Samsung launched their new Mid-Range smartphone just very recently. They launched the Samsung Galaxy A34 and Galaxy A54 last week. Just a few days later, they launched another smartphone, but only for the Middle-Sea market. It is pretty much a Samsung Galaxy A54 5G but made a little different.
The M54 5G is slightly bigger than the A54 5G. It packs a 6.7-inch display where the A54 settles with a 6.4-inch one. It is also a Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ output still. It also still offers 120Hz. It also comes with Samsung’s own Exynos 1380 octa-core processor with up to 8GB or RAM and 256GB of internal storage. If you feel like the storage is a little small, you can even expand it to up to 1TB via a microSD card.
Like the A54 5G, the Galaxy M54 5G also comes with Samsung’s latest Android 13 based One UI 5.1. It still packs a side-mounted fingerprint reader that doubles as a power button. You still can find the same Gorilla Glass 5 protecting the Super AMOLED up front. This is where the similarities end.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
First of all, the Galaxy M54 5G does not come with IP67 water and dust resistance rating. You also do not get a 50-Megapixel main camera that the A54 5G has. Instead, you get an extravagant 108-Megapixel main camera supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-Megapixel macro camera. There is a 32-Megapixel camera out the front still. Instead of a 5,000 mAh battery as well, you get a massive 6,000mAh battery to keep not just the Galaxy M54 5G running all day. You can technically keep any other smartphone you have running all day too with the large battery from the Galaxy M54 5G.
There are no confirmed prices for the Samsung Galaxy M54 5G currently. There are no confirmations as well on its availability in Middle East or any other Asian countries. We are expecting the device to not only be available in Middle East though, we are expecting India to get the same Galaxy M54 5G treatment.
Nothing does it again and launched their own set of wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2). This one picks up from the first, Ear (1) wireless headphones. It is even priced the same as the previous earbuds at MYR 599.
Right out of the gate, you can tell that this will be a better pair of earphones than before. It boasts Hi-Res Audio certification where the previous one did not. It also packs LHDC 5.0 technology for an even better near lossless audio experience with the Ear (2). There is also an app now, the Nothing X app, to even fine tune the earphones to your ears.
You still get an 11.6mm Dynamic driver inside the earphones. It is one of the bigger drivers you can find on a modern earphone. The large driver could mean that you might get punchier audio from the earphones. That driver is also housed in a new dual-chamber design that is meant to improve acoustics and airflow within the earphone’s case.
Source: Nothing
Like the Ear (1), it comes with Noise Cancelling technology. Unlike the Hybrid Noise Cancelling technology you find in the first Nothing Ear, the Ear (2) features a personalized and adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology that offers better noise isolation and cancelling than before cancelling up to 40dB of noise. The mics also pick up ambient noise better than before.
Alongside the new noise cancelling technology, the Nothing Ear (2) also now features Dual Connection for you to easily connect and switch between two devices simultaneously and quickly. Of course, it has the new Fast Pair/Swift Pair technology that most modern wireless earphones offer today. The new mic algorithm with three high-definition mics and Clear Voice Technology is meant to pick up your voice better than before for crystal clear calls.
Where the previous earphones offer up to 24 hours of continuous listening experience with ANC turned on, the Nothing Ear (2) offers up to 22.5 hours with ANC on. With each charge, the Nothing Ear (2) offers 4 hours of listening experience at a time, which is also about an hour less than its predecessor. While that might seem to be a downgrade, you do want to remember that the Nothing Ear (2) is more feature packed than ever, which might be why its batteries lasts a little shorter than before.
You get better hardware installation than before too. Where the previous earphones offer IPX4 water resistance, the new Ear (2) offers IP54 water and dust resistance. The charging case offers IP55 water and dust resistance so you can keep the Ear (2) safe in the case.
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
The Nothing Ear (2) is now available from all authorised dealers and resellers in Malaysia. There are no colour options available, just the plain white and transparent option you see. As mentioned, it will set you back MYR 599. More on the Nothing Ear (2) can be found on their website.
