In this episode of Tech & Tonic, we have Isa Rodriguez of Isa Does Tech, her very own YouTube channel. As a tech reviewer, she is one of the more unique ones. She does not just review the tech, but also how it pairs with the lifestyle side of things. In that sense, it is a very unique and interesting approach to tech.
We spoke at length about the many smartphone launches that happened over the past week including the very anticipated and expensive HUAWEI Mate Xs. That is one eye catching device, since it is a foldable device and approaches the foldable device concept differently.
We also discussed about the Sony Xperia 1 Mk. II that really caught our eyes. We think that it is one heck of a device for creators. It is really Sony’s premium smartphone reloaded.
The war between proper cameras and smartphones continues though. Is it better to buy a super high-end smartphone, or is it better to spend some of that money to buy a camera, an interchangeable lens camera maybe. We all agreed that it really depends on what we are looking for in our smartphones or even cameras. Which is superior? Find out with Tech & Tonic Podcast.
Here’s the TechENT Download for the week of 24th February. Boy was it an eventful one for tech! Here’s run down of some of the most pertinent tech news of the week!
AMD Feels the heat from ASUS as the Strix RX 5700 overheats after the company’s recommended settings didn’t cut it for cooling.
Sony releases a slew of devices spearheaded by the Xperia 1 II to usher in a new age of mobile with a focus on Content Creators. Together with the Xperia 1 II, they also announced a new Xperia 10 II and Xperia L4 completing their offerings for the mobile segment.
HUAWEI showed the world how to fold with its Mate Xs. The new foldable spearheaded a whole line up of MateBook D and the new MateBook X Pro laptops and the new MatePad Pro. While HTC is making a come back with its new Wildfire.
More updates as we’re hearing more developments around the COVID-19 impact on the tech industry. This time, it looks like it’s Microsoft saying that its being affected.
We’ve started a new Podcast, techENT’s Tech & Tonic! The new podcast will see us talk about some of the most interesting news and topics in tech with some of our friends in the industry. It is available on Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, Breaker, and other podcasting host channels! If we are not yet on your favourite channel yet, let us know in the comments so that we can work our way there!
It’s not everyday you have confirmation of upcoming from smartphones from a source such as Qualcomm. The company inadvertently announced that a few yet-to-be-announced phones will be running on their Snapdragon 865 platform.
We already know that the Snapdragon 865 would be powering most of the year’s flagships including the recently announced Xperia 1 II, Samsung Galaxy S20 series and the Mi 10 series. However, in their release, the company unveiled a whole lot more including ASUS new flagships: the Zenfone 7 and the ROG Phone III; Lenovo’s Legion Gaming Phone, OPPO’s Find X2, Sharp’s AQUOS R5G, the Redmi K30 Pro, realme X50 Pro and Nubia’s Red Magic 5G.
The company notes that since its announcement of the Snapdragon 865 Mobile platform in December 2019, more than 70 designs have utilised the SD865. Some of which have yet to be released. In addition, the company boasted more 1,750 designs which have been based on the Snapdragon 8-series mobile platforms. Keep in mind, that they are mentioning 8-series and not the 865. This would include the Snapdragon 855. 855+ and its predecessors or possible unannounced successor.
So, we’re waiting with bated breath now as we now know about 16 devices are making its way to market with the Snapdragon 865 and possible 5G connectivity. These devices could possibly include Samsung’s Note20 series and even o
The entry segment is a tricky one with companies having to balance performance and a tight budget. Sony did that last year with their Xperia L3. This year, they are introducing a new device, the Sony Xperia L4 into the foray.
The new Sony Xperia L4 seems to have a lot in common with its predecessor. The only difference is the new triple camera array on the back of the smartphone. That right, you read that right. The new triple camera array is the ONLYsignificant difference in the new phone. Other than that, the phone looks, feels and has the same internals as the L3.
The Xperia L4 comes with the same Mediatek Helios P22 processor we saw in the L3. It has an increased 64GB of internal storage but still comes with 3GB of RAM. It’s also keeping the plastic build of the L3 with updates to support the Xperia L4’s new triple camera. It comes with a larger 6.2-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720×1680 pixels. It also adopts the new 21:9 standard that Sony is pushing for their smartphones.
The smartphone runs on Android 9 (Pie) and has support for all the run of the mill connectivity options such as Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi a/b/g/b/n and GPS. It’s powered by a 3,580mAh battery which supports fast charging through its USB-C port.
Now on to the biggest difference. The Sony Xperia L4 is the first phone in Sony’s entry segment to have a triple camera array. The main sensor of the L4 is a 1/3.0-inch, 13-megapixel sensor with a 26mm focal length and F2.0 aperture. This is supported by a 1/5.0-inch 5-megapixel sensor with a 17mm focal length and F2.2 aperture; and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front, there’s an 8-megapixel sensor with a 27mm focal length and F2.0 aperture.
There is no word on the pricing just yet. However, it will be available in select markets starting Spring 2020.
The original Sony Xperia 10 launched along side the original Xperia 1 last year at MWC. It was Sony’s latest attempt at creating a mid-range device which would allow new users to jump on board their ecosystem. It’s also the first mid-range smartphone which launched under their new One Sony approach which marries all of Sony’s strengths in one ecosystem. This year, the company is refreshing the Xperia 10 with the Xperia 10 II (pronounced Xperia 10 mark II).
