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ASUS announced its ASUS ZenFone 5 LTE (A500KL) model back in June 2014. The device made it to Malaysian markets through third party resellers but up till now it was not available for purchase officially on the ASUS Malaysia online store from just RM709. It is now officially available online through the ASUS Store. Apart from the high speed 4G LTE support, the ZenFone 5 LTE does have some minor upgrades as compared to the non-LTE variant (A501CG).  The ZenFone 5 LTE packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz instead of the Intel Atom Z2560 dual-core chipset. Other tech specs include 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, 5-inch 720p display (294 ppi), 8MP primary camera with autofocus and LED flash, 2MP secondary camera and 2110 mAh battery. The device runs on Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. The ASUS ZenFone 5 LTE version is available for sale in four different colors – red, white, purple and gold. The non-LTE version is also available on the website too for RM519 with a free Bumper case (for the first 100 customers per day). 

ASUS had already confirmed that it would release a number of new ZenFone smartphones at the upcoming CES 2015 event to be held in Las Vegas from 5 January 2015. Now, the company has released a teaser video which shows off one of the devices that will be announced at the event. The teaser is pretty short and does not reveal much about the upcoming device which could be the ASUS ZenFone II range of smartphones. However, it does give us a glimpse of what appears to be a brushed metal backside, circular metallic button and a rear camera setup which includes dual LED flash and rear controls. ASUS is expected to announce the device at CES next year at an event which they have titled Experience 2Morrow, which isn't too far off. Expect more details like Malaysia release dates and pricing after the event. Check out the video below for yourself:

Boeing and Blackberry are jointly developing a smartphone called the Boeing Black. After smartphones, the Canadian company is known for its data security and encryption services, which is probably why Boeing approached Blackberry to develop the device. The smartphone will be able to automatically self-destruct if someone tries to tamper with it. The Black will have many other encryption services to protect the data within. Naturally with such features, Boeing is targeting customers such as government agencies and businesses where data security is very crucial. This self-destructing feature will essentially make sure that sensitive data will never fall into the wrong hands. There are other security features as well, but these details and specific tech specs weren't revealed. However, it may run on Google's Android platform along with Blackberry Enterprise Service 12. It could also feature dual SIM card slots which can also be configured to connect with biometric sensors and satellites. Boeing has already started offering the device to potential customers, so it's production should start soon.

Alleged photos and specifications of a new Huawei device, dubbed the Huawei Ascend GX1 emerged this weekend. A few hours after the live images were leaked; the device hit TENAA, the Chinese certification agency which further confirmed the existence of such a Huawei smartphone. The GX1 will be a part of the Ascend family which is currently headed by the Huawei Ascend Mate 7. The tech specs as seen on TENAA indicate that the phone is a mid-range phablet. Inside, there is a 1.4GHz quad-core CPU with 1GB RAM onboard and 8GB internal memory which can be further expanded via MicroSD. Like the Mate 7, the Ascend GX1 features a 6-inch display but it comes with just 720p HD resolution. Measuring 161 × 84.5 × 9.55mm the device is also larger than the Ascend Mate 7. There is an 8MP camera at the back and a 2MP shooter up front. As for connectivity, the GX1 supports GSM, CDMA 1X, CDMA2000, LTE FDD, and TD-LTE. It comes with Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box along with a 3500 mAh capacity battery.  No Malaysia release dates or pricing details are available so far, but check out the images below where the leaked Ascend GX1 is compared with the existing Ascend Mate 7.

ZTE has finally made the rumored ZTE Star 2 official. The device features top-notch tech specs along with a system-wide voice control setup that allows the user to operate the device hands-free. Things like making calls, opening up an application or even unlocking the device is made possible with this voice control feature. CNET reports that the system was essentially built for understanding Chinese, but ZTE claims that the device understands English as well. In the official PR released, the company notes that the ZTE Star 2 incorporates over 1000 patents which include 158 patents related to this voice control feature. It further adds that ZTE's voice system has a response rate of just 1.2 seconds and recognizes commands successfully 90% of the time. As for the tech specs, the phone features a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB inbuilt storage with MicroSD card support. On the front, there is a 5-inch 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The 13MP rear camera has a Sony sensor while the front camera is 5MP. The phone runs on Android 4.4 KitKat OS and comes with a 2300 mAh capacity battery. The ZTE Star 2 smartphone is currently available in China for $402 (RM1400). We expect Malaysia release dates and pricing after CES 2015.

