Samsung is no stranger to touchscreen issues with reports having surfaced for their past models including the Galaxy Note 9. But, after the lackluster performance of one of their biggest flagships with the S20 series, you’d think that they would have ironed out the issues when it comes to the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE). The Galaxy S20 FE is Samsung’s effort in making their flagships more affordable and bringing the fight to devices such as the Pixel 5 and the OnePlus Nord.
While it seems like the new Galaxy S20 FE budget flagship might be Samsung’s magic pony, reports have surfaced that its well priced Full HD+, 120Hz screen has been a pain for some users. The reports highlight issues with the accuracy of the touch input on the touchscreen. The reports aren’t an isolated issue as they are now trending on Reddit and Samsung’s own Community forums.
Source: Samsung
In addition, users are also reporting issues with input lag, keyboard failure, poor input response and even jittery scrolling on the Galaxy S20 FE touchscreen. Some users are also reporting issues regarding the screen being overtly sensitive and registering taps as swipes. Guess what? Some of them have had to reboot the phone in order to get the touchscreen working again.
Considering the phone only went on sale recently, we can’t be sure that the issue isn’t a few isolated cases. However, issues like these will still irritate users. However, the prevalence of the issue is worrying with more reports surfacing since the initial reports. We can only hope that the issue isn’t one with the panel itself and Samsung rolls out a software patch to fix it soon. Samsung has yet to respond since the initial report.
Apple’s HomePod was introduced back in 2017. This was the dawn of a new era for smart homes and smart home peripherals. It was Apple’s first smart speaker, and it was the only one that featured Siri as a built-in assistant. Malaysia did not get the smart speaker love though.
It is 2020 now, and nothing has technically changed. You still cannot get the Apple smart speakers in Malaysia. You can import one though with prices starting from MYR 1,140 per piece. While that sounds like a bargain over the official US$ 299 (MYR 1,241*), you have to consider that it is a product that is about 3 years old, and the prices has not included taxes and shipping just yet.
Source: Apple
There is a more affordable option now though from Apple. They call it the HomePod mini and priced it at US$ 99 (MYR 411*). It is tiny too, which is fitting, since it is the HomePod mini.
Of course, being the more affordable option will not be as feature packed as the more expensive Apple HomePod. But it still has most of the capabilities that makes the HomePod an attractive smart speaker for the home in the first place.
For one, because it is more affordable, you can buy more of it, and place the speakers all around the house, including your kids, or parent’s room. That way, you do not have to shout at your kids from the kitchen to tell them dinner is ready, stop playing Call of Duty or Dota2 and come to eat.
Source: Apple
Like the original HomePod, the HomePod mini is designed for households. Siri now recognises different voices and connects those voices to individual devices. So now, if mummy needs to set a reminder or create a shopping list for herself, she can simply tell Siri and her smartphone or iPad will be updated. You need to send a quick text message to your other half to buy milk? Voila, the speaker will get your personal iPhone to do it. Mind you, you need to have an iPhone for it to work.
Apple said they designed the device to ensure that it will fill the room with the best sort of audio experience. For that, they employed a full-range dynamic drive that points down to a wave guide. The wave guide is supposed to distribute audio in all directions, creating an omnidirectional audio experience. Thanks to the Apple S5 chip, the speaker can tune itself to adjust for the environments. It is not a noise cancelling tool though.
Source: Apple
It is also clever enough when you put two speakers nearby each other. When that happens and Apple’s HomePod mini detects a buddy, the two speakers turn themselves into stereo speakers. If you bring your Apple iPhone nearer to it, the LED top flashes and give you some interesting colour play.
Like the Apple HomePod, it can be integrated into smart home systems as a controller. It is basically a smart home voice controller. You can even set scenarios with Siri too, just to get a pre-set mood, lighting, air-conditioning, curtain opening, and much more. Of course, you need to make sure that all these products are smart home products and is connected to the WiFi umbrella in your house.
Source: Apple
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The Apple HomePod mini will be available in white or space grey. It will be priced, as mentioned, at US$ 99 (MYR 411*). Pre-orders in selected market starts on the 6th November 2020. It will be available from retailers from the 16th November 2020 onward. Unfortunately, Malaysia is not on that list just yet. You might just be able to import a unit though.
*Conversion based on approximate rate US$ 1= MYR 4.15 as of 15/10/2020
People tell me that smartphones are getting boring. No one truly innovates anymore. Hardly anything is that exciting anymore. Most smartphones launched these days are minor upgrades from the previous generation of devices. They offer nearly nothing special, or nothing new that we have not seen before.
