HONOR is a brand most well-known for being the affordable arm of HUAWEI. However, that changed over a year ago when the company was spun off to be an independent company challenging what was once its parent company. This year, the company has already launched one flagship as an independent company – the Honor 50 series. HONOR is once again expanding its portfolio with a brand new smartphone.
Better Image and Video with IMAX Enhanced Cameras
Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)
The HONOR Magic3 series will consist of three smartphones (for now): the HONOR Magic3, the HONOR Magic3 Pro and the HONOR Magic3 Pro+. These smartphones are the first smartphones on the market to have IMAX enhancements when it comes to imaging. They have capabilities for shooting in exclusive 3D LUT colour grading profiles as well as video recording in LOG format.
Of course, given the hallmark partnership with IMAX, the HONOR Magic3 does have a focus on the camera that powers these features. The HONOR Magic3 comes with a triple camera setup. Its main sensor is a 50-megapixel, SONY IMX 766 sensor with 23mm focal length and an f/1.9 aperture and a wide-angle lens. This is complemented by a 64-megapixel monochrome sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 13-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, 13mm focal length and an f/2.2 aperture. It also has a laser autofocus module. The HONOR Magic3 Pro comes with a four-sensor camera setup. It shares the same setup as the Magic3 with a complement of an additional telephoto sensor with a 64-megapixel periscope sensor with OIS and 3.5x optical zoom and an 8×8 dTOF sensor. The Magic3 Pro+ comes with the same setup as the Magic3 Pro with the 13-megapixel ultra-wide sensor replaced with a 64-megapixel ultra-wide sensor.
Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)
With the partnership with IMAX, the HONOR Magic3 series is said to be one of the factors behind the increased image quality. It allows even more flexibility when it comes to post-processing thanks to the 3D LUT profile and LOG format video. The cameras come with eight AI film effects with preset LUT profiles. These profiles allow users to edit and colour grade more easily allowing for better colour accuracy and better image quality. This is enhanced further by the enhanced colour precision of the 8 colour channels of the sensor and its integrated Smart AWB algorithm.
On the front, is a dual-sensor camera setup. This is nestled in the 3D display in a pill-shaped cutout. The 13-megapixel sensor is complemented by a 3D ToF depth sensor. The camera setup doesn’t just take selfies, it is also used in the phone’s more secure implementation of the face unlock feature.
A Powerpacked Flagship
The two smartphones are running on Qualcomm’s latest and greatest: the Snapdragon 888+. The new processor is a supped up Snapdragon 888 which promises even better performance while sipping on battery power. This is complemented with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard memory. Both phones also run on a 4,6000mAh battery capable of 66W fast wired charging and 50W wireless charging.
Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)
On the display side of things, both of the HONOR Magic3 smartphones come with a 6.76-inch OLED display with Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is also curved and folds over the sides. The Pro+ comes with a higher resolution QHD+ resolution screen. The Magic3 comes with IP54 certification while the Pro comes with IP68. Both will be running Magic UI powered by Android 11.
Pricing & Availability
The HONOR Magic3 series will be available in two finishes. The first is finished with synthetic leather while the next comes with a more conventional glass back. The former is available in Golden Hour and Blur Hour colours while the latter is available in Black and White.
Source: HONOR Global (YouTube)
The HONOR Magic3 is priced at €899 (MYR4,462.72*) while the HONOR Magic3 Pro comes in at €1,099 (MYR5,455.85*).
The HONOR Magic3 Pro+ will come in Ceramic Black and Ceramic White. It will be priced at €1,499 (MYR7,441.18*).
The Magic3 series will be released in China first with plans for a global rollout to be announced later on.
*Conversion rate taken from XE.com at 9.49 pm on 12 August 2021. EUR€1 = MYR4.64.
Razer is not exactly new when it comes to producing audio accessories. Of course, their core DNA has always been gaming. They have been creating gaming-centric accessories and hardware for years. What started out as a gaming mouse maker is now a major producer in other gaming peripherals, including gaming laptops for that matter.
The trend today, at least in terms of lifestyle accessories, is to go wireless. Razer understands that too, of course. Over the years too they have been expanding their wireless gaming peripheral line-up. The latest to join that line of wireless hardware is the new Hammerhead True Wireless (TWS) earbuds.
This is not technically a new product from Razer though. They launched their first iteration of their Hammerhead TWS earbuds back in 2019. The first-generation earphones took everything that were great from their Bluetooth iteration of the Hammerhead earphones and put them in a form factor that reflects the modern craze.
