The Samsung Galaxy A71 is the highest spec’d phone Samsung has to offer in its Galaxy A Series. Marketed as the phone that does it all with its awesome Super AMOLED Plus screen, quad camera, and long battery life.
The Galaxy A71 is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 Octa-core processor giving you all the power you need to game and do heavy tasks on the phone. Paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
Wait, did I mention that the quad-camera set up on Galaxy A71 comes with a 64-megapixels wide sensor, 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, 5-megapixel macro sensor, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. For the selfie camera, it has a 32-megapixel wide sensor. It’s battery is a non-removable, 4,500mAh Li-Po battery.
Best part? It comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack! It’s available in in three colours of Prism Crush Silver, Prism Crush Black, and Prism Crush Blue. The prices of the Galaxy A71 start at MYR 1,799.
The midrange smartphone is looking to make it’s way to the U.S. in the near future with a 5G variant. The A71 will be joining a slew of devices under the Galaxy A series which will be making its way to U.S. for the first time since it’s launch. The Galaxy A51, A01, A50, A20 and A10e have already made their way to the U.S. and are available on contract or unlocked.
Samsung’s Galaxy A51 was launched in Malaysia back in January, 2020. The midrange offering is now making its way States side for the first time. The Galaxy A series has been available in emerging markets since it’s first iteration, the Galaxy Alpha back in 2014. The series was revitalised and refocused the years following and, last year, the company’s entry level J series was folded into the A series.
The original Samsung Galaxy A51 that was launched in Malaysia came with the Samsung Exynos 9611 paired with 128GB of internal memory and 6GB of RAM. Samsung has announced that a new version with 8GB of RAM will be available starting 8 May, 2020 in Malaysia. The new version will be retailing for MYR1,399.
The Galaxy A51 is also making its debut in the U.S.. The mid-range device has been making its way to carriers in the States for USD$399 (MYR1,720). However, the version that is being made available is powered by the Exynos 9611 with 128GB with 4GB of RAM. The LTE version of the A51 is currently available directly from Samsung (Unlocked), Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and Xfinity. The 5G version of the Galaxy A51 seems to also be making its way to the U.S. pretty soon.
This week we had the honour of having Joshua Vergara and Isa Rodriguez on the podcast! You may have seen them on the internet over the years.
Joshua Vergara runs his own tech and lifestyle YouTube channel, but you may recognize him from his days at Android Authority and for his current work at Pocketnow. He’s a veteran of the industry and has been making content on tech for many years. Aside from YouTube videos, Joshua Vergara also hosts multiple podcasts and delves into health and wellness via his social media platforms.
Isa Rodriguez is a tech Youtuber who has a unique view on tech. She takes everything we know about tech and approaches it with a fashionista’s eye. She brings a breath of fresh air in a niche that many have enjoyed over the years. She regularly pairs he tech reviews with out fit of the days and focuses on a lot of the features that everyone looks for, particularly the ladies.
This is her second time on the Tech & Tonic Podcast! She has joined us for a previous episode of the Tech & Tonic Podcast where we talked about cameras & smartphone cameras.
In the episode, we talked about one of the most exciting weeks we’ve had in the global tech scene in quite a while particularly of Motorola’s return to the flagship race with their new Motorola Edge and Edge+. Their return after a 3 year absence also brought up the question of whether they were still relevant and if consumers were still looking for flagships or affordable devices. We also spoke about some of the changes we’ve had to make with the world going into quarantine and also our must haves for working from home.
The episode was recorded as a livestream on Monday, 27 April 2020 on the techENT YouTube Channel. We are continuing our live streams throughout Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO) period. We’re live at 11am every Monday.
Samsung’s QLED TV line up has been one of the first that have been pushing 8K and large form factor TVs. Last year, we saw the company push boundaries with a flagship series which capped at a whopping 98-inches. That said, Samsung’s line up isn’t just about size, they tend to also push the boundaries when it comes to technology. With the 2019 QLED TV line up, the company introduced a whole slew of features to help make content more immersive and also stand out. This year’s line up is no different.
Spearheaded by the new Q950TS, the new line up of Samsung QLED 8K TVs continue to bring more enhanced technologies. These technologies are focused at providing better picture quality, more immersive sound and a better, more well-rounded experience when it comes to content consumption.
Smarter AI Upscaling Augmented by Deep Learning
Samsung’s introduction of AI upscaling started with its 2019 line up of 8K UHD QLED TVs. The line up was the first to boast a dedicated Quantum processor to help with upscaling to help address the content gap. This year, Samsung ups the ante with an improved AI upscaling. While still backed by a Quantum Processor, the 2020 Samsung QLED 8K TVs will have better upscaling capabilities thanks to machine learning and deep learning algorithms.
