Honor foldable phone could launch in Jan 2022, might be called Magic Fold

These days, every smartphone company wants to make a foldable device. Some already have, while others are still working on one. Honor is probably in the latter category, with sources claiming that it will unveil one early next year.

According to a tech blogger, Honor could tentatively launch its foldable device in January 2022. The company's first foldable phone will allegedly use screen panels supplied by BOE Display and Visionox. Since the launch is next month and its suppliers are based in China, Honor might be able to showcase this foldable phone at CES 2022.

Moreover, the device will be called the Honor Magic Fold. It's rumoured that Honor registered this name and 'Honor Magic Wing' with Europe's certification body. Based on the naming convention, we're expecting two foldable devices - a Magic Fold that folds horizontally and the Magic Wing would have a clamshell design. Most brands are using these two form factors, so we won't be surprised if this rumour turned out to be accurate.

Of course, Honor hasn't said anything to confirm what it plans to do, so take the news with a grain of salt. But would you be interested in Honor's foldable devices? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Honor has an announcement on the same day as the launch of the Samsung Galaxy A8s

On Weibo, Honor posted a teaser for an upcoming announcement today, the 10th of December. Coincidentally today, the Samsung Galaxy A8s will be unveiled as well. Could this be a way for the company to steal Samsung’s thunder that day?

However, there are no signs pointing that the announcement will be in regards to a new smartphone. Rumour has it that the promo could be a teaser for Huawei’s GPU Turbo 3.0. Either way, the announcement must be pretty exciting if the company is bold enough to release it on the same day as Samsung’s first Infinity-O display smartphone. Any bets on what the announcement will be? To be the first to hear about the announcement, stay tuned to Technave.com!


Honor has officially launched the Honor V20 in China starting from ~RM1814 and it comes equipped with 48MP camera and Kirin 980 chipset

Honor has officially released the Honor V20 in Beijing starting from the price of RMB2999(~RM1814) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM at RMB3499(~RM2116), and lastly, the MOSCHINO edition at RMB3999(~RM2419). The new Honor V20 also introduces a pinhole design at the side which houses the 25MP front-facing selfie camera as well as the "The Nine" liquid cooling.

The main focus of the Honor V20 is the whopping 48MP rear sensor which is the Sony IMX586 along with f/1.8 aperture, paired along with the AI capabilities thanks to the NPU that is built into the HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset, is capable of handling up to 960 fps slow-motion. There is also a TOF Stereo sensor in the rear capable of performing 3D scans to improve the quality of the image.

Tech spec wise, the Honor V20 comes equipped with the Kirin 980 chipset, up to 8GB of RAM, 128GB of ROM, 25MP front-facing selfie camera, 48MP main camera along with the TOF Stereo sensor, 6.4-inch display with a pinhole for the front camera, and it is powered by a 4000mAh non-removable battery. Honor also introduced the Link Turbo which will intelligently switch between 4G networks and WiFi to give the best experience possible.

In terms of the design, the rear of the device showcases a V-shaped reflection when shown under bright light. There will also be 3 main colours the Honor V20 will be shipped in along with two more additional colours when you purchase the MOSCHINO edition which is the Phantom Blue as well as Phantom Red. As for now, there is no official news on when the Honor V20 will be available in Malaysia as well as the local price for it. For more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Honor is hosting their very first honor Fan Fest in Malaysia on 21 September 2018

Honor will be hosting their first ever Honor Fan Fest 2018 at Glasshouse, Seputeh on 21 September 2018 starting from 7PM onwards. Those who are interested can register at Honor’s official registration form and entry is absolutely free while existing Honor Play and Honor 10 users do not have to register.

There will be plenty of celebrities such as Hunny Madu, Altimet and Nabila Razali that will make their appearance during the Fan Fest. Not only that, there will be plenty of giveaways and prizes to give throughout the event with prizes such as a new Honor Play smartphone or even the Honor 10.

Activities such as Fan Awards for the most loyal fan, the most active Honor Club Member and Best Colorful Attire will be going on at the event as well as the Snap & Win Contest. For more information check out Honor’s official website and for more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Honor is offering amazing deals and price reduction on 11.11 honor Brand day

On the 11 November 2018 until 13 November 2018, honor is offering several deals for their honor smartphones such as the Honor 9 Lite, Honor 10, Honor Play, Honor 7A as well as the Honor V10 with discounts up to RM350 in celebration of the 11.11 honor Brand Day. Not only that, there are also exciting prices and free gifts to be won as well!

There will also be special flash deals happening throughout the sale with specific time slots allocated to each deal with up to 40% discount off selected devices and up to 30% discount on best selling Honor devices.

Other than the sale, Honor is pleased to announce that the Honor Play will be priced at RM1099 instead of RM1249, while the Honor 10 will be brought down to RM1399 instead of the original RM1599. The promo will be available at all official retail shops in Malaysia as well as Honor’s online store. You can find out more about the deals as well as the devices on sale on Honor’s official website and for more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Honor launching V6 5G tablet along with a variety of other new products on 18 May 2020

When Apple's iPad first appeared back in 2010, many companies wanted to make something that was just as popular. While tablets are more niche today, there are still many who find it useful for reading and watching videos. Honor is going to be launching a new tablet soon and it's going to be a 5G tablet, which should be a rather appealing choice for those who want a device for video streaming.

Honor has confirmed that it will be launching its Honor V6 tablet on 18 May 2020. This tablet has a strong focus on wireless connection speed, as it comes with not only 5G but also Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Honor hasn't provided any further details (yet), but we can make a few guesses as to what chipset it has. If it's using a 5G Kirin chipset, it'll most likely be either the Kirin 820, Kirin 985, or Kirin 990 5G chipset, depending on where Honor wants to position this product. Personally, I'm leaning towards the Kirin 820 since it'll make the device more accessible to users.

Besides the tablet, Honor is also expected to announce a new laptop, Honor Vision Pro TV, and likely other unrevealed products. The new laptop is supposed to be the MagicBook Pro, a Windows 10 PC that we think is meant to be a workstation. The laptop could likely have an Intel Core i7-10510U CPU, an Nvidia GeForce MX250 GPU, and at least 8GB of RAM.

Of course, a lot of the above are speculations and we can't confirm if they're accurate. Having said that, would you be interested in a 5G tablet like the Honor V6? What else are you hoping to see at the Honor product launch next week? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Honor may consider using more of MediaTek's 5G chipsets

The new Honor X10 smartphone was launched yesterday and it came with a mid-range 5G chipset that shows lots of promise. But having the option to choose is always good for a company and Honor seems to believe in that as well. The company seemingly hinted that it's not adverse to the idea of using more of MediaTek's 5G chipsets in upcoming devices.

According to Gizchina (via MyDrivers), Honor President Zhao Ming said that the company will cooperate with MediaTek's 5G chipset in the future. This is to ensure that the brand will have different platforms for customers to choose from. However, he didn't elaborate on whether this will be for mid-range or flagship devices.

MediaTek currently has the Dimensity 1000 series and 820 series 5G chipsets. If the goal is to use a more affordable 5G chipset to bring 5G connectivity to more people, then it's more likely that Honor will choose to go with the use of the Dimensity 820 series 5G chipsets. Mind you, this is very speculative and Zhao's statement was very vague, so we can't confirm anything right now.

Funny enough, the Dimensity 820 and Kirin 820 5G chipsets share the same number. With that said, what are your thoughts on this news? Would a MediaTek-based 5G device be better in some way? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Honor new mid-range flagship Honor 8 has over 5 Million registrations

Honor new budget mid-range flagship Honor 8 has attracted a lot of attention from the consumer due to its elegant dual glass body and dual camera since its launch date on 12 July 2016. More than 5 million people registered for its first sale.

Honor 8 will be available to be purchased for the first time on 19 July 2016 and the registrations will be still open until 18 July 2016. However, there's still no news from Honor in terms of a number of devices available for sale.


Honor of Kings could be making a global comeback with an open-world RPG

What works in one region might not work in another, Tencent realised this the hard way with Honor of Kings. It launched in 2015 and an international version called Arena of Valor was on the cards. It flopped hard, but Tencent could make a comeback with a new game.

Tencent is aiming to bring Honor of Kings back to the global scene in a new form. Developed by its subsidiary, TiMi Studio Group, Honor of Kings: World is an open-world RPG based on the original Chinese MOBA game. It will be available on multiple platforms, though the developer didn't specify what it would be.

Set in a fantasy world with Chinese wuxia elements, Honor of Kings: World feels like an open-world action RPG with huge monsters to fight against. The trailer also had some combat gameplay from the perspective of a male swordsman, with a companion archer aiding from the side. This implies that the game would support co-op play, and it could be multiplayer co-op too.

Not much else is known about the game, but the concept is exciting enough that even Hideo Kojima is interested in it. But how about you, would you be getting this game when it launches? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


ASUS Malaysia updates ASUS Fonepad 7 to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

ASUS Fonepad 7 users can now update their 7-inch phablets to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Released as a software update by ASUS Malaysia, the update brings improvements to the video player, photo viewer, gallery, album browsing and other minor user interface elements. To download the update follow the steps below:


Honor play player editions performance review: GPU Turbo on PUBG Mobile and AI Camera

The Honor Play has been released quite recently and it features several key technologies such as GPU Turbo, 4D smart shock and AI 3D surround sound to help improve the user experience while gaming on the Honor Play. Paired with tech specs such as the Hisilicon Kirin 970 chipset which has a neural processing unit built in, along with up to 4GB of RAM, 3750mAh non-removable battery with 9V/2A Quick Charging it is priced at just RM1249. This makes the Honor Play a good and affordable device for the performance you’re getting while playing mobile game titles like PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) Mobile and Mobile Legends Bang Bang but for now, we'll be focusing on PUBG Mobile.

First we need to talk about the elephant in the room, as in how exactly does GPU Turbo help improve the performance of the device by increasing GPU efficiency up to 60%, while still being able to lower the power consumption of the device by 25% while gaming? The answer to that is through a clever low-level scheduling system which allows the phone to efficiently allocate only the necessary resource needed run the mobile game.