The shape of the earphones, in a sense, is very different from the Hammerhead earphones that we are used to though. Its shape mimics a certain other manufacturer instead, given, it was one of the most popular designs out there in the TWS earbuds market. Its charging/carrying case was designed a little differently though. It was designed to stand out a little bit in a more pill like case, while being a little more pocketable and compact than its competitors. After all, the name of the game in TWS earphones is portability and versatility.
The new TWS Hammerhead takes a slightly different approach compared to the first generation from 2019 though. The case and earbuds design mimics Razer’s own Hammerhead TWS Pro earbuds instead. That also means the case has a larger footprint compared to its predecessor. That is good news for its battery life though, with up to 32.5 hours in total battery life (RGB and ANC Off).
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
While the touch sensitive stem of the earbuds remains on the second-generation Razer Hammerhead, the tips are completely different. The new Hammerhead TWS earbuds features a proper earbud with replaceable silicon tips that should be a better and more secure fit in your ears. Its IPX4 certification means that you can take it out for your exercises and ensuring that you have a good seal and secure fit is important; you do not want to be running and losing your earbuds along the way.
On top of all of that, there are a few more reasons why you might want to ditch your first-generation Hammerhead TWS earbuds for the new one. For one, it now features Active Noise Cancelling technology. It also features Google Fast Pair, for an even quicker pairing and connection with your Android devices. At the same time, you get even more stable wireless connection with Bluetooth 5.2. The best part on the Hammerhead TWS though is its Razer Chroma customisable RGB. You can customise that from your smartphone app (available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store, of course.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
The new Razer Hammerhead TWS earbuds is now available from Razer.com, and authorised retailers across the nation. There are no funky colour options for you to choose from here. While it is only available in black, that also means that your RGB stands out a lot more. The TWS earphones is now available for MYR 629. For more information on the new Razer Hammerhead TWS earbuds, you can head over to their website.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip was always a looker when it comes to smartphones. The foldable was a vibrant, striking clamshell that focused on looks rather than raw power. The Galaxy Z Flip3 inherits that blatant rambunctiousness and ups the ante when it comes to performance. Once again focusing on style, the device is sleeker and more compact than ever.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 improves on some of the pain points of the Flip. In particular, Samsung has supersized the cover screen making it more useful. The screen is also hidden behind a black accent which adds to the style and attitude of the Z Flip3. The cover screen is now a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display. The main screen is a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 22:9 aspect ratio. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate.
The Z Flip3 is more power-packed than its predecessor. It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 mobile platform. The 5nm processor promises a more powerful and efficient experience when it comes to the user experience of the device. This paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage should be enough power to get you through the day. It is definitely bolstered by the 3,300mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging.
It also comes with 5G support on both Sub6 and mmWave spectra. This is complemented by LTE, WiFi 6, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. The Flip3 also has baked in eSIM support. The cameras on the Z Flip3 are dual 12-megapixel sensors; a dual pixel wide-angle sensor with support for OIS and an ultra-wide-angle sensor. On the front is a 10-megapixel selfie camera for all your selfie needs.
Of course, like the Fold3, the Galaxy Flip3 also comes with enhancements to the software experience. Samsung optimised apps to allow them better functionality on the foldable display of the smartphone. These optimisations have also been implemented in a number of partner apps.
Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy Flip3 will be available in Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black. Gray, White, Pink colour options will be available exclusively from Samsung.com. It will be priced from USD$999.99*.
The Galaxy Flip3 will be available for pre-order starting on 11 August 2021 in select regions. Retail availability will begin on 27 August 2021. Pre-orders of the Flip3 are entitled to a year of Samsung Care+ protection which covers accidental damage including water damage, screen replacement and back cover replacement. A special Thom Browne limited edition will also be available for pre-order at the same time.
Official Specfications
*USD to MYR conversions taken from xe.com at the rate of USD$1= MYR4.23955 on 12 August 2021 at 1am.
