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U Mobile now offers the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom cameraphone from RM449 with it's now standard No upfront payment scheme. Originally retailing for RM1699 you can also get a free battery travel charger kit and Galaxy Life freebies with the deal. To qualify you will have to sign up for a 24-month contract under a U58, U99 or U Plus postpaid plan. As usual, the No upfront payment promotion comes with conditions, in this case you have to subscribe for the bundle of your choice with a credit card and activate Auto Debit. For more details check out the table and links in this article.

After dropping the bundle pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S5 down to RM1199 with the Raya for Gaya promotion, Maxis are now offering a trade-in program as well for the Galaxy S5. Like the Apple iPhone 5S trade-in program, you can trade-in any phone but certain smartphones will get better discounts. The highest discount is with the Apple iPhone 5 which gives you a discount of RM1000, effectively lowering the price down to RM199. As usual, the offer is only valid for a 24-month contract and up until 31 August 2014 but for more details check the table and links in this article.

Appearing at China's Tenaa, the Gionee GN9005 smartphone could very well be the world's next thinnest smartphone. Offering a super thin profile of just 5mm, this is perhaps the thinnest smartphone to date and to top it off, supports 4G LTE or at least the TD-LTE supported in China. Other tech specs of the Gionee GN9005 could include a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 4.8-inch AMOLED display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 2050 mAh battery and Android 4.3. The Gionee GN9005 will likely be a China release only but you'll probably be able to get one here in Malaysia from a third-party seller. No Malaysia release dates or pricing though but if Gionee does come to Malaysia it will likely bring the GN9005 along for the ride.

Huawei has released a version of their current flagship the Huawei Ascend P7 with the Huawei Ascend P7 Arsenal Edition smartphone. Designed for the Arsenal fan, the "new" smartphone has the Arsenal logo on the back along with an Arsenal based theme and content pre-loaded. Tech specs and features for this Arsenal Edition remain the same though with a 1.8GHz quad-core Kirin 910T processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 5-inch full HD display, 4G LTE, 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera. For a clearer idea on how the Huawei Ascend P7 Arsenal Edition will perform do check out our review of the Huawei Ascend P7.

ASUS Malaysia recently held a media briefing revealing their tablet plans for Q4 of 2014 and beyond. As recently leaked at TechNave.com, ASUS Malaysia confirmed that we'll be seeing 64-bit Intel processor powered tablets here in Malaysia in the near future. This includes the ASUS Transformer Pad (TF103), ASUS MeMo Pad 8 (ME181), ASUS FonePad 7 (FE375CG), ASUS FonePad 7 (FE170CG) and ASUS FonePad 8 (FE380CG). While all of these tablets will be sporting smaller bezels and a slimmer form factor and are headed for the affordable below RM1K price range, there will be higher-end tablets as well. This includes the ASUS MeMo Pad 8 (ME581) tablet which will have tech specs that include an 8-inch full HD display and 4G LTE connectivity. Check out the details in the slides in this article.

Xiaomi recently made their latest flagship smartphone, the Mi 4 officialy with a launching in Beijing yesterday. The smartphone may not have a metal backside but it does offer a tough stainless steel frame and very flat and thin Apple iPhone like design. The more notable tech specs for the Xiaomi Mi 4 include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 4G LTE and the new Sony MIX214 camera sensor for the 13MP rear camera. What is even more jaw-dropping is that it is priced at just RMB1999 (RM1099) for the 16GB version and RM2499 (RM1299) for the 64GB version. Check out the full Xiaomi Mi 4 tech specs below:

• 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
• 3GB RAM
• 16GB / 64GB storage
• 5-inch display (IPS, 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, Sharp / JDI OGS full lamination display, 84% of NTSC range)
• 13MP rear camera (Sony IMX214,dual-LED flash, ƒ/1.8 aperture, real-time HDR, 4K video recording) + 8MP front camera (Sony IMX219, 80-degree wide angle)
• Supports 4G LTE, WiFi ac, A-GPS, IR blaster, IP67 certified for dust and water resistance, Wet Finger tracking technology
• 139.2 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm | 149g
• 3080 mAh battery (Non-removable)
• Android 4.4.3 KitKat
• RMB 1999 (RM1099) for 16GB / RMB 2499 (RM1299) for 64GB

The upcoming BlackBerry Passport recently appeared in a video showing off it's functions and features, one of which includes the ability to use the QWERTY keyboard as a trackpad. Apparently you can run your finger along the physical QWERTY keys and use it like a touchpad. Other tech specs and features include a 4.5-inch square screen with a 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution, 3GB RAM, 3450 mAh battery and BlackBerry 10.3. It will also have the BlackBerry Assistant for voice commands and hopefully some accurate dictation notes. Still no news on exact Malaysia release dates or pricing but it could be coming in September 2014. Check out the video for yourselfin this article.

The upcoming Xiaomi Mi-4 or Mi4 smartphone is set for it's official announcement tomorrow on 22 July 2014 but leaks of the device have appeared showing the front and back. Somewhat blurry, the images show a shiny backside but according to those who have actually touched it, this is actually plastic. When it was first teased with the statement, "The journey of a piced of steel metal" many industry watchers thought it would mean an all metal casing, including us. Still the statement would still be accurate if the Xiaomi Mi4 uses a tough unibody frame. Other rumoured features and tech specs include a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB storage, a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 and a 13MP rear camera along with a 5MP front camera. THe smartphone may also have a large 3000 mAh battery. No news yet on Malaysia release dates or pricing but stay tuned for the full reveal tomorrow as we'll keep you updated as soon as new developments occur.

ASUS Malaysia recently released a Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) update for the ASUS ZenFone 5 smartphone. While it isn't the Android 4.4 KitKat update everyone is waiting for, this 30MB download offers a number of bug fixes and improvements to the existing firmware. This includes better audio quality, compatibility, stability and power efficiency. A new feature is that you can now activate the flashlight via the Flip cover. ASUS Malaysia go on to say that the update is only applicable for those who purchased the ASUS ZenFone 5 original set perhaps because the imported or AP sets don't have the same firmware. In any case, you can download the FOTA update numbered 1.15.40.35_20140715_3835 by opening About>System Update in the Settings.

The third Huawei flagship store in Malaysia has recently been opened in the KLCC Twin Towers. The store is located at Lot 316A on the Third Floor and should give users the chance to try out the latest Huawei devices like the Huawei Ascend P7 and Huawei MediaPad X1. In conjunction with this opening, Huawei Malaysia are holding the Twin Tower, Twin Promotion we reported on earlier. The first 100 Twins, Triplets or Quadruplets who purchase a Huawei Ascend P7, Huawei X1 7.0, Huawei Ascend G6 or Huawei Ascend G750 from the store, from 16 July 2014 to 20 July 2014, are entitled to a “buy 1 free 1 or buy 1 free 2” promotion". Here's what Huawei Malaysia had to say about it:

“At Huawei, we strongly believe that affordability and brand experience should not be mutually exclusive. Our flagship stores personify this belief. We are very excited to be one of the first Chinese high-tech companies to open a store in KLCC, a renowned landmark in Malaysia. When we first started to sell our own branded handsets two years ago, Huawei is unknown to most of the consumers. Thanks to the support from our customers, high quality of our phones and the team’s dedication, our business has changed significantly. Today we are very proud to reach the milestone to open our own flagship store in Suria KLCC. With more points of sale, a stronger network, and many more devices, it has been a truly exciting journey. Today’s event is an indication of how far we have come and our commitment to keep delivering in Malaysia.” Gary Xu, Country Director for Huawei Consumer Business Group in Malaysia