Category Archives: Android

The HONOR X series Returns with Three New Entries

March 29, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

HONOR is expanding its offerings once again. The company has been coming out with all the punches this year. This time, after flexing its flagship prowess with the HONOR 50 and the HONOR Magic V, HONOR is looking to the more affordable offerings they were once renown for. They are introducing three new entries into their X series with a little bit of a rename.

HONOR X9 & X9 5G Leads the new X Trio

The new HONOR X series is spearheaded by the Snapdragon 695 touting HONOR X9 5G. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. When it comes to the display it comes with a 6.81-inch FullView Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution. The X9 5G comes with a triple camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor complemented by a 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, there is a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies.

In the case of the HONOR X9, it’s important to mention the 5G moniker as the HONOR X9 also comes without 5G connectivity. The regular X9 comes with the Snapdragon 680 instead. That said, it comes with a more robust quad camera setup. The main sensor is a 64-megapixel main sensor complemented by an 8-megapixel wide sensor, 2-megapixel sensing macro sensor and 2-megapixel sensing depth sensor. The display on the X9 also has a lower refresh rate of 90Hz. Other than these, the HONOR X9 and X9 5G share the same design and specs including a 4,800mAh battery with 66W fast charging with HONOR SuperCharge and USB Type C.

The design of the HONOR X9 series hearkens back to the HUAWEI P40 with the circular accent emblazoned at the back. It also contains the multiple camera sensors and flash that the smartphone comes with. The face of the phone is covered with the HONOR FullView Display with a punch hole for the selfie camera.

HONOR X8 – Putting the Middle in Mid-range

The HONOR X series will also contain the HONOR X8 which touts the same Snapdragon 680 that powers the X9. In all ways, it’s the hybrid of the X9 and X9 5G. It comes with a slightly smaller 6.7-inch FullView display with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. Aside from this, it also comes with a smaller 4,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C connection.

All of these specs aside, the HONOR X8 comes with the nearly same camera setup as the HONOR X9. However, it comes with a smaller 5-megapixel wide sensor. That said, it also has a different design language which is more angular than the fluid X9. It also departs from the circular accent in favour of a square module containing all its sensors.

HONOR X7 – Bringing even more affordability

Rounding up the HONOR X series is the HONOR X7. The HONOR X7 comes with the same Snapdragon 680 as its siblings with the same amount of internal storage but a lower 4GB of RAM. It comes with a larger 6.74-inch HONOR FullView Display with an HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. On the camera front, it comes with the same setup as the X8 albeit having a smaller 8-megapixel selfie camera. It comes with a larger 5,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C.

The HONOR X7 comes with the familiar design we’ve seen in the HONOR 50 before. However, it comes with a waterdrop display design where the selfie camera is. It’s also not curved like the HONOR 50.

Pricing and Availability

HONOR’s X series will be available starting on 7th April 2022. All members of the HONOR X Series will be launching with EMUI 4 powered by Android 11.

The HONOR X9, X9 5G and X8 will be available in Titanium Silver, Ocean Blue and Midnight Black. It will be available for MYR1,299, MYR1,099 and MYR899 respectively.

The HONOR X7 will be available for MYR699 in Titanium Silver and Ocean Blue.

Android, Mobile, News

Realme GT 2 Pro Makes Its Malaysian Debut

March 24, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Realme has made a name for itself by offering affordable smartphones. However, the company has been uncompromising when it comes to features and value in its offerings with smartphones like the recently released Realme 9 series. That said, Realme is breaking from its MO and exploring a true flagship in their Realme GT 2 Pro. Teased earlier this year at MWC, the smartphone is Realme’s first foray into the flagship market and it’s finally making its Malaysian debut.

The Realme GT 2 Pro sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor which promises top of the line performance. The new 4nm process also brings with it better power efficiency. The phone pairs this with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. However, unlike Realme phones of the past, the GT 2 Pro does away with microSD card support.

It comes with a 6.7-inch, AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10+. The display maxes out at 1,400 nits peak brightness. The 2K resolution (1440×3216 pixels) of the panel gives it a 509ppi density. It also comes with Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6 support as well as 5G connectivity.

