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The folks at Mi Malaysia have just launched the Xiaomi Mi Note officially for Malaysia. The version with 64GB storage is priced at a fairly affordable RM1549 and available for purchase at 12pm on 28 July 2015. Initially revealed earlier in January 2015, the Mi Note combines a full metal unibody frame with a 3D glass back and 2.5D glass front (both using Corning Gorilla Glass) for a smartphone that still looks as stunning as ever. Standout features are the 6.95mm thin curved glass body, 13MP f/2.0 rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and Hi-Fi audio with dedicated audio chip. Other tech specs are a mix of old and new with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 64GB storage, a 5.7-inch display, 4G LTE connectivity and a 3000 mAh battery. The new RM1549 pricing is a lot better than previous third-party seller pricing around RM1669 especially since this version packs in 64GB of storage but since it is a localized version you also get 4K UHD video recording which was missing in the previous 16GB storage Xiaomi Mi Note we reviewed. Here's what Xiaomi Mi Malaysia had to say about it:  

“We are truly excited to bring Mi Note, Xiaomi’s most beautifully designed flagship, to Malaysia. We believe that Mi fans in Malaysia will appreciate such high quality innovation made available to them at an incredible price.” Steve Vickers, General Manager, Xiaomi Southeast Asia

The ASUS PadFone S was one of the better value smartphones of 2014, especially since you could slot it into a larger 10.1-inch full HD dock which could then be converted into a laptop with a bluetooth keyboard attachment. Still available from RM777 to RM899 you can check out our detailed PadFone S review for more information but it looks like details about the ASUS PadFone S2 have appeared. This includes tech specs with a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB / 64GB storage, 5.5-inch 2K or 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution display amd 20.7MP rear camera. An 8MP front camera will be available as well with a 3060 mAh battery. The PadFone S 2 tablet dock is expected to maintain the same 10.1-inch display size but bump up the resolution accordingly to 2K or 1440 x 2560 pixel resolutions with a larger 5100 mAh battery. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet but it is expected in March 2015 for probably around RM1299 for the smartphone alone.

The venerable Nokia 3310 was well known as the phone that would last months on standby while the smartphones of today are lucky to last more than a day. The Janus One takes this a step further by acting as a dialler for  your smartphone or as a standalaone feature phone with both modes featuring an awesome 90 day standby time. Other features include a battery powerbank for your smartphone, a pedometer and a water resistant 5.5mm thin body despite having just a 1500 mAh battery. While it can connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone it also has a micro SIM card slot and to top it all off, is priced at $69 (RM262) on Kickstarter. No Malaysia release dates yet but it is expected in September 2015.

Xiaomi recently announced two new additions to their growing range of products. This includes theXiaomi Mi TV 2S, a premium 48-inch 4K display TV with a 9.9mm thin build. Featuring an integrated 1.4GHz quad-core MStar 6A928 processor and Samsung UHD display, the Mi TV 2S will be priced from 2999 CNY (RM1839) and a Theatre Edition version with an independant sound system for 3999 CNY (RM2452). This sound system consists of a subwoofer and soundbar incorporating the latest Dolby sound technology. The other product is the Xiaomi Mi Water Purifier, an Internet of Things (IoT) smart water purifier that can be monitored via the Mi Home app, allowing users to check real-time filter effectiveness complete with reminders on when to change filters which can be purchased within the app. As far as water purifiers go, the Mi Water Purifier uses reverse osmosis utilizing activated coconut carbon filter for better tasting and cleaner purified water. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet, but these devices could come later as Malaysia's IoT infrastructure matures.

Microsoft has officially announced their Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard, giving those mobile device road warriors a more portable keyboard than before. Granted, they already announced it at MWC but didn't offer pricing details. Featuring the ability to work with iOS, Android and Windows devices with two devices paired simultaneously, the keyboard connects via Bluetooth. When folded up, the keyboard automatically disconnects and shuts down the Bluetooth connection while opening the keyboard reconnects it. At 5mm thin, the keyboard offers full size keys and a battery that can last three months on standby. Other very interesting features include the fact that the keyboard is spillproof as the keys and fabric are water repellent. No Malaysia release dates and pricing details yet but it has been priced at $99.95 (RM380).

