It is August, for Malaysia that means it is the month leading to the National Day and Malaysia Day. It means we get two extra holidays for the month of August and September. But it is also a celebration of what of Malaysia and all that is Malaysian.
Digi, one of the biggest homegrown telcos celebrates the month of August and September the only way it knows how; giving more good deals. In anticipation of National Day and Malaysia Day, Digi launches the Juara Internet Malaysiaku promotion. Of course, since it is also a promotion for Malaysia Day, it lasts through August and September 2022.
Starting from today new and existing Digi customers are entitled to free devices when they sign up for a new internet plan. If you sign up for a new Digi Postpaid Family Unlimited plan, you get a new Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite for free. With the Pakej PowerJimat postpaid plans, you are entitled to a number of free Samsung, Redmi, vivo, and OPPO smartphones.
If you are thinking of getting a new home internet plan from Digi, there is no better time than now to get it. New customers to the Digi Fibre 190 plan and above are entitled to rebates totalling up to MYR 240. Current Digi customers are entitled to up to MYR 60 a month in savings when they pair their postpaid plans to select Digi Fibre plans.
Postpaid customers are entitled to enjoy 10GB more data for 12 months if you switch or upgrade to Digi Postpaid 40, 60, and 90 plans. If you go for the 120 or 150 plans, you get 50% more quota than what is offered on the brochure. Customers who are on Digi Postpaid 90 programs and above also get to enjoy up to MYR 15 of additional rebate every month for the next 12 months. You are also entitled to a Gadget SIM free for two months so that you can share your internet plans with your other devices via a second line for the promotion period. A Gadget SIM usually sets you back MYR 10 a month. Postpaid customers are also entitled to an MYR 200 GadgetFreedom Plus voucher within the MyDigi app. The voucher can be used to purchase anything from Digi’s official online store on Shopee Mall.
Of course, prepaid customers are not fogotten. New customers to the Prepaid NEXT 35, NEXT 45, Raja Kombo 35, and Raja Kombo 45 plans gets 65GB of additional high-speed video quota for 30 days so that they can enjoy contents from Netflix, Viu, Astro Go, and YouTube without worrying about running out of data. Loyalty pays here, current prepaid customers get an additional 130GB of high-speed streaming quota with any 30-day Internet plan purchase via MyDigi Box of Surprise. Digi’s Unlimited Video Pass is also now extended to all Digi Prepaid customers. From MYR 5 onward you get to enjoy unlimited streaming from Netflix, Astro GO, Viu, Dailymotion, or Unifi PlayTV for three days.
The Juara Internet Malaysiaku promotion starts today onward (1st of August 2022) until the 30th September 2022. You can find out or sign up for these attractive offers by visiting any Digi Store, Digi Store Expess, Digi authorised dealer, or their website.
Bluetooth, we think, is a gift to the world. It is the alternative to Wi-Fi. In its current Bluetooth 5.0 generation, the technology is better than it has even been. Over a short distance, it is one of the best ways to transfer large amounts of data. It allows multiple devices to be connected simultaneously. It is also the most stable type of short-range connection you can get in your mobile devices today at ultra-low latency.
That is why it is the preferred connection when it comes to your portable and wireless audio gear. Microsoft and Google have made it a point to allow for certified Bluetooth devices to connect to their devices much quicker and easier. The Quick Pair and Fast Pair functions saves us users a lot of time in connecting our Bluetooth gear.
There is a problem with all these conveniences however, or rather, an inconvenience. Especially since multi-device connectivity is available on Bluetooth earphones, getting your devices or audio coming out from the right devices seems to be an issue today. For you to switch audio input from one device to the other is still a manual labour, no more inconvenient that just completely switching your Bluetooth earphone’s input source.
Google Audio Switching
According to Google’s blog post, their audio switching technology works on top of their Fast Pair algorithm. That also means that you do need to have a Bluetooth device that supports Google Fast Pair for it to work. Most new Bluetooth enabled wireless headphones today, save for Apple’s offerings, features Fast Pair anyway.
They explained that using contextual information on what you are listening to, the algorithm automatically switches your audio input based on your actions. The algorithm is also highly dependent on audio prioritization to determine which audio source should be prioritized over which. For example, if your headset is connected to both your tablet and your smartphone and you are listening to music on your tablet and you received a simple notification on your smartphone, your gear should not be switching sources. When you get a call on your phone, for example, only then your audio source should prioritize the phone call and switch its source to your smartphone immediately.