GameBench test while running PUBG Mobile

Running the Honor Play through GameBench, the device is able to achieve a maximum of up to 42 frames per second with an average frame rate of around 35 frames per second while playing PUBG Mobile. Disregarding the dropped frames during the loading screen, the Honor Play is able to achieve up to 98% frame stability meaning that the device is able to stay at a constant average of 36 frames per second 98% of the time.

GameBench also noted that PUBG Mobile consumed up to 187mAh which equates to around 5% of total battery life for a typical half an hour session. Based on our own observation, the game ran smoothly and I did not experience any lags or hitches other than the usual loading screens. Although the device did warm up a little, it did not became uncomfortable to hold during my testing.

Running the device through Antutu Benchmark, it managed to score a respectable 203543 points and ranked among other devices which are more costly than the Honor Play. Even on 3DMark the Honor Play scored higher than 83% of the mobile phones out there as well.

With the included Neural Network Processing Unit embedded in the HiSilicon Kirin 970, the Honor Play has access to artificial intelligent features such as the 4D smart shock which is able to detect up to 30 different scenarios including but not limited to gunshots, explosions and enemies footsteps approaching from different directions. This means you can literally feel the weapons you are shooting and the bullet hits you take through the vibrations of the phone.

Not only that, there is also the AI 3D surround sound which helps to improve the ability to pinpoint the direction of where the gunshots are coming from with the help of the Histen 3D audio technology. This vastly improves the cinematic experience which the 3 sound profiles provide. Do take note that this feature also supports both earphones and headphones so whichever your preference may be, fret not as you’re covered!

I should mention that during my test, the Game suite feature that came pre-installed into the Honor Play was really useful as it blocked out notifications as well as provided the ability to disable certain virtual buttons giving you as little to no distraction while you enjoy your mobile games. Within the Game suite you can also toggle features such as the 4D smart shock and the AI 3D surround sound on or off.

AI Scene detection adjusted to the Greenery scene

AI Scene detection adjusted to Overcast scene

Photo sample of cendol, who doesn't like cendol?

The HiSilicon Kirin 970 and the built in Neural Network Processing Unit isn’t only just used for the 4D smart shock and AI 3D surround sound. The camera of the device also received a boost from the NPU in the form of the AI Camera, allowing the camera to detect and enhance up to 22 different objects and up to 500 different scenarios to ensure that you will always get the perfect shot regardless of the subject you are taking.

Based on the results we got from various benchmarks such as Antutu, 3DMark and GameBench, the Honor Play performed admirably considering that the device is only priced at RM1249, which is cheaper compared to most devices when price to performance is a factor specifically for gaming. Games that support GPU Turbo would benefit the most from the performance boost and Honor plans to include more games in the future. The built in Neural Network Processing Unit and its AI is capable of helping the user with various tasks such as power management to increase the longevity and battery life of the phone as well as the AI Camera.

If you are keen on owning a smartphone specifically focused on gaming and for general use with its large battery capacity of 3750mAh and AI Assisted Camera, you can bet that the Honor Play would make a great companion without needing to break the bank. You can get it at Honor's official website, Shopee as well as all authorised Honor dealers across Malaysia. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more content like this.


Honor's 1st Anniversary celebrations sees launch of Honor 6 Plus and Honor 4C for RM1399 and RM529

Honor Malaysia recently held their first Anniversary celebrations with the launch of the Honor 6 Plus and Honor 4C smartphones. Priced at RM1399, the Honor 6 Plus offers a unique dual rear camera setup, 5.5-inch display and 1.8GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 925 processor. Other tech specs include 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 8MP front camera, 4G LTE Cat6 connectivity, an IR blaster and a metal frame design much like the Honor 6. The Honor 4C on the other hand is priced from RM529 with a 64-bit 1.2GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 620 processor, 2GB RAM, 8GB storage, 5-inch display at 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and 2550 mAh. Both will be available from 29 April 2015 from 3.08pm on VMALL.my but do check out the hands-on photos below:


Honor's first Punch FullView Display smartphone, the Honor View 20 is available starting from RM1999 along with free goodies

The highly anticipated Honor View 20 will be available in Malaysia starting from 26 January 2019, and it is priced at RM1999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage which is available in Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black while the 8GB RAM + 256GB internal storage at RM2499 available in Phantom Blue colour co-designed with Moschino.

The smartphone will be available at major telcos such as Maxis as well as authorised dealers such as SenHeng and DirectD. Not only that, but you can also opt to purchase the device online on Honor Malaysia’s official store. For the complete list of retail outlets, you can visit Honor’s official Facebook page.

There will also be the Honor Malaysia Roadshow happening on the 26 to 27 January 2019 with attractive gifts at Highstreet, One Utama starting from 9:30AM. The first 200 customers who purchased the Honor View 20 will be entitled for an Honor Watch Magic as well as an Honor Backpack while the next 800 buyers will be given an Honor Band 4 as well as the Honor Backpack. That's not all, the first 1000 buyers of the Honor 10 Lite will be awarded with the Honor Band 4 Running as well as a limited edition water bottle and air purifier.

The aforementioned device is the first device by Honor to come equipped with the Punch FullView Display which has a camera cutout at the top left of the display. This negates the need for a notch bar at the top of the display which houses various sensors such as the front-facing selfie camera, proximity sensor, speaker grill and more. For more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Honor shows off temperature scanning using infrared on the Play 4

The launch the Honor Play 4 series is happening this week and as expected some details are gradually being revealed. We already know that both are going to be 5G devices, but it was surprising to be told that it would come with an infrared scanner too. Interestingly enough, one of its use cases was for temperature scanning.

The feature was revealed in a teaser trailer (via Sparrownews), where the Honor Play series product manager demonstrated it. He showed how the temperature scanner could scan the temperature for humans, ice cream, and even pets. You should be able to use it to scan other items as well, such as your other devices. However, it does seem that the device has to be close to the subject for the scanning to be accurate, so keep that in mind.

Since the phone is equipped with an infrared scanner, it may also be able to function as a universal IR remote. We can't confirm that though, so let's see what Honor says when the phone launches on 3 June 2020. With that said, what do you think about this? Would temperature scanning on a phone be useful for you? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


Honor smartphones could now have Google Mobile Services again

Now that the Honor has been sold to another new company, the brand will most likely start going through some changes to its operations. More importantly, we can expect its products to undergo some key changes as well. Here are a few points that are being speculated at the moment.

According to Gizmochina, upcoming Honor smartphones could get access to Google Mobile Services again. The good thing about this is that it would allow Honor smartphones to appeal to the global market once again. Of course, if you consider the trade war between the US and China, it's not a guarantee but the chances should be quite high.

Honor's Magic UI Android skin could see some changes too. It's currently similar to Huawei's EMUI, but different features could be introduced, especially with the next point in consideration. What's the next point? Possible widespread use of Qualcomm's chipsets, including the flagship ones. The component sanctions no longer apply to Honor, so we could see Honor phones start packing chipsets like the upcoming Snapdragon 875 or 775.

As a reminder, the above is merely speculation at the moment, so don't take us too seriously. Having said that, what do you think could happen now that Honor is linked to Huawei? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech news.


Honor smartphones spreading their wings for the young and brave

Huawei has recently released a number of smartphones for their Honor range of smartphones aimed at the young and young at heart. However, it seems that these Huawei Honor smartphones like the Huawei Honor 6, Huawei Honor 6 Plus and Huawei Honor 3C Lite are now going to become known as just the Honor 6, Honor 6 Plus and Honor 3C Lite. This news comes direct from a source in Huawei itself saying that the Honor range of smartphones have evolved enough to warrant them following an entirely new and different direction than Huawei's usual range of devices. This also includes a new UI all targeted along their Honor tagling "For the Brave". It also explains why most of the newer Honor smartphones don't have any Huawei logos or branding at all. According to our sources, this will also mean more new Honor smartphones in 2015, one of which we're hoping will be the Honor 4x so stay tuned for more developments. Huawei will continue making smartphones and mobile devices but target the higher-end market. Rumours also indicate that Huawei and Honor smartphone users could get the Emotion UI 3.0 update in Q2 of 2015.


Honor teases new device on 23 May 2017, what could it be?

Honor hasn’t start any official major announcements yet this year, but they have confirmed a fixed launching event on 23 May 2017 in China. What device could it be? We don’t exactly know yet, so lets check out the teaser first.

Officially posted by Honor in their Weibo account and their official Honor website, the teaser is showing a young Chinese man digging out of a stadium field with his legs shown in a class room. It’s a very vague image and we think nobody really knows what does it mean, not even a cryptic message or whatsoever. However, we can deduce that the device is probably aiming at the young generation because of the young man in his school uniform. Perhaps the device is meant to be designed for outdoors and indoors activity as well. We can only speculate so much.

What about the products? There is one smartphone we have in mind, which is the Honor 9 that we reported yesterday. The Honor 9 is the only rumoured phone we see online from the company, so it makes sense. But information of the device is scarce, as we only know that it will probably have a dual rear camera setup with 20MP + 12MP sensor. It’s also a tradition for Honor to release a new smartphone at that period, although a little bit early as usual. But who knows, they could be releasing a new tablet, smartwatch or something else.

23 May 2017 is not that far off, so we will have to wait and see. Stay tuned for more Honor news at TechNave.com.


Honor teases the Honor View 20's design and colour variants

On Weibo, Honor teased their upcoming smartphone, the Honor View 20 which is due to be released on the 22nd of January. From what it seems, there will be three colour variants for the smartphone. Each teaser image has a background colour and environment, representing each smartphone design which we think might be a shade of blue, copper, and black.

The Honor View 20 has a punch hole screen display and a pretty huge screen to body ratio. From what it looks like in teasers, the smartphone will still have a chin but other than that, it will be bezel-less. Also, it has been rumoured that the smartphone will be rocking a 48MP camera alongside Huawei’s brand new Link Turbo. Are you excited for the Honor View 20? For more news on Huawei, make sure to stay tuned to TechNave.com!


Honor to announce gaming focused Honor Play Smartphone

Honor Play Cool Edition, Image courtesy of Gizmochina.com

Alongside the announcement of their revolutionary GPU Turbo Technology, Honor has launched the Honor Play which will be utilising the technology mentioned. The Honor Play will be heavily focused on the gaming performance as well as the gaming experience of the smartphone.