The Xperia 10 II will be equipped with a 21:9 Triluminous display. The OLED panel in the display comes with technology that is found in Sony’s BRAVIA TVs. According to Sony, the 10 II will allow users to enjoy their content with deeper blacks and more vibrant colours thanks to this. The Full HD+ resolution should make the experience of consuming your content on the 10 II one of the most immersive there is on the market.
The Xperia 10 II comes with a triple camera setup. The main camera sensor is a 1/2.8-inch, 12-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with a 26mm focal length, F2.0 aperture and 77° field of view; This is supported by two 1/4-inch, 8-megapixel sensors; one has an F2.4 aperture with 52mm focal length while the other has an F2.2 aperture with 16mm focal length. The former has a 45° field of view while the latter has 120°. On the front, is a similar 8-megapixel sensor with F2.0 aperture and 84° field of view.
The processing power of the smartphone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 supported by 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Of course, this is expandable by up to 1TB through the microSD card slot. All of this is a powered by 3,600mAh battery capable of fast charging.
The Xperia 10 II will be available in Spring 2020. It will be available in Mint, Black, White and Blue. No pricing details have been revealed by Sony at this time.
Sony hasn’t really been one of the top contenders in the market when it comes to smartphones. However, the company did turn heads with their Xperia 1; a smartphone which (finally) brought together Sony’s many strengths into a single, sleek, creator-centric device. This year, they are building on the foundation they set last year with the new Xperia 1 II (pronounced Xperia 1 mark II).
The Xperia 1 II brings back a lot of the features that many fell in love with in the original. Of course, the now signature 21:9 aspect ratio and the slender build are still hallmarks of the new Xperia 1 II. Also making an appearance is the OLED screen with true to life colour reproduction. The mark II also comes with front firing speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Yep. That’s right, Sony brought it back!
Powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, the new Xperia 1 II is Sony’s first 5G smartphone. It comes paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB internal memory. The colour accurate 6.5-inch 21:9 CinemaWide display has a resolution 3840×1644 pixels and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut. This is protected with Gorilla Glass 6. The Xperia 1 II is also IP65/68 dust and water resistant.
Capture & Create with the Xperia 1 II Cameras
The Sony Xperia 1 II comes with a triple camera array complemented with a 3D iTOF sensor for depth perception. The triple camera array consists of a 1/17-inch, 12-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with F1.7 aperture, 24mm focal length and 82° field of view; a 1/3.4-inch, 12-megapixel sensor with 70mm focal length, F2.4 aperture and 34° field of view; and a 1/2.55-inch 12-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with 16mm focal length, F2.2 aperture and 124° field of view. The array is the first camera array to carry ZEISS calibrated lenses in Sony’s mobile portfolio. On the front is an 1/4-inch, 8-megapixel sensor with a F2.0 aperture and 84° field of view. Both front and back cameras come with Sony SteadyShot which stabilises with both electronic image stabilisation (EIS) and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) for the best stabilisation.
All of this is powered by 4,000mAh battery. It has USB Type-C connectivity which allows for USB power delivery fast charging. The Xperia 1 II is also the first smartphone from Sony with Qi Wireless Charging.
No price or official release date has been announced at this time for the new Sony flagship. The phone will be available in Black, Purple and White.
Xperia PRO – for Professionals
Together with their new flagship, Sony announced a new line up of devices meant for industry. The new Xperia PRO line up focuses on bringing productivity and features for professional content creators. To this end, the company has essentially enhanced the mark II with features to cater for better industry usage.
The Xperia PRO comes with an additional mini HDMI port which allows the phone to function as a 4K viewfinder for any DSLR or professional video camera with mini HDMI output. It also has support for 5G standalone on the mmWave band which primes the phone for live streaming on a standalone 5G network.
While these features are impressive, the Xperia PRO loses its wireless charging to make way for it. It will still be powered by a 4,000mAh battery and have support for USB 3.1 version 2.
#Sony announced their #Xperia5 late last year; Impressing most of the #tech world with its specifications and its slender form. The Xperia 5 comes with a Snapdragon 855 and 6GB of RAM. The smaller 6.1-inch screen retains the 20:1 aspect ratio we first saw on the Xperia 1. However, its smaller size makes the smartphone a lot easier to handle in hand.
The Xperia 5 is currently available in Malaysia at a recommended retail price (RRP) of MYR3,399.
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Sony Malaysia announced a new entry to their line up of home sound systems. The newly announced Sony HT-S20R soundbar is a compact sound system complete with a 3ch soundbar, a sub-woofer and 2 rear speakers. Powering the system is Dolby Digital technology which promises crisp, immersive sound with a variety of content.
The new HT-S20R system comes with HDMI ARC support. This allows you to minimise wire clutter and use a single cable for all your sound entertainment needs with compatible televisions. If you don’t have a television with ARC support, the HT-S20R comes with optical and analogue input. Bluetooth connectivity is available on the HT-S20R for those living the wireless lifestyle. Prefer old school USB? The soundbar has you covered!
In addition to its impressive array of features, the soundbar is also easy to setup. This is partially due to the HDMI ARC support on the Sony HT-S20R. Sony claims that it’s as simple as positioning your back channels and sub-woofer and plugging the soundbar in.
What’s more, users are able to change the sound mode with a simple click of the button on the remote. Users will be able to select from Auto, Standard, Cinema and Music modes. Also available are Night and Voice modes.
The soundbar will be available in Malaysia starting in June 2020. No pricing details have been released just yet. Do stay tuned as we’ll update you as soon as we have information.