While there is a default priority setting to what your Bluetooth device prioritizes, Google is also giving users the ability to select and customize the experience on their own. At the same time, the experience will not only be limited to Fast Pair enabled Bluetooth audio gear connected to Android or Google devices only. The feature will also be available for all devices that support Bluetooth multipoint connection allowing you to have the convenience of quickly switching audio sources from your smartphone to your Windows laptop and vice versa.
Currently, Google will be rolling out the new feature update to their own Pixel Buds Pro first. They say that they are rolling out the updates to their manufacturing partners like Sony and JBL over the next few weeks. From then on it is just a matter of time before the current line-up of Sony and JBL Bluetooth headsets get the update from the manufacturer’s end. You do not necessarily need an app to toggle audio switching as well, you just need to head into ‘Device details’ in the general Bluetooth settings page.
For the longest time, one of the biggest problems when it comes to moving from one smartphone platform to the other is data transfers and backup. To be fair, when you change from one Android manufacturer to the other, transferring your data can be as easy as setting up a Wi-Fi Direct connection with your older device today. It is a slightly different story when you shift from Android to an iPhone platform though. You tend to have to accept that most of your data will be gone and you must start building your own ecosystem from scratch. One of those databases that might be important to you is your messenger data, specifically WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is one of the only messengers currently active within both the Android and iOS ecosystem that relies on storing data locally. While that is better in terms of security, privacy, and encryption, it makes life a little difficult when you want to transfer your data between devices. For Android devices, WhatsApp can work with Google’s Drive platform to offer data backup and restoration. In iOS devices, WhatsApp relies on Apple’s iCloud service, which is a completely different platform entirely that has nothing to do with Google’s Drive cloud storage platform. That creates a problem when you shift from Android devices to iOS devices and vice versa.
Luckily, WhatsApp knows that this is a problem and has been working hard to rectify the issue, just so that users have more options in terms of choosing their next devices. Now, they have found a sort of solution. We say sort of because it currently only works one way and not the other.
WhatsApp has released an additional app that is available for free on the Google Play Store to make this shift happen. They call it the ‘Move to iOS’ app, which may be rather unoriginal, but straightforward. There are a few requirements to transferring your WhatsApp data from your old Android to your new iPhone though.
First, you need at least Android 5 installed on your device, which should not be too hard if you own a smartphone within the last 5 years. Second, you want to ensure that your new iPhone device packs iOS 15.5 and above, which also should not be too difficult if you go for the latest iPhone devices anyway. Of course, you need to install Move to iOS app as well on your Android device. WhatsApp must be updated too for this to work. You need at least WhatsApp version 2.22.7.74 for your Android device and WhatsApp version 2.22.10.70 for your iPhone. The iPhone device must also be a fresh unit or factory reset unit to pair with the Android app. Then you must ensure that both devices are being plugged in and charged, for some reason. Both devices need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi umbrella, or the Android device must be connected to the receiving iPhone’s hotspot. Of course, the phone number used must be the same.
Once you tick all those boxes, you want to head to the Move to iOS app on your donor Android device and start the process. The process itself is rather straightforward and easy to follow. Once you get on your iPhone, you simply have to log into WhatsApp with your attached phone number and sign in to the messages and other medias waiting for you.
There are no cloud backups, uploads, or download process in this process. Everything is done through Wi-Fi Direct to your iPhone. There is technically no way to monitor the data transfer progress via WhatsApp as well currently. At the same time, like with any WhatsApp transfer, your data is not moved to the new device, it is merely copied. So, if you sign into your Android device after the transfer, you will still have everything in place. There is also a few things you cannot transfer from the Android to the iPhone; namely your personal messages, and peer to peer payment messages (Not like this works in Malaysia currently anyway).
Like we said, the migration is a one-way street currently. There is no easy way for you to transfer your WhatsApp messages and data from the iPhone to an Android device currently. Obviously, transferring WhatsApp data from an iOS to Android devices can be a little complex given the various Android devices you get from differing manufacturers with different standards of complexity as well. If WhatsApp can be transferred from an Android to iOS though, you can expect the reverse to come soon.
