BMW very recently just launched their brand-new car, the X5 xDrive45e M Sport in Malaysia. While this is not BMW’s most expensive car, it is still regarded as one of BMW’s most premium offerings. They call it the ‘Boss’ car.
If you are not yet familiar with BMW’s offerings, the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport is BMW’s premium SUV offering. The top-of-the-line BMW X5 SUV packs a powerful inline six-cylinder internal combustion petrol engine. The BMW signature engine features forced induction too in the of BMW’s TwinPower Turbo. The 3.0-litre powerhouse pushes 286 hp to the wheels.
This is still a plug-in hybrid vehicle though with an electric motor to keep emissions low while keeping speeds very high. The electric motors produce a mere 113 hp on top of the petrol engine. The combination of the internal combustion engine and the electric motors pushes a total of 394 hp and 600Nm of torque on all four wheels of the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport. That means a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds; rapid, in a bulging SUV weighing just over 2.4 tonnes.
Available in four colour offerings, the BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport can be yours on your driveway for MYR 448,800. Or, for free if you have a smartphone, just know that you cannot actually drive it and feel what its like behind the wheel. Just head to the webapp on your smartphone here.
The app is simple really, it is based on Augmented Reality technology, nothing new there. If you remember, not too long ago Google Lens has become quite popular with having strange and exotic animals in your living room. That is the exact thing here, in car format.
Of course, within the app you can customise the car a little bit. You can change the colour, for example. There are some interactive pointers for you to click on too to find out more about the BMW X5. The only thing you do not get to do is drive out in the car.
This is technically a small advancement in car buying experience globally though. You could still go to BMW’s website to customise your car on the website itself. This is just taking it to a new level where you can get to see the car itself in roughly the exact dimensions. What do you think though, should more car manufacturers do this sort of stuff? Comment below.
Before we go on; no, ASUS’ ROG Phone and ROG Phone 2 were not rubbish. They were amazing smartphones, if I might have to say. We really liked the first-generation ASUS ROG Phone and we think that it can still hold its own today. The ROG Phone 2 was not revolutionary per say but it was still a brilliant smartphone on its own. Its expanded arsenal of accessories made it something quite special to behold, if not expensive.
The third one we see today is not exactly revolutionary as well. It is more of a step up, an evolution rather, to the ROG Phone 2. To be fair though, following up on two brilliant smartphones is difficult even for the biggest brands in the world.
The ROG Phone 3 seems to do the job well enough though. Yes, it may just be an evolution, but it does not mean that the device is a boring one.
Source: ASUS
We start with the display, because that is going to be the first thing that will greet you when you open the box and unwrap the protective plastic cover. This thing packs the fastest display you can find on any smartphone today. While it only pushes Full HD 1080p resolution to your face, it refreshes at 144Hz. That is 20Hz more than the OPPO Find X2, just saying. All that and you still get HDR10+ and Delta E < 1 colours for a bright looking, fresh looking images on the 6.59-inch AMOLED display covered by a Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The display did not grow in size though, 6.59-inch is big enough. True to its gaming roots and purpose, the ROG Phone 3 boasts 270Hz in response rate too giving a super quick 25ms touch response and 18ms slide response. That is as fast as it gets at this point now.
No edge-to-edge nonsense with a cut out here. You still get a bottom lip and a forehead on the device big enough to fit a 24-Megapixel camera and a proper looking earpiece. The earpiece also doubles as a front-firing speaker. It is not just any speaker though. Paired with the bottom speakers you are getting a DTS:X speaker system with individual amplifiers for each speaker. Sadly, you do not get a 3.5mm AUX jack though.
Still, dig deeper and you find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ System on a Chip (SoC). This may just be the most powerful smartphone in the world currently since it packs something that is even more powerful than the outgoing Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. You get up to 3.1GHz in clock speed, 10% more performance than the Snapdragon 865 SoC. The SoC is rivalling most entry-level gaming PCs these days.
Source: ASUS
Plenty of power also means plenty of heat. The ROG Phone 3 packs a big heatsink that you can see from the partially transparent glass back. That heatsink is technically bigger than before, which means you get better cooling performance mechanically as well. If that is not enough, you get a fan dock thing out-of-the-box anyway (Aero Active Cooler 3). That fan dock thing now has a kickstand so that you can prop it up on a table. But the fan dock also allows the ROG phone III to be cooled more aggressively. Combine that with ASUS ROG UI’s X Mode, and you are getting a smartphone that rivals gaming PCs.
