Canon’s entry into high-end mirrorless camera gear industry with their first EOS R was not too big of a surprise. Mirrorless cameras are the future and Canon must step in and make a small dent to stay relevant too. What was surprising though was how much of an impact Canon is making in the mirrorless camera segment.
When they introduced their current flagships, the super powerful Canon EOS R3, the Canon EOS R5, and the brilliant EOS R6, it seemed like they got the formula right. They did what Sony did not do with the EOS R5 in introducing 8K video recording capability to it. While early reports suggests that the 8K video recording on the Canon EOS R5 is still a little finnicky, it gave us a glimpse of what Canon can really do when their stretch their legs and pull all the stops with their high-end camera.
They are not market leaders in the mirrorless segment, Sony still is the king of mirrorless cameras with the support system that they have built over the years. To be market leaders again, Canon cannot just stop at their high-end EOS R3, EOS R5 and EOS R6 full-frame shooters. They need to cover all their bases. That is where their APS-C mirrorless cameras come in.
To be fair, Canon did have a mirrorless compact camera. They had the EOS M series that is highly regarded by many still. Unfortunately, the EOS M series was short-lived with highly limited lens and accessory support. But it will be different this time with the new Canon EOS R series and the RF-S lenses.
They introduced two brand-new cameras in the EOS R7 and the EOS R10 mirrorless APS-C cameras. Alongside the new APS-C interchangeable lens cameras, Canon also launched new lenses that caters specifically to the APS-C format cameras called the RF-S range. In this case, you get the power of Canon’s brilliant EOS R series at a fraction of the price.
Canon EOS R7
Source: Canon
Meet the new all-rounder that is the Canon EOS R7. It is powered by the same processor as the flagship class EOS R3, the DIGIC X image processor made for professional grade cameras. Thanks to the new image processor, the EOS R7 inherits the same fast autofocus system that the EOS R3 gets.
Thanks to the same processing power as well, the EOS R7 can shoot at up to 15fps in high-speed burst mode in mechanical shutter mode. In electronic shutter mode it can shoot at up to 30fps continuously. You can even shoot at RAW formats in that speed.
The Canon EOS R7 feature an impressive 32.5-Megapixel on tap. They also managed to fit a 5-axis in-boy Image Stabiliser mechanism within the body with up to eight stops of image stabilisation. The result for that is not just better still images, you also get much better and steady videos even if you are shooting without an external stabiliser rig.
The 32.5-Megapixel sensor captures videos at 4K with 7K oversampling for high-quality and detail rich videos at up to 30p. If you prefer to get more frames out of your videos though, you can switch it down to 4K UHD Standard mode that shoots at 4K resolution still but at 60p. For even better details and more freedom in colour grading, you can switch your camera to Canon Log 3 gamma profile.
Canon EOS R10
Source: Canon
The Canon EOS R10 also packs the same DIGIC 3 image processor that allows it to also shoot at 15fps continuously in mechanical shutter mode. In electronic shutter mode it shoots at a slightly slower rate of 23fps. You still get 24.2-Megapixel out of the camera though, which should still prove to be mighty clear and detailed.
While it does not pack an in-body stabilisation mechanics, it has a built-in Movie Digital image stabilisation algorithm that allows the camera to simulate a 5-axis body stabiliser to allow for better and steadier video recordings even with lenses that does not come equipped with Optical Image Stabiliser. You still get to record videos at 4UK UHD at up to 30p with 6K oversampling in UHD Fine mode, no Canon Log 3 gamma colour profile to work with here though.
Canon RF-S lenses
Source: Canon
Source: Canon
Alongside the two new APS-C crop sensors, Canon also introduces two new lenses for crop sensor mirrorless cameras. They introduced the RF-S18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM and RF-S18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lenses. Both are technically made as kit lenses that should come with either camera choices.
The RF-S18-150mm kit lens offers an equivalent of 29-240mm in effective range. Meanwhile, the RF-S18-45mm lens will offer 29-72mm in equivalent range to full frame cameras. Technically as well, you can use the RF-S lenses with other EOS R cameras, since they have the same RF mount anyway.
Availability
There is currently no confirmed availability date for the camera and the lenses. Canon says that the products will be available later in 2022. In terms of price, there are no confirmed local prices just yet as well. The Canon EOS R10 will be available in the North American region for US$ 980 (MYR 4,305*) for body only and up to US$ 1,380 (MYR 6,062*) with the kit RF-S18-150mm lens on it. The R7 is a little more expensive at US$ 1,500 (MYR 6,589*) for the body only. Buying it together with the RF-S18-150mm lens will set you back US$ 1,900 (MYR 8,346*). You can find out more on the new Canon EOS R APS-C cameras and RF-S lenses on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.39 as of 25/05/2022 on xe.com
The Chrome OS is seeing a sort of resurgence lately. This has nothing to do with our very own editorials regarding the hardware that is the Chromebook Spin 713 though. It was not entirely because of the whole pandemic situation either that saw the drastic spike in demands for PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. It was more because the Chrome OS is a genuine choice in the computing world now.
What is there not to like? They are cheaper than their Windows counterparts. Chromebooks comes in all shapes and sizes that are mostly thin and light. They are also very simple to operate with and works well with your smartphone.
Acer’s Chromebook Spin 713 was one of the most premium Chrome OS alternatives that you can find in the market. The convertible also featured a very heavy-duty construction with MIL-STD 810H certification. It is also one of the most powerful Chromebooks you can find in the market currently. So powerful in fact that you can technically play games on it with Steam’s Alpha build. We will be going through that soon.
Of course, when Acer says there is a new one, we are naturally excited. Welcome to the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. To be fair though, there are actually little differences between the new premium Chromebook compared to the older one.
Acer Chromebook Spin 714
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
The Chromebook Spin 714 followed the recipe that was the Chromebook Spin 713. There are small design differences that makes the new one stands out just a little more with some subtlety as well. It is striking yet understated, we like it. Of course, you still see the Chromebook branding that is expected of any Chromebook.
