Latest News

Barely 24 hours after announcing crowdfunding for the release of the Jolla Tablet and Jolla have managed to raise more than $1000000, which is way past their initial goal of $380000. The tablet will offer tech specs and features that include a 64-bit Intel processor, 7.85-inch display with 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution and a 5MP rear camera. The tablet will only be WiFi capable but will be priced from $249 (RM835) although at the time of writing this article, you can still go to their Indiegogo site and get one for $209 (RM701). The Sailfish OS is entirely open sourced and should offer a different experience while still supporting Android apps along with a unique gesture based system. No exact Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet, but this is mainly because Malaysia isn't listed in the countries where the Jolla Tablet will be made available.

• 64-bit 1.8GHz quad-core Intel processor
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB storage + microSD
• 7.85-inch display (2048 x 1536 pixel resolution, 330ppi)
• 5MP rear camera + 2MP front camera
• 203 x 137 x 8.3mm | 384g
• 4300 mAh battery
• supports WiFi
• Sailfish OS

Corning has just announced their new Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for smartphones and mobile devices. This time around they've made it in such a way that it can withstand drops on stone up to 80% of the time. Scratch resistance has also been improved and according to Corning East Asia, the new Gorilla Glass 4 is more durable than sapphire crystal glass. They've already started shipping out Gorilla Glass 4 to smartphone makers worldwide, so we could see devices with Corning Gorilla Glass 4  within this year alone. No news on whether it is more expensive or Malaysia release dates but we expect it to feature on the next generation of smartphones coming soon.

Nokia still lives! The most well-known mobile phone company in the world has just announced the Nokia N1 tablet. Powered by a 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 processor the tablet looks like an Apple iPhone 6 with an iPad mini 2 screen. This is probably because the body is a one-piece design made from aluminum with a fully laminated IPS panel and LED backlight display. It is also made in collaboration with Foxconn, the people who make Apple's various devices with Nokia providing the branding, design and quality control. The N1 tablet is even 6.9mm thin, exactly the same measurement as the iPhone 6 all for the rather low price of $249 (RM835). Check out the full tech specs and features below:

• 64-bit 2.3GHz Intel Atom Z3580 processor
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• 7.9-inch display (2048 x 1536 pixel resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, fully laminated zero air-gap design)
• 8MP rear camera (autofocus, no LED flash) + 5MP front camera
• 200.7 x 138.6 x 6.9mm | 318g
• supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0
• features 2x 0.5W stereo speakers, Wolfson audio codec
• Android 5.0 Lollipop + Nokia Z Launcher
• 5300 mAh battery

It appears that ASUS are filling out the niches in it's ZenFone smartphone range with the announcement of the ASUS ZenFone 5 Lite A502CG. Announced in the Philippines for 5595 PHP (RM417) the ZenFone 5 Lite keeps the same balanced design but cuts down on some of the features. These include a 5-inch display with 540 x 960 pixel resolution, a 0.3MP front camera, 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 processor and 1GB of RAM. Other tech specs remain mostly the same with an 8MP rear camera with LED flash, support for dual-SIM, WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth and a GPS. Surprisingly, the battery gets an increase to 2500 mAh, perhaps in response to all the low battery life complaints. No Malaysia release dates or pricing available just yet but we expect it to come next month if not early next year, along with all the other new ZenFone smartphones.

Fresh from announcing the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 are rumours about the other Huawei flagship smartphone, the Huawei Ascend P8. According to these rumours, tech specs for the Ascend P8 include a 5.2-inch full HD 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution display with a 2.5D glass cover. The smartphone could be using a metal frame body with a ceramic backside. Other tech specs include Huawei's latest 16nm octa-core Kirin 930 processor and it is expected to cost 2999CNY (RM). No Malaysia release dates or pricing yet but we expect it to come out next month to next year at the earliest.

Microsoft's decision to rebrand all Nokia Lumia smartphones as Microsoft Lumia seems to mean that we'll never see the Nokia brand name again. However, Nokia did not sell their actual brand name and can use it as long as it doesn't involve smartphones. As such, a recently revealed picture of a device with a Nokia brand logo on it seems to indicate new device partners that Nokia could be teaming up with. The teaser image release by Nokia hints that the device could be a mini-PC, TV Box or Android game console but Nokia have not said anything about it. We expect it to arrive in the next few hours or so, so stay tuned for more developments.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G is finally here in Malaysia. Featuring tech specs that include a 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a 5.5-inch display and 4G LTE support, the phablet is going for RM589. Other tech specs remain the same with a 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and a 3100 mAh battery. The only differences are the 4G LTE enabling processor, no dual-SIM support and of course the price tag, with the original 3G only Redmi Note retailing for RM509. In line with the release, Xiaomi Malaysia are offering a Redmi Note 4G Pop Quiz from 17 November 2014 to 1 December 2014 to win a new Redmi Note 4G smartphone. It also looks like the original Redmi Note is no longer on sale, at least at the Xiaomi Malaysia site.

The Prynt smartphone case can print photos direct from your smartphone. Now this isn't all that ground breaking, but a new feature that the Prynt case offers is an Augmented Reality sort of function that shows a video of you taking the picture in the App itself. This means that using the app, anyone with the photo can see that video, but do check out the video by the folks at TechCrunch below for a better understanding of it. As it is, the Prynt case will be available for $99 (RM331) on Kickstarter and support 4.x-inch Android and iOS smartphones. It prints up to 30 pictures at a time with the photo taking 30 seconds to print. No Malaysia release dates or local pricing yet, but you can check out their site to sign up for notifications. Check out the video for yourself in this article.

Apart from the Samsung Gear S, there are other smartwatches that allow you to make calls or answer them without having to pair it up with a smartphone. The Burg 12 is one of these smartwatches and could offer users a relatively cheaper alternative, if it ever gets here in Malaysia. Recently released in the US for $199 (RM664) the Burg 12 offers a round watch face, but still uses a square 1.5-inch screen with 240 x 240 pixel resolution. Other tech specs include 4GB of storage, a 16GB microSD slot, a camera, voice recorder and both the bezel and strap can be swapped out. The Burg 12 is also splash and scratch resistant and it also works with both iOS and Android devices, if you decide to pair it up anyways. According to the developers, it has a 3-day standby battery life and 2-3 hour talk time.

The AnTuTu chart-topping Meizu MX4 may soon be arriving in Malaysia with a release date expected to be at the end of November 2014. No official Malaysia pricing yet, but it is expected to be priced around RM1099. Featuring tech specs that include a 20.7MP rear camera with Sony IMX2200 Exmor RS sensor, dual 4G connectivity and a metal frame made from aircraft grade aluminum, it looks a lot like the Apple iPhone 6 from the side but at 8.9mm thin, it is a bit thicker. While Meizu have not mentioned this feature, it looks to be somewhat water resistant, or at least enough to take a shower. A rounded backside makes it more comfortable to hold but for the full tech specs list check it out below.

• 2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek 6595 (customized) processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB / 32GB / 64GB storage
• 5.36-inch display (1920 x 1152 pixel resolution, 1100:1 contrast ratio)
• 20.7MP rear camera (dual ISP, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, nightlight stabilization, F/2.2 aperture) + 2MP front camera (F/2.0 aperture)
• supports dual-SIM 4G LTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE,
• 75.2 x 144 x 8.9mm | 147g
• 3100 mAh battery
• Android 4.4.4 + Flyme 4