Samsung is no stranger to foldables. The company already has more foldables out in the market than any other company out there. This year, the company is doubling down on foldables touting it as the new normal for smartphones. The Galaxy Z series is now Samsung’s new flagship line up which will bring their vision of foldable smartphones to the mainstream. Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3 are iterative updates that up the ante in what Samsung calls a “meaningful way”.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 looks to be coming in to fill in the void left by the Galaxy Note this year. Samsung is gearing the Fold3 to be the next productivity powerhouse in its arsenal. Similar to previous Z Fold smartphones, the Fold3 comes with two screens: a 6.2-inch cover screen with a 24.5:9 aspect ratio and a larger 7.6-inch display with a 22.5:18 aspect ratio. The two screens strike the delicate balance of being accessible with a large display. Both displays are Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Big Innovations Unfold with the Fold3
The biggest change to the Galaxy Z Fold3 comes with the inclusion of a digitizer in the smartphone. Both the cover and main displays of the Z Fold3 come with digitizers that enable S Pen functionality. What changed with this year’s Fold? Samsung and Wacom worked together to adapt digitizer technology for a new form factor. We say new form factor because, as the company highlighted, a flexible display will continuously bend which can damage the digitizer. So, Samsung and Wacom opted to use two separate digitizers for each side of the phone while filling in the gap at the hinge with an algorithm which allows the phone to seamless detect movement and usage.
Source: Samsung
Together with the integration of the digitizer, Samsung and Wacom also developed a unique S Pen specifically for the Galaxy Z Fold3. The new S Pen Fold Edition comes with design and function changes which allow all the S Pen functionality while preserving the softer, foldable display. The first change is the replacement of the sharp, pointed tip with a rounded one for use on the softer display. The S Pen Fold Edition also has an internal spring to preserve the sensitivity that S Pen users are accustomed to. Latency is also improved on the new S Pen.
In addition to the S Pen, the Galaxy Fold3 is also the first Samsung smartphone to feature an under display camera. The main front facing camera is now hidden behind the pixels of the main screen. The 4-megapixel sensor only appears when it is in active use. Otherwise, it remains hidden behind the pixels of the content on screen giving users a seamless, uninterupted experience.
Powered for Play, Optimized for Productivity
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold3 is running on the Snapdragon 888 mobile platform. The 5nm processor has already proven its prowess in both power efficiency and performance this year. In the Fold3, it’s paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. The trifecta promises smooth performance even when it comes to multitasking – which the Fold3’s large screen is built for.
However, it’s not all about the raw power when it comes to the Z Fold3. Samsung has also introduced optimisation to One UI 3 in the smartphone. They have redesigned a number of apps to have better optimisations for the larger main screen of the smartphone. Apps like the calendar app have more functional layouts which maximise the screen to allow better usage. These optimisations are not just limited to Samsung apps. Samsung has collaborated with a number of partners including Spotify, TikTok and YouTube to optimise their apps for the Fold’s unique form factor.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
When it comes to the cameras, the Galaxy Fold3 comes with a triple sensor setup. This year it comes with three 12-megapixel sensors: wide angle dual pixel, ultra wide angle and telephoto. The cover camera is a 10-megapixel sensor.
Pricing & Availability
The Z Fold 3 will cost USD$1,799 (MYR7,632.64*). It will be available in Phantom Black, Phantom Green, and Phantom Silver
The Galaxy Z Fold3 will be available for pre-order in select markets starting from 11 August, 2021. It will be on shelves starting August 27, 2021. A limited edition Thom Browne edition of the smartphone will be available at the same time. It will come in matte white with silver accents.
Official Specifications
Source: Samsung
*USD to MYR conversions taken from xe.com at the rate of USD$1= MYR4.23955 on 12 August 2021 at 1am.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch4 series is a revolutionary device for more than one reason. The Galaxy Watch4 series is the first Wear OS 3 enabled device. According to Samsung, the new smartwatch OS brings the best of Wear OS and the company’s own TizenOS to the smartwatch experience. Wear OS powered by Samsung makes the Galaxy Watch4 series the most compatible and open Galaxy Watch yet.
Source: Samsung
The new Watch4 series comes in two flavours – the Galaxy Watch4 and the Galaxy Watch4 Classic. Just like its operating system, the Watch4 series is preserving adaptability and customization. It adopts the form factor of what was once the Galaxy Watch Active. It touts the signature digital bezel which allows users to easily navigate the circular interface. However, if that’s not your drift, the Classic brings back the signature rotating bezel which gives it a navigator watch appearance.
The Watch4 is also the first smartwatch to come with a 5nm processor with the Samsung Exynos W920. The dual-core processor promises longer battery life with better power efficiency. It is paired with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The hardware combination promises smooth performance with the optimisations that come with the Wear OS 3. There will also be options for LTE connectivity on the Watch4. This comes in addition to the GPS, NFC and WiFi connectivity.