The new machine learning and deep learning algorithms are supported by a new neural processing component in the Quantum processors. It is thanks to this neural processing that Samsung’s Quantum Processor is able to upscale content with machine learning and deep learning. The new two pronged approach to upscaling allows better, more natural upscaled content for the large factor QLED TVs.
The first prong of the two prong approach is Samsung’s Machine Learning Super Resolution. This upscaling technology focuses on upscaling content based on identified objects. The company has specified in an online briefing that the upscaling done by this technology preserves the characteristics and details of the objects or subjects of the scene or picture.
To ensure the natural detail of the shot is better preserved during upscaling, Samsung has introduced what they call Deep Learning Super Resolution. It enhances the details and fills in the pixel gaps when the image or video is upscaled. Accessing a neural network, the algorithm intelligently restores details which are lost during the upscaling process. It does this by upscaling the image pixel by pixel. Samsung’s engineers have assured us that the algorithm doesn’t introduce artificial details.
These AI technologies augment the enhancements Samsung has introduced physically in their displays. The new QLED displays come with Array Elite. This new technology allows finer control of the pixels which make up the TV. It allows finer contrast control and better power efficiency as pixels individually powered.
More Immersive Sound with Object Based Surround Sound
Samsung’s new line up of QLED 8K TVs also bring a refreshed approach to sound. In the past, sound seemed to be in the background when it came to TV development. However, Samsung is taking a more holistic approach with their 2020 QLED TVs.
It starts with a redesign of the integrated speakers. Samsung’s new line up comes with six speakers. It has two front firing speakers on the top corners of the screen. It’s placed behind the high resolution QLED panels. More significantly, Samsung has moved the tweeters to the side of the TV. In addition, Samsung is also using wider left and right channels for more complete sound experience.
The redesigned sound system has allowed Samsung to introduce a new, enhanced feature called Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+). This allows regular consumers, like you and I, to experience sound the way it was designed. OTS+ essentially allows sound to be tied to an object instead of the channels available. This approach allows sound to move as an object moved on and off screen. Dolby refers to this as “audio objects” and is an essential part of its Dolby Atmos certification.
These new technologies enhance old features that came with the 2019 line up as well as enable new ones. The 2020 QLED TVs from Samsung could be one of the most exciting tech that come from the company. This is thanks to the company’s focus on enhancing and augmenting the user experience in its line up with meaningful new features. The new line up is set for its debut soon in Malaysia and has already been introduced in select counties around the world.
Samsung has announced a new tablet in their line up, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. The new tablet complements their recently announced Galaxy Tab S6. The S6 Lite brings most of the Tab S6’s cutting edge features at a more affordable price point.
The new Galaxy Tab S6 lite will be running on Android 10 with One UI 2. This will be powered by an octacore Exynos 9611 processor with 4GB of RAM with either 64GB or 128GB of internal memory. The setup promises a pretty comparable experience to the Tab S6 and other competitors on paper.
Samsung is focusing on productivity and entertainment with the S6 Lite. It has equipped the tablet with AKG tuned dual speakers as well as a large 10.40inch TFT screen. It has a WUXGA resolution of 1200 x 2000 pixels and a pixel density of about 224 ppi. In addition, Samsung is bundling 4 months of YouTube Premium with the Tab S6 Lite. Spotify also integrates seamlessly into the new One UI setup on the Tab S6 Lite.
The Tab S6 Lite will also be coming with an S Pen in the box. You won’t need to worry about losing your S Pen as it will be able to stick to your tablet thanks to a magnetised right side. The S Pen comes with all the bells and whistles that come with the S Pen on the Note 10 series. However, given the camera setup of the S6 lite, we doubt it will have the AR features. That said, if you want to enhance your productivity even more, you’ll be able to get an optional keyboard magnetised case for the tablet.
The camera setup on the Tab S6 lite is a single 8-megapixel sensor on the back. This sensor comes with a wide lens and has a 1.12µm pixel size. It is capable of shooting 1080p at 30fps. On the front is a 5-megapixel sensor capable of shooting in 1080p at 30fps. These cameras should be able to handle most of what you need a camera to on tablet.