It now comes with a 14-inch display with 100 sRGB colours. The slightly larger display boasts either a WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) or WUXGA (1,920 by ,1200) resolutions. Instead of the older 3:2 aspect ratio, it is a more regular 16:10 display. The panel is still protected by Corning’s Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass. The glossy finish also helps with clarity and vivid colours of the display.
The webcam that comes with the new Chromebook Spin 714 is not a regular 720p webcam that most Windows PCs come with. Instead, you get a premium Full HD webcam experience with the Chromebook that should be a large improvement over most Windows laptops. At the same time, there are two microphones flanking the webcam for better voice capturing for a much better video conferencing experience.
Of course, the 2022 model of Chromebook packs a modern powerhouse in Intel’s 12th generation Core processors (up to Core i7) that now takes advantage of the big-small architecture that is made popular in smartphones. It could also mean a huge boost in terms of performance for the Linux based interface. It is also an Intel Evo certified platform, just to make the deal sweeter.
It also packs all the modern gizmos you can ask for in a modern laptop. You get WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, backlit keyboard, DTS Audio, full-sized HDMI port, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB Type-C) for extra versatility. You can even opt for a fingerprint sensor for fast and secure logins.
Acer Chromebook Tab 510
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
While the military standard build of the Chromebook Spin 714 may mean that it’ll survive hard knocks and drops, it may not fit in well in rough environments on the field. It might be a little cumbersome too. That is where you have the Acer Chromebook Tab 510 Chrome OS tablet. You can even opt it with LTE connectivity as well, if you are constantly on the field.
It is a much more compact device with a 10.1-inch IPS display. The panel boats WUXGA (1,920 by 1,200) resolution with 16:10 aspect ratio. It is also protected by Corning’s Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass to not just protect from bacteria and germs, but also from scratches and bumps it might face in the field.
Powering the tablet is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform system on a chip (SoC). Because it is an SoC with built in modem, you get to opt for an LTE enabled version to keep you going in the field without WiFi. At the same time, the efficiency of the SoC means that the tablet can go on up to 11-hours in continuous use from a single charge. You also get a 5-Megapixel front facing camera and 8-Megapixel rear camera for all kinds of work needs.
The entire tablet is built with durability and ruggedness in mind. It is of course certified with MIL-STD 810H standards. The chassis is built to withstand high impacts. It is reinforced and comes with shock-absorbing corner bumpers just to ensure that it can stand the impact of being dropped from 122cm.
Price and Availability
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 will be available starting August 2022 at US$ 749.99 onward. There will be an enterprise edition of the Chromebook Spin 714 too available starting August 2022 at US$ 1,099.99. The Acer Chromebook Tab 510 will be available starting July for US$ 399.99.
All the new Chromebooks comes with USI stylus support. Unfortunately, the styli are not included with the new Chromebooks. There are also no mentions on its official availability and pricing for the local market currently. More information on the new Chromebooks can be found on their website.
When organisations say that they are going green, they make things sound super simple. They start with their target numbers, their current numbers, their future, and that is sort of the end of their story, as far as eco-friendliness is concerned. When it comes to talking about making products more sustainable, they usually refer to their current production method and use of sustainable materials in products.
Acer is doing it differently though.
Acer announced their Earthion initiative back in 2020. In that, they have committed to making their company as sustainable as possible in the coming years. They plan to fully rely on renewable energy by 2035, which is a lofty ambition. They also mentioned that for them to achieve such lofty ambitions, they needed the help and support of their entire support chain too. They needed their support system to comply to their own standards of minimal carbon footprint and completely relying on renewable sources of energy.
Welcome to the entire range of Vero products. We have seen the Aspire Vero and TravelMate Vero launched before. The Aspire Vero was so interesting that National Geographic wanted their brand on the product, thus the Acer Aspire Vero National Geographic Edition that we recently saw.
With Next@Acer 2022, the Vero line-up is complete. They have introduced the new Veriton Vero All-in-One desktop solution and two new Vero monitors with premium IPS panels.
Acer Veriton Vero
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
The first thing that greets you when you take the Veriton Vero out of its 100% recyclable packaging is the brilliant 24-inch Full HD IPS display. The bezels are super-thin, in fact the display covers 88% of the Veriton Vero’s body. If you need to, the entire thing is VESA compatible to keep your table organised and clean.
The Veriton Vero’s shell is made of the same PCR material that the Aspire Vero is made of. It is constructed with 30% PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) materials. The included keyboard and mouse also come with 65% PCR materials on top and 30% ocean bound plastics at the bottom to not only match the design intricacies that is the Veriton Vero AIO, but also as a statement of commitment to their Earthion programme. The AIO itself also features a screwless back so that users can easily access the internals to either upgrade or repair the device. Of course, Acer’s service centres will always be happy to help.
Once you open it up though, you will find Intel’s latest and greatest 12th Generation Core i9 (up to) processor and can spec it up to an NVIDIA GeForce MX550 GPU. You can even fit up to 64GB of dual-channel DDR4 3200 MHz RAM modules to the AIO if you need. This Veriton Vero is a workhorse with these internals.
To top it all off, you get WiFi 6E capabilities built-into the AIO for a fast, reliable, and stable internet connection. With two USB 3.2 Type-C ports that supports up to 20Gbps data transfer speeds, it is a versatile piece of kit on your desk. In the way of storage expansion, the Veriton Vero can support up to two M.2 SSDs at 2TB capacities.
Being powerful is never enough. You need it to be safe too if you are going to rely on it for work. BlueLightShield protects your eyes in extended use cases by reducing blue light emissions by up to 30%. Your data is kept save with Windows Hello’s IR facial recognition scanner with TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 built into the device. There is also a Tobii Aware smart sensor that locks out any other users that tires to access the PC. The same camera that does all this is also your webcam that can be shuttered to keep prying eyes at bay. You can even turn it away from you to project an entire room in a video conference.
Vero Monitors
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Thing is, you might not need a Veriton Vero AIO. You already have a functioning PC, but you need a monitor instead. Acer has you covered with a 27-inch Full HD CB273 monitor or a 23.8-inch Full HD B247Y G monitor.
