Android users, your data could be exposed thanks to an implementation flaw in popular apps. Microsoft has recently published a bulletin exposing a critical flaw that could be present in a large amount of applications. Microsoft estimates that the flaw could be in over four billion apps.
The vulnerability, given the moniker “Dirty Stream”, lies in the ability of potentially malicious apps to exploit and abuse Android’s content provider system. This system is designed to enable secure data exchange between apps on Android devices. The data exchange typically employs security measures like permissions, uniform resource identifiers and file path validation to ensure data security. However, sloppy implementation has led to a backdoor ripe for exploitation.
In Microsoft’s research, the incorrect use of the communication layer that allows communication between Android apps, known as “custom intents, can lead to sensitive areas of the app being exposed. This will allow hackers and malicious actors to access and inject malicious code into the app. Attackers can potentially take over the app entirely, access sensitive user data and intercept private logins.
Microsoft is not just exposing the exploit. It has worked proactively with affected developers, alerting them of the potentially vulnerable apps. Some of the apps identified in the report include Xiaomi’s File Manager and WPS Office. Both apps have large user bases. The former boasts a user base of over a billion installations while WPS Office has about 500 million. The companies have deployed fixes to address the issue.
Google has also been alerted. The search behemoth has updated its app security guidelines. The changes highlight common implementation errors that could lead to the security bypass.
Samsung’s popular Galaxy Tab S series is getting more affordable. No, Samsung didn’t release another edition of the series. Instead, the tablet lineup is getting a price adjustment. The prices are taking effect starting on April 9, 2024.
The Galaxy Tab S series has been one of the mainstays of Android’s growing tablet market. Samsung’s flagship tablet series has been pushing boundaries with new functionalities, better hardware and, most recently, even better build materials. The Tab S9, S9+ and S9 Ultra were launched not long ago in July 2023 and continue to be the company’s flagship tablets. The tablets offer a compelling set of features including IP68 dust and water resistance and Samsung’s hallmark S Pen. Just recently, Samsung announced the Tab S9 FE which brings together the most compelling features of the Tab S9 series at an even more affordable price point.
The new pricing for the series sees Samsung reducing prices by up to RM300 across the board. The new pricing brings the entry point for one of Samsung’s flagship tablets to below the RM2000 threshold with the WiFi version of the Tab S9 FE (128GB).
Starting April 9, 2024, these are the prices of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series:
Product
Recommended Retail Price (Before)
Recommended Retail Price (New)
Galaxy Tab S9 5G with Book Cover Keyboard (256GB)
RM4,849
RM4,549
Galaxy Tab S9 with Book Cover Keyboard WiFi (256GB)
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab lineup has been one of the most consistent and feature-packed tablets in the Android ecosystem. While that may be changing with more manufacturers entering the arena, the company is still releasing new tablets with its Galaxy Tab S and Galaxy Tab A lineups. Only recently, the company released its latest Galaxy Tab S9 series but it seems like another tablet is finding it hard to stay down.
In a global announcement, Samsung has announced a refresh to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. This will be the second refresh to the tablet that was released back in 2020. It received its previous refresh in 2022 when the tablet shifted to Qualcom’s Snapdragon platform. However, this year, it looks like Samsung is shifting its processor back to the homegrown Exynos 1280. The new processor is an octa-core processor with support for Bluetooth 5.3 and also AI features. It will be running One UI 6.1 atop Android 14.
Design-wise, it looks similar to its 2022 counterpart with a 10.4-inch LCD with an FHD+ resolution of 2,000×1200 pixels. The display is surrounded by a symmetrical 7mm bezel. The tablet will continue to sport a single 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 5-megapixel camera up front. It also comes with a 3.5mm earphone jack and support for WiFi 802.11 ac. The biggest change with the new Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the increase in memory capacity. It now supports configurations with 64GB and 128GB of internal memory with support for more memory via microSD card. RAM, however, remains at 4GB.