On the connectivity front, the tablet supports 4G LTE connectivity and also dual band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. It also has support for Bluetooth 5.0 LE and WiFi Direct. It is powered by a 7,040 mAh battery with Adaptive Fast Charging.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will go on sale starting in Q2 2020 (April – June 2020) priced from USD$349 (MYR1,526.54). It will be available in Oxford Gray, Angora Blue and Chiffon Rose.
Samsung has released the Galaxy S10 Lite equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. The processor is paired with a minimum of 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage and up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. A new and improved triple main camera consisting of a 48MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro camera. For the selfie camera, it gets a 32 MP wide camera. Packing a relatively large-sized 4,500 mAh battery that could last you the entire day.
Coming in three different beautiful colours of Prism White, Prism Black, and Prism Blue. It is Priced at MYR 2,699 in Malaysia and USD$649 in the US. Will the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite live up to its other S10 Series? Is this Samsung’s answer to go against Chinese’s smartphone flagships?
The Samsung Galaxy Fold made a triumphant debut last year at Galaxy Unpacked along side the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. It’s announcement and eventual roll out to consumers has made it one of the first commercially available foldable smartphone. Packing a unique form factor and multiple screens, the foldable has the unique ability to provide even larger visual real estate when unfolded.
Being one of the first on the market has its merits, however, does its form factor show promise? Is it worth buying? Is it a must have? Or are we still in early days when it comes to foldables?
Those are the questions we’re looking at as we unfold the Galaxy Fold and its many features in this review.
Design
It comes as no surprise that the Galaxy Fold’s design would be the talk of the town. In the past decade, we’ve not seen a smartphone come with a design that allows it to bend the same way. In fact, the combination of Samsung’s design, the multiple displays and the design materials used, make the smartphone truly unique.
Let’s start off with the aesthetics. The Galaxy Fold is undoubtedly a looker. It’s a smartphone cum tablet that is designed from the bottom up to be a premium device. The outer later of the Galaxy Fold is made of a combination of metal and glass, like many Samsung flagships before it. The outer shell of the smartphone feels sturdy and well built. The shimmer and reflective nature of the outer glass layer gives it a sense of allure and prestige. The hinge’s outer design complements this quite perfectly.
Since we’ve mentioned the hinge, it was one of the problem areas for Samsung when it initially sent out review samples. However, the company was quick to delay its commercial launch and improve the hinge design. It capped the sides of the hinges with plastic T-caps to prevent dust getting into the hinge and wreaking havoc. Personally, I think the tighter design of the hinge lent to more sturdy build of the device.
That said, one thing that stood out like a sore thumb to me was the gap between the two halves of the screen when the smartphone is folded. The Galaxy Fold leaves a gap of about half a centimetre at the hinge and tapers down to the edges when folded. While I know that Samsung designed the hinge as such to prevent creasing, some people are definitely going to find this a little aesthetically unpleasing.
Let’s move on over to the inside of the Fold, where the 7.6-inch display of the Galaxy Fold lies. Samsung should design their tablets like this! The sides of the screen are flanked with a raised plastic bezel which prevents the screen from getting scratched should you place it on the table face down. The plastic bezel also elegantly frames the dual camera sensors on the inside of the Fold. The outlook of the Fold’s insides scream premium and are pretty nice to use and interact with. I’d go so far as to say that it was made for pudgy fingers like myself!
The location of the volume rocker, power button and the fingerprint sensor make so much sense on the Galaxy Fold. Everything is in reach. You don’t have to struggle to power on or scan your fingerprint to unlock your phone. In fact, the smaller form factor of the Fold when folded makes for some of the most ergonomic placements for the buttons. But, it also lends to a display that I found a little bit of a let down. We’ll dive into that in the display section of this review.
Hardware
Samsung didn’t compromise much when it came to hardware in their first foldable flagship. They’ve packed a top of the line Snapdragon 855 paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal memory. You’ll definitely have more than enough performance to go around. With these specifications, you can expect smooth sailing when it comes to doing performance intensive tasks or running larger apps.
That said, Samsung’s approach to the multiple displays on the Fold leaves a little bit to be desired when it comes to practicality. That said, the company didn’t hold back when it comes to display quality – well, at least for the foldable screen. We’ll dive into the nitty gritty later on.
Aside from the screen, the hardware on the Galaxy Fold is commendable. Everything from having wireless charging, a unique battery design, supporting eSIM and even having HDR10+ all lend itself to an overall experience I can grow to like – with time and refinement.
The User Interface on the Galaxy Fold is your run-of-the-mill Samsung OneUI interface. That said, Samsung has introduced some optimisations specifically for the Galaxy Fold. These optimisations make the overall experience of the Fold truly cohesive and more productive compared to any of their other flagships out there.