Source: Samsung
You’ll be able to interact with the Galaxy Watch4 series through the digital or rotating bezel. In addition, the Classic comes with a Super AMOLED display in 46mm and 42mm sizes. The former comes with a 1.4-inch display while the latter has a 1.2-inch display. The Watch4, on the other hand, comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes; screen sizes remain the same as the Watch4 Classic. You will also be able to interact via voice with Bixby.
Staying Healthy with Samsung’s BioActive Sensor in the Galaxy Watch4 series
The smartwatch is more than a watch. It becomes a valuable companion in our journeys to keep healthy. It’s even more important now, in the current global climate. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch4 series is equipped with Samsung’s BioActive Sensor. The BioActive Sensor is a unified sensor capable of measuring heart rate and electrical heart and bioelectrical impedance. This sensor allows users to monitor their heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (pO2), pulse and even get an ECG (electrocardiogram).
With such a powerful sensor in the Galaxy Watch4 series, Samsung is also buckling down on their Galaxy Health app. The app is now more powerful with more features and more information than ever before. Users are even able to collaborate and get healthier together with their friends or communities via the app. The Watch4 series is also able to track over 40 different types of exercises.
Source: Samsung
Samsung has even made conscious design choices to enable better tracking. The Watch4 series is thinner and the straps allow it to be in closer contact with the skin to allow better, more accurate tracking. It also has IP68 water and dust resistance with MIL-STD-810G durability to keep up with your workouts. You can even express yourself with the interchangeable straps and watch faces.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series will be available for pre-order in select markets starting August 11, 2021. It will be available in retail on August 27, 2021.
The Galaxy Watch4 will be available in 40mm and 44mm sizes. It will be priced from USD$249.99 (MYR1,059.85*) for the Bluetooth version while the LTE version will be priced from USD$299.99 (MYR1,271.83*)
Source: Samsung
The Galaxy Watch4 Classic will be available in 42mm and 46mm sizes. Prices will start from USD$349.99 (MYR1,483.82*) for the Bluetooth version and USD$399.99 (MYR1,695.80*) for the LTE model.
A limited-edition Thom Browne version of the Galaxy Watch4 with a special rhodium plating will also be available in late September 2021..
Official Specifications
Source: Samsung
*USD to MYR conversions taken from xe.com at the rate of USD$1= MYR4.23955 on 12 August 2021 at 11:30pm.
Samsung’s biggest Unpacked event for the year 2021 is happening tonight (11th August 2021). We say tonight because we are in Malaysia at +0800 GMT and the event will go live at 10.00 p.m. local time. It is also one of the most exciting Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event for a few reasons.
1. No Notes
Samsung has made a name for itself in the innovation industry. They introduced their Galaxy line-up 10 years ago with the first Samsung Galaxy S that went on the be one of the best-selling, if not the best-selling smartphone in its day. It showed what and Android smartphone is capable of in the hands of an experienced mobile phone manufacturer. It propelled Samsung into the limelight of modern smartphone world too.
A year later they introduced a smartphone that was heavily criticized by pundits around the world. It was a humungous device that comes with an accessory that was thought to be dead, or rather old fashioned. The first Samsung Galaxy Note was not received very well at all initially (I liked the idea though). But the Galaxy Note line-up was later known as one of the devices that really defined Samsung as a smartphone brand and sealed its hold of the Android smartphone market.
Sadly, we are not going to be getting any new Samsung Galaxy Note devices this year. As per Samsung’s reports from the end of 2020 and early 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Note series will be laid to rest and will be discontinued. There are still rumours surfacing around a final Samsung Galaxy Note device coming in 2022, but we are not entirely hopeful. This is the first time as well in 10 years that Samsung is not launching a Samsung Galaxy Note device for the year.
2. Folding and Flipping into the Future
While we may not be getting Samsung’s behemoth of the Galaxy Note, they are replacing the line-up with two larger than life devices though. They are replacing the Galaxy Note line-up with two foldable devices: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip series. As with any one of Samsung’s innovative devices, these two series have had their fair share of hardships and critics.
While most of the flaws of the first product was sort of corrected when Samsung launched their Galaxy Z Flip device in the same year, its price point is still higher than any flagship device that came before. It was not as stacked, in terms of specifications, as the other flagships around it too. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 last year fixed even more of the Galaxy Fold’s flaw, but it was still the most expensive mass-produced smartphone you can get in 2020.
