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LG Chem, a branch of LG dealing in everything from batteries to bendable lights has announced new flexible battery designs. This includes curved batteries, a battery in the form of cable (which still works even after it has been tied into a knot) and stacked / stepped batteries (which consist of multiple batteries made to work as a single unit). The new battery designs will probably mean bigger batteries for smartphones and mobile devices that have curved backs like LG's own LG G2. These new battery designs could be perfect for various applications but mostly seem perfect for smartphones and other mobile devices which don't have the space for a standard rectangular battery. LG Chem has said that they will demo these battery technologies on 16 October 2013. No news on pricing or Malaysia release dates but we expect smartphone makers to take advantage of these new battery types very soon.

While Google Glass remains the originator in the smart glasses wearable computer market, it may not be the innovator all the time as Samsung has also reportedly stepped up development on smart glasses as well. According to certain sources (namely Russian blogger Eldar Murtazin) Samsung will likely release a pair of smartglasses under the brand name of Samsung Galaxy Gear Glass in April or May 2014. Unfortunately, there weren't any other details on tech specs, features, pricing or Malaysia release dates but like all rumours, remember to take this with a pinch of salt. Eldar Murtazin has been known to be wrong before as he was the one who initially said that Samsung's Tizen OS had apparently died before it was even released (which did not come true). 

Samsung have also confirmed a 5.7-inch flexible screen that is also heading to a smartphone or similar device in October 2013. More specifically, Samsung have said to expect such a smartphone this week, which jives with earlier rumours saying that a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with a flexible display would be coming soon. Samsung is already mass producing these 5.7-inch displays with tech specs and features that include a lightness of just 5.2 grams and 0.12mm thinness. Other tech specs include support for full 1080 x 1920 pixel resolutions. Other rumours indicate that a flexible display enabled Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is expected to be mostly the same as current versions which would include Snapdragon 800 chipsets and other features.Samsung's flexible displays also have a curvature radius of 400mm, again beating out that of competitor LG. Samsung say that they can make about 1 million flexible screens per month.

LG has recently announced the world's first flexible 6-inch OLED display which they say is headed for commercial smartphones. Tech specs and features show that the panels consist of plastic, can be bent from tip to tip without breaking and is concave from top to bottom with a 700mm radius. According to researchers while you can bend the plastic panels, the main advantage of a flexible display is that it is much thinner than current smartphone screen panels. The LG flexible display panel will be just 0.44mm thin which is both very light at 7.2g for the 6-inch panel and very durable. So far, the curved smartphone from LG using these flexible displays is set to be called the LG G Flex with a Malaysia release time expected from November 2013. No news on whether or not the panels are easy or expensive to make so we don't have any pricing details either, but we should find out more when the LG G Flex arrives next month. 

While the Apple iPhone 6 is only expected in 2014, already rumours have surfaced regarding this smartphone. This time around rumour mongers are almost certain that Apple will increase the screen size to a 4.8-inch display compared to the current 4-inch display, which is rather dated compared to other smartphones which have gone to 4.5-inch to 4.7-inch or all the way to 5-inch displays. The rumour comes courtesy of various analysts mentioning a larger screen Apple iPhone. Like all rumours for next year, we advocate that you take a big pinch of salt with this as it seems more like wishful thinking than anything concrete, and so much can change in a year. Unfortunately, no other tech specs or exact Malaysia release dates details were available but stay tuned and we'll keep you posted.

While initially Microsoft was rumoured to have approached HTC about loading Windows Phone on Android, it appears that HTC wasn't the only one Microsoft talked to. According to reports, Microsoft have also approached Samsung and Huawei with Windows Phone OS for smartphones and Windows RT for tablet for free as an incentive. They have also supposedly added on compensation for the required adaptation costs. While none of the above parties have really confirmed anything, a rumoured 12.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab which can dual-boot between Windows RT and Android is supposedly on the way. Tech specs for this device include very high pixel resolutions, a super thin plastic chassis made to look like metal (probably a chrome finish) and is supposedly very fast. Most of this info comes from Russion blogger Eldar Murtazin, who has mostly been accurate when it comes to Nokia - Microsoft related rumours. However, he was wrong about Tizen so take this rumour again with a pinch of salt. No Malaysia release dates or pricing just yet though.

Reports about the next-generation Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 have surfaced recently. Apparently, the camera modules for the two not-even-announced yet smartphones may have camera modules that are 8x brighter than your average camera module today. In addition to this, the camera modules will also have features like anti-shake that can correct an angular error up to 1.5 degrees, which is awesome considering that the current standard is only at 0.7 degrees. Other tech specs and features include the rumour that these camera modules are still going to be 13MP. The brighter sensor should enable better image processing under low-light conditions. While the report doesn't really mention the Galaxy S5 or Note 4, the camera module should be developed within that time frame. No details on pricing or Malaysia release dates but a safe bet would be to say that we'll find out in 2014.

Just like previous Samsung phones, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 gets a dual-SIM version of it's own as Samsung recently made the launch for this version official. While Malaysia has yet to get the official announcement or Malaysia release date, the dual-SIM Note 3 has already been revealed in China. This China version is however not carrier locked and should work anywhere in the world (which means you could probably see some local sellers with the dual-SIM Note 3 quite soon). Like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 N9005, the dual-SIM version uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset which means that it should feature LTE capabilities along with whatever tech specs that the N9005 has. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Dual-SIM is currently priced at €735 (RM3758) but we're pretty sure that the actual Malaysia pricing will be much lower than that.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear is probably the most feature filled smartwatch from a branded company currently in the market. While it does have a number of shortcomings, such as poor battery life and compatibility with smartphones other than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 a number of rather cool promo ads for the smartwatch have come out. For those who haven't always wanted a smartwatch, the ads show where some of the first smartwatches in media came from including Dick Tracy, The Jetsons, Star Trek, Inspector Gadget, Knight Rider and Power Rangers. It is an interesting look at smartwatches and captures some of the essence that makes a smartwatch, at least according to popular media. Check the videos out for yourself and see where it all began for smartwatches.

While the Sony Xperia Z1 is now officially available in Malaysia, Celcom is now offering the smartphone from as low as RM1538, which is quite good considering the retail price of the Z1 is RM2399. To get this deal, you have to sign up for a Celcom postpaid plan under 12, 18 or 24 month contracts. For more details, check out the table and links in this article.