The phone will be priced at RMB1999(~RM1241) for the 4GB + 64GB variant and RMB2399(~RM1490) for the 6GB + 64GB variant. There will also be a limited edition Honor Play Cool Edition which will have a special designed back which will be going for RMB2499(~RM1552).

In terms of tech specs, the Honor Play will be running on a HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, either 4GB of RAM and 64G of internal storage or 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage variant, dual 16MP + 2MP rear camera, 16MP front facing selfie camera, 6.3-inch display with a screen resolution of 1080x2340 pixels, and it powered by a 3750mAh non-removable battery.

To give a little detail about what is the GPU Turbo Technology, it allows the device to increase the efficiency of the Graphics Processing Unit allowing the smartphones to run intensive games more smoothly. According to Huawei and Honor, this feature allows the device to run up to 60% more efficient and also reduces the power consumption of the phones by up to 30% as well. For more updates like these, stay tune to TechNave.com.


Honor to launch the Honor 7A budget smartphone on 5 June 2018

Honor has announced that the budget oriented Honor 7A will be launching in Malaysia on the 5 June 2018. Based on what we know so far, we can expect two variants of the Honor 7A to be priced at ~RM500 and ~RM650 respectively.

In terms of tech specs, the Honor 7A will be housing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset, an option of either 2GB or 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 13MP + 2MP dual rear camera, 8MP front facing selfie camera, 5.7-inch display and it is powered by a 3000mAh non-removable battery. Stay tuned to TechNave.com as we update on the official price during the launch on 5 June 2018.


ASUS Malaysia wants you to Cosplay for an ASUS ZenFone Selfie coming on 30 August 2015

ASUS Malaysia recently offered a sneak preview of things to come including the upcoming ASUS ZenPad tablets and a new ZenFone. ASUS seems to have made that official by recently announcing the start of their ASUS Cosplay Selfie Challenge to win the ASUS ZenFone Selfie. The ASUS ZenFone Selfie is a ZenFone 2 smartphone with 13MP PixelMaster cameras with dual LED flash for both the front and back with all the latest tech specs and features including a 64-bit Intel processor and laser autofocus. It should make an excellent prize for the ASUS Cosplay Selfie Challenge which you can enter via the steps below:

The steps above confirm that the ASUS ZenFone Selfie will be launched here in Malaysia on 30 August 2015 along with the ASUS ZenPad tablets and more. In fact, the invites to join the upcoming launch have already been sent out through the MyASUS app which comes with ASUS devices. Check it out and sign up for a chance at your invite to the launch event. No Malaysia pricing details yet, but we should know more by the end of the month.


Honor wants to launch more IoT-capable devices

Now that Honor is independent of Huawei, it's not surprising that its product direction may change. But at the Honor 7th Anniversary Fan Roundtable, Honor revealed that it aims to launch pretty more of the same type of products it always has.

According to Changan Digital, Honor CEO Zhao Ming said that the company will continue to launch products like laptops, tablets, smart displays, routers, headphones, and more. What's interesting is that the term "full-scenario IoT" was used here when describing the products. This indicates that Honor wants to be able to link these products together, like what Huawei does with its Huawei Share and OneTap feature.

Besides that, the company pledges to be more attentive to "consumer experience". That's as vague as a PR statement you can get, but one way of interpreting that is that we can expect the software for Honor products to be better. As you probably know by now, Honor's independence means that it will regain access to Google Mobile Services and Google Play Services.

We haven't been hearing much from Honor lately, aside from the upcoming Honor V40 series smartphones. But we'll probably hear more once they get things together. Until then, stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates like this.


Honor will be launching a MagicBook variants with AMD Ryzen CPUs

As AMD continues to gain market recognition, more companies are producing variants of laptops with AMD CPUs. We've seen this with the Honor MagicBook 14, which just recently launched a variant sporting the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPU. Now, the company could be looking to launch more AMD variants for the rest of its MagicBook laptops.

According to leaker Changan Digital, another Honor MagicBook laptop powered by an AMD Ryzen Mobile CPU is going to launch on 16 July 2020. The image he posted doesn't tell us much, but based on the positioning of the ports of the device, we believe that it could be the MagicBook Pro. This is meant to be a more powerful variant of the MagicBook and was first unveiled in May 2020 with Intel CPUs.

In terms of tech specs, this variant could come with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce MX350 GPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a large 512GB of SSD storage. It should also have a 16.1-inch Full HD display that has 100% sRGB colour gamut and an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio. As for I/O ports, it has three USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, one HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

We're fairly certain than an AMD variant of the MagicBook Pro will eventually launch, but the given date is unconfirmed so we'll have to see. With that said, what are your thoughts on this? Will you want this AMD variant to launch in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates.


Honor will focus more on camera sensors with larger pixel size instead of higher resolutions

We have seen smartphone camera resolution continuously grow in the last few years, with brands stacking more sensors to achieve higher pixel counts. In fact, even some midrange devices have 48MP or 108MP these days, something that would have been inconceivable before. But Honor believes that going for sensors with larger pixel sizes may be a better option.

In a Weibo post, Shen Kailiang (Honor, Marketing Manager) commented that to get resolutions reaching 100MP, brands are mostly using camera sensors with pixel size not exceeding 0.8 micrometres. Shen claimed that Honor and Sony both believe that sensors with a pixel size of 1 micrometre or more will deliver better image quality for flagship devices in future, then announced that Honor flagships in 2020 will be focused on this direction.

If you're familiar with camera sensors, Shen's comments do make sense. Theoretically, larger pixel sensors can receive more light, which can lead to images with greater detail and less noise. Bayer sensors deliver high image quality as well by combining four adjacent pixels together, though that's considered a more complicated method. Both methods can deliver the results, but it's hard to say which one is truly superior to the other.

With all that said, which do you think is better: Larger pixel sensors or higher camera resolution? Do let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Hori unveils special Joy-Con attachment for Ace Angler

Want to go fishing but can't go out because of the movement control order? Well, if you have a Nintendo Switch, there's a temporary fix for you! Third-party peripheral manufacturer Hori has made an officially licensed peripheral that will let you have a little of that fishing experience, even if you're confined at home.

The new peripheral lets you attach your Joy-Cons to it, turning the entire thing into 'fishing controller'. It looks kind of like the handle of a fishing rod with the reel next to it and is designed for people to play Ace Angler. For those who are unaware, Ace Angler is a fishing game for the Nintendo Switch.

Based on the gameplay and design of the attachment, you can tell that this game will appeal more to kids. You get to use the reel mechanism with the game, so it'll feel quite close to the real thing. It does mean that you don't get to use the right side controller, but judging from the design you might not need to.

Both the game and the Hori attachment will be available on 21 July 2020, with a bundle for both items priced at 8778 yen (~RM371). With that said, would you bother getting a game like this as a substitute for your fishing hobby? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Horizon Forbidden West Malaysia pre-order: including Collector's & Regalla Edition, starting price from RM249

If you have been waiting for Horizon Forbidden West, here's some good news for Malaysian gamers. Starting from 14 December 2021, the pre-order for the next anticipated video game sequel will be available at all PlayStation Authorised Dealers and Sony Stores. And if you're a collector, there are some collector's editions for you to check out as well.

In total, there are six copies - two for the PS4 and the rest coming for the PS5 version. Starting with the PS4, the standard physical edition cost RM249 whereas the special edition is RM299. Then for the PS5 gamers, the physical copy is also RM299 and the price gets higher from there. The PS5 Special Edition, Collector's Edition and Regalla Edition cost RM339, RM839 and RM1099 respectively.

Digital version pre-orders for Horizon Forbidden West are now available on PlayStation Store (PS Store). You’ll have the option to choose between the Standard Digital Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition – both of which include the full game and the Nora Legacy Outfit and Spear as bonus incentives for pre-order purchase.

Additionally, physical pre-order customers will stand a chance to get one of the three different physical pre-order incentives: “Focus Keychain”, Horizon Forbidden West Cap or “Tremortusk 3D Puzzle”. You will need to check with local retailers for details of the physical pre-order mechanic.

As a reminder, Horizon Forbidden West will be released on 18 February 2022 on the PS4 and PS5 globally. Will you be getting this video game? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition heading to PC on 7 August 2020

For those who enjoy playing games with superior graphics on a PC, the chance for you to play one of the open-world RPGs around is coming soon. Guerilla Games has confirmed that Horizon Zero Dawn will be available on PC soon, with a few improvements over the original Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4) version to make it worth the wait.

Originally an exclusive PS4 title, Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition will now bring the game to the PC audience via Steam and Epic Games Store on 7 August 2020. According to the new trailer, Guerrilla Games has made some new improvements to the PC version of the game, mostly on the graphical side.

Specifically, the Complete Edition provides PC players with support ultrawide resolution, dynamic foliage, improved reflections, and more. You have a higher degree of control over these graphical settings in the menu, which also lets you customise your controls. It even comes with a custom benchmark tool that you can run, then show off how powerful your PC is to friends.

If you're keen on getting the game, it's already up for pre-purchase on Steam for RM80 or on Epic Games Store for USD 21.49 (~RM92). So, are you going to buy this game? Do let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


Horological Smartwatch by Frederique Constant, Geneva coming to Malaysia in June 2015

Most smartwatches and fitness trackers don't really look like traditional hand-crafted watches but it looks like Malaysia could soon be getting one that combines both values with the imminent arrival of the Horological Smartwatch by Frederique Constant, Geneva. Powered by MotionX technology, this handcrafted watch will track your daily activities including steps, distance and calories along with accurate tracking of your sleep patterns. Designed for both Apple iOS and Android devices, the Horological smartwatch works well with both, syncing your tracking information for indepth graphs and charts. The Horological Smartwatch will come in 4 versions for both men and women and features a 2 year battery life, sleep cycle alarms when your sleep goes off course, get-active alerts when you stay still too long and more. One feature which we found interesting was the Always-on Time & Date which automatically sets your time and date depending on your location, so if you travel to another country, you don't have to wind it manually like a traditional watch. Although there are no specific Malaysia release dates or pricing details, the Horological Smartwatch is expected to arrive in Malaysia sometime in June 2015 and it is priced at Swiss Franc 1295 (RM4744) in Switzerland.