On the back, the Realme GT 2 Pro is coming with a triple camera setup with a dual 50-megapixel primary sensor with a large 150° field of view. Complementing this dual sensor setup is a 3-megapixel microscope sensor with 40x magnification. On the front is a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The main camera setup supports 8K video shooting. The main sensor comes with phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization.

realme GT 2 Pro White 03 — Source: Realme

Realme is touting all-day battery life on the GT 2 Pro thanks to its large 5,000mAh battery which supports 65W fast charging. It also comes with an under-display fingerprint sensor.

Pricing & Availability

The GT 2 Pro will be available in Malaysia starting on 25th March 2022 for MYR2,999. It will be available only in the 12GB RAM version with 256GB storage in either black or white.

However, if you’re looking for a great deal, the phone will be offered at MYR2,599 during flash sales on the Realme Malaysia Official store on Shopee from 25th to 26th March 2022 and from 30th to 31st March 2022. Units bought during these periods will come with a free set of Realme Buds 2 NEO.

The first sale at Realme authorized stores will be happening from 26th March 2022 until 27th March 2022. During this period, the GT 2 Pro will be sold at full retail price. However, purchases will be entitled to a free Realme Watch 2 Pro and an extended warranty.

Android, iOS, Lifestyle, News

Shazam Yourself to a Concert Near You

March 24, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Remember that app you use to find out what’s playing on the radio or at the cafe? Yeah – that one! Shazam! No, no, not the superhero, the app! It’s about to get a little more interesting for the music discovery app.

Well, if you forgot about Shazam, here’s a little refresher. The Shazam app first debuted in 2002. It was first launched as an app that could help users discover music by simply clicking on the Shazam button. The app has since gained a whole load of new features including identifying TV programs and ads. Yep, you can stumble upon a new episode of an unknown show and use Shazam to find out where you can stream it.

The app is bringing a new dimension to music discovery by including a new feature that will allow you to not only discover new music but also find out when and where the artist is performing near you. All you have to do is Shazam a song on the app or website and you’ll immediately get concert information and ticket pricing. The same information is also available on the Shazam Artist page.

The new feature leverages concert information from Bandsintown, an established event recommendation and artist discovery platform. The platform has access to information from over 560,000 artists, labels and booking agents which gives it one of the most complete databases of concerts available worldwide. This feature is now rolling out to Shazam’s over 225 million active users across the world. Artists can also make their concert information available through Bandsintown For Artists.

Android, Mobile, News

Samsung’s New Galaxy A Series Available in Malaysia

March 24, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Samsung only just announced their new Galaxy A series slightly over a week ago. The company is now bringing its new midrange heroes to Malaysia as they go on pre-order. The pre-orders started for the Galaxy A53 on 21st March 2022 and are set to conclude on 25th March 2022. The Galaxy A33 and A73, however, are still on pre-order until 13th April 2022. Each pre-order of the Galaxy A33 5G will come with a free Galaxy Fit2 worth MYR179 while the A53 5G and the A73 5G will come with a set of Galaxy Buds Live.

The new Samsung Galaxy A series continues Samsung’s ethos of bringing flagship features to the midrange. This year, the company is bringing some of the most sought after software features including Single Take for the camera. With Single Take, you’ll be able to take multiple versions of the same scene – from GIF to video to portraiture with a single click of the camera shutter. In addition, features like Continue App and Link to Windows bring a new level of productivity to the Galaxy A33, Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73.

You can get the full rundown of the three hero devices in our coverage of the launch. We’ve got all the details you need to know in one article! That said, the pre-orders are happening both in-store and online on the Samsung e-store. Everything’s summarised below!

Model	Pre-order dates	RRP	Colour	Exclusive Gifts
Galaxy A33 5G	In-store & E-store: 21 March 2022 – 13 April 2022	RM1,499	Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Peach, Awesome Blue	1x Galaxy Fit2, worth RM179
Galaxy A53 5G	In-store & E-store: 21 March 2022 – 25 March 2022	RM1,849	Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Peach, Awesome Blue	1 x Galaxy Buds Live, worth RM549
Galaxy A73 5G	In-store: 21 March 2022 – 13 April 2022 E-store: 30 March 2022 – 13 April 2022	RM2,099	Awesome Gray, Awesome White, Awesome Mint	1 x Galaxy Buds Live, worth RM549

Android, Mobile, News

[PSA] Android Users, if You Have This App; Delete it Immediately!

March 23, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Malicious apps on smartphones are nothing new today. With rapid adoption of smartphones across the globe, malwares are not really an ‘if’ anymore, it is more of a when. Google and Apple, the two largest ecosystem holders in the world, have done everything they can to prevent malwares from hitting their devices, but once in a while some things slip through.