The Huawei Mediapad M2 has appeared before in France but recently it got it's official launching, which means we could soon see it coming here to Malaysia. Tech specs and features are surprisingly similar to the Huawei P8, with a premium metal body, Kirin 930 processor and 3GB of RAM. While there is already a 6.8-inch display Huawei P8 Max, the Mediapad M2 packs in an 8-inch full HD display instead. The Mediapad M2 does decrease the camera specs though but even then, you don't often see an 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera on a tablet. Design-wise, the Mediapad M8 is 7.88mm thin but the overall flat and thin design with curvy corners remains the same. Features also include 4G LTE connectivity and dual 1W speakers with Harmon Kardon Clari-Fi audio technology while a 4800 mAh battery keeps the lights on. No Malaysia release dates yet, but we expect the Mediapad X2 to arrive first. Pricing for the Huawei Mediapad M2 start at 1588 CNY (RM972) for the 16GB WiFi only version, 1888 CNY (RM1155) for the 16GB 4G LTE versions and 2288 CNY (RM1400) for the 64GB 4G LTE version.

After what seems to be all the details leaked, Samsung's thinnest smartphone yet, the Samsung Galaxy A8 has officially been announced. While it isn't the world's thinnest smartphone, at 5.9mm thin it is the thinnest Samsung smartphone around. Like other Galaxy A smartphones it maintains a full metal frame with a mix of midrange to high-end tech specs. For the high-end features you can expect a 16MP ISOCELL rear camera, 5MP front camera with wide f/1.9 aperture, fingerprint sensor and 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display. The midrange tech specs include a 1.5Ghz octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 16/32GB storage + microSD support, 3050 mAh battery and Android 5.1 Lollipop. While there are no official Malaysia release dates, leaks indicate that the Galaxy A8 will be going for RM1888. This price range and features places it in direct competition with other metal frame, fingerprint sensor packing smartphones so stay tuned for our tech spec comparison soon.

While it was announced for Malaysia last month, the pricing for the Sony Xperia C4 Dual was not officially announced at the time. Today, Sony Mobile Communications have set the price for the Xperia X4 Dual at RM1299 inclusive of GST. The Xperia C4 Dual is a selfie centric smartphone with a 5MP front camera and a front LED flash. The smartphone packs in Sony Exmor R camera sensors along with Dual SIM support and Sony 3D Surround Sound technology. It will be available in black, vibrant mint and white. Check out the full tech specs, features list and hands-on photos for the Sony Xperia C4 Dual below:

• 64-bit 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MTK6752
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage + up to 128GB microSD
• 5.5-inch display (1920 x 1080 pixels, Mobile BRAVIA engine 2, Super Vivid Mode, Scratch resistant)
• 13MP rear camera (auto focus, LED Flash) + 5MP front camera (Exmor R, LED flash)
• Features Dual SIM, Sony 3D Surround Sound technology, NFC, aGPS, 4G LTE, FM Radio, WiFi
• 150.3 x 77.4 x 7.9mm | 147g
• Android 5.0 Lollipop
• 2600 mAh battery

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is coming soon, that much is inevitable, but while it usually arrives in September a day or two before the IFA rumours say that it come as early as August and that it will come with 4GB of RAM. Other tech specs aren't really included but we assume that since the Galaxy S6 is the latest flagship, the Galaxy Note 5 will probably borrow certain features like the better 16MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. It will likely feature a 5.7-inch 2K display with Samsung S-Pen stylus support. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet, but we expect it to come soon if it actually does come in August next month.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 has apparently appeared on China's TENAA looking much like the Redmi Note. Apparently there may be two versions, one with an octa-core MediaTek MT6795 processor and one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615. Other tech specs are the same with 2GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and 3020 mAh battery. The rumoured fingerprint scanner is not on this Redmi Note 2 but it could appear on another upcoming Xiaomi device soon. As it is, there are no Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet.