Category Archives: Mobile

Google Reveals the Pixel Fold, The Next Word in Foldables

May 5, 2023 Darwin Sucipto 1 Comment

Google I/O 2023 has been announced and it is happening on the 10^th of May 2023. Among other things, we expect to see a new Android being announced. We expect to see the new Google Pixel 7 series for 2023 with their second-generation Tensor, the Google Tensor G2 integrated chip. We could see a new Android Wear update, or a new Google smartwatch being announced in I/O. These are all speculations and expectations though. There is one thing that Google have just confirmed as of yesterday that you will see at Google I/O 2023, the Pixel Fold.

The Pixel Fold announcement is more like a teaser than anything else. They announced on their Twitter and Pixel store that the Pixel Fold is coming with a teaser video. The 8-second video does not tell us much more than what we the rumour mills have said about the Pixel Fold though. It shows the exterior display, internal display with some bezel space to fit a front facing camera, the rear camera with Google logo to boot below it, the hinge plate, and the unfolding of the device. There are no details whatsoever in the teaser video on its specifications, hinge mechanism, or the version of Android it comes with. The teaser also only showed a single colour option for the Google Pixel Fold. Expect a black colour variant though, always expect black colour as an option.

It is not hard to figure out what you might get with the highly anticipated foldable device though. Based on many rumours, reports, and educated guesses, we can expect the Google Pixel Fold to come with their very own Tensor G2 chip rather than a Qualcomm one. It is also reported that the external display will measure at 5.8 inches while the internal main display will measure at 7.6 inches. The displays are supposed to support up to 120Hz in refresh rate.

As for the camera, rumours and reports point to a 48-Megapixel main camera supported by a 10.8-Megapixel ultrawide shooter, and 10-8-Megapixel telephoto camera with up to 5x optical zoom and 20x hybrid zoom. The rumours also point to a larger and more durable battery to its main rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. They say that this will have a battery that can go on for up to 72 hours on a single charge, which is quite a bold claim considering battery technology has stagnated for a while.

As for the price, rumours suggest that the Google Pixel Fold will be sold at US$ 1,700 (MYR 7,544*) onward andu p to nearly US$ 2,000 (MYR 8,876*). While the prices are not too far off Samsung’s offering, they are still rather premium. Like the Google Pixel devices though, Malaysia will most likely not see the device in an official capacity at least. You can expect our good neighbour Singapore to get it sometime after the device goes on sale in the United States (U.S.) though. In that case, you might be able to secure your hands on one from Singapore if you really want one. More on Google’s Pixel Fold and Google I/O 2023 can be found on their website.

*approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.44 as of 05/05/2023 on xe.com

Accessories, Android, Business, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Apple and Google Agrees on Something Again – AirTags Needs Better Standards for Improved Privacy.

May 3, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Apple and Google hardly agree on many things when it comes to their consumer offerings. When we say that they hardly agree, of course we do not mean that they are always on each other’s throats on every single issue. They offer two wildly different products that arrive at the same solution most of the time. Take Android and iOS for example, both highly successful smartphone platforms that offer an app ecosystem, smart integrations, and even machine learning based digital assistants. Both platforms look vastly different and function even more so in the hands of consumers though. There is a common denominator for both Google’s and Apple’s offerings though – privacy and security.

In this case though, while Apple and Google share the same concern over privacy and security, their approach can also be quite different. Android’s privacy and security layer has a slightly different depth compared to Apple’s. The Apple Play Store and Google Play Store ensure that app developers comply to certain practices and regulations to stay relevant, but both Apple and Google offer slightly different guidelines for their app marketplaces. Still, if developers want to have their app listed on both stores, their apps naturally must comply to both Apple’s and Google’s guidelines. Not so for location tracking devices so far though.