While Acer wants to keep it as affordable and accessible as possible, you are not getting some random VA LCD panel for your monitors though. Both monitors feature IPS panels for accurate colour reproduction and plenty of viewing angles. The panels are good for a ΔE<1 rating and TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe® certified. They even come with KVM switch function to allow you to work with multiple PC inputs at a time. This way, you only need a single set of keyboard and mouse to work with. It even provides up to 90W power delivery via its USB Type-C port so that you only need one running cable from your wall port.
The best part about it is that it is made almost entirely of recycled materials. The entirety of the body is made with 85% PCR and 5% ocean bound plastics. Yes, it also features the same sort of design and look as the Aspire Vero. You might want to think about pairing the Aspire Vero to this monitor, just to match the looks.
Aspire Vero, now with 12th Generation Intel Core Processors.
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Source: Acer
Of course, the original Aspire Vero cannot be forgotten with the other products. The Aspire Vero, after all, is the original Vero product. The Vero line-up might not have been a thing if its not for the Aspire Vero. It is 2022 though and the Aspire Vero is still outfitted with 2021 hardware.
For 2022, the Aspire Vero series gets a modern 12th Generation Intel Core treatment. Both the 14-inch and 15-inch variant of the Aspire Vero also gets OceanGlass trackpads made out of ocean bound plastics. Nothing much else has changed other than that.
You get to pick from two colour options now though for both the 14-inch and 15-inch variants. The 14-inch variant now comes in Mariana Blue while the 15-inch variant can be opted with Starry Black colour instead of their original Cobblestone Grey colour option. They have also redesigned the packaging of the Aspire Vero a little bit so that more of its can be repurposed rather than disposed.
Price and Availability
The Acer Veriton Vero AIO is touted to be available July 2022 onward with prices starting from EUR€ 919. The Acer Vero CB273 and B247Y G monitors will be available somewhere in Q3 for EU€ 399 and EU€ 269 respectively. The updated Aspire Vero will be available in August 2022 onward with prices starting from EU€ 899 for the 14-inch variant and EU€ 999 for the 15-inch variant.
Note that these are the official availability dates for the European markets. There are no mentions on when theses eco-friendly products will be available in Malaysia currently. With that, there are also no mentions of their official pricing in Malaysia. For more information about these products, you can visit Acer’s website.
iQiyi chose a very opportune time to launch in Malaysia back in 2019. With the pandemic only just setting in, the streaming service saw a surge in subscribers. While that’s great news for the streaming company, they’ve adopted a business model that isn’t your typical streaming service. They provide a free, ad-supported tier that gives users access to their content.
Source: Longhouse Films
That said, the iQiyi isn’t just resting on its laurels. The company is focusing on bringing new, original content to its platform. Naturally, this includes new, locally-produced series and tv shows. The first to debut is My Ofis which is produced by Longhouse Films. My Ofis brings together an ensemble of both emerging and seasoned actors. Malaysian legend, Alvin Wong stars together with Aeril Zafrel, Nasz Sally, Kahoe Hon, Phraveen Arikiah, Sherwyn Pang, and Pearlly Chua in My Ofis to bring to life the shenanigans that take place behind the scenes in a quintessential Malaysian office.
Source: iQiyi
My Ofis follows Jasper (Kahoe Hon) as he leaves behind his rockstar dreams to care for his grandmother. He finds himself stumbling into a job at My Ofis run by KS (Aeril Zafrel) and his colleagues, Paul (Alvin Wong), Jessica (Nasz Sally), and Milo (Phraveen Arikiah). The series chronicles the antics of the people behind My Ofis as they navigate the business landscape.
The series will be premiering on 26th May 2022 on iQiyi. The debut season will consist of 12 episodes airing over six weeks. Each episode is 24 minutes long.
Of course, the show is just the beginning when it comes to My Ofis. iQiyi and Longhouse Productions are looking to revolutionize advertising on streaming platforms. Both companies are partnering with a local eCommerce app, JOCOM, to bring a new “watch, scan & buy” concept with the launch of My Ofis.
Source: LinkedIN
“Together with our partners Longhouse Films and JOCOM, we aim to work towards shaping a new content ecosystem fitting for today’s digital age, that empowers traditional brands and sellers to further digitalise through entertainment. My Ofis will open doors to more opportunities in bridging entertainment and eCommerce to support local brands, advertisers and marketers,”
Dinesh Ratnam, Country Manager of iQiyi Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
The new concept will see QR codes pop up when there is any product placement in the drama. Users can then scan these codes and immediately purchase the items from the JOCOM app as they are watching the series. The new concept literally allows production houses to better monetize product placements in their series. Of course, My Ofis is just the beginning when it comes to exploring this new concept.
Screenshot of product placement QR Code in My Ofis. Source: iQIYI
My Ofis will premiere on May 26, 2022, across all countries where iQiyi is available. It’s already been greenlit for a second season which will be launched soon.
When you think of a Garmin, you tend to think of a modern smartwatch with bulky and sturdy exteriors. You think of a round watch face that tells you everything you need to know about the time of day, weather, and much more. You think of a premium fitness tracker that will keep up with you and tell you whatever you need to know in a single glance.
One thing that you hardly think about, when you think Garmin is a regular fitness tracker band that looks nothing like the smartwatches you know today. But Garmin does stellar basic fitness bands in the vívosmart fitness band.
They have just introduced their 5th generation fitness band, the vívosmart 5 and it is better than before. It looks better too, more fashionable in some sense. At the same time, it is as simple to work with as before.
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
The Do Everything, Go Everywhere Band
It is a Garmin smart wear, which means you can expect it to be quite the powerhouse of a fitness tracker. Packing Garmin’s famous GPS algorithm, the Garmin vívosmart 5 tracks your location for distance travelled, pace, and speed through a myriad of activities including cycling.
It is also your protector when you are out and about. Not really a protector, that’s overselling it. It has some safety features that allows you to send out emergency alerts to designated contacts with your tracking information. That way, your emergency contact can find you wherever you are.
Watching You Sleep
That might have sounded a little creepier than we intended it to be. The Garmin fitness band is cleverer than before in monitoring your sleep than before though. They call it the advanced sleep features that scores your sleep and helps you understand your sleep patterns better. Of course, the tracker allows you to understand not just your sleep patterns, the understanding of your sleep patterns is the first step in helping you sleep better.
