Samsung Galaxy J1 now official. It’s new entry level smart phone

The Samsung Galaxy J1 is now official as it pops up for the first time on Samsung Malaysia’s website. This is their newest entry-level device which could replace its current Galaxy V.

The price isn’t known yet and the Galaxy J1 offers a rather basic 4.3″ WVGA display and it runs on an unspecified dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 512MB of RAM. Earlier it was speculated to run on a 64-bit enabled Quad-Core Marvel processor. On-board it gets a little 4GB of storage which can be expanded using microSD.

For taking pictures it gets a 5MP main camera with assisted flash and a front facing 2MP shooter. For taking selfies, there’s a Palm Selfie function where you can enable a short timer by just showing your palm in front of the device. When you’re low in battery, there’s also Ultra Power Saving Mode to stretch the final bars of its 1,850mAh battery further. Connectivity wise, it supports 3G with faster HSPA+ speeds.

For more info, you can visit Samsung Malaysia’s Galaxy J1 page.

Official Nexus 6 is coming soon to Malaysia

The Nexus 6 with its high-spec hardware and pure Android Lollipop experience is coming to Malaysia very soon. Its international variant with the model number XT1100 just passed SIRIM certification, which means it is going on sale very soon. The Nexus 6 which was announced with Android 5.0 Lollipop is the biggest Nexus smart phone yet.

It jumps into the large phablet category with a 5.96″ Quad HD (2560×1440) AMOLED display. Underneath the hood, it runs on Qualcomm’s 2.7GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 805 processor with 3GB of RAM, that’s also powering the Galaxy Note Edge. For storage, there are 2 versions – 32GB and 64GB, and most probably we would be getting the smaller 32GB option. If you need more storage, the Nexus 6 unfortunately lacks a microSD expansion slot.

For imaging, it gets a 13MP camera with Optical Image Stabiliser that’s assisted with a ring flash illumination that’s similar to the new Moto X. Over at the front, selfie loves would need to settle for a lower 2MP camera. For music playback, it also comes with a pair of front stereo speakers. Keeping the lights on is a 3,220mAh capacity battery which can be charged quickly for a 6 hour of battery life in just 15 minutes. It also supports 4G LTE and the SIRIM certification shows our local 1800MHz and 2600MHz bands being supported.

The Nexus 6 being a Moto device will be distributed by Brightstar. Hopefully they will price this better than the Moto X 2014. At the moment, grey importers like DirectD are currently selling the Nexus 6 32GB at RM2,679, while the 64GB version is going for RM3,189.

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Premium version available online

Here’s an easier way of buying Huawei’s Ascend Mate 7 Premium high-spec model. Online store Vmall.my has started pre-orders for their flagship phablet which is price at RM1,999. Actual shipments of the device will start on 4th February, just in time for the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays.

The Ascend Mate 7 is quite a compelling device with a 6″ Full HD IPS display and it runs with a capable Hi-Silicon Kirin 925 1.8GHz Octa-Core processor. It gets a 13MP Sony BSI main + 5MP front camera, expandable microSD slot, Cat 6 4G LTE and a large 4,100mAh capacity battery. In addition, the Ascend Mate 7 also comes with a rear mounted fingerprint scanner which unlocks instantly in any direction. Out of the box, it runs on Android 4.4 with its own EMUI 3.0 interface.

The standard version with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage is priced at RM1,799, while the Premium high-spec version gets 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. In terms of colours, the Premium version is only available in Amber Gold, while the standard version comes in either Silver or Black. You can read the full details in our earlier Malaysian Ascend Mate 7 launch post.

It is quite surprising to see a Huawei device on VMall, as the online store had initially became Honor exclusive after the introduction of its Honor 6 and Honor Tablet. For more information, head over to VMall’s Ascend Mate 7 Premium product page.

Xiaomi announces the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro. Takes the fight straight to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus

Xiaomi Malaysia has confirmed that the Mi Note is coming to Malaysia in Q2 2015.

