We know that the Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro starts at MYR 4,199 and MYR 5,299 respectively. While Apple maintained the same US$ pricing for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, prices in Malaysia has gone up a little thanks to some shifts in currency exchange rates. The price tag, for Malaysia at least, is still a little hefty if you want to get the device directly from Apple.
Source: U Mobile
Pre-orders for Malaysia have started during the weekends (16th of September 2022 to be exact). Thankfully, you do not have to place your pre-orders specifically with Apple directly. You can do it with all the major carriers in Malaysia at this point, including U Mobile. With these network providers too, you can get your iPhone with their existing postpaid plan, so rather than paying for your iPhone in a single hefty payment, you can space out your payment together with your phone plan over a year to two years.
Source: Maxis
Maxis, Celcom, Digi, and even U Mobile has revealed their most anticipated phone plans, their postpaid plans for the upcoming Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models. The most affordable way to own an Apple iPhone 14 at this point, at least at the time of writing, is via engaging on Maxis’ Postpaid Share 48 plan. There is a small caveat here though, the Share 48 plan is technically dependent on another full Postpaid plan like the Postpaid 128. While it only gives you 30GB in monthly data quota, sharing the line with another principal line owner also allows you to share data with the principal line. On the device end, you are getting your basic Apple iPhone 14 with 128GB of storage for only MYR 116 every month. That totals to MYR 167 on a monthly basis. Once you go for the Maxis Postpaid 128 plan though, you are paying MYR 221 every month.
Source: Digi
While the Maxis Postpaid 128 plan with the iPhone 14 seems a little pricey compared to the Postpaid Share 48 plan, it is still more affordable than anything else you can find in the market at this time. The next best thing for the most basic iPhone 14 is from Digi and it totals up to MYR 240 a month. The only other network providers that allows you to own an Apple iPhone 14 for below MYR 300 is U Mobile and Celcom with their MYR 98/month plan with iPhone that will set you back a total of MYR 247 a month. These prices are exclusive of SST though, so you want to keep that in mind.
Source: Celcom
Maxis’ Postpaid Share 48 and Postpaid 128 plans still gives you access to the highest end Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max with 1TB storage. Of course, the price of the iPhone itself will shoot up to MYR 230 every month, that is on top of the MYR 48/month you pay for your data plan. That will only total up to MYR 278 every month though, still more affordable than most of the iPhone plans you can find anywhere. Of course, the price goes up to MYR 324 the moment you go for the Maxis Postpaid 128 plan. For Celcom and Digi, you are required to have their more premium Celcom MEGA 158 (worth MYR 158/month) and Digi Postpaid 120 (worth MYR 120/month) to get your hands on Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro models.
You can refer to all the installment and phone plans from Maxis, Celcom, Digi, and U Mobile on their respective websites.
Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup has been one of the most affordable smartphones in the market for a while now. However, the Redmi 10 lineup has been missing out on the 5G love that other devices have been launching with – that ends now with the Redmi 10 5G. Xiaomi is also switching things up with this launch in Malaysia, partnering exclusively with Maxis, one of the country’s largest mobile and internet service providers.
The Redmi 10 5G is the first in the lineup to come with 5G connectivity. It’s powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 octa-core processor. It also comes with dual SIM support. You’ll be able to use two 5G SIMs as well with dual 5G standby. This is supplemented by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage in the version being offered on Maxis.
On the display front, the smartphone comes with a 6.58-inch Full HD, Dot Drop display. The screen also supports a 90Hz refresh rate with AdaptiveSync. It’s got Gorilla Glass 3 protection as well. The smartphone itself comes with support for AI face unlock and also has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
The Redmi 10 5G comes with a dual sensor camera setup. The main sensor is a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. This is supported by a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Up front, we have a 5-megapixel selfie shooter with an f/2.2 aperture.
The smartphone has a 5,000mAh battery which should be able to last a whole day easily based on Redmi’s track record. If you need to top up, however, the Redmi 10 5G does have support for 18W fast charging using its USB-C connector. It also comes with a 22.5W charger provided in the box.