The vívosmart 5 understands your sleep patterns by detecting your body movements in your sleep. It breaks down your sleep state in hours and scores them based on their durations against your total sleep time. It is pretty much the same as any other fitness tracker you can find, to be fair.
What is different is that Garmin uses these data to formulate insights about your body for the day and even recommend practices to help improve your sleep. Garmin also has something they call the Body Battery feature that tracks your heartbeat changes from one moment to another. This allows the fitness band to understand your stress levels and recovery states at night.
24/7 Monitoring + Long Battery Life
On top of all of that, Garmin’s latest fitness band tracks your heart rate in real-time. Instead of a second-by-second update, the fitness band samples your heart rate multiple times every second for 24 hours for an even more accurate heart rate reading. It detects high and low heart rates and informs its users on these abnormal occurrences to ensure that you can seek for help quickly. It does that for seven continuous days too on a single charge.
Fashionably Stealthy
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Garmin’s latest vívosmart 5 is designed with lifestyle in mind too. It must look good, fashionable. The larger and brighter display ensures that operations on the Garmin vívosmart 5 is much more intuitive and simpler than before. It comes in three attractive colours too to match your outfits. You can choose between Mint Green, Morning White, and Midnight Black.
Price and Availability
Garmin’s latest vívosmart 5 is available via Garmin’s official stores on Shopee, Lazada, AECO e-store, and Garmin’s brand stores and authorised retailers across the nation. It will set you back MYR 730 and as we mentioned, it comes in three colour options – Mint Green, Morning White, and Midnight black. More information on the Garmin vívosmart5can be found on their website.
Sony’s WH-1000X series is known to be one of the world’s best, if not the best headphones with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) features today. When they launched the WH-1000XM4, basically the fourth-generation high-end ANC headphones money can buy, it was regarded to be the best there ever was, leaving the likes of Bose in the dust. The question that remained from the fourth-generation product was “how is Sony going to make it even better”?
They answered with the WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of what is possible in the world of noise cancelling headphones.
Two Noise Cancelling Audio Processing Chips
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Rather than just sticking to one processor for the headphones this time, they fitted two chips into the device. You get the proven QN1 processor you find yourself familiar with from the third and fourth generation WH-1000X over-ear headphones. They introduced the more powerful V1 processor in the WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds, and it made its way here into the fifth-generation wireless over-ear headphones.
The inclusion of two chips rather than one means that the processing power of the headphones just doubled. That should translate to better and cleaner noise cancellation to tune the entire world out of your ears. Sony also claims that the WH-1000XM5’s noise cancellation algorithm can now handle mid-high frequencies to better seal noise away from your ears. There is also a new Auto NC Optimiser that optimises noise cancelling to different environments.
Smaller But More Powerful Drivers
Source: Sony
Sony’s clever engineers have found ways to cut back on material and weight with a smaller 30mm drivers. While it might sound that the engineers have cut back on power too, the Carbon Fibre constructed engine does not seem to agree with the logic. Because it is also a smaller driver, high frequencies tend to be a little richer, helping music sound more natural.
Of course, there is LDAC compatibility and DSEE Extreme algorithm that allows you to listen to high-Resolution Audio with the least possible loss in fidelity and quality. DSEE Extreme also allows you to listen to music and audio from streaming platforms at near CD quality. There is also Sony’s clever 360 Reality Audio algorithm that allows you to enjoy music as they are intended in the studio with Tidal.
Better Call Quality
Instead of the four mics that the fourth generation WH-1000X had, the WH-1000XM5 has eight, four on each side. While most of the mics are made for better noise cancelling, four of them are beamforming mics that you can also find on the WF-1000XM4 for improve voice pickup. At the same time, AI noise reduction helps transmit your voice clearly to the other end of the line.
New Age Design
Source: Sony
While the WH-1000XM5 retains the touch controls that has been associated with the WH-1000X series, there is a sort of new design that comes with the new pair of headphones. It is larger than before, and not as flexible (cannot be folded) oddly enough. Even the case that comes with it is much larger than before. Weirdly, the larger design does not add any weight to it though, in fact it is just slightly lighter than the older heapdhones.
There are more soft materials that are also supposed to be more durable than before. The Vegan Leather materials form soft fitting surfaces so that wearing the headphones for extended periods is a comfortable experience. The new design is also supposed to alleviate some clamping pressure while remaining secure on the head. At the same time, a stepless slider means that you can infinitely adjust the size of the headphones to really fit your head.
Everything else that was great about the WH-1000XM4 is still retained here though. You still get Adaptive Sound Control that is cleverer than ever before with Sony Headphones App. The new WH-1000XM5 now also tells you if you are listening to your music at too high levels with a new pressure sensor within the cups. If you are out and about, when you want to order your coffee or talk to your friends, Speak-to-chat function is still retained.
Still Impressive Battery Life
Source: Sony
When we tested the WH-1000XM4, we never found ourselves worrying about its battery life. It had 30 hours of battery life in a single charge, that was why. This continues with the WH-1000XM5.
To be fair, the quoted battery life has not changed. It is impressive still because instead of a single processor, this has two to power now. It is not like they fitted larger batteries as well since there are no added weight on this pair of headphones. They managed to put fast-charging technology to this pair of headphones though. A quick three-minute charge gives you three hours-worth of listening time.
Price and Availability
The WH-1000XM5 will be available in two colour options, like its predecessors. It is now available for pre-order at Sony’s authorised stores and retailers. You can even pre-order it from their website if you want and have it delivered to your doorstep as soon as it is available. It retails for MYR 1,799, which is a little more expensive than its predecessor. But the improvements made on this pair of headphones might be worth the premium. Still, you might want to wait for our review before deciding on one. More information on the Sony WH-1000XM5 can be found on their website.
Content is king in a world dominated by digital displays today. Gone are the days where you must wait for the newspaper to be printed the next day to know what happened in the world yesterday. Gone are the days where you must buy an array of magazines to know what is trending in the week and expectations moving forward.
