Samsung is taking an all-new approach to their midrange with the newly announced Galaxy A line up. With the company bringing flagship features to their midrange, they’ve diversified their offerings across the Galaxy A Series.
The Galaxy A52 is a step down from the Galaxy A72 but brings the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal memory. However, it replaces the 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with a 5-megapixel depth sensor and comes with a slightly smaller Super AMOLED display.
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Samsung just revealed something really awesome! Their Galaxy A series is taking some notes from their successful flagships. The new A series line up brings some of the most sought features from their Galaxy S series to a more affordable price point. Samsung’s new approach is a return to their approach from the Samsung Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 of 2017.
The new Galaxy A72 and the Galaxy A52 both come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G for their 4G versions while the A52 5G comes with the Snapdragon 750G. They will be coming with 8GB of RAM with up to 256GB of internal memory which can be expanded with an additional 1TB of memory with a microSD card.
Awesome Features Come to the Galaxy A Series
The new headliners for the series are the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A72. These two models bring features like IP67 water- and dust-proofing to the Galaxy A line up and even complement this with more features that make their devices so compelling. The new approach comes after Samsung’s own Galaxy A51 became one of their best selling smartphones. According to them, consumers are looking for more compelling offerings which are affordable and don’t compromise much when it comes to features.
The A52 and A72 bring a large, Super AMOLED display to the table. The former comes with a 6.5-inch display while the latter comes with a larger 6.7-inch display. Both of them come with 90Hz refresh rates while the 5G variant of the A52 comes with a 120Hz refresh rate. Samsung is claiming that even at 90Hz their A72 and A52 are able to provide a more seamless experience without too much compromise. This is particularly true when it comes to LCD panels that are commonly used in A series competitors. Samsung is also equipping the new A series with Eye Comfort Shield which lowers blue light emissions significantly for better eye health and less strain.
On the battery end of things, Samsung is equipping the Galaxy A52 with a 4,500mAh battery on both the 4G and 5G versions while the Galaxy A72 will be coming with a larger 5,000mAh battery. Samsung claims that these will allow their offerings to last for up to 2 days on a single charge.
Awesome Quad Camera Setup with up to 30x Zoom
While Space Zoom doesn’t make it to the Galaxy A series, it comes with a capable quad camera setup with slight tweaks across the line up. The main camera sensor of the Galaxy A series is a 64-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and autofocus (AF). This is complemented by a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor with 123° field of view and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. The final fourth sensor is different on the Galaxy A72 and the A52. The A72 comes with a 8-megapixel telephoto sensor capable of 3x optical zoom with OIS and AF. The A52, on the other hand, comes with a 5-megapixel depth sensor. On the selfie front, the two devices come with a fixed focus 32-megapixel sensor.
Hardware is only part of the story when it comes to the new Galaxy A series. Samsung is bringing features like Single Take to the series to complement the capable hardware. But, before we jump into that, Samsung has also brought tetra binning to the new A series. The camera on the A series creates a larger single pixel by binding four pixels together to allow more light and detail to reach the sensor. This improves low light performance and creates more detailed night shots.
Awesome Software to Complete the Experience
In addition to this, the new A series is coming with AI powered scene optimizer capable of automatically enhancing your photos. The scene optimizer is able to detect and optimize 30 scenes. However, if you can’t find the perfect picture in with scene optimizer, you’re able to take control with Pro mode. Once you have the perfect settings you can store them in the new “My Filter” feature which allows you to apply them to the 4K UHD videos or pictures you take down the road. You can even take 8-megapixel pictures from 4K videos with Video Snap.
Samsung is also bringing KNOX along for the ride with the new A series. While there are components of KNOX built into Android’s core. This will be the first time that Samsung is brining KNOX’s full capabilities to the series. This means that your data is encrypted and secured from the source. This comes as a part of Samsung’s One UI 3 which will be available on the A52, A52 5G and A72 at launch. Keep in mind, Samsung has also promised at least 4 years of updates for their devices to ensure device security.
Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy A52 & A72 will be available in Awesome Black, Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue and Awesome White with a haze (matte) finish. They are available now with prices starting at EUR€349 (MYR1,713.20) for the regular A52, EUR€429 (MYR2,105.91) for the A52 5G and EUR€449 (MYR2,204.08) for the Galaxy A72.
In Malaysia, the A52 and A72 will be available with 256GB onboard memory with 8GB of RAM. No pricing details have been announced just yet. The A52 5G isn’t available in Malaysia just yet. However, Samsung may make it available later on.
