Latest News

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has recently been officially announced. So far, the latest in the long range of Samsung Galaxy S series flagship smartphones manages to retain more or less the same design as before except for a more perforated backside but manages to offer up a number of interesting tech specs and features nonetheless. Malaysia release dates for the Samsung Galaxy S5 are expected on or after 11 March 2014 with Malaysia pricing expected to be about $600 (RM1969). Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted, but for now, check out the Samsung Galaxy S5 tech specs below:

• 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB / 32GB storage + microSD (64GB)
• 5.1-display (FHD, Super AMOLED, 1920 x 1080)
• 16MP rear camera (UHD@30fps, HDR, video stabilization) + 2.0MP front camera
• 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm | 145g
• 2800 mAh battery
• Supports LTE Cat.4, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac HT80, MIMO(2x2), Bluetooth 4.0 BLE / ANT+, USB 3.0, NFC, IR Remote
• Features Gesture(IR), Finger Scanner, Heart rate sensor, Download Booster, S Health 3.0, Quick Connect, Private Mode, Kids Mode
• IP67 Dust and Water Resistant
• Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Samsung Malaysia recently made it official, that their flagship smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch and Samsung Gear Fit smartband are now currently available in Malaysia. While retail pricing for the three devices have been set at RM2399 for the Samsung Galaxy S5, RM899 for the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 and RM599 for the Samsung Gear Fit, they can be bought at discounted prices through local telco deals and at all Samsung Experience stores, authorized sellers and distributors. For a complete breakdown of the available Samsung Galaxy S5 local telco deals from Celcom, Maxis, DiGi and U Mobile feel free to check out our Samsung Galaxy S5 plan comparison tool. Check out the videos of the Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Gear 2 and Gear Fit in this article for a refresher.

After teasing about their NO Upfront payment offer for the Samsung Galaxy S5, U Mobile have finally revealed their plan bundles for the smartphone. The lowest standard pricing will begin from RM999 but those who sign up for the Standard Chartered JustOne Platinum credit card and the U Plus Plan bundle will get a rebate of RM444, lowering the price to RM555. That promo lasts up to 30 June 2014 and is only applicable after the credit card has been approved (if you don't get approved, you won't get the RM444 rebate) but for the rest of us U Mobile requires a sign up for their U58, U88 and U Plus plans under a 24 month contract. Unfortunately, the NO upfront payment has strings attached as you only qualify for it if you pay using credit card and subscribe to auto debit, while U58 bundle plan users are not eligible at all. For more details check out the table and links in this article.

As if preparing early for the coming of the Apple iPhone 6, Maxis have opened up a trade-in program for the Apple iPhone 5s. You will need to have an iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2 you're not using though, as these 4 smartphones are the only ones Maxis will accept for the trade-in. The trade-in period is from now till 31 July 2014 (which sort of makes us think we could see the iPhone 6 sooner than earlier expected). You will have to sign up for a Maxis iValue plan under a 24 month contract though. Loyal Maxis users who have been with Maxis longer than 1 year won't have to pay the advance payment. Maxis won't require you to bring the box, charger or accessories when you trade-in your old smartphone but you'll have to go to a Maxis Center or Maxis Exclusive Partner shop to do the trade-in. Check out the details in the table and links in this article.

While the Apple iPhone 6 is expected sometime in September 2014, many are saying that it will take design cues from the current Apple iPhone 5C. With that in mind, designer Martin Hajek has come out with some interesting concept renders for the Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6c. While they look good, we think that the iPhone 6s concept render is too much of a drastic departure (especially the rounded corners) from the current design for it to be realistic. Check it out for yourself in this article.

The camera samples for the Samsung Galaxy K cameraphone have already shown some tech specs of the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, but new pictures finally show the zoom lens of the more compact cameraphone. While it seems to be encased in a transparent or clear case it confirms that the zoom lens does not stick out so much and that the rear will indeed be covered in artificial leather. Tech specs for the Samsung Galaxy K so far include a 20MP camera sensor, 10x optical zoom, xenon flash, a 4.8-inch super AMOLED display, a Samsung Exynos 5 Hexa processor and 2GB worth of RAM. The design reminds us of a ultra-compact point and shoot camera from the back and we assume that it will look somewhat like the Samsung Galaxy S5 from the front. No news on pricing or Malaysia release dates yet though so stay tuned for more developments.

When it was first teased by OnePlus, the OnePlus One was said to be a smartphone with the best design, hardware and price to performance ratio around. After quite a few more teasers, OnePlus are finally announcing their One smartphone for an awesome $299 (RM976) price tag. While the design isn't what we'd call the best, it certainly isn't generic, featuring a magnesium alloy chassis and 5.5-inch screen. It looks very similar to OPPO smartphones like the OPPO N1 and Find 7. Tech specs for the OnePlus One include:

• 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974-AC) processor
• 3GB LPDDR3 RAM
• 16GB / 64GB storage
• 5.5-inch LTPS screen (1080 x 1920 pixel resolution)
• 13MP rear camera (Sony IMX214, 6-element lens, f/2.0, 0.3 second shutter speed)
• Supports 4G LTE, 2.4G/5G WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
• CyanogenMod OS (Android 4.4.2 KitKat)
• JBL stereo speakers
• 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9mm | 162g
• 3100 mAh battery

The first Lytro camera revolutionized digital photography by allowing users to refocus after the shot was taken. The newly announced Lytro Illum takes it a step further by allowing you to do the same refocusing but at much higher definitions while letting you take both long range as well as close-up shots without having to change the lens. Tech specs and features include a 40 Megaray light ray sensor which is much larger than the 11 Megaray sensor in the original Lytro camera along with a much lighter lens.

The next Apple iPhone isn't the only device rumours are swirling about as the front panel for the what could be the next Apple iPad has leaked. This has happened before apparently as the previous leak showed that the Apple iPad Air would follow the iPad mini's design. This new leak doesn't differ that much from the current front panel but it does show that it will be glued to the rear of the frame, making it both thinner and a lot harder to take apart or put back together for repairs. Tech specs and features for the next Apple iPad have yet to be confirmed but rumours say that it will be powered by a 64-bit A8 processor and have an Apple Touch ID along with an 8MP rear camera upgrade. As always with such leaks and rumours, it could very well be the front panel for a different tablet altogether, so take this rumour with a healthy dose of salt.

While there are some tablets that are water-proof, few are actually tough enough to handle a drop from 7 feet. The recently released Xplore XC6 tablet range from Xplore Technologies can not only take a 7-foot drop, it can also work underwater, survive wet dirt, dust and more. The Xplore XC6 can do this mainly due to it's MIL-STD-810G military grade certification for vibration, drop and shock proofing. Made from a magnesium alloy, the tablet has an 8.5-hour battery life and offers tech specs which include an Intel Core i5-4300U processor and 128GB solid state drive for storage. Rubber bumpers on each corner ensure better shock proofing while a fingerprint scanner provides better security. As expected, pricing for a such a tablet is quite high, with the Xplore XC6 starting from $5299 (RM17330) but if you have the need, then this shouldn't be an issue. Here's what they had to say about it:

"The XC6 is the toughest and highest performance product Xplore has ever developed. It will perform very well in environments where device failure is not an option. No matter if it's the middle of the desert or in freezing rain, this tablet is going to excel in extreme conditions, resulting in a longer lifecycle and higher return on investment for our customers." Mark Holleran, president and chief operating officer, Xplore Technologies