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
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
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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
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Source: Xiaomi
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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.
Garmin has always been known for their very premium smartwatches. Some do not even consider their stuff ‘smartwatches’. They argue that the Garmin watches are more fitness trackers than anything. Whichever camp you come from though, we still like the brand and the devices they make.
As smartwatches and fitness trackers go, you cannot go wrong with a Garmin watch. Whichever your choice is, you are getting a smartwatch cum fitness tracker that will last you days at a time, while being reliable and durable enough to be in the harshest of weathers. There is an issue however; they are not exactly affordable. Garmin has an answer to that.
Source: Garmin
Welcome to the Garmin Venu SQ, SQ for ‘Square’. Garmin launched the Venu smartwatch last year and it became one of our favourite smartwatches very quickly. Its pretty interface and good looks are big contributors to our preference, of course. But round is not the only format people want in their smartwatch. Some people still prefer going for a square watch face on their smartwatch thanks to the larger perceived display real estate. That is the Garmin Venu SQ, for the ones that wants a square-faced smartwatch from Garmin.
The Garmin Venu SQ’s square-ish display measures at 1.3-inch and is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 layer. The square LCD display pushes 240 by 240 pixels , which is not Full HD per se, but is still quite a pretty looking crystal display. You can use always-on mode on the Garmin Venu SQ as well, if you want to. Of course, always-on display will consume a little bit more battery life.
Source: Garmin
To be fair, not much else is known about the Garmin Venu SQ’s internals. We do know that the Venu SQ is just as capable as its more premium round-faced sibling though. It is also made with the same durable fiber-reinforced polymer material that the rounded Garmin Venu is built with. Inside is also all the same sensors that makes the Garmin Venu SQ as capable as any of its siblings.
You still have GPS capability within the watch with compass capabilities so that you can never get lost with the Garmin Venu SQ, in your adventures. In your adventures as well, you would appreciate the 5 ATM water resistant rating, just in case you need to get a little wet. A battery life that would last you up to 6 days at a time could also prove essential when you need it (14 hours on GPS mode without music). As a bonus, you do not need to keep it charged daily.
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
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Source: Garmin
Of course, the Garmin Venu SQ still has all the right sensors at the back of the watch as well. The sensors can monitor your heart rate, your blood oxygen levels, and more. It can even detect your swim stroke types, and even understand your sleep cycles.
The Venu SQ is now available in Malaysia in two variants. You can get a regular Venu SQ and a Venu SQ Music with Spotify and music storing capabilities built-into the device. The Venu SQ starts at MYR 999 and is available in Shadow Gray/Slate, White/Light Gold, and Orchid/Metallic Orchid colour options. The Venu SQ Music Edition will go for MYR 1,250 and is available in Black/Slate, Light Sand/Rose Gold, Navy/Light Gold, and Moss/Slate colour combinations.
Dell’s XPS line up has been the epitome of design prowess when it comes to thin and light laptops as well as 2-in-1s. The XPS 13 holds Dell’s crown in the space with feature sets tailored to people who want to be productive on the go while having a machine that is also durable and stylish. The XPS 13 was one of the first compact laptops to set the trend and has been championing the premium market space when it comes to thin and lights.
With Intel’s recent announcement of their new 11th generation processors, it comes as no surprise that the laptops are being refreshed with the latest and greatest; bringing better performance and battery life to Dell’s most popular laptops. The XPS 13 and 13 2-in-1 now boast upwards of 9 hours battery life with the XPS 13 getting as much as 19 hours.
The new Dell XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 maintain the lineup’s petite form factor while packing more processing power in the body. Both have offerings ranging from the new dual core Intel Core i3-1115G4 to the quad core Intel Core i7-1165G7 processors which pack a punch while sipping on battery power. The XPS 13 comes with an additional option for the more powerful Intel Core i7-1185G7. This is complemented with up to 32GB of on board RAM and up to 2TB of SSD memory for quick read and write on the XPS 13 while the 2-in-1 will only have a max of 1TB. The SSD should also allow you to boot into Windows within 10 seconds. Of course, being powered by the 11th Generation Intel processors, the laptops also come with the option for Intel’s new Xe graphics platform. The new graphics platform is touted to give even better graphical performance compared to last generation’s Intel UHD. If the Xe isn’t your flavour, you’ll still be able to get options with Intel UHD graphics.
