Category Archives: Mobile

Camera, Computers, Mobile, News

More is Better – Canon Launches Printers with 6 Ink Tanks

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If you go out to buy a modern printer off the shelf today, you would not be surprised to find printers that comes with four tanks to be filled with four different colours of ink. You get the usual Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black combination (CMYK). That has been the way printers been since the early days of colour printing. Before the age of refillable tanks in modern printers, it was the age of printer ink cartridges that comes in two variants, the Black, and the Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow variant for both black and white and colour printing. You see at most two cartridges for that.

Canon has been one of the leaders in consumer printing solutions. They also have been championing refillable ink tanks solutions in modern consumer printer solutions. Refillable tanks are much cheaper to run compared to specifically built ink cartridges and can be more reliable. Our own office printer runs on refillable tanks too, in fact. We also think that the 4-tank solution is one of the best things that has come to modern consumer printers.

Source: Canon

But what if you can have more tanks in your printer. What if your printer has six tanks? It seems like you can try to figure that out on your own with Canon’s PIXMA G570 and PIXMA G670 printers.

There is an additional Grey ink and Red ink tanks for both the new Canon PIXMA printers. One of the added benefits to that the printer is now able to produce more prints than before, especially coloured prints thanks to the added overall storage volume of the tanks. Of course, you would have to spend a little bit more than before when you refill, because two extra tanks. You get up to 3,800 sheets of 4 x 6 photo prints from one set of included ink.

The other benefit to printing with two extra colours on the printer is better colour reproduction never seen before in this type of printers. If you compare the modern 4-tank ink printers to the likes of laser printers, or even cartridge-based printers, the colour prints from 4-tank ink printers tend to be a little washed out and less vivid, especially where you see red. The additional Red and Grey ink sets are supposed to add some extra colour details where it was not possible before with the CMYK arrangement. The effects will be more apparent if you use photo paper obviously.

Source: Canon

Of course, the Canon PIXMA G570 and PIXMA G670 retains all the smart features of a modern printer. You can use the Canon PRINT Inkjet or SELPHY smartphone app to print directly from your smartphones as usual. You can also connect PIXMA G570 and G670 to your office network and cloud storages for remote printing and even scanning purposes via PIXMA Cloud Link.

If you download the Canon Easy-PhotoPrint Editor app on iOS, Android, Windows and even Mac OS, you can edit your photos and add all sorts of filters first before you send it to the printer for a quick print. You can use the app as well to create calendars, postcards, business cards, and more. The Canon PosterArtist Lite app on Windows can also help you quickly create posters from over 1,300 templates, photos, and clipart.

Source: Canon

The Canon PIXMA G570 and G670 will be available today onward from all Canon’s authorised retailers, official stores, and partnering online stores today onward. The Canon PIXMA G570 will set you back MYR 1,229 while the PIXMA G670 will retail at MYR 1,529. For more information on the new Canon PIXMA printers with six ink tanks, you can visit Canon’s website.

Android, Mobile, News

Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III Are the World’s First Smartphones with Variable Telephoto Lens

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Sony’s Xperia launch just happened last night. Of course, it was a pre-recorded video played on their own website. It was not a live session or anything like that because of the current situation of the pandemic. Yes, we have to still remind ourselves that we are still in the midst of the pandemic, stay safe.

Still, manufacturers are becoming active again and that is something we love to see. Sony is also a brand that is close to our hearts. We are big fans of their products and I do not think we are able to hide our affection toward the brand very well.

So, the Xperia 1 III, Xperia 5 III, and Xperia 10 III made the stage last night. The big highlights of the show though were the Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III. Sony claims that these are the world’s first smartphones to pack Variable telephoto lens paired with a dual PD autofocus sensor. We will go into detail what that is later.

As per their Sony Alpha (α) moniker, the cameras on the Sony Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III will also pack Real-time Eye Autofocus for both humans and animals. You also get 20fps burst photo mode with low light noise reduction technology thanks to a BIONZ X processor built into the device. On top of that, there is a brand-new AI super resolution zoom technology for a better and cleared photos when you zoom into a subject.