We are living in a mobile first world. Everything can be done via the little mobile device that you have in your pockets. You do not even have to talk to anyone to get anything done, not via a phone call anyway. Just a few taps on your smartphone lets you make dinner reservations, buy groceries for it to be delivered to your home, buy lunch and dinner for yourselves, you can even get a cab home from anywhere you want with your mobile device.
Whatever it is, because your smartphone has become such an integral part of your life, it needs to be always connected. In other words, you need to be constantly connected. For that, you need internet plans for your mobile device. Now the issue becomes which plan is the right one for you.
Source: Celcom
Celcom understands that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution in the modern connected era. Every individual has slightly differing needs in terms of their internet consumption and requirements. Traditional internet plans that offer everything from calls, messaging, and internet plans may not be the best solution for users today. Traditional calls and messaging have also taken a back seat to messenger apps that can even do video calls today as long as you are connected. Technically, you hardly need a service plan that includes massive calling and messaging quotas. You need service plans that packs a large data pool for the internet.
That is why Celcom introduces their new Xpax prepaid plan that you can ‘Mix and Match’ with. You can, for example, pick up a plan that consist of nothing but 8GB of data for the next 30 days for MYR 20. If you need anything on top of the 8GB data, you can get voice calls, hotspot data, or even a different data allocation for your specific social media and streaming apps from MYR 3 onward.
Whatever internet package you choose will also offer you 5G connectivity as and when it is available. Of course, your smartphone also must be able to take advantage of 5G.
Source: Celcom
The ‘Mix and Match’ Xpax plan, to be fair, is not necessarily a new idea. Yoodo was one of the first ISP in Malaysia to offer a fully customizable plan for its users. Users can change their data and voice plans on a monthly basis as well. The idea was that users should be able to pick their own data and voice plans that fits the specific user with no fuss. At the same time, the ‘Mix and Match’ Xpax plan ensures that users still get access to discounts and benefits offered by Celcom’s various partnerships at an affordable rate.
The Celcom Xpax ‘Mix and Match’ prepaid plan is available now. You can head to any of their Blue Cube centers to enquire on the plan. You can also head over to your Celcom Life App to check out the plans and how you can customize your own Xpax prepaid plans from the app itself. You can also head over to their website for more information on the new ‘Mix and Match plan.
Google, at least as of the last Google I/O they had, has a renewed commitment to their Wear OS platform in partnership with Samsung. In that sense, you can expect Samsung to be one of those watchmakers that would be making flagship watches that Google can be proud of. They are not exclusive Wear OS device makers though. The source code for Wear OS is still an open one and currently Tag Heuer and Fossil are on the Google Wear OS boat.
There are plenty of smartwatch makers out in the market. The problem is, every one of them offers a slightly different take on what smartwatches should look like. They all feature different proprietary interfaces with their own OS. Samsung, one of the most successful makers in the wearable space, was working with their own Tizen OS before making the switch to Google.
Then there is Mobvoi. Mobvoi is not new, really. They have existed for a while, and they have been focused on making wearables. They have also been on the Wear OS bandwagon for a while now. The only issue is that their current flagship, the Ticwatch Pro 3 Ultra is still running on an older Wear OS firmware. Solution? Launch a new watch.
Except, it is not that simple. When you are a smaller company like Mobvoi, things do not usually come easily. They need product testers. Where do they go? They email their customers or known reviewers to be a part of the process. So, they did.
They emailed a Reddit user, which in turn leaked it to Reddit, about them looking for reviewers or testers for their new TicWatch that is apparently coming soon. The leak also suggested that there are a few main features on the new flagship TicWatch. One of it is, obviously, flagship. Together with Flagship, Mobvoi also says that it has improved premium design.
There are a few more things that Mobvoi teased about the new TicWatch too. They highlighted that it would have long duration battery, NFC payment compatible with Google Pay, IP68 waterproofing alongside a GPS tracker, speaker, and microphone, and lastly it will have IHB/ AFiB detection and fatigue assessment. Its compatibility with Google Pay via NFC should be clue enough that the upcoming TicWatch will be a Wear OS device.
Currently, Mobvoi’s latest flagship is the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS. It will set you back MYR 1,399. For that money, you get Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4100 system on a chip (SoC) for wearables. It also features a large 1.4-inch AMOLED display with up to 45 days battery life. You can expect the next flagship TicWatch to set you back around the same price with even more features than before.
