing process.

There's more to than just using a phone to make a nice video clip

On the other hand, casual users normally record videos for fun and to post on their social media accounts. 4K video recordings may not be all that beneficial for this kind of activity and 1080p video mode does the job well enough. Also, let's not forget that most casual social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and other similar apps do downscale the resolution below 2K (2560 x 1440 pixels). Moreover, WhatsApp and other social chat apps have placed a limit on video sizes.

So, these are the 5 reasons why we recommend recording a video with 1080p instead of 4K on your phone. Of course, the technology advancement on phones is exponentially faster so we think the issues above can be resolved after another two or three years. But for now, 1080p resolution benefits casual users more than 4K.

If you're a serious videographer or editor, we aren't going to stop you. But what do you think? Do you agree with us? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more tech articles like this at TechNave.com.


Why you should get an M-Pen for the Huawei Mate 20 X

When it comes to a stylus, one of the first few things that come to a person's mind is probably the S-Pen from the Samsung Galaxy Note series, or perhaps the Apple iPad Pro's Pencil which you can stick on the tablet magnetically. The market for stylus users is quite a niche one, but it's not stopping Huawei from doing their own M-Pen, which is available now in Malaysia as a separate accessory for the Mate 20 X and the MediaPad M5 series which can be of great use.

Getting the M-Pen for a tablet makes sense, but why would you get one for the Mate 20 X? Isn't it for gaming? Well, it turns out that the M-Pen is a lot more useful than we thought. So read below if you want to know what we found out!

Starting with the basics, the M-Pen is a pretty nice tool to carry around to quickly jot down notes with the phone or the tablet. There is one particular trick that we discovered using the M-Pen, which is you can press and hold the smart key button on the M-Pen and draw a horizontal line in the middle of the device. That will automatically do the split screen mode and from there, you can do two things at one time like chatting and doing work.

Besides that, you can also use the M-Pen to draw the things you want, then also press and hold the smart key to take a screenshot and forward it to your friends. That's a pretty efficient way of getting your work done conveniently.

Of course, you can also use the M-Pen to do some post editing on your photos as well. Say if you have just taken a photo with the Mate 20 X (which by the way, also uses the same LEICA triple camera configuration of the Mate 20 Pro), using the M-Pen to do some touch ups is surprisingly quite precise and well done.

This goes the same for the digital artists who want to draw something on the go and since the Mate 20 X's display is 7.21-inches, the huge screen panel is more than enough for anyone to draw something on it. It's worth mentioning that the M-Pen includes a pressure sensor of 4096 levels which is not that far off from a real brush. So if you want to draw thick or wavy lines, nothing is too hard for the M-Pen.

If you think about it, the M-Pen looks like a pretty tough pencil upfront lol

The M-Pen and the MediaPad m5 go hand in hand together pretty well. But using the M-Pen on the Mate 20 X felt like a different experience because most customers would see the phablet as a gaming device (as it was marketed so). So with the M-Pen, this makes the Mate 20 X like a great all-rounder device for work, drawing, play and photography altogether.

Just so you know, the M-Pen is pretty big so it's recommended that you get a special casing for the Mate 20 X to clip the stylus together. The phablet is now available for RM3199 and you can check it out at your nearest Huawei experience store or the online store right here. Stay tuned for more tech articles at TechNave.com.


Wi-Fi 6 as well as Bluetooth 5.1 could be supported by the Sony PlayStation 5

Based on a statement by tecnoblog.com, it seems that the Sony PlayStation 5 will support Wi-Fi 6 as well as Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, which not only allows for a much faster download speed over Wi-Fi but also much better stability. To those who are not familiar with Wi-Fi 6, it allows the transfer of data up to 32 times faster compared to Wi-Fi 4 that’s supported by the Sony PlayStation 4.

However, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Sony has yet to provide an official statement on the leak. Not only that, but there’s also no news on the Malaysia release date and local pricing for now.