It is here, the new OPPO Find X3. We initially thought that we had to patiently wait for another year before OPPO releases their Find flagship series. We did not though, and the OPPO Find X3 series has launched to replace the OPPO Find X2 series of 2020.
OPPO Find X3 Pro
We start with the usual headline figures at the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G enabled System on a Chip (SoC) and up to 12GB of RAM paired. Up to 256GB in storage; UFS 3.1 of course for faster read and write speeds. Android 11 with ColorOS 11.2. We all know what the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 can do at this point.
That is just the tip of the iceberg that is the OPPO Find X3 Pro. All the powerful internals are wrapped by a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display that boasts 1,440 by 3,216 pixels (1440p/WQHD+). That display also features one of the world’s fastest response time at about 5-10ms in touch response time. On top of that, 120Hz refresh rate ensures that graphics are super smooth at all times. It is not a full time 120Hz display though. The Find X3 can turn the refresh rate down all the way to 5Hz for less intensive usage. OPPO says that the display also covers 10-bit colours and features 100% DSI-P3 colour gamut for even better colour reproduction and accuracy on top of HDR10+. OPPO being OPPO, the display can be calibrated to adjust for specific colour blindness too, neat.
Source: OPPO
Wrapping around the display and framing the back of the OPPO Find X3 Pro is a beautifully sculpted glass back. No ceramic trickery this time, just normal glass that is shaped to conform the curves and bumps intended for the back of the device. The glass back is not a regular glass back that has a cut out for the entire camera module though. The glass back stretches throughout the back of the device with cut outs made only to fit the lenses. The result is an amazing looking back that is available in either the classic black or a unique blue with a sort of fingerprint resistant texture.
The glass back not only hides the 4,500mAh battery with SuperVOOC 2.0 (65W) and AirVOOC (30W) wireless charging technology. It also seamlessly houses the quad camera set-up that is a newly developed 50-Megapixel IMX789 main camera, an also newly developed 50-Megapixel IMX766 ultra-wide camera with Free Form lens, a 13-Megapixel telephoto camera capable of 5x optical zoom, and an impressive 3-Megapixel macro camera for those amazing close-up shots. You get 10-bit colour high-resolution photos with both 50-Megapixel sensors on the OPPO Find X3. Thanks to the Free From lens technology on the ultra-wide camera, the photos come out distortion free. Of course, the camera is also capable of shooting videos at 4K 60p with 10-bit colours.
Source: OPPO
Source: OPPO
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Source: OPPO
Of course, they did not forget the front-facing camera. It is OPPO, after all. The selfie camera then is a 32-Megapixel unit. The high-resolution front camera is also given some extra tweaks like an enhanced ‘night mode’ to capture more natural, more detailed selfies even in low-light. That also means better looking Instagram photos.
Price and Availability
OPPO’s latest Find X3 Pro is said to be available globally toward the end of March 2021 at EU€ 1,149 (US$ 1,373*) which is about MYR 5,641** with the current conversion rate. The OPPO Find X3 Pro will be available in Gloss Black and Blue (yes, just ‘Blue’; no fancy naming this time) colour options. Alongside the OPPO Find X3 Pro, OPPO also announced that the OPPO Enco X is now available globally at EU€ 179 (US$ 214*), which converts to approximately MYR 879** currently.
There are no mentions to indicate specific local availability dates and official pricing. If we can take a guess though the OPPO Find X3 Pro might set you back MYR 5,899 and the OPPO Enco X will set you back between MYR 699 (based on CN¥ 999 pricing) all the way to MYR 899 (based on EU€ 179 pricing). We are also expecting that Malaysia’s availability for both devices to be somewhere at the end of March 2021 to early April 2021. For more information on the OPPO Find X3 Pro and OPPO Enco X ANC TWS earphones you can visit OPPO’s website.
*Approximate value based on conversion rate EU€ 1.00 = US$ 1.20 on xe.com as of 11/03/2021
**Approximate value based on conversion rate EU€ 1.00 = MYR 4.91 on xe.com as of 11/03/2021
ASUS is arguably one of the first companies to make a gaming smartphone. The original ROG Phone launched back in 2018 to much acclaim and praise and with a customised chipset from Qualcomm. This year, ASUS refines its ROG Phone series with more features and more affordable price points.
The ROG Phone 5 series is the first in the ROG Phone family to officially be introduced with more than one entry into the line up. The series will consists of the ROG Phone 5, the 5 Pro and the 5 Ultimate which are differentiated by a few features and key specifications. On the outside, the ROG Phone 5 series continues to inherit the ostentatious design queues which have become its signature. Over on the back you have the angular accents of the camera modules and the angular design of the new ROG Dotted Matrix Design which allows for some extensive customisation. The Pro and Ultimate variants, this is replaced by angular lines which surround the ROG Vision screen.