In the early days of OnePlus, they have always adopted the moniker of a ‘flagship killer’. They were offering flagship level smartphones at a much lower price point. Over the years though, things have changed a little. While their flagships have gotten much better, as per flagships in the modern era, their price points have also gone higher than before. Their flagships smartphones can no longer be called ‘flagship killers’. They are just flagships now.
The ‘flagship killer’ moniker did not die though with the introduction of the OnePlus’ Nord mid-range smartphone. The first Nord was through and through a mid-range smartphone. It offered a mid-range smartphone experience that is rather close or comparable to most flagships in the modern era though. It was also offered at a much lower price point.
Of course, the first-generation Nord, however good it was, must be replaced with a new one. The latest one of the bunch is the Nord 2T 5G. Welcome to the flagship experience, but at a fraction of the price.
Flagship Level Speeds
At MYR 1,899, it is not the cheapest mid-range smartphone you can find in the market. At the same time, on paper, it could be one of the most value packed smartphones you can find in its segment.
For starters you get MediaTek’s Dimensity 1300 5G system on a chip (SoC). On paper at least, the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful SoC in its class. It also packs improved AI and imaging capabilities for improved photo and video processing. Thanks to the new SoC, videos can be taken in HDR as well. Working with Sony’s DOL-HDR technology brightness, colours, and even contrasts in videos are improved greatly for natural looking videos with accurate colours. You can also shoot videos at 960fps slow motion with the new processing power from the SoC.
Alongside the 3GHz clocked SoC you may find a 12GB (up to) RAM for that smooth and snappy multitasking mode. When you need more, the clever Oxygen OS 12.1 can allocate up to 5GB of your 256GB (up to) storage as temporary RAM for even better experience. For more stable connectivity on both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the device packs Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Hybrid 2.0 technology.
Class-Topping Display
Displaying Oxygen OS 12.1 on top of Android 12 in all its glory is a large 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. The AMOLED panel refreshes at up to 90Hz for that extra smooth feel when scrolling through the interface. With HDR10+ support also, movies with HDR support should look better than good.
Super Cameras
Out the back is the same 50-Megapixel shooter you can find on OnePlus’ falgship OnePlus 10 Pro. The Sony IMX766 features a large 1/1.56-inch sensor with optical image stabilisation that allows for more light to be captured for more natural looking and better detailed photos. On the side, there is an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera for when you need more things to fit into the display. Out the front is also the same 32-Megapixel shooter you can find on the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Thanks to the Dimensity 1300 SoC’s improved camera AI performance, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G’s camera can shoot even better in low-light conditions. Of course, the fact that the larger 50-Megapixel sensor allows for 56% more light to be captured helps with low-light photography as well.
Long Lasting, Fast Charging
To keep the Nord 2T 5G running an entire day and more is a large 4,500 mAh built-in battery. If that is not enough to keep you going, the device features SuperVOOC ultra-fast charging technology that charges the device at up to 80W. At that kind of speed, the device can be charged from nothing to 100% in a single 27-minute charge. It also supposedly takes only 15-minutes for a charge that lasts an entire day.
Price and Availability
The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G will be available at OnePlus authorised retailers, their own webstore, and their official online stores on Shopee and Lazada from the 19th of July 2022 onward. It comes in either Gray Shadow (only 12GB + 256GB) and Jade Fog (only 8GB + 128GB). The Nord 2T 5G will set you back MYR 2,099 and MYR 1,899 respectively. More on the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G can be found on their website.
Carl Pei’s Nothing is at it again trying to redefine a smartphone. He successfully redefined the flagship smartphone while he helmed OnePlus. Now, he’s taking another go at it with the Nothing Phone (1). The new smartphone defies expectations and chooses to focus on the core user experiences instead of high powered hardware.
Source: Nothing
That isn’t to say that the Nothing Phone (1) is packing a punch. It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ processor. According to Carl Pei, the company opted for a more reliable processor instead of the latest and greatest on paper. This was influenced by their drive to build a smartphone with their instincts rather than the data. The Snapdragon 778G+ comes with a 6nm archiecture which brings the best of battery life and performance. The Octacore processor also brings 5G connectivity and also Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
When it comes to design, the Nothing Phone (1) is made of a combination of plastics, glass and aluminium. During the launch, Carl Pei highlighted that none of the surfaces with which a user interacts is made of plastic. In fact, the front and back of the smartphone is made with Gorilla Glass 5 while the frame and bezel are made of recycled aluminium. The Phone (1) is possibly one of the more ecofriendly phones out there with more than 50% of its plastics being bioplastics. Even the tin used for soldering is 100% recycled.