In that sense, nothing really excites us anymore. That is true until 2020 hits us. No, it is not the pandemic that changed anything. Tech has taken a step toward the right direction somehow in 2020. We see a very interesting Samsung Galaxy Note20 that is a true creator powerhouse. We see Sony launching their super powerful Xperia smartphone, and their highly acclaimed noise cancelling headphone – the WH-1000XM4. They even launched the Sony PlayStation 5, coming end of this year 2020. Apple already wowed the world over too with the introduction of the iPad Air, which is also a sign of what is to come yesterday (this early morning, rather).
Welcome to what we think is the most exciting Apple iPhone yet. Nay, welcome to the most exciting smartphone of 2020 yet. Welcome to the Apple iPhone 12 and Apple iPhone 12 Pro line-up.
Source: Apple
They kickstart the presentation of Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone for 2020/2021 with 5G. They say that all the iPhones from this point on will receive the 5G treatment, and 5G ready. Malaysia’s Maxis has already confirmed they are taking on 5G with the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPhone 12 series is compatible.
But it gets better from there. We are going to butcher the presentation flow a little bit and start with what is important to us. Bear with us, as we start from the inside out.
The Apple iPhone 12 & iPhone 12 Mini
Source: Apple
The Apple iPhone 12 is not just 5G capable because they have a new antenna. They have, in their own words, optimised the antenna placement for the best all-round reception, by the way. The 5G capability is also embedded in their new chip, the A14 Bionic.
If you find that the name of the A14 Bionic chip sounds familiar, you are right. It is the same powerful 5nm chip that powers the Apple iPad Air. It is the same chip that Apple says can make quick work of 4K videos. Now, it is powering a small smartphone in your palms.
Apple says that this is their most powerful chip yet. We believe them. We also know that this is the most advanced System on a chip (SoC) in the world so far. Until we see Qualcomm and Samsung, or even HUAWEI pushing their boundaries again, we maintain that Apple’s A14 Bionic is the world’s most advanced smartphone SoC to date.
As mentioned in the Apple iPad Air release, the A14 Bionic is a 5nm chip. That means it packs about 11.8 billion transistors spread across 6 CPU cores. There are 4 GPU cores to enable PC class gaming experience in your handheld multifunction device (according to Apple). There are also various machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) optimisations going on here. That also means things like SIRI can fully take advantage on being a better personal assistant on your smartphone.
Source: Apple
As usual, they did not mention the size of the RAM that comes with the device. All we need to know from Apple is that it is “enough”. You get up to 256GB in storage, which is actually more than decent. If you need more storage, Apple has the iCloud anyway. If not, just transfer your photos out to your PC or an external hard drive. We would like the MicroSD card format to be accepted on an iPhone, but we also accept that we may never see that day. Still, 256GB is ample space.
They omitted the battery information as well. We suspect that is also because there is no major improvement in battery life with the Apple iPhone 12. In that sense we also expect the Apple iPhone 12 to come with about the same battery size as the older Apple iPhone 11. Hopefully it gets the same battery life too.
All this is wrapped with an aluminium shell that holds together a ceramic piece on the front and a glass back of the device. They call the ceramic shells the “Ceramic Shield”. This is not the first time a smartphone works with ceramics. Xiaomi has done if before with their previous flagships. This is the first time though that a smartphone manufacturer has replaced the front with a ceramic material, instead of the usual Corning Gorilla Glass.
They say that ceramic is more durable than the glass. It is supposed to be more resistant to scratches and less likely to break or shatter when impacted. Somehow, you can make it thinner than glass too. It is also a more premium material though, means more expensive smartphones. The Apple iPhone is expensive enough though.
Under the display at the front of the device is an OLED display with double the resolution of the previous iPhone 11. That is an OLED Super Retina XDR retina 6.1-inch display with 2,532 by 1,170 pixels to create an immersive 460 pixel per inch (ppi) experience. Apple say that the display is Dolby Vision certified too, meaning HDR10 compatibility. No 120Hz or 90Hz refresh rate here, which is a little bit disappointing, but understandable. The display can display up to 1200nits though, a plus point for outdoor use cases. Of course, there is the regular notch on top.
Source: Apple
Move to the back and what you find is a very familiar Apple logo design with plain glass. There are new colours for 2020. There are now five funky colours to choose from including green, red, and blue colour variants. But that is not all the things that you get on the iPhone 12.
You still get the familiar looking camera arrangement too with the Apple iPhone 12. Instead of three cameras, the regular iPhone get two cameras. Both feature 12-Megapixel sensors. The main wide camera features 7-elements of glass to ensure stelar photo quality and to take advantage of the new larger sensor in the Apple iPhone 12. It is faster too at f/1.6 aperture. This also means that the device should perform better in low-light conditions. The new 7-element glass also allows 27% more light to hit the sensor, so that should help too. The other 12-megapixel sensor is lodged under an ultra-wide lens for breathtaking landscape shots.