Sony Xperia 1 III

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The Sony Xperia 1 III is made to be flagship among flagships. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 System on a Chip (SoC), the most powerful you technically can get in the industry today. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC is supported by 12GB of RAM to keep Android 11 trundling along nicely with up to 512GB in storage. Of course, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 is also a 5G capable SoC making this Xperia a 5G device.

You want all of that power from the SoC too though because the Xperia 1 III packs a 4K HDR OLED display at its 6.5-inch with CinemaWide screen ratio. That display also boasts 120Hz in refresh rate. This also makes the Xperia 1 III the first smartphone to feature a 120Hz 4K OLED display in the world. We think it will be the only one too. This should be something else when you game. It is also protected with Corning’s latest Gorilla Glass Victus up front.

The Gorilla Glass 6 protected rear features three cameras with the help of a 3D ToF sensor. The main sensor is not some crazy 108-Megapixel shooter with crazier resolution clearing technology. You get a Plain Jane 12-Megapixel sensor with a regular f/1.7 in aperture. That 12-Megapixel sensor is flanked by another 12-Megapixel telephoto lens with Variable zoom lengths. You can zoom it to 70mm or 105mm, that is 3x to 4x zoom. There is also another 12-Megapixel camera that shoots at an ultra-wide angle with 124o of view.

Source: Sony

Of course, the 12-Megapixel camera is capable of shooting videos at 4K resolution with HDR. With Cinematography Pro with Sony’s CineAlta technology, the Sony Xperia can shoot videos at 120fps slow-motion for up to 5x slow-motion videos. There is also a new User Interface (UI) that comes with the Xperia 1 III movie mode to make things even more intuitive for a quicker and more convenient workflow.

They have improved the audio as well on the Sony Xperia 1 III. The speakers are 40% louder than before. The smartphone also now supports 360 Reality Audio through the speakers natively too. The Xperia 1 also boasts DSEE Ultimate technology that enhances your music even more. Oh yes, it still has a 3.5mm audio jack.

All the hardware inside the Xperia 1 III flagship will require a lot of power to run for a whole day. That is why Sony packs 4,500mAh battery. The 4,500mAh battery charges to 50% in just 30 minutes with the included charger. You can also wirelessly charge it or wireless charge other devices with the Xperia 1 III.

Sony Xperia 5 III

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The Sony Xperia 5 III packs mostly the same internals as the Xperia 1 III. It even packs the same camera array. The only difference on the outside of the device is probably the sizes.

The Sony Xperia 5 III comes with a 6.1-inch display. It does not produce 4K of resolution though. It only displays at Full HD+. It is also still a 120Hz display still for a silky-smooth experience.

Internally you get up to 8GB of RAM space and 256GB of storage. If that is not enough for you, there is a MicroSD slot that supports up to 1TB MicroSDXC cards. At least you still have the 4,500mAh battery that you get from Sony Xperia 1 III as well.

Price and Availability

The Sony Xperia 1 III will be in Malaysia with Android 11 at the end of July 2021 onward. It You can choose between Frosted Black and Frosted Purple colour options. The Sony Xperia 5 III will be available in Green colour option only. It will only be available in Malaysia September 2021 onward. There are no indications on the pricing of the devices at this point too. Sony says they will be announcing the price on a later date. For more information on the Sony Xperia 1 III and Sony Xperia 5 III, you can visit their website.

Android, Editorial, Mobile

How Co-Engineering Partnerships with LEICA, Hasselblad and ZEISS are Upping the Ante in Smartphone Photography

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Mobile photography seems to be gaining steam with industry leading companies like ZEISS partnering with mobile manufacturers like vivo to push the boundaries of photography – particularly when it comes to mobile. Over the past few years, it seems like more and more people are turning to their smartphones as their go to phones and with companies like Sony pushing the boundaries with camera sensors, more attention has been paid to complementing them with better software and hardware.