Pricing and Availability
The Redmi 10 5G will be available in Graphite Gray, Chrome Silver and Aurora Green. For now, it’s available exclusively on Maxis for as low as MYR1 on its Zerolution plans. Beyond the exclusivity period, the device will be retailing for MYR959.
[UPDATE] U Mobile has announced that they are also on the pre-order bandwagon. Pre-order of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro will begin on the 16th of September 2022. More info on their website.
When Apple’s iPhone 14 was announced by Cupertino, its availability in Malaysia was confirmed to be 23rd September 2022. There were no mentions on its pre-orders during the launch though. Fret not though, Apple Malaysia has confirmed that the Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro will be available for pre-orders from the 16th of September onward. There is one small caveat in the pre-order though, the Apple iPhone 14 Plus will only ship out from the 7th of October 2022 onward.
Of course, you can buy your new iPhone from Apple directly via their website or any of the authorized retailers in Malaysia. Unfortunately, we do not have a proper Apple Store in Malaysia just yet. Alternatively, you can get your latest iPhone from the carriers, and three of Malaysia’s major carriers has also put up their pre-order teasers. Pre-orders with the carriers also start on Malaysia Day (16th of September 2022).
Obviously if you are getting your iPhone device directly with Apple, you are paying for the device in cash, or installments via your credit card. With the carriers, you would usually be required to sign up for their data plans. At this point though there are no information on what sort of plans you will have to sign up for to get your new iPhone. There is no solid indication of pricing from the carriers just yet.
Of course, there are going to be some check boxes you must tick if you want to order your device from the carriers. Their websites will also tell you to ensure that you have any of your outstanding bills cleared. You also want to make sure that you are not tied to any contracts before you pre-order your iPhone 14. Pre-orders from the carriers will be carried out virtually entirely, which also means you want to make sure that you have a stable internet collection. You also want to be on their postpaid plans to make sure that you can get your device with no issues during the pre-order period.
So far, only the three major carriers have announced their pre-orders for the new iPhone. The three major carriers, as mentioned earlier, are Maxis, Celcom, and Digi. While UMobile does have an iPhone specific plan, they have not made any announcements regarding the Apple iPhone 14 devices from their end just yet. We are guessing that they will announce their iPhone plans closer to the actual availability date on the 23rd of September 2022. For more information on the Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, you can visit their website.
Whenever new earbuds launch, they are always compared to the Apple AirPods Pro. For some reason, the Apple AirPods Pro has become so popular that it becomes a default benchmark for wireless earbuds in one way or another. Sure, you can get better premium noise cancelling earbuds from other manufacturers. For some reason though, the Apple AirPods Pro has become a reviewers go to when comparing premium headphones.
While it is not the best noise cancelling earbuds available from Apple, it is one of the most well-rounded noise cancelling earbuds you can find in the market today. Its noise cancelling performance is significantly better than plenty of what you can get in the current market. Its sound quality is not the best you can find in the market, but it is good; well-rounded and balanced. It does not have the best battery life in the market too, but it is also significantly better than plenty of the offerings you can find in the market.
The new Apple AirPods Pro launched just last night is a follow-up to one of the most successful earbuds products a manufacturer can make in the current market. In that sense, Apple finds no reason to redesign the ever so popular AirPods Pro. In that sense, everything looks the same with the second-generation Apple AirPods Pro.
Though it looks the same, the internals have changed slightly, for the better of course. It now packs Apple’s H2 audio processing chip. In terms of noise cancelling capabilities, Apple says that this is able to reduce up to twice more loud environmental noise than before. There are no exact measurements to these things, so we can only take their word for it until we test them ourselves.
The H2 chip not only enhances the noise cancelling feature of the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) though. It also works with the new low-distortion drivers and custom amplifier to deliver richer bass and clearer sounds across an even wider dynamic range. They also included an extra-small tip for a better and more comfortable fit for an even wider range of listeners. Obviously, you can go out and make custom tips for yourself for the perfect fit, if you want.
The transparency mode has been improved too. They call it Adaptive Transparency now and the feature cleverly cuts out loud environmental sounds or at least reduces them to ensure that your ears are always protected even when you turn on transparency mode. Of course, it still allows users to interact with other people in that mode.
