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In answer to the recent FIRST Basic 38 by Celcom plan, DiGi have cut down their DiGi SmartPlan 50 and SmartPlan 78 monthly fees down to as low as RM36 a month. Offering 3GB of Data it also offers free calls and free SMS with call charges from 15 sen per minute and SMS from 10 sen per SMS. The offer is currently only available from 15 June 2015 to 15 July 2015 but once you do sign up, you can pay the discounted monthly fee for 12 months. In addition, there are no contracts, but after the 12th month, you have to pay the original monthly fee of RM50 or RM78. The offer is only available for sign-ups at the DiGi store or authorized distributors and unused data will not be carried forward to the next month. Check out the table and links in this article for more details.

Celcom is currently offering the Huawei P8 from RM438 on their FIRST by Celcom postpaid plans. This includes the new FIRST Basic 38 plan, FIRST Basic 85 plan and FIRST Elite plan with options for 12 months and 24 month contract subscriptions. While the sleek all-metal Huawei P8 is already quite affordable at a retail  pricing of RM1799 the Celcom bundles should offer a bit more value if you're looking for a total package. The FIRST Basic 38 plan for example lets you carry forward unused Internet and an additional 2 movie passes by Escape with an extra RM10 every month. In addition, if you're one of the earlybirds who sign up at the ongoing Huawei P8 roadshow, you could also get a Huawei TalkBand B2 smartband for free. Check out the tables in the article for more details.

Huawei has officially launched the Huawei P8, P8 Lite, TalkBand B2, Y3, Y5 and T1 in Malaysia and all of them will be available for purchase starting from today. Pricing for the P8 remains a very competitive RM1799 while the P8 Lite is going for RM899. The TalkBand B2 Classic comes in at RM558 while the TalkBand B2 Elite will go for RM668 with both being available on VMALL.my. The Huawei Y3 is priced at RM249, the Y5 for RM339 and the T1 for RM649. Everything should be available at all Huawei authorized stores from today. As part of the launch, a roadshow is currently being held in Pavilion showing off the Huawei P8, P8 Lite and TalkBand B2 so you can check them out up close and personal. Try out the light painting feature on the P8 first hand at their booth and in addition, if you purchase the Huawei P8 during this roadshow you will also get a free flip cover and 30% discount on the Huawei TalkBand B2. There are also other activities like a lucky draw and social media contest as well. The roadshow will continue until Sunday, 21 June 2015. Check out our hands-on pictures and videos of the devices on display below.

SNS Network, Intel Malaysia and Myteach have collaborated to launch the JOI KinderTab, an Intel Atom powered Android tablet designed for pre-school learning. The tablet will come pre-loaded with National Preschool Curriculum content and will be made available for RM499 (RM529 with GST) at Krista Education, AEON stores, Gloo.com.my, Lazada.com.my, Lelong.com.my andwww.myteach360.com. Krista Kindergartens may soon run a pilot program or study using the JOI KinderTab for classroom use sometime in June 2015. Here's what they had to say about it:

“Intel has spent the last decade leading education transformation around the world and we believe that young people are the key to future innovation. Devices like the JOI KinderTab offer the younger set of students limitless opportunities to enhance their learning experience. The availability of this affordable, purpose-built educational device brings us closer to our vision of enabling more students and teachers to participate in high quality education. Sam Al-Schamma, Director of Education Sales, Asia Pacific, Intel Corporation

While there have been rumours about two Google Nexus devices this time around, with both Huawei and LG rumoured to be making one each, neither one has been confirmed. Recently, a report has come out that an unnamed Huawei employee has confirmed the Huawei Nexus phone. According to this source, Huawei and Google are working together to enable many of the Google services in China where Huawei is based (most Google services are banned in China) with possible workarounds or solutions coming up. We expect that Huawei may just replace said services with Baidu and others while the rest of us get the Google-based version. So far, there are no tech specs or features mentioned yet, but the previous rumours indicate a Huawei Nexus with a 5.7-inch 2K display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, which seems a bit out of line with the company's stance on full HD displays and use of their own Kirin processors. We expect a flat and thin yet curvy design much like the current Huawei P8 or perhaps a device similar to the Huawei P8 Max. As always, do take this with a grain of salt as neither side have officially confirmed it yet.