Apple introduced a clever Bluetooth based location-tracking tool we now know as AirTags. While the AirTags were intended as a sort of keychain or tool to keep track of your things at home or as a reminder for you not to leave things in your favourite café, the reality is a little different. A few weeks after AirTags were introduced, there were reports of the tiny pucks used for stalking purposes. To be fair, while AirTags was the center of attention in many of these cases, Apple’s solution was not the one being used in privacy invasion cases. Solutions from manufacturers like Samsung got involved shortly after they were introduced. To be fair though, thanks to the sophistication of the AirTags, offenders preferred Apple’s solution.

Over the years, Apple has introduced new measures as a stop gap solution to ensure that users are not being unwantedly tracked by other individuals. One of the solutions was a sort of notification when an AirTag device that your iPhone does not recognize comes in proximity via Find My app on the iOS. But this is only a solution for AirTags, what about others in the field? This is where Google also comes in.

Google does not make their own Bluetooth based location-tracking tool, but their partnering manufacturers do. Players like Samsung, Tile, and a few others make tracking devices that can easily pair to both Android and iOS devices. That also means there needs to be a standardized specification to ensure that all the trackers are as safe as one another to use. Yes, it is a beneficial thing for us the users.

Google and Apple’s partnership in the issue of standardizing Bluetooth based locating-tracking tools is a big step forward for this segment in the industry. In one way, it allows other players in the industry to catch up to what Apple has done with their AirTags. It ensures that industry players comply to a certain standard in making these little tracking devices, meaning there will be standardized parts produced by a single or multiple manufacturers creating economies of scale allowing the technology to be a lot more accessible. Standardized parts not only ensure that the industry can be policed at higher standards, but it also offers plenty more compatibility for users. It could allow Android users to use an AirTag to track their keys, for example and vice versa.

For now, standardized specifications for these trackers are not yet a reality. Google and Apple have submitted their draft proposal to the authorities for now, which means you can only expect to see some sort of results in the coming few months. Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security, and Pebblebee have expressed their support in the program, which is a good sign for the proposal. Google and Apple expects to have some sort of production guideline and implementation by the end of 2023 with support for both iOS and Android in the same timeline.

Accessories, Computers, Gaming, Mobile, News

Razer Introduces the BlackShark V2 Pro – The New Benchmark in eSports Audio

April 28, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Razer’s BlackShark is a popular choice among gamers. While it may not seem like it offers much in music experience, it is specifically made with gaming in mind. That means you get immersive, detailed audio in games. Its attached mic also offers clear communications when you need to talk to your friends or teammates in an intense battle. Now you can do get all of that done without being tethered to your PC.

They call it the BlackShark V2 Pro, and it follows the same recipe that made all the BlackShark that came before this one. Within the similarly designed earcups are the same Razer TriForce Titanium 50mm audio drivers as before. That also means that you are still getting a clear, detailed, immersive audio that fits your gaming needs.

You also get THX Spatial Audio tuning with the large 50mm drivers. That also means that you are getting a virtual surround sound audio with your games too. If it is shooters you are playing, you are going to be able to tell where the enemies are coming from just based on their footsteps.

BlackShark V2 Pro [2023] Render (6) — Source: Razer

You still get the same microphone as the wired BlackShark V2 for clear communications with your teammates, necessary when you are in a competitive environment. For comfort, you still get the same ultra-soft FlowKnit memory foam cushions on the earcups that relieve pressure to your head and offer breathability when things get intense. It is made for eSports after all.

Other than the blacked out three-headed snake insignia that is Razer’s signature logo and blacked out exposed wires connecting the earcups, the other difference between the BlackShark V2 and BlackShark V2 Pro is it lacks wires. It is a strictly wireless headphone; means you will not find a 3.5mm jack or AUX cables in the package. Because it is wireless, it does require a power source; a battery to operate. That means it adds a bit more weight to the hardware than the wired one. It now weighs 320g, nearly 60g more than the wired version.

While you do not have an AUX jack to plug it into, you still have two options to connect your headphones to your devices. You can connect your BlackShark V2 Pro via the Razer 2.4GHz HyperSpeed Wireless dongle that offers minimal latency and the most stable wireless connection available for competitive gaming. You can also connect your Razer BlackShark V2 Pro with your smartphones via Bluetooth 5.2 that also offers low latency and stable connectivity, not as good as the wireless dongle though. The roughly 60g battery inside the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro offers up to 70 hours of battery life, allowing you to game entire sessions without worrying about the headphones dying on you.

Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is now available via Razer.com, official RazerStores globally, and authorised resellers. You get to choose between the white or the black colour options. It will set you back US$ 199.99 (MYR 892*), which is quite a lot of money for a headphone, but it is Razer, and it is one of the best gaming headphones you can find in the current market. More on the BlackShark V2 Pro can be found on their website.

*Approximately based on the exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.46 as of 28/04/2023 on xe.com

Computers, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Your Chromebook Can Be Your Video Workstation Now with Google Photos

April 28, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

We have proven that Chromebooks can be a versatile mobile workstation that is also budget friendly. Google’s Chrome OS is a genuine viable choice if you are looking for a new laptop for both work and entertainment, at least to a certain extent. While it proved to be a powerful tool for internet browsing, document processing, presentation creation, basic data crunching, movie watching, and music listening to a certain extent, it is not something you want to use if you need to get videos or photos out quickly. You might prefer to get a more powerful Windows PC for that, alongside the many software suites available on the platform. With the latest Google Photos update though, your Chromebook might now be a viable option for a quick video edit.

thread 208682996 12031739330739615511 — Source: Google

Google announced a new Google Photos update for Chromebooks as of last month. It is a significant update for the app on Chromebook. It allows users to use the app to edit videos on the Chromebook via the Google Photos app. The video editing tool on Google Photos app on Chromebooks is also designed to be as simple to use as possible. That announced feature is now available on the latest update to the Google Photos app on Chromebooks.

If you are new to video editing, the Photos app’s movie tool should be an easy enough tool to work with even for amateurs. The tool offers suggestions on the themes you can use for your own movies. Once selected, alongside the clips you select for the video, the app will cleverly put them together to create a custom movie in just a few taps. The app can even pick out the most interesting and meaningful moments in your clips to include in the video and cut out the rest to make it even easier and quicker to get your videos out.

thread 208682996 12031739330739614288 — Source: Google

If you are more used to picking out your own clips, and have a more hands-on approach to your videos, the app also allows you to select your own videos, arrange them, and put them together on your own. You do get the versatility and browsing power of the Google Photos app for you to quickly surf through and pick the right clips for your video. You also get to use copyright free music selected from the built-in music library. Of course, if you prefer to insert your own music, you can too.

You can try out the Google Photos movie editor yourself if you have a Chromebook. As mentioned, you just have to update the Google Photos app to its latest version via the Google Play Store on your Chrome OS. Once you updated your app, you simply access the function via the app. More on the new feature on Google’s Photos App on the Chrome OS can be found on their blog announcement.

Business, Camera, Computers, Mobile, News

Google Meet Now Supports Full HD 1080p Video Calls

April 27, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Google has just updated the Google Meet app and it is now better than ever. You can now make video calls in Full HD instead of just 720p HD resolution. Those Full HD, 1440p, and 4K webcam for your video conferences are now starting to make sense. There are some caveats though.

The Full HD capability update for Google Meet applies to not just the app on your smartphone, or on your PC. It also works when you access Google Meet via the web. By default, it is set to ‘off’, so you do need to turn it on to activate the feature for your calls. You also need a Full HD or higher resolution cameras connected to your PC or device for it to work. You can also only use it in a one-on-one call unfortunately, means your group calls will still be in 720p at the maximum.

With Full HD 1080p resolution though, bandwidth requirements will be higher than ever before for Google Meet calls. In the case where bandwidth is an issue, Google Meet will default to 720p resolution at the maximum. Of course, if you feel like your feed is choppy, you can turn off the Full HD 1080p option yourself. Google Meet will also inform you about the feature before it puts you into a supported call.