Source: Nothing
The Nothing Phone (1) is keeping to the utilitarian approach which the company is becoming known for. Its version of Android is barebones and brings the best features of Android. Like the processor, the company is looking to focus on stability and quality. They believe that their approach to software will give their users a better, more reliable software experience. Of course, they are bringing in features that allow the Phone (1) to play nice with their own Ear (1) earbuds. This takes the form of controls front and center in the dock for active noise cancellation and more. The company is also looking to the future by creating their own NFT widget which allows users to display their collection or view floor prices for NFTs. Nothing is also promising 3 years of major Android Updates and 4 years of security patch updates rolled out every 2 months.
Source: Twitter
“At the beginning of the smartphone revolution, it felt like this amazing product category complete changed we lived, the way we communicate and, lately, it feels like – after a slew of more and more similar products, and more and more uninspiring products – that somehow the smartphone revolution has ended.“
Carl Pei, CEO and Co-Founder of Nothing
When it comes to cameras, the Phone (1) isn’t packing an extensive multi sensor setup. Instead, they are focusing on the essentials and looking to deliver a more consistent and well rounded experience with a dual 50-Megapixel setup. The main sensor is the Sony IMX766 bolstered with opitcal image stabilization and electronic image stabilization for better quality. This is complemented by the ultrawide Samsung JN1 with 114° field of view. The main camera setup is also capable of 4K recording at 30 frames per second. Up front is a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 sensor with an f/2.5 aperture.
Source: Nothing
The Phone (1) comes with a 6.55-inch, FHD+ OLED display. It has a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels and a 500 nits brightness. Peak brightness tops out at 1,200nits. The display on the Phone (1) is a little unique in that it’s a flexible OLED panel. No – the screen is not curved, it’s flat. However, the design team opted for a flexible panel to bring a sense of symmetry to the face of the phone. The flexible display allowed them to bend the connectors backwards which allowed the display to be more symmetrical. It has support for HDR+ with 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz sampling rate.
All of these specs are powered by a 4,500mAh battery which Nothing touts to provide more than a day’s battery life. It also supports 33W fast charging over USB-C with support for PowerDelivery 3.0. It also has support for 15W Qi wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging. According to Nothing, the Phone (1) will have a complete charge in 70 minutes with wired charging and in 120 minutes when charged wirelessly.
The Glyph Interface
The one feature which sets the Nothing Phone (1) apart from the competition is the Glyph Interface. The interface is essentially a series of LED lights which will illuminate according to different setting which the user can customise. The Glyph Interface is also Nothing’s approach to allowing users to know who’s contacting them even when in silent mode.
Source: Nothing
For now, the Glyphs can be customised to flash to help identify specific contacts. It’s also a complement to the silent mode on the Phone (1). Simply flipping the phone over with glyphs up will put phone in silent mode. The Glyphs will then flash when calls come in and if the call comes from a user defined caller, the pattern of the flashing will follow the customized one.
Nothing is touting this as the start of what can be done with the Glyph Interface. The company is building more features while working with its community.
Pricing & Availability
The Nothing Phone (1) will be available in both Black and White starting on 16th July 2022. From 16th July until 20 July, it will be available exclusively at the Nothing Kiosk in London in limited quantities. There will be partner drops from 18 July 2022 both online an in-store while open sales will begin on 21 July 2022.
The Phone (1) will be priced at GBP£399 (MYR2,110.74) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version. The 8GB RAM + 256GB storage version will be retailing for GBP£449 (MYR2,375.11) while a 12GB RAM + 256GB storage version will be retailing for GBP£499 (MYR2,639.60).
Source: Nothing
It will be available in Malaysia on 18 July 2022 with an exclusive drop via Crossover on its online store and in-store. Starting on 1 August 2022, the Nothing Phone (1) will be available at all major electronics retailers including SenQ, Satu Gadget, DirectD, and TMT. It will also be available online on Nothing’s official LAZADA and Shopee stores. Prices in Malaysia are MYR 2,399 for the 8GB+256GB version and MYR2,699 for the 12GB+256GB version.