Specc’d to Game
When it comes to the phone itself, the ROG Phone 5 series comes equipped with a Samsung AMOLED screen. The screen is a 6.78-inch Full HD+ display with a resolution of 2448×1080 pixels. The phone boasts one of the only displays with a 144Hz refresh rate. On the protection side of things, it comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus for better scratch and shatter resistance.
The new entries are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with either 8GB, 16GB or 18GB of RAM with up to 512GB of internal storage. It doesn’t seem to support memory expansion with a microSD card – making it the third flagship this year to eschew the microSD card. The ROG Phone 5 Pro and Ultimate are available with 512GB of internal storage with 16GB and 18GB of RAM respectively. The ROG Phone 5 caps out at 256GB with 16GB RAM. The series is also the first in the ROG Phone series to support 5G connectivity.
Perfecting Audio
The new ROG Phone continues to support better audio features by not only retaining the 3.5mm audio jack but also introducing even more audio centric features. Of note is the inclusion of a high-end ESS9280AC Pro DAC on the 3.5mm jack for better audio fidelity. It also supports symmetrical dual front-facing speakers. These are some of the largest speakers on smartphones coming in at 12x16mm. ASUS promises a louder, more rounded experience with these speakers. Also along for the ride this time is a DIRAC tuned AudioWizard with customizable equalizer for your perfect sound. DIRAC is providing optimisations on the ROG Phone 5 series to minimise crosstalk and widen the sound stage of the audio experience on the ROG Phone 5.
Of course, the ROG Phone 5 series comes with all the bells and whistles of its predecessors including improved Air Triggers and motion controls. In addition, ASUS is also introducing a new AeroActive cooler which come with two physical buttons for the triggers when plugged in.
Accessories, Accessories, Accessories
As with previous ROG Phones, ASUS is bringing a whole slew of gaming oriented accessories to enhance the ROG Phone 5. The first, is the AeroActive cooler which helps cool the phone down during intense gaming sessions while allowing you to charge the phone. This year, there are actual buttons on the AeroActive Cooler to provide a more tactile experience when it comes to using the triggers.
This year sees an improved ROG Kunai 3 controller. The controller allows you to have the versatility to play in a more console like way on the gaming smartphone. If you’d rather a more attached experience, the ROG Clip gives you a controller with a clip for the smartphone. It can attach via the USB-C port on the side of the ROG Phone 5.
ASUS has also opted to include more audio centric accessories this year with the ROG Cetra II earphones which comes with active noise cancelling with ambient mode. The wired earphones come with LSR drivers for premium sound quality and embedded microphones. ASUS also introduced the ROG STRIX GO BT with the ROG Phone 5. The wireless headphones come with up to 45 hours of battery life and AI noise cancelling microphone technology.
For those looking to upgrade from the ROG Phone 3, take note that not all accessories are forward compatible. Notably, the TwinView Dock 3, Mobile Desktop Dock and AeroActive Cooler 3 are not supported. The Kunai GamePad II, on the other hand, is partially supported by the 5.
Pricing & Availability
The ROG Phone 5 series will be available starting March 2021. The regular ROG Phone 5 will be retailing for MYR2,999 (USD$726.84) for the 8GB/128GB version and MYR3,799 (USD$920.73) for the 16GB /256GB version. Both will be available in Phantom Black and Storm White. These versions do not come with the AeroActive Cooler. Internationally, the ROG Phone 5 will be retailing for €799 (USD$950.16) for the 8GB/128GB, €899 (USD$1,069.02) for the 16GB/256GB version and €999 (USD$1,187.94) for the 16GB/256GB version.
The ROG Phone 5 will be available for pre-order in Malaysia from 11 March 2021 to 25 March 2021. Pre-orders of the ROG Phone 5 will come with a free Kunai 3 GamePad. You can pre-order the phone exclusively on the ASUS store on Shopee.
The Pro will be retailing for MYR4,499 (USD$1,090.39). It will be available only in Phantom Black and comes with the AeroActive Cooler in the box. The Pro will be available starting in May 2021. Internationally, it will be costing €1,199 (USD$1,425.83).
The Ultimate will be retailing for MYR4,999 (USD$1,211.51). It will be available only in Storm White and will come with the AeroActive Cooler in the box. It also comes with the limited edition ROG Ultimate Fan Gift box which hosts a whole bunch of ROG swag. Internationally, the Ultimate will be costing €1,299 (USD$1,544.75).
