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China's smartphone makers reveal another world's first, this time being the first manufacturers to put in MediaTek's MT6952 8-core processor into a smartphone, which they have announced as the UMI X2S. All 8 of the cores on the MediaTek MT6952 are working at the same time unlike Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa which also has 8 cores but only has one set of quad cores working at one time. Other tech specs include 2GB RAM, a 5-inch 1080p display, 32GB storage, 13MP camera with Sony lens and probably a Mali 450 GPU. Other features include LTE and NFC support but there is no mention of a battery. Overall, the design looks much like a slightly larger Samsung Galaxy S3 but we have no idea as to how the battery life or processing benchmarks are as the UMI X2S is a China only smartphone. We could still see it in Malaysia from local sellers but so far there are no exact Malaysia release dates or official pricing just yet. In China it may be sold from RMB1499 (RM776) to RMB1999 (RM1035). Keep an eye out at MobileMegaMall.com or other similar Malaysian markets and it may crop up.

In line with their flexible displays, Samsung recently demoed their new flexible battery technology. Rather than create a bendable battery in the form of a cable Samsung are using a non-liquid electrolyte for their batteries which while being not a liquid still follows the shape of whatever object or case you put it into. This sort of battery in a pouch offers even more versatility as you can now have the battery in anything with some space. The other cool thing about it is that due to the nature of the material it cannot overheat and start a fire even under the most extreme conditions. No details on pricing or Malaysia release dates but we should see some models offering the new Samsung battery technology soon (or next year). 

When the Acer Iconia W3 tablet first came out it marked the beginning of the first 8-inch Windows 8 tablets in the market. Unfortunately, it didn't have a very good screen and suffered somewhat from performance lag. Looking to fix this is the Acer Iconia W4 tablet, which looks to be a revamp of the W3. This includes a better 8-inch IPS LCD screen with Zero Air Gap touch and better 170-degree viewing angle. The resolution remains 1280 x 800 but the operating system gets an update to Windows 8.1. Another notable tech spec added on includes a 1.8GHz 4th generation Intel Bay Trail processor along with a 5MP autofocus rear camera and 2MP front camera. In addition to the main tablet, there are also a number of new accessories including a microfiber Acer Crunch Cover and Acer Crunch Keyboard. Pricing for the Acer Iconia W4 is set at $329.99 (RM1039) for the 32GB tablet and $379.99 (RM1197) for the 64GB version. The Crunch Cover goes for $40 (RM126) while the Crunch Keyboard goes for $80 (RM252). It would be nice if it came with a Keyboard combo but at least the tablet comes free with Office Home and Student 2013 edition. While there aren't any specific Malaysia release dates the Acer Iconia W4 is expected to be released in October 2013. 

Vivo looks to be making another world's first, this time by making a smartphone with a 2K display for an impressive effective resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The company has just released a teaser for their Vivo Xplay3S smartphone which they say is coming soon. Other tech specs rumoured to come with the Vivo Xplay3S includes a 5.5-inch screen with a 534ppi pixel density, a Snapdragon 800 (8974AB) processor, 4G LTE and features 5.6mm thinness. The screen size and thinness of the Xplay3S points towards the smartphone possibly using an IGZO or similar display panel. It may also have HiFi sound to go with it but apart from that we didn't get any other details such as Malaysia release dates or pricing, but stay tuned and we'll keep you updated.

Sony has officially announced the Cyber-shot RX10 aimed squarely at the entry-level DSLR market with a fairly attractive price of $1300 (RM4109). While this often means cut-back components, the RX10 offers the same 20.2MP 1-inch BSI CMOS sensor as the RX100MII and adds on a 24-200mm Zeiss lenns with constant f/2.8 aperture. Other notable tech specs include a BIONZ X processor along with built-in WiFi, an OLED electronic view finder and tiltable 3-inch 1.23M-dot White Magic LCD. While it is somewhat limited with contrast-detect AF it still offers unlimited numbers of consecutive frames at 10 frames per second with continuous autofocus and three-axis image stabilization. The build is definitely high-end though featuring a tough dust and moisture resistant magnesium alloy body. No specific Malaysia release dates but we'll keep you updated as to any new developments.