Thing is Samsung is betting its future in foldable devices. Since Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Fold in 2019, other smartphone manufacturers have started taking notice. Since then, Motorola made the new Razr with a foldable display, HUAWEI also made their foldable line-up (2020) to mimic the form factor of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, OnePlus teased a foldable device just today, and even OPPO is jumping to the bandwagon of a shapeshifting smartphone with rollable displays.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding the new behemoth flagship that is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Like we pointed out, Samsung is betting on foldable devices. The S Pen feature remains a Samsung special though, as we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
That same S Pen capability is touted to be coming to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line-up too. It makes sense, since the device opens to a large form factor device that would mimic a tablet. Although we are not entirely sure if the S Pen storage is integrated within the body of the Z Fold 3.
The Z Fold 3 is expected to pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G System on a Chip (SoC). Although we would also like to see Samsung’s own Exynos SoC powering the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3; chances are, we are only going to be seeing a new Exynos chip in the coming year 2022 instead on the Samsung Galaxy S22, or whatever they decide to name the next device. The Snapdragon 888 5G SoC is considered the most powerful chip available for Android devices though, so it may not necessarily be a bad thing.
It will also come with up to 12GB of RAM, as we have seen on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Alongside the ample sized RAM is storage choices from 256GB onward to 512GB. It might make sense for Samsung to up the ante this time with 1TB storage though, since there will be no MicroSD support for the device.
Like the previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, there are two displays you can work with on the Z Fold 3, obviously. One is an external display that is supposed to measure at 6.2-inch covered by durable gorilla glass and producing a little more than 720p in terms of resolution. You get a 7.6-inch in display real estate that boasts a little more that QHD+ in resolution inside. Of course, each of the display gets their own punch hole cameras.
Like the older device too, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is supposed to come with a triple camera array that is reportedly packing three 12-megapixel sensors for different functions. This is not a device made for ultimate photography, so that is quite understandable.
In terms of battery, it seems like Samsung might have shrunk it a little bit. The previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 had a 4,500mAh battery. While it seems like it makes more sense to fit a similarly sized battery on the upcoming foldable, Samsung is looking to put a 4,400mAh battery to keep its weight down. It could also be an indication to an S Pen cargo hold.
There are also rumours pointing to multiple versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, which also means there might be a more affordable option for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. That is good news if Samsung is planning to bet its future on the foldable devices.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
We are also expecting to see a certain clamshell device to make the event tonight. It is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip we saw in 2019 too. Instead of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2, they jumped straight into naming the upcoming device the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. As we have discussed in our podcast, it could be because Samsung treated the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G as its second-generation model. It could also to simplify Samsung’s product range and their naming scheme.
More recent leaks show that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 device will be more of lifestyle-centric device. It is supposed to come in more colours than before with a more industrial and minimalistic design language. Apparently also, the device is supposed to come with a larger and more functional external display compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip’s.
Of course, the Z Flip 3 will still command a reasonably premium pricing. You are still getting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G platform. You are also supposed to be getting up to 8GB in RAM and 256GB in storage.
You should get a similarly sized internal display at 6.7-inch that boasts Full HD+ resolutions with up to 120Hz in refresh rate. We do not expect the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 to come with S Pen capabilities though. Because the device is supposed to be more pocketable than the Z Fold 3, it will come with a rather small 3,300mAh battery and also two cameras on the outside rather than the three you get on the Z Fold 3.
3. New Wear OS in the form of One UI for the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 4
Source: Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is supposed to be coming, and for the first time ever, it does not come with Samsung’s own Tizen OS for the Galaxy Watch. It is also the first smartwatch to come with Google’s brand-new Wear OS 3, albeit in a Samsung Galaxy flavour.
Samsung calls the new UI the One UI. They have also confirmed that One UI is based on Google’s latest Wear OS 3. It is also the culmination of Samsung and Google’s partnership to creating a unified Android smartwatch ecosystem. In some sense, it is Google’s attempt to not just improve Wear OS, it is Google finally taking wearable devices seriously.
Wear OS 3 is touted to come with a slew of improvements not just on its own functions. With Samsung’s input from the success of their Tizen OS for wearable series, there are new functions that are integrated into Wear OS as well. At the same time, Samsung and Google Both benefit from an expansion in terms of developer base.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 series is supposed to come with Samsung’s very own Exynos SoC with 5nm process. That also means that it should be Samsung’s most powerful smartwatch so far. At the same time, the new SoC is supposed to allow for a longer lasting battery alongside Wear OS 3.
Reportedly, there are supposed to be more sensors withing the watch for even more accurate health tracking with even more data that can be collected. One such sensor is supposed to be able to detect your blood sugar level.