Under that pretty looking glass back though is a new format of wireless charger. It is now 15W capable. But on top of that, it is now magnetic. We are annoyed with most wireless chargers because we cannot seem to find the right spot to lay our device. That also means that your device hardly charges when you lay your device on a wireless charger unless you make extra adjustments. Not on the iPhone 12.
Source: Apple
The magnets surrounding the wireless charging coil ensures that compatible wireless chargers will immediately pick up contact and charge the device. Even when you lift the device, the charger is still attached to it, means you do not have to reposition your device every time you pick up your phone. But it still works with compatible Qi chargers, only with about half the efficiency. But more than that, the magnetic mechanism they call ‘MagSafe’ gives a world of possibility in terms of modular accessorising. You can detach and attach a wallet at any given time. You can attach cool looking trinkets at the back of your device to personalise your smartphone. Heck, you can even attach extra lens modifiers made for the iPhone if they bothered to make one.
Then there is the iPhone 12 Mini, a smaller, more compact version of the Apple iPhone 12. That is the thing though. Smaller does not mean less power here. The iPhone 12 Mini is everything that the Apple iPhone 12 is, but way smaller.
They pack everything in a body that shrink wraps itself around a 5.4-inch OLED display with 2,340 by 1,080 (Full HD+) pixel to give you 476 ppi. That is a higher ppi than the iPhone 12 itself. Of course, you get a slightly smaller battery pack too, though they have not mentioned the size. Of course, with smaller battery pack, battery life is a little shorter.
Source: Apple
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You still get MagSafe, you still get the A14 Bionic chip, you even get the same colours. All of that in a more compact body. Of course, cheaper price too; US$ 100 cheaper than the full-sized iPhone 12.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro & iPhone 12 Pro Max
Source: Apple
The main star of the show is the Apple iPhone 12 Pro and the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. These are the most powerful iPhone you can get for your money today. These are the culmination of Apple’s 2020 launches.
For starters, again, we are going inside out; the smartphone comes with Apple’s latest A14 Bionic SoC. We have pointed out the power of the A14 Bionic and out views on it earlier, so we are not going to elaborate. But it does sound like a huge generational leap compared to the previous generation Apple A13 Bionic chip.
You can opt for the same great display size at 6.1-inch or even bigger at 6.7-inch (Max) with the Apple iPhone. Bigger is definitely better here, with the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max. Instead of the regular 2,532 by 1,170 pixels on the display, you get 2,778 by 1,284 pixels on the 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display.
Like the regular iPhone 12, it has HDR capability as well of course. It also has Dolby Vision certification with it of course. They are also even more premium than before. With glossy metal sides.
Source: Apple
Why do you want to get the iPhone 12 Pro over the regular iPhone? It has two extra camera sensors. Well, that is not exactly the reason why you pay a premium over the regular smartphone.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro really banks on the camera this time. You can still record 4K videos, like the iPhones before it. But it is also more powerful in the sense that they have shifted the whole image stabilisation platform to the sensor instead of the lens. The result of that is even steadier videos with less heft on the lens.
The details is helped by an extra sensor they also put on the Apple iPad though. They managed to shoehorn a LiDAR sensor to the back of the device. That also means that the Apple iPhone camera benefits from LiDAR 3D scanning the room or subject. The better understanding of the environment allows the Apple iPhone to add more lighting and texture detail to their photos. Apple also added something they call ProRAW mode into their camera app. That is Apple’s own RAW formatting mode that uses the camera and the LiDAR sensor to create even more detailed photos with flexibility like you never seen in a smartphone.
Source: Apple
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All these RAW photos and 4K videos can be edited internally thanks to Apple’s A14 Bionic chip. But 4K is not enough sometimes. So the Apple iPhone 12 Pro’s capable camera can shoot in HDR at 10-bit, benefiting from 700 million colours to create an almost true to life video. Dolby Vision certification on the camera means that this can really replace your expensive rig.
Price and Availability
The Apple iPhone 12 and Apple iPhone 12 Mini will be available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB variants. As mentioned, they come in five colours – blue, green, black, white, and (PRODUCT) RED. Prices start from US$ 799 (MYR 3,899*) and US$ 699 (MYR 3,399*) respectively. Pre-orders starts from 16th October 2020 onward to the 23rd of October 2020 for the Apple iPhone 12. The Apple iPhone 12 Mini will be available a little later with pre-orders starting on the 6th November 2020 to the 13th November 2020 (availability date). The global availability of the Apple iPhone 12 is reported to be on the 30th October 2020.
The Apple iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB flavours. You get to choose between graphite, silver, gold, and pacific blue premium colour finishes for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro max. Prices start from US$ 999 (MYR 4,899) and US$ 1,099 (MYR 5,299) respectively. Pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 12 Pro start from the 16th October 2020 to the 23rd October 2020, same as the Apple iPhone 12. The iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available for pre-order from the 6th November 2020 onward to the 13th November 2020 (availability date). The Apple iPhone Pro will be available in stores from the 30th November 2020 onward.
