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Samsung is reportedly working on a new device to directly take onApple's iPad Air 2 most likely called the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. The South Korean giant's upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is reportedly thinner than the iPad Air 2's 6.1mm slim profile. The company is also said to be moving towards a design and product sizing similar to the ones from Apple. Instead of the usual 8.4-inch and 10.5-inch models, the company may release 8-inch and 9.7-inch sized tablets this year to compete with Apple's iPad lineup. Also, like Apple iPad tablets, this particular device could come with a 4:3 aspect ratio. To make the device even more premium, Samsung will use a metal frame on the Galaxy Tab S2. The source has not revealed any Malaysia release date, availability or pricing of the upcoming device. However, don't expect it to be showcased as soon as MWC 2015, where the powerful Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge flagships are expected to be unveiled with much fanfare. We will be covering the MWC 2015, so stay tuned for more information. 

The Pebble watch has just received an important firmware update. Both the apps on the Android and iOS app store have been updated to the new version adding some interesting features to the watch. The smartwatch also received a firmware update to support these new features. The Android app has been upgraded to version 2.3 which now supports Android Wear notifications. So, users can now interact as well as reply to the notifications from various apps on the device. Also, the company has added support for pre-defined replies (up to 5 supported) for these notifications. Users can also reply via various Android compatible SMS apps. The watch face as well as app notifications will automatically update even when the screen is off in this new version. Apart from these new features, the update also fixes standard bugs on the smartwatch. It is necessary for the watch firmware to be updated version 2.9 to use these features. So, update the smartwatch before downloading the new Android app. The iOS app was also updated to version 2.6.4, however, apart from usual bug fixes, there were no important additions made to the app feature list.

Smartphone enthusiasts are usually concerned about the tech specs of a device. However, there is a certain segment of the population who are looking for an ultra-rugged smartphone and for them; the Conquest S6 rugged smartphone is a very attractive option. The phone is built to last. It can survive practically anything from getting dipped in water to falling on concrete. The Conquest S6 can resist water, dust, pressure, high temperatures, freezing and scratches, thanks to its well protected body. There's even an armor case made of metal on the front to protect the display. Inside, the Conquest S6 features the 64-bit Mediatek MT6732 quad-core processor with 1GB RAM. There's a 5-inch 720p HD display on the front and a 5MP camera above it. At the back, there is a 13MP rear camera. The phone supports high speed 4G LTE networks and comes with Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS out of the box. Finally, a large 4000 mAh battery powers the device. The Conquest S6 isn't thin though, as it is 15mm thick and weighs around 290 grams. At present, the company has no plans for a Malaysia release. The phone will be sold in China for around $325 (RM1162). Look to third-party sellers if you are still interested.

A few weeks back, Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy J1smartphone with modest specs targeted at the budget market. The phone didn't come with 4G LTE connectivity. However, now the South Korean giant has just announced a new version of the device called the Samsung Galaxy J1 4G with 4G LTE connectivity support. Apart from the 4G LTE support, the phone does have other small changes in the tech specs. The LTE version comes with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 768MB RAM and 4GB internal storage. This is further expandable up to 128GB via MicroSD. The device sports a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 pixel resolution display, 5MP rear camera with Auto Focus and a 2MP front facing shooter. The J1 measures 8.9mm in thickness and is quite light at 122 grams. It supports both TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE frequencies. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and NFC. Finally, there is an 1850 mAh battery at the back which should provide decent usage time. The Samsung Galaxy J1 4G will be avariable in white, black and blue. It will go on sale in India starting the second week of March 2015 for a price tag of Rs. 9999 (RM578). No Malaysia release date or availability details have been revealed just yet.

A few weeks back, Huawei had confirmed a new Android Wear smartwatch for 2015. This was from a teaser image which leaked the company's product road map for this year.  Now, the company has released a new teaser image on Weibo, which could hint at this upcoming smartwatch. Huawei released two different images via its Weibo account yesterday, both showing off a crescent shape with a little something at the end. In the first image, it looks like the company is trying to show a strap of the watch. The second image could hint at the watch's time piece. Huawei has left it to its readers to unravel this puzzle and find out what's coming next. This could be the teaser for the company's new smartwatch because both images come with the punch line, "Next is here". A smartwatch is a logical upgrade for Hauwei since it launched a smart band last year. Another feature revealed by the image is 4G LTE. This new device will feature the high speed 4G LTE network which probably means it could be a standalone smartwatch which directly competes with the Samsung Gear S watch. Huawei has announced that it will reveal the device at MWC 2015, which is just a few days away. 

