Latest News

After a rather botched unveiling, the ZTE Geek finally gets an official announcement as it marks the first smartphone to use an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor. Officially released at the Beijing International Telecommunication Exhibition, the ZTE Geek (or ZTE U988S) is a 5-inch smartphone with what looks to be a rounded coloured backplate kind of like a Nokia Lumia or the recent Apple iPhone 5C. Other tech specs and features for the ZTE Geek include:

• 1.8GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 SoC
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage + SD card slot
• 5-inch display (1080p)
• 13MP rear camera (F2.2 aperture) + 2MP front camera 
• 2300 mAh battery
• 144 x 71 x 9mm | 148g
• Android 4.2

Another day, another version of the HTC One, this time the larger phablet sized HTC One Max has been confirmed at China's Tenaa. Bearing practically all the design features of the HTC One, chamferred sides, aluminum unibody, beats audio and Ultrapixel camera, the one major change is what appears to be a fingerprint scanner on the backside, located right below the rear camera. Other tech specs and features confirmed from the listing and pictures include a reportedly 6-inch screen and some form of dock connectors on the side. Reports indicate that the HTC One Max could be released on 15 October 2013, with Malaysia release dates either on the same date or afterwards. No news on pricing for Malaysia just yet or if this version of the HTC One Max phablet is only headed for China. We should find out soon though as the reported release date is just about 2 weeks away.

Reports have come out saying that certain Samsung executives have noted that they may introduce a curved display smartphone in October. This probably means that it is finally time for the consumer level use of Samsung's Youm flexible display technology. The Youm, which was shown off at the CES 2013 is an OLED display that isn't made of glass which brings a number of advantages including durability and better energy efficiency. Since the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 remains the most well-known Samsung device at the moment, the likelihood of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 version with a curved Youm OLED display is very high. Many rumours are indicating that we may see such a device called the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Active in October 2013 with tech specs and features probably similar to the Note 3 but with a waterproof chassis, although we still don't know anything about Malaysia release dates and pricing. With the only other major mobile device flexible display maker being LG and Samsung and LG recently coming to a mutual understanding it seems very likely that Samsung may reach another mobile device world's first very soon.

Seemingly coming out of the blue, Samsung has confirmed that a gold (or gold coloured) version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 may be making it's way to consumer markets soon. Revealed as a tweet from the Middle East Samsung branch, the new version will come in Golden Brown and Golden Pink but there is yet any information if it will be just a a gold coloured plastic or actual gold plating. We're guessing that it could be actual gold plating because the colour looks about right as those from third-party chassis makers. We're also guessing that the tech specs or features should remain the same, if not as top range as possible to match the gold chassis. It may stop short of LTE-A considering that there aren't any LTE-A networks in the Middle East but again, these are still guesses and not confirmations. So far, no news on Malaysia release dates or pricing but a gold coloured metal chassis could just as likely get snapped up quite fast as well, considering the other "gold" coloured best selling smartphone that recently got launched.  

Previously teased with an image of skiers on a sand dune, the Nokia event for 22 October 2013 has been confirmed as the Nokia World event, to be held in Abu Dhabi. This time, the accompanying image is a view of Abu Dhabi with a Nokia sailboat again showing off hashtags such as #closer, #wayforward and #innovationreinvented. That being said, rumours are indicating that we could see quite a lot of new Nokia products revealed there including the 6-inch Nokia Lumia 1520 phablet and the 10.1-inch Nokia Lumia 2520 Windows RT tablet. Other rumours indicate that 4 other devices may also make an appearance and accessories such as covers or keyboards could also appear as well. No news on other tech specs, features or Malaysia release dates but we're guessing we could see quite a few local launches after October 2013.

Samsung has just announced their ISOCELL CMOS image sensor technology which they say beats back side illumination (BSI) sensors in other cameraphones. According to Samsung, BSI has limitations in that the cross-talk interference is higher the closer pixels are to each other, which happens with larger megapixel camera sensors. Through Samsung's ISOCELL, each pixel is isolated, allowing it to catch more light from the sensor resulting in better exposed, blur-free photos shot in low-light conditions.

Now this is by no means a new rumour, as rumours about a metal body Samsung smartphone have been around since before the Samsung Galaxy S4. What is new, is that the source seems to be coming from mostly South Korean Media who suggest that Samsung may finally be making this move with a premium Project F series of smartphones. These F series smartphones would have metal chassis, feature the latest 64-bit Samsung Exynos chipsets and have the latest Samsung technology such as the ISOCELL mobile camera technology. Tech specs for the smartphones include 4.5-inch to 5.5-inch screen sizes that may see flexible displays and 16MP cameras with optical image stabilization. So far, no other features or information such as Malaysia release dates or pricing are available but rumours indicate that we could see the Samsung Project F smartphones make an appearance in March 2014 which coincides with CES 2014.

Finally, Maxis has come out with it's Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offerings and no surprise here but they also have a FREE Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch thrown in. Prices of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 start from RM1199 and as usual, you have to sign up for a 24 month contract but with Maxis you can choose between a SurfMore75 or TalkMore78+1GB or TalkMore78+3GB postpaid plan bundle. Check out the table and links in the article for the full details.

Some leaked images of a QWERTY equipped BlackBerry device have recently appeared. The device may be going by the codename Kopi and is said to be positioned below the BlackBerry Q5. It is also expected to come without 4G LTE. From all appearances, it looks a lot like the BlackBerry Curve and has a removeable battery with expandable microSD slot. It may also be running BlackBerry 10.2. With the BlackBerry Q5 retailing at RM1299 and this BlackBerry Kopi not having any LTE, a below RM1000 pricing could be the only way it would make a dent in the current market. Hopefully, BlackBerry makes the right pricing choice, but we wouldn't hold our breath on it. Unfortunately, no Malaysia release dates or pricing just yet but stay tuned and we'll keep you updated. Check out the pics in the article.

While Celcom has already come out with it's Samsung Galaxy Note 3 bundles, those were for 24-month contracts. Looking to add a few more options for their bundles, Celcom have recently added on 12 and 18 month contracts starting from RM1888 and RM1748 respectively. Users still sign up using the Celcom First Prime, Celcom First Premier and Celcom First Elite plans but add on 1GB or 3GB of mobile internet. Other advantages of the lower contract period include a lower advance payment. Check out the details and links in the article.