Alongside the pre-order of the Apple iPhone 12 Mini and the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, most of the newly launched accessories will also be available on the 6th November 2020. The MagSafe Duo Charger and Leather Sleeve for the iPhone 12 series will be available later though. You also want to keep in mind that the new Apple iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max will only come with a USB Type-C to Lightning cable and nothing else inside the box.
You would need to buy a separate charging brick or use an existing one that you already have. Your regular Apple charging brick will not take on the USB Type-C cable too, so to take advantage of that, you need a separate brick from Apple. You do not get the usual bundled earphone too, so you might want to consider getting a Bluetooth earphone for yourself too or use the one you already have. On the bright side, the box is half the size from before.
Rumours have been spreading about Samsung’s digital assistant being retired in favour of deeper integration of the Google Assistant. Lending more credence to the rumour is Samsung’s apparent removal of several AR features from Bixby Vision.
Samsung has already sent notices to its users that they will be discontinuing some of the features in Bixby Vision. The notice sent out late last month mentioned the removal of features such as Styling, Home, Decor and Places by the end of October. These features may return in some form with partnerships to enhance the AR features but the likelihood of that happening at this point seems slim.
While the discontinuation and removal of a bulk of AR features from Bixby may seem like a sudden move, it’s not surprising. Samsung was a late player to the game when it came to virtual assistants with companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft spearheading development. However, more recent rumours point to Google actually offering Samsung a large sum of money to drop Bixby in favour for deeper Google Assistant integration into the company’s ecosystem.
That said, minimising or removing Bixby would be counter intuitive for Samsung. The company announced a few years ago that the Bixby would be the cornerstone of their Galaxy Ecosystem. In fact, they went in depth during their Southeast Asia – Oceania (SEAO) forum held in Singapore. They were detailing the integrations that would be pursued.
That being the case, this development is definitely one we’ll be keeping our eye on.
Vivo is that one smartphone brand that is not shy in introducing new and funky features in a smartphone. This is especially true with it comes to camera placements on a smartphone. They introduced the world to the idea of a deca-core smartphone. They were also the first to hide their front facing camera in a pop-up mechanism that appears only when you need it. This year, Vivo Apex spearheads the under-display selfie camera era. Today, Vivo is taking the spotlight once more with a novel smartphone camera that is not even on the smartphone.
The new concept device from Vivo comes with a front camera that they call IFEA. It is a camera front facing camera that can be detached from the body of the device. For all intents and purposes, it is still a regular pop-up front-facing selfie camera. It just happens to be removable once it has popped out and has been activated. Once detached, the camera module is supposedly voice activated. This modular design from the Chinese company has won the Red Dot Design Award.
It does sound like a very interesting feature, this pop-up detachable thing. This new IFEA smartphone design aims to provide consumers with a new photography system and experience which is totally different from what usually offered by a smartphone. It integrates enhanced users-friendly shooting features anytime and anywhere.
Beside, there is another one on the Red Dot website that shows the display and the back of Vivo phone. The screen is seamless, without notches or punch holes. The back features a dedicated main camera as well to suggest that the detachable stuff is only for the front camera.
Source: Vivo/Red Dot
Vivo also stated that the IFEA module will come with multiple accessories and support mechanisms with different modes to increase the stability and storage of the device. Some accessories were also shown such as a magnetic attachment, clips for wrists and a collar mount for dogs, to make better use of the removable camera.
It’s unclear how Vivo plans to use this modular camera design. So far, the device is just in its concept phase and there are no clear intentions from Vivo themselves to make the device commercially available. Stay tuned though, we are keeping our ears close to the ground, just in case Vivo changes their mind.
Finding it difficult to search for routes while driving? Waze’s new features are helping drivers to get back on the road safer and faster (Not driving faster, mind you). So far there are seven new features from Waze that is now available in app.
Nearly everyone uses Waze to get to another destination these days (at least in Malaysia). Thanks to users everywhere, Waze is able to partner with municipalities and transit authorities to ease traffic and reduce congestion. The community based app, in some sense, has done more for the motorists than governments.
Source: Waze
Waze will now provide all sorts of new information to drivers before even leaving for a drive. Waze delivers information such as travel times, or even traffic predictions based on past and current driving history. It even gives you personalised recommendations based on your driving data.
Waze can now also show drivers the recent destinations so that drivers would not need to keep searching for an address again within the Waze app. They are now what Waze calls “Front and center” on the app for easy access. No more fumbling with your smartphone in the car.