Here is the thing though, the function is not available to everyone using Google Meet. If you are using Google Meet for free to get personal video calls in, you are out of luck for now. The feature will only be available to users of Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Education Plus, Enterprise Essentials, and Frontline. It is also available to Google One Subscribers with 2TB or more storage space with supported devices. We are hoping that Google will make the Full HD 1080p feature available to more users in the future. For now, if you are not a user of any of Google’s listed services you are out of luck. For more information on the latest Google Meet update, you can visit their website.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

ROG’s Gaming Handheld Officially Announced, the ROG Ally is Live!

April 26, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Handheld gaming is a thing, an inevitable thing. Nintendo has always championed the concept and is a huge pioneer in the handheld gaming industry. The Nintendo Gameboy, for example, is one of the first and one of the most popular gaming handheld devices ever produced. It was iconic too, the namesake stayed on for a couple of generations and made way for a couple of new ideas in the handheld gaming space. It gave birth to the Nintendo Switch, partly.

The Nintendo Switch gave way and inspired many other new gaming devices that flooded the market. All that accumulates to Valve’s very own Steam Deck handheld gaming device. While not the first of its kind to play games on the Steam library while on battery, it is sort of the best solution and culmination of that concept. Then there is this new device, the new ROG Ally.

If you have scoped around the internet; YouTube especially, the ROG Ally should not be foreign to you by now. It is an ASUS manufactured handheld gaming device that mimics the concept of the Steam Deck. Unlike the Steam Deck though, it does not run its own version of Linux. It runs Windows, like a lot of the Chinese made gaming handheld that fancies itself the “Switch” of the PC gaming industry. More Specifically it runs Windows 11, making not just Steam library games available to users. You can theoretically play games from Ubisoft, Amazon Games, Epic Games, or even Origin Games.

Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS

The internal that keeps you happy gaming as long as the battery allows you is an integrated AMD APU. It is an AMD Ryzen Z1 series processor, not the same one you find on the latest gaming consoles for your couch. The Ryzen Z1 processor you find in the ROG Ally comes with AMD’s latest RDNA 3 architecture making it the most efficient and powerful APU of its kind found in a gaming handheld. You do need to keep it rather cool to get the best out of it though. In the restricted space that is the ROG Ally’s body is their new Zero Gravity thermal solution that keeps the internals happy with two fans pulling temperature away from ultrathin heatsink fines and high-friction heat pipes out the top of the device.

The powerful APU and cooling system projects Windows 11 and all your games on a high-resolution 7-inch display. It offers Full HD 1080p resolution, twice as much as the Steam Deck, and it is possible thanks to the powerful APU. It also offers 120Hz in refresh rate with FreeSync Premium, meaning your AAA games play smoothly and tear-free. If you wish to play in the great outdoors; because your mother has been telling you to play outside, it offers 500 nits in maximum brightness. It is also a touch sensitive display for easy Windows 11 and the Special Edition Armoury Crate navigation.

All of this is packed in a hardware that weighs only 608g. Unlike a Switch, the control panels are not detachable. But that means that the lightweight device is a solid build that you can just chuck in your bag without taking up too much space and adding too much weight in your backpack. The device is also shaped ergonomically for maximum comfort for its users with unique textures to improve grip on the device.

The ROG Ally will be launching globally on the 11^th of May 2023. You can be part of that launch too on their event website. For now, that is the only information we have on ASUS’ ROG Ally. More information on the ROG Ally can be found on their website.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

You Can Now Unlock your BMW With Your Android Smartphones, If It Supports UWB Digital Keys

April 25, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Last year, iOS users got their first dibs in unlocking their cars; well, their BMWs with their smartphone. They call this a Digital Key Plus and it was made exclusively for the iPhone. With ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, a sort of secure wireless communication technology that was introduced in the iPhone not too long before. They also introduced the same technology in Samsung’s Galaxy device and a few Android devices a few years ago onward. To be fair, the technology was introduced specifically for modern cars that now offers keyless entry technology. The technology was meant to be worked into a digital key that you can use to unlock and drive your car even without the original key from the manufacturers for the specific cars. So far though the only manufacturer that has been progressive enough to introduce digital keys for smartphones is BMW, for iPhone users.