Hotlink Merdeka rewards now offering Malaysians a chance to win an iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S21+

In the upcoming Merdeka, Hotlink by Maxis will be offering some attractive vouchers, prizes and smartphone redemption to the customers. Under the campaign “Bikin Selalu, Hotlink App Dulu”, Hotlink subscribers will just need to reload their credit or purchase e-vouchers on the Hotlink app to participate.

So how does this work? Well, every credit top-up through the Hotlink app via direct banking or e-wallet (including MAE, Boost or Touch ‘n Go) earns customers Hotlink Reward Points. These points can be accumulated and used to redeem various prizes, including vouchers from Dunkin’, Tealive, Kenny Rogers, Burger King, Lazada, Grabfood and many others. Points are refreshed at the end of the month, so customers are encouraged to redeem the items whenever they top up.

If you want to try your luck to win some smartphones, you can purchase an e-voucher from the Hotlink Rewards catalogue from now until 17 September 2021. With a total of 32 devices to be won, you stand a chance to win an iPhone 12 or Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus. Vouchers priced below RM10 are worth one entry while vouchers priced at RM10 and above are worth two entries.

To find out more on how to claim these rewards, you can open up the Hotlink app or download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on this page here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Hotlink Postpaid Flex Plus introduced with 10GB Internet, a RM1 vivo Y81i bundle and more starting from RM60

Do you still remember about Hotlink Postpaid Flex that was introduced earlier this year? If you have no idea what that is, it's a pretty cool plan by Hotlink that lets you customize the plan to your own preference with the best of both prepaid and postpaid! And to make the plan more appealing, Hotlink just launched a new Hotlink Postpaid Flex Plus which comes bundled with a device and even more data.

According to the website, new Hotlink Postpaid Flex Plus customers will only need to pay at least RM60 per month for features that include a 10GB Internet data pool, unlimited calls and SMS to any network. As for the phone bundle package, customers can choose between the vivo Y81i and Y85 for just RM1 and RM199 respectively. Yup, you read that right, just RM1 for the entry-level Y81i smartphone!

If that's the plan you're looking for, you can head over to your nearest Hotlink dealers, Maxis Centres and Maxis Exclusive Partners (MEPS) nationwide starting now. You can also sign up at the website too right here. Stay tuned for more Hotlink news at TechNave.com.


Hotlink Postpaid Flex users get additional Internet data + new Hotlink Big Stage Showdown

With Hotlink still offering a free 62GB worth of Internet data for their customers, it has been announced that the users using Hotlink Postpaid Flex Plus Plan will be granted an additional 10GB data for YouTube for RM60/month, along with Hotlink Postpaid Flex With More Data users are getting 3GB data for YouTube.

On top of that, Hotlink is also involved with the popular singing reality show, Big Stage on Astro Ria so in conjunction with the upgrade, the Big Stage Showdown will be launched by Hotlink Postpaid Flex as an exclusive digital-only content. It includes Big Stage Season 1 contestants vs Season 2 contestants, hosted by Radin Amir Effendi and Fiza Frizzy.

To catch all three Big Stage Showdown digital episodes on Facebook and YouTube LIVE on Astro Gempak and Hotlink channels, you just have to follow the time slot. Episode 1 will premiere on 29 August, Episode 2 on 5 September, and the last episode on12 September. There's also a special weekly code for users to stand a chance to win RM1000 worth of Astro GO Shop vouchers, so that's a total of three winners.

To know more how the RM1000 voucher prize works, you can visit this webpage to check it out. Stay tuned for more Hotlink news at TechNave.com.


ASUS Malaysia wants you to win a ZenFone 2 with a national colours-inspired ZenLooks

ASUS Malaysia recently showed off their Incredible Catwalk collaboration with Kim Jones and now want us Malaysians to join in with the ZenLooks challenge. All you need to do is create a ZenFone 2 case design based on the national colours you encounter every day. Prizes include an ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML and Limited edition ZenFone 2 case by CutiePieMarzia every week. The Grand Prize winner gets their design printed as a limited edition ZenFone 2 case. The contest period is from 9 November 2015 to 6 December 2015 so go check it out at the ASUS Malaysia Facebook Page now.

Win the CutiePieMarzia Limited Edition ZenFone 2 Case. And yep, that's CutiePieMarzia.


Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited FUP limits confirmed and detailed in FAQ page

Not clarifying terms and conditions for any product or service is often a bad move, as Maxis found out recently. The company launched its Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited pack a few days ago, promising unlimited internet access and calls. But as it turned out, it does have a certain limitation and many users were unhappy with the lack of transparency.

As you may know, many mobile data plans would throttle data speeds once a quota is reached. This is called Fair Usage Policy (FUP) and it can vary between companies. In the case of the Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited's internet passes, there's a 5GB cap for the daily pass, 15GB cap for the weekly pass, and 50GB for the monthly pass. The problem was that Hotlink initially failed to list these in its terms and conditions page.

The data cap for high-speed internet was not detailed at first

When users asked if about the FUP for the plan on the Hotlink Facebook page, the reply was that there was no cap to the quota. This led users to believe that the service was truly unlimited, only to be surprised when the data speed drop from 3Mbps to 512Kbps once they reached their quota. Hotlink has since backtracked and confirmed that there's a FUP attached to the plan, with the details now added to the Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited's FAQ page.

Now that the details have been clarified, those who opt-in for the plan can better budget their data usage and not be caught unaware. But with that said, what do you think about the whole situation? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech news.


Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited officially launches with unlimited Internet & Calls from as low as RM3 per day

This week, there was a rumour going around online about a possible unlimited Hotlink package plan. Today, Maxis have just confirmed with us today that this is indeed true and it's called the Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited plan. As the name suggests, it offers unlimited Internet as well as unlimited network calls from as low as just RM3 per day.

According to Maxis, there are currently 4 different package plans for Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited. If you prefer having a monthly plan, there are the Unlimited RM35/month and Unlimited RM45/month which offers the same features, the only difference between the two is that the latter offers twice the speed. Besides that, there are also the Unlimited RM12/week and Unlimited RM3/day which doesn't offer FREE VIU Premium with Maxis TV.

Despite having unlimited internet for all 4 packages, the mobile hotspot is limited based on days. You can choose to purchase the RM1 with unlimited hotspot data for an hour, RM3 with 3GB for a day, or RM10 with 5GB for a week. Maxis also mentioned that the hotspot data speed is uncapped so that's nice.

In addition, Maxis will revamp the Hotlink SUPERRR pack to Hotlink Prepaid Video. Those who love streaming and binge-watching shows on their mobile phone will enjoy Maxis TV via sachet passes, with free 10GB per month on selected video apps, and 2x free Internet for videos with purchase of an MI pass.

To learn more or purchase the latest Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited and Hotlink Prepaid Video packs, you can visit their official online page right here, or visit your nearest Maxis Store, Hotlink dealer or convenience store. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited users will have their mobile Internet speeds throttled after 8PM

Besides the general inconvenience, the global pandemic-induced movement control order (MCO) has had severe economical effects. That's why some companies are looking for ways to "balance the books", so to say. One of them would be Maxis, which has been throttling the Internet speed for some of its Hotlink users.

Maxis has begun implementing a time-based Fair Usage Policy (FUP) system for its Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited users. During MCO, users of the prepaid package will have their mobile Internet speed reduced to 512Kbps (from 3Mbps or 6Mbps) between 8 PM to 12 AM every day. This is actually noted in the FAQ for the plan's Unlimited Internet Passes, but normally the FUP is only implemented once a user exceeds a certain data cap.

@HotlinkListens Please clarify is the below true, without official announcement? pic.twitter.com/vvfazReg8b

Unfortunately, some Hotlink users have the misfortune of experiencing it first hand. Upon lodging their complaint (by user @leekokwan), these users received were notified of the speed reduction through WhatsApp or Facebook messages. Judging from the company's response, it can be assumed that all Hotlink Prepaid Unlimited will have their speed reduced at night.

Have any of you encountered this issue? If so, is it a big problem for you? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.

Update (1:37PM): We just got an official statement from Maxis in regards to the issue.

Firstly, Maxis would like to apologise for the miscommunication on the Hotlink Unlimited Fair Usage Policy (FUP) which only applies to certain situations. Maxis would also like to clarify that we do not manage speeds to 512kbps during the MCO period.

Our focus during a surge in network traffic especially during the MCO period is making sure that access to a reliable and fast mobile internet network is available to everyone for essential activities such as web access to important information, e-learning and work from home. This network traffic management for Hotlink users during limited busy hours at night from 8pm to 12 midnight is not to be confused with Fair Usage Policy. Instead, it is an interim measure to ensure less data congestion to ensure a good user experience. We continue to monitor traffic and quality levels, and optimise network capacity while accelerating upgrades to retain a good mobile data speed experience. We encourage customers to reach out to our customer service team for any further assistance.


Hotlink Prepaid users can now get 50GB of data at RM35/month

Maxis today announced that its Hotlink Prepaid and Hotlink Postpaid customers can now get more internet quota at greater value and high-speed internet access with no speed cap at affordable rates. These include a new Hotlink Prepaid Pantas pass with more data at lower rates.

Specifically, the new Hotlink Prepaid Pantass pass now offers 30GB of uncapped high-speed internet with unlimited calls at RM35 per month. Furthermore, from now until 31 March 2023, customers are also eligible to claim a total of 5 x 20GB bonus high-speed data vouchers via the Hotlink app. Each voucher may be redeemed with an in-app purchase of the RM35 pass up until December.

Moreover, for Hotlink Postpaid, customers on both the Hotlink Postpaid 40 and Hotlink Postpaid 60 plans will enjoy an additional 10GB bump in data, unlimited calls and SMS. Hotlink Postpaid 60 subscribers will also enjoy attractive discounts on new mobile devices including the Samsung Galaxy A04 and Honor X7A, among others.