Very recently, Bleeping Computer has reported that researchers have found a malware on the Google Play Store. For the record, this is not the first time this has happened. These are not Android-only incidents too, before you start bashing Google for their lack of concern over our safety and privacy. This time round though, it is an Android isolated incident.

The app in question is called ‘Craftsart Cartoon Photo Tools’. It is, in effect, malware disguised as a form of photo editing tool. As an app, it sounds quite fun. It allows you to upload an image and convert it into a cartoon artwork rendering of some sorts for you to upload to your social media for the fun of it. What comes with the app is not so fun.

Pradeo, a security firm, discovered that the app comes with a Trojan malware called ‘FaceStealer’. It is what it sounds like, an identity theft malware. But it is not just any identity that it wants, it wants your Facebook ID and password. When you open the app for the first time, the Trojan fires up and opens a Facebook login screen for you to enter your Facebook credentials before you can use the account, which sounds completely normal. You can read more about what the trojan does via Bleeping Computer or Pradeo’s blog.

According to the research in Pradeo, the developers have injected a small piece of malicious code within the app. It is small enough to slip past Google play Store’s security filters, but enough also to work. To ensure that it stays in the Google Play Store, the app has also been automatically repackaged so that it behaves like a regular legitimate app.

This goes without saying, if you have the app installed in your Android smartphone, delete it immediately. There are no mentions if there is an iPhone equivalent on this. You can assume that currently it is only affecting Android devices, since ‘FaceStealer’ is made specifically for Android devices. The ‘Craftsart Cartoon Photo Tools’ has since been taken down from Google Play Store, but not without over 100,000 downloads first.

Android, Mobile

Early Android 13 Developer Previews are Already Showing New Features

March 18, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Not all of us got Android 12 yet but it seems like Google is eager to get more features into Android and excited about their next major development path – Android 13. Android 13 is inevitable; we know that it is going to come as well toward the end of this year 2022 at Google I/O 2022 edition. What we don’t know is what Android 13 will bring to the table. For that, we need to scour around and look at the Developer Preview for Android 13. So far there has only been two iterations of Android 13 Developer Preview, but we are already seeing some interesting things emerging.

DP1: Universal Search, now with Google Photos

Pixel Launcher search photos old — Source: 9to5 Google

Pixel Launcher search photos 1 — Source: 9to5 Google

For the Google Pixel, Android 12 brought a universal search bar. The universal search bar not only acts as a search button for apps. It allows users to search through pretty much everything in their smartphone via a search bar in their app drawer. There is the Google Search bar widget, yes, but Android 12 allows the app drawer search bar to act as the Google Search bar too. There is still a lot to explore with the search bar.

In Android 13 Developer Preview, it seems like Google is integrating Google Photos with the search bar. That means that you can use the search bar to not only instantly pull things from Google Photos, but also potentially get the full search algorithm functionality from Google Photos in the search bar itself. You could be looking for a contact, for example, and Google Photo’s facial and object recognition kicks into high gear to find you the most relevant photos to your search.

With that kind of implementation on Google Photos, we will not be surprised as well if Google decides to integrate apps like Gmail and Calendar to the list of integrations with the search bar. It would be nice if we just need to tap into the search bar to search for things in our emails or calendar without even opening the apps. But we digress, all we can do is wait for Android 13 to see light of day.

DP2: Notifications, now an Option

One feature that Android lacked (but was rumoured to feature soon), and iOS has for a while now is opt in notifications. What is that? IOS allows you to choose which applications sends you notifications. It is one way to ensure that your notification bar is not loaded with notifications that you hardly care about.

It seems that we are going to see a form of that for Android 13. Via the preview, it also seems like you can prioritise notifications. Which also means that only certain notifications go through and load up your notification screen in differing modes. It is a small tweak, but a welcome one.

DP2: Better Media Player Visuals

Screenshot 20220317 133726 — Source: The Verge

On the visual part, Android 13 seems to feature a redesigned media player layout on the notification screen. Having media controls on the notification screen is nothing new for Android. Having nicer visuals is. If you fire up Spotify, the media player control in the notification screen shows part of the artwork. The control panel seems to be a little larger in the preview too, allowing more controls over the app itself other than the Previous, Play/Pause, and Next buttons.