Updated 24 March 2023 with pricing and retail availability. Pre-order details are available in the pre-order announcement article.
Samsung’s Galaxy A series has been one of Samsung’s most popular smartphone line up. The Galaxy A series underwent a reinvention in 2018 and began to take shape into the value-for-money offering that it is known to be now. This year, it looks like Samsung is scaling back the lineup – for now – with the omission of the follow-up to the Galaxy A73, the Galaxy A74. The new lineup is now spearheaded by the Galaxy A54 5G and the Galaxy A34 5G which continue to bring flagship user experiences to the midrange.
Source: Samsung
The new Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34 come with Samsung’s Nightography and Au capabilities that we’ve seen in the Galaxy Z and Galaxy S lineups. Both the Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34 come with triple camera setups. The A54 comes with a 50-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and optical image stabilization (OIS). The setup is completed with a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. On the A34, the main sensor is a 48-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, PDAF and OIS. An 8-megapixel, f2.2 ultrawide sensor and 5-megapixel macro sensor complete the setup. On the front, the A54 5G comes with a 32-megapixel, f/2.2 selfie camera while the A34 5G comes with a 13-megapixel, f/2.2 sensor.
Together with optimisations that empower better low-light Nightography photos, these smartphones also come with video digital image stabilization (VDIS) which has delivered better, more stable videos in the flagship Galaxy S series. The camera experiences are also enhanced with the ability to remove unwanted reflections and shadows – a first for the Galaxy A series. Speaking of firsts, the new Galaxy A54 and A34 both come Continuity now. The feature, which has been available on Samsung flagships, allows users to seamlessly move between Samsung mobile devices while keeping their work and data on-screen.
The new Galaxy A series devices also come with long-lasting battery life and better performance thanks to the newer processors. The A34 comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 while the A54 comes with the newly announced Exynos 1380. Both come with Super AMOLED screens with FHD+ resolutions. The A54 comes with a smaller 6.4-inch display while the A34 comes with a larger 6.6-inch display. Both have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and have 120Hz refresh rates.
Samsung has also guaranteed 4 generations of OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates for the new A34 and A54. The devices also come with a 2-year warranty.
Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy A54 5G will be available in stores starting on 7 April 2023 for MYR1,899. It will be available in Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Violet and Awesome White.
The Galaxy A34 5G will be available at the same time for MYR1,599. It will be available in Awesome Lime, Awesome Graphite, Awesome Violet and Awesome Silver.
Official Specifications
Galaxy A54 5G
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G in Awesome Lime
Display
6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display 120Hz refresh rate Vision booster
Dimensions & Weight
158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2mm, 202g
Camera
12MP Ultra-Wide Camera – F2.2 50MP Main Camera – F1.8 – AF – OIS 5MP Macro Camera – F2.4
32MP Front Camera – F2.2
AP
Octa-core
Memory
8GB Memory + 256GB Storage Expandable storage by up to 1 TB with an optional microSD card
Battery
5,000mAh (typical)
OS
Android 13 One UI 5.1
Security
Samsung Knox
Galaxy A34 5G
Samsung Galaxy A34 5G in Awesome Silver
Display
6.6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Display 120Hz refresh rate Vision Booster
Dimensions & Weight
161.3 x 78.1 x 8.2mm, 199g
Camera
8MP Ultra-Wide Camera – F2.2 48MP Main Camera – F1.8, – AF, – OIS 5MP Macro Camera – F2.4
13MP Front Camera -F2.2
AP
Octa-Core
Memory
8GB Memory + 256GB Storage Expandable storage by up to 1 TB with an optional microSD card
Last year WhatsApp tested and later launched their new Communities feature for all WhatsApp users. If you have not found out or familiar with Communities, it is a powerful management tool sitting within WhatsApp to manage all your groups in one place. You can, as admin of multiple groups create a Community, a group of groups for you to manage and access in a single place. You can, as an admin, make a community wide broadcast message, create targeted messages for select groups, and even moderate chats within the group. Of course, WhatsApp will not just stop there.
