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Quite a few people in Malaysia would like to get their hands on a Xiaomi Mi 3 smartphone, judging how fast each batch goes when they are available. However, only a lucky few manage to get their hands on it, and many of them are third-party sellers who will sell it for more than the RM769 Xiaomi Malaysia is offering it at. Xiaomi Malaysia are therefore opening up the Mi 3 for Pre-Sale starting from 31 July 2014 (right now, it is still listed as out of stock). This means all you need to do is go to the Xiaomi Malaysia site, select to get the Mi 3 on Pre-Sale, make your payment and then thats it. No rush. You will have to wait for Xiaomi Malaysia to send it within the next 4 weeks though.

The OPPO N1 Mini has finally landed in Malaysia featuring a smaller 5-inch display with the same 13MP camera on a rotateable hinge. OPPO Malaysia are offering the smaller version of the OPPO N1 at RM1398. Other tech specs and features for the OPPO N1 Mini include a 1.6gHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 5-inch display with 720p pixel resolution, 4G LTE connectivitiy and a smaller 2140 mAh battery. Other features include the PureImage 2.0 imaging engine from the OPPO Find 7, providing options such as 32-second Slow Shutter, Beautification 4.0, Hand Held Night Shoot, HD Picture and SUper Zoom. The HD Picture is particularly interesting as it lets you take six images that can be combined into a 24MP image with sharper overall details. The OPPO N1 Mini is also available in Cool Mint and White but is just available in Peninsula Malaysia for now.

The ASUS ZenFone range of smartphones are selling quite well here in Malaysia, which could be the reason why they may be bringing in new models for it. This includes the ASUS ZenFone 5 LTE (A500KL) and the ASUS ZenFone 4 (A450CG). The major differences in these two new models is that the ZenFone 4 (A450CG) will sport a 4.5-inch display while the ZenFone 5 (A500KL) will have 4G LTE connectivity. Still no word from ASUS Malaysia on the exact tech specs for these smartphones but it could have tech specs that include an 8MP rear camera, 8GB storage, larger 1740 mAh battery and weigh in at 134g as opposed to the 115g of the ASUS ZenFone 4. Based on direct distributors, it seems that the ASUS ZenFone 4 (A450CG) is already available in the Malaysian market but the ASUS ZenFone 5 LTE has yet to be officially available.

While Zopo Mobile has technically been in Malaysia for quite some time, nothing beats a grand relaunching for a bigger splash. The company joins other China-brand companies with four smartphones that include the Zopo ZP998, ZP1000, ZP780 and ZP700. All of these devices have already been available in the market but this was mostly to build a solid infrastructure and spread awareness of the brand. All of these Zopo Mobile smartphones are currently available at their own online store but for a more detailed tech spec and feature listing check out the Zopo Mobile smartphones below:

• Zopo ZP998
• 1.7GHz octa-core MTK6592 processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage + up to 64GB microSD
• 5.5-inch display (1920 x 1080 pixel resolution)
• 14MP rear camera + 5MP front camera
• Supports Dual SIM, 3G,
• 151.4 x 76.1 x 9.1mm
• 2400 mAh battery
• Android 4.4
• RM1098

While it may seem too little too late, Celcom are offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite from RM138 on their Celcom First Data plan. While the tablet retails at RM699, the bundles are fairly affordable and you have a choice of 12 month or 24 month contracts. While the tech specs for the tablet are rather basic, it does provide for a good mobile experience for those basic entry-level users. For more details check out the table and links in this article.

Recently, reports have appeared about Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablets that supposedly overheated so much that the back cover warped making an impression or dent on the back. According to Samsung, their new Samsung Galaxy Tab S tablets are not overheating, rather these back covers that warp are the few defective units. Any user who has such a warped back cover can contact Samsung for a replacement where they will probably replace the cover and not the tablet.

After shutting down their non-Windows Phone based entry-level smartphones, Microsoft has just announced the Nokia Lumia 530 and Lumia 530 Dual SIM smartphones for the entry-level market. The Nokia Lumia 530 offers tech specs that include a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB of storage with up to 128GB microSD support, a 4-inch screen with 480 x 854 pixel resolution, a 5MP rear camera and a 1430 mAh battery. The smartphones will be packing Windows Phone 8.1 right out of the box and support 3G with the Dual SIM version offering the same specs except for an extra SIM slot. We're not sure if it is taking over from the Lumia 525, because honestly speaking, quite a few of it's tech specs are lower-end compared to the Lumia 525. For a complete tech spec comparison check out our Nokia Lumia 525 vs Lumia 530 vs Lumia 530 Dual SIM comparison tool. While there are no specific Malaysia release dates or pricing yet, the Nokia Lumia 530 smartphones are expected to arrive in August 2014 at around $114 (RM361). Check out the official hands-on demo in this article.

U Mobile now offers the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom cameraphone from RM449 with it's now standard No upfront payment scheme. Originally retailing for RM1699 you can also get a free battery travel charger kit and Galaxy Life freebies with the deal. To qualify you will have to sign up for a 24-month contract under a U58, U99 or U Plus postpaid plan. As usual, the No upfront payment promotion comes with conditions, in this case you have to subscribe for the bundle of your choice with a credit card and activate Auto Debit. For more details check out the table and links in this article.

After dropping the bundle pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S5 down to RM1199 with the Raya for Gaya promotion, Maxis are now offering a trade-in program as well for the Galaxy S5. Like the Apple iPhone 5S trade-in program, you can trade-in any phone but certain smartphones will get better discounts. The highest discount is with the Apple iPhone 5 which gives you a discount of RM1000, effectively lowering the price down to RM199. As usual, the offer is only valid for a 24-month contract and up until 31 August 2014 but for more details check the table and links in this article.

Appearing at China's Tenaa, the Gionee GN9005 smartphone could very well be the world's next thinnest smartphone. Offering a super thin profile of just 5mm, this is perhaps the thinnest smartphone to date and to top it off, supports 4G LTE or at least the TD-LTE supported in China. Other tech specs of the Gionee GN9005 could include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 4.8-inch AMOLED display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 2050 mAh battery and Android 4.3. The Gionee GN9005 will likely be a China release only but you'll probably be able to get one here in Malaysia from a third-party seller. No Malaysia release dates or pricing though but if Gionee does come to Malaysia it will likely bring the GN9005 along for the ride.