Webe digital review - nearly everything unlimited... except for speed, for now

Webe digital is one of Malaysia's first ‘unlimited’ mobile Internet and voice plans available featuring unlimited data, SMS and calls for a conditional price of just RM79 (after discounts). Does it live up to the hype?

The short answer to that is Yes... but with conditions. For the long answer, read on.

To get the RM79 a month (actually RM85 with 6% GST) price you have to have a Webe certified phone (yes, they know what phone you're using) and you have to be a P1/TM user or else you pay RM199 a month. There is an RM100 one time registration fee (which you'll get back in your first payment) for Malaysians and RM300 for non-Malaysians but there is no contract. (currently, webe digital are waiving those 2 pre-conditions for a limited time, rumoured to be ending on 31 December 2016).

According to Webe themselves, Internet, SMS and Calls are all unlimited. There are no quotas or caps or throttling. The only limitation is that it is for individual use only, so you can't turn your phone into a hotspot (yes, they can tell if you're doing that too) or use the Webe SIM in a Mifi. If you insist, you'll be charged extra for it (RM6 per hour).

Webe’s solution to blocking sharing is to lower the price of extra lines which you can see in the breakdown below:

So you can get unlimited data for as low as RM49 (technically) but only if you pay a total sum of RM256 (RM79 + RM69 + RM59 + RM49) for 4 separate lines. You can get a 5th line for another RM49.

Everything is online, even the signup process

Choose a shiny new number or keep your old one (migrate)

Signup and registration are all online as well as customer care and after services. In a show of efficiency, our webe SIM card arrived by courier within an hour later (during the launch event itself).

Delivery of your Webe SIM card is within the hour

In our previous comparison test we recorded speeds going as high as 50Mbps for downloads and 9Mbps for uploads but after a couple of weeks of testing the speed has steadied to around 8Mbps downloads and 3Mbps uploads. There are spikes up to 11Mbps downloads sometimes but we haven't seen the same speeds of 20 to 50Mbps as before.

The Huawei P9 Plus is one of those phones which are webe certified

For the most part, this is enough to stream 1080p video on YouTube and listen to streaming music but Webe speeds also go down to about 1.4Mbps to 4Mbps for downloads and about 1Mbps and below for uploads. We have also gotten below 1Mbps speeds for downloads before as well, leading to buffering for any form of streaming. Coverage is quite widespread for 3G and not so much for 4G but you can check out your location at the site by yourself.

3G coverage for Webe digital in Malaysia is quite widespread

Quite a few people have commented on the fact that the 850MHz FDD-LTE channel band that Webe is running on has better penetration and spread than other bands. For the most part, this is true as we got pretty good speeds in the basement car park while other mobile telcos simply went to ‘E’ or disconnected completely. This isn’t to say that there aren’t dead zones as we have found such areas where no connectivity is available for Webe or any other mobile telco.

In some cases, Webe works even in locations where others don't

Roaming is also relatively painless and you get the same unlimited everything, but the connection relies on the supported partner of the country you are roaming in. This means if the partner’s network isn’t good, you won’t get good roaming performance as you can see in our recent trip to Singapore with Webe.

Overall, we really like the simplicity that the one-size-fits-all philosophy Webe’s RM79 a month unlimited mobile Internet plan offers. However, not everyone needs unlimited amounts of mobile Internet and even then most 4G LTE mobile Internet providers offer speeds upwards of 20Mbps. Granted, Webe is steadier, more stable and works in more areas of Malaysia but you won’t be able to download as fast as certain other 4G LTE mobile Internet providers or use it to share with other devices. We know Webe have done this to stop people from leeching off the network but there are many single users with multiple devices (phone + tablet + notebook computer).

The only users who actually need such an unlimited plan are those who find their quotas being used up halfway through the month despite paying more than RM100 every month. For these users, the RM79 per month Webe would be great if not for the fact that you will have to wait longer for your downloads. So, good for streaming and gaming but bad for downloads. And if you have multiple devices the extra lines still amount to more than RM100 a month.

Recent updates from Webe reveal that these speeds could improve dramatically next year in 2017. Currently, the network delivers an estimated maximum download speed of 110 Mbps but in Q1 2017 a second 2300Mhz TDD-LTE channel will be added on (via the 2CC CA method) for an estimated maximum download speed of 165Mbps. This speed will increase by up to 300Mbps via the 3CC CA method by the end of 2017. Webe customers should see these improvements next year, starting from the major city centers.

Quite a lot of heavy data users like myself who only watch YouTube periodically, use social media or the Internet for mostly work or to chat with peers don't actually need more than 1.5GB to 2GB of data a month. It is nice to have the option of nearly unlimited everything for below RM80 a month though but no, Webe is not for everyone. If you already have a mobile Internet plan that works for you, is below RM79 and gives you the coverage you need, you are probably not going to switch to Webe.

However, for that certain special mobile only user that stays connected endlessly, it might be just the right fit, so for those users go check out their site for more details. TM have indicated that the RM79 price tag is only being offered for a limited time only so for those who can wait for faster speeds, perhaps now is the time to sign up with Webe. Once speeds increase next year we fully expect the price to increase as well.


Webe is giving away 1-year data plans for free

The newest telco in town is gearing up for their official launch sometime in the middle of the year. To help with the awareness building, Webe has launched their own app called webe850; by joining in the games and contest on the app, you could stand a chance to win a one year’s worth of free data, smartphones and more.

Formerly known as P1, Webe rebranded itself as a community enabler, supporting noble projects for the community. Now they are taking the next step to establish itself as the newest telco on the market. This is done through their app called webe850. It is available now through both the Apple AppStore and the Google Play Store. Why 850? That will be the frequency that Webe will be operating under.

Users can get points to be at the top of the scoreboard by participating in games in the app, sharing invites to the app through Facebook, as well as checking out the Webe roadshow that is happening until the 16th of May in Sunway Pyramid. The top scorers stand to win the aforementioned 1-year data plan from Webe, as well as prizes such as the Huawei Mate 8, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, holiday trips and more.

Head on to the official website or download the app for more information.


Webe's 1 simple plan is finally open to the public

After plenty of teasers, Webe's 1 simple unlimited mobile Internet plan is finally open to Malaysia's public. Featuring unlimited Internet data, calls, SMS and no contract the plan is available for RM199 but with discounts (RM60 off if you have a Webe certified phone + RM60 off if you are a P1/TM customer) you can get it for as low as RM79 a month. Check out the video below and their site for more information. We're currently reviewing the webe plan so stay tuned for more at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: 2-weeks worth of tech and more

Sorry TechNavers, last week due to weekend events and issues we could not foresee, I couldn't get the Weekly TechNave out. The good news is that now we have 2 weeks of tech news and events for this week's Weekly TechNave.

Internationally, the Xiaomi Mi 5S and Mi 5S Plus got launched along with the TCL 950 and Blackberry will not be designing smartphones anymore. Samsung also officially announced their Galaxy A8 (2016). The Malaysian prices for the Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus got "officially" leaked, so check out our compilation page to register your interest for the telco of your choice.

Nokia is still alive with the Nokia 216 Dual SIM from Microsoft while the LG G5 also went official for Malaysia. The Blackberry DTEK50 also went live (for preorders) while the Honor 7 and Honor 7 Enhanced both got price cuts. We did our first collaboration with Lazada, giving away the Honor 8 to loyal TechNavers with hopefully more such giveaways to come.

For local events we had the MaxisONE Kid Watch and plan, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Olympic medalist Azizulhasni Awang appeared for a Huawei P9 roadshow. Webe came out with their 1 single unlimited everything plan and we got our hands-on a SIM to try out. The folks at YES brought in Eric Cantona for a Double Double date while GoPro announced their Hero5 family and ParkEasy wants to solve your Malaysian parking woes.

ASUS Malaysia launched their first Republic of Gamers concept store and Samsung Malaysia started the replacement roll-out for their Galaxy Note 7. Sony also launched the Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact while Mr. Anonymous came through again with the official announcement of the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime, complete with hands-on pics. The Meizu M3s and M3 note also arrived officially in Malaysia thanks to Satu Gadget.

On the camera side of things, quite a few cameras came out including the:

We unboxed the OnePlus 3 and got some hands-on with the Samsung Gear Fit 2 and Gear IconX. On the horizon, Google will be announcing some Pixel devices on 4 October 2016 alongside some new Alienware devices from Dell. We're also coming out with some new features for TechNave.com especially for gadget-loving TechNavers, so stay tuned for that soon.


Weekly TechNave: ASUS ZenFone 3, ASUS ZenBo, Huawei P9, P9 Plus, Samsung Galaxy J series and more

This week Computex started but for most of us, ASUS stole the show with their Zenvolution, announcing the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe, ZenFone 3 and ZenFone 3 Ultra. ASUS didn't stop there and also announced their ASUS Transformer 3 2-in-1 laptops and the ASUS ZenBook 3 but their biggest news turned out to be their ZenBo personal robot. Huawei Malaysia started the sale of their Huawei P9 and P9 Lite and subsequently announced the price and release date for the much awaited Huawei P9 Plus.

On the new releases side, the OnePlus 3 arrived without any invitation system required but so did the Sony Xperia E5, LG Stylus 2 Plus, Xiaomi Mi Band 2, Samsung Gear IconX and Samsung Gear Fit 2 alongside ASUS ROG, Dell and MSI computers. On the local side, the Doogee Y300 got announced with the Samsung SUHD 2016 TVs, Nikon D5 and Nikon D500 DSLRs, while Touch N' Go came out with their Time Traveller watch.

We managed to get some hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 along with some pricing rumours for Malaysia. We also got the Huawei P9, showing how awesome the monochrome mode really is. If you're still on the fence about choosing either the P9 or the P9 Plus we did a comparison for that along with a comparison for which ASUS ZenFone 3 to save up for. Not many actual reviews but we expect more next week so stay tuned for that at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: About Google I/O, Huawei P9 Malaysia pricing and more

Starting out quietly and ending with a bang, this week's Weekly TechNave highlights included the shockingly affordable Malaysia pricing for the Huawei P9 and P9 Lite along with Google I/O 2016 which revealed Android N, Daydream VR and a host of other features. The ASUS ZenFone 3 rumours have started up as well including an official teaser video, benchmarks and more while Lenovo announced their moto G4 series of smartphones.