In addition to more data quota, all Hotlink subscribers can now enjoy free access to Premier League live matches, attractive discounts on movie tickets and exclusive partner deals via the Hotlink app. To find out more about the revamped Hotlink plans and exclusive rewards, visit Hotlink’s official website here.

So, what do you guys think of this promotion by Hotlink? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.


Hotlink has announce the Hotlink Rewards which offers rewards and special deals on a daily basis

Today Hotlink has announced the launch of the new Hotlink Rewards which is under the Hotlink RED App which consists of various deals, mystery gifts, and rewards from partners such as McDonald’s, Shopee, Tealive, Domino’s and more.

In order to accumulate said points, the user has to log into the Hotlink RED App daily to redeem the points with a click of a button on the redemption section. Depending on the tier of the account, the user will be eligible to redeem a set number of points. For example, the basic Silver account will be awarded 5 points for redemption while Gold account will be given 10 points.

New reward screen on the Hotlink RED App

In order to upgrade the account from Silver to Gold, the account holder has to accumulate a total of 60 points to be upgraded to the Gold status. If the user does not wish to wait, they can also upgrade to the Gold tier through other methods as well. Stand a chance to win free flights to any destination locally or within South East Asia when you redeem the Mystery Box. Check out Hotlink's official website for more information and if you're looking for more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Hotlink is giving their customers free 44GB Internet data pool

As per traditional of every festive season, telco brands tend to give away a lot of Internet data pool for their customers as a reward. Hotlink just happens to be one of them once again and starting from today onwards until 30 June, all Hotlink customers are rewarded with free 44GB data.

To get this massive 44GG data, customers will need to purchase any of the HotlinkMU RAYA Deals (with the word RAYA PROMO) that are available on the Hotlink RED App in the HOME & SHOP tab. In case you're wondering, the 44GB data is applicable for any app usage from Instagraming to video binge-watching on YouTube, as well as listening to your jam on Spotify and WhatsApping. Also, for some reason, they decided to split the 44GB into half - 22GB all-day and 22GB from 1AM - 7AM.

To find out more information about the HotlinkMU RAYA Deal, you can visit their website here. Stay tuned for more Hotlink news only at TechNave.com.


Hotlink is upgrading its system, some transactions may be impacted

Maxis is always working on improving its users’ experience. In order to continue doing that, Maxis will be having a system upgrading exercise in two phases for its Hotlink Prepaid service and one of them will be happening today, 22nd of April.

Not a lot of impact will be noticed for Hotlink prepaid customers’ phone signals - users will still be able to make calls, surf the internet and more. However, certain transactions may be impacted and those who are impacted will be notified via SMS. For more info about topups and etc, do check out their official website. Are you impacted by this upgrade? For the latest news on telcos in Malaysia, be sure to check out TechNave.com!


Hotlink launches free 8GB/month for life

With the recent upgraded MaxisONE plan revealed last week, Hotlink is now offering Hotlink FAST prepaid plan for FREE 2GB of 4G Internet every week for LIFE (yes, forever). To sum it up, that's 8GB per month of non-stop weekend streaming, surfing and sharing!

Current Hotlink FAST users do not need to do any spending or reload to get those, as long as they can keep their account active, they will be automatically upgraded with this new feature. Hotlink will also make the FREE 8GB/month at weekends feature for LIFE permanently for prepaid users who wants to start trying Hotlink's superior 4G network or for any customers on the new Hotlink FAST plan.

As for the weekdays Internet data, both 3G and 4G users can enjoy the FAST Internet deals at RM48 monthly for 5GB, and the most affordable prepaid daily pass at RM3 for 1GB. There's also a Free Social Chat 24 hours a day every day for Whatsapp, LINE, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger.

“Our 3G and 4G prepaid users are Internet-hungry and they expect even more data for all their streaming, surfing and sharing on social media. Which is why we are constantly offering great deals and passes at great prices to keep them connected to what they love. And with 4G LTE phone prices falling as low as RM150 now, we also believe that 2016 is the year that most prepaid users will be getting their first 4G phone. Together with the explosion of streaming and sharing services on mobile, 4G data usage is set to explode in prepaid as it has done in postpaid." said Navin Manian, Maxis Head of Prepaid.

Price-wise, the new Hotlink FAST starter pack is RM10 and comes with 300MB preloaded high speed Internet and RM5 preloaded airtime. Customers can now get the new plan at their nearest Hotlink Dealer or Maxis Centre as well. For existing Hotlink users who wants to upgrade to the new Hotlink FAST plan, they can login to Hotlink RED app → More → My Account → and select Change (next to Rateplan) or dial *100*6*1# from their phones.

To learn more about the new Hotlink FAST, visit their new promo page to check it out.


Hotlink now gives 999GB worth of Internet data every day for FAST Facebook

Hey you, Internet-hungry user, in case you missed it - Hotlink has announced that every customer can now enjoy 999GB worth of Internet data every day for Facebook! But there's a catch, though, this is only applicable to new Hotlink users only who subscribe to Hotlink FAST or SUPER from today onwards until 31 December 2017.

Sounds pretty great, but how does the charging fee look like? No worries, we got you covered. Check out the table below with the following Mobile Internet passes of FAST Facebook with Hotlink:

To find out more about Hotlink’s free FAST Facebook. kindly head over to its website right here and stay tuned for more Hotlink news at TechNave.com.


Hotlink offering BlackBerry Z10 for SKMM at RM1688 for Loyal Customers in Malaysia

As part of the Pakej Komunikasi Belia Hotlink is offering a number of smartphones either for free or with rebates, in line with the RM200 rebate from the package. One deal that caught our eye was for the BlackBerry Z10 which is being offered at a promotional price of RM1688 with an additional 1.5GB of Free data. This RM1688 price is valid for existing Hotlink BlackBerry BIS customers who are eligible for the Pakej Komunikasi Belia. However, existing customers who do not qualify for the Pakej Komunikasi Belia may instead get the BlackBerry Z10 for a discounted price of RM1988. New customers who qualify for the package can get the smartphone at RM1888 while new customers who don't qualify for the package can get the deal at RM2188. The free 1.5GB worth of data is only valid for 7 days after the device has been bought while the actual promo is valid from 9 March 2013 to 30 April 2013. The breakdown is listed as below:

Other smartphones in the deal includes the Samsung Galaxy Y, Nokia Asha 311, Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini, Huawei Ascend P1, Apple iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S III and Nokia Lumia 920. As usual, you can see all of our Maxis telco plans here but for more information regarding this Hotlink promotion please visit the Hotlink site.


ASUS Malaysia will extend your laptop's warranty for 30 days if it expires during MCO

How is everyone holding up at home? If you happen to be an ASUS customer and your laptop's warranty is expiring during this Movement Control Order period, here's some good news. ASUS Malaysia have decided to extend all ASUS product warranty for an additional 30 days!

According to the company, the warranty extension will be effective immediately after the MCO is over (if it ends on 28 April, that is). This applies to ROG gaming laptops as well so don't you worry, gamers. Do take note that you won't be able to claim warranty during the MCO period as the company have temporarily paused their operations. However, their Customer Service chat is still online and you can still email them.

By the way, ASUS Malaysia also recently released a list of ASUS laptops eligible for the ASUS Perfect Warranty Plan. You can take a look if your laptop is part of the list right over here. Stay tuned for more ASUS news at TechNave.com.


Hotlink subscribers can now obtain 61GB Internet data for free with HotlinkMU GIGA Sale

Hold up, 61GB of Internet data? We aren't kidding and so as Hotlink too. Today, all Hotlink users will be able to get 61GB for free as part of the HotlinkMU GIGA Sale for the upcoming Merdeka this month. Getting it is quite simple, all you have to do is purchase any HotlinkMU GIGA Deals via Hotlink RED app and that's it! No restrictions and limitations.

According to Navin Manian, Maxis’ Head of Prepaid, it seems the company are just giving back to their customers out of goodwill. From his quote, he said:

“This Merdeka, we wanted to reward our customers with more data for all their Internet needs. With HotlinkMU, they’re already enjoying great, personalised deals, and now with the HotlinkMU GIGA Sale, we’re giving them free, extra data with no conditions. What’s more, they can expect the best Internet experience, anytime, anywhere on our No. 1 4G network,” said Mr Manian.

So there you have, there's no hidden agenda there so to purchase the new HotlinkMU GIGA Deals, all you need to do is just:

To find out more about the HotlinkMU GIGA Sale, you can check it out at their webpage right here. Stay tuned for more Maxis news at TechNave.com.


Hotlink to offer 17GB of high-speed data per month for RM50

If you are a Hotlink customer – head’s up. Maxis’s prepaid brand is launching the Biggest Internet Pass package that offers free calls to all networks and two times more YouTube streaming quota than ever before. With just RM50 per month, you will get 17GBs of high-speed Internet.

With every pass purchase, the users will get the following as part of their purchase:

For the YouTube quota, you need to dial *868# to activate it, but after activation – the quota is yours for free. Other monthly passes also gets an upgrade for Youtube quota and weekend Internet, for both the 3GB and 2GB monthly passes. Do take note that your Hotlink package needs to be turned to a Hotlink Fast account by dialing *100#, and selecting the upgrade option to the Hotlink 4G Fast Plan.


HotlinkMU will offer everyday deals via the Hotlink RED App

Maxis recently announced their new HotlinkMU platform which offers new deals everyday to Hotlink users via the Hotlink RED App is now available. Check it out at the hotlink site or see the video below.


How 'Ecobubble' technology works inside Samsung Addwash Washing Machine

Washing clothes in a washing machine is fairly easy, as it automatically cleans your clothes by mixing water with detergent to remove dirt and stains, but have you ever heard of 'Ecobubble' technology? Samsung's 'Ecobubble' technology, which is available in the Samsung AddWash Washing Machine, does what every washing machine do, but reduces the surface tension of water, allowing it to mix more easily detergent into a powerful yet gentle foam that better penetrates fabrics. Here's how the technology works:

1. In the initial stages of the wash, the innovative ‘Ecobubble generator’ activates the detergent (surfactant)

The pre-dissolved detergent, finely mixed with water in the Ecobubble generator, enters the chamber

2. Detergents are dissolved much faster as it is less influenced by the natural surface tension of water.

Conventional washers need more time to mix water and detergent

3. The numerous tiny bubbles resulting from the mixture increases interfacial tension between the stain and the fabric, allowing the detergent to instantly penetrate stain.