An entry-level smartphone makes plenty of sense if you think about it. It did not used to be like this though. For the longest time, in the earlier days of Android smartphones, entry-level smartphones are ones you want to avoid unless you absolutely must get one, or on such a tight budget, your wallet looked like there was about to be a hole in it. Thankfully, as high-end smartphones get more powerful, so does entry-level smartphones.
It is true that higher-end technologies of the yesteryears get passed down to more budget friendly options for the masses. It is especially true in the smartphone segment and the entry-level smartphone segment. An entry-level smartphone today can be comparable to flagship level smartphone from about 5 years ago in some cases and at a fraction of the price.
One of those entry-level devices you can get soon is the realme C30.
While the most popular smartphone segment in the region are mid-range smartphones, entry-level smartphones like the realme C30 can be rather appealing. For one, its price itself is rather appealing in the sea of flagships costing north of MYR 5,000 these days. The realme C30 will only set you back MYR 499 at most.
Source: realme
Source: realme
Source: realme
It is not like other entry-level smartphones either that tries to stand out with funky designs and weird looks. It is rather subtle, simple, very much like modern flagship smartphones. Of course, it does come with its own unique design to still set it apart. The Vertical Stripe Design, as they call it, are etched lines at the back of the device to not just add a visual impact, it is also to add some texture and grip for a more secure feel in your hands.
No, you do not get a Qualcomm, or a MediaTek for that matter, in this price range. Rather, you get a Unisoc T612 processor. You do not get bleeding edge 5nm technology with the System on a Chip (SoC). You do get eight cores on the device though with clocks up to 1.8Ghz with Cortex A75 architecture. While it may not sound like much, the processor can work with everything you need in a basic smartphone. At the same time, UFS 2.2 speeds should ensure that the C30 still feels as snappy as it can be for the money.
The SoC powers Android 11 with realme’s UI Go on a 6.5-inch display. No, its not a Full HD display, but you still get about 270ppi out of the 720p HD+ IPS panel. The front display also houses a 5-Megapixel front-facing camera for selfies, and even video conferences via the smartphone.
Out the back is a single 8-Megapixel main camera with some AI magic. It is constructed with 4P lens to ensure that your photos look as clear as you see them with your eyes. It is also capable of 4x digital zoom for when you need it. The photos may not take up too much space, but you can add up to 1TB in microSD storage on top of up to 64GB of built-in storage.
To keep everything running as they should be for an entire day, there is a 5,000mAh built-in battery. It is not a fast-charging battery, so you do want to give it some time to charge. You get up to 45 days in quoted standby time though, which is a long time between charges. If you keep it to Ultra Saving Mode, a 5% charge can last for 45.3 hours (quoted).
Price and Availability
The realme C30 comes in three attractive colours – Lake Blue, Bamboo Green, and Denim Black. Not whites, unfortunately. You cannot complain much though when you realise that you are paying MYR 429 (3GB + 32GB) for the smartphone. To get 4GB of RAM and 64GB in storage, you pay just a little bit more money at MYR 499. The realme C30 will be available in all realme Malaysia authorized stores and resellers across the nation from the 16th of July 2022 onward. For more information on the realme C30, you can head over to their website.
Wireless earphones are all the rage these days. We do not think it is the first time we start an article with that. We doubt it will be the last time too.
It is a true statement though. Most smartphone owners today will, at some point, have owned a wireless audio solution. Most of them will have at least experienced truly wireless (TWS) headsets at least once by now. Most of them will succumb to the convenience of one and own at least one in their lifetime.
There are also reasons why plenty of high-end audio gear manufacturers avoid offering TWS type headsets though. One of which is the fact that there will be some compromises with audio quality. Latency can also be an issue with TWS type headphones.
Still, manufacturers can no longer ignore the appeal of one. beyerdynamic finally gave into that pressure as well. Welcome to the Free BYRD. Yes, it comes with a few tricks from Beyerdynamic that is meant to elevate the TWS headset experience.
The beyerdynamic Free BYRD is their first TWS type audio gear, which is why they are pulling all the stops to make this as good as they can make it. It packs a 10mm driver, which is rather large considering that even the likes of Sony have reduced their driver sizes to about 6mm with the new WH-1000XM4. A larger driver has its advantages though. Because it is bigger than the regular drivers found in similar devices, it can push more air and drive more air pressure into your ears for punchier and more detailed bass notes.