In a recent report, it was proved that the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have the ability to record videos in ultra-high definition 4K pixel resolution. Now, there's an app which claims to unlock this hidden feature inside the Apple's latest devices. The Cupertino giant decided to disable this feature in the new iPhones saying that it was not market ready and 4K videos do take up a lot of storage space and put undue strain on the phone's processor. Causing overheating and taking up space on a device that doesn't have expandable memory. For those who don't mind these little issues, ProCam 2 can be a great app to unlock this 4K video recording capability. The app, now available on the iTunes store, brings 4K recording to both new iPhone models. The video shown below is captured in 4K resolution at 30fps using the app. The user pans it very slowly to avoid any hiccups caused due to the low frame rate in such a high resolution video. One thing to note here is that the app does not essentially capture the video in true 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), instead it captures it in 3264 x 1836 resolution and upscales to 4K. The ProCam 2 can be bought from the Apple store for $1.99 (RM7), but to unlock 4K, you need to make an additional in-app purchase worth $4.99 (RM17.5).

Xiaomi, once a small Chinese manufacturer has now emerged as the world's fourth largest smartphone maker. The company has managed this feat just by operating online, through exclusive tie-ups with a number of online retailers worldwide. Looks like Lenovo is taking some pointers from Xiaomi as the company Senior Vice President, Chen Xudong announced last Thursday that it would soon launch a new brand called the 'Fancy Maker' which will operate via online channels only. The name sounds unlike any other smartphone brand that we have heard recently. It could offer features like the Motorola's Moto Maker which allows users to customize a number of aspects of a smartphone like the final finish, color accents and so forth. Lenovo has been trying to compete with Xiaomi through budget models like the Lenovo K3. But so far, its smartphones have failed to create a buzz like Xiaomi's Redmi 1S and Mi-3 models. This new Fancy Maker brand could be Lenovo's new strategy to compete with Xiaomi. The company will reportedly debut the brand on 1 April 2015. Apart from the name 'Fancy Maker', Lenovo has not officially revealed any other details like Malaysia release dates or pricing about its upcoming smartphone brand but it could come to Malaysia eventually.

Christmas holidays have already started and Samsung plans to put everyone in the holiday mood with its latest video. The company recently released a new dreamscape movie on its official YouTube channel called the 'Holiday Dreams'. The video is quite different than any other advertisements released by the company recently and features 74 Samsung devices which include flagship smartphones, tablets and even large screen Samsung HDTVs. From the video, we could make out some of the Galaxy devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge and even some Samsung smartwatches. All these devices are built on a rig. This rig can be moved, twisted or even bended to portray the entire story in one video. The story revolves around a small girl who chases her favorite stocking in a dream. She jumps, falls and even swims across a number of Samsung devices to finally get her stocking. Samsung also points out that the story video required a lot of effort.  The transition from one device to another is not animated but captured live. The video had to be played on each device at the appropriate time to make it look like the girl seamlessly jumped across a number of devices. Below, we have added the 'Behind the scenes' video as well which shows the amount of effort required for making the whole 'Holiday Dreams' video.

Last week, LG Malaysia teased its current flagship, the LG G3 on its official Facebook page. The South Korean giant was expected to announce two new handsets in the country, the LG G3 and the LG G3 Stylus in the coming days. Now, LG has officially confirmed the release of the two handsets and they will be available for sale starting today from a number of LG Mobile dealers in Malaysia. The LG G3 is almost 7 months old, but it still has enough hardware to threaten the recent releases like the Motorola Moto X (2014), Nexus 6 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Tech specs include a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. On the outside there is a large 5.5-inch quad HD 2K pixel resolution display. The 13MP rear camera comes with OIS and Laser Autofocus, while the 2.1MP front camera can record up to 1080p videos. A 3000 mAh battery onboard to power all these specs. The G3 comes with Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, but LG has announced an Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the device which should also make it to the G3 smartphones sold in Malaysia. The LG G3 Stylus will be a mid-range affordable smartphone with tech specs that include a quad-core Mediatek MT6582 processor, 1GB RAM and 13MP primary camera. The LG G3 and G3 Stylus will retail for a Malaysia price of RM1699 and RM799 respectively.

Gresso, the Swiss luxury smartphone and accessory maker has announced a new luxury smartphone in the market, called the Gresso Regal Black. The phone is made of grade 5 titanium, the same material used in sports cars and aeroplanes. The company also gives an option of 18 karat gold finish while the phone undergoes over 8 hours of machining and is assembled by hand. Like the recently announced Lamborghini Tauri 88 luxury smartphone, the Regal Black too comes with top-end tech specs. Inside, there is a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage. On the front, there is a 5-inch Full HD 1080p display and a 5MP front camera. At the back, there is a 13MP camera sensor. The phone runs on Android and comes with standard connectivity features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but lacks high speed 4G LTE support. The Gresso Regal Black luxury smartphone will be available in three different versions; namely the R1 costing $3000 (RM10427) and made entirely out of titanium, the R2 costing $5000 (RM17380) with 18K white gold finish and PVD coating and finally the R3 costing the same as the R2 but with 18K yellow gold and PVD coating. Gresso will release only 999 marked Regal Blacks in the market each with its own certificate of authenticity. We don't expect a Malaysia release of the phone but those interested can check out the company's website for more details.