That will not be the case anymore though, at least in terms of only iPhone users getting BMW’s love. BMW have updated their cars to bring digital keys to Samsung and a few Google Pixel devices running Android 13 and supporting UWB connection. Samsung devices from the Galaxy S21 Ultra onward with UWB support can now unlock BMW cars. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Fold 3, Note 20 also can now support UWB digital keys. Select Google Pixel smartphone like the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro can unlock BMW cars with UWB digital keys too.

There is another caveat too with the new UWB digital key function. The function will only work with BMW vehicles produced November 2022 onward with older vehicles to be added in the future via a software update.

BMW says that the function can be easily activated via the My BMW app, available on the Google Play Store. Once activated, your smartphone becomes your Digital Key Plus. That also means that you can leave your physical keys in the drawer and drive your car as if it had a key in it just if you carry your smartphones with the My BMW app with you. It does not just unlock your car and allow you to drive it wherever you want to go, you can also program the BMW to lock itself as you walk away from your BMW. That way you can walk away from your car without worrying about locking your cars.

For now, BMW has not opened the function to any other Android devices. As more Android smartphones feature UWB function on the smartphones, we are suspecting that BMW will also start offering more Digital Key Plus support to other devices. BMW will not be the only manufacturer that jumps on the Digital Key bandwagon too as more smartphones support UWB.

Android, Gaming, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

The ASUS ROG Phone 7 Launches! Coming to Malaysia in May 2023!

April 18, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

If you are looking for a flagship smartphone experience like no other, you are spoiled by choice today. You can choose between offerings from Samsung, OnePlus, OPPO, HONOR, Xiaomi, and even Apple, if you please. The thing is these manufacturers make rather similar smartphones. They always come in the same recipe – metallic frame, glass backing that houses a high-resolution camera, and a glass front that protects a rather large high-resolution display. They also always promised some sort of state-of-the-art cooling solution. If you are looking for something different, the flagship from these manufacturers might not cut it.

For a while now, if you have been looking for a different flavour on your flagship smartphone, you can go the route of gaming smarpthones from the likes of Razer, Blackshark, and most recently, Lenovo. But these manufacturers have sort of phased out too. There are no more Blackshark smartphones for 2023, Razer has not updated their Razer Phone line up, and Lenovo has yet to update their latest handheld gaming creation. The only one we can look to right now is ASUS and their ROG Phone. In that case if you want a unique flagship smartphone for 2023, ASUS’ ROG Phone series is the one for you.

Welcome to the ASUS ROG Phone 7 series, the latest creation from the skunkworks of ASUS. It is the latest and currently the most powerful gaming smartphone you have ever seen. As with any previous ASUS ROG Phone devices, it is one of the most striking looking devices you have laid your eyes on, at least amongst all the flagships you can find in the current market.

Formidable Power

Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS

It packs an immensely powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform. Alongside the powerful system on a chip (SoC) is a 16GB LPDDR5X RAM (up to) and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. All these are designed so that the top-of-the-line ASUS ROG Phone works through games as fast as the current technology allows. It is made to be the ultimate expression of a gaming handheld that is also a smartphone.

Wrapped around the powerful uniquely tuned internals is something ASUS calls the GameCool 7 thermal control system. That means you get even an even better gaming performance out of the ROG Phone 7 smartphone than any other flagship you can find in the current market. At the same time, the new cooling system keeps the smartphone running at a lower temperature over regular flagship smartphones while keeping power consumption lower than even regular smartphones. They say the new GameCool 7 system offers a new rapid-cycle vapor chamber design that offers 168% heat dissipation efficiency that the ROG Phone that came before.

Better Audio, Better Cooling, Better Controls

Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS

The result is a quite a beefy shell with a few tricks up its sleeves. Within the beefy device is a new stereo speaker that is said to be 50% more powerful than before. The new speaker system is also tuned by Dirac, an audio specialist. You can also turn it into a 2.1 channel system when you attach the new AeroActive Cooler 7 accessory to the device. If you prefer a more personal experience in a crowd, the Dirac tuned Dirac Virtuo 3.5mm headphone jack offers an unparalleled theatre-like spatial sound experience. If you prefer a more wireless approach, the Snapdragon Sound technology offers super-low-latency high-fidelity Bluetooth audio experience.