Mobile and wireless sound are some of the most ubiquitous things that we are taking advantage of nowadays. Just in recent years, we saw an increase in the number of people adopting true wireless headphones and earphones like the Sony WH-1000MX3 and the Galaxy Buds Pro. However, as Qualcomm’s James Chapman put it, the industry has a “dirty secret” – sound quality is reduced – sometimes significantly when it goes wireless. That’s where Qualcomm believes it can step in to help revolutionise wireless audio with its new initiative called Snapdragon Sound.
Source: Qualcomm
Snapdragon Sound is essentially Qualcomm flexing its proven prowess in two fields – wireless audio and mobile. A flex which, in the company’s own words, puts them in a unique position to address the issue of lacklustre sound when it comes to mobile and wireless audio. The new Snapdragon Sound initiative merges the technology and capabilities from Qualcomm spanning their mobile platforms, Bluetooth audio connectivity and video technologies to culminate in what is, essentially, a new certification for mobile sound.
Qualcomm’s new audio-centric efforts seem to have borne some fruit with the company already touting 2 times the bitrate when it comes to streaming music wirelessly and even when taking voice calls over wireless audio products. They also report a 45% lower latency when it comes to audio-video synchronisation. These comparisons were done against the mSBC codec with Qualcomm’s developed aptX codec.
Source: Qualcomm
That said, Qualcomm has lofty goals for Snapdragon Sound promising partners an already optimised sound experience for devices. Their optimisation focuses not only on the quality of the connection from the source device to the headphone or earphone but from the audio itself to the ear. At least, that’s what Qualcomm is claiming. Snapdragon sound promises to improve overall user experience by focusing on better fidelity, battery life, latency, and voice among others.
Source: Qualcomm
Qualcomm says that they will be certifying devices that utilise their Snapdragon Sound platform in a facility in Taiwan. These devices will be tested to meet their requirements at this facility before they are certified. At the time of the announcement, Qualcomm announced Xiaomi, Audio-Technica and Amazon Music HD as official Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound partners. Of note, Qualcomm did mention that current Snapdragon flagships do not have Snapdragon Sound certification.
Xiaomi’s Redmi line-up has been the long serving champion of great value for money smartphones. Okay, I might have exaggerated their position a minute there. But they are really good at what they do; they are really good at making budget friendly smartphones that punches above their weight.
Yesterday they launched the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note10 Pro in Malaysia with prices starting at MYR 799. The new Redmi Note series is, technically, the brand’s most advanced Redmi yet in certain areas.
Redmi Note 10 Pro
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
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Source: Xiaomi
You get a very powerful and proven Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 series in the form of a Snapdragon 732G. Unfortunately, you do not get 5G capabilities with the chipset. Then again, 5G technology has yet to see public daylight in Malaysia at this time.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro more than makes up for it with an ultra-powerful 108-Megapixel main camera though. Yes, it is the same 108-Megapixel sensor that the Xiaomi Mi11 gets. You also get the enhanced Night Mode 2.0 for even better low-light shooting capabilities with the high-resolution camera. That added with the dual native ISO nature of the sensor means you can really take this device to the night. The 108-Megapixel camera also comes with an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor, 5-Megapixel telemacro sensor, and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor to make it even more versatile.
You also get the Note 10 Pro with 120Hz AMOLED display. This makes this mid-ranger one of the most unique smartphones in the market. You seldom see 120Hz refresh rates in smartphones at this price, at this range. The 6.67-inch Full HD AMOLED display boasts Full HD+ and is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Of course, all that power needs a lot of electricity to keep it going. That is where the 5,020mAh battery comes in to ensure you get a whole day of running time. You can get the battery charged quickly too at 33W.
Redmi Note 10
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
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Source: Xiaomi
The Redmi Note 10 is a little less impressive with 6.43-inch AMOLED DotDisplay taking up its front. But you still get 33W charging on the impressive 5,000mAh battery. You also still get dual speakers similar to the Redmi Note 10 Pro with Hi-Res Audio certification for immersive audio.
The Processor is a step down from the Redmi Note10 as well at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 678. The System on a Chip (SoC) is still no slouch though. You can still play modern mobile games with it with no issues.
On the camera front, while not as impressive as the 108-Megapixel main camera flanked by three other cameras, the Redmi Note 10 still has four cameras packed into the rear section of the device. You get a 48-Megapixel main shooter, which is still relevant today, an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter, a 2-Megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-Megapixel depth sensor.