Pricing & Availability
According to the announcement, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024) will be available globally starting 28 March 2024. It will be available in both WiFi and LTE configurations in Chiffon Pink, Oxford Gray and Mint.
No official pricing has been announced at the time of writing. However, it seems like it will be coming to Malaysia thanks to a SIRIM database entry found by LowYat.net.
Samsung’s One UI 6.1 is one of the biggest software updates that the company has released in a while. While it’s not a big visual update, it will be bringing Galaxy AI to older devices albeit in a more limited fashion. That said, it’s taken the smartphone manufacturer a little bit longer than it usually does to roll out the update. That ends on March 28, 2024, with the initial rollout of One UI 6.1 to some of the company’s older devices.
The devices that are slated to get the update so far are the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23 FE, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+ and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Yes, these are basically Samsung’s 2023 devices. These devices will be receiving the full Galaxy AI suite including circle to search, live translate and interpreter, generative editing, and Chat Assist.
The update will bring these devices on par with the Galaxy S24 series when it comes to software features. In fact, the Galaxy Tab S9 series will be the first tablets in Samsung’s lineup to get the update. It will be interesting to see how the software changes the experience on the Tab series moving forward.
Samsung’s Galaxy A series has always been about marrying flagship features with affordability. Over the past few years, Samsung has worked hard to bring camera features and more from its flagship smartphones to the Galaxy A series. Last year, it was Nightography, this year, the focus is on security with Samsung’s Knox Vault and a brand new feature called Auto Blocker. Both the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G and the Galaxy A35 5G will be coming with these enhancements.
Knox Your Average Midrange Device
The Galaxy A55 and A35 will be breaking new ground as the first Galaxy A device to come with Samsung Knox Vault. Samsung’s Knox Vault provides hardware-level encryption and security to the smartphone. It even has measures to resist physical and temperature tampering to keep data secure.
With Knox Vault, sensitive data like Samsung Pay, your PIN, passwords and biometric data are physically isolated from the operating system. In addition, Samsung’s Knox security software will also bring added protection. The multilayered security solution has always been included in Samsung’s devices but is now enhanced on the Galaxy A55 5G and the Galaxy A35 5G with Knox Vault.
Together with Knox Vault, the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 will be able to take advantage of Samsung’s Auto Blocker. This feature will allow you to opt-in to prevent things like app sideloading, malware and malicious commands by scanning app packages and even prevent unauthorised codes from running when you plug in USB cables or devices. This can be enabled through the Security and Privacy dashboard on the devices.
Midrange with a Difference
Speaking of devices, Samsung midrange devices have been head-turners when it comes to performance over the past few years. This year is no different. The Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 both come with Exynos systems on a chip. The A55 comes with the Exynos 1480 SoC which comes with the AMD RDNA2-based Xclipse GPU. The A35, on the other hand, comes with an Exynos 1380 SoC with a Mali-G68 GPU. Both come with a 6.6-inch SuperAMOLED display with FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus+. Both have IP67 water and dust resistance and are powered by a 5,000mAh battery.
The differences continue when it comes to the camera setups of the A55 and A35. The A55 comes with a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera supported by a 5-megapixel macro camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Upfront is a 32-megapixel front camera. The main sensor of the A55 comes with autofocus and OIS. The A35 come with the same 50-megapixel sensor but is supported by an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 5-megapixel macro camera. On the front is a 13-megapixel selfie camera. Both setups support Samsung’s Nightography technology with the A55 having a little bit of an edge thanks to its advanced AI Image Signal Processing (ISP).
Samsung continues to offer one of the best software support in the mobile industry. The Galaxy A series will be receiving four generations of Android OS and One UI upgrades and five years of security updates.
Pricing & Availability
There is no official Malaysian pricing or availability just yet. However, in the Philippines, the Galaxy A55 will be retailing for PHP24,990 (RM2,110.74) while the A35 will be retailing at PHP20,990 (RM1,772.88). These are variants with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage that will be available starting on 18, March 2024.