LG is slowly expanding its portfolio in the smartwatch industry. This South Korean giant has just announced another smartwatch in the market, the LG Watch Urbane. This will be the company's third smartwatch and the second round watch, after the LG G Watch R within a year. This particular wearable comes with a luxurious design and is targeted at the sophisticated crowd. The LG Watch Urbane features a stainless steel body which will be coated in gold or silver options. It will come with a 22mm original leather removable wrist band. The watch will be thinner than the 9.7mm G Watch R and will even have slimmer bezels. As for tech specs, the new LG Watch will sport a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor with 512MB RAM. There will be a 1.3-inch 320 x 320 pixel resolution display on the front. Given that the watch is being marketed as a luxury device, it will be IP67 certified water and dust resistant. The company has incorporated a heart rate sensor too. Finally a 410mAh battery will power all the display and other tech specs. No pricing or Malaysia release dates details have been revealed as of yet, but expect it to be costlier than the $300 (RM1074.9) G Watch R. 

Back at CES 2015, ASUS showed off it's powerful ZenFone 2 smartphone with 4GB of RAM. While everyone is excited for the release of this powerful yet affordable device, it seems that the company has another variant of the device in store for its fans. In a recent leak, a 5-inch ASUS smartphone was spotted in clear pictures along with the alleged tech specs. The source isn't sure of the name of the new device, but it could be a smaller variant of the ASUS ZenFone 2. The compact ASUS phone features a first generation Intel Atom processor along with 2GB RAM. This is relatively slower than the 64-bit ASUS smartphones that will be hitting the markets soon with the latest Intel Atom processors. The phone will sport a smaller 5-inch 1280 x 720 pixel resolution display. The most notable feature will be support for high-speed 4G LTE networks and it will also come with Android 5.0 Lollipop. The source further reveals that the phone will be available for sale starting 9 March 2015 for a price tag of $199 (RM712.90). According to the pictures, there will be a lot of different colors to choose from, including red. Expect a Malaysia release date of the device sometime after March but like all rumours and leaks do take this with a pinch of salt.

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Google's Project ARA is probably one of the most revolutionary projects undertaken in the smartphone industry to date. Last year, Google had shown off a prototype device and now, at MWC 2015, the company is expected to show a better working prototype along with some of the Project ARA modules at the event to be held in Barcelona. Toshiba has also announced three new modules for this innovative project, which may even be showcased at MWC this year. The company announced a 2MP front facing camera along with two other rear facing camera modules. Out of the two, one will feature a 5MP 1.4um sensor and the other will come with a 13MP 1.12um sensor.  Toshiba plans to put these modules into mass production and finally release it to the public sometime later next year. This could be in line with the wide scale release of the modular smartphone project expected in 2016. This year, Google has decided to test out the project first in a limited area, specifically Puerto Rico. The company has not shown off the real life performance of these modules, but has released a video of the 5MP camera module in action which we have added below. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details but we should know more soon.

Refreshing their earlier PC refresh campaign, Intel Malaysia are offering updated deals and devices for this Chinese New Year. While the Year of the Wooden Goat officially started on 4 February 2015 this refresh sees new devices powered by the latest 5th generation Intel Core and 64-bit Intel Bay Trail processors. Like previously, users can opt to trade-in their existing devices for a discount to rebates for winning Air Asia BIG points so you can get a free holiday. Devices include brands such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft and SNS networks. For all the latest deals for the Year of the Goat, check out pcrefresh.intel.my/ or the Intel CNY Gift Guide in this article.

Last year, Vivo unveiled the Vivo X5 Max which became the thinnest smartphone in the world measuring just 4.75mm for a while. Now, this Chinese manufacturer is all set to announce a mid-range smartphone in the market, at least according to the recent entry on China's TENAA. The new phone will be called theVivo Y929 and has passed TENAA revealing a couple of images as well as tech specs of the upcoming device. Design wise, the Y929 features a similar look as the recent releases from the company. Coming to the tech specs, the phone sports an undisclosed Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz, which could probably be the Snapdragon 410 SoC.  There will be 1GB of RAM onboard along with 16GB of storage which will most likely be expandable. At the front, there is a 5-inch 720p display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Even the back will be protected by the same glass. There will be a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front shooter. The measurements of the device will be 143.6 x 71.1 x 6.67 mm. The Vivo Y929 will support dual-SIM dual standby along with 4G LTE connectivity. It will also have a 2000 mAh battery on board and will run on Android 4.4 KitKat OS with the company's FunTouch UI on top. No Malaysia pricing details or release dates yet but the phone will be priced at $351 (RM1264) in China. An international release is not expected soon though and even if it does come to Malaysia, we expect it to be under a different name.