The new AeroActive Cooler 7 attachment is one of the things that makes the ROG Phone 7 series even more unique than ever before. It offers a cooling solution that does not just cool the glass surface of the device’s back, the new fan design allows for more effective basic active cooling, but a unique AeroActive Portal air inlet system allows the fan to cycle even more air throughout the device’s internals for even more efficient cooling.

ASUS also kept certain things that kept the ROG Phone unique since its inception. One of them is the Air Trigger ultrasonic buttons at the side of the device that offers even more control avenues and options of the ROG Phone device. It is also what gives users of the ROG Phone even more advantage in an already overpowered gaming device in games. It is not the basic haptic feedback touch buttons that they used to be in the first ASUS ROG Phone though. The latest AirTrigger offers a slew of gesture controls including Dual Action, Press and Lift, and even Gyroscope gaming, just like the Nintendo Switch and even the Steam Deck for fine tuning your aim. Within the ROG Phone 7 series devices are 10 motion controls and X-axis liner motors that offers powerful haptic feedback like no other smartphone can.

The Best Display Ever

All these things great hardware goes into creating the most immersive gaming experience you can have on a smartphone with a large Samsung AMOLED display that offers up to 165Hz in refresh rate. The panel also offers up to 720Hz in sampling rate for the lowest-in-class input latency, useful in gaming. The Pixelworks tuned AMOLED panel also offers ΔE<1 and a maximum of 1,500 nits in brightness for not only stunning, colour accurate visuals indoors, but also outdoors.

For the ASUS ROG Phone 7 Ultimate there is an additional matrix colour display that sits at the back of the device they call the ROG Vision. The feature, first presented in the ROG Phone 6 Ultimate offers users extra information like charging status, incoming calls, X Mode activation, personalized animations, and even more.

Price and Availability

ASUS Malaysia has confirmed that the ASUS ROG Phone 7 series will make its way to Malaysia by the 10^th of May 2023. There is no official pricing just yet for Malaysia. In Europe though, prices start at EUR€ 999, which is about MYR 4,849*. It will be available in Phantom Black and Storm White colour options. For more information on the ROG Phone 7 series, you can always visit ASUS’ website.

*Approximately based on the exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.85 on xe.com as of 18/04/2023

Android, Mobile, News

iQOO Z7 & Z7x Brings Affordable Performance for as Low as MYR999

April 12, 2023 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

vivo’s sub-brand iQOO is bringing high performance to a more affordable price with their new iQOO Z7 and Z7x. The two new phones bring Qualcomm’s best mid-range processors to smartphones that cater for those who need powerful devices on a budget.

The iQOO Z7 spearheads the new lineup with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 782G. Qualcomm’s processor strikes a balance between performance and power efficiency. The 6nm process allows Qualcomm the leeway to combine both performance and power efficiency cores with Qualcomm’s Kryo technology. iQOO combines this processor with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage to complete their affordable performance smartphone. The Z7x makes the package even more affordable with the Snapdragon 695 5G. On the Z7x, this is paired with a maximum of 8GB of RAM with up to 256GB of internal storage.

Both the iQOO Z7 and the iQOO Z7x come with a 6.64-inch LCD display with 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. The display also comes with a 120Hz refresh rate for faster, smoother visual performance. Together with this, the phones come with NFC support and dual stereo speakers. The Z7 also comes with a 3.5mm combo audio jack and an infrared blaster. Both also run on Android 13 with vivo’s Funtouch OS.