Redmi Note 10S
Want a higher-resolution camera without breaking your bank with the high-end Redmi Note 10 Pro? There is the in-between model that is the Redmi Note 10S.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S features a 64-Megapixel main shooter that is flanked by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor, a 2-Megapixel macro camera, and another 2-Megapixel depth camera. You can see a pattern emerging here. The 64-Megapixel sensor though should be able to give you super clear, super pretty photos out-of-the-box.
You are not getting a Qualcomm Snapdragon to boot here though. You are getting a MediaTek Helio G95 SoC to work with. The MediaTek Helio G95 is proven to be a potent and capable processor in mobile gaming, so you should not be left wanting more.
You also get 5,000mAh battery packed in its body for all-day battery and even more. If that is not enough, the battery charges at up to 33W too for a quick trip to the sockets.
Redmi Note 10 5G
If you want to take advantage of 5G networking when its available then you have to look at the 5G variant of the new Xiaomi Redmi Note series. It is the only Redmi Note series that is powered by MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 700 with 5G capabilities. There are some compromises on this device though.
For one, you get one less camera. You still get a high-resolution 48-Megapixel main camera to work with. But you are only getting two other cameras besides. You get a 2-Megapixel macro sensor and another 2-Megapixel depth sensor. You also lose out on the front camera at 8-Megapixel compared to 13 (10 and 10S) and 16 (10 Pro).
You do get a bigger display though at 6.5-inch. You also get an impressive 90Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate that will optimise itself to keep your device lasting as long as it can on a single charge. You also get a 5,000mAh battery for an impressive battery life. Although, you only get up to 18 in charging speed.
Spec Sheet
RedmiNote 10 Pro
RedmiNote 10
Redmi Note 10S*
Redmi Note 10 5G*
Display
120Hz AMOLED 6.67” DotDisplay
6.43” AMOLED DotDisplay
6.43” AMOLED DotDisplay
90Hz AdaptiveSync 6.5” DotDisplay
Rear camera
108MP wide-angle camera 8MP ultra-wide angle camera 5MP telemacro camera 2MP depth sensor
48MP wide-angle camera 8MP ultra-wide angle camera 2MP macro camera 2MP depth sensor
64MP wide-angle camera 8MP ultra-wide angle camera 2MP macro camera 2MP depth sensor
48MP wide-angle camera 2MP macro camera 2MP depth sensor
Front camera
16MP front camera
13MP front camera
13MP front camera
8MP front camera
Dimension & Weight
164mm x76.5mm x 8.1mm 193g
160.46mm x 74.5mm x 8.29mm 178.8g
160.46mm x 74.5mm x 8.29mm 178.8g
161.81mm x 75.34mm 8.92mm 190g
Processor
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 732G
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 678
MediaTek Helio G95
MediaTek Dimensity 700
RAM+ROM
LPDDR4X UFS 2.2
LPDDR4X UFS 2.2
LPDDR4X UFS 2.2
LPDDR4X UFS 2.2
Audio
Dual speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Hi-Res Audio certification
Dual speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Hi-Res Audio certification
Dual speakers 3.5mm headphone jack Hi-Res Audio certification
3.5mm headphone jack Hi-Res Audio certification
Security
Arc side fingerprint sensor
Arc side fingerprint sensor
Arc side fingerprint sensor
Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Charging
5,020mAh (typ) battery Supports 33W wired fast charging
5,000mAh (typ) battery Supports 33W wired fast charging
5,000mAh (typ) battery Supports 33W wired fast charging
5,000mAh (typ) battery Supports 18W wired fast charging
Connectivity
Dual SIM Multi-functional NFC* IR blaster
Dual SIM IR blaster
Dual SIM Multi-functional NFC IR blaster
5G Dual SIM Multi-functional NFC IR blaster
Variant
6GB+64GB* 6GB+128GB 8GB+128GB
4GB+64GB* 4GB+128GB* 6GB+128GB
6GB+64GB 6GB+128GB 8GB+128GB
4GB+64GB 4GB+128GB 6GB+128GB
Available color
Onyx Gray Glacier Blue Gradient Bronze
Onyx Gray Pebble White Lake Green
Onyx Gray Pebble White Ocean Blue
Chrome Silver Graphite Gray Nighttime Blue Aurora Green
*Availability may vary between markets.