Would you be interested in getting the Sony PlayStation 5 as soon as it is available for purchase in the local market? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Wi-Fi 6 lets you achieve download speeds of up to 1.5Gbps

The new Wi-Fi 6 standard has recently been unveiled which is not only backwards compatible with previous Wi-Fi standards, but it is also able to achieve up to 1.5Gbps based on a test conducted by CNET. To put it into perspective, CNET managed to download all 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in 4k resolution in less than 2 hours and 20 minutes.

With all that said, do note that just because your router is Wi-Fi 6 certified doesn’t mean you will be able to achieve download speeds of 1.5Gbps. This is due to the fact that your download speed depends on your internet service provider, and whether your hardware is able to support that kind of speeds.

With all that said, how would you feel if all your device supports Wi-Fi 6? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Wi-Fi 7 with speeds up to 30Gbps is currently in development

Based on a statement by cnet.com, the development of the new Wi-Fi 7 standard is currently underway which promises up to 30Gbps in speeds over Wi-Fi connection. Not only will it be significantly faster compared to today’s standards, but it will also be broadcasted over 6GHz frequency which was first introduced in Wi-Fi 6.

The benefit of the 6GHz frequency is that not only is it more stable, but it also has a higher bandwidth which allows for higher download and upload speeds. With all that said, we might not see any Wi-Fi 7 implementation until around the year 2024. What do you think of Wi-Fi 7 so far? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Wi-Fi Alliance certificate hints at possible Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Lite

Just yesterday, rumours of a new Samsung foldable smartphone started surfacing. But it looks like this device could be real. The same device was spotted through an official certification on the Wi-Fi Alliance website, indicating that Samsung is already working on the device.

The Wi-Fi Alliance certificate confirms that a Samsung device bearing the model number SM-F415 exists. In this case, there seem to be two variants of the model - SM-F415F and SM-F415DS. According to GSMArena, this model the second digit with '1' means that this is a second-generation device. If that's the case, this SM-F415 model could very well be 'lite' version of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (model number SM-F916), rather than the Z Flip 5G.

With that in mind, we can make some speculations about the tech specs. Samsung could choose to make it a smaller device with a cheaper display and chipset to bring down the cost. For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 unfolds into a large 7.6-inch screen, but the lite version could be under 7-inch instead.

Of course, we can't confirm what specs and features Samsung will choose to go with to make this supposed affordable foldable. Having said that, do you prefer a lite version of the Z Fold 2 or one for the Z Flip? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for updates.


WiSee Enables Free Motion Control Anywhere through WiFi

While you can control your Samsung Galaxy S4 with a wave of your hand, have you ever wondered if you can do that for your TV or your other household appliances? Well, while Samsung already have a number of SmartTVs which can be controlled like that, WiSee is a new gesture-recognition interface that uses WiFi to control everything in your house from sound systems and lights to temperature. If you've ever played Microsoft's Kinect motion-control games, it seems a lot like it, using a pushing gesture that isn't normally used in everyday life to activate the system and followed by a different gesture to indicate what you want the system to do. Since the WiSee system uses standard WiFi it shouldn't take too much to fully automate your home using the system. The WiSee team tested the system in both an office and a two bedroom apartment with a 94% accuracy using nine different gestures. It proves that the WiFi signals can pick up gestures through walls (which should make installation easier) and that you don't need to clap to turn off the lights anymore. Check out the interesting full demo video below:


WiZ Mobile Portable Light Unboxing! What's so special about this light?

If you're currently looking for a portable illuminating lamp to light up your indoor spaces or bedrooms, here's one to add into your buying list. The WiZ Mobile Portable Light. It is light and convenient to be carried around and also having fun animated feature which can go up to 16 millions colors. It is also a Wi-Fi enabled light so you can control it via your smartphone through the WiZ App.its 7.6-inches tall and 4.6-inches in diameter, and about 0.6kg only. Its super light and mobile to carry around. It can go up to 400 lumens which is pretty nice to light up the room with a warm temperature from 2,200K to 6,500K. Also it can glow up to 16 million different colors with a two-zones design. With the price of RM399, is it worth the buy? Check out the features in the video below.Stay tuned for more unboxing and reviews on our Facebook and Youtube channel! Be sure to subscribe!