And Even More

These are just some of the highlighted changes that we can expect in Android 13 though. The Developer Preview has shown much more changes that we can sort of expect in the next iteration of Android. To know more about Google’s planned update for Android 13 or even to experience the Developer Preview yourself, you can visit their website.

Android, Mobile, News

Samsung’s New Galaxy A Focuses On Bringing Flagship to the Mid-range

March 17, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Samsung is no stranger when it comes to smartphones. In fact, they have had one of the most successful Android flagships for years with the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series. However, their mid-range offerings have been somewhat of a sore spot as the company struggles to be relevant. That changed last year with their A52 5G; the phone has been one of the most successful mid-range smartphones for Samsung ever.

Bringing Flagship Features to the Midrange

This year, they’re looking to build on that success and capitalise on bringing flagship features to the Galaxy A lineup. The 2022 Galaxy A series will be spearheaded by the Galaxy A73 5G, Galaxy A53 5G and the Galaxy A33 5G. Yep, that’s right, the series will be equipped with 5G across the board. In addition to 5G, Samsung is also bringing some of the software features we’re used to seeing in their flagships to the Galaxy A73, Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33.

You will now see software features such as Bixby Routines, Buds Auto Switch, Continue App and Link to Windows as mainstays in the Galaxy A series. Continue App allows you to take apps across from your phone to your Samsung tablet while Link to Windows will allow you to seamlessly integrate apps from your phone to your Windows PC. Bixby Routines, on the other hand, will allow you to create “routines” that will be able to be executed with a simple voice command. That said, DeX will not be making an appearance on the new Galaxy A devices.

In addition to these software features, the Galaxy A series is getting IP67 water and dust resistance – yes, even the A33. Together with this, the series is also getting Gorilla Glass 5 and a large 5,000mAh battery. They will also be getting 5 years of security updates with 4 years of major software updates.

Flagship cameras for the Midrange Heroes

The Galaxy A33, Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73 will all come with top of the line cameras. The trio comes with a quadruple sensor setup with a main sensor equipped with optical image stabilization across the board. The Galaxy A73 5G comes with a 108-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and autofocus functionality. The A53 5G comes with a smaller 64-megapixel while the A33 5G is equipped with a 48-megapixel sensor.

Complementing this main sensor are an Ultrawide sensor, a macro sensor and a depth sensor. On the A73, these are a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 5-megapixel macro sensor and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The A53 comes with the same. The A33 comes with a smaller 8-megapixel ultrawide and 2-megapixel depth sensor, it does, however, come with the same 5-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, the A73 and A53 come with a 32-megapixel fixed focus sensor while the A33 comes with a smaller 13-megapixel one.

Samsung isn’t just focusing on the hardware when it comes to the cameras. Software features such as hybrid zooming and even Single Take are making their way to the Galaxy A series.

Same Same but Different

The overall outlook of the Galaxy A series of 2022 can simply be surmised as “same same but different”. The smartphones inherit the design language of the Galaxy A series of 2021 with small tweaks for better ergonomics and to keep up with the colour palette of 2022. Other than that, they come with the same design as the 2021 Galaxy A series. The same rectangle with a fluidly camouflaged camera hump melding into the back of the phone.

On the front is a Super AMOLED panel. The A73 comes with the largest of the three phones at 6.7-inches while the A53 comes with a 6.5-inch display. Both these models come with a 120Hz refresh rate. The A53 comes with a smaller 6.4-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate. All of the displays have a Full HD+ resolution with an 800 nits peak brightness.

The smartphones come with new 5nm processors. The Galaxy A73 is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G while the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A33 run on the Exynos 1280. The new Galaxy A series comes with 8GB of RAM. This can be expanded with up to 6 GB of additional RAM with Samsung’s RAM plus feature. The Galaxy A73 and A53 will be available with 256GB of storage while the A33 will be available with 128GB of storage. All three support up to 1TB additional storage via microSD card.

The new Galaxy A series devices will not ship with a charger in the box. It will only have a USB-C charging cable. Also absent is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Pricing & Availability

The Galaxy A73 will be available in Awesome White, Awesome Gray and Awesome Mint. It will be retailing for MYR2,099.

The Galaxy A53 and A33 will be available in Awesom White, Awesome Black, Awesome Pink and Awesome Blue. They will retail for MYR1,849 and MYR1,499 respectively.