Source: Waze
The app now also saves Live data for your convenience. Again, using past and current driving and navigation data, even your input, Waze keeps your itinerary for you. That allows you to technically just turn on the app every morning, for example, and start driving to work, wherever it is. The app will also tell you when is the best time to leave for work depending on the conditions on the road on specific days.
It is dangerous for you to work with your smartphone on-the-move, especially when you are driving. You would want to minimise your interaction with the smartphone. Thing is, when your car is running out of fuel, you might panic and start fumbling the device to search for the nearest petrol kiosk. Panic not, quickly open the Waze app and with the quick search, helpful location badges and bubles, including fuel stations will appear to you.
Source: Waze
Lane Guidance is a livesafer in a lot of cases. It is a feature that is long awaited on the ever popular navigation app. The new feature Lane Guidance will tell users which lane to be in to ensure that you do not miss a turning.
2020 is an odd year. With the pandemic situation, it is difficult to not just move around. It is difficult to predict traffic. Waze has somehow improved their brilliant ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) algorithm. That means it is even more accurate in areas with less drivers, and it is better at predicting changes in traffic patterns.
Source: Waze
Source: Waze
The most exciting new feature is the Batman Theme. The Waze users can activate the Batman experience on Waze either selecting the famous voice of Batman (Kelvin Conroy) or The Riddler (Wally Wingert) to let them drive with new experience with English, Portuguese and Spanish until 30 October 2020. The Waze app is a free app available on Android and iOS devices on Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively.
HONOR is a brand that is very well known for their value-for-money devices. They launched their HONOR MagicBook earlier this year and challenged nearly every other PC maker in the segment by halving or undercutting their prices with their own offering. In that sense, HONOR is one of those brands that makes us wonder whether or not we should spend that much on a device.
Recently, HONOR just launched their MagicBook Pro and Watch GS Pro in Malaysia. The two devices lining up with HONOR’s direction of pushing the digital lifestyle boundaries this year. These are probably the most exciting devices that is coming out of HONOR this year.
Honor MagicBook Pro
Source: HONOR
The Honor MagicBook Pro was designed to help professionals to enhance their productivity with an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H processor alongside an integrated Radeon Graphics for a snappy and smooth performance even when handling complex tasks. The notebook PC is designed to allow for 20% more airflow than traditional cooling fans with minimal noise. With a 56Wh battery that is quoted to last up to 11 hours on a single charge, you can also use the notebook with peace of mind, knowing it will last you a whole work day.
The Honor MagicBook Pro weighs only 1.7kg and is only 16.9mm thick. Thanks to the lightweight construction and petite packaging, lugging it around is a breeze in your backpacks. The best part of the HONOR MagicBook Pro, if you are using an HONOR device, is that you can reply texts, answer calls and even watch videos with your smartphone, on the notebook. To keep everything secure and safely locked in the notebook, the HONOR MagicBook has a 2-in-1 power button with a fingerprint scanner.
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
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Source: HONOR
HONOR Watch GS Pro
Source: HONOR
The HONOR Watch GS Pro is a guide for all sorts of adventures. Its high-precision built in dual satellite positioning systems is built to ensure that you know where you are going at all times. It is also stress tested in all kinds of environments so that you can bring it out for all your outdoor activities. Of course, this being an all around activity tracker, it has multiple activity modes for you to easily access specific data for specific work outs and exercises.
The HONOR Watch GS Pro comes with a quoted 25-day battery life. That is theoretically the longest battery life that any smartwatch can have in the current market, beating even the Garmins. This also means that even in harsh environments, the HONOR Watch GS Pro will keep you company for as long as you need it to. This actually gives you a whole new world with endless possibilities and probably some new experiences.
Source: HONOR
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Source: HONOR
Pricing and Availability
The HONOR MagicBook Pro is now available via HONOR’s official online store, their online retail partners, and all HONOR official stores nationwide. The HONOR MagicBook Pro will set you back MYR 3,599 and will be bundled with HONOR’s Magic Earbuds, a Bluetooth mouse, and a Backpack. If you purchase them through Shopee or Lazada, your purchase comes with a free Microsoft Office 365 Personal subscription, a Bluetooth mouse, and a Backpack.
The HONOR Watch GS Pro is also available now via HONOR’s official online store and all its retail partners including Shopee and Lazada. Keep in mind you can only purchase the Charcoal Black variant as of now. The Marl White variant will be available 15 October onward, but pre-orders start now. The Watch GS Pro will set you back MYR 999. Currently, every purchase of the Watch GS Pro entitles you to a free HONOR Sport Pro wireless earphones.
OPPO’s not letting the current state of affairs get it down. Instead, the company has released one of its most affordable midrange smartphones yet – The OPPO A93.