Both the new XPS 13 and 13 2-in-1 come with Dell’s InfinityEdge displays with options for 4K UHD+ and FHD+ resolutions. Both have options for Touch Displays. The displays come with 500-nit brightness and cover 100% of the sRGB colour gamut for better colour reproduction and are Dolby Vision certified. They also come with EyeSafe technology which reduces the blue light emitted by the panels to ensure that your eyes aren’t strained and your circadian rhythm is maintained.
Of course, the XPS 13 and 13 2-in-1 maintain their CNC machined aluminum body for extra rigidity and durability. They also have stereo speakers tuned by Waves MaxxAudio Pro and maintain their 3.5mm headphone jack. The laptops also come with Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 modems which allow for more stable connectivity on the new Wi-Fi 6 standard (802.11ax) and support for Bluetooth 5.1. As always, the Dell XPS 13 and 13 2-in-1 come with 2 USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support and a microSD card reader.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 comes with a few extra perks. It has support for the Dell’s Active Pen which allows you to write on the laptop. The 13 2-in-1 also comes with support for the various different modes enabled by its hinge. It can be used in tablet mode with touch or stylus interactions or as a presentation display.
Pricing & Availability
The Dell XPS 13 will be available worldwide starting with the United States and Canada on the 1 October, 2020 with other countries following shortly thereafter. Prices will start at USD999.99 (MYR4,173.38) with specifications starting with the Intel Core i3.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available at the same time with prices starting at USD1,249.99 (MYR5,216.73). Specifications also start with the Intel Core i3.
In Malaysia, the Dell XPS 13 will be available starting in October 2020 for MYR6,399 in only one variant coming with the Intel Core i5-1135G7 paired with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage and up to UHD+ Touch display. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available with similar specifications priced at MYR5,999 albeit with a smaller 256GB of internal memory.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 was launched earlier this year in March. It was touted as a very capable device with what plenty of fans wanted from a Samsung Galaxy device. In theory, it sounded like the Samsung Galaxy S20 was a capable smartphone with all its bells and whistles. In reality, its price point is a little steep for its price point and that made it a little less desirable.
It has come to this, the new smartphone that will correct all the problems with the ultra-premium S20 line-up. The regular Samsung Galaxy S20 line-up starts at MYR 3,599. The new Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition (FE) will go for MYR 3,399 instead, even cheaper than the regular Samsung Galaxy S20 device.
Source: Samsung
What do you get for MYR 3,399? You get the best parts of the Samsung Galaxy S20 device in a package at a more reachable price point, in short. You get a 32-Megapixel front-facing camera greeting you as you lift the device to face you. This is an even higher resolution than what you are getting from a regular Samsung Galaxy S20.
The display might seem like a little bit of a downgrade at first with no curved edges. It is not technically a downgrade though as you are still working with a Full HD+ 120Hz display for a super smooth experience. It is not like you are getting a much smaller display with the Super AMOLED Infinity-O display measuring at 6.5-inch.
Source: Samsung
Turn it around and you see a sort of matte textured back that makes it stand out in the crowd a little bit. It comes in six funky colours too, to fit your personalities and moods. It comes in Cloud Red, Cloud Orange, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, and Cloud White. These colours are completely new to the Samsung Galaxy S line up and is more inline with the Samsung Galaxy Note20 series colours as well, so some premium touch there.
The matte backing surrounds a triple camera module that is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE’s main shooters. It houses a main 12-Megapixel camera flanked by a 12-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor and an 8-Megapixel telephoto sensor making the photo trinity. You can take advantage of all the cameras at a single touch via Samsung’s Single Take feature in the camera app. The telephoto lens and main shooter combination give the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE the very impressive 30X Space Zoom capabilities too.
Within all the prettiness and IP68 rated body is an immensely powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. No Exynos here, they have listened to the fans. Paired to the chipset is an ample 8GB of RAM too (up to). Thanks to the chipset too, you get 5G connectivity out of the box.
