TechNave.com Christmas Gift Guide 2019

Christmas is just around the corner and there may be a whole bunch of things you want to get, but if you’re looking for a tech gift in particular, you may not even know where to start as 2019 has been chock full of new tech gadgets and product releases. For that reason, we’ve compiled a list of Christmas tech gifts you can get for each of your precious friends and family (many of them are on our lists too!)

We've also segregated them according to the type of friend or family these Christmas tech gifts would be best suited for. This includes your most precious to the entire family and even gamers to workaholics. So, in no particular order, here is TechNave.com’s Christmas Gift Guide 2019.

Here's the quick list and links if you know what you're looking for and want to just jump straight to it:

The Apple of your eye should get the most exquisite Apple you can get yet, which in our opinion would be the Apple iPhone 11 Pro. Featuring their fastest A13 Bionic chipset yet, it is the first iPhone with a triple rear camera consisting of a 12MP (f/1.8, OIS) + 12MP (f/2.4) + 12MP (f/2.0, OIS) so your dearest can take all the beautiful photos she or he wants without having to do much at all. Just point and shoot, even at night, for all the Christmas memories, especially a romantic candle-lit Christmas dinner.

Coming in from RM4899 for the 64GB storage version, we’d highly recommend that you get at least the 256GB storage version for a bit more at RM5599 as the chances of running out of memory are lower that way. The Midnight Green colour in particular gives it a premium look and stands out from the currently standard Gold, Silver or Space Grey, so your significant other’s phone will be as premium as they are.

The Apple iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

While we think that the 5.8-inch display is more than enough, if your partner likes to watch their movies from their phone, then perhaps you can add on a bit more from RM5299 for the 6.5-inch display on the iPhone 11 Pro Max. This may seem a bit hefty price-wise but your partner is definitely well worth it. However, if you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, you can get both the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max from as low as RM96 per month on Celcom. We've also compared the prices from other various Malaysian telcos such as Digi, Maxis or U Mobile as well.

Everyone in the family already knows how creative your resident designer sibling or relative is but for these creative content creators, the ideal Christmas gift would be a machine that lets them show off their creativity even further. For that, we’d recommend laptops like the ASUS ZenBook Duo and the Acer ConceptD 3.

The ASUS ZenBook Duo offers an extra touchscreen built into the keyboard

One of the first of its kind, the ASUS ZenBook Duo features a 12.6-inch ScreenPad Plus touchscreen built-into the keyboard which not only lets you write and draw but also acts as a secondary display to put your video timeline and other screens. Available from RM4699 with up to Intel Core i9 processors and RTX2060 graphics, you can also go a step higher with the more powerful ZenBook Duo Pro but the price is also higher from RM12999.

If your sibling or creative relative doesn’t need or want the ScreenPad Plus, but instead wants the power of an industrial-level machine in the form of a laptop then the Acer ConceptD 3 Pro is one of the more affordable options from just RM5999. Featuring an NVIDIA Quadro T1000 graphics, up to Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD, the ConceptD 3 Pro is perfect rendering content like 3D animation, 4K videos and so forth. For those not in the know, most NVIDIA Quadro machines tend to be more than RM10000, but there’s also the Acer ConceptD 5 Pro and more.

The Acer Concept D 3 offers industrial-level hardware in a portable laptop

It’s not that they don’t want to join the party, but your gamer friends and family are partying bigtime online, getting the highest scores and beating everyone else. For these gamers that you still love and adore, the perfect Christmas gifts that we can think of would be the ASUS ROG Phone 2, Nintendo Switch Lite and MSI GS75.

Taking over from the ASUS ROG Phone, the previous best gaming smartphone around, the ASUS ROG Phone 2 not only offers a faster, more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipset, but also a longer lasting and larger 6000 mAh battery along with a 120Hz refresh rate and 250Hz touch sensor display. You can check our review for more details but it is available from RM3499 which might be a bit pricey, however this is actually quite affordable compared to some other gaming smartphones out there.

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 not only offers the best hardware but also the best gaming peripherals

Looking for a more portable Nintendo Switch? Here's the Nintendo Switch Lite!

If your gamer isn’t that much into Android mobile gaming, then perhaps the Nintendo Switch Lite is more their thing. Capable of playing nearly all the same games as the original (and still more expensive) Nintendo Switch, the Switch Lite comes in colourful blue-green, grey and Yellow, non-removable Joycons and doesn’t connect to a TV. In short, it’s the mobile console you’d love to bring around for just RM949.

For the really hardcore PC gamer, there's the MSI GS75 Stealth in premium black and gold with a 17-inch 144Hz 3ms response time display, up to 3 super fast SSDs and up to NVIDIA RTX 2080 Max-Q discrete graphics for blazing fast performance in an 18.9mm super slim form factor. It also weighs in at just 2.28kg so your PC gamer can go as mobile as he or she wants to. Available from RM9999, it currently has a Christmas promo with RM899 worth of freebies until 31 December 2019.

The Huawei P30 Pro is the photographer's cameraphone

We all know that uncle, auntie or other relative who loves to take photos and selfies but for these mobile photographers, we’d recommend the Huawei Mate 30 Pro or Huawei P30 Pro and the vivo V17 Pro for the selfie lover. With these new tech gifts, they’d be sure to get even better Christmas shots and beyond than before.

Certified by camera-centric site DxOMark and ranked as #1 and #3 respectively, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and Huawei P30 Pro not only innovate but offer 2 very different mobile photography cameraphone experiences. While the earlier released P30 Pro offers a jaw-dropping up to 50x zoom for all the wildlife photographers, the Mate 30 Pro is the world’s first cameraphone to include a 40MP Cine camera (the type used in those bulky TV video cameras) that can take 7680 fps ultra slow motion videos.

The Mate 30 Pro also takes great photos with its 40MP + 40MP + 8MP + 3D ToF quad rear cameras, but it is better suited for videography. Available for RM3899 the Mate 30 Pro offers the best in photography and videography today, but the P30 Pro is a bit more affordable at RM3399 and still offers both awesome mobile photography and videography as well.

For the selfie lovers or those who just can’t stop taking pictures of themselves, we’d recommend the vivo V17 Pro. Featuring 32MP + 8MP dual front cameras in a motorized pop-up, the V17 Pro’s front cameras outclass most other selfie focused cameraphones.

But this isn’t to say that its other features are lacking as the 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP quad rear cameras offer superwide to bokeh and super macro photography with ease while the pop-up selfie cameras means you have more space to see yourself with its large 6.44-inch FHD+ fullview display. Available for a fairly affordable RM1499, it should keep your selfie lover very satisfied.

It’s an unfortunate truth, but for most teens and young adults, the Christmas gift budget tends to be on the more value-minded side, but thankfully this doesn’t have to mean they won’t get some pretty powerful or feature filled devices as Christmas presents. This is because, as usual, 2019 has been chock full of value-added midrangers. For this Christmas Gift Guide, we’d recommend the realme 5 Pro, Honor 9X, Samsung Galaxy A50s and Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite for your teens and young adults, all of which are feature-filled and powerful in their own right.

The more recently revealed realme 5 Pro for example packs in an upper midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 chipset, has a 48MP+8MP+2MP+2MP quad rear camera and 16MP front camera with a large 4035 mAh battery. It also looks pretty good with its diamond cut back and it also has VOOC 3.0 20W fast battery charging, for those times when you need 50% in 30 minutes. Available for RM999, it should make most teens excited for their Christmas present.

Also going for RM999, the HONOR 9X offers a midrange Kirin 710F chipset with plenty of memory (6GB RAM + 128GB storage) and a triple rear camera setup of 48MP + 8MP + 2MP. Unlike the other 2 teen devices here in our list, the 9X goes for a larger 6.59-inch ultra fullview display with no notch but the 16MP front camera pops-up instead. Like the other 2, it also uses a large 4000 mAh battery.

The Honor 9X offers a 16MP pop-up front camera

The Samsung Galaxy A50s offers another option for your adventurous teen

Powered by a 10nm Samsung Exynos 9611 chipset, the Samsung Galaxy A50s offers a notched 6.4-inch display utilizing a larger 32MP front camera. It offers a bit more with 48MP + 8MP + 5MP triple rear cameras that features Live video recording with Super Steady stabilization. In addition, it still retains a large 4000 mAh battery to keep your mobile powered teen up and connected. Samsung are offering it at the rather novel price tag of RM1234.05 with free 2-months of ad-free YouTube Premium.

For just a bit more at RM1299, the Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite offers a similar 48MP + 8MP + 2MP triple rear camera but makes up for it with a larger 32MP front camera, so you’d probably get this for your selfie loving teenager or young adult. Other tech specs are similarly midrange with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset but you still get a large 4030 mAh battery to go with it as well.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite has plenty of features for an affordable price

Kids love to watch kiddy shows and enjoy fun and games from a big screen device. We’ve also never seen any kid that doesn’t like to draw or doodle with something, so having a big screen tablet with a sensitive stylus is also a great Christmas gift. Thankfully, you don’t have to break the bank for these 2 types of Christmas tech gifts for kids as we’d recommend the Huawei MediaPad T5 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen, both of which are below RM1K.

For those kids who like to watch shows, YouTube and the like, the Huawei MediaPad T5 offers a large 10.1-inch full HD (1920 x 1200 pixel) display for clear vibrant details and a 5100 mAh battery for long-lasting performance. The midrange Kirin 659 chipset also lets kids play most casual games with no problems. While you can easily get it in black or champagne gold for RM899, you might want to put on a case as well, just so that the premium metal body it comes in won’t get too dented.

The Huawei MediaPad T5 offers a big screen for the kids

Going up just a bit more at RM1099 is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 2019 with S Pen. It offers your kids the ability to accurately draw whatever they want on the 8-inch but still FHD display, without making a mess or using up reams of paper.

It’s a bit lighter at 325g due to the smaller display but it also offers 4G LTE connectivity, so if you plug in a SIM card you can let them carry about their Christmas present wherever you go. Our recommendation to get a case with this tablet remains the same though, but it should make an excellent Christmas gift for your budding digital artist.