The partnerships between brands like vivo and ZEISS can take many forms. In fact, we’ve seen the different ways these can play out in just the past two months. Of course, one of the partnerships we’ve seen is in the recent announcement of Hasselblad’s collaboration to improve mobile photography. In their collaboration, Hasselblad’s know-how is applied in the algorithm that is used to process the information from the sensor into the final photo. We also see partnerships where the imaging companies provide only the hardware, in the form of lenses or augmented sensors, for mobile brands to use similar to the partnership LEICA is involved in.

However, in the case of vivo and ZEISS, the companies are looking break new ground. They have first laid the groundwork for a partnership and collaboration that doesn’t just come in smartphone technology. They have setup the “vivo ZEISS Imaging Lab” which is focusing on developing and improving optical performance when it comes to mobile imaging. Of course, these developments will naturally trickle down to vivo’s premium flagship smartphones where, in recent years, vivo has been working to push the boundaries of creative expression.

The vivo X60 Series – A True Camera First Premium Flagship

vivo’s X60 series is the first smartphone to be on the receiving end of the partnership between vivo and ZEISS. Over the past few years, vivo has used the X series of smartphones to zoom in on creators and imaging enthusiasts. They have infused the smartphones with revolutionary technologies that up the ante in a way we’ve not seen in the industry just yet.

vivo’s quarter of a decade of experience in creating mobile devices is further honed by their X50 series. The first debut of their gimbal technology brought a fresh breath of air into a still space when it came to technological innovations. That’s further enhanced in their collaboration with ZEISS. The collaboration is a pervasive marriage of both companies’ prowess ranging from the software to hardware of the cameras featured on the X60 series of smartphones.

ZEISS Biotar Portrait Style

The new vivo X60 series comes with a whole slew of features that put the collaboration front and centre but, perhaps, the most visible inclusion of ZEISS in the ability of the X60 series to reproduce pictures taken with ZEISS’s signature Biotar lenses. The pictures taken in this mode on the X60 series come with the central resolution and rotational bokeh that are the hallmark of ZEISS’s Biotar lenses. This is achieved with the progressive bokeh simulation and distributed blurred spot rotation of the algorithm on vivo’s X60 series smartphones.

Of course, the ZEISS Biotar Portrait style isn’t the only filter or style available on the X60 series. In fact, it actually joins a formidable arsenal that includes multiple night filters such as Black and Golden which highlights the shadows and turns the photo a golden sepia for a deep, emotional flare.

Gimbal Stabilization 2.0

The hallmark of vivo’s X series since its introduction last year is Gimbal Stabilization. This year, the vivo X60 series brings along Gimbal stabilization 2.0. The new updates to the feature include a new, customised Sony IMX598 with a larger aperture for better low light performance and sharper images. The feature also comes with vivo’s own VIS 5-axis video stabilization which allows the sensor to compensate for sudden jerks and movements that can occur when shooting videos, particularly action shots. The sum of these features is a cinema grade, stabilised video which is ready to upload and show off to the world.

Powered by A Flagship Grade processor

The vivo X60 series doesn’t just bring features some might consider gimmicks. It comes packing the Snapdragon 870 SoC which packs quite the punch when it comes to performance. The performance oriented SoC comes with 8-cores which allows it to take on more demanding tasks with more gusto. In fact, the built-in AI features power some of the vivo X60 series’ hallmark features and is responsible for the optimisations that result in better battery life. The SoC also enables the many algorithms that help create the filters and features that complement the camera hardware on the vivo X60. This includes the ZEISS powered filters.

All in all, the ground-up approach vivo is using in its partnership with ZEISS has only just begun. ZEISS has the prowess and know-how to help vivo level up its camera game in the long run and it’s very clear that the vivo X60 series is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the fruits of this partnership.

DISCLAIMER:
This is a paid advertorial and does not represent the views and opinions of the techENT editorial board.

Android, Gaming, Mobile, News

Lenovo Announces the Legion Phone Duel 2 with 2 Fans and 720Hz Response Rate

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[UPDATE 25/06/2021] The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is now available in Malaysia via Lenovo Exclusive Stores nationwide and via online official stores on Lazada and Shopee with prices starting from MYR 3,299 (12GB +256GB) and MYR 3,899 (16GB + 512GB).