Straight from Beijing, Xiaomi today unveiled the Mi Note, after much rumour and speculation. The disruptive Chinese manufacturer has its sight set on the iPhone 6 Plus positioning the Mi Note as a much better device in every way that was developed with no compromises. Is the Mi Note any better? Let’s take a look.

At the front you get 5.7-inch full HD 1920×1080 display that pushes out 386ppi. What is interesting is the Xiaomi has put a lot of attention into the details of the display panel. Sourced from Sharp/JDI, the display features Nega LCD technology with a 1400:1 contrast ratio and dynamic contrast adjustment that Xiaomi claims produces better pictures especially when viewing high contrast material and when under strong lighting conditions like during a sunny day outside.

The device is powered by a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor with 3GB of RAM and an option of 16GB or 64GB of storage. You also get a dual 4G SIM card slot one slot housing a micro SIM while the other, a nano SIM. In terms of battery, the Mi Note packs a 3,000mAh unit developed by Sony and LG. But its funny how Xiaomi claims that the Mi Note was developed with no compromises and yet the device doesn’t have a micro Sd card slot — that’s a major turn-off for a lot of people.

In the camera department, you get a 13MP camera at the rear with optical image stabilisaion coupled to a 6-element f/2.0 lens. There’s also a Phillips-sourced dual-tone flash. The front camera is a 4MP unit with a 2 micron/pixel sensor that Xiaomi claims is larger than the average pixel size in a smartphone. The larger pixel size help capture more light and in theory, should produce better pictures under low light conditions with less noise.

Infographic: Samsung Galaxy A series compared

Following the official announcement of its Galaxy A7, the Galaxy A series family with its metal unibody design is finally complete. To get to know each model better, Samsung Tomorrow has released an infographic that highlights the specs and dimensions side by side.

To recap, the Galaxy A3 is the smallest of the lot with a 4.5″ qHD display and the Galaxy A5 is the middle child with a 5.0″ HD display. Both Galaxy A3 and Galaxy A5 runs on a mid-range 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor. The biggest of the lot is the Galaxy A7 which is announced with a 5.5″ HD 720p display and it gets a more uprated Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core processor. Dimension wise, the Galaxy A7 is the thinnest at only 6.3mm while the Galaxy A5 is slightly thicker at 6.7mm and the Galaxy A3 at 6.9mm.

Surprisingly the Galaxy A7 is officially announced with a HD 720p display, while the units previewed at the Malaysian Galaxy A launch were having a higher Full HD resolution (1920×1080). This was also confirmed via Amanz’s CPU-Z screenshot on the Galaxy A7. It is a possibility that we could be getting a higher spec variant than the rest of the world or Samsung has decided to turn its hardware specs down a notch.

For the international markets, there will be 2 variants of the Galaxy A7 available – 4G LTE with a higher 1.8GHz x4 + 1.3GHz x4 processor set up or a 4G/3G dual-SIM version with 1.5GHz x4 + 1.0GHz x4 combination. Check out the full Galaxy A infographic after the break.

Sony Mobile slashes prices of its Xperia smart phone

If you’re looking for a new Sony Xperia smart phone, it is now much more affordable with up to RM200 less than before. This also includes their latest waterproof Xperia Z3 flagship smart phone which now retails for RM2,199 instead of its launch price of RM2,399. The full promo pricing are as follows:

Sony Xperia Z3 –
RM2,399 RM2,199
Sony Xperia Z2 –
RM1,899 RM1,699
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact –
RM1,899 RM1,799
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra LTE –
RM999 RM899
Sony Xperia C3 LTE –
RM999 RM899
Sony Xperia M2 Aqua LTE –
RM999 RM899

All colours are available and you can order them directly from Sony’s Store. They are also offering easy instalment option where you can pay across 6 months with 0% interest .

ASUS ZenFone 2 and ZenFone Zoom now official. World’s first with 4GB RAM & Thinnest Optical Zoom Smart Phone

ASUS has announced the sequel of its popular ZenFone smart phones series, which has shipped over 1.5 million units per month worldwide. Continuing its approach of empowering luxury for all, the new ZenFone 2 continues to impress with premium build and impressive hardware in an affordable package.