Kids can doodle and even do work with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S Pen

Despite all the individual tech devices each family member gets for themselves, Televisions still draw in the entire family, especially when you have smart TVs that lets family easily and wirelessly share Christmas memories. For this reason, we’d recommend you get a smart TV as a gift for the family, particularly from the Samsung QLED 2019 series and the Sony Bravia OLED Master series of smart TVs.

The Samsung QLED 2019 series of smart TVs offer expanded viewing angles and brilliant colours with their QLED smart TVs with a selection of various sizes. If you want everyone to see everything we’d recommend getting the 8K variants, but the more affordable variants with 4K or even Full HD still offer great HDR screens to watch home movies, see vacation photographs and unwind for the holidays. Awesome Adaptive Sound ensures that you won’t need to get any other sound equipment as well, all of which you can get from RM4999.

For those who want a bit more in terms of viewing experience then the Sony Bravia OLED MASTER series should be the smart TV (or Android TV as they like to call it) for your family this Christmas as they offer deeper blacks and clearer details with higher contrast. Granted their range are up to 4K Ultra HD but their screens also offer multi-dimensional sound with Acoustic Surface Audio+ and colour optimisers such as Pixel Contrast Booster which you can buy from RM11949.

Despite all the family environment and good cheer, despite all the hearty holiday food, there’s always 1 or 2 workaholics in the family who just can’t stop working, even in between bites of turkey or chicken. We’ve accepted that that’s the type of people they are but we still love them. So for those friends and family workaholics, we’d recommend the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ or an Acer Swift 5 series laptop as their Christmas tech gifts.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is perfect for productivity

Hands-down, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series devices remain the most powerful mobile productivity devices in the market, especially with the much improved Samsung S Pen. Thanks to the built-in six-axis sensors your mobile workaholic can not only handwrite or circle mistakes, but also gesture with the S Pen like a magic wand and remote control the Note 10 or Note 10+ for a variety of uses.

Both the Note 10 and Note 10+ come in 256GB storage variants for RM3699 and RM4199 respectively, so there’s plenty of space. In addition, Samsung is also holding their #iChanged promotion now, so when you trade in an old device for the Note 10 or Note 10+ you’ll also get a Galaxy Fit smart band for free!

For those workaholics who have to travel but don’t like working with a stylus that much, the new super lightweight Acer Swift 5 series offers laptops that weigh less than 1Kg! Weighing in at approximately 990g, the Acer Swift 5 laptops can offer high performance with up to 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processors, 512GB SSDs, 16GB RAM and NVIDIA MX250 graphics.

Thanks to the compact design, they make great travel companions as they not only weigh less than most laptops but take up very little space, making it an ideal Christmas present for those friends and family who can’t stop working. You can get them from as low as RM3699.

The realme wireless buds have been co-produced with Alan Walker

While audio equipment can easily go into the tens of thousands of ringgit, thankfully, this Christmas there’s a lot more affordable choices, especially if you want to go wireless. For those audiophiles who love music, we’d recommend the realme wireless buds, Huawei mini speaker CM510, Samsung Galaxy Buds and if you’re willing to spend just a bit more, then the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones should make for some truly excellent Christmas tech gifts.

First off, the realme wireless buds have been co-produced with Alan Walker who is a famous DJ and music producer with a host of songs like Faded and so forth to his name. The realme wireless buds are neckband earbuds that stick closely in your ears but hardly weigh anything at 30g. Connecting via Bluetooth 5.0, they boast DBB or Dynamic Bass Boost along with 12 hour battery life on a single charge. You can easily get a pair for as low as RM149.

These portable speakers offer 360 degree immersive sound when paired up with another

If you or your friend would rather go public and share music with everyone, then the 110g Huawei mini speaker CM510 is your portable loudspeaker. Delivering deep bass and 3W audio, pairing 2 speakers together offer immersive 360 degree stereo audio and it is also IPX4 water resistant, so you can listen to it in the bathroom and not have to worry about accidental splashes. Going for an affordable price of just RM99, you could get 1 or 2 as a gift, just in time for a family Christmas singalong.

Coming back to the private space, if you're looking for an easy listening device for your Samsung fan there's always the Galaxy Buds for cord-free or true wireless audio. Easy to use and compact, they offer rich sound tuned by AKG and up to 6 hours of Bluetooth streaming and another 7 hours from the charging compact case. In addition, it can also get a quick charging boost if you're using the Galaxy S10 or Note10 to wireless charge. Available for RM499, it should make the perfect additional gift for said Samsung fan.

However, if you’re willing to spend a bit more to the tune of RM949 then you can get the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones. Quite obviously, these completely wireless earbuds are designed to cancel outside noise from bothering or distracting you from enjoying your music. It is also the #1 top affordable audio earbuds nearly everyone at TechNave.com recommends with 6mm driver units, Sony HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e and all day battery life.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds are a great companion accessory for a Samsung smartphone user

There's always someone in the family or in your social circle who loves to wear watches and thanks to current trends in technology, there are now a lot of smartwatches, wearable tech you can put on your wrist. This time around we'd recommend the Apple Watch Series 5, Huawei Watch GT2, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and the HONOR Band 5. Each device fits with a certain type of user which you can see below.

Coming in from RM1749 (a lot less if you go with a telco), the Apple Watch Series 5 is the trendsetter when it comes to smartwatches and can do nearly everything a smartphone can. It can even make calls (without your smartphone), work with nearly every iOS app, call emergency numbers if you might have accidentally tripped or fallen and much more. The only downside is that it works best with iOS devices, so get this smartwatch if you're buying for an Apple iPhone user.

Here's the Apple Watch Series 5 - finally officially available in Malaysia!

Offering 2 weeks to a month in battery life, the Huawei Watch GT2 is the smartwatch to get for those wanting a device for their wrist they won't have to worry about charging the next day. Offering all the basic features of a smartwatch like hearbeat sensor, exercise tracking and sleep tracking it looks good with leather and should work for practically all smartphones. The Kirin A1 chipset that powers it ensures better connectivity and battery life while the 5ATM rating lets you bring it swimming as well. It recently got a price cut down to RM899 making it an affordable option as well.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 on the other hand, goes for the full smartwatch experience as it is fully compatible with various Android apps including a translator, maps, spotify and so forth. Fully IP68 water resistance rated, you can also bring it swimming but it only offers battery life for a bit more than a day. It also tracks your heart rate, sports activities and sleep. Thankfully you can quickly charge it up wirelessly, but it is a bit pricier at RM1399.

The Huawei Watch GT2 can last a whopping 2 weeks!

If you're looking for just the barebones and a much more affordable price tag, then the HONOR band 5 priced at RM129 (RM111 if you catch their year-end offer) is the wearable wrist device you should consider. It offers all of the usual smartwatch features such as a heart rate monitor, sports tracking and sleep tracking.

However, its' band like design makes it more suitable for the sporty type or those who don't mind non-traditional wristwear. It doesn't offer as wide a smartwatch experience as others but it does last 14 days or more on a single charge.

So that's it for this edition of TechNave.com's Christmas Gift Guide 2019. We hope you and your friends or family will enjoy the selections and recommendations listed above as much as we did. However, if there's a category we didn't cover or you need help picking out just the right Christmas tech gift, then do drop on by our Facebook page and we'll see if we can help out.

What have tou bought for your Christmas tech gifts? What would you recommend? Let us know on our Facebook page and share with the other TechNavers out there. As always, stay tuned to TechNave.com and Merry Christmas gift buying.


TechNave.com Officially Launches as Technology News and Information Hub

Technology news and information site Technave.com was recently launched as the main source for technology news, prices, reviews and specifications to help users buy the best and latest gadgets in Malaysia and around the world.

“Your one stop hub for all you need to research, compare and buy your dream gadgets.”

Technology news and information site TechNave.com was recently launched to help support users make better informed decisions on buying new gadgets and technology devices. Dedicated to covering various gadgets including hardware and software, this includes the latest news, specifications, reviews, prices, apps and anything tech or gadget related. TechNave.com stands for Technology Nave while Nave means hub, with support for Malaysian users and users from around the world.

The main aim of TechNave.com is for it to become the main hub for everything technology related with emphasis on smartphones, tablets and digital camera for now. TechNave provides a number of tools including:

News & Reviews: The News section provides easy access to the latest technology and gadget related news. The Reviews section provides more in-depth information such as articles covering specific phone models or devices and comparison analysis between specific devices and benchmarks.

Gadget Search: Through an accurate keyword search, users can find whatever phone, tablet, digital camera or tech device with links providing a full listing of the tech specs, phone plans (when available) and recommended market prices in Malaysia.

Phones & tablets Specs Comparison: Offering a full listing of various phones, smartphones and tablets including the latest devices to be officially announced and those rumoured to arrive; the Phone Comparison tool provides a single place where users can compare the specifications of up to three devices in one spot. This tool also provides a Thumbs up for the better specs, making it easier for users to select the better device.

Telco plans Comparison: Featuring a comprehensive listing of the latest Malaysian Telco plans and packages, users can search or narrow down Telco phone plans according to mobile phone brand, model, monthly commitment, contract period, Telco provider and keyword search.

Originally called Gadgetbook and operating under MobileMegaMall.com, TechNave.com now stands on its own as the main source for technology news, information, prices, reviews and specifications to help users buy the best and latest gadgets in Malaysia and around the world.


TechNave.com and Lazada Honor 8 Giveaway!

We're doing our first official giveaway with the Sapphire Blue Honor 8 thanks to Lazada. Go check out our Facebook page to enter the contest or see the entry details below:

Question:~ What image did you see from the reflection of light?

But if you can't wait for it, just click http://bit.ly/honor8Blue to buy from Lazada with bundled FREE gift worth RM575!

*Contest ends on SUNDAY, 2nd October at 11.59PM***Please refer to the terms & conditions.