Lenovo’s first gaming smartphone, the Legion Phone Duel was quite an eccentric device. Just like the ROG Phone, it was made to make gaming on a smartphone as comfortable and as optimised as possible. It was also made with some practicality in mind, with two smaller batteries instead of the usual one larger one. It also has an interestingly positioned pop-up selfie camera that acts as more of a streaming camera when you game than just a regular selfie camera. Of course, the first gaming smartphone from Lenovo’s Legion division had to pack the most powerful hardware of its time.

It did not seem too long ago that Lenovo released its gaming smartphone in Malaysia though. Now, there is a new one. Technically, Lenovo just announced it with no mentions of local (Malaysia) availability yet.

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The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2, they call it. In our opinion, the name is still quite a handful. But enough on the name, more on the device.

The new second generation Legion gaming smartphone packs a lot of similarities to the older generation Legion Phone Duel. For one, it has a similarly placed pop-up selfie camera. It also has two batteries, like the older device. It is also supposed to pack more bite within its aluminium and glass silhouette though.

The main rear cameras are placed differently this time too. Instead of the regular top placement of the device, the main cameras are now at the mid-section of the smartphone. The layout change does give way to additional space for Lenovo to fit two cooling fans into the device though. That also means that the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 does not need an external cooling fan like the ROG Phone. But that also means that the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is a little on the thick side. We would not know yet though, we have not had a hands-on with it.

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The cameras are still the same 64-Megapixel main and 16-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter at the back though. There are dual USB Type-C ports as well still with up to 90W in fast-charging capabilities. Hardware wise, these are where the similarities end.

The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 gaming smartphone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 System on a Chip (SoC), the most powerful 5nm SoC you can find in a smartphone today. That powerful SoC is paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The powerful internals help push Android 11 along the 6.92-inch 144Hz Full HD AMOLED display.

The same display supports HRD10+ and up to 720Hz of touch sampling rate. 720Hz touch sampling rate, at its availability, makes the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 the fastest responding smartphone in the current market. To make gaming even more immersive with the device too, you get dual haptic feedback system for a more precise response and feel to your games. With up to 8 virtual programmable keys, including four ultrasonic shoulder buttons, you are automatically getting a competitive advantage just on the Legion Phone Duel 2.

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The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is available in China April onward in Black and White color schemes. It will be available in Europe May 2021 onward with prices starting at EU€ 799 (MYR 3,933*) for the 12GB + 256GB variant or EU€ 948 (MYR 4,667*) for the 16GB + 512GB variant. That is about US$ 950** and US$ 1,128** respectively. There is no information on its availability in the North American region and South East Asian region for now. For more information on Lenovo’s new gaming smartphone, you can visit Lenovo’s press room.

*Based on approximate exchange rate of EU€ 1=MYR as of 09/04/2021 on xe.com

**Based on approximate exchange rate of EU€ 1=US$ 1.19 as of 09/04/2021 on xe.com

Android, Business, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

LG Completely Backs Out of Smartphone Market

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South Korea has become one of the biggest electronic giants the world has ever seen. With the likes of Samsung and LG, it is no wonder the South Koreans are highly regarded in the modern era of technology. The two electronic giants have conquered everything from televisions to even washing machines in 2021. They make some of the best-selling televisions, fridges, even down to a water purifier.

They have also been a leader in the smallest things we carry with us every day. Samsung and LG have been at the forefront of smartphone technologies for the past few years now. But there has been some interesting development for the past few weeks or so. One of them is the fact that LG has made an announcement that they are no longer interested in the smartphone business.

The announcement from LG’s very own newsroom describes that LG Electronics Inc. will close its mobile business unit as per approved by their board earlier in the day. What that means is that LG will give up its smartphone business unit and not dabble in the smartphone market in the future.

To be fair, the company has been considering the exit for a while now. LG’s Mobile Business Unit, or its smartphone division has been posting losses for the past five years at least, and they show no sign of recovering. The company has been focusing on selling some mid-range smartphones while developing interesting concepts that produces smartphones like the LG Wing. They also showed some concept of a rollable smartphone, something we do not expect to see LG producing ever with the announcement.