Of course, Air Trigger makes it back in the ROG Phone 3. This is probably the ASUS ROG Phone’s main party piece. The Air Trigger is in its third generation with the ROG Phone III. The third generation Air Trigger supports more gestures and input now. This also makes the ROG Phone III a highly competitive smartphone for eSports, if not unfair.
Source: ASUS
Move to the back and you will find a 64-Megapixel main camera flanked by a 13-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and another macro sensor to produce great photos. This is still a smartphone anyway; you want the cameras to be good. While this is a gaming smartphone, the camera functions are not getting sidelined though. You get four microphones for the best video recording experience. This is your all-in-one device.
Of course, you cannot have an all-in-one device without requiring some power draw. The SoC itself should be quite demanding on its own. That is why ASUS fits a large 6,000mAh battery pack within the svelte body. How is this device fitting a larger battery in the same sized body of the ROG Phone II? Sorcery perhaps, but we do appreciate bigger batteries in modern smartphones.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
That should give you enough confidence to game with Google Stadia all day if you want. ASUS has partnered with Google Stadia for this device to ensure that there are enough contents for you to play with. It finally makes sense for you to get all the accessories that might come with the ASUS ROG Phone 3. So far, ASUS has only announced the Nintendo Switch-esque Kunai gamepad and a few cases.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The ROG Phone III will come in three variants. The cheapest will be the ROG Phone 3 STRIX (Qualcomm Snapdragon 865) variant will come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for EUR€ 799 (approx. MYR3,934). For EUR€ 200 (EUR€ 999, approx. MYR 4,917) more, you get 512GB of memory and 12GB of RAM. The one you might want to get your hands on to rival your friend’s gaming PC though is the top-of-the-line 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage variant at EUR€ 1,099 (approx. MYR 5,409). These are not local pricing though. We are expecting prices to be around the same as the older ASUS ROG Phone 2 on all its variants. That is MYR 2,499, MYR 3,499, and MYR 4,499 for the ROG Phone 2 Strix and two other ROG Phone 2 variants. ASUS Malaysia is touting a Mid-September release locally for the ASUS ROG Phone 3. In that case, all we can do is wait for a while more.
Last week we saw a bunch of things being launched and released. We found out that the OnePlus Nord is coming to Malaysia. We also see the launching of Canon’s all-new, all-conquering their Canon EOS R5 and the Canon EOS R6. The Canon EOS R5 is capable of 8K video recording. It technically has become one of the best mirrorless camera in the market.
The big thing that happened last week though is the announcement of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event happening on the 5th of August 2020. We can expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Note20 in this event. Based on the rumours and leaks too, we can expect Samsung to bring back the Copper colour. Based on the rumours too, the Samsung Galaxy Note20 series will come with 5G capabilities as standard.
The event will also see Samsung releasing their new Active Noise Cancelling earbuds. Alongside that is a bunch of new devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S7+. Of course, we also can expect Samsung to launch the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G.
Samsung A series has gotten awesome over the years. The latest and greatest Galaxy A71 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor. The processor is paired with a minimum of 6GB RAM or 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. A new and improved quad system main camera consisting of a 64MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro camera and a 5MP depth sensor. For the selfie camera, it gets a 32 MP wide camera. Packing a relatively large-sized 4,500mAh battery that could last you the entire day.
Priced at MYR 1,799 in Malaysia and USD$429.99 in the US. Is the Samsung Galaxy A71 the daily all rounder? Is this the ultimate daily driver for the average joe?
Looking for more details? You can head on over to our in depth review.
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Back in April, OnePlus had their announcement of their new flagships, the OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro. However, back then, rumours were rife with a third device in the series called the OnePlus 8 Lite, which never made its debut. Shortly after, the OnePlus Z surfaced with similar specifications. Now, we have confirmation from OnePlus itself, that their upcoming phone is the OnePlus Nord.
What is the OnePlus Nord?