On the camera side of things, the Z7x comes with an 8-megapixel selfie camera while the Z7 comes with a 16-megapixel camera. The main camera setup is a dual sensor setup with a 64-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) on the iQOO Z7 while the Z7x comes with a 50-megapixel main camera. Both are complemented by a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

The two smartphones come with large-capacity batteries. The iQOO Z7 has a 5,000mAh battery with support for 120W dual-cell FlashCharge while the Z7x comes with a larger 6,000mAh battery with support for 80W FlashCharge.

Pricing & Availability

The iQOO Z7 is available in its signature Matrix Blue colour while the Z7x is available in a slightly different Tropical Blue as its signature colour. Both are also in Metallic Black. Prices for the devices and available variants are as below. Purchases of the smartphones

Model	Variant	Price (MYR)	Free Gift Offer
iQOO Z7	12GB RAM + 256GB onboard storage	1,499	– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher
iQOO Z7	8GB RAM +128GB onboard storages	1,299	– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher
iQOO Z7x	8GB RAM + 256GB onboard storage	1,099	– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher
iQOO Z7x	8GB RAM +128GB onboard storage	999	– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher

Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Annotate, Read and Create with the New Kobo Elipsa 2E

April 11, 2023 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

eReaders aren’t your run-of-the-mill tablets; what’s more, with a product like the Kobo Elipsa 2E, we’re talking about e-ink displays. These devices have, for the longest time been single-use devices for those who enjoy reading but don’t mind the absence of tactility in their experience. The flip side to the absence is the access to an endless, ever-growing library of literary adventures.

However, Kobo is looking to change the experience with its new Kobo Elipsa 2E. The eReader comes with a 10.3-inch, E-Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen. This display comes equipped with a backlight and ComfortLight PRO which helps reduce blue light and eyestrain. The eReader is made specifically for longer reading sessions and maybe that hour or two to help you escape before going to bed. It’s also got 32GB of internal storage and a 2GHz processor.

The biggest difference with the Kobo Elipsa 2E is the new Kobo Stylus 2 which allows readers to actively annotate the eBooks that they are reading. It also comes with the built-in notebook feature which allows users to take notes independently as well. With the Kobo Elipsa 2E you’ll also be able to convert your handwriting into typed text if you to as well.

This feature addresses a long-standing issue that non-fiction readers faced with eReaders. CEO of Kobo, Michael Tamblyn highlights, “For avid nonfiction readers, eBooks have historically been an imperfect medium because they couldn’t mark up the text and engage with the content as effectively as with a print book. With the introduction of Kobo Stylus, we have solved that and with Kobo Elipsa 2E and our upgraded Kobo Stylus 2, we have created a superior reading experience for nonfiction fans.”

It’s not just about annotating either with this eReaders, you’ll be able to tap into Kobo’s vast library of audiobooks thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. Just pair your favourite pair of headphones and you’re all set for your next audiobook. With the Kobo Elipsa 2E, users can also rest at ease when it comes to their carbon footprint. The Elipsa 2E features a build that consists of over 85% recycled materials including ocean-bound plastics. The SleepCover for the Elipsa 2E is also made from recycled materials and ocean-bound plastics.

Pricing & Availability

The Elipsa 2E will retail for MYR2,019.00. It will be on sale complete with the Kobo Stylus 2. The eReader will be available in Malaysia via the Kobo Lazada and Shopee storefronts starting April 19, 2023.

Pre-orders kicked off on April 5 in Canada, the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Turkey. Physical stores will have them on shelves starting April 19, 2023.

techENT

Category Archives: Mobile

Google Reveals the Pixel Fold, The Next Word in Foldables

Apple and Google Agrees on Something Again – AirTags Needs Better Standards for Improved Privacy.

Razer Introduces the BlackShark V2 Pro – The New Benchmark in eSports Audio

Your Chromebook Can Be Your Video Workstation Now with Google Photos

Google Meet Now Supports Full HD 1080p Video Calls

ROG’s Gaming Handheld Officially Announced, the ROG Ally is Live!

You Can Now Unlock your BMW With Your Android Smartphones, If It Supports UWB Digital Keys

The ASUS ROG Phone 7 Launches! Coming to Malaysia in May 2023!

Formidable Power

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