The former Alcatel-branded Flash series also announced the Flash Plus 2, and we'll be there to cover its local launch in Malaysia next week. Also launched in Malaysia this week was a new range of Acer devices including the fanless liquid cooled Acer Switch Alpha 12 along with other Acer laptops. While it wasn't local, Sony also announced their Xperia XA Ultra while Xiaomi announced their Android TV 6.0 based Mi Box and Yi Action Camera 2 as well.

On the review side things were rather quiet with just the ASUS ZenPad 10 Z300CL review but we also answered the question many users are thinking about which was, "What is the difference between the Huawei P9 and the Huawei honor V8?". Stay tuned for more as we cover the latest tech news here in Malaysia and around the world.


Weekly TechNave: About Malaysian Apples, the Huawei P9, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and more

In our first weekly roundup this week at TechNave, Malaysia's Technology hub, the biggest event was quite obviously the launch of the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus where they confirmed their dual camera and LEICA partnership rumours spectacularly. In addition, the Huawei TalkBand B3 was also launched. Fans of Apple devices got an early suprise as the Apple iPhone SE got its official pricing from RM1949 while the Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch was priced from RM2699.

The whole Maxis portout ruckus came to a close with a personal apology from Maxis CEO Morten along with news that ALL Malaysian MaxisONE plan customers will enjoy the same upgraded quotas next month. To help sweeten things up, every MaxisONE plan customer is also getting an extra 3GB of Internet for free next week. The new Maxis plans are coming next month so stay tuned.

Check out our video weekly roundup as well by Joshua, TechNave Reviewer extraordinaire

The TechNave Reviewers were quite busy this week too, as the review of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge came out along with hands-on videos of the Huawei Mate 8, Sony FDR-AXP55 4K Handycam and more. Next week sees another busy week as Vivo comes to Malaysia with their Vivo V3 Max while Sony and Canon have a number of surprises as well so stay tuned for those.

Here are the stand-out events of last week in a list:

For the full list of what went down last week, check it below:


Apple iPad Mini Review - More than just a Mini

Usually when a tech device like a smartphone or a tablet is called a Mini, it means that it is a cut down or lower-end version of the main device that it takes it's name from. This seems to be the general feeling that most users get before thinking about getting the Apple iPad Mini. However, they couldn't be further from the truth as this little 7.9-inch tablet packs in a whole bunch of features within a just as excellently designed casing as the original Apple iPad. If you liked the cellular version of the Apple iPad then you also may like the cellular version of the Apple iPad Mini, but is it the tablet for you? Read on and find out in our review of the Apple iPad Mini.

Check out the Photos on the Apple iPad Mini compared to the Apple iPad

At first glance, the Apple iPad Mini looks exactly like the Apple iPad. This is because the 10.1-inch screen on the iPad matches almost exactly with the 7.9-inch screen of the iPad Mini. However, while the colour and overall look may be the same, a closer inspection will reveal that the iPad mini has slimmer bezels, giving it a more narrow look and making it easier to hold in one hand. While the 7.9-inch screen isn't a Retina Display, the 1024 x 768 pixel resolution is sharp enough to view most websites and documents with ease. As a plus the screen already has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic (anti-oil) coating. At 312g for the Cellular version it is nearly half the weight of the Apple iPad and a good 30 or so grams lighter than a comparable 7-inch tablet. It is also super thin and probably much thinner than most tablets. In short, it gives the same viewing experience as an Apple iPad but is both lighter and smaller and easier to hold.

Featuring a 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor and chipset the Apple iPad Mini has the same power and performance as an Apple iPad 2. While it only has 512MB of RAM most Apple apps are optimized enough for it not to be noticeable. A 5MP autofocus rear camera and 1.2MP front camera lets you record at least 720p HD video for the front camera and full HD 1080p video for the rear camera. The 7.9-inch screen is LED-backlit and IPS so viewing it from the side or at an angle should be just fine. The cellular version also packs in support for 4G LTE along with Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS and Siri. It is also one of the few Apple devices out there listed as capable of upgrading to iOS 7 when the final version comes out in September 2013.

Apple iPad Mini Facetime performance compared to an Apple iPad shows that it is equal in every way except the screen

Make no mistake, the Apple iPad Mini is not a cut down version of the original iPad. It performs just as well as the Apple iPad 2 with no lag between apps. What worked on the Apple iPad 2 will work on the iPad Mini and since this includes practically every app or game available, performance shouldn't be an issue. The extra 0.9-inch to the screen means that there is no loss in viewing experience and when you combine it with a snap-on bluetooth keyboard, the iPad Mini has exactly the same profile as a notebook. The camera works well enough for images but doesn't do so well in low-light conditions but it should outperform or equal most tablet cameras. Battery performance is about 6 hours or so with 3G or LTE while the WiFi version lasts about 8 hours or so with normal use. Light usage (as in ebook reading with no WiFi) could probably extend battery life past the normal 10+ hours the Apple iPad Mini is rated for. While it still has the aluminum unibody, drop tests show that screen may fracture but actual damage to the tablet is very small compared to a more plastic base tablet. As usual of aluminum unibody devices, the aluminum can get scratched with enough pressure and a sharp enough object (especially on the chamferred sides) but the screen itself is quite scratch resistant.

Apple iPad Mini as an ebook reader compared to the Apple iPad

Overall, the Apple iPad Mini is an excellent smaller tablet for anyone looking for a more portable tablet. You get the same viewing experience and performance as a larger Apple and it is one of the cheapest LTE capable tablets in Malaysia at just  RM1399 for the 16GB version. If you don't need to be mobile, the WiFi 16GB version goes for RM999 but you can get it at cheaper prices. Even with just WiFi, you still get a tablet which can be upgraded to iOS 7 (soon as the final version gets released). If you're new to Apple or are moving over from Android, you may need some time getting used to everything but existing Apple users looking for something lighter should definitely take a closer look at the Apple iPad Mini, as it is a Mini like no other Mini device currently available. Check out the videos of the Apple iPad Mini below but if you need more information go to the Apple site.

Check out all the Apple iPad Mini smart cover colours


Weekly TechNave: About YES 4G LTE, Webe and more

All eyes were on the new additions to Malaysia's Telcos this week when YTL launched their YES 4G LTE alongside WeBe's mobile plans. WeBe revealed a single unlimited everything plan while YTL unveiled compellingly priced postpaid and prepaid plans with a VoLTE smartphone. We compared which one was faster with a YES 4G LTE vs Webe comparison while HP had a Reinvention of Today with new laptops and printers.

Continuing on for the local side, TP-Link launched their Neffos C5 Max smartphone while ASUS announced their ZenBook Flip UX360CA laptop. Internationally, Google announced Android 7.0 Nougat while vivo announced their much teased X7 and X7 plus smartphones. The ZTE nubia Z11 went official alongside the Olympic Edition of the Samsung Galaxy s7 edge.

On the rumours side, Mr Anonymous called it with the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2016) going on sale in Malaysia for RM1999. The honor 8 got teased and the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser ZE601KL got reviewed. Expect more reviews and first impressions of the Huawei P9 Plus, honor 5C, Samsung Galaxy J1 2016, Webe digital mobile and YES 4G LTE in details and more next week as Hari Raya Aidilfitri hits Malaysia. Stay tuned for that and more at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: About more Air-thin notebooks and then some more tech announcements

Last week was filled with a lot of new and official announcements but the most notable one remained Xiaomi's first laptop, the Mi Notebook Air, which for some reason was quickly followed up by another thin notebook computer called the Lenovo Air 13 Pro. Following up on these were the Xiaomi Redmi Pro smartphone with its dual rear camera, while the Android-based Blackberry DTEK50 was also announced. Other notable international announcements include the Samsung Galaxy Tab J for those budget tablet users out there.

Local news really came in droves with the OnePlus 3 officially coming to Malaysia alongside the affordably shock resistant LEAGOO Z5. Acer announced their Aspire X3 and XC desktops. Sony announced their h.ear go speakers and Huawei announced that their hybrid Huawei Matebook would also be available in Malaysia.

On the event side, the ESL One Genting tournament brings in more eSports to Malaysia while Samsung kicked off their Culture Explorer app for Malaysia. Maxis announced their Vodafone collaboration to support the Internet of Things while U Mobile announced free data for Rio Olympics and Dota 2 Championships streamers.

Huawei kicked off their P9 and P9 Plus photography workshops with monochrome and we took a closer look at the inner workings of the Kirin 650 in the honor 5C. No reviews this week, but to make up for it, we're planning to reveal a lot more this week both in terms of tech news as well as reviews, so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - About the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zenvolution, death of VHS and more

This week we didn't see any big announcements but ASUS Malaysia did announce that their ASUS ZenFone 3 will be coming to Malaysia soon at their Zenvolution event on 6 August 2016. If you want some previous generation ASUS ZenFones, check out their ASUS Concept Store at the DirectD center in Subang.

Maybank users can now pay with their phones using MaybankPay and Samsung Malaysia Electronics showed off their 2016 SUHD TVs and premium Soundbar. MDec also announced that schoolkids may soon learn computer coding in 2017.

Rumours that caught our eye included a new Sony Xperia design and teasers of the next Honor Note 8. Xiaomi reportedly may come out with a Mi Notebook priced from 2439 as well.

In international news, Samsung remained number 1 with Huawei quickly catching up at 3 thanks a nearly 21% market share in China. The last VCR player maker announced that they've stopped making them, officially signing the VHS tape's end. MasterCard announced their new Masterpass global digital payment service as well.

As promised, on the review side, we have the honor 5C review, Huawei P9 Plus review and Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro hands-on and unboxing videos. More reviews and videos are coming soon next week so stay tuned for that at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: About the Flash Plus 2, Samsung Galaxy C5 and C7, Xiaomi Mi Drone and more

This week there wasn't any major event or device that stood out in tech, but we did see notable new entries with the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy C5 and C7 smartphones while Xiaomi launched their affordable 4K video recording Mi Drone. Pebble announced some new wearables and the rumours were rife as usual but the more notable one included that the honor 5C could be coming to Malaysia next month while something better and more beautiful would be coming from honor in Q3.