Today, contents are created on the go and edited in almost real time. Contents gets published and distributed almost immediately after whatever that is happening happened. Modern cameras are not just created for photography too, they are made for videos and to go LIVE quickly and easily. At the same time, social media is making contents even more readily available and optimised for smartphones, the little computers that is constantly with us.
But content creators are also debating about something else today. A lot of content creators are saying that your smartphone is the best tool you have for creating contents. You can use to vlog, create voice memos to be used later, record videos, take photos, and even stream events LIVE. While that is true in most cases, there has never been a smartphone that really highlights its power in creating contents. Until Sony releases their Xperia 1 IV that is.
If you want to pronounce the name correctly, the full name of the new flagship from Sony is named the Xperia 1 mark four. Sony’s naming scheme has always been a little mouthful, but their products have always been some of our favourites for good reason. One of the reasons we love the Xperia 1 flagship series is that it is the only smartphone in the current market to feature a nice 4K display.
The 4K HDR 120Hz – Still Brilliant
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Yes, we are going to talk about the very familiar display to Sony users. It is a 4K display, not really a true 4K since you are missing some resolutions at the sides of the slim display. It is still a 6.5-inch OLED panel that refreshes at 120Hz that you have seen from the previous Xperia 1 III. You still get HDR BT.2020 standard colours too from the fourth generation Xperia 1 flagship. It is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, which is also the same case in the older flagship.
No upgrades in the display section of the Xperia 1 IV then. To be fair to Sony though, they are the only major smartphone maker to include 4K resolution in their flagships. At 120Hz, it really does not get much better than this in the smartphone industry currently.
Thanks to the advancements that is made with the Sony Xperia Pro though, the 4K display has a new function added to it. You can now use the Xperia 1 flagship as a 4K monitor display for your Alpha cameras. You can use the USB type-C port of the camera and the smartphone to get it to work as your monitor. Not only that, your smartphone can stream the contents captured on your Alpha camera directly to YouTube if you need it to.
Powerful Insides
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Of course, it is 2022, and the Xperia 1 must be updated to match the modern age of smartphones. It packs a healthy 12GB of RAM to start with. You can opt for 512GB in storage for the Xperia 1 IV too, if you want. The highlight here is the brand-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 system on a chip (SoC) that makes the flagship the most powerful Sony has ever made so far. To be fair though, Sony is a little late in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 game.
Sony also managed to shoehorn a larger battery module in the same form factor they retained from the Xperia 1 III. It is now a 5,000 mAh battery that charges at up to 30W with fast wireless charging and reverse charging capabilities. The larger battery also means that the smartphone should be able to last a little longer than before when you are out and about.
Even More Powerful Cameras
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
On paper, it does not look like Sony has changed much on their camera array. You still get three 12-Megapixel cameras out the back. The main camera is attached to 24mm lens at f/1.7, similar to the third generation Sony Xperia 1. You also get a nice 16mm ultra-wide shooter like before. The only change they made, in terms of hardware anyway, is the first truly optical zooming lens at 85-125mm lens on the telephoto camera. This allows the device to zoom smoothly, when you want it to, pretty impressive stuff while keeping all 12-Megapixels while you zoom in.
But that is not all they did to improve their camera. It now supports Sony Alpha’s very famous EYE Auto Focus mechanism that allows the Photography Pro app to work just like your Alpha cameras. Thanks to their know how in stabilising mirrorless cameras too, the Optical SteadyShot allows you to take clear photos whenever, wherever, however. You can even take photos with EYE AF at up to 20fps real time burst mode and in HDR with all three lenses.
Source: Sony
Their video and cinema capabilities have been sort of put on steroids too. The fourth generation Sony Xperia 1 still shoots at up to 4K 120fps. Videography Pro now allows you to shoot videos with EYE AF though, which also means that you might not need to fight with focus hunting in the future. You can just leave your app to Auto Focus mode and it will just do its thing in keeping your subject in focus no matter what. It cleverly switches from face detection to eye detection too, when the option is available. At the same time Videography Pro also allows you to capture your videos with all your lenses at the same time. That allows you a wider dynamic range to work with. Not only that, but you can also seamlessly zoom in between scenes like what you see in the movie 300. They worked with three cameras for that iconic battle shot featuring Gerard Butler cutting up Persians. You now only need one smartphone to recreate that iconic shot.
It is a smartphone; you are going to be constantly connected. That also means you get to livestream your contents or even vlog freely if you want. You can even use your main cameras to vlog with Sony’s optional attachments. In that case, you get to enjoy Sony’s clever EYE AF and object tracking features with your vlogs. The Optical SteadyShot will also be mighty helpful in keeping your vlogs look really good and focused.
Of course, fi you want more cinematic creativity, Cinematography Pro “powered by CineAlta” is available for you to shoot in Logs. When they say that the best camera is the one that is with you, this one takes it to a completely different level in this case. All three cameras at the back can shoot videos at 4K 120fps too, which will be greatly appreciated by content creators anywhere.
Even Better Sounds
Source: Sony
The Xperia 1 IV now gets 360 Reality Audio support on its speakers. Its speakers are also tuned to allow for more immersive sound with improved bass response. The combination of that is that you get a better audio experience with your Xperia smartphone on apps like Tidal for example, without even using headphones. If you want to use headphones anyway, the Xperia still retains the 3.5mm combo jack that other flagships have conveniently omitted for reasons.
To ensure that you are getting the best audio experience from the Xperia 1 IV, DSEE Ultimate algorithm improves sound quality of all your streaming platforms. You get audio quality that is close or at least comparable to CD quality sounds. If you prefer to listen to your music wirelessly, Bluetooth LE Audio will be available later to reduce latency.
But improvements to the audio aspect of the Xperia 1 IV is not just on its speakers. They have made their microphones and audio recording feature even better than before. The Xperia 1 IV is not just your audio note recorder now. You can turn it into a one-stop-shop for remote music recording with Music Pro. With the power of machine learning and AI, the app allows you to record audio out in the open and still get crisp, studio tuned quality audio. You can even record your voice and guitar simultaneously and the app cleverly separates the two audio channels to allow for a much more robust mix on-the-go.