WhatsApp has added an important privacy control for group admins. Group admins can now decide if a person is worthy of joining the group or not. For Communities users, the admin can choose if a particular individual can join any of the groups within the community or not. Of course, the feature is not just limited to Communities users. They can also still send invite links to people they want in the group. If they do not want a particular person in the group for any longer, they still can kick relevant members out of the groups.
That is not to say that plain members within a community has no added features or benefits for themselves. WhatsApp has added a way to find other members that is in the same groups as you are. It works both ways too, you can find out which members are in the same groups as you are. You can also use the function to find groups through these common contacts, in case you forgot which groups are which. It is important, since the dependency on WhatsApp and Groups within Communities are much bigger than before now.
You might not be seeing the function rolling out to your app today. WhatsApp says that they are rolling the update to users in the coming weeks in stages. If you are interested in getting the best out of your Groups, you want to keep checking your app updates regularly. To know more about the new functions WhatsApp is adding to the app, you can always head out to their blog.
When we reviewed the WH-1000XM4 and later its successor, the WH-1000XM5, we hailed them to be the best Sony offers in terms of premium sound and noise cancelling. The WH-1000XM5 offers the best all-round noise cancelling performance while we think that the WH-1000XM4 offers a slightly better experience in terms of audio quality. Whichever headphone you choose to buy, you are getting some of the best wireless headphones money can buy.
Those high-end headphones will set you back north of MYR 1,500 though. Whichever way you look at it, they are expensive. What if you only have half that money to spend on a new headphone?
You must settle for Sony’s less premium offerings. The new Sony WH-CH720N they just released not too long ago will set you back MYR 649. On paper, it looks like a decent pair of headphones to work with since it has the same noise cancelling chip in the flagship WH-1000XM5.
At less than half the price of its premium brother, the Sony WH-CH720N might look like a compromised product. If you pick it up at the shop, the packaging makes the product feel plenty light, almost weightless. The box is extremely light as well, which does not inspire any form of confidence in its quality.
In that case, is the WH-CH720N even worth MYR 649? Does it sound good? Is it worthy of the premium noise cancelling chip? Is this the headphone for you? The answer to all that (spoiler alert), for us, is a resounding yes. Let us explain.
Design
We think that the WH-CH720N looks like traditional over-ear headphones. There is nothing too outrageous about its shape. We see a lot of sharp finishing and plenty of flat surfaces on the headphone, which we think look a tad boring.
That is not a bad thing though. The headphone hardly stands out, mostly thanks to its matte colour scheme. It comes with a few colour options, but the black is the one we will have. The stealth look will earn you less attention and therefore, less bother.
The headphone’s construction is mostly plastic, quality plastic. There is a metal strut that runs along the headband for added durability. The visible painted mic grilles on each side are also metal. All this results in a high-quality, yet super light headphone construction you would not mind hauling around.
The padding are where they matter. The padding on the ear cups feels supple yet comfortable for extended use cases. There is some padding on the headband too for the inevitable ‘headphone hair’, but nothing else. The materials used for the padding feels like the more premium faux leather material you find on the older WH-1000X headphones.
Instead of touch sensitive pads, you get large physical buttons on the headphone. The tactility, to us at least, is a huge welcome. We think that buttons are more intuitive than gesture controls.
Annoyingly, the WH-CH720N does not fold. The ear cups can swivel to the point that the headphone sits flat on the table, that is the most compact it gets. We prefer it collapsing and folding like the WH-1000XM4. This one does not even come with its own carrying case.
Hardware
On paper also, the WH-CH720N share more similarities with the WH-1000XM5 than we can see. The driver, for example, is sized at 30mm, like the one you find on its high-end brother. We cannot confirm that they are the same drivers though.