In term of design though, we are expecting the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series, including its Active counterpart, to come in similar design languages as before. The rotating bezel that acts as a navigation tool should also make a comeback in the Watch 4 series. Of course, the two physical buttons will not be going away anytime soon.
There are supposed to be three sizes that users can choose from in the range. There will be a 42mm, a 44mm, and 46mm watch sizes that should fit a larger variety of users and preferences instead of the two 42mm and 46mm choices from before. All of them comes with 20mm lugs though, for standardisation purposes. They are also supposed to come in either aluminium or stainless-steel build material choices. Either builds will still be 5ATM water resistant and MIL-STC-810G certified though.
4. One UI 4.0 on Android 12
Android 12 has been on beta testing mode for a while now. Google is expecting the first Android 12 devices to be rolling out in September 2021 onward. They are even updating their Google Pixel devices in about the same time frame, which also means we can expect Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 to come with Android 12 with their very own iconic One UI 4.0 flavour.
One UI, if you are not yet familiar with it, is Samsung’s custom skin on top on Android. While One UI started out its early life as TouchWiz UI, the new One UI design language has been dialed back from TouchWiz UX that technically existed since the first Samsung Galaxy S. One UI, while sort of retains some of the old charm from TouchWiz UX, is a completely different beast of an overlay though.
It cleans up the UX to the point that it is near barebones on top of Android. Of course, to ensure that Android on Samsung Galaxy devices takes full advantage of what Samsung’s devices are capable of, One UI still has to add some functionalities to Android as well.
The look and feel of One UI, in the Android world at least, is one that is quite unique to Samsung though, and one of the most intuitive out there. Thanks to Samsung’s own optimisation as well, you cannot possibly think using a Samsung device without the power of One UI. It is especially true when you start working with devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy Note series.
One UI 4.0 though will focus on bringing the best out Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip capabilities. It will optimise Android to the odd display aspect ratio on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 for example. One UI 4.0 will also expand on the multitasking capabilities of Android 12 on the foldable devices, obviously.
Of course, One UI 4.0 does not only highlight the benefits of Samsung’s foldable devices. It will also embrace Android’s Material You design language. In that sense it should be even more customisable for its users. The amount of customisation should reflect very well on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. No two devices you pick up will be the same.
5. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds started out life as the Samsung IconX. The IconX also kickstarted the whole True Wireless earphones (TWS) industry on its own. It also put Samsung on a path to becoming a one stop shop for all things mobile and seamless integration for Android devices. It spawned the Samsung Galaxy Buds in 2019.
Since then, there has been many iterations that comes from the humble Samsung Galaxy Buds. While capturing completely different markets, the Samsung Galaxy Buds was often compared to its Apple competition, the AirPods. Since then, the TWS earphones market has grown tremendously too, in terms of market size, demand, and even technology.
The new Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is supposed to feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology. It is also reportedly an improved ANC technology that came on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro. In that sense, there are also more ANC controls on Samsung’s Wearable app too. The ANC is supposed to be capable of blocking out 98% of noise.
In its IPX7 rated body (supposedly) is a powerful 11mm driver and 6.5mm tweeter. It also houses a battery that sllows the Galaxy Buds 2 to last up to 5 hours from a single charge. Its case is supposed come with three extra charges to give it 20 hours of total battery life. We are also expecting Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 to connect to smartphones via Bluetooth 5.2.
All Will be Revealed Tonight at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021
Source: Samsung
Of course, everything we have written here is a collection of speculations and even hopes that Samsung addresses problems with their older devices. We are extremely excited about Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 with Google Wear OS for the first time. It is also the first time we are looking at Google Wear OS 3 with Samsung’s input.
Everything will be revealed and announced tonight at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 though. Of course, due to the current pandemic situation, Samsung will not be holding a LIVE physical event. Instead, they will be holding the global press conference online. You can watch Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event LIVE on YouTube. We are also including the stream link here, so that you can just watch the announcement here.
Apple’s AirPlay function is one of the best things to have in the IoT focused world today. The system allows your Apple devices to connect to anything wireless in your home with AirPlay support and allow you to stream anything from any of your Apple devices in your home to the AirPlay supported devices.
Apple’s AirPlay 2 comes with added functionalities too. One of them really makes Apple’s ecosystem one of the most seamless in the world, if not the most seamless. It added streaming over WiFi function, which also means you get to play a single audio, from anywhere in your house, to your entire house, as long as you have speakers with AirPlay 2 enabled. It also allows you to choose between left and right speakers on enabled speakers, especially if you choose to use those speakers as your TV speakers.