Kicking off their usual viral marketing for the next OnePlus device, the company that made the OnePlus One has confirmed that the OnePlus 2 smartphone will be using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor. While it may have a bad reputation for overheating, the octa-core processor does offer impressive performance and features such as UHD 4K video streaming. In addition, the OnePlus team have revealed that they may have solved the overheating issue. Rather than concentrate the processor on one spot, the various cores will be spread out over the phone's board and layered with thermal gel and graphite to ensure better heat dissipation even with hours of use. The OnePlus OxygenOS will also be tweaked and optimized to work better with the Snapdragon 810. Still no news on Malaysia release dates or pricing but we expect these details to come soon as the OnePlus 2 is expected to arrive within 2015. 

Modular smartphones are on the rise and the latest to be announced would be the Fairphone 2. Unlike the more famous Project Ara smartphone, which lets you slot in and slot out the required modules, the Fairphone 2 is the modular smartphone you put together with the help of your smartphone repairperson or a certain screwdriver. While it offers modules for different purposes, the Fairphone 2 is still constructed using tiny screws and will require a bit more technical knowhow and aptitude than your casual layperson. Most techies and Arduino or home electronic enthusiasts should qualify though as the company have made it fairly easy to take apart and put back together (no tape or glue), but pricing is surprisingly high at €525 (RM2221) in Q3 of 2015 for Europe with no specific Malaysia release dates just yet. The default casing it comes with is shock resistant to a certain degree though but we're not sure if this makes the Fairphone 2 equal to Project Ara which has a basic price tag of just $50 (RM187). 

Move over fingerprint scanner smartphones, the iris scanner equipped Fujitsu Arrows NX F-04G smartphone has been officially announced. Tech specs are quite high-end with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.2-inch 2K display, 21MP rear camera, 4G LTE-A connectivity, Voice-over-LTE, NFC, WiFi ac and a 3120 mAh battery. The overall design is rectangular with very slim bezels. Thankfully, the iris scanner, which is called Iris Passport has been quite integrated as it can be used to unlock your phone, for any password and as payment authentication. It is even fast and smart, taking just about half a second to scan your eyes and featuring the ability to differentiate between different eyes. Unfortunately, the Fujitsu Arrows NX F-04G looks to be a Japan only release at $750 (RM2813) but it could be a sign of things to come with iris scanning hopefully becoming more common in smartphones for Malaysia soon.

Microsoft Devices has just announced that the Microsoft Lumia 540 Dual SIM smartphone  will be available at all authorized dealers and distributors from 19 June 2015. It will be priced for only RM569. Tech specs and features include a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage + up to 128GB microSD, 5-inch laminated display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, 8MP auto focus rear camera, 5MP wide angle front camera and 2200 mAh battery. The Lumia 540 Dual SIM measures in at 144 x 73.7 x 8.6mm and weighs 152g. It will also come with Microsoft Office, Skype and OneDrive with Dual SIM support. There will be black, cyan, orange and white colours to choose from but this is what Microsoft Devices had to say about it:

“The Lumia 540 Dual SIM is a welcome addition to our affordable smartphone portfolio running the latest Windows Phone 8.1 operating system and Denim update. With its generous HD display, front and rear cameras, great apps, and Microsoft Office, Skype and OneDrive built-in, the Lumia 540 Dual SIM is a well-rounded package at an appealing price.”Bruce Howe, General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

Intel recently launched their #WorkFromHappyPlace campaign in conjunction with Intel-powered devices like the HP Stream 8 tablet and HP Pavilion x2 2in1 convertible. The campaign aims to restore work-life balance, redefine productivity and reinvigorate creativity in the workplace. Utilizing the latest Intel Atom processors, the two HP devices are designed to allow work and play regardless of location with both devices coming with free one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Personal. The HP Stream 8 tablet is priced at RM847 while the HP Pavilion x2 2in1 convertible goes for RM1377. Both should be available at authorized resellers and distributors and there is also a contest for the campaign where you describe your dream place to do work. For more information regarding these devices and the Intel #WorkFromHappyPlace campaign do check out workfrommyhappyplace.com.my. Here's what Intel had to say about it:

“For over 50 years, Intel has been refining microprocessor technology to the beat of Moore’s Law. These microprocessors power the continuing evolution of computing devices - from massive data centers and sleek 2in1 devices to smartphones and tablets. Thanks to the close cooperation we here share with customers like HP, we have been able to offer these innovations to consumers. With Moore's Law celebrating its 50th year anniversary this year, Intel is committed to driving the evolution of the PC with our partners to provide devices that’ll keep up with your every need. Encompassing a wide range of form factor, tasks you wish to complete or how you use your machine - Intel® processors are engineered for performance at every price point, for every need.” Karen Chow, Head of MNC and Telco, Intel Malaysia and Singapore.