Bluetooth 5.2 Active Noise Cancelling DSEE 360 Reality Audio 360 Spatial Sound Beamforming Mics Dolby Atmos
Features
For MYR 649, the WH-CH720N is also rather feature packed. You get noise cancelling, DSEE, a high-end mic technology, and modern connectivity. If you put this beside the WH-1000XM5, you might start to think that maybe the WH-1000XM5 is overpriced.
High-End Noise Cancelling
While most noise cancelling implementations on headphones at this price point are not great, this one is different. Thanks to the clever V1 Integrated Processor, the noise cancelling experience you get from this pair of headphones is like headphones twice its price. The anti-noise can still be heard if you do not have music playing, but it is not annoying nor discomforting.
With noise cancelling on and music playing at 70% volume, you completely tune the world out. The algorithm is great in cancelling loud noises and even sudden noise. Of course, the noise cancelling algorithm is not perfect and there will be noise that escapes the noise cancellation process. That noise has to be very loud and very near you though for it to be noticeable.
Sony Headphones App
If you are a long-time user of Sony headphones, you will be familiar with the app. The app’s interface has not changed too much, a little aged if we have to say. On the other hand, it is familiar and simple to operate once you know where to find everything.
You can control its ambient noise levels, turn on noise cancelling mode, or turn it off completely to save on battery life. There is an equalizer that offers limited customization to the headphone tuning. Of course, it also offers 360 Reality Audio with supported apps. For us, we have Tidal to work with and we are happy to report that the experience is still like what you get on higher-end headphones.
You can get 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos working with a compatible Bravia XR TV too, we do not have a compatible TV to work with. You can also connect the WH-CH720N to two devices simultaneously. You lose LDAC over that too.
You do not get “speak-to-chat” function. You get only DSEE, not DSEE Extreme from the WH-1000XM5. At the same time, because there are no proximity sensors, the headphone does not pause your media when you take your headphone off. The headphone also does not turn off by itself unless you disconnect the headphone from your smartphone.
DSEE
Sony’s DSEE technology is a clever one. In theory, you can get a CD quality audio even from the likes of streaming platforms like Spotify. There are a lot of technicalities behind this that we will not get into in the interest of time and sanity. If you want to know more about how DSEE or any audio upscaling technology works, do let us know and we might feature an editorial about that.
Still, the result is more prominently heard on Spofity music than Tidal. Without getting too much into the sound quality (spoiler alert), DSEE enhances your Spofity music experience to something you might get from Tidal. The differences are there, you hear extra little details from your music that you do not normally get with DSEE off or regular headphones. The differences still can be very subtle for most ears though, so you do want to pay attention.
Beamforming Mic
This is also another feature that is trickled down from the higher end headphones. With the WH-1000XM5, we find that the beamforming mic improved the call quality tremendously over its predecessor. As expected, the dual mic pick-up on the WH-CH720N performed admirably on calls as well.
The other party on the receiving line reported that audio comes through loud and clear. The mic system cleverly cancels out even some of the louder drones in the call environment and reduces the smaller noise. If there are sudden noise coming through, the headphone can still cancel it out a little. The most important aspect of the call, your voice, is picked up beautifully thanks to some clever algorithm built into the headphone. It is a similar technology to the speak-to-chat function where the headphone can recognize your voice, or that you are talking, and picks up only your voice.
Performance
Of course, the most important part of any audio gear is in how it sounds. For a headphone you want to work with and carry around for your travels, comfort is important too. Of course, it also needs to last at least an entire flight duration.
Taking a Call
Because it is a mobile-first device, it is made with video conferencing and even phone calls in mind. We have spoken about the mic performance a little bit in the previous section. In this case, we want to talk about the sound quality you get in the calls.
There is not too much to complain about if you get a stable connection with your smartphone or even laptop. As mentioned, you can even connect to both your smartphone and your laptop simultaneously. The device will cleverly switch to prioritize phone calls and video calls as soon as they come in.