In local news, the Flash Plus 2 made its Malaysian debut alongside the ASUS Republic of Gamers Strix GL502 gaming laptop. U Mobile announced that they were the first to market with WiFi Calling, while Samsung pushed Malaysian media and their Samsung Galaxy S7 edge to the extreme. Samsung Malaysia also released the Galaxy Tab A 2016 for Malaysia and held sales for their 2016 SUHD TVs along with bringing in the pink gold Galaxy S7 edge. The Huawei P9 and P9 lite went on sale during the weekend with a lot of freebies.

On the review side, things were rather quiet with just an unboxing and hands-on video of the Vivo V3Max but we're set to get the Huawei P9 and a bunch of other phones and devices pretty soon so wait a bit and stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - Apple iPhone 7 and Honor 8 cometh, Samsung Galaxy Note 7 aftermath and more

Without a doubt, this week was the week where Apple rose to the occasion with their new jet black, waterproof, dual camera Apple iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 while the Samsung announced how to replace their recalled Galaxy Note 7 in full disclosure. You can now get the previous gen iPhone 6S Plus, 6S, SE and iPads cheaper than before and Apple also announced their waterproof 2nd-gen Apple Watch Series 2 along with their AirPods.

The international blitz continued with the official announcement of the LG V20 and Meizu launched their M3 Max smartphone. Leftover news from IFA 2016 showed new smartphones from Lenovo with the K6, A Plus and P2 series. Alcatel announced their MoveTime wifi smartwatch.

Locally, we now know a lot more about the Honor 8 with their official launch, some first impressions and close-ups of the glassy but classy new flagship along with some of it's features exclusively available here at TechNave.com. The Honor 5A also made a surprise visit, launching alongside the Honor 8.

ASUS Malaysia revealed when you'll be getting the latest ASUS ZenFone 3 for Malaysia while Digi partnered with iflix for unlimited movie streaming for their customers. U Mobile announced their partnership with Facebook, Netflix and Twitter for Video ONZ.

In our reviews we covered the "Selfie Expert" OPPO F1S and the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) review, and we'll be seeing more next week with the OnePlus 3, ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra and Honor 8 so stay tuned to TechNave.com for that.


Weekly TechNave - Apple's iOS 10, mostly rumours, comparisons and more

Not much went official this week except for Apple's iOS 10 update, while you can check out if your device supports it we also did a quick first impressions of it on the Apple iPhone 5. You can now officially pre-order your new Sony PS4 for Malaysia as well.

Samsung continues to ask that you send in your Samsung Galaxy Note 7, with only the Xiaomi Redmi 3S Malaysia release date announced. Most other notable news included closer looks at the Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as they got torture tested and torn down alongside the Apple Watch Series 2.

Rumours included a new fingerprint sensor enabled Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime from our good friend Mr. Anonymous, while a new Honor 6X appeared at TENAA sporting dual rear cameras. The dual rear camera Huawei Mate 9 got leaked along with the announcement date for the Samsung Galaxy S8 while leaked images of the Canon EOS-M5 also appeared.

No reviews this week but we did get a first impression hands-on of Apple's AirPods and we compared the dual cameras of the iPhone 7 Plus and Huawei P9 along with the camera samples of the iPhone 7 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S7. More reviews and videos due for next week though so stay tuned for more at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - GadgetBook Giveaways, the arrival of Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and more

This week we launched our own GadgetBook Giveaways so you can win or own a floating Bluetooth speaker with more weird, trendy and fun gadgets coming soon. However, most of the tech news this week involved the official arrival of the Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus and their subsequent deliveries or bundled launches with Celcom, Maxis (which involved interrupting a band), Digi and U Mobile along with GemFive.

Locally, Samsung Malaysia have officially announced a full refund or exchange for Samsung Galaxy Note 7 pre-order buyers here in Malaysia but on a more positive note Samsung Pay was also launched in open beta for Malaysia. The Casio EXILIM EX-ZR5000 was officially launched as well with other Casio gear.

The Huawei Nova Plus and MediaPad M3 are now officially available in Malaysia and Honor pointed out why the Honor 8 is the perfect device for the selfie generation. In other local news, DJI showed off a new distributor and drones, while the HP Elite x3 offically launched as the flagship Microsoft Windows phone here in Malaysia.

Internationally, the Microsoft HoloLens is rolling out, while Sharp has a corner-to-corner curved and bezel-less display. No reviews or hands-on this week but more are coming next week so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - Google Pixels, still exploding Note 7 and more

The biggest announcement of the week remains the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones along with their Daydream View headset and a number of other devices. As the first wholly made by Google devices they look to phase out the Nexus range but you can check out all the highlights in our Google Pixel under 6 minutes video.

In a dismaying surprise, Samsung Galaxy Note 7 replacement units have caught on fire while on a brighter note Malaysia's telcos including Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile have announced their Apple iPhone 7 pre-orders complete with the chance to get the iPhone 7 from RM7 with the Celcom pre-order.

For local events here in Malaysia, OPPO and the KL Photography Festival showed off the OPPO F1s camera capabilities, a Smart Traffic Analytics and Recognition System pilot got launched and Sony Malaysia introduced their new Signature Series for ultimate sound. The Blackberry DTEK50 smartphone got announced for RM1339, while Dell launched a new laptop and XPS tower range. Dell introduced some new Alienware gaming machines for VR while Malaysia got the Facebook Messenger Lite first.

In camera news, Sony announced their α6500 and RX100MkV cameras, while for our reviews, we came out with the OnePlus 3 review. We also compared the Google Pixel phones against other phones like the Huawei Nexus 6P and ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe. We also got some hands-on pictures with the Meizu M3s and M3 note and a sneak peek at the ASUS ZenWatch 3 with an unboxing and hands-on video.


Weekly TechNave: Honor 8, Pokemon Go, ASUS ZenPower Pro and more

This week, quite a few official announcements happened with the Honor 8 arriving with its rumoured 2.5D glass front and back, the ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser and ZenFone 3 Max getting their official marching orders in Vietnam while Samsung came out with their Galaxy J Max, Galaxy J2, Galaxy J1 Ace Neo, Galaxy On5 Pro, Galaxy On7 Pro, Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Edition and UFS microSDs. LEAGOO announced their affordable shock-proof metal M5 smartphone for $59.99 (RM237) while Final Fantasy 7 was announced for Android 19 years after it was first released.

In other international news, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 got officially announced, followed by the surprise announcement that a variation of the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe would also be one of the first in the world to use the Snapdragon 821 processor. The 9.7-inch ASUS ZenPad 3S 10 also got announced while the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 branding was made official with the unpacked event expected on 2 August 2016. Fujifilm announced their X-T2 DSLR camera as well.

On the local side ASUS Malaysia announced their new ZenPower Pro and ZenPower Ultra powerbanks, Plantronics announced some new hi-fi audio earpieces while the HTC 10 was officially announced for RM2799 alongside their more affordable HTC One X9 for RM1499. The Pepsi P1 smartphone is now also available in Malaysia for RM499 while the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is also officially available for RM1999. The 6-inch display Exmobile Chat 6 made a splash with its RM359 price tag (definitely the most affordable yet) while those who pre-ordered the honor 5C got a free official honor selfie stick as a reward for the support.

Pokemon Go swayed around from being announced to being officially unavailable in Malaysia for now. We heartily recommend those of you who want the game to come to Malaysia to go sign up for early notification as the developers, Niantic Labs are more likely to release for Malaysia faster if they know there's a demand for it.

No reviews up this week but we did compare the HTC 10 vs Huawei P9 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S7 edge along with a comparison of the features of the YES 4G vs Webe. We expect a whole bunch of reviews and videos to come next week though so stay tuned for that at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - Honor Magic, Wiko Ufeel Go, Samsung Galaxy A (2017) leaked and more

This week quite a lot happened as Huawei came out with their Honor Magic concept phone for sale with all the sides and corners curved. Wiko announced their Ufeel Go phone with 4000 mAh battery for just RM599 and the ASUS ZenWatch 3 also got announced for RM1199. You can also pre-order Apple's AirPods for RM849.

Get a closer look at the new Lenovo smartphones

Surprise, surprise and the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 also became available for pre-order here in Malaysia for RM6999. Lenovo announced their A6600, P2, K6 Power and K6 Note smartphones for Malaysia, while 11street announced that online shopping is good and well here in Malaysia. Amazon Prime Video is now available for your international video streaming while Nokia came out with their first phone in a while, the Nokia 150.

Hopefully a sign of better things to come?

As the end of the year nears, the number of deals have increased as well with Huawei coming out with their Trade-Up Campaign so you can get a brand new Huawei flagship device discounted with your older smartphone or tablet. Sony Mobile also announced some extra free gifts with selected Xperia smartphones while Webe mobile wants you to win a new Huawei P9 Premium.

Our usual leakster Mr Anonymous confirmed a number of tech specs for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017). Yahoo Mail got hacked again, so if you still have a Yahoo Mail or login, better go check on your account. On the camera side of things, Sony introduced their Super 35mm / APS-C format power zoom lens for those Sony DSLR users.

Reviews and articles wise, we unboxed and checked out the Huawei Mate 9, along with a full detailed review on the unlimited mobile Internet plan that is Webe digital. We also came out with a comparison article for those of you looking to buy the Apple iPhone 7 Plus and possible alternatives. As always, stay tuned to TechNave.com as we cover the latest in tech news, reviews and more.


Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display (iPad Mini 2) officially announced

The 2nd generation Apple iPad Mini also was recently announced but unlike the iPad Air, only gets the standard Apple name of Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display. Yep, finally, Apple has refreshed the iPad Mini with a Retina Display, fulfilling the demands of Apple iPad Mini tablet users around the world. But guess what, they've also added in a little surprise in the form of a brand new 64-bit Apple A7 processor with the M7 motion coprocessor. Again, no Touch ID fingerprint scanner under the Home button. Rather than talk about the thinner and lighter iPad Mini, Apple have instead chosen to talk about the obvious specs of the Retina Display. This is perhaps because the new iPad Mini with Retina Display is actually thicker at 7.5mm (the previous version was 7.2mm) and heavier at 331g (the previous version was 308g). This isn't so obvious when held in the hand, but if you line the two versions up together and look closely, you'll see the difference. Tech specs and features for the Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display include:

In terms of availability, the Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display is expected to arrive in November 2013 but there are no Malaysia release dates or specific release dates for any country just yet. The US Pricing has the 16GB WiFi version at $399 (RM1260) while the 16GB cellular version is priced at $529 (RM1671). While we think the addition of the Retina Display to the Apple iPad Mini is awesome, the addition of the 64-bit A7 processor may be a mistake for Apple as the two tablets are now practically identical apart from screen size. With a choice between something that will do the exact same thing (but looks much nicer with the higher pixel density), has more or less the same battery life but is lighter, smaller and easier to carry about, the Apple iPad Mini seems like the obvious choice. We also expect there to be supply problems for the Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display as well in the not so far future so if you're keen on it, get it quick when it comes out.