The first is multiwindow. Yes. I know, any Android device out there can do multiwindow. However, the way Samsung has made optimizations for the Galaxy Fold allows you to be more effective with your work and productivity with the increased screen space. Naturally, I really couldn’t be effective using multiwindow in the smaller screen. There simply isn’t enough screen.
The second is app continuity. Samsung has made so that some applications are able to seamlessly move between the two screen environments of the Galaxy Fold. They automatically go from a the normal experience we’re used to on any phone to a tablet optimized one on the 7.3-inch foldable screen. That said, not every app is able to do this with some apps getting stuck in a 4.6-inch window. These apps end up as 4.6-inch letterboxes in the middle of the 7.3-inch display. The only way to get out of the app is to go back to the smaller screen and relaunch the app from the 7.3-inch display. This was particularly apparent with high intensity apps such as games.
The biggest difference between the Galaxy Fold and the other Samsung and Android devices is that there are two environments which you interact with. The smaller, 4.6-inch display on the outside and the foldable 7.3-inch screen. The optimisations are great – individually. However, when it comes to how Samsung has dealt with the experience, it feels disjointed and bridged. What I mean is, the spaces on the 4.6-inch screen and the 7.3-inch screen feel like they are two separate spaces. The home screens have to be set up individually. While I can appreciate the fact that some of us may customize our home screens differently with the two experiences, others may just want to setup a home screen that works on both displays. The experience feels like a scaled back version of Samsung’s KNOX. I would have much preferred if the home screen experience was more cohesive. Even if it was an option to turn on, it would have made the user experience a little better overall.
Other than that, the UI and user experience (UX) on the Galaxy Fold is pretty well optimized – as is expected from a Samsung device. The UI is similar on both screens which makes sense. You wouldn’t want to learn two different UIs on a single device. However, the let down when it came to UX is the poorly optimized apps when it comes to the larger display. Android’s lack of native tablet or large screen optimizations is glaring in the Fold but that’s not something that Samsung has control over. They are limited to the offerings and backbone that is provided by Google’s Android development.
Performance
The Galaxy Fold was no slouch when it came to performance. The device was pretty consistent and was able to take quite a beating when it came to high performance apps. The processor and software optimizations lent themselves to one of the most delightful smartphone experiences I’ve had to date.
Call Quality & Connectivity
Call quality on the Galaxy Fold was pretty good as is expected. The Fold was able to provide consistent call quality. The person on the other end sounded really clear and warm. There wasn’t any tinny resonance or distortion when it came to the speaker. People on the other end also noted that the audio was clear. In fact, I jumped from the smaller screen to the larger one during a call and the person on the other end couldn’t tell the difference between the two modes. This was literally a jump from an earpiece to speaker. This was a pleasant surprise for me.
The Galaxy Fold was pretty consistent when it came to connectivity over WiFi and even on cellular (4G). The smartphone was able to pick up line where my S9 was struggling to. This was a welcomed surprise. It is also most probably due to the updated antennae that come with an update processor. Even when I was getting no signal on the S9, the Fold was able to register one to two bars. That aside, there were no dropped calls or sudden drop in cell and WiFi signal when I was using the Fold. Even when it came to using Bluetooth headphones on the Galaxy Fold, the connection was pretty stable and was able to be maintained even when I left the room.
Multitasking
Multitasking on the Galaxy Fold is a truly enjoyable experience – especially when it came to the larger screen. With the added display real estate and Samsung’s optimisations, I was able to get more done with more windows. As mentioned before this, the smaller screen was a little too small when it came to multitasking.
Samsung enhanced the multiwindow multitasking on larger display of the Fold. I was able to use 3 – 4 apps simultaneously which allowed me to be more productive. I was constantly using my email, note taking and to do apps simultaneously when I was working on the Fold. Even with the keyboard activated, there was still ample display to read and reply emails while taking notes. I was also using apps like Spotify for music in the background.
During these multitasking sessions, I rarely experienced any lag or stuttering. In fact, the experience was pretty smooth. I’d go so far as to say it was a lot smoother than the experience I’ve had on many other flagship class smartphones. The optimizations that Samsung has put into the Fold are a boon to the smartphone’s uniqueness.
Gaming
Gaming on the Galaxy Fold was a rather mixed bag. This was mainly due to the poorly optimized apps on Android itself rather than a problem with the device itself. Many gaming apps couldn’t use the extra display real estate afforded to it by the larger screen of the Fold effectively. Many, if not all, of them simply stretched the smartphone layout which really didn’t do justice to the Fold’s extra real estate. However, gaming on the smaller screen was not too bad as it was more native for the apps.