As per the announcement as well LG will continue to make their current inventory available for sale. LG will also continue to provide support and software updates for their current customers and their existing products until an unspecified time. Although there is no indication to when they will end their product life support. They only indicated that it will be varied by regions.

This also means that the company will have to repurpose its workforces from its mobile business units. They mentioned that this will be determined at a local level as well. Still, they have some time to repurpose everyone within the business unit.

LG is expecting the close to complete by the 31st July 2021. While LG will no longer be officially selling their devices by the end of July, they expect some existing stocks to still be available after specified date and those will still be on sale. LG will still be involved in the development of mobile technologies, however. They will continue to work on 6G network related developments even after the Mobile Business Unit concludes its closure.

Accessories, Computers, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

WWDC 2021 is Happening! Purely an Online Affair from June 7, 2021 Onward!

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The Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is a huge yearly ensemble for Apple. The annual conference is one of Apple’s most significant in a year. We see Apple upping the ante for WWDC every year too, and this year is no different. Apple this year is looking to make WWDC21 the biggest one yet.

WWDC is where we see the evolution, or the new iterations of Apple’s software. You can expect to see a new macOS, tvOS, watchOS, iOS, and even iPadOS. Sometimes, you might get to see some new hardware, or get an announcement as big as hardware dependency change like last year’s announcement. If you forgot, WWDC20 saw Apple announcing that they are moving away from relying on partner processors and move their supply chain to rely on their own Apple Silicon processors. Later in the year 2020 we saw the Apple M1 chip.

2020’s WWDC was also completely online due to the global situation that is the pandemic. There are some good that came out of last year’s WWDC though. It was accessible to everyone in the world, no matter their location or time zone. Last year’s WWDC was what Apple claimed to be its largest ever so far. They are expecting around 28 million developers around the world to tune in for this year’s WWDC.

While hardware has not been much of a focus for WWDC, we should not be surprised when Apple does make some announcements on hardware additions to their line-up. In 2019 and 2017, Apple launched new devices and even desktops during their WWDC keynotes. As usual also, there are no new details on what Apple will announce this year at WWDC. Although, some are speculating that Apple might launch their long-awaited AR glasses or some sort of VR headset. These are rumours based on the visuals Apple chose for this year’s WWDC21 tease.

Apple’s WWDC 21 is happening 7th June 2021 onward all the way to the 11th of June 2021. As per the current pandemic situation and like 2020, the event will be an all-virtual affair. For more information on WWDC21 you can head over to their website.

Accessories, Mobile, News

Xiaomi Wireless Charging Solutions: Fulfilling Our Wireless Dreams

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Years ago, when Nokia introduced our little world to the magic of wireless charging with the first ever Qi enabled Nokia Lumia 920, we could not fathom what the technology would evolve to. We remembered being excited about wireless charging when they introduced the technology with the Samsung Galaxy Note4. We personally experienced wireless charging first on the Samsung Galaxy Note5.

At the time, wireless charging is not just a luxury. It was a novelty that sort of works. No, it does work, just not all the time. The technology was finnicky at best and wireless chargers do not typically last you for long. Some of them will work for a few months to a year and they become even more finnicky than a broken cable.

The attraction to wireless charging though is massive. Wireless charging opens up a lot of possibilities for users and manufacturers. It opens up your table too, with more manageable cabling. You do not need a flailing cable for your smartphone, at the very least. There is always a designated spot for charging, amazing.

With the dawn of fast charging technology, we see the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus taking the lead in pushing wireless charging technology as far as possible. We see Xiaomi taking the plunge with their 40W wireless charger back in 2020, and later pushing the envelope to 50W wireless charging. OnePlus brought their 55W charging into the fray too.

But we never thought that it was possible to push wireless charging further. Until Xiaomi pulled the veils on their new Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. We are not talking about the device thought, we are talking about the accessories they come with. We are talking about the 80W wireless charger and the charging pad.