Source: Samsung
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Source: Samsung
To top it all off is a big 4,500mAh battery that should keep the device running all day. The large internal battery is also a Super-Fast Charging capable battery as well, so if you do have a charger capable of 25W of output, your device can charge from an empty battery to full in less than one hour and a half. The charger that is included with the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE though is a 15W charger, a regular Fast Charging wall adapter.
Dual SIM model (Hybrid SIM slot) – One Nano SIM and one Nano SIM or one MicroSD slot (up to 1TB)
Battery
4,500mAh (typical)
Charging
Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 USB PD 3.0 (PPS) certified Fast Charging for wired charging (AFC and QC2.0 compatible) *WPC certified Wireless charging *Wireless PowerShare
OS
Android 10
Network
[5G] 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), Sub6 [LTE] Enhanced 4×4 MIMO, Up to 5CA, LTE D/L Cat.19 (1.6Gbps),LTE U/L Cat.18 (211Mbps) [Wi-Fi] Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4G+5GHz, HE80, MIMO, 1024-QAM, Up to 1.2Gbps Download / Up to 1.2Gbps Upload [Bluetooth] Bluetooth® v 5.0, USB type-C, NFC, Location (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)
Lock type: pattern, PIN, password, Fingerprint sensor, Face recognition
Audio
[Stereo speakers sound by AKG] Surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus included.) – [Ultra high quality audio playback] UHQ 32-bit &DSD64/128 support PCM: Up to 32 bits, DSD: DSD64/128 * DSD64 and DSD128 playback can be limited depending on the file format. [Audio playback format] MP3, M4A, 3GA, AAC, OGG, OGA, WAV, WMA, AMR, AWB, FLAC, MID, MIDI, XMF, MXMF, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, APE, DSF, DFF [Bluetooth] Dual Audio: connect two Bluetooth devices to the Galaxy S20 FE to play audio through the two devices simultaneously. * The two connected devices may exhibit a slight difference in sound output. Scalable Codec: Enhanced Bluetooth connection under ambient radio frequency interference. * Available only for certain accessories made by Samsung. [Recording] Recording quality is improved with the High AOP Mic that minimizes distortion in noisy environments. * AOP: Acoustic Overload Point
Video
[Video playback format] MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, WMV, ASF, AVI, FLV, MKV, WEBM [TV connection] Wireless: Smart View (screen mirroring 1080p at 30 fps) Wired: supports DisplayPort over USB type-C. Supports video out when connecting via HDMI Adapter. (DisplayPort 4K UHD at 60 fps)
Water Resistance
IP68
Price and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is now available for pre-order from Samsung Experience Stores, Authorised Partners and Samsung Malaysia’s E-Store until the 8th of October 2020. As mentioned, there are six colours available for the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE – Cloud Red, Cloud Orange, Cloud Lavender, Cloud Mint, Cloud Navy, and Cloud White. If you pre-ordered your device, you get a UV Sterilizer Wireless Charger box, Samsung’s One-Time Screen Crack Protection, and a Clear Standing Cover worth MYR 586 in total. You can get your hands on one for MYR 3,399 (US$ 699.99*) onward.
*Official U.S. pricing based on Samsung U.S. website
It seems just like yesterday that we saw the full spec sheet of the highly anticipated Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) and the console’s new controller, the Sony DualSense. In that demo, we saw plenty of PlayStation 5 exclusive that promises no load times and even more impressive graphics that can be projected to a 4K display at 120Hz. Only the most powerful of PCs can have that kind of power these days. Of course, with newer CPUs and a powerhouse in the latest generation GPUs, 4K resolution at 120Hz might be a cake walk for next generation gaming PCs.
Source: Sony
Still, the PS5 is an impressive avenue to next generation gaming alongside the Microsoft Xbox Series X and Series S. For Malaysia at least, we will not be getting the Microsoft gaming consoles. That is as far as we know anyway. That does not mean you cannot get your hands on one though, just not officially supported in the country at the moment.
The PS5 though, that is going to make it into Malaysia. The older generation console, the Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro was made available almost immediately when they made the launch announcement. With the new PS5, we can expect the same thing as well.