Other improvements include Personalised Spatial Audio, when you pair the device with the latest iPhone with TrueDepth camera. Using the TrueDepth camera, Apple tunes Spatial Audio and tailors the experience for your ears specifically. In that sense, users can truly enjoy Spatial Audio the way they are meant to be enjoyed with dynamic headtracking.
Touch Controls – Finally
Source: Apple
They have also added touch controls to the stem of the second-generation AirPods Pro, something sorely lacking from the previous generation earbuds. Via the touch controls, users can easily change volumes, change music, answer phone calls, and more without touching their smartphones. To make it even more seamless with iPhones, the EarPods Pro features instant pairing with a new dedicated Airpods section in the iOS interface to control the AirPods Pro (2nd generation).
Longer Lasting
Source: Apple
They have managed to extend the battery life of the AirPods Pro as well with the new-generation headphones. A single charge allows users to use the AirPods Pro for up to 6 hours at a time. The Case provides up to five more charges allowing for up to 30 hours of music playback. That is six hours more than before. In addition to that, the case can now be charged with an Apple Watch charger, MagSafe charger, or even a Qi-certified charging mat. Even the case is now sweat and water resistant to make it more suitable for gym use.
Easier to Find
Source: Apple
To locate the earphones, you can use a U1-enabled iPhone to find their case with guided directions. To ensure that you can find it, there are speaker holes on the case now to emit loud tones so that you just have to follow the sound of the AirPods Pro to find it. It also comes with a lanyard loop, if you want to make sure you will always find it. For those who wants to personalize their AirPods further, you can now engrave your AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with Memoji, Animoji, and select stickers.
Price and Availability
The Apple AirPods Pro will be available in select regions from the 9th of September 2022. It will set you back US$ 249 (MYR 1,099*), which is about the same as the previous generation Apple AirPods Pro. Obviously it will only be available in white with no other colour options in store. There are no confirmed availability date for Malaysia at this point though. Still, it is available for viewing in their Malaysian website, which also means that they are planning to bring it in for sure.
Unfortunately for Android Wear fans, the Apple Watch is the best-selling smartwatch to date. There is a good reason for that though. Apple’s Watch just works, and it does that very well. Every iteration of the Apple Watch is even better than ever before. That case is also true for the latest Apple Watch Series 8 and the new Apple Watch SE.
watchOS 9
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
The latest Apple Watch 8, Watch SE, and even Watch Ultra come with Apple’s latest watchOS 9. There are no fundamental change in terms of its fundamental interface and looks. The added features for watchOS 9 includes international roaming that allows the Watch to be constantly connected to a network even when you are travelling abroad. Users with AFib conditions can also turn-on the AFib History feature if it is available in their region. The digital Compass App has also been redesigned to show even more information than before. There is a new Workout app too in watchOS 9 that allows in-session views with segments, splits, elevation, and even more precise workout data. Sleep tracking on the new operating system (OS) is also even better than before with more accurate and more comprehensive sleep data on tap. There is even a new Medications interface on the Apple Watch that helps users manage and track their medication schedules via the Health app.
Crash Detection
Source: Apple
Apple has pioneered safety technology on the smartwatch with fall detection in their previous Apple Watch. Now, the Apple Watch is even better than before with Crash Detection. The gyroscope and accelerometer on the latest Apple Watch is even more powerful than before. Apple also had to develop entirely new algorithms to allow the Apple Watch to understand car crashes better and to detect when users are in one. They had to simulate various car crashes in test labs to ensure that the Apple Watch can detect when users are involved in a head-on collision, rear-end impact, side-impact, and even rollovers just based on the gyroscopic, acceleration, barometric, GPS, and sound data. After the fact, Apple Watch will check in with its users, like when it detects a fall. If the user does not respond within the next 10 seconds, emergency alert will be sent out to relevant services and even your emergency contacts. Of course, it works best with iPhones.
Even Longer Battery Life
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
One of the bigger complaints about the older Apple Watches is its dismal battery life. For the new Apple Watch Series 8, Apple has said that the device can last up to 18 hours, technically an entire day. Apple has also included a new Low Power Mode that is supposed to extend the device’s battery life to up to 36 hours (Watch Series 8) by limiting selected sensors and power-hungry features like always-on display.
More Health Centric Sensors
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
You still get all the sensors that are previously found on the Apple Watch Series 7. There is a brand-new sensor that is mainly used to monitor women’s health though. It is a dual sensor that detects body temperature. The two sensors measure two different temperatures at two different points of the watch, one at the back of the watch and the other right under the display. This way, Apple Watch can capture its users body temperature whilst reducing bias from outside environment.
The new added feature also improves sleep health detection by the Apple Watch. The Apple Series Watch 8 samples wrist temperature every five seconds and is so sensitive it measures changes as small as 0.1oC. The Health App allows the users to monitor their sleep health and changes due to exercising, jet lag, or even sickness.
Apple Watch SE
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
The Apple Watch SE, while is the most accessible Apple watch, is no less powerful than the new Apple Watch Series 8. It still packs the latest S8 SiP processor found in the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. You also get International Roaming alongside Crash Detection features that the Series 8 and the Ultra gets. The only visual difference is that the SE gets a back case made with nylon composite material alongside the aluminium case making it the lightest Apple Watch available currently. The Apple Watch SE also only comes in 40mm and 44mm variants.
Price and Availability
The Apple Watch SE will be available in select regions from the 16th of September 2022 onward. You can choose between midnight, starlight, and sliver colour options. The new Apple Watch SE will set you back US$ 249 (MYR 1,199*) onward. For more information on the Apple Watch SE, you can visit their website.
The Apple Watch Series 8 will be available in select regions also from the 16th of September 2022 onward. You can choose between aluminium (Starlight, Midnight, Silver, PRODUCT RED) and stainless steel (Silver, Graphite, Gold) cases and various band, including the NIKE and Hermès edition bands for the Apple Watch Series 8. Prices start from US$ 399 (MYR 1,899*). If you want to know more about the Apple Watch Series 8, you can visit their website.
What do you do when you want to get an Apple Watch but you want to take it to all sorts of adventures? Before this, you would have to buy and Apple Watch and get some sort of silicon protection for it. You can take it snorkeling too, but that is about it. We would have to recommend you something like a Garmin or a Suunto in that case. But you want an Apple Watch. Fret not, you can get an Apple Watch for all sorts of extreme activity now.
Extreme Build for Extreme Conditions
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
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Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Welcome to the Apple Watch Ultra, the latest most advanced and most rugged Apple Watch you can get your hands on today. It is tough, made from aerospace-grade titanium. Unlike stainless steel, titanium is lighter, more durable, and more resistant to corrosion. Unlike the 3D glass that you might find on the regular Apple Watch, the Ultra’s display is a flat screen surrounded by the titanium case and covered by Sapphire glass for extra protection and durability in extreme situations.
Bright Needs to be Brighter
The Retina display is rather beautiful to look at too with a peak brightness of 2000 nits just in case you need to look at it under bright sunlight. To ensure that you know where to press, the action button is a bright International Orange. It is even customizable for different functions.
Built for Runners
The Apple Watch Ultra is built for the most extreme athletes and sports. Powered by WatchOS 9, the Apple Watch Ultra packs dual-frequency GPS with new algorithms to deliver the most accurate GPS system you can find on any Apple Watch. The technology allows for a more precise and accurate routing, distance, and even speed data for both training and competition purposes. It even offers you running metrics to measure stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and even running power. Of course, it has the battery life to match long-course triathlon events.
Built for Adventurers
If you are into exploring the extremities of the world, the Apple Watch Ultra can keep up with you as well. The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to operate in temperatures as low as 20oC and up to 55oC and built to MIL-STD-810H standards. The Compass App is more comprehensive than ever on the Apple Watch Ultra. You can even view elevation, incline, and even coordinate data as you go along for your long trek. You can even use the Apple Watch Ultra to backtrack just in case you feel like you are not getting anywhere, an 86-decibel siren designed for emergencies can be activated in case users get lost or injured. There is even something called Compass Waypoints; you can drop a point interest in the app to mark a location to create a waypoint. You can also extend its battery life up to 60 hours in Low Power mode in case you need the Apple Watch Ultra to last through your trip.