Price and Availability
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 series, as per mentioned earlier starts at MYR 799 (Note 10 6GB + 128GB). The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro will be available in Malaysia with 128GB storage options only, and it starts at MYR 999 (6GB RAM) and MYR 1,099 (8GB RAM). The Redmi Note 10 will be available 8th March 2021 onward at official Xiaomi physical Stores, authorised retailers, and their official Lazada store. The Redmi Note 10 Pro will be available 15th March onward in Xiaomi’s official offline stores, authorised retailers, and their official store on Lazada. There are no mentions of pricing and availability for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S and Redmi Note 10 5G at this time.
Qualcomm is one of the biggest chipmakers when it comes to mobile. The company is responsible for the silicon in a huge number of smartphones on the market including the U.S. variant of the Samsung S21 series and the recently announced Xiaomi Mi11. That isn’t all, the company’s Snapdragon processors also power some of the more accessible and affordable devices such as the Redmi Note 9s and even HMD’s Nokia lineup. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the company and the Snapdragon brand has built up a following in the past years.
If you’re one of them, Qualcomm is opening the doors for you to get more acquainted with their technology. In an announcement on their social media as well as a blog post, the company announced their new Snapdragon Insider program. The program will give exclusive access to some of the inner happenings at Qualcomm and even allow fans access to experts to learn more about the Snapdragon mobile platforms.
Source: Qualcomm
According to Qualcomm, signing-up will give enthusiasts an exclusive chance to celebrate, engage, and experience the latest Snapdragon technology. The community will be among the first to get news and announcements about Snapdragon-enabled devices and will have access to small-group interactions with content creators and Qualcomm experts. These sessions will allow Insiders to learn how to get the most out of their Snapdragon devices as well as help shape the future of Snapdragon.
If you’re interested, you can sign up at Qualcomm’s website. The program is going live in the U.S., India and Germany with plans to roll out in China soon. There’s no news on which other countries will be able to access the Qualcomm Insider program at this point of time.
Update (10 March 2021): More rumors are continuing to surface about the ROG Phone 5 in the days leading up to its release. The first is that the new gaming phone will have a variant with 16GB of RAM. Something we highlighted in our original article. In addition to this, we’ve got our first look at the phone thanks to leaker @IshanAgarwal on Twitter. It seems like the phone will be coming in a new, sleek white color similar to the Zephyrus G14/15. The official renders also show a new AeroActive Cooler with a slight redesign.
And here is the ASUS ROG Phone 5 White Color Variant!
ASUS’s ROG Phone is arguably one of the most popular gaming phones on the market. ASUS launched the first ROG Phone to much fanfare in 2019 creating a new niche for loud, gamer-proud devices. They also pack specifications and software features that allow users to get the most out of their phones when it comes to performance and comes with software optimizations for gaming. Don’t forget the plethora of gaming-centric accessories that is now a signature of the ROG Phone lineup.
In the past, ASUS has announced their gaming smartphone closer to mid year. However, this year, the company has already announced that they will be revealing their new entry into the ROG Phone line up on March 10 at 7pm. With that in mind, we thought it’s be an opportune time to round up the rumours and everything else we know so far about the ROG Phone 5.
Bringing New Design Cues from Successful Laptops
Yep. You read that right. No you didn’t miss a ROG Phone somewhere in between. Instead, ASUS has decided to skip straight to 5 as the number 4 in Mandarin and other Chinese dialects sounds similar to the word for death.
With that out of the way, let’s get down to business. You’d have realised that ASUS has been teasing the ROG Phone 5 for about a week now. If you’ve been paying attention, it looks like the AniMe matrix from the ROG Zephyrus G14 is coming along for the ride. It seems to be the hallmark design feature of the phone and will be replacing the RGB logo which was one back of the phone.
From the leaks, it looks like this may be complemented by a small display. The small strip could be used as a notification ticker or possibly in a similar way that the HTC One Ultra used it for interactive features. However, there’s no confirmations so far on the functionality of the display.
This would be an excellent complement to the triggers that we already know will be coming to the ROG Phone 5. It also seems like there is an extra red button on the phone’s lower left edge. Keep in mind, that the ROG Phone series has historically come with a side mounted USB-C port.
Specc’d to Kill
As is the usual, it seems like the ROG Phone 5 is specced to kill – in a matter of speaking. We know the phone will be coming with a Snapdragon 888 processor. However, what we don’t know is whether the processor will come with a special build like previous years. Typically, ASUS and Qualcomm have launched the ROG Phone 5 with a “plus” or + variant of the year’s top processor. However, this year, the ROG Phone seems to be coming with the run of the mill Snapdragon 888.