According to Sony, the PS5 will be available in most markets from 19th November 2020 onward. That would most likely include Malaysia too, except if there are issues with the custom clearance and shipping. Still, pre-orders are supposedly open already for most regions. There are certain regions that gets the PS5 earlier though – United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. But it is just a week earlier on the 12th of November 2020. That also means that finding going to another region to source for your PS5 may not be worth it.
Source: Sony
Still, the thing that even we want to know is how much money do we have to fork out to own a piece of kit like the PS5. As pointed out before too, there are two types of PS5 that will be available later in the year. One is a Digital Edition that has no Blu-Ray tray. The other is a traditional PS5 with a disc tray. The Digital Edition is the cheaper option at US$ 399.99 (MYR 1,657.91*) and the regular PS5 will set you back US$ 499.99 (MYR 2,072.40*). Yes, I know I said that it is less than US$ 500 (MYR 2,072.54*). Technically I am not wrong though, it is US$ 0.01 less than US$ 500. If you go for the Digital Edition, it is way less than US$ 500.
*Approximately based on conversion rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.15 as of 17/09/2020
This year marks 10 years of Apple’s iconic iPad. The Apple iPad was introduced back in 2010 as an alternative Apple experience. To most, it is just an enlarged iPhone. The iPad has evolved to plenty more than just a glorified tablet sized iPhone though. It has become an essential productivity, entertainment, and multitasking tool.
The 7th Generation Apple iPad is also made to be more affordable than ever. This year, the 8th Generation Apple iPad is just as affordable and even more powerful than before. The 8th Generation Apple iPad can now be your full-time work and play partner. The new Apple iPad Air is even more powerful, a powerhouse that you can use as an essential production tool.
The New 8th Generation Apple iPad (2020)
Source: Apple
The new iPad now comes packing a powerhouse in the form of the Apple A12 Bionic 6-core System on a Chip (SoC). While that is not a new SoC, it is still a powerful enough SoC to work with even the latest games from Apple’s App Store.
The A12 Bionic SoC though comes with a Neural Engine, which also means that the Apple iPad comes with a dedicated Machine Learning core for the first time. That also means a clever and instant smart photo editor on the new Apple iPad. The A12 Bionic is also capable of clever motion tracking and analysis that you can use in various settings.
Source: Apple
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That is not all power that the new A12 Bionic boasts though. The A12 Bionic is even more efficient that before too. That also means that the Apple iPad can remain as slim and retain its all-day battery life even with its large 10.2-inch Retina display.
iPadOS 14 on The New Apple iPad
With the latest iPadOS on the new Apple iPad, the Apple Pencil is even more powerful and better than before. Hand-written notes can be converted to typed texts in an instant, as long as your handwriting is clear enough to read. This is especially helpful when you are out in the field and have no surfaces to type on.
The All-New Apple iPad Air
Source: Apple
The Apple ipad Air for 2020 is the most powerful Apple iPad ever with Apple’s brand new SoC. Before we get there though, the Apple iPad Air is even more colourful too at the same time. The Apple iPad Air now comes in 5 different colours now. For the first time ever too, the Apple ipad Air is charged via a USB Type-C port instead of an Apple proprietary Lightning port.
It is also compatible with Apple’s Pencil. In fact, you can attach the Apple pencil to the side of the iPad Air magnetically. The size is also perfect for Apple’s existing magic keyboard attachment. Narrower bezel allows the iPad Air to have an expansive 10.9-inch Retina display though.
The retina display is a beautiful display though. It is a full laminated display with True Tone colours and DCI P3 certification. That also means that the display is perfect for those working in the creative industry. Even if you need it for photo editing on the go, the display will take care of you.
Source: Apple
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The Apple iPad Air for 2020 is also the first Apple device to integrate Apple’s Touch ID with its power button. It also boasts 12-Megapixel main camera out the back and a 7-Megapixel front-facing camera. The main camera is capable of 4K resolution video recording too, just in case you need it. For entertainment purposes, you get stereo speakers that is enabled in landscape mode.
The A14 Bionic Processor
The Apple iPad Air packs Apple’s latest A14 Bionic SoC. It is Apple’s latest, most powerful, and most advanced processor to ever come out of Cupertino. But it is not just Apple’s most advanced SoC to date, it is probably the world’s most advanced mobile processor to date.
