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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

Microsoft Malaysia brings good news to Windows Phone Twitter users with the information that the new Twitter app now offers some great new photo features. This includes a media-forward timeline so you can see tweets with Twitter photos and Vine videos in preview straight from your home timeline. Other new features include multi-photo upload, photo tagging and photos in direct messages. As usual, you can get the update for free from the Windows Phone store.

LG Electronics officially announced their LG G3 Beat smartphone featuring many of the same features on the LG G3 like Laser Auto Focus in a slightly smaller 5-inch display form factor. A slightly larger "mini" version of the LG G3, the LG G3 Beat will be priced and headed for the midrange with an initial release in South Korea happening on 18 July 2014. The LG G3 Beat will then go global for Europe and CIS countries. This means it may take a while for it to come to Malaysia but you can likely expect it to come sooner via third-party sellers. For now, the features and tech specs of the LG G3 Beat include:

• 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB RAM + MicroSD slot
• 5.0-inch display (IPS, 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, 294 ppi)
• 8MP rear camera (Laser Auto Focus) + 1.3MP front camera
• 2540mAh battery (removable)
• Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• 137.7 x 69.6 x 10.3mm | 134 g
• Supports 4G LTE, HSPA+ 21Mbps (3G), Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0,  A-GPS/Glonass, NFC, USB 2.0
• Features Laser Auto Focus, Touch & Shoot, Gesture Shot, Smart Keyboard and
• QuickMemo+
• available in Metallic Black, Silk White and Shine Gold

In accordance with the retail price drop of the Samsung Galaxy S5 from RM2399 to RM2149, Maxis are now offering the smartphone at lower priced bundle deals. While you do get the smartphone under the new MaxisONE plans, you still have to sign up for a 24-month contract. Add the current "Raya Dengan Gaya" promotional discount and you can now get the Samsung Galaxy S5 from as low as RM1199. For more details check out the table and links in this article.

While reports have it that the rumoured Apple iWatch could be delayed to early 2015 other reports have it that the wearable device may come in 3 distinct versions. The first Apple iWatch will have a 1.6-inch display while the other two versions will offer larger 1.8-inch displays. One of these 1.8-inch display devices will be the premium version and offer a sapphire glass covered screen. Now, we've covered this before and found it perfectly logical as the smaller iWatch could be designed for women while the larger iWatch could be for men. While there are still no details on Malaysia release dates or pricing rumours indicate that it could be priced from $349 (RM1115) which is quite high for a smartwatch and just about right for an Apple product. As always, do take such rumours with a good pinch of salt and stay tuned as we'll keep you updated as to any new developments.

South Korean Media reports have the rumoured Samsung Galaxy S5 Alpha or Galaxy F smartphone coming with a 6mm-thin metal body along with a 4.7-inch screen. This comes from reports calling the smartphone a "card phone" in reference to the slimness of the device. Both new tech specs are different from previously expected tech specs as we thought it would come with a 5.2-inch display and be about as thick as the previous Samsung Galaxy S5 (which is about 8.1mm). Reports also indicate that it will use a Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor, but then, Samsung has been known to offer models with different processors before. No details on Malaysia release dates or pricing but as always do take these rumours with a pinch of salt and stay tuned for more updates.

We recently reported on Apple iPhone 6 clones with 4.7-inch displays appearing several months ahead of the actual Apple iPhone 6 smartphone. Well, now you can see it in a comparison video with the Apple iPhone 5s where it reveals itself as the Wico i6. Quite obviously, the 4.7-inch screen is not a Retina Display and the operating system is not iOS. Tech specs and features for the Wico i6 include a quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, Android 4.4 KitKat and the aforementioned 4.7-inch screen with a 960 x 1704 pixel resolution. The camera has an LED flash but we doubt that the home button holds any form of Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Pricing is around $200 (RM639) to $300 (RM959) and we expect it to appear in Malaysia with third-party sellers anytime now. Be warned though, that this Wico i6 and other clones are not guaranteed to look exactly like the Apple iPhone 6 which is due in September 2014 so you may just be buying a cheap knockoff of a prototype. Check out the videos for yourself in this article.