Remember way back when OnePlus launched their first mid-range smartphone? You don’t? Well, lets talk a little bit about the missed opportunity that was the OnePlus X. Back in 2015, OnePlus released an ill-fated device called the OnePlus X, their first foray into a lower price range than their popular numbered flagship. The device wasn’t very popular and to be honest, was a dumpster fire of a device plagued with bugs.
Come 2020, we have the Nord. OnePlus second attempt at the mid-range market and to be honest, one that makes sense with their numbered flagships hitting true flagship prices. The OnePlus Nord seems to be shaping up as a successor for the OnePlus X. But saying that wouldn’t do justice to the difference in the company’s approach to the OnePlus Nord.
They are approaching the new device like a revitalization of the company’s “Never Settle” tagline. A new beginning for a truly powerful mid-range player with a price tag that puts the competition to shame.
What does the OnePlus Nord Pack?
While we don’t have full confirmations for all the specifications, we can say with confidence that the Nord is shaping up to be a really interesting offering in the mid-range space.
Initially, it was rumoured that the Nord, or the OnePlus Z, as it was known then, would be coming with the MediaTek Dimensity processor. However, the OnePlus Nord seems to now be coming with a Snapdragon 765G which will also mean that the smartphone will be 5G capable. It looks like the processor will be complemented by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. No word just yet on whether the phone will support microSD cards.
Said by a tipster to come from a virtual Nord training presentation, this lines up quite well with what we already know (save for the phone imagery, which is an obvious placeholder). Let the debunking begin! pic.twitter.com/pA5N4oxJOF
On the display side of things, it looks like the Nord will be coming with a 6.55-inch Super AMOLED display. The screen will have a Full HD+ resolution of 2220×1080 pixels and will have a 90Hz refresh rate. It looks like it will be a hole punch display with slim bezels. It will also be flat unlike the curved 8.
It looks like the OnePlus Nord will be coming with a Quad camera array – not the dual or triple camera setup that was initially rumoured. That said, the camera doesn’t look to be your run of the mill mid-ranger either. It’s a quad array with a 48-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra wide sensor, a 5-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. If it sounds familiar it’s a similar setup to the Redmi Note 9s which was recently released but it’s to be seen if the company is using the same Sony IMX module. On the selfie side of things, the new offering looks to be bringing a dual camera setup with a 32-megapixel main sensor paired with an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor.
Source: @evleaks
All of these specs is rumoured to be powered by 4,300 mAh battery with support for 30W fast charging. It will support USB-C but will not have a headphone jack – which is making more sense since we’re getting inklings of OnePlus launching it’s first true wirelsss earphones.
When can I get it and Where?
The new OnePlus Nord will be making its official debut on July 21, 2020 in a special augmented reality (AR) launch. You will need to download the Nord app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to join in. It will be launching in a very limited beta in North America. However, Malaysia, India and select countries in Europe will be getting the smartphone in all its glory. It looks like the price will be around EUR€500 (MYR2,409.15). We expect the launch price to be about MYR1999-2299 in Malaysia to keep the phone competitive with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy A51 and the iPhone SE.
So far, these are the countries that have been confirmed to get the OnePlus Nord:
The digital marketplace in South East Asia is quite a crowded space. In Malaysia itself at least, we have Lazada, Shopee, Lelong, Mudah, and LamboPlace. Now, we have Vettons.
Launched on 7th July 2020, the platform looks to change the whole e-commerce environment in Malaysia. Yes, this is the new e-commerce platform that has been teased on social media. This is the e-commerce platform that is going to “revolutionise” online shopping in Malaysia.
Source: Vettons
Vettons is purely app based, so good luck scrolling through their web store like traditional e-marketplaces. The website will direct you to a download link on Google Play and App Store. Still, it is available for free on both platforms.
A new online marketplace is always a welcome addition in Malaysia though. Still, this is not like any other e-commerce sites like any other though. It is supposed to be cleverer.
Vettons is different because they ensure that their products are off the highest quality. Okay, maybe we are overselling that a little bit. They are just making sure that the products that are sold on their platform are genuine things from their third-party merchants.
That also means you will not see questions of whether items are genuine in the comment sections. Everything is ensured to come from partner brands. In turn, each brand ensures that their products are up to a certain standard, that is quite normal.