That said, when it came to performance, the Galaxy Fold wasn’t hindered. Games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battle Grounds (PUBG) ran well on both displays and this was at the maximum settings afforded by the game. There wasn’t much tearing or lag and the gameplay was as good as it could get. Other, less intensive games, were able to run smoothly and games such as Candy Crush, Two Dots and even Angry Birds managed to retain a pretty good user experience even on the larger display.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Fold had really good battery life especially considering that it had two displays – one larger than most smartphones. I managed to get about one and a half days usage on average during my time with the foldable. However, when I was doing more intensive tasks, this was a lot lower at about 10 hours. That said, the inclusion of fast charge both through wired and wireless charging allowed me to quickly top off charge if battery levels dropped too low. This managed to get me through whatever I was doing until I could charge it properly.
Benchmarks
The Benchmarks for the Galaxy Fold are commendable. However, as with all our mobile reviews, we reiterate that benchmarks only tell part of the story. In fact, in the previous sections, it has been highlighted that the hardware of the Fold isn’t the main drawback. It has more to do with software optimizations and app support.
Displays
The Samsung Galaxy Fold comes with two displays: a 7.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED display and a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED Display. Both are good displays but there may be a few things that put the smaller screen at a disadvantage.
7.3-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED Display
The foldable display is one of the first of its kind in the world. Samsung wasn’t fooling around when it was designing the fold. The company decided to go with one of their best displays on the Fold and this definitely bolstered the viewing experience on the device.
The Dynamic AMOLED display is definitely one which allows content to shine. The colour reproduction and accuracy is one of the best when it comes to smartphone displays. The larger size of the display also lent to content being more immersive. The display was sharp and crisp. It had no problems when it came to performing under bright light. I was able to use and interact with the display without problems.
There is, however, one major issue with the display – the crease. Given that it’s a first generation foldable, I’ll cut it a bit of slack; But, to be honest, the display experience of the Galaxy Fold is disrupted, quite literally, by the crease. It is especially jarring when you’re viewing content that’s bright. Even when you’re using apps like Amazon’s Kindle app or reading a piece on a website, it’s hard not to notice the crease. In fact, you’re reminded of it every time you run your finger to swipe on the display.
The screen is also pretty fragile. Samsung had to repeated remind us to not press or interact with the screen recklessly. In fact, they reminded us that even putting your credit card in the middle of the fold could lead to the credit card number being permanently indented into the screen. While I didn’t have much issues with the screen getting scratched or indented during my time with the device, it was always in the corner of my mind. This also meant that I was constantly walking on eggshells when I was using the smartphone.
4.6-inch Super AMOLED Display
The cover screen is a run-of-the-mill Super AMOLED Display. The details were crisp and sharp and the lower resolution was really not noticeable cause of the screen size. Colour reproduction and accuracy left a little bit to be desired and, to be honest, it was constantly highlighted by the Dynamic AMOLED display underneath.
While I understand prioritizing the larger display, the smaller screen essentially became the one I was interacting more with since I would answer calls and texts with it. I was constantly looking for more display real estate when it came to the front screen. The elongated display and design of the screen made it so that things felt cramped which led me to do most of my typing on the larger display. I was also beginning to realise the flaws in colour reproduction and accuracy more and more as I used the Fold cause of the immediate availability of the larger Dynamic AMOLED Display in the Fold. Samsung could have opted to have a lower resolution Dynamic AMOLED Display for the cover display to have a more cohesive experience.
That said, the displays aren’t a deal breaker though. They serve their purpose and, to be very honest, I wasn’t consuming much media when I was using the front display. Instead, I found myself spending more time on the larger display as it was easier on the eyes, had more screen real estate and it was also more functional.
Cameras
The Galaxy Fold has six cameras in total. That’s more than a lot of smartphones when it first released. Samsung’s design sees a triple camera array as the main camera, a single camera on the cover and a dual camera setup in the Fold. It’s smart, but I think a bit of an overkill when it comes to cameras.
I found myself favouring the back camera array. The pictures taken with the main 12-megapixel sensor was always crisp and had really good details. This was the same for the 12-megapixel telephoto and the 16-megapixel ultrawide sensors. It was a really easy to use experience with photos turning out really detailed (with the right conditions). Samsung’s AI features also bolstered the camera experience giving suggestions and activating relevant modes seamlessly when I was in shutterbug mode.