80W Wireless Charging Stand

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Xiaomi’s big number that accompanies this new charger is 19 minutes to 100%. The wireless charger is capable is filling up a typical smartphone battery at 4,000mAh from empty to 100%. Of course, the said battery also must be able to be charging at 80W.

The thing is no devices in the current market supports 80W charging just yet. That also means that you are not going to obtain this piece of kit for just current devices. You are future proofing yourself for future generations of device that supports up to 80W wireless charging.

Xiaomi Wireless Charging Pad

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Then there is this new familiar looking piece of kit. We saw it when Apple revealed their wireless charging pad called the AirPower. It was meant to be the base of Apple’s wireless charging devices. But Apple’s vision of a wireless charging pad never came to fruition.

Xiaomi beat them to it with a wireless charging pad that features 19 charging coils that allows you to simply place your wireless charging capable devices on the pad and start charging. There are no orientation requirements at all with the pad, which is its beauty. The charging pad also has enough juice to charge up to 3 devices at the same time at 20W.

Price and Availability

The Xiaomi 80W wireless charging stand will cost CN¥ 499, which is about US$ 76. It comes with a 120W power brick that could easily charge any other smartphones and even low-powered notebooks. If you get the Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro, it is a CN¥ 199 addition. The charging pad will set users in China back CN¥ 599 which is about US$ 91. That is the catch with these charging docks, however. These accessories are only available in China for now. There are no mentions yet on its global availability too.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Touch ‘n Go eWallet is Now More Than Just Payment with GO+

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If you checked your Touch ‘n Go eWallet app these past few days, you would have noticed a new feature, or a new icon. You might have come across ‘GO+’. I know I have, and a few of our friends have asked us what it was before today’s official launch of Touch ‘n Go’s GO+. Now that it is officially launched, we can properly explain what GO+ is.

Welcome to GO+, your gateway to small time investments and mainstream financial services. Essentially, you are investing with Principal, an asset management platform anchored by CIMB. In turn, GO+ is anchored by Principal, in alliance with CIMB, specifically their e-Cash Fund platform.

GO+ will take advantage of Principal’s asset management platform to sort of make investments to grow your financial assets via Touch ‘n Go’s eWallet platform. By putting as little as RM10 into the platform will supposedly guarantee a growth rate of 1.43% per annum. While that may not seem like much, it is more than putting your money into your bank’s savings account or current accounts.

The growth is not credited over a year long period too. You get returns on a daily basis and the returns are credited to your GO+ account every day. That also means the growth is an immediately visible one. Principal also promises no risks to the platform, so you can be rest assured that you will only be seeing growth.

What makes GO+ even better for users is that because it is integrated with Touch ‘n Go eWallet app, you can transfer the funds from GO+ into Touch ‘n Go eWallet accounts immediately at any given time, and vice versa. It does not stop there though; you can transfer credits from GO+ to any of your registered bank accounts immediately too. You can even use your GO+ account to pay for things via Touch ‘n Go eWallet app. That also means with GO+, you are more flexible than anything else you can currently find on the Malaysian market.

To get yourself on GO+ now, you can look into your Touch ‘N Go eWallet app and immediately register and upgrade your account to a GO+ account. You can start investing with GO+ with as little as RM10. For now, the service is only available to Malaysian citizens above 18 years of age. The Touch ‘n Go eWallet app is available for free from Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store for Android and iOS respectively

Android, Mobile, News

OPPO Find X3 Pro Launches in Malaysia for MYR 4,299

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OPPO finally launches their flagship class OPPO Find X3 Pro in Malaysia. Thankfully, the OPPO Find X3 Pro did not take long to arrive to the Malaysian shores. The Find X3 Pro launched globally on the 11th of March 2021, which also means that it took exactly two weeks for the device to arrive Malaysia.

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is OPPO’s latest flagship smartphone to arrive in Malaysia. It packs the industry leading Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G platform for maximum attack. The powerful System on a Chip (SoC) is not for nothing though, other than the 5G connectivity of course. The powerful chip keeps two powerful 50-Megapixel sensors happy and taking great looking photos. The OPPO Find X3 Pro also features a unique microscopic lens that offers up to 60x magnification for the finer things in life. These cameras can take up to 10-bit photos too. That also means you get up to 1-billion colours in your photos.