The A14 Bionic SoC is the first ever production 5nm consumer grade SoC in the world with 11.8 billion transistors. It is supposed to be more powerful than a modern entry-level notebook. It is 40% more powerful than the A13 Bionic that is currently powering the Apple iPhone XS. It packs 30% more graphical performance compared to the A13 bionic too for what Apple claims to be console level gaming experience. That and 4K video editing capability.
The A14 Bionic SoC also packs a dedicated 16-core neural processor. The more powerful neural processor also allows the new iPad Air to process 11 trillion operations within a second. Thanks to that, machine learning on the iPad Air is even more powerful.
Availability and Pricing
The 8th Generation Apple iPad will be available in the usual Space Grey, Silver, and Gold colour options. There are only two storage variants for the Apple iPad though, 32GB and 128GB variants. The Apple iPad will be available soon in the United States this Friday onward for US$ 329 (WiFi only) and US$ 459 (WiFi + Cellular) onward. There are no official word on Malaysia’s availability though there is already Malaysian pricing. The Apple iPad will be available in Malaysia for MYR 1,449 (WiFi only) and MYR 1,999 (WiFi + Cellular) onward.
The Apple iPad Air, as mentioned comes in 5 different colours. You can choose between Space Grey, Silver, Rose Gold, Green, and Sky Blue Colour options. The Apple iPad Air will be available in the United States market next month onward for US$ 599 (WiFi only) onward and US$ 729 (WiFi + Cellular) onward. There is no official word on Malaysia’s availability. The iPad Air will be available starting from MYR 2,599 (WiFi only) and MYR 3,149 (WiFi + Cellular) onward.
Apple’s highly anticipated September 2020 event just happened last night. Of course, like everything else these days, it happened virtually. If you watched it, it is still pre-recorded, clearly.
The event did not bring a new iPhone though, to Apple iPhone enthusiast’s dismay. Instead the event brought out two stars of the show. The first is what we all saw coming all along – the Apple Watch Series 6.
Apple Watch Series 6
Source: Apple
The Apple Watch Series 6 is, as we all know, is Apple’s latest and greatest in smartwatch technology. For the first time ever, you do not need an Apple iPhon4 smartphone to use and fully work with the Apple Watch. Actually, more about that later.
The new Apple Watch Series 6 comes in three colours, for now. There is the usual Stainless Steel variant, that was so popular since its introduction. There is now a Red and Blue variant to the Apple Watch Series 6. They are made of aluminium of course.
There is a new health sensor too boot as well with the Apple Watch Series 6. It still has an ECG sensor that was hyped about with the Series 5. Additionally, there is a new blood Oxygen sensor that is more accurate than ever. It only takes 15 seconds for you to see what your blood oxygen level looks like. It is a clever little system that analyses the colour of your blood.
Source: Apple
Even when you sleep, the watch is still active. It tracks your sleep data or whatever data it collects anyway and stores it within the fitness app. No it does not send data and exchange its data with a central server. You can be sure that your sleep and fitness data is private. Even if you do not wear it to sleep, it measures data at intervals and stores them within the app for you to view later anyway.
But it is not just on the surface that the Apple Watch gets an upgrade. Within its svelte body is an S6 processing chip that is based on the powerful A13 Bionic architecture. That also means that the Apple Watch is quite a bit more powerful than ever before.
The new processor allows the Apple Watch Series 6 to pack a brighter display on the device while boasting improved battery life performance. The display is now 2.5x brighter than before too, which means there is no need to squint under bright sunlight.
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The added brightness and outdoor visibility benefit the Always On display function too. The always-on function can now display the alti-meter on full time for you to track your hikes. On top of that, the Apple Watch Series 6 has added fitness functions and cleverer fitness detection. We will talk about that later though.
Apple Watch SE – Still an Apple Watch, but More Affordable
Apple Watch Series 6 too rich for your blood? Do not want a Series 3 either? Then there is the Apple Watch SE.
The Apple Watch SE is everything that the Apple Watch Series 6 is. It is more affordable that the Apple Watch Series 6. That does not mean that you are getting a sub-par product though. You get the same bright display as the Series 6, the same sizes, and the same fittings and finishes. You even get the Apple WatchOS 7 that is supposed to be loaded on the Apple Watch Series 6.