With a stable connection, you get crystal clear calls if the other party uses a decent enough mic to work with. Everything is loud and clear without any muddling. The weight of the headphones alongside enough padding on the ear cups and headband also helps in extra-long calls. The only issue is that in less ideal weather, your ears might sweat a little since you are working with a leather-like material that might get warm.
All-day Comfort
That said, the material is not actually leather. It feels like supple leather, but thanks to Sony’s clever know-how, it also feels somewhat breathable. While it still gets warm, it is not too uncomfortable.
In the case where you use it indoors with controlled temperature, you can have the headphones on for even longer periods at a time. Thanks to its lightweight construction as well, you are not going to feel too much fatigue in your neck. The clamping force is just enough to keep the headphones on your head as well without giving you a headache and stays on even with vigorous head movements.
Sound Quality
We were pleasantly surprised by the WH-CH720N. It is not a looker; it does not look all that premium. It does not even feel all that premium. It does sound good though.
As mentioned, audio is driven by a 30mm unit on each end. We do not think that it is the same carbon fiber driver as the WH-1000XM5. It does not mean that it is an inferior driver though. While it is a smaller driver on average, it still packs a lot of punch.
The low-end frequency is punchy without being overwhelming. It feels even more powerful than the expensive WH-1000XM5, somehow. It also manages to be that punchy but detailed. We listened to some Fusion Jazz from Casiopea and Hard to Say Goodbye by Johnny Stimson on Spotify with good effects and details on the bass without losing higher-end notes. The WH-CH720N delivers mid and high frequencies brilliantly too, giving some needed life to Casiopea’s pieces. We also thoroughly enjoyed songs like Ghost by Alan Walker featuring Au/Ra.
It is a highly enjoyable headphone to use for movies too, especially when you just want to enjoy a good movie during a long flight. Drive to Survive on Netflix sound surreal and we felt like the cars were right next to us. Unfortunately, we do not have a Bravia XR TV to work with, so we cannot fully experience Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio with the TV.
Still, we used it to game as well, wirelessly of course. With Bluetooth 5.2, latency is kept to a minimum. We hardly hear a delay in response times. Because it is noise cancelling, we get a lot more immersion as well without getting distracted by other noise around you, you cannot even hear your mouse clicks.
Battery Life
Sony quoted 35 hours of continuous music playback on a full charge. That is 5 hours longer than the WH-1000XM5. That battery life is also quoted with noise cancelling feature on. Within the two weeks of our test, we only charged the device once – when it first reached our hands, and that is about it. We never really had to charge the device in the two weeks of our typical use. We used it one to two hours at a time but not daily in the two weeks we tested the headphones.
In that case, we can only take Sony’s word for its long battery life. We believe them though, since we have not been able to drain the headphone’s battery within our test period. The charging cable that comes with the headphone is short, which means you might end up using your other existing USB Type-C cables to charge your headphone. You cannot use the headphones while it is being charged too, so you want to keep that in mind. Still, if you run out of battery and you need your headphones still, it comes with an AUX jack and an included AUX cable for you to directly plug your headphones into your smartphone or laptop. Noise cancelling does work in that mode, but you still need to turn it on.
The Sony WH-720N – The Better Value
This pair of headphones will set you back MYR 649, which is not a small amount of money if you are thinking of a budget set-up. Obviously, if you compare it to its more premium brother, it seems like a more budget conscious choice. You can get other wireless headphones in the market for way less than MYR 500 even.
What you do not get from other cheaper headphones in the market though is top-notch noise cancelling technology. Sony is one of the best in the business, if not the best. They fitted their best noise cancelling processor into this pair of headphones, which should be an indication of the kind of experience you can expect from the WH-CH720N.
You also get one of the longest lasting wireless headphones in terms of battery life. The quoted 35-hour battery life is with noise cancelling mode on. Turning noise cancelling off extends its battery life, but why would you first place?
Above all, you get great sound quality that we think is beyond its asking price. The sound stage offered by the headphones is wide and detailed. This pair of headphones offer punchy bass and details everywhere on the headphone’s range.