In Europe, prices for the A55 start at €479 (RM2,446.35) while the A35 starts at €379 (RM1,935.59).
Both the A55 and A35 will be available in Awesome Ice Blue, Awesome Lilac, Awesome Lemon, and Awesome Navy colourways.
As the launch of Nothing’s mid-range smartphone, the Nothing Phone (2a), draws near. Nothing has released a 10-minute video, in which it hinted at creating a truly special device for its community.
The official launch of the Nothing Phone (2a) is set for March 5, 2024, with a global release expected to follow. However, for US customers, a unique twist awaits – the need to enrol in a “Developer Program” to acquire the device. This echoes the approach taken during the Phone (1) launch, signalling a strategic move in the US market.
A notable change highlighted in the video is the absence of the “Beta Membership” label used during the Phone (1) launch, suggesting enhanced US network support.
Adding to the intrigue, Nothing teased a crucial detail – the price. While the exact cost remains undisclosed, the company assured viewers that the Phone (2a) would come at a more affordable price point than its predecessor, the Phone (1), initially priced at $299 in the US.
Leaked information has started to surface, providing a sneak peek into the Phone (2a). According to tipster Yogesh Brar, the device is rumoured to feature a 6.7-inch OLED panel, Dimensity 7200 Ultra SoC, 50MP main camera, 50MP ultrawide camera, and a 32MP selfie shooter. With a promising 45W fast charging support, the Phone (2a) is shaping up to be a compelling mid-range option.
Source: X.com
As the countdown to March 5 continues, speculations abound on what Nothing will unveil next. Will they manage to keep the mystery intact, or will leaks gradually unravel the excitement?
Stay tuned for more updates as Nothing drops hints, promising a unique device that combines affordability with cutting-edge features.
Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 series wasn’t really the focus of Unpacked. Instead, Samsung spent a good chunk of the announcement talking about Galaxy AI that powers a whole bevvy of new features that run on One UI 6.1. The new focus on AI brings a renewed focus on creating features that help improve the user experience.
Galaxy AI is the AI platform that is powering a whole load of new features that will make its debut with the Galaxy S24 series. You may recognise a lot of these features from other large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Bard. However, Samsung is using LLMs and LAMs (Large Action Models) to bring a lot of useful and potentially revolutionary features for its devices – particularly the S4 Ultra.
Galaxy AI for Language
When it comes to features that are coming with the Galaxy S24 series, the ones that involve language are the ones that we’re most excited for. Samsung showed off two at Unpacked – both involving translation on the fly. With Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 series, you will be able to translate messages and conversations live and on the fly.
When it comes to messaging, Samsung is bringing on-the-fly translations to messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messages and more. This feature will allow you to translate your text messages as you receive them. Translations of your messages will appear underneath the original one. This feature is app-specific and will only work with apps that have been optimised for it. So far, we have confirmation that WhatsApp and Messages will be supported.
In addition to this, you’ll also be able to translate conversations on the fly while you’re on a call or with the person. This translation occurs nearly live as you speak. Of course, you will need to activate it by tapping the Galaxy AI button which will open a text-to-speech interface. This will show you in real-time the translations being done. However, it can’t save the transcript just yet.
Galaxy AI is also being integrated into the Samsung Keyboard. You will be able to use the keyboard to translate your input with the keyboard. These translations can then be sent to the person on the other end of the conversation. Did we mention? You will not need to shift between apps to do this – instead, it’s done on the Samsung keyboard itself.
Samsung has clarified that it’s not using Google Translate to power these features. Instead, they’ve developed these translation models in-house. From what we saw during the demo, the models are pretty reliable. There are about 25 languages available at the moment. All the translation models are done locally on your device.