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There are a few differences still though. You do not get the EKG sensor that was introduced on the Apple Watch Series 5. It packs a similar chipset with the Apple Watch Series 5 though. You also do not get the blood oxygen sensor that the Apple Watch Series 6 gets.
Apple Fitness+
In that front, Apple introduced their new Fitness+ service. The Fitness+ app can be accessed via Apple’s Fitness app. It is technically an additional subscription service for Apple Watch users.
The Fitness+ service is a new service that makes use of your Apple Watch with the rest of your Apple devices. You could make do just with an iPhone and the Apple Watch though, with the Apple Fitness+. You do not even need to be at home to take advantage of Fitness+.
As a subscriber to Fitness+, users gets access to various trainers and exercises virtually. You get new workout challenges, schedules, and even types every week too. Every week you also can get access to new trainers. The trainers and workout types are also recommended based on the data collected by your Apple Watch.
Source: Apple
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The Apple Fitness+ Fitness app service is available now to any Apple iPhone users. The subscription starts from US$ 9.99 a month. If you go for a yearly subscription, you are paying US$ 79.99 a year.
Apple Watch Family
With the new Apple WatchOS 7, Apple Watch users does not have to have their own iPhone anymore. Before you get overly excited though, it does not mean that the Apple Watch is compatible with Android devices though. It just means that you do not need your own Apple iPhone to work with an Apple Watch.
What that means is that you can now connect a few Apple Watch devices to a single Apple iPhone device. That also means that you can connect your kids’ and parents’ Apple Watch devices to your Fitness app. Through the app you have full control over monitoring the locations and activities of the other Apple Watch users in your family.
Availability and Pricing
The Apple WatchOS 7 will be available for mot Apple Watch devices from the series 3 onward by the 17th September 2020. The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in the United States this Friday onward for US$ 399, no word on availability in Malaysia. Prices will start at MYR 1,749 though for Malaysia. The Apple Watch SE is available this Friday in the United States too this Friday onward for US$ 279. No official word on Malaysia’s availability just yet, but it will be priced at MYR 1,199. The Apple Watch Series 3 is also now priced at MYR 849.
The new Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE will also be available with some new strap selections for the Apple Watch. The most interesting strap option they have with the new Watch, to us, is the Solo Loop Strap. The Solo Loop Strap effectively makes your Apple Watch into a slip-on bracelet type fitness tracker. It is available in 7 different colours and two different material types. If also comes in various strap sizes to properly fit differing strap sizes.
The full-frame mirrorless camera platform is all the rage these days. Traditional DSLR manufacturers like Canon and Nikon has very recently put a lot of resources and effort in developing their own mirrorless platforms and designs. Of course, because they are so new in the game, options from them are still limited. This is true especially in terms of lenses that are available to their current lines of mirrorless cameras. You can get an adapter still.
Full-frame cameras are not cheap though. They are considered the widest accepted platforms in the professional photography world, that is why. Mirrorless cameras, because they are so new and advanced, are even more expensive today. That also makes a full-frame camera today even more expensive than before. Take the Canon EOS R5 for example. The new Sony α7SIII is a good example too, for exorbitantly priced cameras.
Speaking of Sony though, they have been the mirrorless kings for a long time now. With their brand-new Sony α7SIII especially, they have proven to the market that they really know what they are doing with mirrorless technology, photography, and videography. All that advancements mean one thing though, the new α7S is more expensive than before. What happens to the enthusiast market that wants an affordable mirrorless camera then? Second-hand cameras? Not according to Sony.
Source: Sony
Welcome to the α7C full-frame mirrorless camera (ILCE-7C, Sony’s and the world’s smallest and lightest full frame camera platform. Yes, that is also one of the benefits of mirrorless cameras, you can pack one full-frame sensor in a traditional APS-C DSLR body, and it will still be lighter. With the α7C, Sony has taken it to a whole new level.
Uncompromisingly Light… and Small
This super light and super compact package is, according to Sony, quite uncompromised. It still packs a very effective 24.2-Megapixel full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor with back-illumination (for better low-light) and Sony’s proven BIONZ X image processor. This combination can also be found in a not exactly outdated Sony α7III camera. The α7C is nearly 50g lighter than the bulky α7III though. The α7C is also about the same size and weight as the APS-C α6600 compact camera.