Price and Availability
The Sony Xperia 1 IV will be available in only two colours. No white options here though, you choose between black, or Purple. It’s priced from US$ 1,599 globally, which converts to about MYR * today. We expect the price of the new flagship to hover somewhere around the MYR 6,999 mark or more when it gets to local shores. Sony Malaysia confirms that the device will be available in Malaysia by July 2022. More information on the Sony Xperia 1 IV can be found on their website.
What do you do when you need to buy a smartphone and only a budget of MYR 1,599? It may not seem like an issue to a lot of us, but it is a valid question still. Smartphones are simply too expensive.
To drive that point home even more, a about 10 years ago, MYR 2,000 will get you a brand-new Samsung Galaxy Note2. The Samsung Galaxy Note2 is a very highly rated flagship in its day, one of the most powerful devices you can get. A brand-new iPhone 3GS as well at the time will set you back less than MYR 2,500. Heck, the first Samsung Galaxy S smartphone will only set you back MYR 1,000, and that was expensive.
Today, spending MYR 3,000 on a smartphone is normal. This is especially true with flagship level devices. A mid-range device today will set you back less than MYR 3,000 but more than MYR 2,000. Anything below that is usually entry-level.
Entry-level devices are not stellar, but you can find some good ones in the segment. While it is not as competitive as the mid-range market, it is still a highly competitive segment. After all, the entry-level device segment could be your first smartphone experience.
Meet the OPPO A96. It sets you back less than MYR 1,500, which should mean that you might not enjoy the smartphone very much. We find that a little untrue though as you read on. But is it worth MYR 1,299? Or should you look elsewhere when you want a budget smartphone?
Design
The best way to describe the OPPO A96’s form is that it is rather ordinary. There is nothing too special or outstanding about the device. It is a regular candy bar smartphone. The most interesting thing about it is probably its unique back styling they call the OPPO Glow design.
The crystalised design on the back of the device looks rather good in camera. It may not strike everyone the same in its physical form though. Some might like it, some might not.
Out the back of the device, the camera array is like a hark to OPPO’s Reno series. Of course, it could just be OPPO’s design language. It is a bump though, which means you might want to use the case that comes in the box or buy a different case that would sit flush with the camera bump.
Despite the matte and rather plastic feel of the back, OPPO says that it is, in fact, glass. That is not necessarily a bad thing though. While it does not feel too premium, it does help with preventing fingerprint stains. The bad side of that is that it is slippery to the touch. If you use a case, it will not matter anyway.
You have a USB Type-C port at the bottom with some ports for the speaker, a small microphone hole, and a bigger 3.5mm combo jack. There is also a small microphone hole on top of the device too.
We like the fact that the power button is also the fingerprint sensor, a design made popular by Sony. The front facing camera sits in a corner instead of the middle of the display like we are used to on most devices. That is about it for the design of the device. Everything that you expect from a modern smartphone is on the device. It does not feel like a budget product, which is a good thing. But it does not feel or look all that premium either.
Hardware
Underneath the glass and aluminium mix of a shell lies a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 System on a Chip (SoC). It is not even a 5G chip, just regular 4G LTE support, which is plenty enough still. There is also 8GB of RAM and 256GB in memory.
Non-Removable Li-Po 5,000mAh Fast Charging 33W Revers Charging
Connectivity
Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP AptX HD Bluetooth 5.0 OTG Support USB Type-C 2.0
Camera (s)
REAR: 50-Megapixel (f/1.8, 27mm wide angle) 2-Megapixel (f/2.4, depth sensor) 1080p video recording (30fps) LED flash FRONT: 16-Megapixel (f/2.0, 26mm wide angle) 1080p video recording (30fps)
Sensors
Accelerometer Proximity Side Mounted Fingerprint Ambient Light Gyroscope Face Unlock Compass
User Interface – Color OS 11
OPPO’s ColorOS is now something unique on its own. In older OPPO devices you get an interface that can be likened to the iOS. The modern ColorOS has some Android flair in an optional app tray you can turn on in the settings page.
You do not get 120Hz out of the display. Instead, you make do with 90Hz, which is still a fast display considering its price. That also gives you a smooth and refined feel of ColorOS. Unless you have very sharp eyes and is observant enough, ColorOS 11 on the device feels as smooth as the flagship devices. zx
The app tray is not turned on by default. We kind of think that while OPPO does want to retain their original look that is free of an app tray, having the app tray is a great thing for ColorOS and it should be made a default option when you first set up the device. The fact that OPPO includes it as an option though, unlike plenty of manufacturers that came out of China, is a welcome though.
+5GB RAM
When you need more RAM in your PC, you add a RAM stick or replace it with something bigger. On your smartphone though, that is hardly possible. Space is a premium in your smartphone, so manufacturers can only fit one large RAM module that is usually attached to the SoC in favour of space. To get more RAM space then, some creativity gets involved
While OPPO is not the only one who does this, it is good to note that you can opt to use it or not. You can expand your RAM by up to 5GB just using the native UFS storage on the device itself. It does help with some multitasking performance, but hardly too noticeable because 8GB is rather plenty these days.
To opt out of it or to switch how much of your storage is being used as RAM is not quite as easy as OPPO wants you to believe though. You must do a little bit of digging within the settings of the device. We only found it by using the search bar on the page. By default, OPPO sets aside 3GB of your storage as a temporary RAM. You can put it down to 2GB and up to 5GB or turn it completely off if you think it is not necessary.
Performance
The SoC is not a high-end one. In this case, you get Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 680, which is not technically entry-level. It is sitting lower than the 700 series though. It also does not have 5G, so we do not get to test out Yes 4G’s “5G” network.
Benchmarks
Call Quality and Connectivity
Despite it not being a 5G device, you technically are not missing out on much. Malaysia’s 5G network is not out in full force yet too, which also means that you are not missing out on the OPPO A96’s regular 4G LTE network. The OPPO A96 also supports VoLTE, which means you are still getting crystal clear calls.
That is what you get with the OPPO A96, crystal clear phone conversations when you have enough signal strength. As with modern smartphones, making a call with the OPPO A96 is rather straightforward with a similar phone app layout as any other modern smartphones.