We know from TENAA documentation that there will be an 8GB version of the smartphone, possibly the Tencent or STRIX version which we’ve seen in the past. However, we also have an inkling through rumours that ASUS is likely to have a 16GB and 12GB versions as well. Of course, they will be using the UFS 3.1 standard of memory for that snappy runtime. We will definitely see versions with 256GB and 512GB of internal storage however we wouldn’t put it past ASUS to offer a whopping 1TB version too perhaps paired with 16GB of RAM.
When it comes to the battery, we know for a fact that ASUS hasn’t shied away from large battery capacities. This year’s ROG Phone seems to be coming with a 6,000mAh battery if rumours are to be believed. ASUS is apparently achieving this by doubling up on 3,000mAh battery modules. Of course, the phone will be able to support up to 65W Fast Charging and come with Quick Charge 4, USB-C Power Delivery 3.0 and maybe even reverse charging. However, we don’t expect to see wireless charging in the ROG Phone 5 if ASUS keeps to its trends.
Source: ASUS
On the display front, it looks like ASUS might be equipping the ROG Phone 5 with a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen. However, rumours point to the gaming smartphone only coming with a Full HD+ resolution. That said, the display may be getting a boost from the HDR10+ feature it’s rumoured to be touting. It also looks like the smartphone will be coming with Android 11 out of the box.
Thanks to DxO Mark’s audio review, we know that the ROG Phone comes with stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack – hooray~! In addition, it looks like the phone will be equipped with an ESS DAC for better quality sound and it will also have at least four microphones. On the optics side of things, not too much detail is known. However, we do have leads showing that the phone will be coming with a triple sensor setup. It will be fronted by a 64-megapixel main sensor. The remaining sensors are unknown but if we are to go with what came in the ROG Phone 3 and similar phones this year, we’re betting on an ultrawide sensor and a macro sensor.
Pricing & Availability
While nothing much has been said about the price, we’re expecting ASUS to maintain the general price point of the ROG Phone 5. The ROG Phone came with a price tag of $999 in the U.S. and €999 in Europe at launch. In Malaysia, pricing was about MYR4,499 at launch.
However, given Samsung’s move to make the barrier to ownership a little lower this year, we can probably expect that ASUS may do the same; either with a lower specc’d entry or a very slight price decrease. We’ll have to wait and see.
Samsung with their Galaxy S21 series has sort of won the flagship market in the first quarter of 2021. There is the launch of the Xiaomi Mi 11 that was very recently launched too, which was touted to be better than the South Korean flagship in every way, on paper. They also sell the device with a charger, a bonus.
Xiaomi is not the only one vying for the top spot in the premium flagship space though. There is also OPPO. To attempt to dethrone Samsung, they are launching the OPPO Find X3 series in 2021.
There is not much information at this time regarding the OPPO Find X3 series. The only thing we know for certain is that OPPO is launching their OPPO Find X3 Pro on the 11th March 2021. It is also most likely going to be launched with Android 11.
The OPPO Find X2 series really pushed Samsung in terms of specification. They proved that a high-resolution display with high refresh rates is possible. They also proved that high refresh rates does not mean a terrible battery life with the 2020 flagship.
The replacement, the OPPO Find X3 Pro continues on that recipe with a supposed high-resolution 1440p display with up to 120Hz. That is technically not a huge upgrade over the 2020 flagship that it replaces. We are also expecting it to come with up to 12GB of RAM, again something that we have seen before in the OPPO Find X2 Pro.
What is new with the OPPO Find X3 Pro though is supposedly its heart. When we say heart, we are mostly referring to powerhouse that is the SoC. We are expecting the OPPO Find X3 Pro to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 flagship class SoC of course.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC is first seen in Malaysia on the Xiaomi Mi 11 flagship smartphone. While you have seen the Xiaomi Mi 11 perform, it does not mean that the OPPO Find X3’s inclusion of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC is any less significant. The OPPO Find X3 Pro could really benefit from the new powerful SoC.
For one, we really like OPPO’s camera application and optimization. We find that they really are among the best in the industry when it comes to camera technology and innovation. We are saying that they really know how to make smartphone cameras work.
With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, the OPPO Find X3 Pro might just be one of the best camera smartphones in the Android space. Even with the Xiaomi Mi 11 series, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC has boasted better sensitivity for low-light conditions. OPPO’s Find X2 series was one of the best low-light shooters we have tested in 2020. That also means that added sensor sensitivity in low-light will just make the OPPO Find X3 Pro an even better low-light shooter than before.
With the Snapdragon 888 in the OPPO flagship as well, the camera AI should benefit from Qualcomm’s Hexagon 780 dedicated AI engine embedded within the chipset. That could also mean better colours, better temperature adjustment, cleverer angle detection and recommendation, and an overall improvement in scene detection. It could also mean better depth in your photos. In that sense, what could you have asked for more?