The OPPO A93 is third generation of OPPO’s mid range A series. The A series kicked off slightly over a year ago with the A90 which brought OPPO’s camera technology to the forefront of their midrange. The tradition continues with OPPO equipping the new A93 with a whopping 6 cameras – 2 in the front and 4 at the back. The selfie cameras are a 16-megapixel main camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a 2-megapixel depth sensor for the portrait shots that OPPO is known for. On the back, the quad camera setup consists of a 48-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and phase detection autofocus (PDAF), an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, and two 2-megapixel mono sensors with an f/2.4 aperture for depth sensing.
Aside from the camera, the OPPO A93 comes with a large 4,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. The battery powers an octacore MediaTek Helio P95 clocked at 2.2GHz. The processor is complemented by a 8GB of RAM and 128GB of on board UFS2.1 memory. It also supports up to an additional 512GB of memory via the microSD card slot. The OPPO A93 has a triple card slot which houses the microSD card as well as 2 SIMS.
The smartphone is equipped with a 6.43-inch display. The panel is an AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution of 2400×1080 pixels. The screen supports a 60Hz refresh rate with a pixel density of 409ppi with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen covers 90.7% of the phone’s facade. It is also equipped with Gorilla Glass 3+ scratch resistance.
The OPPO A93 will be running ColorOS 7.2 a top Android 10. It will bring most of the features that OPPO phones have become well known for including the personalisation options that the Android skin allows.
Pricing & Availability
The OPPO A93 will be up for pre-order starting 6 October 2020. Pre-orders end on 9 October 2020. Pre-orders will be entitled to free gifts, an exclusive umbrella and an OPPO fre It will be available in stores starting 10 October 2020.
The A93 will be available in Matte Black and Metallic White. It will cost MYR1,299 (USD$312.74).
Official Specifications
Dimensions & Weight
Dimensions: About 7.48mm x 73.8mm x 160.1mm Weight: About 164g
Display
16.34cm Dual Punch-hole Display 2400×1080 pixels; FHD+ AMOLED 60HZ Refresh Rate; 20:9 Screen Ratio 90.7% Screen to Body Ratio; 409 PPI Gorilla Glass 3+
Platform
MKT Helio P95 CPU type& Speed : 8-core, 2.2Ghz
Storage
8GB RAM LPDDR4 128GB ROM UFS 2.1 Dual-SIM, Micro-SD can be extended to 256 GB. 3 card slot
When Xiaomi introduced the Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro last year, the device became a sensation. It was one of the best value-for-money buys that you can make in the year 2019 and it was something that really caught our attention. It performed admirably too, definitely one of the best smartphones to come out of 2020. Then comes the big question. How do you follow up from such a smartphone?
Last night was Xiaomi’s answer to that question of replacing the Xiaomi Mi 9T series. The answer was a plain and simple Xiaomi Mi 10T series. Of course, the series branches out into three devices to cover three different market segments.
Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
Source: Xiaomi
The most powerful device in the series is obviously the ‘Pro’. It is quite expected at this point, with that naming moniker. Obviously as well, the device packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 System on a Chip (SoC), the most powerful Qualcomm SoC before the Snapdragon 856+ launched.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is a rather powerful chip still though. That powerful SoC with Adreno 650 GPU combined with 8GB of RAM is sure to make the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro the most powerful smartphone the Chinese manufacturer has seen in their stables. All that power will be accentuated by the write and read speeds of the 256GB (up to) UFS 3.1 memory module.
Source: Xiaomi
This Android 12 with MIUI 12 device runs on a large 5,000mAh battery to keep everything running from morning to night, and even more. If not, the Xiaomi Mi 10T super-fast charges at 33W. All that is wrapped in a mix of glass body and aluminium frame.
The front of the device is mostly plain Corning Gorilla Glass 5 housing the large 6.67-inch TrueColor DotDisplay. At 144Hz the Full HD+ display feels smooth and snappy, a real difference in experiencing MIUI 12. Yes, you read that right; 144Hz, not 120Hz.
Source: Xiaomi
That super-fast gaming-centric display is not just fast though. It is a properly pretty display with P3 colour gamut and TrueColor for more accurate colours. They also understand that not all contents are displayed at 144Hz, so the display also comes with AdaptiveSync and Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation (MEMC) technologies to match framerates and make it seem like your 60Hz videos play at 120Hz or even 144Hz.
At the corner of the display is a 20-Megapixel front facing camera to ensure your selfies look good. Of course, that is not the only camera that the device has. It is a modern flagship after all. Out the back then is a large 108-Megapixel sensor supported by a 13-Megapixel ultra-wide camera and 5-Megapixel macro camera. No telephoto nonsense here. That 108-Megapixel shooter gives the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro the ability to shoot videos at 8K resolution.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
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Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Xiaomi Mi 10T
Source: Xiaomi
A step down from the Pro is the regular Xiaomi Mi 10T. Technically, there is not much in difference between the Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro. The Xiaomi Mi 10T packs the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC as the Mi 10T Pro.