The solution, in bubble form, is absorbed about 40 times faster

4. These bubbles help remove stains even in low temperatures.

5. Time and energy that would have been used to heat water, or pre-soak the laundry can be saved.

Washing can be done at 15 degrees Celsius, which uses approximately 70% less energy than hot washing

6. The washer also better preserves functional or delicate fabrics, which are becoming increasingly popular.

Ecobubble washing removed dirt and stains without damaging the water-repelling qualities. Comparison of fabric damage by Ecobubble versus conventional washing – electronic microscope images and measurement of softness of washed material. Results from internal experiments*

Introduced earlier this year, the Samsung AddWash Washing Machine comes in three capacity variants; 12kg, 10.5kg and 8kg, the Samsung AddWash Washing Machine is available at authorized Samsung retail outlets.


How Facebook Home Works

As mentioned previously, Facebook Home is Facebook's new app launcher UI that integrates Facebook features and overlays onto your Android smartphone operating system (OS). Just to repeat what was said earlier, it isn't a fork of the Android OS and all you need to install it is the right hardware and some Facebook apps such as messenger already installed. Facebook Home will be available for all Android devices (meaning you can download it from Google Play) on or after 12 April 2013. According to Facebook, Facebook Home will be updated regularly and monthly.

The new Facebook Home Chat Heads messaging system in action

Rather than have an app to go into, your smartphone's home screen has your Cover feed screen, complete with people and connections. Full details are provided such as images, comments and text updates. Integrating the Facebook messenger with the interface, is the new and more robust messaging system called Chat Heads. The background messaging system could be your phone's built-in SMS or Facebook Messenger but the interface would be the same accross apps. Keeping you constantly connected, messaging conversations are instantly (depending on your settings of course) overlaid over whatever is currently on screen so you don't have to shut down the app just to continue messaging. The Facebook Home app launcher also includes a more robust notification system which pops up over your Cover feed, complete with pictures and it doesn't just handle Facebook notifications but also notifications from other apps as well.

A more robust notification system overlays your Cover feed

Whether you should or should not download and install Facebook Home is more of a personal question than anything. For the person who already uses his or her smartphone to check Facebook 10 to 12 times a day, it is a natural progression of things, allowing them to make a step up and embrace Facebook more fully. The Facebook Home team fully intend to integrate other social media with the Facebook Home app launcher including other social media such as Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest. Personally, we're not such heavy users but for myself (and quite a few others), if it means I can finally play Facebook apps or games on my smartphone, I may just download and install it. No news yet if that is an upcoming feature but with a monthly update schedule in place, we should know more about such things soon. The bottomline is if you liked Facebooking on your smartphone then yes, you should be downloading and installing Facebook Home. If you didn't like Facebook or only check it once in a while then perhaps you don't need to install it. Keep checking back for more updates.


How Fast Can The Samsung Galaxy S10+ Wirelessly Charge Its Accessories?

By now, you most probably heard of the new Samsung Galaxy S10+. But what you may not know is that it also has a reverse wireless charging technology called PowerShare. Sure, what's so great about it? Well, not only can it charge other smartphones wirelessly, but as well as two of its accessories - the new Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Watch Active.

According to XDA Developers and the FCC forms before the launch, the Galaxy S10+ reverse wireless charging has a 9W output so we have to take their word for it. But just out of curiosity and for research purposes, let's put it to the test and see How Fast Can The Samsung Galaxy S10+ Wirelessly Charge Its Accessories.

We decided to test the Galaxy Watch Active first because of how "fast" it got charged. So to have a fair comparison, we got ourselves a normal wireless charger that has a 5V/1A output. Yes, it's lower than the supposedly 9W but reverse wireless charging isn't that great yet and cable charging will almost always be faster. Anyway, we put on the Galaxy Watch Active on the normal wireless charger and the Galaxy S10+'s reverse wireless charging for an hour each.

The Galaxy Watch was at 25% before charging

Before and after testing the wireless charger on the Galaxy Watch Active, it didn't even move!

Battery monitor on the Wireless PowerSharing

So after 1 hour and 4 minutes, the Galaxy S10+ reverse wireless charging managed to charge up the Galaxy Watch Active up to 28%! Not bad, huh? Well, to be fair, the Galaxy Watch Active battery capacity is only 230mAh and according to Samsung's website, it can last up to 8 hours of music playback time which isn't bad at all. Another thing to note is that the Galaxy S10+ battery also went down and from the battery chart, it has gone down 9%. Using its 9% for a 28% output isn't a bad trade, so I think it's pretty worth it.

As for using the normal wireless charger, the Galaxy Watch Active's battery meter didn't even budge! This tells us two things - 1) The 5V/1A output is not enough and 2) The Galaxy Watch Active really needs at least 9W charging output to get it going. One scenario that is perfect to use reverse wireless charging is probably when you're on a long trip like flying on an aeroplane, or you forgot to bring your Galaxy Watch Active charger. Whichever it is, the Galaxy S10+ will come to the rescue.

On the other hand, the new Galaxy Buds can also be charged using the reverse wireless charging feature. However, it does come with a casing that also acts as a charger so we think normally, users would rather use the casing to charge the earbuds. But WHAT IF the casing battery has been depleted? Well, this is where the reverse wireless charger comes in.

Testing the casing charging was a challenge because it doesn't indicate how much battery percentage it has, so what did we do? We decided to drain out the Galaxy Buds until 0%, then charge them up with the casing fully. During the process, the casing managed to charge the earbuds up to 70% until it got empty. We did the same process again for an hour with the Galaxy S10+ and this is what happened.

After charging about an hour, the red dot was still there on the casing which seems kind of fishy. We couldn't really tell how much battery power it even got but luckily, the wearable came with a small book manual telling us what the colour means. So according to the booklet, using the reverse wireless charger can charge the casing up to between 30% - 60% only in an hour. If it was green, the casing's battery level would be 60% and above. With that, if we were to use the normal wireless charger, it would definitely be around 30% - 60% as well (or even lower). But that's the case.

Similar to the scenario that was mentioned previously, using the reverse wireless charging on the Galaxy Buds casing is also useful for long travels if you forget to bring your charging cable for the casing. That said, you can also charge the Galaxy S10+ and also do a reverse wireless charging at the same time, but we won't recommend that because it does get warm doing so.

So that was our experiment on the PowerShare reverse wireless charging. Charging the Galaxy Watch Active is definitely convenient and maybe for the Galaxy Buds casing as well. That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned for more interesting Galaxy S10+ discoveries in the coming days! Only at TechNave.com.


How Huawei Share can connect your Huawei devices with One Tap for a seamless AI Life

If you've been paying attention, you'd have noticed that Huawei has been expanding its range of electronic devices this year. From true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds to new TVs and wireless speakers, the company's portfolio has been growing fast. Most of these are available in Malaysia too, so we're quite lucky in a sense.

Why? Because Huawei has been working hard to allow all its products to connect, as part of the company's "1+8+N" Seamless Life AI initiative. But how exactly are these devices integrated? Well, today let's talk about the different Huawei products that can be linked together with just One Tap.

Easily drag and drop files to and from your phone

The Huawei P40 Pro can be used like any regular Android smartphone but if you can get more out of it, why not? You can sync up your P40 Pro to a MateBook X Pro laptop or MatePad Pro 5G tablet and get a lot more screen space to do other tasks.

So, what kind of tasks are we talking about? For one, you could use the camera and microphone on the laptop or tablet to take calls from the phone. This can be useful if your hands are occupied with some other task (like typing) and you don't want to have to hold up the phone or use a headset. Another advantage is that you'll get a bigger screen for your Huawei MEETime video calls. Also, you can drag and drop files between your phone and the other device easily.

One of the new products in Huawei's expanding portfolio is Sound X, a high-end wireless speaker made in collaboration with Devialet. It comes with touch buttons at the top and can connect to devices through Bluetooth or NFC. With the OneHop Audio Sharing feature, just tap your phone to the NFC logo on the Sound X and you're connected.

Of course, once connected you can easily stream audio from your phone to the speaker. This effectively turns the Sound X into your wireless speaker, allowing it to be used for phone and video calls, as well as for music streaming from your phone. It's also more convenient this way, as the speaker will pause your music if you have an incoming call, and you can mute it easily by placing your hand on top of the speaker.

No need to ask for the password, just tap!

Besides the Sound X speaker, another product that Huawei has launched recently is the AX3 wireless router. At a glance, it may seem like a standard router. But it comes with WiFi 6 support and can, you guessed it, one tap to connect! With the Huawei AX3 router, you don't have to ask for the WiFi password. Just walk up to the router, tap your P40 or P40 Pro on the NFC area, then select connect to get access to the router's wireless network. Easy!

As you all know, TWS earbuds are trendy these days and Huawei has them too. Like the other products already mentioned, you can quickly pair the Huawei FreeBuds 3 to a Huawei smartphone. Just tap your phone to the holding/charging case, then click on the pop-up window to set up the initial pairing. Once it's connected, you can use it for music playback and taking phone calls. It also supports gestures like double-tap (on the left earbud) to toggle noise-cancellation.

Another advantage of using the P40 Pro with the FreeBuds 3 is for reverse wireless charging

The Watch GT2 is another device that can connect to a Huawei phone with one tap

Another product you can quickly connect to is the Watch GT 2. It's great since it can act as your personal trainer, as well as to detect your heartbeat rate, stress level and training record. It provides 15 different sport modes and can monitor your health status according to different sport modes. Since it has a speaker and microphone, you can even use it to pick up phone calls. It also supports 5 ATM water resistance, enables you to keep connected whether you are on land or in water.

And there you go, some of the different Huawei products that can connect with one tap. There's also the Vision TV Smart TV X65 (not available in Malaysia yet) that can be paired with one tap, plus more products that will likely be added in the future, so that's something to look forward to. If you want to find out more about the different products that can link together with just one tap, check out Huawei's Together 2020 website.