Still, VoLTE allows you to have clear conversations when there is enough signal strength. We find that anything between two bars to four bars is good enough and stable. Anything below two bars and you might find that calls get a little choppy. Data speeds tend to suffer too with lower signal strength, though this could just be the ISP’s fault.
Gaming
While it is not a flagship, gaming on a smartphone is a perfectly normal thing to do. If you are looking for a relatively budget friendly smartphone to game with, this could be it. You cannot expect a gaming performance that is likened to an OPPO Find X and its likes.
We played Pokémon Unite with the A96 mostly. We are happy to report that the game runs very smoothly on the device. While graphics performance might not match the flagships just to keep the framerates high, we do not mind that at all. We never faced any lags in the game which also meant that you should not have any issues when you are playing a ranked match. You still want to make sure that you have a solid internet connection though.
Game Space
Game Space is nothing new for OPPO devices. Its implementation is not unique either. It acts as a sort of one-click-overclocking tool that only activates when you play games. It also filters all your notifications just so that you do not get distracted in your gaming sessions.
Multitasking and Productivity
Smartphones like this is an indication that you do not really need a flagship to get a smartphone experience. Sure, you get the bleeding edge of whatever that is on offer on a flagship. The mid-range and entry-level devices eventually get it way later, but the most useful technologies do trickle down eventually. Ample RAM for example, makes it into budget friendly smartphones.
We usually have up to 15 tabs open within Google Chrome on the A96. We also tend to leave plenty of our apps working in the background. Apps like Instagram, Facebook, or Telegram are usually running in the background for us most of the time. At no point we felt that the device was sluggish to work with or experience any stutters when we are changing between screens in our daily use.
Battery Life
Most smartphones at this range excels in this area and for good reason. Smartphones at this range usually comes with rather large batteries, larger than ones you can find on flagship devices. Combine that with lower power consumption from the SoC and you get a smartphone that can last days.
On standby, the OPPO can last up to 5 days without a single charge in between. Of course, with some hotspot, gaming, photo taking, calling, and messaging, the battery life does go down by quite a bit.
Our typical use of the OPPO A96 in a day involves plenty of Telegram messaging, some photos, a little bit of gaming, a few minutes of call, and some social media scrolls. In this case we could get the OPPO to last us nearly three days on a single charge. Three days from your smartphone is a lot of battery life, even for modern smartphones. When the battery drains, you only need about two hours for a full charge. We hardly charge the device overnight because we never needed to in our test period.
Display and Audio
You get a nice 1080p Full HD+ display on the A96. It refreshes at 90Hz, which is more than what you can expect for most devices at this price range. Then again, everything that comes out in 2021 and later comes with 90Hz display.
What you do not get with devices at this price is an NTSC accuracy rating like this one does. The OPPO A96’s 6.59-inch IPS panel comes with a 96% NTSC colour gamut coverage. The colours produced on the OPPO A96 is comparable even to modern flagship devices.
While some of the flagship displays do come with 120Hz and higher resolutions at 2K or even 4K sometimes, you never really need them. Most of the time 90Hz is more than enough for most gaming situations. To make your UI look silky smooth, anything beyond 75Hz is enough. In terms of resolution, you most likely will not notice any difference between a 2K display and a 1080P display no thanks to how small the display is.
In this case, the display of the OPPO A96, we believe, is on par with most of the flagships you get today. Sure, it does not support HDR10 like most flagships do, but it is still a brilliant enough display that you can enjoy movies on Netflix and YouTube videos equally.
Cameras
Here is where things do come down to earth a little. Instead of the usual three or four camera array we are used to seeing in modern smartphones. This one noticeable only has 2 out the back of the device. One is the main 50-Megapixel shooter that you are going to be driving most of the time. The other is an oddly oversized 2-Megapixel depth sensor.
The OPPO A96 shoots at 12-Megapixel mode if you leave the settings alone. If you want the full 50-Megapixel goodness, you must tweak the settings a little bit. There is no way for you to set it permanently to 50-Megapixel, which also means that you must toggle it to 50-Megapixel every time to you turn on the camera.
Photos do look impressive in 50-Megapixel mode. Details are sharp enough for you to zoom in a little, crop your photos to get a better frame of your subjects, so you can technically take photos in slightly wider frame and can get away with it. You do not get the same level of detail at 12-Megapixel mode, but at least your photos still look good with vivid and somewhat accurate colours. There is a little bit of a natural warmth to your shots though.
The 2-Megapixel depth sensor never really comes into play until you are taking photos of a person or when you put it into portrait mode. You can technically use it with small objects and get a natural looking depth effect with it. You are still shooting with your main shooter though, so your portrait can look rather great with plenty of details too if you shoot with the 50-Megapixel mode.
At MYR 1,299, the OPPO A96 is not very expensive. On Paper, it may seem like quite a bargain. It has everything you need in a smartphone, nothing more. It also packs a large battery, a battery that would last for days at a time.
Sure, it does not pack Qualcomm’s most powerful. It packs a good ol’ Snapdragon 680 that does not even come with 5G as standard. At the same time, you only get one good camera to work with.
The MYR 1,299 OPPO A96 is a real treat, a bargain. It works just as you need to, as it is intended to. It does nothing more, but nothing less either, which is a good thing. It is a smooth operator, just as good as any flagship devices can offer you. You do not get any extraordinary features on the device, it just works.
If you are looking for a flagship experience with all the latest features and technologies, this will not be the device for you. It is a device that just works, it has everything you need in a smartphone, the essentials. The whole point of this device is reliability and simplicity. If that is what you are looking for, for your main driver or even your secondary device, this device is really made for you.
They say that your Television (TV) is the modern-day centerpiece of your living room. It becomes one of the first few furnitures that you get for a living room. It is your entertainment hub, and in the age of IoT (Internet of Things), your TV becomes your smart home’s central hub and control panel. It is no wonder that large format 4K UHD TVs is one of the first and biggest consideration when designing a home. In some cases, a modern living room is designed around your TV choices.