The front, cover camera is a single 10-megapixel sensor and it became my go to camera when it came to selfies. The details and crispness of the photos were comparable to any other Samsung flagship. While the dual sensors would have allowed for more modes to shoot in, the convenience of having this camera on the outside made it a default for selfies.
The cameras I used the least were the ones in the Fold: the 10-megapixel and 8-megapixel dual sensor setup. Perhaps it’s cause I was rarely in video calls, but it felt more seamless taking pictures with the front, cover camera. However, when I did use it, the pictures and video were really good. I could see a lot of detail and even when I was in video calls, people on the other side remarked that the image was a lot clearer compared to other smartphone cameras.
So Much Potential, Let Down by Software that Feels Like a Work in Progress
All in all, the Galaxy Fold is a device I would get – in the future. The smartphone is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to foldables, the Fold still feels like a work-in-progress. It feels like a collection of ideas which need a little bit more tweaking to be ready for prime time. The form factor has a lot of potential but it feels like Samsung was a bit rushed with the Fold. It doesn’t have that Samsung finesse we’re used to seeing with their flagships and higher end devices.
That said, the Galaxy Fold is in no way a bad device. It’s actually one of the best devices that Samsung has designed to date. It’s a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale smartphone market. Samsung was able to excite a market that had grown to become routine with minimal design updates. In fact, if you do have the cash to spare, it can be a valuable investment especially if you’re the type of person that is always looking to be productive on the go.
Having in-ear type earphones is one of the best ways to block out the outside world with music. It helps you isolate in a noise world. This is especially useful in these trying times when you are stuck at home trying to tolerate your family or roommates. It is also useful in your work-from-home condition when you just need to isolate yourself in a tight space shared with your significant other, or other members of your household. What makes the earphones even better is when you get one with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). That isolates you even further and immerses you in the music and your workspace even more.
Source: Samsung South Korea
Samsung sort of started this craze of True wireless (TWS) earbuds with their first ever Samsung IconX. That was a small earphone thing that got my attention when it was launched. We said small, compared to what we get today though, the IconX was quite behemoth in size. That is not to take away from what it can do though.
Samsung continued with their fresh line of TWS earphones a year ago when they launched their brand-new Samsung Galaxy Buds. A big bump over the IconX with smaller footprints. I have one with me and I do like it a lot, especially for exercises. It does not hurt that the Galaxy Buds was also made in collaboration with AKG, Samsung’s sub-company.
There was one thing lacking from the Buds though; it did not have ANC. The next iteration of it, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+, was rumoured to have ANC too. It did not come with ANC, and now we are left wanting.
Enter the AKG N400. AKG has been known to make studio quality audio equipment. The part they played in the development of the Samsung Galaxy Buds series is not small either. They are a reputable brand in the world of audiophiles.
The AKG N400 is a little bit of surprise to us. When we saw the Samsung Galaxy Buds, and later the Buds+, we though that this is it; this is AKG’s TWS earphones in your hands. AKG, with the N400 says; “not quite”.
Source: Samsung South Korea
The AKG N400 is actually more expensive than the outgoing Samsung Galaxy Buds+. It is a more premium item though. Why? It has ANC, that is why.
Why did we tout this as the Galaxy Buds+ Plus? Because of this AKG’s similarity to its distant cousin, the Samsung Galaxy Buds+. The buds design is quite similar to the other. Even the case is quite similar with a little more heft here at the bottom. The case also charges the N400 once over giving the AKG TWS earbuds up to 12 hours of battery life without ANC on. With ANC on, it gets 10 hours of battery life in total.
It even has a touch button with IPX7 rating. The similarities also extend to the wingtip design of the buds. The only difference here is that Samsung does not ship their Buds or Buds+ with extra ear wing tips; this does.
Source: Samsung South Korea
For now, the AKG N400 ANC TWS earbuds is available only in South Korea. It is priced at KRW 230,000. That is approximately MYR 812 by today’s conversion rate. That price tag brings it a little closer to the price tag of the Sony WF-1000XM3 ANC TWS earbuds which we dearly love. Would it be as good or better? We will only find out if the AKG N400 makes it to Malaysia.
Malaysia is still under Restricted Movement Order (RMO), or Movement Control Order (MCO), or in other words, partial lockdown. We are just one step away from a national curfew or martial law. If you have been living under a rock and have not known what is happening outside your windows, we are under RMO/MCO/lockdown because of the COVID-19 situation which is worsening as the days go by. To be specific, we are under this condition to combat the worsening COVID-19 situation.