We are not going to elaborate on the kinds of things you can do with AirPlay 2 though, because it has been launched for a while and you would have known its benefits by now, especially if you are coming from the iOS ecosystem. If you still do not know how to work with AirPlay 2 and the benefits of the system, get learning.
While AirPlay 2 has been Apple’s standard for three years now, it does not automatically become an industry standard. Not all smart TVs in the market gets AirPlay 2 support. Some of them could be hardware limited too though, so there is nearly nothing you can do about that. The big surprise is from app developers instead. For example, Spotify has not been supporting AirPlay 2.
A few days ago, there was an apparent posting in Spotify’s community forum that mentions that Apple’s AirPlay 2 support will not be coming to Spotify “for now”. This is in response to the numerous requests from Spotify’s iOS users in adding its support to the app. Of course, that might not have gone too well with users.
Spotify has since then clarified to the statement. Spotify says that they are still working on AirPlay 2 support on the app. In the clarification also Spotify did shed some light on why their app has not supported the function and why users may not see its support coming too soon.
The developer that clarified the issue reveals that including AirPlay 2 support on the app is more complex than just adding a provided API to the current app and just let it work its own magic. There are a bunch of new commands that has to be written into the app. While adding a bunch of new command lines may not be the most complex thing for engineers to work with, Spotify says that the API, or at least Apple’s documentation on the API is a big stumbling block for its developers. In that case, developers might have to do a lot of guess work, and experiments to get the API to function without entirely messing itself up.
Spotify, with the new clarification, has not set a timeline for AirPlay 2 support though. While they did say that they are working on it and is assuring users that it is coming, there are no confirmations as to when. Still, at least you know it is coming, unless Apple comes back with AirPlay 3 this year.
This week in Tech & Tonic Podcast we covered a few things. That was also because there was major launch that went a little under the radar last week. HUAWEI launched their new HUAWEI P50 flagship and surprisingly it comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip within its newly designed body.
It was also such a quiet launch that plenty of news outlet did not really pick up the event or talk about the device in-depth. On that note though, the device looks to be a subtle update from the HUAWEI P40 series too and is set to be only available in China for now, maybe that is why no one picked it up. If it is just a minor update to the P40 series with Harmony OS 2.0 in tow though, what took them so long to release the highly anticipated device?
At the same time, AMD launched a new GPU at the lower end of the power spectrum. They released the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT GPU. They will not be making the card on their own though, rather the GPU will only be available from its board partners. It is not exactly cheap either, despite its more budget friendly pricing over its higher-end siblings. So why would they do that?
Scarlett Johansson got Disney into a pickle last week. She filed a lawsuit against the entertainment giant for breach of contract over the launch and release of Black Widow in theatres and Disney+ Premiere a week or so ago. According to the lawsuit, the actress’ contract was not renegotiated for release on Disney’s own streaming platform.
This brings us back to the question we had when Disney+ was coming to Malaysia; are we paying too much for streaming services? With Disney+ Premiere, we could easily be paying even more for the latest movies and blockbusters. But the lawsuit also puts a lot of things into perspective for us enjoying these services because it also happened to platforms like Spotify.
We started thinking about how are the actor’s pay managed by the streaming services. At the same time, we are already paying for multiple streaming services at this time because they all offer different exclusives. How much is too much for these exclusive contents though? Would it make sense for us to go back to cable TV in this case? Maybe, maybe not, but we discuss all this in today’s episode of Tech & Tonic Podcast.
Ads can be a pain especially when they interrupt your content. Of course, this was undoubtedly one of the reasons behind the introduction of YouTube Premium. The service launched in Malaysia a few years back but it looks like YouTube might be making that ad-free experience a little more accessible with a lower-priced tier.
YouTube Premium Lite, as the new tier is called, seems to be a scaled-back version of YouTube Premium. The Premium Lite plan does away with a lot of the added features you get with YouTube Premium. “Scaled back” back be a little bit of an understatement. The Premium Lite plan does one thing and one thing only – remove ads.
Source: jelmerjt on ResetEra
The plan has been seen in certain countries in Europe. It was initially reported by a user on ResetEra. YouTube has since confirmed the plan in a statement to TheVerge in which the company. The plan is currently available “In Nordics and Benelux (except Iceland)” and “costs €6.99/month (or local equivalent per month)”.