Choosing the right TV set for your home is not easy though. There are plenty of choices for a TV today, anywhere from the budget option to the premium option. In the world of TVs though, you get what you pay for. What if we tell you that you can get more than what you pay for?
If you have not heard of PRISM+, we cannot really blame you for it. It is, technically, a new player in the display industry. They made their mark in Malaysia back in 2021 by first releasing their 34-inch ultra-wide gaming monitor.
They have since grown strength to strength, launching new models catering to a larger variety of needs. Their growth can also be associated with the fact that their displays are some of the best valued displays you can find in the market. This is also translated when they started launching their Q series TV sets.
To be fair, they have launched their 86-inch Q Series Pro (Q86 PRO QE) TV before today. The 4K UHD TV packs Quantum IPS technology with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos technology for a rather surprising price. At retail, the Prism+ TV will set you back MYR 8,999. An equivalent Quantum Dot TV from Samsung will set you back at least twice the price.
What if you need something smaller though? What about a 65-inch? Smaller? 55-inch perhaps?
PRISM+ now have a solution for you in the Q65 PRO QE, and Q55 PRO QE. They are practically the same products as the larger Q86 PRO QE that came before, but in smaller form factor’s to fit tighter spaces. They are perfect for smaller households and if you are just looking to add some flavour in your own rooms.
The QE in their naming refers to Quantum Edition, which also refers to the Quantum technology that you will get in the TVs. No, unfortunately it is not an OLED display that you are getting. Instead, you get the next best thing to OLED, IPS LCD display. You are still getting highly vivid colours while eliminating the risk of OLED burn-ins.
All of them are good for 4K UHD resolution at 60Hz, not 120Hz. 4K UHD 120Hz contents are reserved for the latest generation gaming consoles though, so you might not be missing out on much. At least you still get to experience 4K gaming in this case.
Still, what it lacks for in refresh rate, it makes up in image quality. The panel is rated for HDR10 with 1.07 billion colours, which also means you get excellent colour contrast. With the addition of Dolby Vision tuning, movies on the screen comes to life with even darker blacks, and brighter whites. You can even see those details in the dark in this case.
To ensure that your immersion stays true, you get Dolby Atmos tuned speakers to ensure you hear every little thing in all the right directions. Of course, if you can pair it to Dolby Atmos speakers, you get even better surround effects. You can plug your external speakers, soundbars, or sound system via Bluetooth 5.0, optical cable, or HDMI ARC connection.
It runs Android TV OS 10,0 too, the latest and greatest from Google currently. With Android TV 10.0, Google Chromecast is also built-in, allowing you to stream your smartphone contents to your TV whenever you want or need. Of course, with Android TV 10.0, you get Google Assistant built in as well. Instead of speaking into your remote though, the Prism+ Q Series PRO TVs come with far-field microphones so that you can command the TV to do whatever you need to it do from the comforts of your couch just via a “Hey Google”, or “Okay Google” command.
The PRISM+ Q55 PRO QE and Q65 PRO QE is now available on PRISM+ online store and all their online retail partners. Every purchase of the Q Series PRO TV will entitle you to exclusive free gifts, while stocks last. The 55-inch Q55 PRO QE will set you back MYR 2,399, while the 65-inch Q65 PRO QE retails at MYR 3,299. For more information on the Prism+ Q Series PRO TVs you can head over to their website.
SONOS is no stranger to cinematic sound. The company has already released two soundbars – the SONOS Beam and the SONOS Arc. It’s now adding a new, more affordable option to its lineup with the SONOS Ray.
Source: SONOS
The new SONOS Ray is the company’s most compact soundbar to date. It’s also the most feature rich 3.0.0 soundbar in the lineup. The sound bar is only 55.9cm long and 95mm wide which allows it to blend in seamlessly into any room. In fact, it’s only 7.1 cm tall so you can even slot it into the small shelves in your living room or room centre console. Aesthetically, the SONOS Ray comes with SONOS’s signature, minimalist design with a perforated grill in two colours: Black and White.
The SONOS Ray inherits a lot of design cues from previous SONOS soundbars. It has LEDs embedded in its minimalist design for power and connectivity indication. Also along for the ride is the capacitive touch buttons we have grown used to in SONOS soundbars.
Aesthetics aside, the crux of the Ray lies in the audio innovations that allow it to immerse users into the content they’re consuming. It comes with SONOS’s proprietary bass reflex system which complements the professionally tuned sound that SONOS is known for. The Ray comes with two tweeters and two mid-woofers which complement the bass reflex system. It also has four Class-D digital amplifiers that have been tuned for the soundbar’s unique acoustic design. The hardware itself has been expertly tuned by SONOS’s soundboard – a collective of some of the audio industry’s top experts.
SONOS isn’t just letting the hardware do all the work. It’s also complementing the hardware with software features in the SONOS S2 application. Using the app, users can customise the sound profile of the SONOS Ray to fit their unique tastes. In fact, for the best audio experience with the Ray, users can use TruePlay in the app to calibrate the sound stage. This feature is only available on iOS for now. That said, both Android and iOS users are able to take advantage of features like Night Sound which dampens the sound stage so you don’t wake your sleeping child and Speech enhancement which lifts vocal audio and dialogue in your movies and series so you don’t miss out on anything said.
You get a lot of the same connectivity when it comes to the SONOS Ray. IT is able to connect to WiFi networks on the 2.4GHz band with support for 802.11a/b/g/n standards. It also is able to connect via Ethernet. However, unlike the Arc and the Beam, the Ray only connects through optical connectivity. There is no HDMI, USB or Aux support. According to SONOS, this allows the sound bar to be compatible with televisions released over the past 15 years. That said, it is more than likely that we’ll be seeing accessories to allow you to connect to the soundbar via HDMI etc in the near future.
Pricing & Availability
The SONOS Ray will be retailing for MYR1,799 in Malaysia. Internationally it will be priced at USD$279 in the US, CAD$329 in Canada, GBP£279 in the UK and EUR€299 in Europe.
It goes on pre-order in Malaysia starting at 4.05 am on May 12, 2022, in Malaysia and will be gl;obally available starting 24th June 2022.
