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About a month ahead of it's expected official release in Malaysia, the ASUS ZenFone 2 is now available from third party sellers like SatuGadgetDotCom and DirectD. Both are selling the ASUS ZenFone 2 ME550ML with a 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor, 5.5-inch display, 2GB RAM and 16GB storage tech specs at RM999 with limited stocks. Bear in mind that this probably isn't the Malaysia version, it also probably won't support ASUS Malaysia's OTA system updates and that the initial pricing was a 5990 NT$ (RM699). We expect the official Malaysia release date for the official Malaysia ASUS ZenFone 2 smartphones to come sometime in late April 2015 so you shouldn't have to wait too long but if you can't, well, now you know where to go.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A series tablets were recently announced in Russia with two devices in 8-inch and 9.7-inch display sizes. Going for a flat and thin look with metal backside, both look a lot likeApple iPad tablets except for the placement of the cameras and even the display resolution is similar with 1024 x 768 pixels for both Galaxy Tab A tablets. However, the tablets will be powered by a 64-bit 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage, up to 128GB microSD, 4200 mAh battery for the smaller version and 6000 mAh for the larger version. Other tech specs include dual speakers, a 5MP and 2MP camera. Unfortunately, no news of any S-Pen support. Pricing is set at RUB16990 (RM1019) for the WiFi 8-inch Galaxy Tab A, while the larger version will go for RUB18990 (RM1139). The 4G LTE enabled smaller Galaxy Tab A will go for RUB20990 (RM1259) while the larger will go for RUB22990 (RM1379). No news on Malaysia release dates but it could reach Malaysia eventually.

Xiaomi has added a natural wood fiber back to their metal frame Xiaomi Mi Note smartphone with the release of the Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition for 2299RMB (RM1360). Tech specs and features remain the same though but this isn't a bad thing as you still get a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 5.7-inch full HD display, 4G LTE connectivity, 13MP rear camera with dual tone LED flash and 4MP front camera. So far, the Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition will be available in China starting from 24 March 2015. There are no official Xiaomi Malaysia release dates just yet though as even the Mi Note has yet to break cover but if it does come soon, hopefully the Mi Note Natural Bamboo Edition comes along for the ride as well.

ASUS has revealed a new premium smartphone in their upcoming ASUS ZenFone 2 range with a version packing in 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. Coming under the same ZE551ML codename as the other 5.5-inch display ZenFone 2 smartphones, this new addition will be priced at 9990 NT$ (RM1167). Other tech specs will still include a new 64-bit Intel processor, 4G LTE connectivity and full HD 1080p resolution for the 5.5-inch display. All things considered, this is still a very good price tag for a smartphone with all of these features and tech specs. No news yet if it also comes in a more premium gold or platinum colour but it should be revealed along with the other ZenFone 2 smartphones sometime in April 2015.

The latest rumors suggest that Xiaomi is developing a new smartwatch for release in the market. Last year, the company had released its Xiaomi Mi Band smart band, so it is not new to the wearable industry. But if this turns out to be true, it would be the first Xiaomi smartwatch from the company. The report says that the Xiaomi smartwatch could feature a brushed metal finish like the one we saw on HTC One M9. Moreover, it would have a round dial bigger than a traditional watch display or competitor devices and a thin design. However, the highlight of the watch is said to be its pulse wave identification technology. This particular tech allows users to verify their identity using their pulse waves. While this sounds like a great tech to secure the device, it requires a lot of power which is already a big problem in smartwatches these days. Also, it would be costly to incorporate such a tech inside the device. Xiaomi devices are usually known for their affordability and using this tech would only increase the price. Apart from a new watch, Xiaomi is also said to be working on the second generation of its Xiaomi Mi Band. The new version will reportedly add in NFC connectivity to the wearable. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has yet to officially announce any specific details about its plans for its first smartwatch or the Mi Band 2. 