No availability dates have been shared just yet.

Official Specifications

Model	Galaxy A33 5G	Galaxy A53 5G	Galaxy A73 5G
Display	6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 90Hz Infinity-U Display	6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 120Hz Infinity-O Display	6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED+ 120Hz Infinity-O Display
Dimensions & Weight	74.0 x 159.7 x 8.1mm, 186g	74.8 x 159.6 x 8.1mm, 189g	76.1 x 163.7 x 7.6mm, 181g
Camera	Rear (Ultra-Wide) 8 MP F2.2 (Main) 48 MP F1.8 OIS(Depth) 2 MP F2.4 (Macro) 5 MP F2.4 Front 13 MP F2.2	Rear (Ultra-Wide) 12 MP F2.2 (Main) 64 MP F1.8 OIS(Depth) 5 MP F2.4 (Macro) 5 MP F2.4 Front 32 MP F2.2	Rear (Ultra-Wide) 12 MP F2.2 (Main) 108MP F1.8 OIS(Depth) 5 MP F2.4(Macro) 5 MP F2.4 Front 32 MP F2.2
Processor	Octa-Core (2.4GHz, 2GHz)	Octa-Core (2.4GHz, 2GHz)	Octa-Core (2.4GHz, 1.8GHz)
Memory	RAM: 8 GB Internal Storage 128 GB microSD: up to 1TB	RAM: 8 GB Internal Storage: 256 GB microSD: up to 1TB	RAM: 8 GB Internal Storage: 256 GB microSD: up to 1TB
Battery	5,000mAh(typical)	5,000mAh(typical)	5,000mAh(typical)
Charging	25W Super Fast Charging	25W Super Fast Charging	25W Super Fast Charging
OS	Android 12 One UI 4.1	Android 12 One UI 4.1	Android 12 One UI 4.1
Security	Samsung Knox	Samsung Knox	Samsung Knox
Network and Connectivity	5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4G+5GHz), Bluetooth® v 5.1	5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4G+5GHz), Bluetooth® v 5.1	5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4G+5GHz), Bluetooth® v 5.0
Sensors	Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Virtual Proximity Sensing	Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor, Virtual Proximity Sensing	Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor
Water Resistance	IP67	IP67	IP67

Android, Mobile, News

The Xiaomi 12 Series is Now Officially in Malaysia at MYR 2,899 Onward

March 16, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

It is not easy to follow up from a great product. Xiaomi managed to introduce the Xiaomi 11 series, their most powerful flagship with a lot of new upgrades from its predecessor. The Xiaomi 11 series packs very powerful System on a Chip (SoC) with an ultra-powerful camera array. At the same time, the 2021 flagship costs a fraction of the prices of most of the flagships out there.

So how do you follow up from such a strong device? If you ask Xiaomi, more of the same things that they have done before.

Enter the Xiaomi 12 series. On paper, it does not look like they have moved away from their old recipe of great prices and powerful flagship level hardware.

Xiaomi 12

We start with the most obvious change on paper, the SoC. You get the most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC to date on the Xiaomi 12 series. You get a nice and powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip with 4nm technology powering Google’s latest Android 12 with MIUI 13.

Alongside the powerful processor is an ample 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM for super-fast read speeds. Speaking of memory, you can spec your Xiaomi 12 with up to 256GB of built-in storage. There are no expansion slots for the device though, bummer.

All these pushes MIUI 12 interface to take advantage of the AMOLED Dot Display. It is a 6.28-inch Full HD+ panel that offers 120Hz in refresh rate for the smooth feel. For vivid, immersive colours the panel offers HDR10+ support, Dolby Vision certification, TrueColor support, and is rated at A+ by DisplayMate. You can do away with screen protectors too with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus protecting the panel.

Watching movies with a Xiaomi 12 should be an immersive experience too with Dolby Atmos certified speakers. Moreover, it is tuned by the knowledgeable guys over in Harman Kardon.

Where the older Xiaomi 11 offers one very powerful 108-Megapixel sensor for its main camera, the Xiaomi 12 only offers up to 50-Megapixel in resolution for its main sensor. That is not necessarily a bad thing though, considering that its supporting cameras also offer higher resolutions than before at 13-Megapixel for its ultra-wide shooter, and 5-Megapixel for its telephoto shooter. Out the front is a 32-Megapixel camera for ultra-clear and detailed self-portraits or group photos. While you do lose some resolution in photos, you can still get 8K video recordings out of the main sensor.