You can even get it with up to 8GB RAM arrangement with 128GB of memory in tow too, comparable to the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro. Both packs the same sized display with the same refresh rate and colour calibration. Both also pack the same battery size at 5,000mAh.
The difference is out the back of the device. The Xiaomi Mi 10T also still has the same smaller 13-Megapixel Ultra-wide shooter and 5-Megapixel macro camera at the back. But instead of the powerful 108-Megapixel camera, it is a 64-Megapixel sensor in place. This could be the next best value device of the year, we think.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Mi 10T Lite
Source: Xiaomi
If you are looking for something that is more considerate for your wallet, then there is the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite. As its name suggest, this is sort of the baby Xiaomi Mi 10T. Of course, you cannot expect it to be anywhere near as powerful as the bigger brother, the Xiaomi Mi 10T and the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro too.
It packs the power of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC for big performance at a budget. The 750G also packs 5G capabilities for good measure, in case you want a taste of it when it is available. But it is also still powerful enough to run your PUBG Mobile smoothly.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G that is paired with 6GB of RAM space is powerful enough to power MIUI 12 based on Android 11 on the 120Hz 6,67-inch Full HD display. The display is nicely protected against weather and other abuse via a Corning Gorilla Glass. Under that same glass at the top of the display is a 16-Megapixel front-facing shooter.
Source: Xiaomi
Out the back, you also find a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to house a 64-Megapixel main shooter. That main shooter is paired with an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-Megapixel Macro lens, and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor making it a quad-camera set-up effectively.
Keeping everything running all day long is a 4,820mAh battery. While that is still smaller than the Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro, it is a decent battery size. If you need to get it charged, the 33W charger in the box should fix you up quickly.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Specifications
Mi 10T Pro
Mi 10T
Mi 10T Lite
Display
144Hz 6.67″ TrueColor DotDisplay 20:9 aspect ratio, 2400×1080 FHD+, AdaptiveSync display: 30Hz/48Hz/50Hz/60Hz/90Hz/120Hz/144Hz Support MEMC Support DCI-P3, HDR10 Brightness: 500 nits (typ), 650 nits max brightness (typ) Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) Sunlight display 3.0, Reading mode 3.0 TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification 360° ambient light sensor
144Hz 6.67″ TrueColor DotDisplay 20:9 aspect ratio, 2400×1080 FHD+, AdaptiveSync display: 30Hz/48Hz/50Hz/60Hz/90Hz/120Hz/144Hz Support MEMC Support DCI-P3, HDR10 Brightness: 500 nits (typ), 650 nits max brightness (typ) Color contrast ratio: 1500:1 (typ) Sunlight display 3.0, Reading mode 3.0 TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification 360° ambient light sensor
Alongside the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10T, and Mi 10T Lite, Xiaomi introduces their new Mi Watch (not to be confused with Apple Watch). The Mi Watch is made for the active Mi fans with its bright AMOLED display measuring in at 1.39-inch in diameter displaying all the things you need to know about your lifestyle.
The Mi Watch can keep track of up to 117 kinds of exercises in all different modes. There are six different sensors and a GPS tracker to offer you all the sorts of information you need for a healthy lifestyle. The best part though, is that you only need to charge the Mi Watch once in every 16 days.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Availability and Pricing
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, Mi 10T, and Mi 10T Lite will be launching in Malaysia very soon. In fact, it is supposed to be launched locally on the 6th of October 2020. The Xiaomi Mi Watch is also expected to make an appearance at the local launch. There are no confirmed prices yet at this point. We will be updating this page very soon with that information.
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
UPDATE: The Xiaomi Mi Watch will be available in Malaysia from December 6th onward in Malaysia. No prices have been announced at this time, but we are expecting it to be priced well below the MYR 1,299 mark. The Xiaomi Mi 10T series will be available in regular and Pro variant for MYR 1,699 (8GB + 128GB) and MYR 1,999 (8GB + 256GB). The Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro is available 9th October onward in all Mi authorised stores, official concept stores, and partner online retailers across Malaysia. No news on the Mi 10T Lite.
Source: Xiaomi
UPDATE 2: Xiaomi is holding their first ever roadshow for the Mi 10T and the Mi10T Pro in four locations across Malaysia. The road show will be held on the 9th to the 11th of October 2020 in Sunway Pyramid, One Utama (Mi Store), Gurney Plaza Penang (Mi Store), and Paradigm Mall JB (Mi Store). If you are one of the first 450 customers to buy the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, you are entitled to get a free Mi LED 4S 55-inch television alongside a Mi True Wireless Earphone 2 Basic. The first 3,000 customers are entitled to the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic. Your purchase of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro also comes with 6-months of Netflix Mobile Plan subscription for free.