Built for Divers
The Apple Watch Ultra is not just meant to go high up the mountains too. It can go into depths up to 40m with WR100 and EN 13319 certification. Apple says you can take it to go kitesurfing and wakeboarding. If you are into scuba diving, the Oceanic+ app turns your Apple Watch Ultra into a powerful dive computer. Available later this year, the app runs Bühlmann decompression algorithm. The app also offers personalised user profiles, reports on dive conditions, and a dive logbook that you can share with your friends and family. All these data can also be viewed and synced to your iPhone.
Still an Apple Watch
Source: Apple
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Source: Apple
Of course, it is still an Apple Watch, you can take calls with it. For that function, the Apple Watch Ultra packs three microphones for improved sound quality and noise cancelling in calls. The Apple Watch Ultra also uses new advanced wind-reduction algorithms to ensure that you can take calls even in the most extreme situations.
There is also the regular heart rate monitor, ECG, Blood Oxygen detection, activity rings, mindfulness and other navigation features that are available on a regular Apple Watch. There are new sensors on the Apple Watch Ultra that is beneficial for women’s health monitoring though. The Apple Watch Ultra includes two new temperature sensors designed to separate noise from outside environment and monitors internal body temperature. Like the iPhone 14, the new Apple Watch Ultra also packs sensors that adds up to Crash Detection function.
Price and Availability
The Apple Watch Ultra will be available in select regions from the 23rd of September 2022 for US$ 799 (MYR 3,799*) onward. There are no mentions yet on its availability date in Malaysia. You can see the Apple Watch Ultra is featured on the Apple Watch microsite for Malaysia though, indicating that it will eventually be available here. There are no available colour options for the main unit of the Apple Watch, but you can choose from different bands that might suit your chosen activities. For more information on the Apple Watch Ultra, you can visit their website.
The regular iPhone 14 is more than just a hardware update, that much we know. Some of the new hardware fitted into the new iPhone 14 makes the device one of the best life companions you can ask for. It packs the previous generation A15 Bionic, which is still regarded, as per Apple, one of the most powerful System on a Chip (SoC) you can find in the current smartphone market.
But the Pro variant of the iPhone 14 deserves something better, something even more powerful. It is, after all, Apple’s most powerful flagship to hit the market. It is supposed to be the most technologically advanced and innovative smartphone in Apple’s range of smartphones.
Welcome to the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the two most innovative smartphones in the world by Apple’s standards.
Maximum Speed, Maximum Power
First up is the brand new A16 Bionic that is even more powerful than the already potent A15 Bionic chip you can find in the current iPhone 14 and the older iPhone 13 Pro series. According to Apple, the new chip is 40% faster than the A15 Bionic, which technically makes it the fastest smartphone processing chip you can find in the world today. Again, this is all according to Apple. For the first time ever in a smartphone as well, the A16 Bionic employs the 4nm build process to make it even more efficient than before. The A16 Bionic also packs an even more powerful dedicated imaging engine that allows the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max to fully take advantage of its 48-Megapixel quad-pixel main camera.
Brighter than Ever Retina
The display on the iPhone 14 Pro models are the most advanced you can find on any iPhone so far. You get either a 6.1-inch or 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion that allows the device to turn its refresh rate all the way down to 1Hz to prolong battery life. The displays now can push up to 2000 nits of peak brightness too, twice that off the iPhone 13 Pro. The new Super Retina XDR display also features Always-On display for the first time on an iPhone. Just to keep everything safe and protected, the displays are protected by Apple’s new Ceramic Shield front cover like the regular vanilla iPhone 14. Of course, the rest of the device is also water and dust resistant to ensure that it gets through life with no fuss.
Dynamic Island
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Keen eyed readers might find that the notch on the new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max is a little different now. It is a sort of elongated punch hole instead of a forehead notch. The punch hole houses a TrueDepth camera and other sensors for Face ID to work. The proximity sensor and light sensor is situated behind the display unit instead of the island now.
While this type of solution is nothing new in the smartphone industry, the genius is in how iOS 16 ‘hides’ the island hole. They call it the Dynamic Island, and it is a rather clever way of integrating the island hole into the iOS experience.