The WH-CH720N does not look like much for MYR 649. We appreciate that its packaging is simple and made from recycled materials, but it is not packaging is worth MYR 649, we think. We would have appreciated a soft case you might be able to use as a carrying pouch. Instead, it is wrapped in a rather large piece of what feels like cheese cloth, which will end up in the trash as well unfortunately.
The thing is this is a headphone we would recommend. It is not the cheapest headphone out there, but it is good value, given its capabilities. The cheap-ish packaging is hardly a deal breaker. You want a pair of headphones that sound great, this fits that bill. It is a comfortable pair of headphone that is excellent at cancelling noise, as good as headphones twice its price. Because of all of that, we like this pair of headphones a lot. If it is our money, we would buy it.
We always thought that the mid-range smartphone segment is the most competitive segment in the entire industry. While that much is true, we tend to forget as well that the entry-level smartphone segment is a rather competitive one too. As smartphones’ prices reach a high never seen before, cheaper devices are becoming more popular as viable choices for not just first-time smartphone buyers. They become an even more appealing prospect over flagship and mid-range devices since they are rather inexpensive to own and even replace.
You have plenty of choices in the entry-level space too. You get the usual Xiaomi, OPPO, realme, VIVO, and even Samsung in the space. In some sense, you are spoilt for choice still in the entry-level segment. There is a new kid on the block to add to your list of choices in the segment – FreeYond.
The FreeYond M5
FreeYond kicks off their Malaysian chapter with two smartphone devices. One of it is the FreeYond M5. The new M5, currently, is their most powerful smartphone device to hit the Malaysian shores.
The Android 12 device comes with a Unisoc T606 system on a chip (SoC). The eight-core integrated processor comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage to ensure that Android 12 runs as smooth as it can be even with multiple apps open at the same time. You want the large storage too with a 50-Megapixel main camera out the back supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-Megapixel macro camera. If that is not enough, you get to expand your storage with a microSD card to up to 1TB.
It does not come with 5G connectivity, unfortunately. If you think about it though, 4G LTE connectivity is more than enough at this point of time. You can still thoroughly enjoy Netflix, YouTube, or even Prime Video via the 6.52-inch IPS display offering 720p HD+ resolution. To keep you enjoying your contents the entire day, you have a large 5,000 mAh battery that charges at 18W via USB Type-C.
The FreeYond F9
You need a secondary device, a cheap smartphone to keep your work separate from your life. You need something that does not hurt your pockets too much, yet something reliable. You need the FreeYond F9.
The budget entry-level device still comes with an octa-core processor that clocks at 1.6GHz. That powerful SoC is paired with up to 3GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can even expand your storage with up to 1TB MicroSD card if you want.
The Android 12 Go OS is displayed in all its glory via the 6.52-inch iPS display that offers up to 720p HD+ resolution still. The display is also where you see the results of the 13-Megapixel main camera that works together with a 2-Megapixel camera. Above the display, you can find an 8-Megapixel selfie camera. You can even keep all of these things running for longer than a day with a 5,000mAh battery within the compact body of the FreeYond F9.
Price and Availability
The FreeYond M5 will be available in Malaysia July 2023 onward. The FreeYond F9 on the other hand is now available for purchase via Shopee. The FreeYond M5 starts at MYR 699 while the F9 starts at MYR 499.
Google Glass made its debut in 2013. Back then, Google Glass made headlines everywhere and the idea that everyone in the world will eventually own one or some type of augmented reality (A.R.) headgear was not in any way ridiculous. That conversation died soon after though. The reality (no pun intended) was that an A.R. glasses from Google at the time will set you back US$ 1,500, or if you convert that to local currency at the time, about MYR 5,000 there or thereabouts. That kind of money for a pair of clunky glasses you need to keep charging every few hours is the kind of luxury most in the world cannot afford or does not need. Added to the fact that Google Assistant and A.R. functionalities at the time was in its infancy, crude at best; why would you pay that much money for a pair of glasses?