Click here to participate - http://bit.ly/winhonor8


TechNave's 10 Days Fatty Diet Challenge with the Samsung GearSport and Gear IconX

Ah...exercising. That's one thing that most people would say they would do when the new year starts. Keeping yourself in shape is really hard, but the TechNave team was given the challenge to burn some calories by Samsung Malaysia before Chinese New Year. No way that we will slim down drastically, but the point is to exercise and see the usefulness of the GearSport along with the Gear IconX device.

The team doing the challenge - (L-R) Ken Jim, Abel and Bernard

Yup, so the random pictures and videos that you saw on our Facebook page are based on this. So here's our 10 Days Fatty Diet Challenge with the Samsung GearSport (and Gear IconX).

While we won't be documenting every single exercise that we did (because this is not a fitness site lol), we will be talking mostly about how the GearSport complemented our exercising. As you all know, a sports watch or smartwatch has the usual features for those who do a lot of workouts, you have the standard calories counter, steps counter, heartbeat monitor, weather checker, music player, reminders and many more.

Not sure if this is the right amount of calories burn, but looks legit lol

You can also swap various "faces" for your GearSport depending on your preference

Gotta do a model pose with the GearSport lol

Apparently, Samsung thinks the GearSport needs more than that and they did the right thing, it even has a floors target that encourages you to take the stairs, four different exercising modes (running, walking, cycling and swimming), and eighteen different workouts including yoga. Gee, talk about a serious sports watch here.

It will also bug you to stand up if you sit down too long

Meanwhile, the Gear IconX is a pair of wireless earpiece mainly for exercising too. Not only can you listen to your favourite songs via Bluetooth, you can also store songs into it without having to bring your smartphone along. It can take incoming calls as well, and it's really simple to use it from a tap to three taps for certain functions. The Gear IconX is usable for both Android and iOS, but needs the Samsung Gear app to make it work, same applies to the GearSport.

The Gear IconX can last up to 4-5 hours, more than enough time for your exercise routine

Very useful for running on the treadmill, no more wire cable tangling with your hands

Of all the modes, perhaps the swimming workout mode is the most interesting one (at least to me). Not to say that the others are not important, of course, but not many sports watches have this feature. Yes, you can bring this to the pool without worrying about spoiling it, all you have to do is just turn the outer barrel to switch to that mode page then tap on it. From our experience, once you start your swimming workout, the GearSport will start taking information on your swimming style, swimming laps, bpm and others. In other words, the GearSport is really taking down all the health data seriously for you.

Oh, here. More model shots with the GearSport

Our apologies for not having female models posing with the GearSport, we are currently looking for some female writers so if you know anyone who's interested let them know about it lol #shamelessadvertising

So from our 10 days of using the GearSport, even though our bodies suffered much from not exercising much with body aches, leg cramps and abs pain by just laughing, the three of us soon adapted to the workout challenge and we actually felt more energetic than before. We hope that our video or this article somehow can encourage you to go out and just exercise for just 30 minutes. Afterall, sitting down all day long in the office is not healthy for the long term. Don't believe us? You can compare yourself to your younger picture and compare (lol).

We hope to maintain this healthy lifestyle whenever we can. Also, many thanks to Samsung Malaysia for sponsoring us the GearSport and Gear IconX for us to test it out.

So that's our 10 Days Fatty Diet Challenge with the GearSport along and the Gear IconX. Also, we did a compilation video of our usage on the devices so check out the video above. Stay tuned for more geeky articles at TechNave.com.


TechNave's 5 Favourite EPIC Mobile Games so far in 2019

While the west has yet to embrace mobile gaming wholeheartedly, it has proven popular for the east particularly in the South East Asia region. Multiple mobile gaming eSports competitions have already taken off in a few countries and to know that Malaysia will be the host for the PUBG Mobile Club Open 2019 Fall Split Global Finals is quite a testament.

While it's impossible to go through every single mobile game to see which one is the best, we can definitely tell you which were (and still are) super enjoyable and our favourites. Do keep in mind that the games listed here are in alphabetical order, so without further ado.. here are our Favourite Mobile Games so far in 2019.

There are plenty of racing mobile games out there. There's Real Racing series, Need for Speed, and Gear Club, but there's nothing quite like Asphalt 9: Legends. Sure, it has a "pay-to-win" feature inside but it's still a fun game to play. It has one of the best (and addictive) music soundtracks, graphics are drop-dead gorgeous especially when played on the ROG Phone series (putting every other flagship phones to shame), and it's one of the mobile games that most smartphone reviewers use to test the phone's graphics capabilities.

Asphalt 9: Legends was officially released in mid-2018 but one of our writers played it for a year plus before being inactive, so you can imagine that he has unlocked a few powerful cars by now. That's how addictive it can be!

Speaking of being addicted, it shouldn't be a surprise to see COD Mobile on the list here. Just recently released on the first day of October, it has already been downloaded over 100 million times within the first week for a good reason, even pulling PUBG Mobile players over since it has its own Battle Royale mode which we think is more fun (Ninja class, anyone? Haha), but that's a story for another day.

What makes COD Mobile a fun game to play is not only having Battle Royale, but a quick multiplayer match against other players online and the recently added Zombie Mode as well which PUBG Mobile doesn't have. If you have played the COD Modern Warfare series before, the mobile version retains the "feel" and it's just super fun to play with your friends together in various modes.

Another popular mobile game to play with friends together is none other than Mobile Legends Bang Bang. Despite being 3 years old already, it's still a popular game in Malaysia and it even has a professional league called MLBB Professional League for Malaysia and Singapore (4th season now) with a total prize pool of RM414,000.

Comparing with other MOBA mobile games, MLBB is probably still the preferred choice simply because the game is accessible and graphics friendly for most devices. Heroes are fun and the skins are really cool, even though they are similar to League of Legends but hey, you can only do so much with that amount of character roles, right?

Initially, I wanted to put in Arena of Valor which I really enjoyed (more so than MLBB). It has surreal graphics and the characters are super cool with various costume themes from cyberpunk to western, heck, there's even Batman in the game! However, the game is pretty much dead in Malaysia after merging with the Indonesia servers due to whatever reasons. Garena, you only had one job.

Do you know what else also made a huge impact? Freaking Pokemon Go! Developed and released by Niantic three years ago, many Malaysians are still enjoying the game including the uncles and aunties.

Granted, the number of players did go down as time passed by. But let's not forget that it made everyone go out of the house and catch Pokemon together. Since its release, the game has undergone several improvements such as trading (long overdue but oh well), actual battles with other players online and even coincide with current Pokemon events such as the recent Galarian Weezing, promoting the latest Pokemon Sword and Shield game on the Nintendo Switch.

I would have slotted in Pokemon Masters, but because of its repetitive grinding chores, no REAL PvP mechanic and the questionable lack of Pokemon evolutions, this is why Pokemon Go takes the spot. The Pokemon Masters development team is improving, though, but simply not having a real PvP battle against your peers just takes away the core of Pokemon.

While there are other older popular Real-Time Strategy (RTS) like Clash of Clans and Clash Royale with an active community, Command and Conquer: Rivals certainly picked up interest and brought back a lot of old school fans who played the game on the PC platform many years ago.

Granted, it may seem like a "downgrade" from the CnC franchise but we can't deny that it's still a fun game. The objective of the game is simple - destroy the opponent's main command centre and you win. The mechanics are also different from the PC platform, instead of commanding a large scale force, you are given a choice to assemble your best 6 squads combo which can create a wide range of strategies. Not only that, it requires a lot of map control over the nuclear missile so it's not some warfare game where you blindly send in your troops.

The road to Tiberium Rank may take a while, but once you've reached there, the game replayability drops and there's nothing much to do after that. Nonetheless, the game is still being updated with new units and mechanics balancing the ever-changing metagame so that can be fun for RTS players.

If you're looking for something relaxing and nothing too competitive like the games mentioned above, you should definitely try out this game because it's hella fun and bizarre! But what the heck is What The Golf? Ok, hear me out.

Developed by Triband and available on Apple Arcade (and PC too), the game may look like a simple golf game where you are required to hit the golf ball into the hole but with a twist. As the game progresses, you will be hitting something else entirely like a car, a house, or even yourself through extreme ways and it's hilarious. I couldn't stop playing for a few minutes after a friend introduced it to me and it's definitely one of the best casual Apple iPhone games.

Mobile gaming is fun and all but it won't be when you run out of Internet data. If you're looking for a great mobile plan that gives unlimited data, look no further than YES 4G. Why? Because for just RM1 per day, you will be able to game ALL DAY with pure unlimited 4G LTE data connectivity. As one of Malaysia's reliable Internet providers, you can experience a consistent 4G streaming wherever you go, on the train in transit, on the road from your school, and even when you're doing your business on the toilet.

No lag and just swag all day on playing your favourite mobile games, inilah Konfem 4G! So what are you waiting for? Just say YES with YES 4G for this EPIC reason for allowing you to ride on YES Konfem 4G Konfem Unlimited network. Sustainable and super cost-effective, YES 4G makes your Internet life super easy, barely an inconvenience. If this sounds like an epic plan for you, you can visit their official website right here and #SwitchToYES now!

Stay tuned for more sweet local promotions at TechNave.com.


TechNave's Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2017 video compilation

As Ramadhan in this year of 2017 comes to a close and Hari Raya Aidilfitri nears, we've seen quite a lot of Raya videos come our way from various brands including some of the major tech players in the industry. Here are some of our favourite Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2017 videos.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri is one of those many times when Malaysians gather with their friends and families to ask for forgiveness and celebrate togetherness. As such, TechNave.com would like wish all Malaysians:

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, maaf zahir dan batin!

Stay tuned for more tech news, reviews and gadgets that will continue to bring Malaysians and everyone else closer together here at TechNave.com.