The Free BYRD also features the latest aptX adaptive codec alongside AAC support. These codecs should work together with the 10mm drivers to produce sounds as they are intended and probably even better. beyerdynamic also introduces something they call MOSAYC. It is what they call “Attention to Detail with Mimi Sound Personalisation” to really elevate your listening experience. It automatically tunes the drivers to the listeners ears to create a more optimised listening profile. In that case, no two Free BYRD should sound completely the same. To customize the listening experience even more, there is the equalizer within the proprietary MIY app on Android and iOS.
Source: beyerdynamic
Of course, there is active noise cancelling (ANC) baked into the TWS earbuds. The hybrid ANC should really ensure that users block the world out. For the best experience, you want to find the best fitting ear tips for yourself. beyerdynamics includes five sets of differently sized silicone ear tips and three additional memory foam earpieces for use in sporting activities. In those cases, you can be sure that the Free BYRD can withstand all kinds of grimes and sweat with IPX4 certification.
The Bluetooth 5.2 device with Google Fast Pair headphones offers Qualcomm’s dual 2-mic cVc technology. The new technology with four mics in total should offer highly natural phone calls with excellent pick-up. Obviously, the mics should also be excellent for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and even Apple’s Siri.
In terms of battery life, the Free BYRD offers up to 11 hours of battery life from a single charge in total. You can wirelessly charge the Free BYRD if you have a wireless charging pad. Of course, it is also charged via USB Type-C. A quick 10-minute plug-in can also give you up to 70 minutes in music playback time, if you are in a rush.
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
The beyerdynamic Free BYRD is available in most of Europe via their official store on Amazon.com. It is available in Black and Gray colour options. It will set you back EUR€ 229, which is about MYR 1,029* or US$ 232**. The price range puts it squarely as a competitor of the Sony WF-1000XM4. Sadly, there is no word on its availability in Malaysia. Chances are, if you really want one, you have to get it from Amazon Europe and get someone to ship it to Malaysia for you. More information on the beyerdynamics Free BYRD can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.49 as of 08/07/2022 on xe.com
**Approximately based on exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = US$ 1.01 as of 08/07/2022 on xe.com
Before we go ahead with the report, we must give you a little bit of a disclaimer. Not all the new headsets that ASUS ROG just introduced are built with dual-mode connectivity. Among the four options, you only have two headphones that gives you two connectivity options.
We are talking about wireless headphones here, the trend of the decade. Ever since audio solution providers started working with speakers that can be connected to devices via Bluetooth, the demand for wireless audio gear has skyrocketed. The number of products that cater to variety of wireless audio needs have also has exponentially multiplied over the years.
If you were to go out today and said you wanted a Bluetooth enabled headphone, you will be pressed for choices. There are too many out there to count from the budget options to the premium options. If you want the best of the best though, you had to have something like a Sony in mind. However, the current best-of-the-best from Sony is not really made for gaming.
In that case, you do want to turn to the gaming brands. You want to turn to the likes of ASUS’s ROG for example, the gaming skunkworks of the Taiwanese computing giant. They already make brilliant smartphones, the ROG Phone 6 is currently one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful smartphone in the world at launch. If they can do that, what about gaming headsets?
ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro & True Wireless
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
We start with the most unique one in their range of new audio solutions, the Cetra True Wireless Pro. Yes, this one is the one where you get dual-mode connectivity built into the device. It is also a True Wireless (TWS) earphone, the little in-ear ones, not over-ear headphones; that is why it is such a big deal.
At its most basic form, the Cetra True Wireless Pro works as a Bluetooth headset. To ensure that users get the best audio experience, there is a built in Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound chip that lowers latency. The chip also allows for a high-quality 24-bit, 96 kHz streams to get through via Bluetooth. If you put the earphones into gaming mode, the ultralow-latency hits 45ms to ensure that you get near instant feedback from your games. The chip also facilitates the multiple ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) modes that you can choose from with the headset.
Rather than being a pure True Wireless headset, you can use it via a USB Type-C connection as well. To eliminate latency, wired headsets are always preferred. With smartphones today though, 3.5mm AUX tips are no longer a good option. So, you go with USB Type-C, which also allows ROG to pack more features into the headphone via the cable.
