iPhones are now more expensive in Malaysia

It seems that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are going to be more expensive from here on out, and it hasn’t even been six months since they became available for the Malaysian market.

The latest pricing for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus which all show a marked increase:

iPhone 6
iPhone 6 16GB – RM2,399  RM 2,549

iPhone 6 64GB – RM2,749 RM 2,949

iPhone 6 128GB – RM3,149  RM 3,349

iPhone 6 Plus 
iPhone 6 Plus 16GB – RM2,749  RM 2,949

iPhone 6 Plus 64GB – RM3,149 RM 3,349

iPhone 6 Plus 128GB – RM3,549 RM 3,749

The price for the iPhone 5s has also increased, despite being slashed down by Apple late last year

iPhone 5S

iPhone 5S 16GB – RM1,999 RM 2,149

iPhone 5S 32GB – RM2,199 RM 2,349

Lucky for us, it appears that the iPad and the iPhone 5c are still retaining it’s original pricing. The reason for the markup might just be due to fluctuating exchange rates after our currency took a hit in recent months against the Dollar. The iPhone was already carrying a premium price tag before the increase and there’s no signs of slowing down especially when it hit record sales last quarter.

Xiaomi unveils the Redmi 2 for the Malaysia market at RM 449

Teasing not too long ago about their new product, the Chinese brand has finally announced the local availability of their Redmi 2 smartphone.

Announced earlier this year, the Redmi 2 is one of Xiaomi’s entry-level smartphones that’s powered by an updated 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 410 processor mated to 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage that’s expandable via microSD card. It has a 8 megapixel rear camera with a f/2.2 shooter with 5-element lens from the previous Redmi smartphone, while the front cam has been updated to a 2 megapixel unit that can shoot HD 720 videos.

Xiaomi gets ready to launch a new device in Malaysia, very likely to be the Redmi 2

The makers of cheap and good gadgets, Xiaomi, are getting ready to announce a new device in Malaysia and if the information we received is an indication, it looks like it will be the Redmi 2.

Announced in January this year, the Redmi 2 is Xiaomi’s newest entry-level smartphone. Powering the Redmi 2 is an updated 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 410 processor with a claimed 50% improvement over the Redmi. The processor is mated to 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 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 from the previous Redmi while the front camera has been updated to a 2MP unit that is capable of shooting HD 720p videos.

The battery has been upgraded to a slightly larger 2,200mAh unit developed by Samsung. The Redmi 2 supports QuickCharge rapid charging technology that speeds up charging by 40%. Despite the bigger capacity battery, the Redmi 2 is more compact, lighter and thinner than its predecessor (133 grams/9.4mm in the Redmi 2 vs 158 grams/9.9mm in the original Redmi). Out of the box, the REdmi 2 runs on Android 4.4 with Xiaomi’s newer MIUI 6. You also get a 4.7-inch 720p HD display 4G LTE support.

There’s also an enhanced version of the Redmi 2 that brings with a 2GB of RAM and a 16GB of storage. We’re hoping Xiaomi will be bringing the enhanced version to Malaysia instead of the basic version that offers less RAM and on board memory.

In terms of pricing, the enhanced version of the Redmi 2 retails for 799 CNY or about RM465 at the current exchange rate. If you can’t wait, the Redmi 2 is already available in Malaysia through various grey importers.

Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus rumoured to sport 2GB RAM and Apple SIM

Looks like the next generation Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6s Plus is going to be getting a RAM upgrade.

Apple‘s iPhones have been using just 1GB of RAM since the launch of the iPhone 5, and the decidedly timely bump in memory would be great for improving multi-tasking capabilities and generally making the devices faster though it’s likely to also impact battery life. Apple’s iPad Air 2 was also given additional RAM at launch last year as opposed to the 1GB on the original iPad Air.

The new iPhone 6s models will also be launched out of box with the Apple SIM card seen on the Wi-Fi + Cellular Apple iPad Air 2 that would allow users to select a number of short term plans from AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint in the U.S. and EE in the U.K, though how the Apple SIM configuration would function with Malaysian telcos is still anybody’s guess as the move is unlikely to sit well with telcos in general.

Lenovo’s Vibe Shot is a phone that looks like a camera

Launching at MWC earlier, the newest member of Lenovo‘s Vibe line of smartphones, the Vibe Shot is a super slim smartphone that looks rather like an extremely slim camera than an actual smartphone.

Lenovo says the Vibe Shot aims at blending a great camera experience in a smartphone frame, rather reminiscent of the time when compact cameras were the in-thing. The Vibe Shot is built around a 5 inch 1080p display and has Gorilla Glass on both the front and back for added protection. Under the hood, there is a 64-bit Snadragon 615 chipset running the show with 3GB RAM as well as 32GB expandable storage and a non-removable 2,900mAh battery. The smartphone will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box as well.

Out back you will find a 16 megapixel camera with a six piece modular lens and tri-colour LED flash has features low-light back illumination and optical image stabilization as well as a 8 megapixel front camera, which is amazing stuff as far as phone cameras are concerned. 

So far the Vibe Shot is looking very slick at a thickness of a mere 7.3mm with a metal body and yet still manages to hold not one but two nano-SIM slots, and will have 3G and LTE capabilites.

The Lenovo Vibe Shot will be expected to launch in June 2015 at a retail price of $349 (about RM1266) in grey, white and red.

Xiaomi outs their super-tiny action camera

Xiaomi has unveiled their super tiny action camera which they had teased in images last week that might just give GoPro a run for it’s money.

The camera, dubbed the Xiaomi “Yi Action Camera” is just a fraction of the price of an entry level GoPro which retails for about roughly $130 (RM 471) this one comes in at just 399 yuan which translates to just RM 230.

The camera will be able to record videos at 1080p at 60 frames per second and houses a 16 megapixel camera using Sony’s Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor which is better than what most entry level action cams have to offer. The Yi Action Camera will also be super light at 72g and has 64GB internal storage a well as the ability to take a dip up to 40 meters.

The Beijing based company also says that the camera will be compatible with a host of accessories (like bicycle mounts and even on a pet cam holster) and will have their own line of accessories of it’s own in the near future. On top of that, it will also have a remote shutter app that operates through WiFi to share and store photos and videos taken with the tiny camera. As it is, they already have what they call a ‘travel package’ set that will set you back 499 yuan (RM 288) that comes with pretty tough looking selfiepod for those who enjoy taking selfies.

From what we can tell the device seems to be limited to China for now but it will likely be available on Mi.com during Xiaomi’s usual flash sales.

The Galaxy S6 could be in Malaysia by the end of this month

Heads up, the Samsung Galaxy S6 could hit Malaysia by the end of this month.

The Sprint promo image here hints that the Samsung Galaxy S6 might be available on the 26th of March if the offer end date on the teaser  indicated by “Offer ends 3/26/15″ is true. The promo indicated you could win one of six Galaxy S6 smartphones if you pre-registered for the announcement, so it’s not too far out to assume the end date is in fact the actual launch date.

Samsung tends to launch their devices globally, based on previous Galaxy flagship launches and as a key market Malaysia should be among the first to get it. Of course, expect our big telcos to be offering the device as well.

You can expect the S6 and S6 Edge to feature an all-new metal-framed body with possibly dual front facing speakers and an array of new colour options — blue, gold, white and grey plus a never before seen green colour option for the Galaxy S6 Edge. Leaks suggest that Samsung will be using a more advanced on board storage unit built in house by Samsung to offer a considerably faster read and write speeds over previous memory. We expect Samsung to drop the 16GB option that’s been a staple in its device line up and replace it with 32GB, 62GB and 128GB options.