TechNave's Top 5 Entry-level Trending Smartphones #1

With the recent release of the Neffos X1 lite, TP-Link has once again made smartphones a lot more affordable with a price tag of RM499 only. If that's not economical then I don't know what is. Anyway, we also noted that some of you have been asking for a list of entry-level phones. So here's our Top 5 Entry-Level Smartphones you can get now in Malaysia (entry-level being RM800 and below).

First coming on our list is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, obviously Xiaomi would make it to this list because of its reputation for manufacturing affordable smartphones. However, this model is the 3GB + 32GB variant and it cost RM749. If anyone is looking for the 4GB + 64GB variant, that one cost RM949.

Performance-wise, the Redmi Note 4 satisfies thanks to the improved battery life (although it takes a long time to fully charge) and the overheating issue has been solved somewhat. Comparing with the Redmi Note 3, both the processor and camera quality are much better because of the 14nm Snapdragon 625 chipset and the BSI CMOS (1.12μm pixels) respectively.

Next, is the Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro for only RM699 which is the most affordable and value for money Samsung phone currently available on this list. Should you purchase it right now until 30 September 2017, you can get a one-year extended warranty and a one-year screen crack protection and with our Shopee deal (while vouchers last) you can also get an RM50 discount exclusively for TechNavers.

Also, another reason is because how vastly different it looks from its predecessor but in a good way. At first glance, one could easily mistake it as a mid-ranger phone.

As an entry level smartphone, memory capacity stands at 2GB + 16GB only, using a 5.0-inch TFT HD display, an Exynos 7570 quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53, 13MP main camera and 5MP for the front, 2400 mAh battery, and Android 7.0 out of the box.

Okay, so we have two well known brands so far. But what if you want something else and not too expensive? Well, this is where the Nokia 5 comes in. An old favourite brand among our readers (yes, you) and it currently stands at RM799 -  a perfect combination for consumers who wants something new and familiar.

According to Nokia, the Nokia 5's body is built out of a single block of 6000 series aluminium steel to create the "perfect" unibody, so it gives that premium look while still maintaining entry level tech-specs, which comprises a 5.2-inch IPS HD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, Android 7.0 Nougat and 3000mAh battery.

Another phone that also costs RM799 is the Wiko Upulse. All the way from France, its first debut was seen at the Mobile World Congress 2017 then finally made its way to Malaysia just last June 2017. But why did we call it a camera-centric phone? Well, that's because there's a trick up its sleeve over other phones on this list, which is the Super Pixel feature that allows you to take pictures in extremely high resolution. If you're a phoneographer tight on budget, this is the one for you.

For an entry level phone, the spec-sheets looks fine. It features all the typical specifications of 5.5-inch HD display, quad-core processor at 1.3GHz, 3GB of RAM, 32GB ROM (expandable memory available up to 128GB), 3000 mAh battery, Android 7.0, a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera.

Last but not least, Motorola has also rolled out their own entry level phones into the Malaysia market just early this month as well for RM799. This one is also just another normal device that does its job well but with a catch - the Moto E4 Plus has the biggest battery with 5000 mAh battery. So for those who really like their energy juice big, this is probably the one for you.

To briefly go through the tech-specs, it is the only phone here to house a MediaTek MT6737 64-bit quad-core 1.3GHz processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM (extra storage is available up to 128GB), 5.5-inch HD display, Android 7.1, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie snapper. It's worth mentioning that it has a dual nano SIM slot, Dolby Atmos speakers and a fingerprint scanner too.

If you want to check out the Moto E4 Plus' little brothers, head over here to see them.

So what do you think of these entry level phones? Any of your favourite made it to the list? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more Top list articles at TechNave.com.


TechNave's Top 5 Midrange Trending Smartphones #1

As reported from a Gfk market research study, a majority of Malaysians seem to favour midrange smartphones more now. That seems to be true nowadays as many flagship smartphones today seem to require your selling your kidney just to own one. Midrangers, which we define as from RM800 to RM1300, are getting better every month and if you're hunting for such a smartphone, here are our Top 5 Midrange Trending Smartphones so far in no particular order.

Coming up first on our list is the Moto G5 Plus, as mentioned in our recent review, we were quite impressed with the image quality because of the Dual Autofocus Pixel technology. In the hands of a seasoned photographer, he or she is sure to capture some beautiful shots. Not only that, the pure Android stock G5 Plus also has a good battery life despite being only 3000mAh, the Snapdragon 625 and 4GB RAM are good enough for gaming with no heating issues and the shaking motion sensor for opening certain apps can come in handy.

However, the automatic features like panorama probably won't satisfy most users, not to mention that it doesn't have beauty mode as well making it not very selfie friendly. A solid mid-ranger and the only one in our list with that Dual Autofocus Pixel camera that can take shots anywhere, this phone is officially priced at RM1299.

Another RM1299 smartphone is the P10 lite. For a smartphone without Leica lens (unlike its other P10 siblings), the camera work on the P10 Lite is actually quite commendable, especially with the Portrait and Selfie Superstar mode. It also supports USB OTG and VoLTE connectivity, and a super battery charging technology that can fully charge the phone in just one and a half hours. Plus, the Sapphire Blue model will turn heads and is only available for the P10 Lite.

In spite of that, we don't think it's that great for gaming. Not that it's terrible, but it's more suited for photography, especially those who don't really do well in manual mode. Make no mistake, you can still use it for manual or pro mode shots and get great results but the automatic features really let the everyman cameraphone user shine. You can check out our review here and see what we mean.

Moving on, the V5s is just as capable of taking good pictures, except that it focuses a lot on the selfie since it has a 20MP Sony IMX376 front camera sensor. From our review, this is definitely the #PerfectSelfie smartphone for now and it also does well in other areas such as gaming and music thanks to the MediaTek MT6750 octa-core processor + Mali-T860 MP2, 4GB RAM, 3000 mAh battery and an AK4376 audio chipset.

If there's one thing we have to complain about the phone, that'd be the shameless copy-and-paste iPhone design and camera user interface. But if you're an iPhone selfie fan with limited budget this might be the one for you. And yes, it is on sale for RM1299 (again, lol).

Ah, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro is a new addition to the RM1299 club as well. We haven't managed to get our hands on this device yet, but it should do pretty well as a midranger. The device houses a 64-bit octa-core processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage (expandable memory up to 256GB), a 5.5-inch FHD Super AMOLED display, 3600 mAh battery and Android 7.0 out of the box. Aside from the huge design makeover (which looks great), the cameras also got an upgrade with 13MP on each side. It also features a fingerprint sensor and an Always-on display.

The Galaxy J7 Pro is currently available at all Samsung Experience Stores with four colour options - Blue Silver, Pink, Black or Gold. Along with the J5 Pro and J3 Pro, anyone who makes the purchase until 30 September 2017 will be granted a free bundle package that consists of a one-year extended warranty and a one-year screen crack protection.

Finally, the list won't be complete if Xiaomi isn't in it. You should already know that their devices are both economical and good quality, and is a fan favourite for many Malaysians. The Redmi Note 4 comes in two variants - 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB memory. Thankfully, the price tag at this point is not RM1299 anymore but RM799 and RM949 respectively which is very good value for money.

From our review here, the 14nm Snapdragon 625 processor has improved the Redmi Note 4's performance and battery life superbly. The picture quality is good too but we think it still loses out a bit comparing with the first two midrangers in our list. Keep in mind that it takes a long time to charge up the phone too.

So that's our top 5 trending midrangers list for now, are there anymore smartphones that we missed out? Which one is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more Top list articles at TechNave.com


TechNave's Top Tech Christmas Gifts Guide 2022 for your friends and family

Christmas is just around the corner, so if you're still stuck thinking about what kind of tech gadget you should get for your friends and family, we got you covered. In this list, we aren't here to tell you the best phones to buy but rather about worthwhile devices due to their functions.

We don't want to keep y'all waiting, so without further ado, scroll down and check out our Top Tech Christmas Gifts Guide 2022 for your friends and family. We are pretty sure there is something for everyone since we also included a bunch of accessories. Let's begin.

Customise how you want your phone to look like

In this modern age, more and more people (particularly Gen Z's) are looking to customise their belongings. Look no further than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition, as it's now the most customisable phone in the Malaysian market. You can personalise the device for your friends, family or even yourself with a few stylish colours.

Also, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is easy to carry around and hold. It can even be a portable mirror camera for make-up or vlogging. Just check out our article on what you can do with Flex Mode on the Galaxy Z Flip 4!

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022) is the most affordable Samsung tablet with an S Pen yet. It also has a refreshed Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and does most daily and social tasks well. It's reliable and only costs RM1249 on Samsung Malaysia's website, but you can add RM300 for the LTE variant.

Out of all the tech gadgets I reviewed this year, I guess I'm still quite fond of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. It's a high-end gaming laptop that can handle graphically intense AAA games. It also has sweet RGB lighting on the keyboard, good heat ventilation, and offers good port locations for better cable management. But it costs RM8299 due to inflation and chip shortages, which is way too expensive. So with this, you could go for the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 2021 model instead, as it's still great at a more affordable RM6384.

Getting the 2021 variant is just as good

Even after two years, the PlayStation 5 remains elusive. But here's a better alternative - you can find the Steam Deck easily for RM3389 (256GB) on Shopee. Granted, it's more expensive than the PS5. But the games on Steam are CHEAP and its hardware performance is fairly impressive. This makes it more worthwhile than a Nintendo Switch, which still doesn't support our currency for its Switch games.

Steam has lots of indie and AAA games for you to buy and play, including formerly PS exclusives such as God of War, Spider-Man, Death Stranding, Final Fantasy VII, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves and more. Two other PS5 games - Return and The Last of Us Part 1 are also coming to Steam next year.

Editor's note: If you have a friend in the US, it's much cheaper to buy directly one from there and bring it back, so you don't have to pay the import fee. Its highest variant - 512GB is $649 (~RM2865).