The 10-bit photos can be viewed and appreciated via the 6.7-inch QHD+ (1440p) OLED display. The display also boasts 10-bit colours with OPPO’s Full-path 10-bit Colour Management System. With 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio for even more true to life colours and images. On top of that LTPO OLED that adapts between 5Hz to 120Hz also means that your OLED display saves battery power.

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On the subject of power-saving, the OPPO Find X3 Pro packs a 4,500mAh battery pack within its glass formed body. The 4,500mAh should last you longer than a day too, as per the Find X2 series. But when the battery goes flat, you get up to 65W charging via OPPO’s SuperVOOC 2.0 flash charge. You can charge wirelessly too at 30W via AirVOOC. If you have other wireless charging devices, you can share power via reverse charging at 10W too.

The new ColorOS 11.2 (Android 11) flagship form OPPO is available 9th April 2021 onward. The OPPO Find X3 Pro will be available in either Gloss Black or Blue. The OPPO flagship will retail at MYR 4,299. You can pre-order your OPPO Find X3 Pro today onward from. All pre-orders will also come with free gifts worth a total of MYR 1,935. For more information, you can visit OPPO’s website.

Android, Gaming, Mobile, News

Qualcomm Working On Gaming Hardware Similar to the Nintendo Switch

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How do you know when you have a winning product? Well, if you’re Nintendo, it’s when everyone seems to be looking at mimicking it. In a report from Android Police, it looks like Qualcomm might be the latest in line with plans to create a gaming console similar to Nintendo’s money making Switch.

While it may seem like Qualcomm is looking to get into the console gaming space, the report says otherwise. Instead, the company is looking to spur innovation for its partners in adopting new, unconventional form factors for devices. This also means that the device could likely be a limited run – unless Qualcomm is working to get into the hardware space.

playing relax game controller
Photo by Lucie Liz on Pexels.com

The Qualcomm powered mobile gaming console looks to be mimicking the form factor of the Nintendo Switch. According to Android Police, it shares the same detachable “joycon” controllers. However, the console itself seems to be resembling a thicker smartphone. The chonky design choice is apparently meant to help with cooling which will allow Qualcomm to push the processor a little bit harder. Speaking of, it seems like the console will be coming with the next generation Qualcomm processor. This seems to be supported by the fact that Qualcomm is looking to release it sometime in Q1 of 2022.

The console will apparently be equipped with 5G connectivity albeit with the current generation X55 modem. It’s expected to come with the standard array of connectivity options we see in standard mobile phones. This includes GPS, Bluetooth, accelerometers and some haptics. However, it’s uncertain whether Qualcomm will be using a standard chip design or using specially customised one like the Snapdragon 855+ which was on the ROG Phone. It’s reported to have an SD Card slot as well and a large 6,000mAh battery. No screen size has been confirmed however, Android Police and XDA Editor in Chief Mishaal Rahman estimates it to be about 6.65-inches. It’s uncertain whether the console will comes with a dedicated port for TV out or go with the USB-C port like the Nintendo Switch. However, the console will be running Android 12 with a customised skin.

That aside, it looks like Qualcomm might be gearing up for some serious gaming content. The console will apparently be launching with Epic Game’s app. The company is also looking to build its own content library portal for the console. It’s still unclear if they will be teaming up with XBOX, NVIDIA or Google Stadia for even more content but it’s likely that they are looking to keep most of the gaming content offline to showcase the graphics capabilities of their SoC.

The move is an interesting one given the current landscape where we are seeing an increasing number of people gaming on mobile. However, it could also indicate that Qualcomm might be signalling that it’s ready to start making chips for portable consoles like the Nintendo Switch. This would be a big jump as the Switch currently uses a customised NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor while other consoles like the PS5 come with a customised AMD processor. The push for unconventional form factors is another interesting move from Qualcomm and could be the impetus we need to see an other N.Gage hit the scene.