The Dynamic Island functions as the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max’s notification and quick access panel for ongoing background apps. You can keep things like timer in view via the Dynamic Island as well, turn-by-turn navigation can also be kept on the Dynamic Island even when you are on other apps. It even displays Live Scores of live matches in the most sensible way.
48-Megapixel!? On an iPhone!?
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Out the back is also the most advanced camera system that you can find on an Apple smartphone ever. You now get a 48-megapixel sensor instead of the usual 12-Megapixel sensor on the main shooter. Alongside the main shooter are 12-Megapixel Ultra-Wide and Telephoto cameras. Thanks to the more powerful A16 Bionic chip, the Pro model’s cameras performs at least twice better in low-light conditions.
The 48-Megapixel sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is the biggest ever found on an iPhone and that also helps with low-light photography. To ensure that photos are not hoarding your storage bandwidth, the 48-Megapixel photos are shrunk to 12-Megapixel sizes while maintaining the depth and detail of a 48-Megapixel photo. Thanks to the 48-Megapixel sensor as well, 4K videos and photos can be captured with in full resolution without digital zoom even when you put the camera to 2x zoom. Of course, more pixel count also means even more detailed photos in ProRAW formats.
Crash Detection & Emergency SOS via Satellite
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max also includes Crash Detection technology and Emergency SOS via satellite feature just like its more accessible cousins, the vanilla iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Unfortunately, again, Emergency SOS function is only available for the U.S. and Canada markets for now.
Source: Apple
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Source: Apple
Price and Availabilty
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be available will be available in select regions on the 16th of September 2022 onward. Malaysia will get both variants of the device not too long after that though from the 23rd of September 2022 onward. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is available in four storage variants – 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. You can choose between four colour options for the most advanced Apple iPhone ever – Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, and Space Black. The iPhone 14 Pro starts from 5,299, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at MYR 5,799. For more information on the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, you can check out their website.
The Apple iPhone 13 was something of a wonder. It was, according to Apple, amongst the most powerful smartphones in the world. Of course, Apple would also like to think that they make the best smartphone in the world. Confidence is key, they say.
With the iPhone 13, Apple pulled all the stops to make the smartphone experience better than before. Instead of focusing on fitting new hardware to push technological boundaries, it was more about making the Apple iPhone a better companion to its users. They followed that same recipe in the new Apple iPhone 14, alongside some very welcome additions.
First up, there is no iPhone 14 Mini here. You have the Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus instead. You get the standard 6.1-inch display with the regular iPhone 14, and then you get a larger 6.7-inch display on the Plus variant. They are selling this as a separate thing to the Pro variants of the iPhone too, understandably.
New Bigger Display
Source: Apple
You still get the recognizable notch on the top part of the display that now houses a TrueDepth camera. According to Apple, the front camera will now take better pictures than ever with newly added features like autofocus. On both variants also, you get a beautiful Retina XDR OLED display with peak brightness of 1200 nits making HDR contents as immersive as they come on an iPhone The Retina XDR display also boasts 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and Dolby Vision for an even better Netflix experience, especially if you go for the larger iPhone 14 Plus. The displays are also now covered in what Apple calls a Ceramic Shield front cover, a built-in screen protector to protect it from drops and other bumps it might meet in its lifetime. It is also water and dust resistant, to ensure that it can handle anything you can throw at it accidentally, obviously.
Power From the Pros
Beneath the new expansive display is Apple’s proven A15 Bionic System on a Chip (SoC). It is the same one found on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro models. It packs two powerful performance cores for all sorts of heavy lifting, and four efficiency cores within to keep the device going for long periods of time. It also packs a 16-core neural engine for Siri to leverage on and for iOS to keep things snappy and snazzy. For even better photos, the A15 Bionic also houses a new integrate image processor. The Apple iPhone 14 Plus also now features the longest all-day battery life of any available iPhone.
Even Better Photos and Videos
Source: Apple
Out the back is a glass housing that adorns new colours for the iPhone. You still have the standard black (Midnight), and white (Starlight) variants of the Apple iPhone. The Product RED is also still an option for the iPhone. Additionally, you get to get your iPhone 14 in blue or purple.