Keep in mind that YouTube Premium also brings along features such as background play, access to YouTube Music in addition to ad-free playback. Subscribers are also able to access YouTube Premium content which includes originals and exclusive Premium only events. Most recently, YouTube Premium subscribers were invited to a post-premiere party with Andy Grammer following the release of his latest single “Lease on Life”. YouTube Premium costs €11.99 a month in Europe and is available for MYR17.90 a month in Malaysia.
There’s no word just yet on whether the new YouTube Premium Lite plan will be rolling out to other regions. However, based on the pricing in Europe, we expect that pricing in Malaysia will be about MYR10.90 to MYR11.90 if it rolls out in Malaysia.
Gaming is expensive, let us all face that fact for a moment. We, techENT, are gamers and we love to game. We also love new gaming gear and hardware. We loved it when AMD launched their new Ryzen 5000 series processors and took over as the king of gaming processors. We loved NVIDIA’s new very powerful GPUs in the form of their next generation GeForce RTX 30 series Ampere architecture. What we talk less about though is the cost of gaming.
While all the new stuffs are great and amazing, we always forget that these powerful hardware come at a price. With the global chip shortage issue, prices become even more exaggerated. An example of this would be the prices of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU in the market these days at around MYR 5,000 a piece. You can buy a new pre-built PC for that kind of money. If you have not checked out Acer’s Predator Orion 3000 for that matter, that pre-built is a steal at MYR 6,899 compared to building your own system at this time.
With prices and availability of GPUs soaring as high as MYR 16,000 these days, building a ‘budget’ gaming rig may not be so pocket friendly after all. There is a solution, however. What if you cut out the most expensive part of your PC build? What if you exclude a GPU in your gaming build?
Now we hear questions like; “but is the GPU not the most important part of a gaming build?”, and “how are we to game without a GPU? Are you nuts?”. Hear us out. You can still build your PC with a GPU, just not with a huge GPU that is hanging from your PCIe slot. It is a GPU that is also integrated with your CPU, and APU (Accelerated Processing Unit, if you must know).
Source: AMD
AMD has just released their next generation Ryzen 5000 G-series processors announced earlier this year in COMPUTEX, AMD Ryzen Zen 3 architecture processors with integrated Radeon VEGA graphics built into the CPU itself. That also means that you technically can solely rely on the AMD Ryzen chip for graphical requirements. In practical terms, you do not strictly need a separate GPU to get your PC to boot and run properly.
The AMD Ryzen 5000 G-series APUs comes in two flavours too. You can either choose between an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G or an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G. Of course, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G would be the more powerful of the two packing more cores than the Ryzen 5. Both of them comes with AMD’s Radeon graphics power integrated within the chip as well.
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Source: AMD
The new AMD Ryzen 5700G with Zen 3 architecture comes with 8 cores and 16 threads, pretty much similar to its non-G-series counterpart, the Ryzen 7 5800X. Like its more premium counterpart, it also clocks at 3.8GHz at its base. There are differences between the two though. It only boosts up to 4.6GHz, compared to 4.7Ghz, for example. The APU is also built to draw less power at 65W compared to 105W. It also packs an extra 8 Radeon Compute Units (CU) that clocks at 2.0GHz, which is amazing if you think about it. It draws less power than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X powerhouse, but it also packs its own graphics processing ability.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Source: AMD
At a more budget conscious range is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G. It still packs a lot of power though from its 6 cores and 12 threads. It is also clocked a little higher than its Ryzen 5 5600X counterpart, at least on its base clock at 3.9GHz compared to 3.7GHz. It tops out at 4.4GHz though instead of the 4.6GHz of its CPU counterpart. With an additional 7 Radeon CU, the AMD Ryzen 5600G APU also only draws up to 65W in power, which is quite an amazing feat too in its own rights.
Full HD Gaming
Source: AMD
Of course, integrated graphics (IGP), you might need to adjust your expectations in gaming performances. If you are on a tight budget, you most likely will not be getting one of those 1440p displays with 165Hz refresh rate. You probably will be looking at Full HD displays that goes to 144Hz at the maximum. You would be happy to find that AMD’s Ryzen 5000 G-series APUs are more than capable at running modern titles at more than 100 fps in some cases. Games like League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) easily goes over 100fps in Full HD (low) settings with the APU. At the same time, you do want to tamper with your settings a little to accommodate to the relatively less powerful integrated GPU.
Prices and Availability
The good news in all this is that this is also even more budget friendly than its X-series counterparts. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is retailing at MYR 1,239, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G retails for MYR 1,639. The AMD Ryzen 5000 G-series is now available from AMD’s local retail partners nationwide and on AMD’s own online store.