The original Google Glass stayed on sale for about two years though, until 2015. No sales numbers were quoted within that time frame. In that time, Google also produced a new type of Google Glass. This time, they realized that the A.R. smart glasses market was not something they wanted to sell to end-users. Instead, they saw more potential use cases in the enterprise market. Hence, Google developed, supported, and sold Google Glass Enterprise edition from 2015 onward. Then in 2023, well today, they stopped selling the kit entirely and announce that they will stop supporting them in September 2023.
Through its life, the A.R. project by Google was adopted mostly in the construction and medical field. They updated the Google Glass Enterprise Edition once in 2019. From then on, Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 replaced the first iteration.
Google has not announced any replacement for Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2. It does not look like Google will be announcing any replacement for the A.R. goggles anytime soon though. That does not mean that Google has given up on the idea of A.R. completely.
In 2020 Google made an acquisition that still confirms Google’s commitment to their A.R. project. They acquired North, a smart glasses maker. Since then the Mountain View giant has been reported to be working on some kind of smart A.R. wearable that resembles ski goggles. The project was code named Project Iris. There has been little update on the project’s progress since then though.
It is also unlikely for Google to scrap the project since their competitors are also working on the same thing. Apple and Meta (formerly known as Facebook) have been working on their own versions of A.R. and Virtual Reality (V.R.) headsets for some time now. Reportedly, they are looking to bring their own versions of the headsets some time in the future. Microsoft is also known to have a mixed reality department of their own and has produced working prototypes for mixed reality, but those hardware has not been sold to end-consumers for good reason.
A.R. is still pretty much something you can look forward to as a normal in the future. For now though, with Google shelving their most promising mixed reality project temporarily, that future looks a little further than we might like to think. You can find out more about Google’s Glass project from their website.
When someone tells us the only have MYR 1,000 to spend on a smartphone, we always tell them to go to makers like OPPO, realme, or even POCO to find an entry-level option to fit the budget. Most of the time, you get better than expected hardware and experience as well when spending that kind of money on a smartphone you get from the Chinese brands. The Galaxy A series never really came up in the conversation. Imagine our surprise then to see Samsung reaching out to the entry-level segment with the Galaxy A14.
No, there is no launch event that came with the Galaxy A14; not like its bigger more premium mid-range and high-end brothers. Instead, they quietly launched the new device and announced it when no one was looking. Not to say that there isn’t buyers for this smartphone, there will always be someone looking for a budget smartphone solution.
The Samsung Galaxy A14 is nothing to shout about, really, in terms of hardware. It comes with Samsung’s very own Exynos 850 system on a chip (SoC) platform. It is not the most powerful chipset there is out there, nor is it the most advanced, nor does it pack 5G capabilities. In fact, Samsung has now favoured the Qualcomm platform for their most premium smartphones. It is still a capable processor with eight cores in tow clocked at a maximum 2.0 GHz. Alongside the processor is 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, all pretty basic stuff. You might also want to take note that the Chinese smartphone makers can offer you more RAM in the same price range. But most do not offer expandable memory while this does. You can insert a 1TB microSD into the smartphone to expand from its 128GB storage.
Source: Samsung
In terms of imaging, you still get a decent 50-Megapixel shooter out of the back supported by a 5-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, and 2-megapixel macro camera. Out the front is a powerful 13-Megapixel selfie camera that offers 1.6x more resolution than its predecessor. That camera is housed in a notch above a 6.6-inch Full HD+ resolution display, a standard in smartphones today. To keep the device running all day is a 5,000mAh battery with 15W charging capability within the 9.1mm thick body.