We also recommend the PICO 4 VR headset because it's relatively affordable for a VR headset. Plus, it's perfect for first-time users just starting to get into VR. Since VR is getting more mainstream and there are loads of games/movie streaming services supporting it, this is the best time to delve into it. Moreover, the PICO 4 VR is very suitable for the majority of people, even for non-gamers. You can enjoy a special Christmas bundle for RM1599 with four extra VR games.

The Gulikit King Kong 2 Pro is a solid choice if you're looking for an affordable gaming controller. Compatible with Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, this is a cheaper alternative than the Nintendo Switch Pro or Xbox One X Controller. This controller doesn't get joystick drifting even in the long run thanks to its magnetic thumbsticks, and its buttons have a lifespan of 50 million pushes. You can find out more right here on Shopee.

For a decent smartwatch for less than RM400, the AMAZFIT GTS 4 mini is suitable for both males and females. While it works like most smartwatches, this wearable can be linked to every smartphone and has 15 days of battery life. Enough said, do check out the wearable over here.

There are a lot of wearable audio products released by phone brands. While they can be connected to both iOS and Android, some functions are locked if it doesn't belong to the same brand. Not the Nothing Ear (1), which isn't limited on either platform, so you can enjoy its adequate sound performance and good Active Noise Cancellation.

For some reason, the Nothing Ear (1) isn't listed on the Nothing official store on Lazada and Shopee. But you can still find other third-party stores on Shopee and get it for RM499. The price is quite decent compared to most other branded earbuds out there.

If you don't want to spend too much on a TV soundbar, then the Redmi TV Speaker is good enough if you're okay with a basic setup. For just over RM100, it has a decent sound performance that offers theatre-like effects, a simple design, mountable on a wall or your PC, and wired or wireless connectivity.

In terms of smart home devices, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Purifier 4 Compact is one of the go-tos if you are looking for a compact air purifier. At RM459, it has a low 20db noise level, low energy consumption and an air quality display indicator. You can also monitor the air quality and set the timing in your Mi Home App, bringing convenience to the palm of your hand.

For those who don't have time to clean much, you can get the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Mop Essential G1 because it can vacuum and mop the floor simultaneously. If your partner thinks you are being lazy, you can say that the Mi Robot can help clean the floor while we spend more time on other things. It's not expensive either, since the price is below RM900 and there's a discount now from RM599.

One of the most affordable robot vacuums to get

Finally, something for the ladies. The Dyson Supersonic is quite expensive (RM2299 over here), but it's of quality and value for long-term usage. The hairdryer is also light and elegant in design, so your hand won't feel tired after holding it for a long time. In terms of features, it offers high-speed airflow to fast drying without damaging your hair from extreme heat and has different magnetic styling attachments.

Since cars are mostly back on the roads, having a good dashcam is necessary for driving around cities like KL and Selangor. The 70mai Rearview Dashcam is a 3-in-1 dashcam with a widescreen display that can record the front and back at the same time. The camera can also record in HD and looks clear at night. You could even use it as a reverse camera, which is a nice bonus.

The 70mai Rearview Dashcam is easy to install (#DIY) without any glue attachment. It comes with an app you can use to control it, and it's worth mentioning that the camera has a water-resistant rating. You can check it out more over here, as it's on promotion now for below RM400.

This Anker A1611 hybrid power bank stand is a good alternative for iPhones that support MagSafe charging. It supports USB Type C for both input and output, can be used as a stand and is a better MagSafe power bank than the official one from Apple. It's priced at RM299, but there's a discount now for RM179.

People these days are using their phones to take photos and videos. To make it easier, we recommend the ULANZI CapGrip for a comfortable grip. This accessory is compatible with iOS and Android systems, so you don't have to worry about that. It's cheap, small, portable and supports long-distance shooting too.

Editor's note - (lol at the name ULANZI)

If you could get it for free, even better (lol)

Listen, we know how ridiculous it sounds. Despite not being a device, the Apple Polishing Cloth is a seriously high-quality cloth you never thought you would need. Sure, it's RM99. But this polishing cloth can clean pretty much every kind of screen panel seamlessly.

So, that's pretty much our Christmas list of top tech gifts guide for your friends and family. If you have any other tech gadgets to recommend, kindly drop your suggestions in the comments below and thanks for reading. Happy shopping, happy holidays, and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


48MP motorized flip camera ASUS ZenFone 6 proves how tough it is, coming to Malaysia soon?

It has been rather quiet for the ASUS Zenfone 6 despite the fact that it is currently DxOMark’s selfie king with its 48MP motorized flip camera. However, the folks at @JerryRigEverything have seen fit to put it through their usual durability tests which include scratch tests, a lighter test and bend tests. They even played around with the aforementioned motorized flip camera, a feature which most of the time is quite fragile.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case with the ZenFone 6 as it not only passed the durability tests with flying colours but the 48MP + 13MP motorized flip camera also appears to have a really strong hinge. In addition to this, the ZenFone 6 is also one of the few flagships to pack in a large 5000 mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0 along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset.

With the lowest 6GB RAM + 64GB storage ZenFone 6 variant coming in at 499 Euros (~RM2337), it would be great if ASUS could bring it in to Malaysia for under RM2K as European prices have generally been much higher than Malaysian prices. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet though, but we expect it to come soon, sometime in Q3 of 2019.

Would you be interested in picking up the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage ASUS ZenFone 6 when it does? Is RM1999 a good enough price for you? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Apple Watch Series 7 is one of the 2021 Apple products that might get a redesign

This year has been a challenge for the tech industry but it looks like Apple has pulled itself through. Despite some supply issues, the company still managed to bring the iPhone 12 series to the market with other products such as new iPads, new Apple Watch, M1-powered Macs, and more. Now, it's time for us to get to know what the tech giant has planned for next year! With that said, a tipster has suggested that many of the products will get redesigned including the Apple Watch.

According to the Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we could finally see a redesign happening on the Apple Watch Series 7. The last makeover Apple has done for the smartwatch was back in 2018 with the launch of Apple Watch Series 4. For now, it is still unknown what kind of new design that Apple has in mind.

Other than the Apple Watch, products like AirPods and MacBooks would also be getting new looks. Earlier, it has reported that the AirPods 3 will feature shorter stems that make them look like the AirPods Pro minus Active Noise Cancellation. For the M1-powered MacBooks, although the first batch has come with the same design as the previous Intel-based MacBooks, it is said that Apple will release a lineup with a new design in the second half of 2021.

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


TechNave's top 5 gaming news this week - Philippines dominates WESG SEA, vivo collaborates with PUBG Mobile to bring us PMNC 2018 and more

Hey TechNave gamers! Christmas is literally around the corner and I’m sure you guys are excited to open up your gifts. Maybe some of us will be lucky and get ourselves a brand new Nintendo Switch or even a Playstation 4 Pro. Personally, I’m just hoping to get a Playstation Store gift card so I can grab myself Kingdom Hearts 3 on release next month.

Anyways, here’s the our 5 gaming headlines for this week!

WESG SEA took place last weekend in Quill City Mall, Kuala Lumpur. The winners will be headed to China next year to compete in the main event. The Philippines took home 3 gold medals during the event which are for Dota2, CS:GO Women’s Division Battle and Starcraft 2. The main CS:GO event was won by Thailand while for Vainglory, Singapore took home the gold.

Malaysia also did well during the tournament, with Lalasong bagging the champion’s title for Hearthstone. Indonesia bagged the gold for the Hearthstone Women’s Division.

Smartphone brand vivo has collaborated with PUBG Mobile to bring us the PUBG Mobile Malaysia Championship National Championship 2018 (PMNC 2018). Qualifiers start today and will be held in Johor, Sabah, Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur.

So far, around 150 teams have registered for the event that is themed “Squad Up”. You can find the full schedule of the qualifiers and grand finals below. If you want more info on the tournament, just click on this link!

From now till the 2nd of January, Pokemon GO will be having it’s holiday event which brings with it rewards in different stages. From the now till the 22nd of December, players can earn double Candy. On the 22nd till 26th of December, trainers will be able to catch double the amount of Stardust. Next, players will gain double XP from the 26th of until the 30th of December and finally, on the 30th of December till January 2nd, eggs incubated will hatch twice as fast.

During the entire duration of the event, players will receive a single-use incubator once a day when you spin PokeStops. In addition, Delibird will be returning to the game alongside Santa hat wearing Pikachu. To the in-game shop, Delibird themed outfits will be added. Also, some new Pokemon will be able to be hatched from 7KM eggs obtained from gifts which include Smoochum, Azurill and Munchlax.

Skybound Games has announced that they will be releasing The Walking Dead: Final Season on the Epic Games store instead of Steam after TellTale Games pulled the game off the digital shelves. If you purchased the game on a different platform, you will still be receiving the last two episodes on that same platform you purchased it on.

In addition, the company announced episode 3 of the game, “Broken Toys”, will be out on the 15th of January 2019. The final episode, “Take Us Back” will be released later next year.

For the 4th consecutive year, ASUS ROG retains it’s number 1 spot as the world’s leading gaming monitors. The year end report from WitsView shows that the total market for gaming displays of over 100Hz has reached 5.1 million units globally.

If you still haven’t gotten yourself a Playstation 4, another offer of the console has dropped onto our laps by SIE with their 13 Days Special. The promotion slashes off RM250 from selected bundles of the console as shown below:

This offer will be going on from now until the 2nd of January at all PlayStation Authorized Dealers, Sony Stores and Sony Centres. For more information about the 13 Days Special, follow this link.

That wraps up this week’s TechNave’s top 5 gaming news. If you have any huge news to share with us, feel free to do so on our Facebook page and if you want to see more of this, stay tuned to TechNave.com!


【TechNave x Honor Fan Experience】event this 18 November, come join us!

This coming Saturday (18 November 2017), we (TechNave!) and honor Malaysia will be joining forces and hosting an Honor 8 Pro Fan Experience! Taking place in Take Eat Easy Gastro Café @ Pearl Shopping Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, we will be preparing a series of fun activities, food, free door gifts, a chance to win an Honor 8 Pro smartphone and other prizes, and MORE FOOD!