Why this is the best way to go? There are plenty of graphs
and what not to be shown, but we are not going to do that here. All you need to
know is it is very important that we practice social distancing and stay at home
as much as possible to limit infection rate and risks.
Staying at home can be a drag for plenty though. We can understand
that, especially for those social butterflies out there. We feel your pain, but
at the same time I personally like staying indoors anyway. Still, it does get
boring; you run out of games to play, run out of books to read, generally
running out of things to do eventually.
It is quite a simple fix though. You can order books online now and buy games digitally. You do not need to step out of the house for all these for a while now. You can even get a movie on your couch with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, what not. Still, these things cost you money. There is something else you can do, for free – exercise.
The Right Tools Are Essential
We are saying that exercising can be fun, yes. Beyond that
though, in the days where you can barely step out of your home, it is always
important for you to keep yourselves active and healthy. By sitting around and working
all the time while watching YouTube recipe videos, you tend to get lazy, and
unhealthy.
We are pretty sure you have been eyeing those smartwatches and
fitness trackers for some time now. It is the in thing these days anyway. At
this time, you must be thinking; “maybe not now, maybe wait until this whole ‘stay
at home’ thing blow over”. We are telling you that is the wrong mindset, because
at this point the government is talking about extending the RMO/MOC/lockdown
for another two weeks. Even the Olympics committee is looking to postpone the
Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 just to combat the pandemic that is the COVID-19.
Source: Garmin
Now is a good time as any to get a smartwatch or a fitness
tracker. If you are planning to get one already, Garmin makes some great stuff
(we can testify), and they are having some great promotions for their smart trackers
now. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 245 and 245 music (one of my personal favourites,
review coming soon) is on sale for MYR 1,299 and MYR 1,499 (originally MYR 1,450,
and MYR 1,699) respectively. It will last you up to 7 days in normal smartwatch
mode. It has GPS and built in music capabilities too. Be warned though, battery
will drain within 6 hours if you turn both on.
Source: Garmin
The Garmin Forerunner not your cup of tea? Need something more
basic? The Garmin Instinct would fit great with its ruggedness too. It is built
to the U.S. military standards 810G to ensure that it still works in the most
hostile environments. This would be perfect for you Spartan Challenge and Viper
Challenge junkies. It has a battery life of up to 14 hours. It has GPS too of
course, and that would last you u to 14 hours, 35 hours in UltraTac mode. You
can get it in its plain body form, or tactical form (ATACS camo) for MYR 1,299
and MYR 1,450 (originally MYR 1,450 and MYR 1,599) respectively.
Source: Garmin
Nope? Need something more smartwatch like? Need touch screen?
Something more elegant you can wear every day. There is the Garmin Venu, a
pretty looking thing that has all the great Garmin features with a pretty
AMOLED touch sensitive display. This smartwatch can last up to 5 days too, much
better than almost anything with proper smartwatch functionalities in the
market. Of course, the Garmin Venu also has GPS built into its svelte body and
music storing capabilities. With both on, you get 6 hours of battery life. But you
do not need more than that in your exercises. It is available now in plenty of
colour combination options for MYR 1,599 (originally MYR 1,799). My personal
favourite is the Blue Granite/Silver combination.
The Garmin smart trackers are on this discount until the 31st of March 2020, that is when the lockdown order ends too. All the promotions are also coupled by Free Shipping by Garmin with FREESHIPPING code from their local distributor. Well, because, you know, you cannot go out; and retails are not open. Visit their online store now.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
You have the Samsung Galaxy Watch or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 that is now MYR 1,299 each. The Samsung Galaxy Watch, in my opinion, remains the best smartwatch that you can pair to your Android at this point. Of course they do not offer crazy one-week battery life. You get at most 3 days or so before needing a charge. Still, you get GPS, music storage, heart rate tracking, and activity monitor with them too. Plus, Samsung is participating in Lazada’s birthday promo on the 27th March 2020
Source: Apple
Or if you are an Apple user, you can always go back to the Apple Watch Series 5 currently. While we are not huge Apple fans, we have to admit that the Apple Watch has come a long way as a smartwatch option. The Apple Series 5 is a great smartwatch on its own with plenty of unique features like ECG monitoring, fall detection, and what not. Hey, it looks great too, in my opinion.
There are of course, plenty of options out there for you. There are more stuff in Garmin’s product range that might fit your preference better, or there are even great options from other people. There are also cheaper, more basic stuff out there. You just have to go into the interwebs and look.