What do you think about Huawei's products integrating like this? Is there a particular feature you'd like to see? Let us know in the comments on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more articles like this.


How I fixed my Unifi connection with EasyFix and so can you

When it comes to fibre Internet, there are a few options available in Malaysia. Nearly all are reliable, for the most part, but occasionally my connection might not work and I won't know why. So, what should you and I do when our Unifi connection goes poof?

First, I would normally call my service provider. However, many times I'd get an automated voice telling me that the operators are all busy. Now what? Well, I can now go hands-on by myself with MyunifiApp and EasyFix.

The MyunifiApp allows us to track and monitor our Unifi account, but that’s not all (but more on that later). To begin, I went to the Unifi website to download MyunifiApp. Currently, the app is available on the Apple app store, Google Play Store, and Huawei AppGallery.

Once logged in, you should be able to see some options like EasyFix under 'Quick Links'. But if it's not there by default, you can add it with the 'Edit' button. Anyway, tap on EasyFix here to get started. You'll see a compulsory account verification process first, complete that before proceeding.

Now that you're in, there are two relevant options right off the bat - "Start self troubleshooting" and "Check service outage". If your Unifi isn't connecting, you can try the second function to check if there's an outage in your place or area.

But if that doesn't work, try the self-troubleshooting option. This feature walks you through some standard procedures, which should help you determine whether your problem is modem-related or router-related. With the former, EasyFix should be able to help you solve common issues.

If it's an outage, you can continue to use the "Check service outage" feature to monitor the situation. Also, you'll get early notifications of any possible disruptions by downloading MyunifiApp. But if it's a network problem on your end, you'll have to inform Unifi and get them to work on it. The company promises to restore connections within 24 hours, any day of the week. You can also track the process with Service Tracker.

Cool, right? Now you won't have to make a call to Unifi just to verify a problem. After all, it might just be a momentary glitch. Besides the above, MyunifiApp will also let you pay your Unifi bill, get notifications on new promotions, and more.

If you don't have MyunifiApp yet, you can download it now and become a Unifi Rewards member for some extra welcome points. These can be used to redeem bill rebates, which is nice! TM Unifi also has a service called Unifi Elite, which helps customers with their various connectivity and business needs.

The app and consultants are all part of the Unifi Promise. If you want to learn more, check out the official website. You can also download MyunifiApp here, or access EasyFix on a browser with this link.

So, what do you think of the Unifi Promise? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech articles.


How Reliable is the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 4000mAh battery?

Having a big battery on a smartphone is considered one of the most important factors for consumers, as most of us need it as our daily drivers for work, play and social life. That being said, the 4000mAh battery is definitely one of the highlights from the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and we decided to test out how reliable is the 4000mAh battery?

So how do we put the Galaxy Note 9 to the test? Well, aside from running it on 3DMark benchmark to drain the battery, we decided to do it in a more practical test such as gaming. We played three different games starting with Arena of Valor, Asphalt 9: Legends and PUBG Mobile. All these games were set in the highest setting as well as playing against other real-life players online, which usually takes a toll on batteries. But before we started it, the phablet was actually running quite low on energy so it was also a good time to see how fast it charges up.

So starting from 18% (12:34PM), we went out to lunch and just let it charge for an hour plus. This is what we came back with - finishing at 90% at 1.50PM! Not bad for a 4000mAh battery thanks to the  9V/1.67A charging speed

So as you can see from the first battery chart, playing AoV for about an hour plus drains 17% only which is considered quite impressive. It should be noted that the newly integrated Water Carbon Cooling System inside the phablet also helps to keep it at an optimal temperature so no heating issue here (for now)

Continuing on with Asphalt 9, this time the battery drops 20% which is similar to AoV. Keep in mind that Asphalt 9's graphics are more intensive and to be able to keep it around the same drop percentage is not bad as well. So in other words, after two hours of gaming, the battery still stands at 63%

Here's some bonus footage from Asphalt 9 gameplay haha

Lastly, PUBG Mobile is the game that takes up the most battery energy. Just within around half an hour, it went down 18% and if we went on for an hour just like the first previous two games, we think the game could have easily consumed 40% more or less

AnTuTu chart shows that the battery temperature is 38.3-degrees

After 3 hours of intense gaming, the Galaxy Note 9 battery is able to hold on until 45%. One thing that we noticed during gaming, the temperature stays in between cool and warm so that proves that the Water Carbon Cooling System really works. However, the sides of the body frame became quite hot but not to the point that it made me uncomfortable while playing. Not to forget, big display usually consume a lot of battery energy and the phablet can still withstand it. Nice.

So with that, if you're going to use the phablet for just social tasks like messaging or working with the S-Pen and other documents, the Galaxy Note 9 can easily withstand them for a day or perhaps more. Moreover, charging up the 4000mAh capacity won't take long as well. Props to Samsung!

Have you gotten the phablet yet? It's now currently on sale starting from RM3699 at all Samsung Experience Stores as well as other partners like Senheng and senQ, offering different benefits such as freebies, rebates, instalment plans, trade up and more. You can check them out at our links here and stay tuned for a our full review in the near future at TechNave.com.


How To Safely Buy An Original Smartphone Online?

Update - Now that we have an official TechNave app, you can now search the nearest physical gadget shops around you. You can choose to opt for COD (cash on delivery) and all the shops on our app are verified sellers. You can download the TechNave app on both iOS and Google Play Store, click here to read more.

From time to time, our readers tend to ask us where is the best place to buy a smartphone (and also asking where our "shop" is, lol). Normally, we would tell you that the official concept stores or websites are the way to go, but there are still some people out there just waiting to con your money. So TechNavers, we have decided to write this article just for you. Here's "How To Safely Buy An Original Smartphone Online" along with some tips and tricks too.

There are several legitimate websites to buy from in Malaysia, you have Lazada, Shopee and 11street as the big three e-commerce destinations if driving to a nearby store is too much hassle. On the other hand, some smartphone brands also have their own online stores just for Malaysians such as apple.com.my, hihonor.com/my, Huawei's Huawei.com/my/, samsung.com/my, vivostore.com.my, oppostore.com.my and others. What about the rest? Well, other smartphone brands like realme, ASUS, Xiaomi have also opened their online stores but mainly on Lazada and Shopee.

For those who don't know, the aforementioned Malaysian online marketplace websites and official stores will definitely have a buy-safe protection feature which allows you to get a full refund, if the items are not successfully delivered or wrongly sent. This is a guaranteed feature by the marketplace operator, not the seller so they are trustable as they are under a public listed company and has been operating well so far in Malaysia.

Here's what you should see when buying an original phone product on Lazada

Make sure you spot that "Local Manufacturer "

How to spot them? For instance, in Lazada you can spot it on the right side of the product page with a description of "7/14 Days Easy Return" and "1 Year Local Manufacturer Warranty ". Should you spot an AP Set (imported products from foreign countries), it would be labelled as "Local Supplier Warranty". Some are placed at the bottom too, like Shopee you will find its tag "Shopee Guarantee". But is it original? As mentioned, all you have to do is look for “1 Year Local Manufacturer warranty”.

As long as the product has the "1 Year Local Manufacturer Warranty", the product is most probably not a fake item. However, there are a few sellers online who can fake it too. So if something happens, the process of refund is still a hassle. Here are more tips and tricks below for you to prevent getting scammed from irresponsible sellers.

Sometimes, scammers will try to sell a device like the Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 way below the recommended retail price (RRP), coming out with 2GB + 16GB memory capacity only. You can always refer back to our TechNave.com site to see if the tech specs match up (so you don't end up buying a Mate 10 Pro with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage lol). You can also check the latest prices at TechNave.com and even search for one within your budget.

So that's it for now, folks. These are some of the tips to buy a smartphone or any particular product online. If you would like to know more about Lazada's 14-days Easy Return feature, you can read the FAQ here as well as how the Shopee Guarantee works. Stay tuned for more tech articles at TechNave.com.


2 Malaysians arrested & charged for selling TV boxes with unauthorised Astro content

Yesterday, two individuals were arrested for selling TV boxes with unauthorised content. They were charged under Section 43AA of the Copyright (Amendment) Act 2022, which is the first case since the amendment took effect in March 2022.

Held at the Kuala Lumpur Session Court (Cyber), it was reported that three Android TV boxes were pre-loaded with unauthorised Astro content on 21 June 2022. They were confiscated by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM)'s team from Cyber Crime Investigation Unit, Commercial Crime Investigation Department during a raid at a kiosk in Kompleks Emart, Kuala Lumpur.

The owner of the kiosk, Yap Kim Fatt aged 42 years old, and his salesperson, Chu Kar Wai aged 29 years old, were charged under Section 43AA of the Copyright (Amendment) Act 2022. However, both individuals pleaded not guilty to their charges and were granted court bail of RM15,000 each at the hearing.

According to Section 43AA of the Act, any person who commits or facilitates copyright infringement by manufacturing, importing, selling, or letting for hire, distributing, or offering to the public a streaming technology is considered committing an offence and once convicted, can be fined up to RM200,000, imprisoned for up to 20 years, or both.

The Individuals were further charged for violating Regulation 16(1)(b) of the Communications and Multimedia (Technical Standards) Regulations 2000, which may lead to imprisonment for up to six years, or a fine of up to RM100,000 or both, if convicted.

The Copyright (Amendment) Act 2022 was gazetted on 10 February 2022. Enforcement of the law was implemented by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) on 18 March 2022. The key impact of the amendment is the criminalisation of the sale of ISDs and associated software applications that allow unauthorised access to copyright content.

The public is reminded to channel information about piracy activities to the National Scam Response Centre’s (NSRC) 997 hotline, CCID Infoline 013-2111222, KPDNHEP through hotline 1-800-886-800 or 03-8882 6088 at the Enforcement Command Centre, WhatsApp at 019-279 4317, email to [email protected] or via Ez ADU app.