What's more, the entrance fee is FREE! But there is a limited number of signing up so better hurry, and here's what you can do to join the party!

【Registration steps】1. Like our TechNave Facebook English version, Chinese version and Honor Malaysia Facebook page2. Share this post (publicly)3. Fill in the registration form: https://goo.gl/forms/C7UZF50PiiXCR4xo1-------------------------------------------------- -------------------Date: November 18th (Saturday)Time: 9:30am - 1.30pmLocation: Take Eat Easy Gastro Café, Pearl Shopping Gallery, Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur (handle your own transportation, mmkay?)The number of restrictions: 30 (first-come-first-serve, kindly fill in your information)

By the way, the reason why the Honor 8 Pro is being featured in the event is because of the specifications it carries that are perfect for gaming for just under RM2K. It has a Kirin 960 processor + Vulkan API, 6GB RAM, a 5.7-inch QHD display (which is also VR/AR ready with 2K or 1440 x 2560 resolution) and a 4000mAh battery, that's so much win there.

That's all, see you there and let's have some fun time together!


Technave.com Top mobile phones in Malaysia of 2013

With 2014 already here, we look back at the year 2013 for all the awesome mobile phones to have come out in 2013 for Malaysia. There were quite a lot of them, so we picked based on innovation, performance, design and potential successfully delivered. In no specific order we list out the following mobile phones that rocked our world currently available with local Malaysia support as follows:

The focus on design of the HTC One started the whole metal body trend for Android smartphones and managed to pack in some serious tech specs at the same time. In terms of design alone it ranks on par with the Apple iPhone, especially since this year, Apple did not make any changes to the existing iPhone 5 design. Unfortunately, the tech specs it uses is now getting older and some of the features like the UltraPixel camera seems more like a fad than anything functional. While it feels great in smartphone form it hasn't translated well in to either a smaller Mini or phablet sized Max version.

The HTC One still looks awesome so if you're looking for an awesomely designed Android smartphone, the HTC One remains one of the best choices around

The Sony Xperia Z started the trend of good-looking water and dust resistant smartphones and after surviving chocolate baths or being dunked in pools it still offered premium monolithic design. The all glass front and back looked stunning and the tech specs were equally impressive for it's time. However, it is showing signs of aging as it lacks in some features like the camera and processor department compared to other newer smartphones.

The Sony Xperia Z still looks and works great...

Featuring a Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, Active, LTE-A, Mini, Exynos and Snapdragon 600 version, the Samsung Galaxy S4, provides very good performance with a model for practically every type of smartphone user around. You want a water-proof or dust-proof version? Get the Samsung Galaxy Active. Need one with a better Camera? Get the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. True to their carpet-bombing approach, their flagship Samsung Galaxy S4 offers good performance with something for everyone, but with so many choices it does get a bit tricky to choose the right one.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom combines a performance class smartphone with a midrange point-and-shoot camera with excellent results

The original Samsung Galaxy S4 is still an excellent flagship smartphone despite older tech specs and hardware

While it looks like almost every other Lumia the Nokia Lumia 1020 remains the Ultimate cameraphone in the market thanks to it's 41MP camera sensor. When used well, it is good enough to deliver performance on par with a dedicated camera. While it won't turn everyone into a professional photographer, it will give you a lot more options taking pictures with your smartphone. Also, you probably won't find another cameraphone with this large a sensor for a long while to come as cameras on smartphones will likely stay around 20MP or less for now.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 will probably remain the most powerful cameraphone for quite some time thanks to it's so far yet to be matched 41MP camera sensor

Offering the best Snapdragon 800 processor based smartphone performance in the market this awesomely engineered smartphone also has an awesome battery life, takes great pics from the earth's atmosphere and is one of the few phones to pull off buttons on the backside successfully. Of particular note was the 13MP OIS camera that came with the smartphone that worked so well under low-light and shaky conditions that the LG team put it on the head of a chicken and sent it up to space. Want a smartphone that should futureproof you for 2014? Then the LG G2 would be a very good smartphone to try.

The LG G2 is an excellent all-rounder with some innovative features like rear controls and much more

The LG G2's 13MP OIS camera caught excellent video and camera views in space, the ultimate low-light and shaky condition, highlighting one of the many excellent features of the LG G2

The Xperia Z1 is one of the first Sony products to feature a combined effort from all of Sony's various departments. This has resulted in Triluminous display tech from Sony's HDTV department, a midrange 20MP camera sensor and top of the line lens from their camera department and much more all in a sleek water proof monolithic smartphone. It looks and performs simply awesome and is another future-proofing smartphone you can get for 2014 and not have to worry about new tech specs outclassing it for quite some time.

If you're looking for the best tech specs in a smartphone around, the Sony Xperia Z1 is the one for you

Featuring a smartphone touchscreen swipe interface with featurephone functionality, the Nokia Asha 500 series rounds out the initial Nokia Asha 501 with the other models including the Asha 500, Asha 502 and top-of-the-line Asha 503. With a model for every type of user out there this is the mobile phone you want to get for those who aren't comfortable with smartphones but have outgrown the numeric keypads of their RM100 feature phones.

The Nokia Asha 503 offers smartphone functionality in a featurephone package

Sure it looks exactly the same as the Apple iPhone 5, but the new internal tech specs have sparked a revolution in the mobile industry. As the world's first consumer smartphone with a 64-bit A7 processor it also has the distinction of being the first smartphone to do fingerprint sensors easily and quickly. While it may not bring anything new to the design the Apple iPhone 5S is also another good contender for future-proofing here in 2014. Too bad the camera upgrades are too small to make much of a difference, so nix this if you want a better cameraphone.

While it looks the same as the previous version the Apple iPhone 5S is probably the first smartphone in the world to implement a good fingerprint scanner

One of the first Nokia Phablets to hit the market, the Nokia Lumia 1520 also packs in the latest Snapdragon 800 processor, an awesome camera and quad HAAC mics, this is the videographers smartphone of choice. Audio and video are captured perfectly for the best 1080p video recording on a smartphone for now. Too bad it still can't do 4K video recording despite the 4K video recording capable Snapdragon 800 processor, but this could change with more firmware updates.

Audio and video recording is awesome with this phablet

The world's first 3GB RAM smartphone phablet also fits the palm of your hand better with artificial leather backing. Featuring a powerful Snapdragon 800 processor and new and improved stylus controls it is the best phablet+stylus combo available bar none right now. If you like writing on your smartphone with a stylus then this is the smartphone or phablet for you, especially if you also like to wear the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch as it is the first smartphone to be compatible with that smartwatch.

With 3GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 800 processor the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the most powerful phablet with a stylus of 2013

These following smartphones we have listed because of the innovation they bring, however 2 of them are not locally available in Malaysia and the other bombed in the local market.

The first smartphone to come out from Motorola after their buyout from Google, the Moto X also holds the distinction of being the first smartphone to successfully be always one and always listening without using up the battery in a single day. It also offers excellent customization options and integrates great with Google's various services. If you want to live the Google life, then this is the smartphone for you, too bad it doesn't have any local support in Malaysia... yet. It's little brother the Motorola Moto G may soon come to Malaysia officially and if it does, the Moto X should follow as well.

When your smartphone is always on and always listening and has touchless control you can have your own mobile PA wherever you are.

Check out all the customization you can do with the Moto X, too bad it's just for the US, for now.

Not only does it have the World's first 2K (2560 x 1440 pixels) display on a smartphone, the Vivo Xplay 3S also packs in awesome top-of-the-line tech specs including HiFi surround sound audio with a dedicated Audio processing chip, 3GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 800 processor, this is China's uber smartphone at just RM1900 (based on Google currency conversion). Too bad it is just available in China for that price and even if it does come over here, it will likely get a massive price hike in the process. Definitely something to consider if you're going to China anytime soon.

Squint no longer with the 2K display Vivo Xplay 3S, hopefully affordable if it ever reaches Malaysia

While there have been touchscreens on BlackBerry smartphones before, the Z10 was the first to completely go without an iconic BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. It also packed in some loud and impressive speakers but really lagged in other tech specs. It also didn't sell very well as at one point BlackBerry was practically giving the Z10 away for FREE, but it was definitely a very bold and innovative move from BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry Z10 was a daring move by the company to offer a smartphone with no QWERTY keyboard which is what BlackBerry is most well-known for


Technics EAH-AZ60 & EAH-AZ40 Malaysia pre-order: begins on 30 Sept, starting from RM649

Today, Technics is excited to announce and release two new true wireless earbuds models - the EAH-AZ60 and EAH-AZ40. Starting from October 2021 onwards, these new audio wearables will make their way to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

Interested Malaysian audiophiles who are interested to purchase can start to pre-order from tomorrow (30 September). The Technics True Wireless Earbuds EAH-AZ60 and EAH-AZ40 cost RM1049 and RM649 respectively, and the pre-order campaign will end on 15 October 2021. They will be available at the Panasonic Malaysia Lazada and Shopee Official Store.

In terms of features, the EAH-AZ60 and EAH-AZ40 function like any wireless earbuds but with some perks. According to Technics, there is a new JustMyVoice technology that can actively detect and capture your voice, while analysing and isolating surrounding noises for clearer calls. Besides that, they are also equipped with dual hybrid noise-cancelling technology and HiRes Audio Quality with Bluetooth and LDAC technology.

There are other features as well, such as an Acoustic Control Chamber to optimise the bass and mid-range sounds, Attention Mode, and IPX4 water resistance rating. Finally, the EAH-AZ60 model is available in black and silver, while the EAH-AZ40 is available in rose gold, black and silver.