Galaxy AI for Notetaking & Writing
The Samsung Notes app is getting a supercharge when it comes to Galaxy AI features. The app will be leveraging the generative capabilities of Galaxy more extensively. Samsung isn’t just using AI for handwriting recognition, it’s taking things to the next level with formatting, correction and summarizing.
Your handwritten notes can now be used as a basis to create neatly formatted documents. You’ll be able to take your handwritten or typed-out notes from a meeting to generate neatly organised meeting minutes. Not only does it do this, it will also give you a few options to choose from when it comes to how you want your notes to be presented.
You’ll even be able to generate a cover letter for your notes with Galaxy AI. The generative capabilities of Galaxy AI are pretty impressive, you’ll be able to generate summaries in different tones. Want to inject a little humour? You’ll even be able to get it summarized in Shakespearean English. This feature can even be used to reply to messages in supported messaging apps.
Even searching with Galaxy AI and Google is getting more intuitive with “circle to search”. The new feature allows you to literally draw a circle around the item you’re interested it will automatically search for the item you’ve circled. This can work with humans too, but only for public figures.
Nightography Integrates Galaxy AI
Galaxy AI is also being integrated into the camera features of the Galaxy S24 series. The new Quad Tele camera system which is present on the S24 Ultra leverages AI to help with Nightography and even regular image processing. Samsung is using Galaxy AI to help with the clarity of photos and videos taken with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
Samsung’s Zoom on the S24 is perhaps one of the most stable we’ve seen in a few years. You’re able to get clear, crisp shots with Galaxy AI. The stabilization is done by both the OIS modules of the camera sensors themselves. The resultant shot is pretty impressive even on hybrid zoom.
However, it’s not just about low-light Nightography and Zooming, Samsung’s Galaxy AI is also bringing quick post-processing and editing to your fingertips. You’ll be able to edit your photos to remove items from the background or replace items in your photos with Generative Fill. You can even remove reflections with Galaxy AI at the touch of a button. Even if you don’t know what will make your photo better, Galaxy AI will have suggestions for you.
Galaxy AI in the Background, But on Your Terms
Galaxy AI is going to be powering a whole bevvy of features that will be debuting with the Galaxy S24 series. However, Samsung isn’t going to be using your data if you don’t want it to. The company is allowing users to opt out of sharing data with its servers. You can toggle this option in the settings of One UI 6.1. However, if you do choose to opt out, you will be unable to leverage Galaxy AI’s features fully, only those features that can be processed locally on your device.
Samsung’s Galaxy AI will be coming to older Galaxy devices – IF the device has the computational power. To date the only devices that have been guaranteed an update with Galaxy AI are the Galaxy S23 series, the Galaxy S23 FE, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the Galaxy Tab S9 series. Due to computational requirements, Galaxy AI may not have all its features as it makes its way to older devices.
This year’s Galaxy Unpacked isn’t your regular unpacked. Where we expected Samsung to show off its new flagship, the company showed off its latest software prowess – Galaxy AI. The Galaxy S24 series was the vehicle for Galaxy AI’s debut. Galaxy AI will debut in One UI 6.1 on the Galaxy S24.
Specc’d for Galaxy AI
Before we jump into the meaty parts of Galaxy AI, let’s talk about the Galaxy S24 series. As always, the new flagship series will come with three variants – the Galaxy S24, the Galaxy S24+ and the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Aside from Galaxy AI taking centerstage, Samsung is also making another big change with the Galaxy S24 series: it’s taking the curved display we’re used to seeing in the Galaxy S24 Ultra and giving it the boot. The whole series is now coming with flat AMOLED 2X displays with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. As usual, the sizes of the displays will differ according to the variant; the S24 will be coming with a 6.2-inch display, the S24+ will be coming with a 6.7-inch display and the Ultra will be coming with a 6.8-inch display. The displays come with Corning Gorilla Glass Armor across the board.