Weekly TechNave: Honor Note 8, Samsung Galaxy Note 7, ASUS ZenFone 3 and more

Last week was crazy busy as Honor started it with a bang and their officially announced Honor Note 8 and Honor 5 Play. Samsung subsequently skipped numbers and officially announced the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 with their new Gear VR. ASUS soon followed suit with their full range of ASUS ZenFone 3, ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra, ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe, ASUS ZenFone 3 Max and ASUS ZenFone 3 Laser smartphones along with their ASUS ZenBook 3, ASUS Transformer 3 and ASUS Transformer 3 Pro, all for Malaysia.

Microsoft announced their Windows 10 Anniversary update while LEAGOO also launched their LEAGOO T1 for Malaysia. The Sony Xperia XA Ultra also officially became available in Malaysia. Finally, Pokemon Go officially arrived in Malaysia as well. Internationally, ASUS also launched their 2K-display ASUS ZenPad 3 8.0 tablet and Xiaomi also launched their first Mi VR Play device for the entry-level market.

As promised, we opened the week with the Huawei P9 Lite review and the vivo V3Max review. We then followed this up with slew of first impressions hands-on videos for the ZenFone 3, ZenFone 3 Deluxe, ZenFone 3 Ultra, ZenFone 3 Max and ZenFone 3 Laser complete with a hands-on and unboxing for the ZenFone 3. Following up was a comparison between the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs the Galaxy S7 edge so you can make a more informed choice when the Note 7 officially becomes available (the pre-order finished in a flash).

This week promises to be just as eventful as the OPPO F1s and Sony Extra Bass arrives in Malaysia. We also have a number of reviews and special articles coming up as well so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - Huawei Mate 9, Xiaomi Redmi 4 and more

This week Huawei dominated the news with their latest and greatest Huawei Mate 9 and Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 smartphones to go with a Huawei FIT smartwatch as well. Xiaomi managed to slip in their Redmi 4, Redmi 4A and Redmi 4 Prime smartphones while Olympus announced their OMD E-M1 Mark II DSLR will be going on sale in December 2016. The Meizu Pro 6S and Meizu M5 were officially announced while the Samsung w2017 flip phone officially arrived in China.

In local news, the Motorola Moto Z, Moto Z Play and the Moto Mods have officially come to Malaysia while SHARP Mobile Malaysia have returned with 2 new phones for the midrange. You can now get the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge in Blue Coral and Netflix and Double Vision will be bringing Malaysian TV series to the world of streaming video.

We also had the Dota 2 Mountain Dew Challenge happening for RM150000 while Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare got launched at midnight. That isn't the last of the gaming as the ROG Masters 2016 finals is happening on 12 November 2016 at KLCC. You can also say goodbye to Samsung Life as it will be integrated with the mySamsung app and LEAGOO appeared at the Premier League.

The ASUS ZenPower Pro powerbank is now in baby blue and rose pink while Digi started their first Digital Day to highlight the latest in technologies and digital platforms. Maxis are also offering new 4G devices for just RM1 with their MaxisONE Plans and Honor Malaysia kicked off their Honor Gala 2016 promotion for more deals and discounts on Honor products. Celcom upgraded their FiRST plans with a new addition of FiRST Gold Plus and Maxis built homes for Orang Asli families.

Reviews-wise we've been gathering up the devices this week so we only have the LEAGOO T1 unboxing and hands-on video and some hands-on videos with the SHARP Z2, SHARP M1 and the SHARP Robohon brand ambassador. Looking for a really small smartphone? Then maybe the Vphone S8 is the one for you as they say it is the world's smallest smartphone. In any case, stay tuned to TechNave.com as the LEAGOO T1 Plus and more comes next week.


Weekly TechNave: IFA 2016, Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall and more

Looks like the biggest news of the week came in at the last moment as Samsung officially recalled the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 over a faulty sometimes exploding battery. It wasn't the only one suspended as Google also stopped work on their Project Ara modular smartphone.

IFA 2016 came and passed in a storm as Sony announced their Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact, ZTE their Axon 7 Mini and TP-Link announced their Neffos X1 and X1Max. Acer announced with the world's first curved screen Predator 21 X laptop, a Pawbo+, the Revo Base Mini PC, Chromebook R 13, Iconia Talk S, Liquid Z6, Spin series laptops and super thin Swift 7.

The IFA blitz continued with the Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch, Motorola announced the Moto Z Play and Hasselblad Moto Mod, and a slew of Lenovo devices including the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Plus, Lenovo Miix 510 2-in-1, and the Lenovo Yoga Book.

ASUS went on a rampage and announced Republic of Gamers devices including the ROG 3DMod, ROG Claymore, ROG Spatha, ROG XG Station 2, ROG Swift PG258Q, ROG GT51, ROG G20, ROG G701VI , ROG Strix GL702VM and the ASUS G11 along with their ASUS ZenPad 3S 10, ZenWatch 3 and ZenScreen. Huawei announced a new phone series with the Huawei Nova, Nova Plus and MediaPad M3 along with new Blue and Red Huawei P9 variants.

Fitbit launched their Charge 2 and Flex 2 activity trackers, while Intel also announced their new 7th generation Intel Core processors based on Kaby Lake. New Malaysian home owners may also get a free Unifi 30 with their new homes.

The Honor 8 is coming on 6 September with a premium combo on 8 September while Apple have announced that their next iPhone is coming on 7 September 2016. Xiaomi announced the local arrival of their Mi Max smartphone while Celcom announced their Xpax Turbo prepaid data plans. ZTE Malaysia launched the AXON 7 flagship for below RM2K.

On the review side, we came out with an exhaustive look at the ASUS ZenFone 3 ZE552KL as ASUS breaks into the upper midrange. We have more coming for you next week including the Apple iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy Note 7, ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy J5 2016 and more so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: Intel mobile pull-out, Facebook Malaysia and Huawei P9 goes regional and more

This week, the biggest news began with the cancellation of Intel processors for mobile, effectively announcing their withdrawal from the smartphone and mobile industry, at least for now. We might see some Intel 5G LTE processors in the future, but it basically means that there will likely be no Intel powered smartphones this year.

Second biggest was the regional announcement of the Huawei P9, P9 Plus and P9 Lite, due for a Malaysia release date after May 2016. The folks at honor celebrated their 2nd Anniversary to #seastheday while Huawei continued the streak by announcing the Huawei G9 Lite and MediaPad M2 7.0.

Facebook also opened their offices in Malaysia while U Mobile and Maxis announced their Apple iPhone SE plans, revealing that it will arrive in Malaysia on 13 May 2016. Malaysia telco news continued with Digi's take on Internet Sharing but apart from that nothing really stood out.

Notable highlights of the week included the Moto 360 Sport First Impression Hands-on video  and Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum gaming mouse review but we'll have more waiting for you next week as Tencent's QQ Watch and more are expected to make an appearance.


Weekly TechNave: Lenovo Phabs, Moto Z, Sony Xperia X and Wiko UFEEL series arrive and more

This week, in a field previously dominated by Samsung and LG, Lenovo showed off their flexible phone-watch bracelet and foldable tablet concept alongside their modular Moto Z and Moto Z Force. Lenovo also announced their Phab 2, Phab 2 Plus and Phab 2 Pro (which is the first consumer Tango phone) while the ZTE nubia Z11 Max also went official as well. In China, the Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro officially appeared as well.

Just in case you don't know the importance of Google's Tango

On the local side, Sony Mobile announced the Sony Xperia X, Xperia XA and Xperia XA Ultra while Lenovo sent us off to watch the Warcraft movie. Wiko also introduced the UFEEL, UFEEL Lite and Robby smartphones for the value market, breaking new ground as the first fingerprint sensor enabled metal body smartphone to be priced below RM450. Samsung confirmed 500 units of the Galaxy S7 edge Injustice Edition while honor Malaysia confirmed the honor 5C and a subsequent contest to win one.

Only 500 units people, make sure you don't miss it if you have the cash and the need for justice

Celcom announced their first Perodua Axia winner while Digi offered new Ramadan deals for data. Samsung also announced some Raya Deals while Maxis announced new MaxisONE plan devices. Other notables include the Lumigon T3 smartphone that has night-vision and the usual Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and Apple iPhone 7 rumours.

On the review side, as promised we came out with the Huawei P9 review along with the hands-on first impressions video of the Sony Xperia X, Xperia XA and Xperia XA Ultra. Next week promises the official coming to Malaysia of the Galaxy J3 2016, Galaxy J5 2016, Galaxy J7 2016 and maybe a few more surprises but you can always read our Samsung Galaxy J 2016 series comparison to be better prepared. We're lined up to check out the honor 5C face to face with more reviews and tech news only at TechNave.com, so stay tuned.


Weekly TechNave - Lots of tech announcements!

While there wasn't any clear big event or device this week, the sheer number of announcements was huge with Vivo announcing their V5 (set for an official announcement in Malaysia next week) along with their X9, X9 Plus and XPlay 5 devices. The more powerful OnePlus 3T got announced rather quietly alongside the downgraded Huawei Mate 9 Lite while Huawei also announced the Huawei Mate 9 Pro for China.

Acer announced the world's thinnest laptop with their Acer Swift 7 and other Acer stuff like monitors while Lenovo announced their Y710 Cube CPU, a Lenovo League of Champions tournament and ESL One Genting Partnership. Also in gaming news, Team Secret and the MongolZ won the ASUS RoG Masters Grand Final, while Sony have cut the pricing for their Xperia XA and XA Ultra smartphones.

BlackBerry announced the DTEK60 smartphone for Malaysia (and we have it on hand for an upcoming review), while Honor Malaysia opened up their first Concept Store here. The Huawei Mate 9 will be coming to Malaysia soon for RM2699, and Samsung Malaysia announced their Lazada store for Malaysians.

Oukitel announced their dual rear camera offering with the U20 Plus, while ASUS is set to showcase Augmented Reality smartphones in next year's CES2017. Set to appear in the next generation of high-end smartphones is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 which was also announced recently.