The backs of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus house two cameras. The main camera is a 12-Megapixel shooter like before. Accompanying the 12-Megapixel main shooter is an equally impressive 12-Megapixel ultra-wide camera. Thanks to the dedicated Photonic Engine found on the A15 Bionic, the camera performance is much improved especially in low-light conditions. The Deep Fusion computational prowess also allows the camera to capture photos with breathtaking details and textures, true to life colours, and full of information.
There are a few new features on the camera too; it has a new action mode that cleverly stabilizes videos even when they are shot in the middle of the action. The LED flash has also been re-worked and is now 10% brighter than before and is supposedly more uniform and consistent. There is also the Cinematic mode available for videos shot in 4K 30fps and 24fps. Of course, you get to shoot your videos in brilliant Dolby Vision HDR colours.
Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Source: Apple
What is impressive with the iPhone 14 is not all the things listed above. It is not the latest iOS 16 for the iPhone. Nor is it the fact that Apple Fitness+ is coming to all iPhone users. What we find most impressive regarding the Apple iPhone 14 is that it now packs satellite technology and a high-impact accelerometer.
Having satellite technology might not seem like a big deal. Satellite based mobile phones have existed for a while now and it is used in various situations where cellular signals are choppy or when cell towers cannot be installed. It is a rather old school technology that is only good in very specific situations. On the iPhone, it is good for emergencies. They call it Emergency SOS, which is rather fitting. Because satellite signals can be very specific in terms of direction, the iPhone Emergency SOS interface guides you to get the best connection to an available satellite. In emergency situations, the feature allows you to quickly send SOS messages to available emergency services via satellite. Since the low-bandwidth nature of satellite communication means it might take a few seconds to minutes for messages to get through to the right people, Apple’s Emergency SOS interface presents a quick questionnaire to assess your situation before sending a distress signal to an Apple relay station and then to the right services. The satellite technology can also be used in the Find My app, for services to easily and accurately locate you in non-cellular or WiFi situations.
The high-impact accelerometer that is newly found on the iPhone 14 is like no other accelerometer on regular smartphones. It can withstand and measure G-Force up to 256Gs. Combined with a new high dynamic range gyroscope, the new iPhone 14 packs the first ever smartphone-based Crash Detection technology. Where the Apple Watch detects fall impacts and inform your emergency contacts, the iPhone detects when you get into a severe car crash and automatically dials emergency services if the user is unable to reach their iPhones for whatever reason. The feature is also made possible by combining several existing technologies like barometer, GPS signals, and microphones which have been trained to recognize a car crash by motion and sounds.
Source: Apple
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Source: Apple
Source: Apple
Price and Availability
The Apple iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available in five colour options mentioned above. Storage options starts at 128GB and tops out at 512GB. Pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 14 series in the United States will begin 9th of September 2022 onward. The Apple iPhone 14 will start shipping on the 16th of September onward while its bigger brother, the iPhone 14 Plus starts shipping on the 7th of October 0nward. Malaysia will get its first taste of the new iPhone from the 23rd of September 2022 onward. Emergency SOS via satellite will not be available in regions outside of the U.S. and Canada for now. If you are in the available regions, the service is included for free for two years if you purchase an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus. The Apple iPhone 14 will be available for MYR 4,199 onward and the iPhone 14 Plus will be available from MYR 4,699 onward.
Earlier this year, OPPO launched their Reno7. They also launched the Reno7 Z not too long after that. A few months down the road, the OPPO Reno8 came about. Inevitably, the even more budget friendly version the OPPO Reno8 launches not too long after the Reno8 debuted. Welcome to the Reno8 Z 5G.
Naturally, the question that will be asked about the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G is if it is at all necessary. It is, after all, OPPO’s second Reno series of the year 2022. It is as though they are trying to make up for lost time.