Aside from this, the Galaxy S24 series will be coming with the latest and greatest when it comes to processors. This includes both the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the Exynos 2400. For the Malaysian market, the Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24+ will be equipped with the Exynos 2400 while the S24 Ultra will be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It seems like the American market will be getting the Snapdragon variant across the board. However, processor configurations will differ across different markets. These processors bring a new focus on AI features with dedicated NPUs. The S24+ and S24 Ultra will be coming with 12GB of RAM while the S24 will be coming with 8GB of RAM. The Ultra will also feature a titanium frame while the S24 and S24+ will come with armoured aluminium.
Dual Telephoto Cameras Bring Clarity to the Galaxy S24 Series
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be the first Galaxy device to be equipped with a quad-camera setup. The highlight of this camera – aside from its Galaxy AI-powered features – is the new dual telephoto setup, The flagship comes with both a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with 5x optical zoom and a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. These sensors are complemented by a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. The main sensor is a 200-megapixel. Upfront is a 12-megapixel selfie camera.
Samsung calls this new setup its Quad Tele System which brings better picture quality especially when it comes to zoomed-in pictures. It has near optical quality for pictures captured in up to 10x zoom. Going further will kick it into hybrid zoom which has been vastly improved with Galaxy AI.
The vanilla Galaxy S24 and the S24+ come with triple camera setups. This consists of a 50-megapixel main sensor complemented by the same 10-megapixel, 3x telephoto sensor and 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. It even shares the same front 12-megapixel sensor up front for selfies. Nightography does make a return to the flagship. Samsung has enhanced low-light performance with the help of Galaxy AI
All of these features are powered by a 4,000mAh battery on the S24, a 4,500mAh battery on the S24+ and a 4,900mAh battery on the Ultra. Samsung is also bringing better battery performance with Galaxy AI with automatic optimisations happening in the background all the time. Speaking of optimisations, Samsung is promising 7 years of software support for its phones with the S24 series.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24+ will be available in Amber Yellow, Cobalt Violet, Marble Gray, and Onyx Black. If you want more variety, the Sandstone Orange, Sapphire Blue and Jade Green colours are available exclusively on Samsung.com. Prices start at RM4,099/USD$799 for the S24 and RM4,899/USD$999 for the S24+.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra will be available in Titanium Yellow, Titanium Violet, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Black. Like its siblings, additional colours – Titanium Blue, Titanium Orange and Titanium Green – are available exclusively on Samsung.com. Prices for the S24 Ultra start at RM6,299/USD$1,299.
Pre-orders for the series kick off today – 18 January 2024 – until 6 February 2024. During this time, purchases of the S24 series will come with an RM500 e-voucher for your next Samsung purchase on Samsung.com, an enhanced trade-in valuation worth up to RM650, a purchase with purchase discount on selected Galaxy Buds, up to RM800 off select Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Watch models when purchased together with the S24 series and up to 45% off on Samsung Care+ and accessories.
Detailed pricing and variants for Malaysia are in the table below.
Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup has to be one of the most popular smartphone lines in Southeast Asia. The Redmi Note line is even more so thanks to the large display, powerful cameras and large battery life. This year’s new Redmi Note 13 series builds on that ethos with a new focus on delivering unrivalled camera performance with a more chic, modern design.
The new Redmi Note 13 series is spearheaded by the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ sporting the MediaTek Dimensity 7200-Ultra, paired with a triple camera setup with a 200-megapixel main camera sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. Upfront is a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies. The quad-core processor is supplemented by up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of onboard storage. The Redmi Note 13 Pro follows up closely with the same triple camera and memory setups and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2.
Together with these big hitters, Xiaomi also announced the Redmi 13 and Redmi 13 4G – yes, the company did announce a 4G version. The Redmi 13 4G comes with a Snapdragon 685 and sports a 108-megapixel main camera sensor. This is enhanced with an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. The Redmi 13 5G, on the other hand, comes with the same camera setup and a MediaTek Dimensity 6080. Both sport up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal memory.