What is unique about this device though is its OneUI 5.1. It does not sound like much, but if you notice, most smartphones at this price will not run the latest and greatest overlay or even Android. They mostly ship with something a generation older or an older iteration of Android. The Samsung Galaxy A14 ships with Samsung’s latest interface and with that, the latest Android. They also promised that the device will stay relevant for at least the next two years (warranty covers two years) and receive security updates up to four years down the road. OneUI 5.1 on the Galaxy A14 also comes with RAM Plus to make your device feel like it packs more than 6GB of RAM.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy A14 is available 15th of March 2023 onward in Malaysia via Samsung’s authorised dealers and Experience Stores across the nation. It comes in three colour choices – Silver, Black, and the unique Dark Red. There are no other storage choices other than the 6GB+128GB combo. The Samsung Galaxy A14 will set you back MYR 799. For more information on Samsung’s latest entry-level smartphone, you can visit their website.
Like Whatsapp, Telegram has become one of the world’s most popular messenger app to date. It is younger than Whatsapp though, if you are wondering. Its funky UI and the fact that you can use a single messenger account on multiple devices at the same time is really what attracts users into the platform though. Being in a popular position means that they do want to maintain that popularity by constantly introducing updates and improvements to the app.
In their latest update for the app, Telegram has introduced a few new features to the app. One of the most significant improvements is in the battery consumption department of the app. Telegram can now go into a sort of “power saving mode”.
The mode, as Telegram puts in their blog, is not just to improve battery life, or to extend battery life in emergencies. It is also a measure to improve the app’s performance on older smartphone devices. It can also be set to automatically turn on at a battery level threshold, or you can manually toggle it on or off on your own.
The mode will turn off things like “autoplay” for videos, stickers, and even GIFs that you receive or send to your friends. It also limits the interface animations and effects. All this will also lessen the app’s burden and demand on the CPU and GPU of your smartphone which translates to less power consumption from the hardware itself while running Telegram.
For iOS users, they can even opt to limit the app’s background updating. But that means you might not see Telegram notifying you of new messages unless you get into the app. In that case, you might just want to leave that feature alone unless your battery levels are at a desperate level.
Other improvements from the update includes a more granular control to playback speeds on received and sent media. You can now play videos at 0.2x to 2.5x speeds. You can also easily keep track of who has read your messages in groups with less than 100 members. It offers a timestamp data too, allowing more of an overview to who your messages have reached. Invitations to groups has been made a little better and easier too for users who restricts their profile. Those users will get invite links instead of being automatically added to the group. They have also updated the sticker order to show your ‘recently used’ stickers on top first before listing everything else you have. There are new packs of animated and interactive stickers and emoji you can explore and use. If you are a Telegram Premium user, you have access to ten new custom emoji packs. For more information on Telegram the improvements they have just introduced in their app, you can head over to their blog.
Each year, there are a few events we all look forward to. For Samsung, we are always excited for their two Unpacked events. For Apple, they have their WWDC and annual iPhone launch events. For Google, we are always excited for their I/O event. This year, as expected, it is happening.
The last Google I/O 2022 saw Google announce their latest Tensor 2 integrated mobile processing chip. It also saw their latest Google Pixel smartphone revealed to the world. To the disappointment of many, The Google Pixel did not come with a foldable or flip form that was highly anticipated and rumoured.
For 2023, the date to be saved is 10th of May 2023. Google’s current CEO has tweeted the event date and even posted a link that directs users to the mini page complete with a countdown clock. The website also says that the conference is open to all who wish to attend or watch online. There will be a “limited live audience” present though, according to Google.
As usual, we expect to see the next iteration of Android, Android 14 now to be announced at the event. Android 14 is now available too for developers, so if you want to be the first to know what is going to come, you can sign up as one and preview the build yourself. Alongside Android 14, we expect to see Google announcing new hardware, a new Pixel device perhaps, a new Wear OS device, and maybe a TV box. If we are lucky, maybe they will launch a new Chromebook at the event. There are a few rumours going around that we can expect to see Google’s foldable Pixel devices announced in this year’s Google I/O event. There are also rumours about a tablet device from Google that is to be announced in the upcoming event.
All these are just speculations for the time being though. The event is not happening in another two months, which means there is still plenty of unknown. What we know though is that there will also be various developer sessions and discussions after the keynote event headed by Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google.