Source: Sony
Of course, you still get the 5-axis in body stabilisation built into the tight body that is the α7C. Along with the stabilisation is also 4K recording capability that is so well known from all Sony’s current premium camera line-up. The sensor also has an ISO sensitivity of up to 204,800 (expanded, native ISO up to 51,200) for the best, in-class low-light performance. You even get Real-time Eye AutoFocus on the α7C, the same AutoFocus mechanism and algorithm you can find on the α7III, if you are wondering.
It does not even compromise on power delivery. The Sony α7C comes packing a battery the size of even a modern α7III. The NP-FZ100 battery offers up to 740 images, and industry-leading figure, as far as numbers are concerned. That also means that you can take it out for a whole day with one battery. Of course, USB Type-C charging will still be a thing with the Sony α7C.
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Only Drawback… We Think
The only few things we might be concerned about with the new Sony α7C are, in effect, very minor things. We are curious how Sony would manage to cramp all their function buttons together and still allow users to manage all its functions.
Source: Sony
With cramped layouts, we are also wondering if there are any ergonomic compromises that might come with it. The Viewfinder is now placed quite far to the other end of the camera, a la α6000 series Viewfinders. A vari-angle LCD is a huge welcome, but the cramped grip handle area at the back might create some issues for larger hands.
The last issue we might look out for is heat management. Sony’s mirrorless full-frame cameras in the past are known to overheat especially in 4K resolution video shoots. In a smaller body frame, heat dissipation and management could be an issue.
Full-Frame Body with Full-Frame Lenses – The New FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 (SEL2860)
Still, the platform is made for full-frame lenses too, so we should not complain as much. The launch of the new α7C also comes with a new lens of course. It is, according to Sony, the world’s smallest and lightest zoom lens made for a full-frame camera. It is Sony’s FE 28-60mm zoom lens with minimum F4-5.6 aperture. It weighs only 167g and is not that much larger than the camera itself.
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Light and Small Camera and Lens Needs a Light and Small Flash – The New HVL-F28RM Compact Flash
This is not just a compact flash though. It is probably Sony’s most reliable and rugged field photography flash they have created. It is 12% smaller, and 7% lighter compared to its closest sibling, the HVL-F32M flash. Of course, it is a smaller flash, which also means that its output is a little less at GN28 (Guide Number 28).
It is more reliable and rugged thanks to some protection that is made to the most fragile and sensitive part of the whole construction. The hot shoe connection on the flash accessory is surrounded by metal frames to ensure that it can take on any weather or abuse to the flash and the camera. In that case, you can expect the flash to work better in harsher in environments.
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Price and Availability
The Sony α7C will be available in Malaysia from November 2020 onward, two months away from today. The Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 lens will be available early next year in January 2021. The HVL-F28RM lens will be available a month after the Sony α7C in December 2020. Prices are yet to be confirmed by Sony Malaysia and will be revealed by tonight (15/9/2020 @9.00 p.m.). The new mirrorless camera is, according to sources on the internet, is set to be Sony’s most affordable full-frame mirrorless camera though. For more information on the camera and the newly launched accessories, you can head over to Sony’s website.
*Update: The Sony α7C will be priced at MYR 8,399 (body only). The kit with an FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 lens will be available for MYR 9,899. Pre-order starts now to 15th October 2020. Pre-order will be entitled to a free 64GB Tough SD card and an NP-FZ100 battery pack. There are other lens bundles for the α7C such as the camera with the G 20mm F1.8 lens for MYR 12,288 and the camera body with n FE 35mm F1.8 lens for MYR 10,888. The FE 50mm F1.8 bundle is MYR 9,288.
We have a small confession to make. We are quite big fans of a Lenovo notebook PC. We are especially excited with Lenovo’s YOGA series of products.
There are a few good reasons why we like a Lenovo YOGA product. They look stylish, for one. They are also always innovative in solving problems we never thought of before. They are also super functional and always very well built. They are made with more practicality, functionality, and durability in mind over other things.