For those who don't know, Technics has more than 50 years of HiFi audio engineering experience. Its reputation is well known across Eastern South Asia, Latin America and the Middle East regions. Are you going to get yourself one? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Technologies used in the Vivo X21 smartphone

The Vivo X21 incorporates several cutting edge technologies such as In-Display Fingerprint Scanner technology as well as the Dual Pixel Sensor which sets a new benchmark in mobile features. Starting off with the In-Display Fingerprint Scanner, Vivo is the first smartphone manufacturer to integrate and mass produce mobile phone displays that are capable of functioning as a fingerprint scanner. This alleviates the need to have a dedicated spot on the device to house the sensor such as on the chin or behind it. This allows Vivo to have larger screens on their devices and also have a much cleaner appearance towards the user.

Not only that, the device also has Dual Pixel Sensor Technology which, through it’s 12MP + 5MP sensor in the rear, allows it to quickly focus and capture depth of field data with every pixel. The autofocus on the device is comparable to that of a DSLR in terms of speed and accuracy, making it extremely easy for the user to capture great photos all the time.

In terms of tech spec, the Vivo X21 is running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, 6GB of RAM, either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, dual 12MP + 5MP camera setup in the rear, single 12MP selfie camera, 6.28-inch display with a screen resolution of 1080×2280 pixels, and the device is powered by a 3200mAh non-removable battery. For more information like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Technology from BlackBerry resurfaces in... an electric superbike?

Back in the day, BlackBerry smartphones were a symbol of status for many businessmen. Today, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone still using one in Malaysia. But the people at BlackBerry Limited have continued to work on other things that many of us don't expect, such as the electric superbike.

According to Engadget, BlackBerry has been collaborating with Damon Motorcycles for the latter's new Hypersport Pro Electric Superbike that will be making a CES 2020 debut. This electric-powered comes powered by BlackBerry's QNX operating system and features a CoPilot advanced warning system, which can warn its riders of incoming objects and thus improve safety. It accomplishes this using a series of sensors, radars, and cameras. Of course, BlackBerry QNX is a frequently used OS for car infotainment systems, so this isn't exactly something new.

While this is not quite what fans of BlackBerry expect and it certainly isn't a smartphone, perhaps those who are also superbike enthusiasts might appreciate it. But considering the lack of recharging stations in Malaysia, would you actually shell out the money for this? Do let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more CES 2020 coverage.


Tecno Chameleon Coloring Tech could see your smartphone’s backside change between 1600 colours

Almost mirroring the colour changing BMW from CES2023, Tecno has come out with their Chameleon Coloring Technology which could allow a phone or device equipped with it to change between 1600 different colours. The tech itself is not a display but instead uses sub-micron prisms allowing it to change colours in just 0.03 seconds.

The tech is also energy efficient so you can change it 100 times a day and only use up the same amount of energy as watching a video. Tecno envisions it to change colours and patterns automatically to mirror notifications, battery status, music and so forth much like the LEDs on the Nothing (1) phone.

So far, no Tecno device has been named that might use this Chameleon Coloring Technology and there are no Malaysia release dates, but it could mean the start of more such colour changing phones or even cases that you can customize as you want. What colours would you make your phone change into? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Tecno Phantom X2 series release: MTK Dimensity 9000, 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED, and 50MP retractable camera

Another interesting smartphone enters the market when the year is about to end. The new Tecno Phantom X2 series has arrived, and the Pro variant has brought a retractable camera. It's not something we've never seen before, but it's rare.

The Tecno Phantom X2 and X2 Pro get powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC, paired with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 3.1 storage. They also sport a 6.8-inch AMOLED display at a 120Hz refresh rate, with protection provided by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The battery that juices up the devices offers a capacity of 5,160mAh, alongside support for 45W charging.

Coming to the camera, the Phantom X2 Pro features a 50MP 1/1.3-inch ISOCELL 3.0 sensor in its primary shooter. It also has a 13MP ultra-wide camera that doubles as a macro camera as it has autofocus. Moving to the highlight, the device has a retractable portrait lens that uses a 50MP ISOCELL JN1 sensor. It has a very bright f/1.5 aperture, which is relatively wide for a 65mm smartphone lens. However, it's retractable, so it keeps the smartphone slim, as it only extends when in use. On the other hand, the vanilla variant has a 64MP primary camera, the same 13MP macro shooter, and an additional 2MP depth sensor. Both use a 32MP sensor on the front for selfies and video calls.

The Phantom X2 Pro comes in Mars Orange and Stardust Grey. Meanwhile, the vanilla X2 is available in Stardust Grey as well, and also Moonlight Silver. The devices' price tags haven't been revealed yet, but they're expected to go on sale in the coming weeks.

What do you think about the Tecno Phantom X2 series? Drop a comment to let us know your opinion, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone news.


Tecno Spark 10 Pro release: Helio G88 SoC, 6.8-inch 90Hz IPS display and 32MP selfie camera

Tecno has released its latest midrange smartphone offering, the Tecno Spark 10 Pro. Listed on its official website, no price list has been revealed just yet, but the full specs and features have been unveiled by the company.

The Spark 10 Pro seems to be an imaging-focused device as the camera setup is where it shines. At its rear, the smartphone sports a 50MP main camera paired with an AI lens and a quad-LED flash. Meanwhile, the front features a 32MP selfie camera with an LED flash housed inside the punch-hole cutout of the display.

Speaking of which, the Spark 10 Pro has a 6.8-inch 90Hz IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2460 x 1080 pixels. It also supports the DCI-P3 colour gamut and has a 20.5:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the device is powered by the MediaTek Helio G88 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM. Users can also virtually expand the RAM by up to 8GB by utilising the device’s storage, which is offered in either 128 or 256GB.

Other notable specs include a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W charging, USB-C,  NFC, a 3.5mm audio jack, Android 13 OS via HiOS 12.6 and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The device’s price is expected to be unveiled by Tecno India soon as it would be launched in the country soon. As of the time of writing, Tecno has yet to reveal whether the Spark 10 Pro will be released in other regions. Well, do make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for the latest development on the device as well as other trending tech news.


Tecno Spark Power 2 Air release: 7-inch display, 6,000mAh battery and quad-camera setup, priced at ~RM479

There are a lot of smartphone brands out there nowadays and it's hard to keep up even for us. With that said, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer named Tecno that was established in 2006 has launched a new smartphone today. The Tecno Spark Power 2 Air arrived as a lower edition to the Tecno Spark Power 2 that debuted in June. Let's find out what this new mid-range device has to offer!

The Tecno Spark Power 2 Air features a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Luckily, the device does come with a microSD card slot so you don't have to worry about the relatively small storage. Other than that, it also sports a 7-inch IPS LCD panel with 720 x 1,640 pixels, 20.5:9 aspect ratio, and 480nit brightness. There is a 6,000mAh battery to power the device up.

For photography, the Spark Power 2 Air comes with a quad-camera setup that has a 13MP main sensor, a 2MP macro lens with a 4cm focal length, a 2MP depth sensor, and an AI lens. On the front, the teardrop notch houses an 8MP selfie camera. Besides the tech specs mentioned, the device will be running HiOS 61 based on Android 10 out of the box. It has a fingerprint sensor on the back as well. The mid-ranger will be priced at 8,499 INR (~RM479) in India and available in two colour options including Ice Jadeite and Cosmic Shine.

Let us know what you think about the Tecno Spark Power 2 Air on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest smartphone news.


Apple Watch Series 7 might prioritise larger battery instead of new sensors

Last month, it was rumoured that the Apple Watch Series 7 could come with some new sensors. We even have renders of what should be a major redesign, which suggests that new hardware is possible. However, that may not be the case after all.

According to Economic News Daily (via Wccftech), the Apple Watch Series 7 will feature a smaller S7 chip to free up more space. The extra space would then be used for a larger battery or new sensors. Currently, nobody knows which option Apple would choose. But while adding more sensors could be a technical challenge, adding a larger battery shouldn't be difficult.

The new model is expected to have flat edges

Besides the new chip and possibly larger body, insiders claimed that there would be a new design and colours to attract buyers. This lines up with the previous rumour, which suggested that the Apple Watch Series 7 would have flat edges and a new green colour. The device is also expected to have smaller bezels, so the display should also be larger.

While we think a larger battery is the more likely outcome, Apple might surprise us and upgrade the new model differently. If it was you, what would you like to see changed in the Apple Watch Series 7? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for further updates about it.


Telcos are urged to upgrade service and coverage quality by the Malaysian government

Recently, our Minister of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) Tan Sri Annuar Musa just did a media interview regarding improving our mobile network. He is urging local telcos to reinvest and upgrade their coverage and telecommunications services to improve their quality.

During the interview, he said that although he is aware that telcos need to pay dividends to shareholders with high profits, they still need to be fair to consumers and act more seriously to invest. Case in point, many consumers said that they still have connection issues even though the coverage network in Malaysia has reached 98%.

With that in mind, the KKMM will be meeting with the top management of each telco for further discussion. On the other hand, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will conduct an audit and review the performance of each telco as well. Should the telcos fail to meet the established standards, they can be fined or compounded based on existing laws.

Meanwhile, the KKMM will also provide around 15 to 20 units of devices in each Malaysian Family Digital Economy Centre (PEDi) nationwide. PEDi is a one-stop centre to help rural communities gain access to the internet and build ICT-based skills. Have you also finally experienced the 5G connection? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Telcos opens Samsung Galaxy Note 7 pre-orders

The moment you have been waiting for is here. No, not the official launch (but we expect it to be pretty soon) but the Malaysian telcos are opening pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 for their customers – and their packages are quite enticing to say the least.

Maxis starts the ball rolling with their Zerolution package, which gives customers the chance of owning the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from RM 101 per month. As a recap, Maxis Zerolution packages gives customers a chance to own smartphones at low cost, and then change their phones yearly to the latest model in the market. For the Samsung Galaxy Note, they only need to pay a monthly of RM101, and with every pre-order they will receive the Samsung Wireless Charger Stand, a 10200 mAh power bank and an extra travel adapter. All you need to do is pay a monthly fee of RM101 for the phone, along with Zerolution fee of RM30, and finally, an optional device protection fee of RM23 each month.