Within the cable is a hi-f- grade ESS 9280 DAC. That also means that the bundled cable is good for lossless audio with rather rich detailing and even spatial sound. It can process up to 130dB signal-to-noise ratio to ensure that you are not only getting the most accurate sound representation of any media you are listening to, but it also allows you to really pinpoint where sounds are coming from in your games.
The Cetra True Wireless Pro’s mics can filter over 500 million types of background noise. Its integrated AI Noise-Cancelling Microphone reduces up to 95% of noise while still allowing you to have clear communication with your teammates. Additionally, there are microphones inside your ears on the headset too to make for better ANC experience.
Source: ASUS
With the ROG Cetra True Wireless, you get everything that the Cetra Wireless Pro gets, except for the USB Type-C cable and the dual-mode connectivity function. It is still a rather compelling option for mobile gamers though. You get to push it to low-latency mode too with Gaming mode. It still features Hybrid ANC technology to ensure that you are not distracted by what is happening outside your game time.
ROG Delta S Wireless
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
If you prefer something that is more wholesome, something you want to use at home, something that covers your entire ears for a more comfortable fit and better seal, you go for an over-ear headset. What if you hate cable managing? What if your PC is placed in an odd location and plugging your cables in and out of the thing is a hassle? What is your console is far away from you? You get an ROG Delta S Wireless gaming headset.
The ROG Delta S Wireless is also a dual-mode headset. Instead of giving you the option to either having a wireless or wired connection though, it is dual-mode wireless connection. It offers the low latency, near instant, highly stable 2.4GHz wireless connection. At the same time, it offers the convenience of Bluetooth connection for you to work with for smartphones, if you wish to.
The idea of using 2.4GHz connection for your audio gear with a dongle is not only for the PC gamers, but also for the console gamers. Since it is made to handle up to 25m in distance, there should be little worry about where you place the connected PC or console within your house.
Source: ASUS
It is a gaming headset, so there is naturally a built-in mic for team communications. It is not like any other mic that might feel like an afterthought in gaming headphones though. There are AI Beamforming mics that is hidden on the headphone that targets a good portion of area in front of the user’s mouth to pick up the user’s voice. The AI Noise Cancellation algorithm also ensures that the mics only pick up your voice and nothing of much else for clear team communications.
The Delta S Wireless packs a rather large driver too. At 50mm, it is larger than most regular over-ear headphones you can find in the market. There are 60mm drivers too, in the market to be fair. The ASUS Essence drivers, at 50mm, should be enough to deliver highly detailed and punchy low-frequency sounds though. They say also that the drivers should be able to facilitate highly detailed audios for all sorts of use case too with a 12o tit on the drivers in an airtight chamber. At the same time, there is ROG’s Hyper-Grounding technology to ensure that there is as little electromagnetic interference as possible on the audio signals to ensure that noise is minimized.
ROG Delta S Core
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Again, if you prefer something more regular, more grounded, more basic solution with the least latency, wired connections are the way to go. In that case, the ROG Delta S Core is the one for you. The Delta S Core offers a universal 3.5mm AUX tip that is compatible with PCs, major gaming consoles like the PlayStation, the Nintendo Switch, and even the Xbox.
It still features the same 50mm drivers you find in its wireless sibling. Because there is no battery to weigh it down, it weighs only 270g. The ergonomic D-shaped earcups that is designed to closely match the shape of regular ears also ensures that you can game for extended hours without feeling fatigued.
The wired connection also allows for the headphone to pack virtual 7.1 channel surround sound with Windows Sonic. With virtual surround sound too, you can accurately place your enemies or teammates within your game just via audio signals. At the same time, the built-in microphone that are Discord and TeamSpeak certified ensures that you always have a clear line of communications with your teammates.
Price and Availability
The ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro is not available now. Currently, there are no confirmations on when it will be available in Malaysia. There is no information on its official pricing for the region yet too. Its regular counterpart, the Cetra True Wireless headset will be available in Malaysia soon for MYR 515. The two Delta S series headphones that are just announced will also be making it to Malaysia soon. The ROG Delta S Wireless headphone with dual-mode wireless connectivity will be available for MYR 899. The ROG Delta S Core will be available for MYR 388. More information on ROG’s latest gaming headsets can be found on their website.