Today then, is a special day for us, it is the launch day of two new YOGA notebooks for Malaysia. Today sees the launch of Lenovo’s YOGA Slim 7 and the YOGA Duet 7i. Today is the launch of a new sort of form factor in the YOGA series.
Lenovo YOGA Slim 7
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo YOGA Slim 7 is not the new form factor in the Lenovo YOGA series. It is technically the more traditional one compared to the two launched today. It is the regular clamshell notebook form factor. There are two variants of the new Lenovo YOGA Slim 7, one with Intel packed in and one with AMD packed in.
According to Lenovo, this is Lenovo’s lightest notebook PC with an 8-core CPU packed in. Yes, it is a powerful Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU clocked at 1.3GHz. Paired with 16GB of RAM and NVIDIA’s GeForce MX350 GPU, the new Slim 7i is a powerhouse on the go.
Its ample power can easily edit and work with Full HD 1080p videos on the go and you can store all of that in the provided 512GB SSD storage. Of course, you can enjoy Full HD videos too on the 14-inch Full HD 10-point multi-touch display. That and stream Netflix steadily and at a high resolution with the WiFi 6 it comes with. Security wise, you are protected via Windows Hello with an IR blaster beside the 720p webcam for facial recognition.
But it is not just all function and no form though. The Slim 7 comes with a variety of top shell to make you stand out from the crowd. You can choose between a fabric or aluminium top shell. While fabric top shells are nothing new, it does add to the premium feel of the notebook though.
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There is an AMD version of the notebook too. The AMD variant is specced with an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, no slouch at 2.3GHz clock speed and Radeon Graphics. The CPU Is paired to an 8GB RAM as well to make quick work of all the document processing you need. You still get 512GB of SSD storage too, for quick access to your folders and documents. Load times are greatly reduced too with an SSD.
Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i
Source: Lenovo
In our opinions, this is probably one of the most exciting YOGA convertibles that we may have seen so far. It is not like a usual Lenovo YOGA convertible where you fold the keyboard away. Instead, you can now detach the keyboard to make the Duet 7i a proper 13-inch tablet with a kickstand.
This is something that graphic designers might really like. It comes with something called E-Color Pen. It is a battery powered stylus, but it is more than just a stylus. It is also a colour sensor that allows you to pick up colours of any surfaces to be used in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator.
Of course, a designer needs to work with colours and good visuals. For that they get a 2K resolution IPS display with Dolby Vision to work with. But they need some working power too, to get the best out of their talents and stylus.
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The Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i comes packing an Intel Core i5-10210U quad-core CPU cocked at 1.6GHz. The CPU is paired with an 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of SSD storage space to make quick work of any visual workload requirements too. While you would appreciate a discreet GPU, the Intel UHD Graphics GPU is powerful enough to work with the likes of Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator.
The Batik Boutique Collaboration
Lenovo Malaysia has collaborated with The Batik Boutique, a social enterprise empowering the art of Batik fashion in Malaysia. The Batik Boutique prides themselves as a local Batik Producer that partners with local artisans and taylors for their products. The collaboration with Batik Boutique is an interesting one that is happening during the national celebrations.
The Batik Boutique and Lenovo Malaysia collaboration does not mean that you get a new fabric pattern on the Lenovo YOGA Slim 7i unfortunately. It does mean that you can get special edition sleeves for both the YOGA Slim 7i and YOGA Duet 7i though. The special sleeves are limited edition sleeves to celebrate the Merdeka and Malaysia day celebrations.
Price and Availability
The Lenovo YOGA Slim 7 AMD (14-inch) and Lenovo YOGA Slim 7i (15-inch) is now available on Lenovo Malaysia’s official online store at MYR 3,499 and MYR 4,999 onward, respectively. The Intel variant Lenovo YOGA Slim 7i (14-inch) is now available at all Lenovo Exclusive stores and online retail partners on Shopee and Lazada for MYR 5,099 onward. The Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i (13-inch) is now available on all Lenovo exclusive stores and authorised retailers including ones on Lazada and Shopee for MYR 4,099. If you get the Lenovo YOGA Duet 7i from Lenovo Malaysia’s online store though, it is priced at MYR 4,599. For more information on these products, you can visit Lenovo’s website.
