Latest News

When the Sony Xperia Z first came out it created a big splash, which is why many people are quite excited about the Sony Xperia Sirius D6503, which may be the Sony Xperia Z 2. Screenshots of the cameraphone's camera app were recently leaked along with some possible tech specs and features as well. So far, estimated tech specs for the smartphone include a Snapdragon 800 processor, 5.2-inch Triluminous display, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 20.7MP rear camera with 4K and 1080p at 60fps video recording and Android 4.4.2. Most of these tech specs are still unconfirmed, but the screenshot of the camera app seems to confirm that it will be able to record 4K video. No news on when exactly we might see a Malaysia release date or pricing, but we hope that it doesn't go too premium by the time it arrives.

A phone called the BlackBerry Ontario was recently spotted on the Geekbench benchmark site sporting a 2.15GHz Snapdragon 800 processor. Up until now, there has yet to be any BlackBerry phone with a quad-core processor, much less packing a new processor like the Snapdragon 800. Other tech specs and features include 2GB of RAM and BlackBerry 10.3.0.92 as the operating system. So far, the Ontario's appearance could be part of a deal BlackBerry signed with Foxconn to make lower-end BlackBerry phones and devices for the next five years. These devices are expected to retain BlackBerry's trademark physical QWERTY keypad despite the most recent BlackBerry Jakarta expected to arrive in Indonesia without a physical QWERTY keyboard. No news on Malaysia release dates or pricing but we expect the BlackBerry Ontario to appear sometime in or after Q3 of 2014.

Most smartwatches today tend to suffer from poor battery life. In comparison to your normal watch which lasts 1-2 years before needing a battery change, the longest period most smartwatches can last is about a week, and even then, that is with very minimal usage. HTC have recently come out saying that they have solved this battery life problem and could be coming out with a HTC smartwatch in late 2014. This news comes from an interview by Bloomberg where top HTC execs revealed that the company will be coming out with a wearable by the end of 2014. While they didn't confirm if it would be a smartwatch, smart glasses or smart band, we're guessing a smartwatch or smart band would be the device in question. No news on tech specs, pricing or compatibility, which are the other limitations of smartwatches but we're hoping that HTC do their research and go for a device below or around RM500 that can be used by all devices.

Alcatel's latest phablet, the One Touch Hero which we covered recently is now available in Malaysia. In the official launch event, Alcatel are now offering the 6-inch smartphone with a companion mini phone called the Alcatel One Touch Sidekick and an LED flip case called the MagicFlip for just RM1399. Tech specs for the One Touch Hero remain the same as previously covered and include:

• 1.5GHz Mediatek MT6589+ processor
• 2GB RAM
• 8GB storage + microSD
• 6-inch display (1080 x 1920 pixel resolution)
• 13MP rear camera (LED Flash) + 2MP front camera
• built-in stylus
• Android 4.2

Based on current reports and rumours, Apple could be making or looking into a larger screen size for the Apple iPhone 6. These rumours point towards a 4.7-inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution and a 5.5-inch display with 1280 x 2272 pixel resolution. While there aren't any other tech specs, the displays will probably be made using IGZO technology which has better colours and energy efficiency. Based on these reports, the Concepts iPhone team of Enrico Penello and Ran Avni has come up with a concept video looking at how a larger screen could appear with the Apple iPhone 6. While the main design remains the same, the screen size is much larger and could offer Apple more opportunities in the larger screen smartphone market. However, Apple are also more likely to retain the 4-inch standard display form factor rather than replace it. Check out the video in the article for yourself.

More signs that the HTC M8 (HTC One 2 or HTC One+) is coming are appearing with the latest being a screenshot of the user interface on the upcoming smartphone. Coming courtesy of @evleaks, the screenshot is supposed to be the new Sense 6.0 running on Android 4.4 KitKat. One of the major differences is the row of on-screen buttons right below all those Livetile-like widgets. So far, tech specs for the HTC M8 are still unconfirmed but we're expecting at least a quad-core Snapdragon processor (hopefully an 800 at least), a larger 5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel display, a dual-sensor 5MP UltraPixel camera and 2GB of RAM. While there aren't any specific Malaysia release dates, the HTC M8 or One+ is expected in March in New York. Still no news on pricing but stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.

We've all heard Sapphire Glass being used in smartphones (more notably as the covering for the Apple iPhone 5S Touch ID fingerprint scanner), but few realize just how tough it really is. While it may be seen as a premium and expensive material, the Sapphire glass being used is actually a synthetic sapphire much like zirconia is to diamond. Sapphire glass is also noted as being only second to diamond in terms of hardness and is commonly used in shatter resistant windows in armored vehicles and in the video below, it has been fitted to an Apple iPhone and then scraped with a rough concrete block. Check it out for yourself below and petition your favourite smartphone maker for it as Apple is already rumoured to be doing so for the next Apple iPhone 6.

Right after the previous supposedly leaked images of the HTC M8 (which is widely believed to be the next version of the HTC One) were called fakes by Marc Moons, Director of HTC Benelux, a couple of new HTC M8 images have popped up. These new pictures are from Russia and offer a number of tech specs as well. These HTC M8 tech specs include a Snapdragon 800 processor, 5-inch screen with full HD 1080p resolution, 2GB RAM, dual-sensor 5MP Ultrapixel rear camera and Android 4.4.2. Check out the pictures for yourself, but these new pics could just as likely be some more creatively photoshopped fakes and get a debunking tomorrow, so take them with a good pinch of salt first.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch offers the most amount of features around but one of the main reasons it didn't really take off in Malaysia was it's RM999 price tag. Recently Samsung cut down the price of the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch in India down to $120 (RM397), with the original initial pricing set at an even higher $365 (RM1208). Samsung has not given any official announcement on a global cut-down in pricing for markets like Malaysia yet but since India got it, China, Malaysia and other Asian markets will probably follow soon after. The price cut is also indicative of what could be coming as well, as many are expecting the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch or S Band bracelet to be revealed in 2014. No specific Malaysia release dates just yet, but we're expecting it to come in or after the end of February 2014.

Usually, leaked tech specs for upcoming smartphones and other devices come from enterprising individuals outside of the organization, but this time around an official LG blog has confirmed tech specs about the LG G Pro 2. These details are mainly about the camera, with the rear camera being confirmed as a 13MP camera with enhanced Optical Image Stablization called OIS Plus. This camera will also be able to record 4K video at 3840 x 2160 pixels while the front camera will be at 2.1MP. Other tech specs have yet to be confirmed but early rumours indicate that the LG G Pro 2 could have a 6-inch display with full HD 1080p, LTE-A connectivity, 3GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat. No news yet when the LG G Pro 2 may appear or Malaysia release dates and pricing but it could make an appearance at the MWC Expo 2014 in Barcelona this February.