ASUS Malaysia zooms to the max for their ZenFone Zoom (RM2099) and ZenFone Max (RM799) smartphones

Last weekend, ASUS Malaysia held a fitting send-off for their wildly popular ASUS ZenFone 2 range of smartphones with the Zoom to the Max media retreat showcasing the capabilities of their latest models, namely the ASUS ZenFone Zoom and ASUS ZenFone Max. Both offer fairly unique features with the Zoom utilizing a twin periscope inner lens design to be the world's thinnest optical zoom equipped cameraphone while the Max offers a whopping 5000 mAh battery with energy-efficient hardware that lets it charge other devices. Malaysia's media gave both ZenFones a run for their money at the event.

While the RM2099 priced ZenFone Zoom and RM799 (RM100 off of the initial RM899 pricing) priced ZenFone Max were the highlight of the event, the rest of the gang like the ZenFone Go, ZenFone Selfie, ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone 2 Deluxe ROG edition were also on hand. All are currently available in Malaysia but for a refresher, check out the ZenFone Zoom and ZenFone Max tech specs below.

Here are some sample pictures taken during the Media retreat using the ZenFone Zoom.

Currently, there are no official announcements as to the next generation of ASUS ZenFones but if our sources are correct, we should hear more about them in June 2016 during Computex. Rumours indicate that we could see an affordable range of devices equipped with fingerprint sensors and Intel processors. However we hope that these new ZenFones will also have:

Stay tuned for our first looks video of the ZenFone Zoom and check out our coverage of the ZenFone Max. Do you have any ideas or a wishlist for the next ASUS ZenFones? Feel free to discuss in our comments below or at our Facebook page.


"Do I look fat in this photo?" That's probably one of the questions that your friends, family, or even yourself asks after taking a photo shot. Well, that's also probably why you're here looking for tips on how to take a good portrait shot and in this article, we will be using the latest Samsung Galaxy S10+.

Yeah, we could have used other smartphones but the Galaxy S10+ is the real deal! Plus, the technique can be applied to most smartphones anyway. So just sit back, enjoy the photo samples and write down our tips on How To Take Stunning Portrait Shots (with the Samsung Galaxy S10+ camera).

Starting with the most basic tool, the Portrait Mode (it has other names too, or Live Focus, in Samsung's case) is already at your disposal in the camera user interface. Most smartphones nowadays have that feature already thanks to the dual camera trend that started out since 2016, so use it! However, do note that you still need to know some camera composition (for example, the Rule of Thirds), or else the photo will be just like "meh". So, always have the photo grids turned on (which you can find in every camera setting) for guidance.

TIP#1 - To get a good feel of the Rule of Thirds, always place your subject near to the cross point (where the lines meet in the grid) before taking the shot

TIP#2 - Alternatively, you can also turn on Shot Suggestion, a new Samsung camera feature to assist you in getting the best placement for your shot

And now... our resulting Portrait Mode shots!

You can also use the normal camera mode, but it sure makes a lot of difference. Although all Portrait Modes are different on each smartphone, almost all serve the same purpose - to capture the subject as the highlight while blurring the background. Speaking of blurring the background...

Lighting also plays an important role and to tackle that, some smartphones do have the power to control the aperture, which results in changing the overall lighting and background's depth of field (a.k.a. bokeh effect) of your subject. On the Galaxy S10+, the Dual Aperture feature is very useful as it can change the outcome and "feel" of a photo.

Basically, the bigger the aperture (a small number like F/1.5), the more blurry it will be, whereas the smaller the aperture (a bigger number like F/2.4), the less blurred it becomes. Dual Aperture is a nice feature, but it doesn't make that much of an impact during the day time and is best used in low-light environments.

TIPS #4 - The difference between aperture F/1.5 (left) and F/2.4 (right)

TIPS #5 - Light is an integral part of photography. On the left photo, it's always best to use the natural sunlight against the subject. While on the right photo, a background with strong backlight is nearly never a good idea, unless you can find something that blocks some backlight around the subject like leaves, then it's passable

TIPS #6 - A small portion of backlight is still alright as long as it does not interfere too much with the subject, but sometimes it can be used as a silhouette shot just like the one we did in Broga Hill. On the other hand, you can also go nearer to the subject (right photo) and still take a nice shot

TIPS #7 - Here's a nice shot of our subject, but there's too much space on both sides. How do we make it better?

TIPS #8 - The answer is just go nearer. Alternatively, you can also crop the image vertically

Do note that controlling the aperture will also influence the amount of light entering the camera lens, which could make or break your portrait shot. And if your smartphone has a fixed aperture, you can learn how the bokeh effect and light works best, so do some experiments to know your smartphone's camera.

Ok, so let's say you don't want to use the Portrait Mode, there must be another way of taking a portrait shot, right? Of course, there is. But not all smartphones will have this, as having an ultra or a normal wide-angle lens has just started to roll out and surprisingly, it can also be a useful tool for your next Insta-worthy photo.

Taking a portrait shot with an ultra wide-angle lens requires a different technique, though. Since the ultra wide-angle would likely capture the whole subject within the frame, the best angle is either from the top or bottom and of course, a fabulous pose to make it work. For example...

TIPS #9 - You can see the difference of using an ultra wide-angle lens (left), or if you want to be closer, just go nearer or use the telephoto lens (right)

TIPS #10 - The ultra wide-angle lens can be utilized in any situation like the photos above, near (right) and far (left)

TIPS #11 - You can also take a normal ultra wide-angle shot. Once again, you can see the subject placed nicely near the Rule of Thirds spot

Lastly, if you feel your portrait shot needs more "OOMPH". This is where filters come in. Instagram has plenty of those, even from your smartphone's default filters, but the Galaxy S10+ has four decent ones that are available in the Live Focus editing feature. These are blur, spin bokeh, zoom bokeh and colour point.

Personally, the colour point is one of the best ones I've seen in a smartphone so far, as other smartphones don't really have an accurate colour filter when edited.

TIPS #12 - You can also choose Beauty Mode which almost every phone has. Don't feel bad, it's art

TIPS #13 - Sometimes, you don't always have to use the Rule of Thirds. If you look at the left photo, the subject is placed perfectly in the middle, also the right side picture is using a spin bokeh effect

TIPS #14 - This is the colour point filter that I was talking about, bringing out a noir feel. Perfection

So these are our tips on raising your portrait shot game! Remember, these tips can also be applied on other smartphones (if they have the features) but some of the best results we've seen so far are from the Galaxy S10+ (as you can see above). Stay tuned for more reviews of the flagship as we explore more, only at TechNave.com.


How close can the Huawei Mate 20 Pro go?

When it was revealed recently, the Huawei Mate 20 series offered a refreshed Matrix Camera system with a new 16mm Leica Ultra-Wide Angle Lens, for Triple Rear cameras that not only took detailed wide angle shots but allowed you to go in as close as 2.5cm away from your target. Most smartphones go blurry and have difficulty focusing at 5 to 6 cm away, much less 2.5cm, so this is definitely a big deal for those of you who like to take really close detailed shots.

While this is by no means insurmountable, as most of these other macro smartphone photographers get an additional macro lens, the fact that the Mate 20 series can do this without actually needing any additional lens is revolutionary. Huawei are calling this mode Super Macro and coupled with the AI Scene Recognition, it helps to really bring out the details in your close up photography. Check out some of our samples and see just How close can the Huawei Mate 20 Pro go below.

Zoom up - Usually, you'd need a microscope to see the cell walls

Super Macro, 40MP - You can still clearly see the cell walls of this leaf here

Super Macro, 40MP - This is actually a really small flower

Super Macro, 40MP - Here's how small exactly

Super Macro, 40MP - That's a really large keyhole, lol

Super Macro, 40MP - Even metal rusting looks interesting with the Mate 20 Pro

Super Macro, 40MP - A truer reflection of life

Super Macro, 40MP - Anyone know what this kuih is called? It has lots of sesame seeds.

Super Macro, 40MP - How many bubbles can you see in your teh tarik?

Super Macro, 40MP - Which planet is this picture of? (Hint: starts with a P)

Super Macro, 40MP - Looks delicious the closer you get

Do you think you can do better? Why don't you bring something small and go check out the Huawei Mate 20 or Mate 20 Pro at any Huawei Experience Store, or if you're keen on showing off your close-up photography prowess, get one for yourself for RM2799 with the Mate 20 or RM3599 for the Mate 20 Pro via Huawei's online channels.


How does the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 give you comfort & style (without breaking your wallet)

Considering an upgrade of your wireless earbuds that goes easy on your wallet? Here’s your answer, the Samsung Galaxy Buds2. At the price of RM499, these true wireless earbuds are Samsung's latest audio wearables for music lovers all around. What do they have to offer? Read on below to find out how you can express yourself in comfort and style with the Samsung Galaxy Buds2.

Yup, the Galaxy Buds2 has already been in Malaysia for quite some time. At the price of RM499, these wireless earbuds are Samsung's latest audio wearables for music lovers. What do they have to offer? Read on below to find out how you can express yourself in comfort and style with the Samsung Galaxy Buds2.

To date, the Galaxy Buds2 is the lightest and smallest pair of earbuds in the entire Galaxy Buds Series. Each earbud just weighs 5g, and as per the standard, the box also comes with three silicone ear tips for your preference. To get the best and most comfortable fit, you may use the Galaxy Wearable app's Earbud fit test.

Are these the wireless earbuds that you're looking for?

After adjusting it, you should feel comfortable wearing the earbuds all day. But that's not all! Having the best fit also means you are getting the best sound and Active Noise Cancellation performance to immerse and get lost in the world of music. This is partly thanks to the new curved shape design, which helps shield against wind noises.

Apart from the snug fit design, you can also choose to express yourself with four fashion-forward colours - Graphite, White, Olive and Lavender. Although all the charging cases are white, the interior design reveals the matching colour from the Galaxy Buds2 that you choose. So take one that fits your taste and style!

That's pretty much it! To our knowledge, no other wireless earbuds have these kinds of characteristics. The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 are now available for purchase. Should you get one now until the 30th of October, you are entitled to a free Galaxy Buds Water Resistant Cover worth RM99! While stocks last.

So what are you waiting for? You can visit the official Galaxy Buds2 launch offer webpage here and find out more. You can also visit the Samsung Malaysia page over here. Stay tuned for more local trending tech gadget deals at TechNave.com.