Source: Vettons
Of course, like other platforms too, you get the promo items or items with the lowest prices presented to you in the first page. Thing is you need to be shopping or browsing around a little bit for the algorithm to understand your purchase patterns and preferences. We can get into that a little more later.
What is even more interesting is that Vettons promises delivery within 24 hours for each item you buy. This is something that is not offered on most of the platforms in Malaysia. That means if you might need something urgently, Vettons can deliver if they have the item you want that is.
Now we get to the algorithm. They are touting a very clever interface that learns what you do and what you purchase and personalise the shopping experience to you. They are also looking to make the platform more interactive than just you shopping for things. After all, “customer satisfaction” is the main goal.
Source: Vettons
In some sense, what Vettons promises us as potential customers are not technically radical new things. They are looking to make things just a little smarter for us, shoppers. We do appreciate new things though.
Vettons is available for free on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store now. For more information on Vettons, you can visit their website.
We live in unprecedented times where communities need to support each other to make sure that we all survive what has been a weird roller coaster of a year. One of the worst hit industries has been the food and beverage industry with restaurants losing humongous chunks of their dine-in revenue and paying even more in delivery commissions with delivery partners such as Grab and FoodPanda. Some have reportedly been asked to pay upwards of 20% of their order to these partners.
EatLokal is looking to change that reality by partnering with disruptor brands like MyGroser and Socar to help bolster and support the local restaurant industry. They are working with these services to bring down the cost of delivery for both the restaurants and consumers. In fact, the company is looking to charge only 10% commission on sale for their launch period to help businesses increase sales and get back on their feet. The reason behind the low commission? Simple, they believe that the bulk of the revenue earned through sales of food should stay with restaurants at this time.
While EatLokal is focusing on delivering better value for service to restaurant owners, they aren’t leaving the consumer behind. They are looking to deliver better value for money when it comes to getting the convenience of ordering food. EatLokal is looking to connect us with our favourite local eateries. From the corner store with that deliciously thirst quenching cendol to the savoury chicken rice shop in Bangsar, EatLokal is looking bridge the divide in this time of social distancing while providing a convenience to both patrons and restaurateurs.
“As consumers, we have all felt the pinch of rapid increases in the prices that we pay for food delivery. We know there is a better, fairer way for everyone involved – the restaurants who provide the food and their employees; the delivery teams who do the work of sending the food to consumers; and consumers themselves. EATLOKAL is a community focused effort disruptors from Malaysia’s digital landscape who aim to improve the quality of service, pricing and approach to food delivery services while supporting and protecting our local restaurants, cafes and other food outlets who are working hard to stay open for us,”
Stephen P Francis, CEO of EATLOKAL
EatLokal is teaming up with independent motorcycle delivery teams, private delivery operators and Socar to get the goodies delivered. Socar will be playing a vital role in mobilizing cars as a delivery option.
The service is available in early access on the Apple App Store, GooglePlay Store and also on the internet via their webiste EatLokal.com. They are serving areas across Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Bangsar, Damansara, Hartamas, Mont Kiara, Tropicana, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Sunway, Subang Jaya, USJ and their surrounding areas. EatLokal has already teamed up with favourite neighbourhood eateries such as YMT Healthy Vegetarian, W1 Dining & Cocktails, Concubine KL, Asian Rice Pot, The Locker & Loft and The Accidental Bakers. EatLokal is now limiting the delivery radius to a 5 km radius from the outlet. However, they are continually expanding.
WhatsApp introduced their dark mode to their smartphone apps late last year. If you have switched your app to dark mode, good for you. If you have not, you should take a look and maybe never look back. As the saying goes; “once you go black, you’ll never go back”. Before you say anything, we are not implying any racist jokes, it is a sensitive time, we are merely referring to the endless ‘dark mode’ tweaks that have been making its way to smartphones. Going dark is the trend these days anyway.
There is a benefit of going for dark mode in your smartphone apps, other than looking cool and sleek. You get better battery life because black colour consumes less power on your smartphones’ displays. This is especially true for LED based displays. There is a small issue with the Android version of the app though – it is not exactly black. Instead, you get a shade of navy and grey.
Dark mode also helps when you just woke up and look at your smartphone first. It does not blind you or strain your eyes. There is a reason why Blue Light filters make your whites look a little more yellow. White colour strains your eyes quite badly especially indoors and in darker situations. It somehow signals your brains that it is still daylight too when you have white backgrounds on your smartphones, and you read at night.