Digi have weighed in as well, revamping their broadband plans. Maxis rounded things up a little bit more with a revamp for their Hotlink bundles along with the Apple iPhone 7 on Maxis Zerolution.

This week we have quite a lot of reviews with the Meizu M3 Note  review and the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime  review. We also compared the Huawei MediaPad M3 against some other tablets while going hands-on with the Sony RX100 IV. We also checked out the durability of the Xiaomi Mi Mix as well. More tech news and reviews are coming next week, so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: Malaysia's Telco battle continues, phablet reviews and more

This week, Malaysia's telcos continued to battle it out. Celcom officially announced their FIRST Platinum plan with a number of extras like their first Home Broadband offering. Maxis also went official with their updated MaxisONE plans and shared Data Pool. Not much news from the other telcos except perhaps U Mobile offering free mobile Internet for Waze users and Digi's postpaid plan for students. Tune Talk also did their Indonesian-centric Bisa Pak, signalling perhaps more "innovative features" from other telcos coming soon.

The week started with some controversy as Huawei revealed more about their dual camera Leica collaboration on the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus. The Huawei Mate 8 trade-in program started for Huawei's most affordable and powerful flagship smartphone yet but asides from Huawei's teasing of their upcoming Honor V8, everything else was mostly rumours.

On the TechNave home front, we had our roaming comparison for those TechNavers going overseas while the week began with our review of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. It ended on Saturday with a review of the Huawei Mate 8 with more reviews coming next week.


Weekly TechNave - Maxis, Webe, Celcom, Yes and more

The big news this week included the fact that Maxis finally upped their game with 2x upgrades to their MaxisONE Plan and while they initially said it was RM199, Webe are now offering their unlimited mobile Internet plan for just RM79 apparently for a limited time only. Celcom offered some better Apple iPhone 7 bundles with their new FIRST Gold Plus plan.

For Malaysian events we started out the hunt for the Yes Man, and we were also on hand for the launch of the LEAGOO T1 Plus. We also check out Lenovo's latest workstations and ViewSonic introduced some affordable IPS monitors.

Andrew Koh took over at Canon Marketing (Malaysia) while Sony Malaysia held their Sony Alpha Workshop 2016. Singles day came and went on 11 November 2016 as Honor, Flash, Mi Malaysia and more offered plenty of online deals.

Samsung Malaysia Electronics also announced the complete Samsung Galaxy J Series with the Galaxy J2 Prime and J1 Mini Prime while we managed to score some hands-on pics with the Galaxy J2 Prime. Good news for mobile photographers as you can also now edit RAW files in Adobe Lightroom for Android.

Internationally, Huawei are set to build a global ecosystem, while ASUS have announced their "Directed by You" contest for Malaysia and other countries to win an ASUS ZenFone 3. In China, the Motorola Moto M officially went on sale.

As promised, we have a few more reviews this time around with the Sony Xperia X review and Huawei MediaPad M3 unboxing and hands-on. We also unboxed and did a first impression hands-on video of the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime.

Next week, we're unboxing the wonders of Home with Samsung, checking out the vivo V5, Acer's latest thin device, Lenovo's Gaming devices so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: More Telco innovation, the Huawei P9, Shark 1, liquid cooled ASUS and more

Greetings TechNavers! In this Weekly TechNave Malaysia's Telco news is starting to trickle but true to our last weekly's forecast it is mainly about innovation as Celcom refreshed their Xpax Magic SIM, Maxis is offering free 8GB of Internet a month for Hotlink and U Mobile announced more free movie streaming options.

On the tech front, nothing really stood out but the honor 5C got its official announcement along with LEAGOO’s Shark 1 phablet featuring a metal build, fingerprint sensor and 6300 mAh battery tech specs. Due to the demand for the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung Malaysia have brought in the Samsung Galaxy S7 into Malaysia for RM2699. The HTC One S9 also got its official announcement while we're going to personally go check out the Huawei P9 launch in Bali.

ASUS made the news with their world's first true liquid cooled gaming laptop going for an unheard of RM18999 along with their RM60000 grand prize Republic of Gamers or ROG Champions Cup. Our ASUS ZenFone Zoom review also came up. Also appearing is our first video review in a while on a video recorder about the Sony FDR-AXP55 4K Handycam by our own Joshua Se.  The rest of the tech news were mostly rumours but there were little interesting tidbits like the Superbook, Sony's contact lens camera, the Allwinner laptop and the Hover Camera so do check those out too.

Next week we expect either more trickling or one last big burst as we near Ramadan here in Malaysia. No worries though, as we'll continue to cover the latest tech news along with tech reviews at TechNave.com so stay tuned.


Weekly TechNave - More hands-on videos, reviews and releases than we've seen in a while

This week was one of the most hectic we've seen as we revealed our Samsung Galaxy Note 7 unboxing, hands-on and slow motion videos, complete with a look at their battery backpack casing as well. We also unboxed the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra and revealed our Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) review.

Internationally, the Honor 8 got launched in Europe, while Xiaomi announced their Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 smartphone. They also started deployment of MIUI 8, while Fujifilm announced the X-A3 mirrorless camera and Canon announced the EOS 5D Mark IV. Garmin also launched their Fenix Chronos smartwatch.

On the local side, Acer announced their Predator 17 X and G1 gaming computers while iFlix announced more features and series. Mini owners discovered the Huawei P9 and Western Digital launched new storage solutions. U Mobile announced more unlimited video, while Samsung Malaysia highlighted the use of the Galaxy Note 7 in Malaysia's enterprise sector. Maxis and YouTube held a 360 degree film festival.

Next week, we're expecting more reviews and new releases as the ZTE AXON 7 is coming to Malaysia. The Honor 8 is coming next next week but we may be getting some time with it early so stay tuned for those and more at TechNave.com.


Apple iPad Pro 2021 Malaysia Release: 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display and M1 Chip from RM3499

Other than the iMac, Apple also unveiled the new iPad Pro which starts from the price of RM3499 for the 11-inch variant while the 12.9-inch starts from RM4799. The iPads will be purchasable via Apple’s official website, Apple Store App, or via any authorized Apple dealers located across Malaysia.

Not only that, but the products are also available at a slightly cheaper price starting from as low as RM3279 if you’re purchasing for educational purposes. If you want to find out more information regarding the educational discount, head over to Apple Malaysia’s official website.

Moving onto the tech specs, the new iPad comes equipped with up to a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, M1 chip, and it comes equipped with up to 2TB of internal storage. Not only that, but it also supports Apple’s Magic Keyboard (starts from RM1259) and it comes equipped with a LiDAR scanner to ensure quick autofocus when taking pictures.

Other than that, the products also support the second-generation Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard Folio, and a regular Smart Folio starting from the price of RM549, RM769 and RM329 respectively. If you want to find out more information regarding any of the products mentioned above, head over to Apple Malaysia’s official website.

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


Weekly TechNave - Mostly Pokemon Go with a side of new smartphones and more

This week, tech news was rather scarce but Pokemon Go seems to be gripping the nation as XPAX by Celcom and Hotlink and Grab offered their users some Pokemon Go incentives. We chimed in with the top 5 features that Pokemon Go needs while we wait for the next version of Pokemon Go.

On the local side, Webe digital launched... again, and we got some hands-on time with the Huawei Matebook at the 2nd Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week with Huawei. Fujifilm Malaysia launched their new X-T2 camera and their Instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-2. The ASUS ZenFone 3 became available in the ASUS Malaysia Store.

Internationally, Huawei won another EISA award for their Huawei P9, the 4th time running while the Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary update became available to Microsoft Lumia users. LeEco and Coolpad also announced ther new dual rear camera smartphone, the Cool1 Dual.

Not much to show on the review side but we did get some 4K video camera samples using the ASUS ZenFone 3 and while you wait for our videos you can watch the official Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on videos along with live demo videos on what ASUS Zenbo can do for your smart home. We took a closer look at the beautiful design of the Honor 8 but more reviews and tech news are coming next week, so stay tuned to that TechNavers at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - Nokia phones coming soon, iPhone 7 Plus reviewed and more

This weekly TechNave we've had quite a number of small but potent bits of news like Nokia smartphones coming in 2017, Huawei making a breakthrough in graphene-assisted heat resistant li-ion batteries and a well-known print magazine like Sports Illustrated actually using a smartphone for the image of its cover. Netflix now allows offline viewing and MediaTek announced new Helio X23 and X27 deca-core processors.

The announcements didn't stop there as TP-Link announced their Neffos Y5 smartphone, OPPO announced their A57 smartphone for China and Sony introduced a Final Fantasy XV Walkman, headphones and Bluetooth speakers. Meizu announced their Meizu Pro 6 Plus and Meizu X smartphones while the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier and Classic smartwatches are coming to Malaysia on 8 December 2016 for RM1399.

Opening up for every other Christmas gift minded manufacturer, Honor Malaysia launched their Honor Gala Christmas Promotion 2016 and Samsung with their Perfect 'J' guide for the Samsung Galaxy J Series (2016).

On the telco side, U Mobile announced free Music ONZ streaming and free deals every week on TERER THURSDAY. Maxis announced free data roaming for Expedia.com.my users and showed us how they are reaching out to empower Malaysia's youths via eKelas. Digi announced that they are sponsoring the first ESL One Dota 2 Malaysia qualifier as well as their continued efforts to keep Malaysian youth CyberSAFE.

Interesting rumours this week included the tech specs for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro. Also in the rumour mill was a contribution from a new Mr. Anonymous who informed us that the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom and ZenFone AR are coming soon as well.

As promised, we came out with the Apple iPhone 7 Plus  review and a review on the Samsung Gear Fit 2. We also got some interesting audio and visual hands-on with the Huawei Media Pad M3 but more news, reviews and videos are coming next week so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: Rumours, Sony Xperia XA, upcoming YES 4G LTE and more

Not so many big official announcements this week so the rumours were focused on a bit more with the OnePlus 3 not using 100% of its 6GB RAM and its CEO's subsequent response. Other standout rumours include that we may see the honor 8 and honor X3 next month, while a more powerful Xiaomi Mi 5s could be coming soon too. A new U Mobile Hero P98 postpaid plan also made an appearance, reportedly offering 30GB of data at RM98 a month.