Sony has officially announced the Sony Alpha 7 and 7R full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras for the masses. Confirming tech specs mentioned previously, the Sony Alpha 7 will offer a 24.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor, a BIONZ X processor a low-pass filter and all at $1700 (RM5374) for just the body. The Sony Alpha 7R bumps up the features to a 36.3MP sensor minus the low-pass filter but packs in the same BIONZ X processor at $2300 (RM7271), again for just the body. Both have built-in WiFi and USB PC along with XGA OLED electronic viewfinders to go with 3-inch 1.23M-dot LCD screens that can be tilted up 84 degrees and down 45 degrees. Both look nearly identical with an awesome magnesium alloy build and have fairly small footprints for full-frame camera sensors and should make good options for the professional and enthusiast photographer. If you're looking for a kit the Sony Alpha 7 includes a 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at $2000 (RM6323) while other lenses will be made available in later months. No specific Malaysia release dates but both cameras are expected to ship in December 2013.

Apple has recently sent out invites for an event on 22 October 2013, confirming earlier reports of such an event. With an invite titled "We still have a lot to cover.", Apple are likely to reveal the Apple iPad 5, iPad mini 2 and Apple TV along with new MacBook Pro models. So far, quite a lot of leaked images and rumours point towards a slimmer and thinner Apple iPad 5 that uses the same narrow bezel design as the Apple iPad mini, while the iPad mini 2 will likely offer a Retina screen. The tech specs and features for these tablets are also expected to change with Apple's 64-bit A7 chip and Touch ID fingerprint scanner expected to be put into the iPad 5 along with a 2K Retina display. Apart from the expected Retina display, the iPad mini 2 will also likely get a new processor in the form of the Apple A6 processor. While these seem like the most likely Apple products to be revealed, we could also see the Apple iWatch revealed so stay tuned and we'll keep you posted. No details on Malaysia release dates or pricing just yet though.

While Sony's E-mount system works quite well with their Sony Alpha NEX-3 and NEX-5 mirrorless cameras, it doesn't work very well with full frame cameras due to short flange-back distance, which is why most photogs don't use it for that form factor. This may change as reports indicate Sony may release 2 full-frame mirrorless digital cameras with E-mounts that may be called the Sony Alpha A7 and Sony Alpha A7R. Tech specs and features for the A7 include a 24MP camera sensor, on-sensor phase-detection AF and an anti-aliasing filter. The higher-end A7R ups it to a 36MP camera sensor but doesn't pack in the other features of the on-sensor phase-detection AF and anti-aliasing filter. While they don't do in-body, sensor-shift image stabilization, they are weather-sealed and offer eye-tracking AF, focus peaking, WiFi and NFC connectivity. Since they are about medium sized, you can use them with a vertical grip and they also have tiltable LCD monitors with built-in high resolution OLED electronic viewfinders. The A7 may be priced at $1698 (RM5397) for just the body along with a $1998 (RM6350) price tag for an additional  28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. The A7R on the other hand may cost $2198 (RM6986) for just the body. No Malaysia release dates for now so stay tuned for more information.

LG's take on the curved smartphone will most likely be called the LG G Flex with a number of images recently leaking. These renders show a similar concave surface but rather than side to side it is curved concave from top to bottom, which we must say certainly feels more natural than the previously curved smartphone. According to rumours the LG G Flex screen will measure 6 inches but there are no other tech specs and features available. According to previous reports, the Malaysia release date for the LG G Flex is expected from November 2013 but there are no details on specific dates or pricing just yet.

After months of leaks, rumours and rather vague ads, HTC have officially announced the HTC One Max phablet. Featuring the same unibody design as the HTC One the phablet adds another inch or so for a 5.9-inch screen with full HD 1080p resolution. While the smartphone is significantly larger than the HTC One, it maintains the overall aluminum metal chassis design as the original but uses a plastic band rather than the metal band in the middle of the original. Besides the screen, the most notable features of the HTC One Max include the rear fingerprint scanner (which is the swipe kind rather than just touch), expandable microSD support and a removable backplate. Other tech specs for the HTC One Max include:

• 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor
• Adreno 320 graphics
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB / 32GB storage + up to 64GB microSD
• 5.9-inch Super LCD 3 display (1080 x 1920 pixel resolution)
• 4MP UltraPixel rear camera (autofocus, LED flash, 1080p@30fps video recording, no OIS) + 2.1MP front camera
• Supports LTE (Asia version) + 3G + BoomSound dual front stereo speakers
• 164.5mm x 82.5mm x 10.3mm | 217g
• 3300 mAh battery (Not removable)
• Android 4.3 + Sense 5.5