Of course, we loved the OPPO Find X2 series for their gaming capabilities. We have used it as an alternative display in completing most of Death Stranding. We also played other games with it of course. Games like PUBG Mobile, and even Mobile Legends really benefit from a fast display.
The OPPO Find X3 Pro should deliver even more gaming performance with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. Qualcomm’s latest processor is supposedly able to cut down your reaction times in games like Mobile Legends and even PUBG Mobile by 20%. The display is supposed to react to your touch inputs faster than before thanks to the new ultra-fast processor. Of course, even better performance and faster clocks on the SoC does not hurt gaming. They even tout desktop PC level of performances on the SoC.
Of course, all these are still yet to be confirmed. We can only confirm all of the information when the product launches on the 11th of March 2021. Are we excited though? For a smartphone that could give Samsung a run for their money, heck yes.
Xiaomi is no stranger to the smartphone scene. In recent years, the company has clawed its way to become one of the top 3 smartphone brands in the world. The same rings true in Malaysia and Singapore where the company has become one of the top 2 fastest growing smart devices companies. They have attributed their success to their highly innovative R&D process amazing products and what they call “honest prices.” That said, Xiaomi’s biggest boon is the support of their Mi Fans Community. Today, the company announced their latest flagship – the Xiaomi Mi 11, the first device in both Singapore and Malaysia to come with MIUI 12.5 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with support for 5G.
Source: Xiaomi
The Mi 11 is being touted by Xiaomi as a ‘Movie Magic’ device as it allows users to enjoy shooting like a director and edit like a pro. The Mi 11 comes with a triple camera sensor setup and a single selfie camera. Its main sensor is a 108-megapixels sensor. The is complemented with a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor with 123° field of view and the first M series Tele-macro lens. The front 20-megapixel, selfie camera is nestled in a punch hole up front.
The camera setup comes with improved software including an improved night mode which is now available on the ultra-wide and front camera, giving users to the flexibility of shooting at night with different lenses. It is also equipped with AI features such as Magic Zoom, Parallel world, Freeze Frame, and Night Time-lapse, which brings even more variety to the shots that users can take with the smartphone. Apart from that, users can also take advantage of 8 cinematic video filters. The Mi 11 supports recording video in 8K resolution and supports HDR10+. It also has a 30% improvement in capture compared to previous devices.
Source: Xiaomi
Even with all those features, the Mi 11 is thinner and lighter than before. It has a quad-curved edge design on the front and back of the device which make it more ergonomic. This device comes with a WQHD+ resolution AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120hz and 480Hz touch sampling.
The Mi 11 has a dual speaker setup calibrated by Harman Kardon for a more premium audio experience. Keeping the device flagship worthy, the Mi 11 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor complemented by the Adreno 660 GPU promising an immersive, responsive experience. The new flagship is also the first device with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi’s latest operating system which runs atop Android 11. To make sure that you have enough power to last, the Mi 11is supported by a 4600mAh battery fully equipped with 55W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. It also supports 10W reverse charging. The cherry on the package with the Mi11 in Malaysia and Singapore is the inclusion of a 55W GaN (Gallium Nitride) charger in the box.
Pricing & Availability
Xiaomi Mi11 will be available in three colors: Cloud White, Horizon Blue, and Midnight Gray. It will be priced starting at MYR2,799 (SGD999/USD$) for the 8GB version with 128GB internal storage. Full pricing is listed in the table below.
Storage & Memory
Sale Date
Pricing
128GB + 8GB RAM
TBA
MYR 2,999 (SGD$1099/742.53USD$)
256GB + 8GB RAM
March 13, 2021
MYR 2,799 (SGD$999/693.04USD$)
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Source: Xiaomi
Pre-orders are now open in Malaysia and Singapore. It will be running from 25 February to 10 March 2021 at Authorized Mi Stores and on Lazada, and Shopee. In Singapore, the Mi 11 is also available for pre-order with M1, Singtel, and StarHub.
Pre-orders are will be up for several freebies. The first 100 pre-orders made will stand a chance to win Mi AloT Premium Pack worth up to MYR1,356 (SGD$ 461.90). The subsequent 600 pre-orders in Singapore and 1,500 in Malaysia will be in the running to win a Mi Air Purifier 3C worth MYR 569 (SGD$ 179). To be eligible, customers will need to register their pre-orders at the official Mi11 pre-order website.
First sales will kick off on March 13, 2021 in Malaysia and 20 March 2021 in Singapore.