As
seen heard in its morse code teasers, the new ZenFone 2 claims to be the world’s first smart phone to come with a whopping 4GB of RAM. During its CES 2015 announcement, ASUS has also made a surprise reveal of its new ZenFone Zoom, which they claim to be the World’s Thinnest 3X Optical Zoom Smart Phone.ASUS ZenFone 2

Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro – Upgraded for better Selfies

The Lenovo Vibe X2 smart phone with its layered metal design, now has a bigger brother with the new Vibe X2 Pro. Announced at CES 2015, the new Vibe X2 Pro is upsized from 5.0″ to 5.3″ with a similar Full HD (1920×1080) resolution display. Under the hood, the X2 Pro is running on Qualcomm’s 64-bit 1.5GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 processor which also supports 4G LTE together with dual nano-SIM card slots.

For those not content with a 5MP front camera on the original Vibe X2, the new Vibe X2 Pro comes with 13MP cameras for both front and back, which pits itself against HTC’s selfie-centric Desire EYE. The rest of the specs are fairly similar with 2GB of RAM and a decent serving of 32GB on-board storage. Out of the box, it still runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with their own Vibe UI 2.0.

ASUS vs MacBook, Asus wants to take on the MacBook Air with this

ASUS wants to take on the MacBook Air with a device that’s thinner and arguably more versatile. Say hello to the Transformer Book T300 Chi, a “thinner than Air” (claimed ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih), all-aluminum 12.5-inch convertible laptop that was just announced at CES 2015 in Las Vegas.

Powered by Intel’s latest Broadwell Core M processor (not our favourite when it comes to performance and stamina), the 12.5 Book Chi has two variants. The top of the line features a WQHD (2560×1440) IPS touch panel display, 128GB iSSD with Intel Core M 5Y71 processor at 1.2Ghz. The entry level variant brings with it a full HD (1920×1080) IPS touch panel, 64GB iSSD with Intel Core M 5Y10 processor at 0.8Mhz.

The Book Chi’s versatility comes in the form of a detachable keyboard dock that allows you to use the computer in either full laptop mode with the keyboard attached or full table mode with the keyboard detached. While it’s not anything new, the form factor is an interesting take on the convertible/hybrid computer genre, but when it comes to convertible computers, we the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is still our favourite when it comes to execution.

In terms of dimensions, at 16.5mm (0.65 inch) complete with the keyboard dock attached, the Book Chi is a smidgen thinner than the MacBook Air (17mm or 0.68 inch). If you take the keyboard dock out the Book Chi becomes even thinner at and 7.6mm (0.3 inch).

So, can the Book T300 Chi take on the MacBook Air? If you’re looking for a thin, convertible ultrabook and don’t mind some of the tantrums of Windows 8 (weird tablet-computer transitional interface) then, perhaps. But its takes more than dimensions to make a computer good. For the ASUS Book T300 Chi to be taken seriously as a MacBook Air contender, it needs to prove that it has the stamina and performance to back up the claim of being the “ultimate dream machine” as claimed by ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih.

The ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi should arrive on our shore sometime in the first quarter of this year, prices: US$699 (RM2,490) for the 1080p T300 and US$799 (RM2,847) for the WQHD T300.

Samsung’s affordable Galaxy E series is now official

Samsung has launched its new Galaxy E series, an affordable smart phone line up that includes theGalaxy E5 and Galaxy E7. It has made its global debut in India, a market that’s highly competitive when it comes to affordable devices.

As a budget conscious device, the Galaxy E series lack 4G LTE connectivity but it supports dual-SIM cards in 3G HSPA+ by utilising its multi-purpose microSD slot. Despite being cheaper in price, the Galaxy E aims to win the younger crowd with decent hardware and premium-like features.

Samsung Galaxy E7

Xiaomi’s affordable Redmi 2 smart phone announced

Xiaomi has announced its first smart phone for the brand new year with its new Redmi 2. A new entry-level device that supports 4G LTE in both TDD/FDD that comes with dual-SIM slots. It goes on sale in China on 9th January at an affordable 699 CNY (about RM396).