The Xiaomi Smartwatch got quietly listed while Google announced support-by dates for current Nexus owners. A new smartphone brand called imoo was announced along with the Oppo A37. On the local side, the LEAGOO Z1 got officially announced with the HTC Desire 628 and we took a closer look at the Huawei Kirin 95x series. The Huawei P9 roadshow started while ASUS Malaysia held their ROG finals this week. YTL Communications revealed some plans for their upcoming YES 4G LTE mobile plans while the 3GB RAM version of the Flash Plus 2 was also announced.

On the review side, we have the Sony Xperia XA reviewed with a hands-on of both the Samsung Galaxy J1 2016 and the upcoming YES 4G LTE SIM. Stay tuned for more tech events and announcements next week as YTL officially launch their YES 4G LTE mobile plans followed by the big WeBe reveal a day after. We expect some announcements from HP and TP-Link's Neffos smartphones as well.


Weekly TechNave - Samsung Galaxy Note 7 pre-orders, delay, OPPO F1s and more

This week Malaysia's telcos announced their Samsung Galaxy Note7 pre-order deals and even newly announced Yes 4G LTE came out with pre-order bundles for the smartphone. Unfortunately, Samsung Malaysia had some bad news in that the Galaxy Note 7 will be delayed due to supply issues.

On the local side, OPPO launched their OPPO F1s "selfie expert" while Sony introduced their new EXTRA BASS product range. Other notable local events included that Celcom will be providing [email protected] packages for RISDA and MDeC launched the My Digital Maker initiative to support the upcoming ICT curriculum in schools.

On the rumours side, we may be getting the Honor 8 in Malaysia as soon as the end of the month. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 was also spotted along with the ASUS ZenWatch 3 which may now be sporting a round display.

This week we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016) along with a review for the Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro (2016). We also did a brief first impressions hands-on with the OPPO F1s but there's a lot more coming next week with plenty of more hands-on videos, reviews and tech news at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave: The HTC 10, great battling telcos and more

This week, the much teased HTC 10 was officially launched and while there is still no Malaysian release date or pricing details, the value-beating ViVo V3Max made its Malaysian debut with 4GB of RAM, a fingerprint reader and more for just RM1399. Other notable Malaysia releases include the Canon EOS 1D X Mark II and a new line-up of Sony BRAVIA 4K HDR TVs. Not released for Malaysia but still officially announced was the Meizu Pro 6.

On the Telco Front, quite a few big names started up new battles like Celcom's new 18GB of Internet FIRST Platinum postpaid plan, Digi's RM80 for 10GB Internet update and U Mobile's roaming backpack. Celcom also announced their new Wonderoam roaming plan along with an extension of their FIRST Gold plan. Maxis also stayed true to their word with an update for their SurfMore 50 customers while overhyped WeBe just turned out to be a rebrand of P1, minus any concrete details or plans.

We're gearing up for a number of high-profile reviews next week with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, Huawei Mate 8 and ASUS ZenFone Zoom, but until then, stay tuned to TechNave.com for all your latest and detailed tech news and reviews.


Weekly TechNave: The Samsung Galaxy J 2016 series, honor 5C, YES 4G LTE SIM, Mi 5 and more

This week on Weekly TechNave, Samsung Malaysia went entry-level in a big way with the official announcement of their Galaxy J 2016 series. Of note was the Samsung Galaxy J1 2016 priced at below RM450 but packing a free Yes 4G LTE SIM with 30GB of data preloaded for 2 months. Honor Malaysia officially revealed the more powerful and beautiful honor 5C for RM799 while the Xiaomi Mi 5 finally landed in Malaysia for RM1549 at non-online shops.

The Google Chromecast 2 and Chromecast Audio also made their official Malaysia landing. On the International front, the OnePlus 3 was officially launched alongside the Xiaomi Redmi 3s while honor also announced their entry-level honor 5A. LG made 4 new announcements with their X power, X mach, X style and X max smartphones. Apple's WWDC revealed iOS 10 but sorry folks, no iPhone or iPad reveals.

On the Telco side, we got a tour of the Maxis Contact Center while Celcom is offering their FIRST subscribers free Waze during Raya and Ramadan. We also made our way to the Gamer's Hideout for Logitech's gaming peripherals and a cruise to try out the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge in the dark.

On the review side we have the Huawei MediaPad M2 10.0 hands-on video and a review of the TP-Link Neffos C5. We also had some hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy J1 2016, J5 2016 and J7 2016. It looks like there's a lot more to come too next week from Lenovo and YES by YTL and more so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - Windows 10 on Qualcomm, no more Pebble and more

Again, last week had no really dominating news but there were some notables. Caving in to the pressure, Microsoft have announced that the full Windows 10 experience may soon run on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Fitbit are buying Pebble, effectively marking an end to the initially crowd-funded Pebble smartwatch.

In local news, Samsung Pay is now in open beta, so certain users can now try it out. The Canon EOS M5 got officially announced for Malaysia and Lenovo announced their Phab 2 Pro and Yoga book for Malaysia. The Lenovo P2 is also now available in Malaysia while Riding Pink got launched by women for women and the Dew Challenge 2016 grand finals happened as well. The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is now available in Malaysia too while Sony held a workshop for the lady photographers out there.

Internationally, the Meizu M5 Note and Meizu Band got officially announced. On the rumours side we may have gotten a first look at the dual rear camera ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom.

On the telco side, Celcom are offering a deal on the Apple iPhone SE and introduced their Celcom Passport for more roaming convenience, Webe revealed more about their unlimited mobile Internet plan while Maxis announced some more weekend freebies for Hotlink FAST users. U Mobile announced their Game-Onz benefits for online gamers. Digi is offering the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and others for their Business Postpaid plans.

Reviews-wise we had a reasonable amount of stuff with the Honor 5A review, some hands-on time with the Vivo V5, a brief first impressions review of the Google Pixel and a walkthrough video of the Canon EOS M5. We also explored why your Android smartphone "ages" or slows down over time. More reviews, news and other things tech and gadget related are coming soon, so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - Xiaomi Mi MIX, Mi Note 2, Apple MacBook Pro and more

Last week saw the official refresh of the long awaited Apple MacBook Pro with a faddish "new" feature while Microsoft announced their Surface Studio, Surface Dial and Surface Book. However, the biggest news of the week was probably the announcement of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and their first unique looking smartphone, the fully ceramic Mi MIX alongside their Mi VR headset.

For local news, Celcom upgraded their First Gold and Platinum plans with a new AnydayGB feature to go with their FIRST Gold Plus plan while DirectD opened up their Lenovo Concept Store for Subang Jaya. MDeC showed off Malaysian Talents, while TM detailed a bit about how Internet speeds will be doubled in Malaysia.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2016) on the other hand kept the S Pen alive for Malaysians for RM1599 and Digi held their Clash Royale tournament finale as well. Maxis also quietly gave away more data for free for their SurfMore plan subscribers.

Internationally, BlackBerry announced their DTEK60 smartphone for RM2069 while the ZTE Axon 7 Max was also officially announced. The Huawei Enjoy 6 also went official with a large 4100 mAh battery.

On the review side, we reviewed the solid Honor 8 alongside the similarly solid ASUS ZenBook Pro. As promised, we kept the review ball rolling with the Sony Xperia X review and a quick 7-day first impressions video with the Apple iPhone 7 Plus.


Weekly TechNave: honor V8, Mi Max, Uncharted 4, WeBe 850 and more

This week Huawei unveiled the honor V8 with dual rear cameras, a 2K display version and the latest Kirin 950 tech specs with their RM60 honor Band A1. Xiaomi went big with their 6.44-inch display Mi Max phablet alongside their Mi Band 2 smartband. On the local side, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End launched at midnight while the Tencent QQ Watch for kids was also released. The folks at honor Malaysia also brought in their more premium honor Band SS complete with brass coloured metal body and Italian leather strap.

The Apple iPhone SE officially arrived in Malaysia on the Apple Malaysia Store while the telcos like Celcom, Maxis and U Mobile are offering bundle deals for it as well. WeBe launched their WeBe 850 app and various point getting activities to get a 1-year free data plan, phones and vacations as prizes. In rumours and news, interesting bits include a study saying we won't get brain cancer from mobile phones, an Internet connected Samsung Surfboard while Western Digital acquired SanDisk, cementing their hold on the storage markets. In relation to last week's Intel mobile pull-out, the upcoming ASUS ZenFone 3 is rumoured to have been delayed to August and will use Qualcomm processors, with 3 variants already confirmed.

On the review side we finally found out a way to fix your buggy ASUS ZenPad 7.0 Z370CG tablet for free while our intrepid reviewers got some hands-on time with the Moto 360 Sport. Enough to come out with a review on the smartwatch. We'll be covering more tech news for you next week including a trip through the WeBe Amaze Maze, Acer's latest devices, honor and X-men and more so stay tuned at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - new phones, explosions and more

This week Malaysia saw the Bajet 2017, with a proposed increase in broadband speeds at the same price rate from January 2017, while Malaysia's telcos all came out with their respective Apple iPhone 7 deals. This includes Maxis with their trade up and RealView stock checker, along with U Mobile and their UPackage plan.

Other local news included the local sale of the Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime along with the availability of the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe both for Malaysia. TuneTalk also announced their year-long data plan, Sony announced their new Action Cams and HP launched the world's smallest AiO printer. The ACER Swift 3 laptop also made an appearance.

Internationally, Samsung announced their first 6GB RAM smartphone with the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro along with their first 8GB LPDDR4 RAM for smartphones and mobile devices. The new Honor 6X got officially announced with dual rear cameras while Huawei revealed their next-generation Kirin 960 processor.

Oppo announced their R9s and R9s Plus smartphones with 6GB RAM, while Kodak announced their more powerful Ektra smartphone. Turns out, even a week-old Apple iPhone 7 can explode and even destroy a car in the process.

As promised, we came out with the review for the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra ZU680KL with more reviews and tech news set for a big reveal next week. The winner of our first giveaway with Lazada involving the Honor 8 has just got her gift while the first winner for our GadgetBook giveaway has apparently been selected. We'll continue on with our second giveaway with a power-bank and laser keyboard device so stay tuned to TechNave.com to get the latest tech news, reviews, gadgets and more.