Keeping everything running along for an entire day is a large 4,500mAh battery. You get up to 67W in charging speeds via the USB Type-C port. Charging it wirelessly should also be quick enough with up to 50W in charging speeds. If you have other devices that needs power quickly, the Xiaomi 12 can wirelessly share its charge at 10W.

Xiaomi 12 Pro

If the regular Xiaomi 12 does not rock your boat, you might want to look at its Pro variant. True to the Pro moniker, it is bigger, more powerful, and surely more expensive. For good reason though.

You are not getting a different SoC, it is the same powerful one since you cannot get anything more powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. You are getting a much bigger 12GB RAM for it though, which also means that you have more multitasking capabilities. Pair that to a 256GB storage, your Xiaomi 12 Pro is a media powerhouse.

The display is much bigger too at 6.73-inch with a few more curves. It is still an AMOLED Dot Display with AdaptiveSync. It is an AdaptiveSync Pro technology that allows the display to switch up between 1Hz to 120Hz for better dynamics and even better battery life. At the same time, the increase in size allows Xiaomi to fit twice more resolution than its regular counterpart making it effectively a WQHD+ display. It also protects your eyes better with SGS Eye Care Display certification.

Xiaomi 12 Pro Renders Purple 1 — Source: xiaomi

Xiaomi 12 Pro Renders Black 1 — Source: xiaomi

Dolby Atmos and Harman Kardon tuning should be enough for the immersive feel of movies on your smartphone. Not for the Xiaomi 12 Pro though. Instead of the regular dual speaker set-up, the larger body allows Xiaomi to shoehorn four speakers, two tweeters and two subwoofers, for an even more immersive audio experience without the need to use Bluetooth speakers.

To keep all these things working for you an entire day and more is a larger 4,600mAh battery pack. You can also charge the battery at 120W that fully charges the battery in 18 minutes. It also comes with 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse charging like the Xiaomi 12.

Prices and Availability

The Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro is now available for pre-order until the 23^rd of March 2022. You can pre-order yours directly from Xiaomi. The new flagships will set you back MYR 2,899 (8GB + 128GB, MYR 2,999 for 8GB + 256GB) and MYR 3,899 respectively. Unfortunately, you do have to arrange to collect your device from a Xiaomi Flagship store near you once it is available though. Still, every pre-order entitles you to an array of premium free gifts worth up to MYR 2,197 like a 3.1 Channel Soundbar for example. For more information on the Xiaomi 12 series devices, you can visit their website.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Android 12L is Here for Pixel Devices! But isn’t it for Tablets?

March 8, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Google introduced their 12^th generation of Android in 2021 and it looked promising. It was not a major change to how Android worked, as we have covered, but more of small improvements that added up to affect the total experience of what the system is and what it can do for you. We’ve updated our smartphones to Android 12, whichever ones that can be updated, and so far, we like them.

Google, not too long after their 2021 I/O announcement and showcase of Android 12, also introduced something they call Android 12L. You can see it as Android 12.1 in the current scheme of things. For smartphones, the improvements on Android 12L are relatively minor. You might not even notice any changes if you have updated your devices to Android 12L, which might come later if you are not on a Pixel device. But as Google puts it back then, Android 12L is not for smartphones.

2. Settings for Wallpaper style.max 1000x1000 1 — Source: Google

The whole point of Google introducing an entirely new minor update for Android in the Android 12L is mostly for the big screens, the Android tablets. It is supposed to improve the interface and make the larger display more natural and more intuitive to use. The settings menu is also supposed to take advantage of the larger display factor for more information and more natural interaction. There is also a more intuitive and better-looking multitasking experience with dual window mode that is more prominent.

Android 12L update should also bring the tablet experience closer to that of a Chrome OS and Windows. There is a consensus out there that if you want to get an Android tablet, you might as well think of getting a Chromebook with Chrome OS instead. Chrome OS, while flawed, is still one of the best ways to even experience the Android experience on a larger display. It is also a much better PC replacement than an Android ever could be. That is what Android 12L is supposed to tackle anyway, to make tablets more relevant.

All these sounds promising. There is a problem, however. The only Android tablet today that supports Android 12 is Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Tab S8 series. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 series will be getting Android 12, but that also means that Android 12L will have to wait, since its replacement will not be getting Android 12L update this soon.