Still, the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G is not without its unique characteristics. It packs a 64-Megapixel camera out the back. It is supported by a 2-Megapixel depth sensor, and 2-Megapixel Monochrome camera. The combination of all three cameras creates a photo with high levels of details and beautifully natural bokeh. Out the front is a rather clever 16-Megapixel camera with pixel binning technology. Since the Reno series is meant to be the photography champion in OPPO’s stables, it packs all OPPO’s best photography features in its camera app. It features Selfie HDR, AI Palettes, AI Colour Portrait, and Ultra-Clear 108MP Image modes.
Within its rather slim body is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G System on a Chip (SoC) paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The powerful SoC and RAM combination runs ColorOS based on Android 12. At the same time, ColorOS can borrow up to 5GB of storage space to turn it into temporary RAM space for even better multitasking experience.
Keeping everything running an entire day is a 4,500mAh battery. Thanks to 33W SUPERVOOC charging technology, the OPPO Reno8 Z can be up and ready in within 63 minutes of charging. Yes, it comes with a charger.
All this goodness can be seen through the expansive 6.4-inch display up front. The AMOLED panel boasts Full HD+ in resolution and pushes 60Hz in refresh rate to deliver smooth snappy graphics. It is also a Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD certified for the best experience on the two streaming platforms.
In terms of design, it is not too much of a difference, to be fair. You might mistake it for an OPPO Reno7 Z. It retains the Dual Orbit Lights that the Reno7 Z featured. It also retains a flush back body with two camera bumps, like the Reno7 Z. It feels a little sharper on the edges though, but that could just be us.
The OPPO Reno8 Z 5G will be available from the 26th of August 2022 in two colour options. You can choose between Dawnlight Gold and Starlight Black colour options. The device will set you back MYR 1,799. IF you do get your device on its launch date, OPPO will also throw in a free TWS Earbuds worth MYR 109 and My OPPO members’ Privileges worth up to MYR 888. You can get your hands on one from OPPO’s authorized retailers, OPPO’s very own online store, telco partners, and their official online retail partners like Shopee and Lazada. For more information on the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G, you can visit their website.
A few months back WhatsApp announced that they were launching a new major feature that could make the platform a powerful one for organisations and communities It is also fittingly called Communities. WhatsApp made the announcement back in April 2022 and teased it as a “coming soon” feature. Months later, Communities might finally be a reality. As with any other major features platform providers want to release, they have to go through their testing phase first, WhatsApp included.
While it may seem odd, WhatsApp is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, communication platform in Malaysia. While other countries still rely on the regular messaging app, WhatsApp is a mainstay in Malaysia and is the preferred communication tool of the nation. It is not just personal communication that relies on WhatsApp in Malaysia, companies and organisations rely on WhatsApp Groups to get messages across, essential team communications, and even announcements going.
The reliance and usage patterns for the platform in Malaysia makes it the perfect test bench and sample pool for WhatsApp communities.
Source: WhatsApp
As per the announcement back in April, Communities will be a powerful tool for administrators looking to run multiple groups in their organisations. It allows an admin to include and exclude groups in a single Community group. At that, it also allows admins to start smaller and more controlled conversation groups within the community itself with select members. Communities allows admins to send a community wide announcement if the need arises. At the same time, only the admin has the power to invite members into the community and its groups, also to remove members when they deem necessary.
There are other features that are being added as well with WhatsApp Communities. To be fair, these are improvements done for WhatsApp Groups. Some of the improvements have been introduced before Communities in preparation for the arrival of the new feature too. Reaction, for example, was introduced so users can quickly react to messages via emoji without flooding group chats with new messages and drown the messages out. Group admins can also remove messages from chats for everyone in the group, if they deem it to be problematic. File sharing limit has been pushed to 2GB for more versatile collaboration efforts. Voice calls can now include up to 32 users while you can now mute other people in the call just to ensure that discussions and presentations can go on without distractions. WhatsApp Groups has also increased its member limit from 256 members to up to 512 members. If you wish to leave groups, you can now do it silently, only notifying group admins.
Currently, WhastApp’s Communities is being tested by Gabungan Anak-Anak Palsi Serebum (GAPS) community and Entrepreneurs and Startups in Malaysia communities. It is rolling out to select users in Malaysia currently. It will eventually be available for all WhatsApp users in Malaysia. For the latest updates on WhatsApp and its features you can visit their blog.