Back to Basics
Back to keeping yourselves at home. There are plenty of
exercise videos you can actually watch from YouTube to keep yourself active. A search
of home exercises come up with a plethora of videos that might fit your needs
at home, so we are not going to feature any video here.
If you are not into the exercising videos or instructional
though, that is okay too. There are other ways to keep yourself active. Yes, we
try to do them too.
For one, you can just make sure you walk around the house.
While you might have set up your workstation at home to be as convenient as possible
for you work wise, you should separate all the living stuff and work stuff.
This ensures that you do not stay in one place for too long. Somehow this
forces you to get up and walk around the house to get water, or tea, or even food.
Maybe you should even put your smartphone further away from you so that you
will walk up to it to answer if there are any calls. I know I am doing that. Only
issue is, if you accidentally put it on silent or leave your headphones on. Of
course, check in from time to time.
Who says you need weights to keep yourself active at home? Keeping
yourself active at home can be just as simple as keeping yourself active in the
office. You have water bottles you can use as weight to do your weight-lifts
and what not. While it may not be as intensive or taxing on your body than those
crazy home workouts you see on YouTube videos, it is still something you can do
to keep your body moving.
Of course, since you actually have plenty of time at home
now, since you do not have to travel to work on a daily basis (you free up at
least an hour of your day, you have not considered the time you take to go out
with your friends, for meals). You have at least that one hour to get proper
exercises done. You can do your basic push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and whatever
not. Of course, there are some more effective exercises you can find from
YouTube and what not.
Still do not want to do it in front of the TV? Garmin has
something called a Squad
Virtual Challenge. It is a community-based fitness and exercise program
that is now online. Obviously you have to be a Garmin owner to take advantage, hence the promotions. But you get new
regimes every two weeks from the Squad Virtual Challenge (for now), so you can
do something different every two weeks or so to keep your workout sessions more
varied.
There are also plenty of other workout regime subscriptions or community workout plans out there. Some are free, some are not. Some of them may work for you, some of them may not. It really depends on what you want out of your workout sessions too. So you should really look into it.
Going to the gym, or even going for an outdoor jog is not
really an option at this time. You really have to find the time on your own to
keep yourselves active. We also understand that it can get quite difficult
since you are just staying at home most of the time. It is important to keep
yourselves active though. An active lifestyle is a more productive lifestyle, trust
me.
Last year, Samsung introduced a new way of cooling your home with its first ever “wind-free” air-conditioning system. The new approach to air-conditioning was a literal breath of fresh air in a space that has become pretty drab over the years. When anyone thinks of air-conditioning, the picture that comes to mind is always a wall mounted machine which actively blows cool air out to cool the room. However, Samsung took inspiration from stones in caves which were able to cool its surroundings.
With this inspiration, the company looked to revolutionize their offerings by offering something similar. Last year, the company introduced it’s R32 rated AR9500M, its first “Wind-Free” air conditioner. The AR9500M brought a new, optimized design of Samsung’s signature triangle air-conditioners. The new design came with over 10,000 micro air holes in the casing. This design allowed Samsung to optimize airflow to allow gentler cooling of the room. It also introduced a new mode of cooling to Samsung air-conditioners.
This year, Samsung’s new AR9500T takes the design of its predecessor and throws it out the window. The new, revamped air-conditioner adopts a familiar, compact design we’ve seen in many other air-conditioners. According to Samsung, the new design was adopted after consulting their partners and service team. They’ve created a modular air-conditioner which is able to be installed and serviced a lot easier than its previous models. The new AR9500T also comes with an increased 23,000 micro holes to create more still air and more efficient cooling.
Aside from that, the AR9500T comes with a new three step cooling process. The air-conditioner kicks into high gear with Fast Cooling mode. It does this by actively blowing cooled air. Samsung claims that the new air-conditioner can blow air further than any model before it; allowing it to cool faster and more efficiently. This is helped by the improved Digital Inverter Boost. After this, the air is dehumidified to optimal humidity. Once the air is at the desired temperature, it uses the wind-free mode to maintain the comfort.
The AR9500T is the first air-conditioner from Samsung to have A.I. Auto cooling. The new feature is uses data from thermostats which collects temperature data from the outside and inside. The A.I. uses this data in tandem with the user’s usage patterns to optimise cooling and maintenance. This is paired with the ability to control the air-conditioner through Samsung’s Smart Things Platform.
The new Samsung AR9500T Wind-free air-conditioner is currently on the market. Purchases of the new Wind-Free air conditioner is eligible for a new Samsung Air Purifier at 50% off! The promotion starts from 1st March till 31st May 2020.