Google did mention, in their blog post, that 12L will roll out to tablets and foldables later in the year. They listed Samsung, Lenovo and Microsoft, so that is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy Z Fold3 covered, at least. We can only assume that from Microsoft’s end, it would be the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 that gets the update.

https://youtu.be/nvXR–VSosE

For Google’s Pixel devices though, the update, while minor, introduces some new useful features. For one, they added Night Sight for Snapchat users. It allows Snapchat to capture more vibrant and detailed snaps even in low-light conditions. There is also Live Caption mode in phone calls now where you can pick up a call, and simply converse by just typing your words out on the phone, or just clicking pre-set responses. You do not even have to listen to the phone call, just treat it like an instant messenger.

Live Translate is also getting an update from the new Android update. In Interpreter mode, you can now converse in Spanish, Italian, and French all through your smartphone. It will also be able to identify and translate Spanish in videos and photos when it is available on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Of course, Google wants to ensure that you do not have to scroll through hoops of apps and screens to find the most basic information from your device. Google have added a few widgets to help you cut down precious time for your battery information for your smartphone and its connected devices. There is also an improved At a Glance widget that will also help you keep track of the battery, if you want an “everything in one” widget.

The new Android 12L or 12.1 update is now available for Google Pixel 3a series, Pixel 4 series, Pixel 4a series, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a. Google’s latest Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will also be getting the update, but at a slightly later date. More information on Android 12L and its smartphone features can be found on Google’s Blog.

Android, Mobile, News

[MWC 2022] POCO Launches the New X4 Pro 5G! Coming to Malaysia Very Soon for MYR 1,199 Onward!

March 2, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is back for 2022 season, and we are glad. It is a sign that things are becoming normal again. But most of all, we are excited to see what all its participants have in store for us.

While HUAWEI and Samsung participated and jumped the gun in launching their new laptop and tablet devices, it is MWC. Mobile is in its name; we want something more smartphones. We got that with POCO and their new C4 Pro 5G.

The POCO X4 Pro is an entry-level device, but you get plenty of flagship features on it at a fraction of the cost.

You are met with an expansive 6.67-inch AMOLED DotDisplay screen that has a small punch hole at the middle of the top of the panel for a selfie camera. The 6.67-inch display is a nice 120Hz refresh rate display for a nice and smooth user experience (UX). It also features 360Hz touch sampling rate for a near instant and snappy feel of the MIUI 13 interface. The Full HD+ AMOLED display is a first for a POCO X series device.

Standing out at the back of the device is a 108-Megapixel sensor for super high-resolution and detailed photos. There is also an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-Megapixel macro camera supporting the main camera and adding more variety to your gallery, or Instagram spread. Out front, in the punch hole is a16-Megapixel camera for clear and clean selfies.

Keeping everything going as they should, is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 System on a Chip (SoC). The 6nm SoC is 5G capable; hence, the 5G moniker, and is one of Qualcomm’s latest chips to roll off the line. It comes with two ARM Cortex-A78 high-performance cores that clocks out at 2.2Ghz and supported by six other efficiency cores.

The powerful SoC is supported by 8GB of RAM, which is ample these days. If you need more, the device can take 3GB out of its 256GB built-in storage as temporary makeshift RAM on top of the 8GB RAM. It works great if you tend to open 100 apps (over-exaggeration) and leaves all of them open.

To ensure that it will keep you connected and going all day is a 5,000mAh battery that is supposed to offer 15 hours of video playback. When it starts running low and you can find a wall port, it charges at up to 67W speeds and can be fully charged from an empty battery in just 41 minutes.

Price and Availability

The POCO X4 Pro was just launched in MWC 2022 very recently. It can be yours very soon though. The X4 Pro will arrive in Malaysian shores by the 3^rd of March 2022 onward exclusively on Shopee. It comes in two variants, a 6GB + 128GB variant and an 8GB + 256GB variant. They are priced at MYR 1,199 and MYR 1,499 respectively. If you get them on their launch date – you are eligible for an Early Bird discount that brings the prices down to MYR 1,099 and MYR 1,249 respectively. More information on the POCO X4 Pro can be found on their website.

techENT

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[MWC 2022] POCO Launches the New X4 Pro 5G! Coming to Malaysia Very Soon for MYR 1,199 Onward!

Price and Availability

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