While it is an all new model, the Redmi 2 retains a similar sized 4.7″ IPS HD 720p display as the previous Redmi 1S. When compared, the new model is actually thinner and lighter, and it also gets a couple of upgrades under the hood. Targeting at the youthful market, the Redmi 2 now comes with a choice of 5 colours – White, Black, Yellow, Green and Pink, though it is likely that we will only get a single colour option if it comes to Malaysia.

Powering the Redmi 2 is an updated 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 410 processor. The newer Cortex A53 cores claim to offer 50% performance improvement over former Cortex A7 cores that’s found on the previous 32-bit Snapdragon 400 processor. It is mated to 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM and has 8GB of on-board storage that can be expanded using microSD card. The main camera is still an 8MP f/2.2 shooter with 5-element lens while the front now comes with a higher 2MP camera that is capable of shooting HD 720p videos.

The battery has been upgraded to a slightly larger 2,200mAh battery from Samsung and it also supports QuickCharge that speeds up charging by 40%. Despite its bigger capacity battery, Xiaomi has managed to make it more compact at a lighter 133 grams with a thickness of 9.4mm. As comparison, the previous Redmi is 158 grams heavy and is thicker at 9.9mm. Out of the box, it runs on Android 4.4 with Xiaomi’s newer MIUI 6.

Take note that there are 3 variants available. Although all 3 versions support dual-SIM with 4G in both FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE standards, there’s only one which supports our local 4G Band 3/7 (1800MHz/2600MHz). For more info, you can check out Xiaomi’s Redmi 2 product page.

Alcatel OneTouch Pixi 3 lets you use Android, Firefox OS and Windows Phone in a single device

Tech enthusiasts can look forward to a number of new product launches at the coming CES 2015. To stand out before the noise starts, Alcatel OneTouch has made a pre-event teaser by announcing its new affordable PIXI 3 smart phone line up that’s rather interesting. The PIXI 3 comes in four sizes – 3.5″, 4.0″, 4.5″ and 5.0″, and 4G LTE is supported on its higher 3 models.

Alcatel OneTouch is calling the PIXI 3 series an OS-agnostic smartphone as it supports not just one but three operating systems – Android, Firefox OS and Windows Phone. We are not sure if the switch between each platform is done instantly on the fly or a reboot is necessary for each change. The full specs and pricing isn’t revealed yet and they are saving the full details for their main event.

Having 4 models with just half inches display between them does look redundant. We’ll find out more from the full announcement next week. Is having multiple OS a game changer if you’re looking for an affordable smart phone? Leave your thoughts below.

Redmi 1S Dual 4G Leaked in real pictures for the First Time!

Xiaomi is probably the first maker in 2015 to announce a new device. Its new affordable Redmi smart phone will be announced this coming Sunday. If speculations we’ve seen so far are correct, this would be a refreshed Redmi 1S that’s updated to support both 4G LTE and dual-SIM cards.

If you’re curious to find out how it looks like, the purported smart phone has been leaked in its full glory. While the overall design looks mostly unchanged, you’ll noticed that it runs on a newer MIUI 6 interface and the capacitive buttons below have been revised with a similar design as its Mi 4 flagship model. Over at the back, there are some minor changes with the placement of its LED flash and loudspeakers too.

According to the source, the new model will be slightly smaller and lighter than before with a 9.2mm thickness and it weighs just 132 grams. As comparison, the current Redmi 1S is 9.9mm thick and weighs a lot more at 158 grams. In terms of colours, Xiaomi could be releasing it with a wider range of options such as Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple and Blue, as teased in their announcement image.

To recap on its purported specs, the new Redmi will retain its 4.7″ HD 720p display, 8MP main camera, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage that’s expandable via microSD. The noticeable difference is its 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, upgraded 2MP front facing camera and a slightly larger 2,200mAh capacity battery. The only thing left to find out is the price and its international availability. We’ll find out more this coming Sunday.