UPDATE 3: The first sales roadshow of the Xiaomi Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro is now exclusively online, in light of the current pandemic situation. The first sales campaign will still happen on all Xiaomi’s online sales platforms including their official store on Lazada from 9 October 2020 onward. The exhibition planned at Sunway Pyramid on the same day will still happen for experiential purposes only.
The question of ‘hackability’ and the overall security of our smartphones is one of those issues that seems to pop up in the news. After all, we use our smartphones for just about anything – sharing photos, ordering food, shopping online, sending emails and messages, banking and financial services, etc. – without realising all of the ways we could be putting our device and ourselves at risk, allowing cyber-criminals to get access to our sensitive data.
While many of us are better informed today about the potential dangers of being connected on our smartphones, hackers and cyber-criminals are also changing their methods of attack. As the global pandemic have left many of us stuck at home and more reliant than ever on our mobile devices, cyber-criminals have also adapted new ways to target users. Over the Movement Control Order (MCO), cybersecurity cases spiked by 82.5% compared to the same time last year, with 18% attributed to attacks against local companies and the remaining linked to home users and others[1].
Recognising Cyberattacks and the Need for Cyber-resilience
Among the new waves of attacks brought on by the pandemic are COVID-19 themed phishing lures, high-risk fake domains, and scams[2]. These new methods employed by cyber-criminals are aimed at taking advantage of the public fear of the virus, combined with heightened stress levels from unfamiliar ways of working. The most common attacks in Malaysia can be attributed to phishing attempts, the spread of malicious code via untrustworthy websites, and passwords, as below:
Phishing Emails – Reports have found that 91% of all attacks begin with a phishing email to an unsuspecting victim, with 32% of all successful breaches involve the use of phishing techniques[3]. While many of us have been educated on recognising phishing emails, these attacks are still effective, and can fool even tech-savvy individuals.
Malicious Websites – Compromised websites is a main avenue for spreading malware infections on mobile devices. Limiting your browsing activity to reputable websites can reduce the possibility of infection.
Password Security – A survey revealed that 59% of respondents use the same password for multiple accounts, citing convenience and a fear of forgetting their password as the reason for this practice[4]. However, this allows cyber-criminals to access all your accounts easily through one single credential. Therefore, it is advisable to use different passwords across accounts.
Cyberattacks continue to grow day-by-day, and it is crucial that we learn to minimise risk, with good cyber habits being a pivotal and essential first step in combatting threats.
Defending your Smartphone, the Moment it is Turned On
As such, while it is important to take steps and measures to protect yourself online, it is also crucial to have a strong security platform on your smartphone, helping you encrypt and secure confidential data. Most smartphone breaches happen because they may not be equipped with advanced security measures, have outdated systems that may not be able to withstand current attacks. Similarly, smartphone owners may also not consider the importance of securing their phones or performing regular security check-ups. However, there are certain devices that come with a safe and secure in-built mobile interface to keep your personal data protected.
For example, Samsung Knox sets a foundation of security to users at both the hardware and software level as a security platform that’s integrated within Samsung smartphones, tablets, and wearables to protect it against malicious threats. Whether it is protection against phishing attacks or potential malware infections, the Samsung Knox platform has security integrated into its DNA, providing multi-layered security with data encryption and run-time protection within Samsung devices to keep sensitive information safe from online threats. Users can safeguard passwords, save private files under a secured folder, and even secure mobile transactions with Samsung Knox. Getting to know your security platforms is just as important when considering the range of services that is available to ensure that it is updated to meet global information and technology security requirements. This helps its users stay ahead of the modern-day threats with its game-changing security features.
Given that smartphone usage has only grown exponentially over the past few years, it is important that we have more security platforms allowing us the freedom and peace-of-mind in staying connected. Similar to how Samsung Knox have.
On top of having a top-tier security platform for your data, having that protection extended to all the essentials in a mobile device is equally important. While many of us are familiar with installing apps on our phones, we may be unfamiliar with the authenticity of the sources producing these apps. Learning to identify unverified and suspicious sources can help users identify potentially harmful apps.
Similar to how Samsung devices come built-in with Google Mobile Services (GMS) to help ensure that your vital applications have the latest updates and patches from verified sources, using trusted sources from well-known app stores like Google Play can help protect you from downloading and installing apps that can harm your devices.
Staying Secure, Safe, and Savvy about Security
Cyberattacks are nothing new, the challenge is in identifying and combatting the updated approach that many cybercriminals are using when it comes to their targets and the frequency of their attacks. Whether it is a hacking attempt by a third-party app or a fraud email redirecting you to a malicious website, most cybercriminals have one common goal: exploit your personal data and use that data to make profit. As such, it is critical that we keep our sensitive information protected at all costs, with the help of a smartphone built with highly advanced security features to always keep you safe from unwanted threats.