Apple iPad Pro 2021 Malaysia release: up to 2TB and free engraving, starting price from RM3499

Since late April 2021, Malaysian Apple fans were already aware of the new iPad Pro 2021 as it was announced during the surprise Apple event. After more than a month, the iPad Pro 2021 is finally now available in the Malaysian market starting from RM3499.

For your information, there are two iPad Pro variants based on the size and display - an 11-inch Liquid Retina display from RM3499 and a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display from RM4799. In terms of storage options, there is something for everyone - starting from 128GB up to 2TB on both models. The highest you can go is RM10,399 for a WiFi + Cellular model.

On top of that, you can also choose to add an Apple Pencil or a Magic Keyboard. If you want, there's an AppleCare Protection Plan for RM249 which covers two years of service and support. You can also choose space gray or silver to your preference, alongside free engraving which is the first time that Apple is offering this.

To recap the tech specs, the iPad Pro 2021 comes with the latest M1 chipset, a triple rear camera module including an ultrawide and LiDAR sensor, up to 16GB of RAM, WiFi 6 connectivity, Thunderbolt port and more. You can visit Apple Malaysia's webpage right over here to check it out. Stay tuned for more trending tech gadget deals at TechNave.com.


Weekly TechNave - vivo V5, Wiko UFeel Prime, HTC 10 Evo and more

This week the biggest news has to be the Malaysia launch of the vivo V5, complete with Dato Siti Nurhaliza as the brand ambassador. Wiko launched their UFeel Prime smartphone for Malaysia and there was also a move to combat software pirates with online marketplaces while local events look to decrease as year-end approaches.

Almost in line with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Celcom held a Blue Cube Weekend promotion for numerous smartphones for those signing up for FIRST by Celcom plans. HTC in turn launched their HTC 10 Evo smartphone along with the HTC Desire 650.

On the reviews side we only have the Sony Xperia XZ  review up this week, but we have a lot more planned for next week. This could include our detailed review of the Apple iPhone 7 Plus and more, so stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Weird square setup is back on latest Apple iPhone 11 renders

We thought we were past this weird square rear camera setup for the iPhone 11 but guess we were wrong. Latest renders of the device has surfaced and sure enough the previous design is back as opposed to the newer vertical camera setup.

Renders show a similar setup to the Huawei Mate 20 series but instead on the middle back of the device, it is placed on the top left. The cameras are not placed in an orderly manner but messily in the box alongside the mic and flash.

Rumours have it that the device would be sized larger than the original render of the device we saw before and some “hardware” improvements. The camera setup may come with 14MP + 10MP + 7MP sensors and is said to support 4K video recording and OIS. As for the selfie camera, we may be seeing an 11MP selfie camera paired with a new and improved 3D face recognition housed in notch.

Speaking of the notch, the ugly thing may be about 40% smaller than the iPhone XS Max’s. Besides that, sources claim the iPhone XI may have tech specs that include the Apple A12 instead of the A13 which sounds a little far fetched. In addition, the device may feature steel frames and a glass covered body likes its predecessors.

Do keep in mind that there are not official renders of the Apple iPhone from Apple so there may be hope that the official device may not look as hideous as this device looks. Fingers crossed. What do you think of these renders of the Apple iPhone 11? Make sure you keep checking out TechNave.com for the latest Apple news in Malaysia!


Well-known YouTubers affected by new wave of Bitcoin hack

Thought the Bitcoin hack case on Twitter was shocking enough? Well, YouTube has been hit by a new series of Bitcoin scams targeting the accounts of high-profile YouTubers. In this new wave, hackers change the channel names of hacked YouTube account and live-stream trending topics to spread their Bitcoin scam.

According to Business Insider, hackers have been taking over YouTube accounts via phishing emails. Using these compromised YouTube channels, the hackers then hold streams of a trending topic and include links to the Bitcoin scam. Like the Twitter Bitcoin scam from before, the scams promise to return double the amount of donated Bitcoins to trick people to fall for the scam.

Screenshot (by Rod Breslau) of one of the hacked channels running a live-stream

Channel hacked. 2FA bypassed. Live-streaming a Bitcoin scam to 40,000 live viewers. Hackers have made $4,000 in Bitcoin so far. @TeamYouTube tells me I need to fill out a form and wait “a few weeks”. If any ACTUAL YouTube reps see this, please get in contact with me. pic.twitter.com/s276Wp1LAt

Even well-known tech YouTubers like Jon Prosser have been affected by the hack. Earlier today, Prosser reported that his YouTube has been hacked and was used to run a live-stream about the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft's return to Earth. He claimed that the hackers have made at least USD4000 in Bitcoin, just from using his channel. You can imagine how much these hackers have accumulated so far if this hack is as extensive as the Twitter one.

Since this is such a big issue, we can probably expect a solution from YouTube soon enough. With that said, do you know of any other YouTube channels that have been affected? Discuss what you know about the issue on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for updates on this!


Western Digital My Cloud Home : The best way to store our files

Many of us don't have the habit of backing up files, it always ended up in our smartphone, laptop or even a pen drive. We won't really expect anything bad to happen, but once it does, all our beloved files are all gone. That's why we should consider getting ourselves an external Cloud Storage such as the Western Digital My Cloud Home. Check out the video down below to know more:-


Western Digital announces World's first client SSD with 64-layer 3D NAND tech for Malaysia from RM620 - 250GB

Western Digital officially announced their WD Blue 3D NAND and SanDisk Ultra 3D SSDs featuring the World's first client SSD with 64-layer 3D NAND technology for Malaysia today. These super fast drives can store plenty of data all the way up to 2TB, ideal for gamers and those needing fast performing computers.

Read speeds for the WD Blue 3D NAND and SanDisk Ultra 3D SSDs can go up to 560MB/s, while write speeds go up to 530MB/s. Both have a 3-year limited warranty but internal studies show that the larger the capacity, the more durable and long-lasting the SSD becomes. Both are being offered so that those who like WD can go for WD and those who like SanDisk have that option as well.

The WD range starts from RM620 - 250GB to RM3800 for the 2TB in 2.5-inch drives with a slightly higher price for the M.2 2280 form factor. The SanDisk range just offers the 2.5-inch form factor for the same price. Check out the WD site or SanDisk site for more details.

For a refresher of Western Digital's 3D NAND technology


Western Digital introduces 400GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card for about RM1242

At IFA 2017, GSMarena reported that Western Digital has introduced the SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card with 400GB capacity storage. Featuring transfer speeds of 100 MB/s and 10 years warranty, the microSDXC card is expected to be priced at £224.99 (~RM1242). No Malaysia release dates but we expect it to arrive here sooner or later.


Western Digital launches My Passport Wireless SSD and SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD from RM529

Western Digital officially launched a new range of backup and storage devices for rugged mobile photographers on the go. This includes the My Passport Wireless SSD (250GB - RM1099, 500GB - RM1499, 1TB - RM2299, 2TB - RM3699) and SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (250GB - RM529, 500GB - RM829, 1TB - RM1699, 2TB - RM3299).

The My Passport Wireless SSD will be available at Lazada, Shopee and 11street along with authorized resellers by the end of July with a 2-year limited warranty. The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD on the other hand is available now with a 3-year limited warranty on Lazada, Shopee and 11street along with authorized resellers.

The main advantages of the 2 devices include rugged shock, water (IP55) and dust resistance at super fast speeds (up to 390MB/s read for the My Passport Wireless SSD and up to 550MB/s read speed for the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD). However, the My Passport Wireless SSD offers a bit more with wireless 4K video streaming, a built-in battery (rated for up to 10 hours), RAW image support, USB 3.0 and a built-in SD card reader for one-touch copy and backup.

Western Digital also introduced their G-Technology storage range for product workflows. The range includes portable devices, and NAS for prosumer photography. Designed for premium reliability and durability, the G-Technology range will be available soon for the higher-end digital photography and film making solutions.


Western Digital launches two new storage solutions to simplify creator’s workflow

Western Digital recently launched two new products that are aimed to help creative to simplify and streamline their workflow better than ever before. The first is the My Passport Wireless Pro, and the second is the My Cloud Pro Series NAS.

The Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro is an update to an earlier product that was launched a few years ago, catering to mobile professionals and enthusiasts on the go. This new version now comes with a beefier battery – 6400 mAh – for a longer operating time – 10 hours instead of 5 hours previously. It also comes with 802.11ac WiFI connectivity for faster transfer and streaming, as well as a built-in USB 3.0 SD card slot for faster image transfer from the memory card to the 3TB storage inside. For cameras that don’t use SD, there is a full USB 2.0 port that can accept card readers for Compact Flash and other formats to copy images into the drive. Plus, the device also acts as a power bank, thanks to the full 5V, 1.5A power flow on the said USB port.

For home/office static storage meanwhile there is the new My Cloud Pro in either 2-bay or 4-bay variants. With storage up to 32TB, you will definitely not run out of space that quickly. It is optimised to import from cameras/memory card readers and other USB storage with a simple one-touch backup button right on the device itself. It helps that it has fast USB 3.0 ports – both on the front and at the back of the NAS. It even has dual Gigabit Ethernet ports for fast transfer over the network. The powerful Intel processor gives it enough juice to handle streaming, transferring and even on-the-go video transcoding over the network on demand. Plus, It can be user upgraded with larger hard drives in the future as well as new software from the WD App store.

If you are looking for the best mobile storage solution, the My Passport Wireless Pro can be yours for RM 1099 for the 3TB version, and the My Cloud Pro starts from RM 2699 for the diskless 2-bay model all the way to RM 7999 for the 32TB 4-bay version from August onwards.


Western Digital previews 1TB SD card at Photokina 2016

When was the last time you complained that your SD card is full? Well you may never need to complain anymore soon as Western Digital’s Sandisk just shared a prototype unit of their largest SD card to date – a SDXC 1TB (Terabyte).

Just putting that in context, 1 TB is 1000GBs. You have enough space to store just about any content you need – be it high-resolution images (both JPEG and RAW files), 4K video, 360 videos and more.

The SD card is still a prototype at this point, but we may see it go to production by next year. Pricing is still vague, but when the 512GB was released two years ago, it had a starting retail of USD 800 (~RM 3039) so expect this card to be around that price as we see it on store shelves in 2017.


What are the important features of a smartwatch?