Last year, the Chinese smartphone maker, Meizu unveiled an affordable yet powerful LTE enabled smartphone in the market called the Meizu M1 Note. A few days back, the company teased that the device will soon be available in global markets. Now, Meizu Malaysia has confirmed the launch of the Meizu M1 Note in the country and it will unveil the release date of the device within this week. Unsurprisingly, the M1 Note will retail for RM699 which is slightly higher than the phone's price tag in China. However, the tech specs more than justifies this price. The phone features an octa-core 64-bit MT6752 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB / 32GB storage options. There will be a large 5.5-inch full HD 1080p display at the front with Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The rear camera will be of 13MP with dual LED dual tone flash and the front shooter will be of 5MP.The Meizu M1 Note will support dual SIM cards with LTE connectivity. It will come with a 3140 mAh battery at the back. Meizu Malaysia also adds that there will be several places in Malaysia for customers to check out the devices before purchase.

HTC has never been popular for its marketing methods, but the company is trying hard to change that this year. The Taiwanese smartphone giant recently unveiled five new teasers for the upcoming HTC One M9 flagship device which is all set to hit the global markets soon. All the five videos focus on the important features of the device which helps the user in their everyday life. The first video gives an overview of all the features of the HTC One M9 smartphone. It particularly focuses on the premium metal design of the phone. The new flagship now comes in a two tone metal finish which is highlighted in the promo. The second video focuses on the camera of the device. It highlights the 20MP rear sensor with sapphire glass cover as well as the 4MP Ultrapixel shooter that takes great selfies even in dim light. One of the biggest highlights of HTC's flagship devices have been its BoomSound speakers and the third video shows off this feature with Dolby Audio Surround tech. Finally, the fourth and the fifth promos concentrate on the software and connectivity features of the One M9 like Blinkfeed, personalization options, 3 finger swipe for streaming and so forth but you can check them out for yourself below:

This Saturday, Blackberry announced a new secured tablet in the market called the Blackberry SecuTablet. The device will come with encrypted apps and software and will be targeted at customers such as corporations and governments. This is not the first time Blackberry has released a tablet in the market, as it had unveiled the Blackberry Playbook back in 2011. However, the device didn't see much success and was eventually scrapped. Now, the Canadian company is back in the tablet industry but this time, it is not alone. Blackberry has joined hands with Samsung and IBM to develop the SecuTablet. The device is based on Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 10.5 (so it looks and feels exactly the same) and is developed by Blackberry's sister unit, Secusmart. Samsung is involved in the development of hardware while IBM takes care of separating the work apps from the personal ones in a secure environment. The announcement of the SecuTablet is in line with the company's recent efforts to expand its base with business and government customers. In fact, its Secusmart encryption technology is already used by the Canadian and German government agencies. All the secured features of the tablet will take its price to $2350 (RM8701). It is highly unlikely that the SecuTablet will get a Malaysia release anytime soon unless of course the Malaysian Government deecides to go BlackBerry.

While it isn't the World's thinnest smartphone anymore, the vivo X5Max is probably one of the thinnest smartphones in Malaysia as it is now available at authorized dealers here for RM1799. The vivo X5Max features a 5.08mm thin stainless steel body. The device is powered by a 64-bit 1.7GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor and 4G LTE connectivity. It comes with 2GB RAM onboard along with 16GB memory which is expandable up to 128GB. On the front, the phone has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with full HD 1080p resolution. At the back, there is a 13MP camera with 6P lenses and F2.0 aperture along with a wide-angle 5MP front camera. The Vivo X5 Max runs on Android 4.4.4 Kitkat with Funtouch 2.0 UI on top. However, like some other high-end smartphones the microSD card slot can be switched into a secondary SIM card slot for dual SIM support. Unlike some other very thin smartphones, the vivo X5Max has a 3.5mm audio jack for the full smartphone experience. 

The Honor 4X is coming soon to Malaysia and in an exclusive video we managed to get our hands on an early preview of this 5.5-inch display smartphone. Our anonymous tipster sent it in for a little prevew to see what it can do asides from the 64-bit processor, 2GB RAM, 4G LTE connectivity, dual SIM support and 5.5-inch display tech specs that we already know. While we couldn't do an unboxing the hands-on video reveals plenty of features including double tap to wake and a gesture based draw feature for quick shortcuts from standby mode. The Honor 4X is set for release in Malaysia very soon but we've yet to get any confirmed pricing details yet (our guess would be from RM599 to RM799). We've got a more detailed preview coming up but for now check out the hands-on video in this article.