Digi meanwhile is offering a Note 7 Bundle from as low as RM 1210 with a new contract with them. Digi is offering an additional discount of RM319, on top of the regular bundle like a free wireless charger stand, a free 10,200 mAh battery pack, and a free travel adaptor. Plus, if you subscribe with the higher monthly commitment, the customer will get more data per month.

Celcom will be offering the Galaxy Note 7 bundle from RM 2140, with a monthly commitment of RM 150. Like the other telcos, each preorder will receive a free wireless charger stand, a free 10,200 mAh battery pack, and a free travel adaptor.

Lastly, U Mobile’s bundle will start from RM 1699, with freebies including the free wireless charger stand, a free 10,200 mAh battery pack, and a free travel adaptor. Additionally, customers can head to their website to receive extra discounts of up to RM 319 per customer.

All of the telcos will have pick up service of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from August 18 onwards, a day before the official global availability on August 19. Will you be one of the first to get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7?


Telcos reveal Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Malaysia pricing from RM2399 and RM2749

Both Maxis and DiGi have opened up pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones. They have also inadvertantly revealed the Malaysia pricing for the upcoming Malaysia release date of 6 November 2014. As it is, the 16GB Apple iPhone 6 will be going for RM2399 while the 16GB Apple iPhone 6  Plus will be going for RM2749. Check out the complete Malaysia pricing for the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus below:

Do bear in mind that the pricing listed here is based on the telco pricing. This has happened before last year and when the official pricing was officially revealed, the pricing was a bit different, some higher and some lower. In any case, the official Malaysia pricing is due on 6 November 2014 so we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out for sure.


Telegram Messenger to launch paid features in 2021, chats to remain free

Pavel Durov, the founder and product manager of Telegram Messenger recently revealed that Telegram will launch paid features in 2021 while current chat features that are free, will continue to stay free... forever. Fear not though, as he has mentioned that the encrypted Telegram Messenger will continue to remain private (so there won’t be any selling of private data, whew), but there may be their own ads platform coming soon.

Other paid features will target business or power users but there’s been no mention as to what exactly these features will be. The aforementioned own ads platform will likely affect those who utilize Telegram as single channel feeds, and who have been using third party apps to do so.

Again, no specifics or details on how much their own ads platform will charge or whether they will block usage of these third party ad apps but with 2021 coming in just another week or so, we won’t have to wait long to find out. For most Malaysians this won’t affect you, but what power features would you pay for from Telegram Messenger? Let us know in our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com


Telegram Stories is coming soon in early July

Today, Pavel Durov, Telegram CEO announced that the Telegram app will have Stories. Prior to this, Telegram was actually against it but as one of the most requested features by Telegram users, it will be launched soon in the Telegram way.

According to Durov, Telegram Stories will have a flexible privacy setting which users can set to 'Everyone', selected contacts or a list of close friends. On top of that, the Stories user interface will also be compact, where users can place it in an expandable section at the top of their chat list. This makes Stories accessible without taking up too much space.

In addition, users will be offered a dozen of photo and video-editing tools to input captions, links and tags into their Stories. Dual Camera support will be integrated as well and perhaps the best one of all - users can choose how long the Stories should last. It can be 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours, or even permanently.

Durov said Stories should be available in early July 2023. We don't need to wait that long as it's almost the end of June soon. So sit tight and stay tuned for that.


Telegram adds Hidden Media, Zero Storage Usage and other new features in New Year’s update

In conjunction with the new year, popular messaging platform Telegram has introduced several new features that would further improve users’ experience with the app. These include a revamped media editor with a host of new tools, new storage options and even customised profile pictures for your contacts.

Revealed in an official blog post, one of the more stand-out new features is a new blur tool on Telegram’s media editor that allows users to blur out certain areas of a photo or video. As such would allow users to hide sensitive information or even blur out the faces of unwanted photobombers in their photos.

Furthermore, the drawing tools now dynamically change width based on drawing speed and automatically smooth lines drawn by users. There are also 5 high-precision ways to choose colour now, including the Eyedropper tool.

Text tools also got an upgrade, whereby users can now change size, font and background when adding text to photos or videos. Moreover, Telegram also said that adding custom animated emoji to text on images is available for all users, even if they don't have a Premium subscription.

Besides that, the app now has support for Hidden Media or spoiler formatting to hide any text in messages. This works for covering photos and videos with a blurred layer too, with recipients only needing to tap once to view the content.

For those that are always short on storage space on their devices, Telegram has introduced Zero Storage Usage which allows users to remove media and documents from the phone's storage and re-download them from their Telegram cloud at any time. Other notable new features include the ability to choose a profile picture for your contact (only you will see it on their profile), suggest profile photos to contacts, hide group members, new animated emoji and new progress animations on Android.

So, what do you guys think of the slew of new features on Telegram? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.


Telegram introduces Power Saving Mode and other new features in latest update

Popular messaging platform Telegram has announced several new features to its app via an update. These include a new Power Saving mode, optimisation for lower-end Android devices and more.

In a blog post, the company elaborated that the new Power Saving Mode can be set to be automatically turned on when your battery reaches a certain percentage. Essentially, the mode disables the app’s animations and lightweight effects to extend battery life and can be toggled or tweaked in Settings > Power Saving.

The mode also allows for improved performance on older devices, with individual toggles that let users disable specific effects. For iOS users, the power saving settings can be used to limit background updates, though Telegram doesn’t actually recommend this as it would mean seeing the app ‘updating…’ a lot more.

Meanwhile, for Android users, Telegram said that it has manually tested more than 200 device types to create optimised default settings. This will ensure all users get the best experience.

Besides that, the update also introduces:

Awesome! So, what do you guys think of the latest Telegram update? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news such as this.


Telegram just got 25 million new users around 72 hours, surpassing 500 million active users milestone

Following WhatsApp's new privacy policy update, many users are jumping ship to another messaging platform such as Signal. Another popular messaging app is Telegram which has been around for quite some time now, and they have just reached a new milestone with 500 million active users.

According to Telegram, 25 million new users are partly responsible for contributing to their newfound success. To make things even surprising, it also happened around 72 hours and that's fast. If we have to assume, it's a safe bet to say WhatsApp may have lost 25 million users as well.

In case you missed it, users are leaving because WhatsApp shares your data with Facebook and Instagram. Not to say that they will share what topic that you and your friends and family have been chatting, but more to the business point of view. In other words, relevant ads that are targetted towards you on Facebook and Instagram will appear more frequently, at least according to WhatsApp.

Despite this, most users aren't keen having the platform to "spy" on what products have they been talking about and appearing the next moment. Personally, it's a bit intrusive and Telegram is pretty great for the fact that it stores all your chat history even if you switch to a new phone. Are you one of the new Telegram users? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Telegram launches Telegram Premium, an RM22.90/month subscription plan with exclusive features

Previously, we reported that Telegram might be planning to launch a subscription plan with exclusive features not available on its regular version. Recently, the new subscription plan was finally revealed and it’s called Telegram Premium.

In a blogpost yesterday, Telegram elaborated the details regarding its new Premium plan as well as shared the platform’s recent achievement of being the top-5 downloaded apps worldwide in 2022 and having over 700 million overall active users. For Telegram Premium, the subscription service gives users access to exclusive additional features while supporting the platform’s continued development.

Among the features available for Telegram Premium users include:

Besides that, Telegram is also improving the features available for its free users. These include adding features such as join requests for public groups, an animated screen for external sharing, improved bot descriptions, verification badges in chats, automatic saving to gallery on Android, improved chat previews and improved external sharing on iOS.

Telegram Premium is now available for subscription for RM22.90 a month in Malaysia. To find out more, do visit Telegram’s official website here.

So, what do you guys think of this new premium tier by Telegram? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest trending tech news.


Telegram now allows users to create accounts without a SIM card

You can now sign up for a Telegram account without having a SIM card. The social media platform announced the feature through an official blog post, but there's a catch.

The messaging platform didn't opt for a basic sign up or login for security's sake. Instead, without a SIM card, users would have to purchase blockchain-powered anonymous numbers through Fragment, which is a decentralized crypto platform owned by Telegram. Although it might seem troublesome, it's a better option for those uncomfortable sharing their actual phone numbers.

Many other messaging platforms, like WhatsApp, only allow you to sign up via a SIM card. It prevents you from using the same service on multiple devices. Besides this, Telegram has also brought along auto-delete functionality for all new chats, improved topics functionality in groups, an "aggressive anti-spam" mode for groups, and the ability to generate a temporary QR code for people to add you. There are some emoji-related tweaks as well. These include emoji search on iOS, more custom emoji for Premium users, and more interactive emoji. Telegram also confirmed that the storage usage page on the Android app would get an overhaul similar to the one on iOS.

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


Apple Watch Series 7 release: IP6X, cycling tracker, new design from ~RM1660

Other than the iPad and the iPad mini, Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 7, which comes with various new features ranging from IP6X rating, new colours, as well as a new design starting from the price of 399USD (~RM1660). Unfortunately, there is no official information regarding the exact release date and local pricing for now so do periodically check Apple’s official website for more information.

To elaborate more about the Apple Watch Series 7, it comes with a much rounder frame compared to its predecessor and it has a much wider screen, allowing it to fit up to 50% more text. But that’s not all, it also has narrower bezels, and it is available in either Midnight, Starlight, Green, Blue, and Product Red colour scheme.

In addition to that, the new Apple Watch is also much more durable as it is IP6X dust resistance, and it’s also waterproof, making it suitable for people who take part in watersports. Internally, the Apple Watch Series 7 comes with the new WatchOS 8, ECG, fall detection, blood oxygen monitoring, cycling mode and a full QWERTY keyboard for faster text input.

When it comes to battery life, Apple claims that the Apple Watch Series 7 is able to last up to 18 hours, which is much longer compared to its predecessors. Also, leaving it charging for 45 minutes will bring the battery from 0% to 80% while charging it for 8 minutes will give you up to 8 hours of sleep monitoring.

With all that said, would you be interested in getting the Apple Watch Series 7? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.