Smartwatches have been around for quite a long time now and although they are limited by a number of features, they have become a part of our lives especially for those who are living a healthy lifestyle, collecting and monitoring data on calories, monitoring heartbeats and more. There are a few brands who have tried to venture into this segment, most notably Apple, Samsung, as well as Huawei with a new wearable called the Huawei Watch GT.

That being said, the new Huawei Watch GT will probably be revealed this week alongside with the new Mate 20 series. So we thought it's a good time to check out what the new watch will offer and what features do most users want in a smartwatch.

The difference between second and third place is quite big

As mentioned earlier, we think most smartwatch users would want to know how their healthy lifestyle is progressing but according to the chart, the majority prefers to know if there's an incoming notification or text which is useful. Activity tracking comes in second place and that's no surprise, as smartwatches are also getting better in monitoring your heartbeat, tracking sleeping habits, counting walking steps, watching your calories and other motion detectors such as different kinds of sports (like swimming). Currently, the prominent ones are the Apple Watch 4 series, Samsung Gear Watch and the Huawei Watch GT should be able to do this effortlessly too, at least according to Watch GT beta testers online (more on that later).

Continuing the topic of motion detectors, even though GPS/navigation is ranked quite low, we think this is particularly important for serious runners to record down the distance that they've run. Even for hikers, this is also important for them because it can help them to plan the route and keep track of where they are. Wait, mountain climbing? That's not something you hear every day from brands marketing their wearables, but there is some news from testers that have already tried out the Watch GT for hiking and they are quite impressed with the results.

Battery life remains one of the most important features smartwatch users. On average, most users would need to recharge their smartwatches after one day just like a smartphone. This can't be helped, though, since the functions on it consume a lot of power and it's not like you can just slap on a 4000mAh battery into it (in your dreams). Another alternative is getting a smartband which can last longer but features fewer functions.

Just some testimonies we found from Weibo forums

Just to add on, we found something intriguing and the screenshots that you're seeing here are some Weibo users who had the opportunity to try out the Watch GT before its debut. Besides using it for outdoor activities and sports, these guys went to the extreme, going on adventures from the mountains to lakes, where the wearable survived with some battery life left over even after using the GPS functions. How long? Well, according to the Weibo post, the Watch GT consumed 23% in only just three days! Moreover, rumours from the forum said on average usage, it's able to last for two weeks. Most impressive!

So all in all, these are the features that most smartwatch users want. We think every gadget fan should look out for the Huawei Watch GT, especially the monstrous battery life which should attract a lot of attention, as well as its GPS and navigation capabilities. What do you think about the Watch GT and what do you usually use your smartwatch for? Stay tuned for more tech articles at TechNave.com.


Apple iPad Pro, Apple iPad Mini, and Apple AirTags on 16 March 2021

Based on a statement by money.udn.com, it seems that Apple might be keen on releasing the new Apple iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPad AirTags on 16 March 2021. While not much is known in regards to the Malaysia release date, it does give us a better idea of what to expect when it is officially available in the global market.

Unfortunately, there’s no exact information regarding the tech specs other than the iPad Pro coming equipped with a 12.9-inch display, while the iPad mini could come with up to a 9-inch display. However, do take some of the information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Apple has yet to provide an official statement on the leak.

Not only that, but there’s also no news on the local pricing, and exact tech specs of all the products mentioned above? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


What are the things that laptop makers are doing right or should stop doing in 2021?

With the release of new processors from Intel and AMD, major laptop manufacturers such as Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, HP, and Dell release more than 20 laptops in a year. Of course, there are some features that laptop manufacturers are doing right, while others don't quite hit the mark.

In this article, we'll be going through some of the great stuff laptop makers have been including in their products as of late and what we feel they should stop doing. With that out of the way, let's get into it.

To start things off, huge kudos to laptop manufacturers for making thinner and lighter laptops that are powerful enough to be used on a daily basis. If you're a young professional or a student, there are plenty of affordable entry-level laptops to suit your needs.

Not only that but battery lives have significantly improved. Back in the day, laptops last less than 5 hours on battery. But these days, some can go for up to a day. This means you spend less time hunting for power sockets. On top of that, you can now charge your laptop using both a compatible power bank or USB Type-C cable.

Manufacturers have also been pushing the design limits of laptops. Gone are the days where you have to lug around a boring rectangle the size of a briefcase. Modern laptops are not only well-designed but also durable enough to stay intact, even if you were unfortunate enough to drop them.

ASUS ZenBook Duo 15 only comes with a MicroSD card reader instead of the full size variant

When it comes to laptops focused on content creation, it's quite annoying to find one that only comes with a MicroSD card reader. This is because most professional camcorders, DSLRs, and mirrorless cameras are usually equipped with a full-sized SD card slot instead of the micro variant. Of course, you could use an adapter to plug your microSD card into such devices. However, they tend to be fragile and can break after extensive use, causing you to lose valuable footage.

Beside that, we think manufacturers should also stop including hotkeys on the already-cramped keyboard. These hotkeys are used to launch their "gaming hub" software for a gaming laptop, but users rarely use them anyway. Worse yet, some users may consider them bloatware and uninstall them from the gaming laptop once it is up and running. In that case, the hotkey would become useless.

Dedicated ROG Key on the top right of they keyboard

Last but not least, for the love of all things good, please stop designing laptops with the Function Key (FN key) enabled by default. It's extremely annoying when you're trying to force a programme to close with Alt-F4, only to find the laptop doing something completely different. (Like playing Baby Shark on Spotify, which adds to the annoyance, lol.)

If you want to have the Function Key toggled off, you might have to change it from the BIOS, which can be quite intimidating for some people. Thankfully, some manufacturers bundle their laptops with additional software that you can use to tweak these kinds of settings without the need to access the BIOS.

Hopefully, more laptops come with a 180-degree hinge so that users don't break their laptops by accident by unfolding their laptops all the way. With these kinds of hinges, users can work comfortably with the laptop resting on their lap.

Furthermore, it'll be great to see laptops support wireless air charging. Then we won't need to have our laptop constantly plugged in or have it charge passively while we're not using it. Who knows? If the industry can agree on a standard, you could see cafes with wireless air chargers in every corner someday. You'll be able to walk into one and keep your laptop charged as long as you're within the vicinity. Wouldn't that be neat?

With all that said, what do you think laptop makers are doing right or wrong? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


What did you miss on Samsung Unpacked 2021?

Samsung Unpacked 2021 happened last week and launched few exciting devices such as the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, the Galaxy Buds2 as well as a comeback with the Galaxy Watch4 series, the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic. Among all these devices, we are pretty excited to get our hands on the latest Galaxy Z Flip3 5G with a new design language and larger cover display.If you missed out the whole event, don't worry because we got your back. We've simplified the whole event and highlighted what you need to know about the devices too. So do check out the video below and let us know which devices are the one you're expecting the most in the comments below. Stay tuned for more unboxing and reviews soon.


What exactly is the difference between Mbps and MBps?

Whenever you check your internet speed at home, signing up for a new internet service provider, or even purchasing a new network router you'll often see various terms such as MBps, Mbps followed by a number indicating the network speed. With that said, what exactly are the differences between MBps and Mbps, and why are network speeds measured in Mbps instead of MBps?

For those who are not familiar, Mbps stands for Megabits per second while MBps stands for Megabytes per second. It is very important to take note that the bits and bytes are very different because 1 byte consists of 8 bit of information.

With that in mind, a 100Mbps connection speed can download a 100 Megabyte file in 8 seconds, while a 1GB file would take about 1 minute 20 seconds. If you want to find out how long it will take to download a file, simply divide your connection speed by 8, then divide the file you plan on downloading with the result you got previously.

The reason why network speeds are measured in Mbps is due to the fact that data can derive from different servers with varying chunks of data. Because of that, it is better to measure at the lowest possible denominator as it can represent the network speed more accurately as compared to measuring speed using MBps. The MBps measurement is more commonly used to transfer files between storage mediums such as flash drives, hard drives, SSDs.

Now, whenever you're signing up for an internet plan, or if you're keen on getting a new router, be sure keep in mind the differences between a lowercase b and an uppercase B. Hopefully, this write up has been useful for you. For more articles like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


What features should a smartphone have for it to be a great movie streaming device?

There are many of us that do everything on our phone. Want to catch up on the latest TechNave news? No problem, turn on a browser on your phone and you're good to go. Looking to game? Piece of cake; whip out your smartphone and you can play Call of Duty: Mobile. Even movie streaming is not an issue.

But what kind of traits or features would make a smartphone a great movie streaming device? Well, we think there are 3 main factors you need to consider and we'll talk about them below.

When it comes to watching movies, bigger is always better. Considering the average of screen sizes these days, you will want the phone's display to be at least 6.2-inch, or larger. It's even better if there are no notches in the way. This ensures that you'll get a more immersive experience when streaming movies on the smartphone.

Another point to consider is the max resolution of the screen. You'll want it to have at least 1080p to ensure good ppi (pixel per inch) density so you'll see more detail. It's also important for sites like YouTube that would limit a video's resolution to 720p if you don't have a 1080p screen.

The next factor is pretty straightforward: Battery longevity. If you're planning to binge on The Witcher when it releases on Netflix soon, the last thing you want is the phone dying on you. In other words, the phone you choose needs to have a battery big enough to last a few hours when watching videos. Around 3800 mAh and above is what you should aim for and the bigger the battery the better.

Sometimes you're not streaming from a platform. You may want to download a series from Netflix for offline viewing, or watch something you recorded during your travels. For those times, a large storage capacity is what you'll need. Considering the file sizes for even 1080p videos, the phone of your choice should come with at least 128GB. This should be enough to store an entire season of shows, in case you want to have something to watch on a flight or long commute.

Does your device fulfill all of the above? If so, then you already have a great device for movie streaming. But if you don't, the Huawei Y9s has all of those and more. This smartphone features a 6.59-inch display running on 2340 x 1080 resolution (391 ppi), it has a large 4000 mAh battery and 128GB of internal storage. In addition, it also has a Kirin 710 chipset with an 8-core CPU, 6GB of RAM, and a 48MP main camera. The best part is that all of that can be yours for RM999, which is quite affordable for many people.

Is the Huawei Y9s something on your radar? If you're looking for similar tech specs at a more affordable price there's also the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 at just RM799. These phone were made available in Malaysia recently so you can get a closer look at it at any Huawei Experience Store. Also, let us know what you look out for in a movie streaming device on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.