Somehow, dark mode allows you to have a better time reading on your backlit displays too. You are able to read for longer periods without getting a headache. Again, this may have plenty to do with Blue Lights and better contrasts.
Back to WhatsApp. Ever since WhatsApp introduced dark mode in their smartphone app, the demand for dark mode stuff grew to other apps including Facebook. It even grew so much that people are asking for dark mode PC apps now too. Not only do they look more modern, they look cleaner somehow.
Yesterday is the day that Facebook finally gives what people want, a dark mode on WhatsApp Web and Desktop app. Let me start by saying it looks more like Telegram’s dark mode on your smartphone than anything. Telegram does not even have a dark mode on their web and desktop app. Given, there are more greens on WhatsApp.
It does look more modern and cleaner though. The fonts turn white and the backgrounds are different shades of grey, not exactly black. It somehow transforms the WhatsApp experience. Suddenly WhatsApp does not look like WhatsApp that we knew anymore.
Still, we are digging the new look and will keep this look. Plus, it is still less straining to the eyes. For you to change your WhatsApp Web or Desktop app to dark mode, you just need to get to settings and click on the “theme” option to turn on the inner darkness. Now, on to Facebook’s dark mode on their app.
Xiaomi Malaysia has taken the covers off two new entry level devices: the Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C. The two new devices join the Redmi 9 announced earlier this month. They expand the Redmi line up with even more affordable, entry level devices which come in at a sub MYR500 price point.
Both entry level Xiaomi Redmi devices come with 6.53-inch HD+ Dot Drop displays with 400 nit brightness and certification from TUV Rheinland for Low Blue Light. The 9A and 9C are both powered by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 10W charging. Both come with a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, that’s where the similarities end.
Xiaomi’s Redmi 9C is the more supped up of the two new devices coming with a triple camera setup and a slightly more powerful MediaTek Helio G35 octacore processor. The camera setup consists of a 13-megapixel main camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. These specifications are supported by 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard memory expandable with up to 512GB of additional memory via a microSD card. The 9C also a fingerprint sensor for quick unlocking.
The Redmi 9A comes with a less powerful, octacore MediaTek Helio G25. It comes with a single camera setup with a 13-megapixel sensor. It supports AI face unlock and will be coming with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. Similar to the 9C, it supports up to 512GB of additional storage space via the use of a microSD card.
Pricing & Availability
The Redmi 9A will be available starting on July 7, 2020 as part of the annual 7.7 sale on both LAZADA and Shopee for a special first sale price of MYR319. After which it will be available in stores starting on 14 July, 2020 for MYR359. The 9A will be available in Granite Gray, Peacock Green and Sky Blue
The Redmi 9C will be available for MYR429 in Midnight Gray, Sunrise Orange and Twilight Blue starting the end of July 2020.
Official Specifications
Smartphone
Redmi 9A
Redmi 9C
Display
6.53” HD+ Dot Drop display 400 nit (typ) brightness Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification Reading mode
6.53” HD+ Dot Drop display 400 nit (typ) brightness Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification Reading mode
Rear camera
13MP main camera
13MP main camera, 2MP macro camera, 2MP depth sensor
Front camera
5MP front camera
5MP front camera
Dimension
164.9*77.07*9.0mm
164.9*77.07*9.0mm
Processor
MediaTek Helio G25 12nm process technology Octa-core CPU, up to 2.0 GHz
MediaTek Helio G35 12nm process technology Octa-core CPU, up to 2.3 GHz
The #Samsung#GalaxyA71, placed in the #GalaxyA(w-Suh-m) series. Is the new mid tier all rounder that you never expected. Giving you decent power together with a #SuperAMOLED+ display and a high megapixel camera. With Samsung’s new design language, most of Samsung’s devices looks similar but with an attention to detail each phone has its own unique touch to make it stand out. For the #A71 is the 3 slahes on its back and simultaneously refracting light giving you and array of red, green and blue. The Galaxy A71 is now available in Malaysia for MYR1,799
Running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. All that goodies is power by a 4,500 mAh battery that can last you all day long. If you are running low on battery, not to worry as it comes with a 25W fast charging to get you ready and going as quick as it can.