When it comes to screens, all of the models come with a 6.67-inch display with a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate. The only difference is that the Pro and Pro+ come with a 1.5K resolution, CrystalRes AMOLED panel while the Redmi 13 4G and Redmi 13 5G come with an FHD+, regular AMOLED panel. All variants have coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space with support for Dolby Vision. The Pro and Pro+ come with higher 12-bit colour depth and 1800 nits peak brightness.
Battery-wise, the Pro comes with a 5,100 mAh battery supporting 67W Fast charge while the Pro+ comes with a 5,000mAh battery with support for 120W fast charging. The Redmi 13 and Redmi 13 4G, however, come with a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging.
Pricing & Availability
The Redmi Note 13 series will be available in stores starting on 20 January 2024.
Model
Colours
Retail Price (MY)
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G (12GB+512GB)
Midnight Black, Moonlight White, and Aurora Purple
RM1,999
Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G (8GB+256GB)
Midnight Black, Moonlight White, and Aurora Purple
RM 1,599
Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G (8GB+256GB)
Midnight Black, Ocean Teal, and Aurora Purple
RM 1,399
Redmi Note 13 5G (8GB+256GB)
Midnight Black, Mint Green and Ocean Sunset
RM 1,099
Redmi Note 13 (8GB+256GB)
Graphite Black, Ocean Teal, and Arctic White
RM 899
Redmi Note 13 (6GB+128GB)
Graphite Black, Ocean Teal, and Arctic White
RM 749
From January 20 to February 2, the Redmi Note 13 Series will be coming with special freebies. With every purchase of Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G and Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, you will receive a FREE Redmi Buds 4 Active and Redmi Smart Band 8 Active. While purchases of Redmi Note 13 5G and Redmi Note 13 will come with a FREE Redmi Buds 4 Active. More excitingly, the Redmi Note 13 will be available at a special price of only RM699 on the official Xiaomi Store on Shopee.
Together with the OPPO Reno 11 Series announced today, OPPO also unleashed a trio of devices that to complement the new smartphone series. Among that trio is its newest tablet – the OPPO Pad Neo. A new, affordable tablet that complements its current line up of OPPO Pads including the Pad Air and Pad 2.
The new OPPO Pad Neo comes with a sizeable 11.4-inch ReadFit screen. It has a whopping 2.4K resolution and an atypical 7:5 aspect ratio. OPPO claims that this aspect ratio will give a more natural feel when reading on the table. The tablet boasts a 260 ppi pixel density and a 90Hz refresh rate. Colour accuracy wise, it only covers 96% of the NTSC colour space.
The tablet is also taking eye care into overdrive with features baked into the hardware to take care of your eyes. In addition to the 7:5 aspect ratio that mimics the size of an A4 paper, it comes with a colour temperature sensor. This sensor dynamically adjusts the colour temperature to suit the surroundings of the user. It has over 2,048 levels of adaptive brightness as well. Together with Bed Time mode, the tablet is optimised to reduce blue light emissions by more than 50% compared to a normal LCD screen. This is also supported by TUV Rheinland certifications as a Full Care Display and Circadian Friendly display.
The Tablet is able to connect seamlessly with compatible devices. This will enable cross device synchronization of compatible apps over Bluetooth. With features like Content Sync, App Relay and Screen Mirroring, you’ll be able to stay productive across devices seamlessly. If you’re opting for the WiFi version, it’ll be able to jump on to your phone’s connectivity with Communication Sharing. This feature is supposedly 30% more power efficient compared to conventional hotspots.
The OPPO Pad Neo comes with a MediaTek Helio G99 with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Powering all of this is a 8,000mAh battery with support for 33W SuperVOOC Flash Charge.
Pricing & Availability
The OPPO Pad Neo will be retailing for RM1,199 for the Wi-Fi version with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard memory; and RM1,399 for the 4G LTE version with 8GB RAM and 128GB onboard memory.
Purchases of the Pad Neo will come with a Pad Neo Smart Case worth RM99.
