News & Reviews:   Apple iPhone 6

The Huawei Honor 6 Plus made the headlines a few days back with its variable aperture dual rear camera setup. We have already added a few samples from the phone in our previous article and today, we have some more camera samples which are compared with Apple iPhone 6 camera samples. Variable aperture is made possible with the help of the advanced algorithms inside the Honor 6 Plus. Using the feed from both the 8MP rear cameras, the phone lets the user control aperture ranges from f/0.96 to f/16. In the camera menu, there is a slider which changes these aperture levels, even after the image has been captured. The two 8MP symmetrical cameras at the back along with the powerful 3IE algorithm make this all possible. The primary 8MP camera in the setup features auto-focus with f/2.0 aperture and the secondary 8MP has a fixed focus with f/2.4. The primary camera focuses on nearby objects and the secondary fixed-focus camera captures a flat image. With a combination of the two sensors, the Honor 6 Plus offers features such as variable aperture, depth of field and faster HDR. This also helps in better low light performance, which you'll clearly see in the pictures given below.

Although Apple's latest releases, the Apple iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus have been popular right from the start, their older plastic sibling, the iPhone 5C hasn't seen the same popularity and may be discontinued. Be that as it may, a new report says that Apple is planning to release a smaller 4-inch display iPhone by Q2 2015. The compact form factor has always been Apple's motto, until it succumbed to consumer demand and released the new iPhone 6 models. Even the smallest device of the two, the iPhone 6, measures 4.7 inches in size, which is much bigger than any of the iPhones released to date. Given that the earlier iPhones too were quite popular among buyers, there must be a number of users who were disappointed to see a larger Apple device. According to the supply chain sources of the company, a smaller 4 inch iPhone is in the works aimed at the compact phone lovers and women who would want a phone which can be operated with just hand. Moreover, this phone can be the ideal candidate to replace the fading iPhone 5C. Unfortunately, there are no tech specs, Malaysia release dates or pricing details about this 4-inch iPhone, but make sure you check back to the website for additional information in the coming weeks.

Lenovo is not usually known for imitating other competitors, however, this Chinese giant managed to surprise everyone when it announced the Lenovo S90 Sisley, which looked a lot like the recently unveiled Apple iPhone 6. Now, just within a few weeks of launch, the device has made it to the SIRIM database, which means we may soon see a Malaysia launch. Tech Specs wise, the device looks like a mid-range smartphone with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 1GB RAM and 16GB storage with no MicroSD expansion slot support. On the front is a 5 inch Super AMOLED Plus display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels while a 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera round out the features. At 6.9mm, the Lenovo S90 Sisley has the same thickness as iPhone 6. Connectivity features include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Dual Sim slots and 4G LTE support. The device retails for 2000CNY in China which means it should be priced around RM1100 when it releases in Malaysia.

While not all Malaysians are buying gifts next month, quite a few of us will be trying to think of what to get for our loved ones. In a discussion amongst ourselves and other techies at the Tech Kaki's discussion show in collaboration with KL Gadget Guy and Nasi Lemak Tech, we've listed down some tech gifts which we think would bring a little light to the lives of those who receive it. Check it out in this article.

The ASUS PadFone series of smartphones feature smartphones capable enough to power a tablet dock and the new ASUS PadFone S could well be the best bang-for-your-buck PadFone of the bunch. Featuring water and shock resistance, 4G LTE, 4K and slow motion video recording the PadFone S is priced at a very affordable RM899. On top of that, it also has many more features and top-notch tech specs but for more details on that, do check out our full review of the ASUS PadFone S super smartphone in this article.

While both Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature resolutions less than 1920 x 1080 pixels, apparently they may be capable of playing 4K videos. Softorino, a company known for its Mac software called WALTR which helps you upload images and videos on iOS devices, recently discovered that the A8 processor in the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are capable of playing ultra-high resolution 4K videos. However, you won't be able to enjoy 4K videos on your iPhone 6 anytime soon as the resolution is 1335×750 pixels which is far lower than the 3840×2160 resolution for most 4K videos. These 4K videos also take up a lot of space, on an average 2GB per minute of video, which will decrease the internal storage on your iPhone to a considerable extent. So, even if the iPhone 6 came with a 4K display, it would be impractical to play 4K videos directly from the phone's storage due to its large size. The app makers have made a proof of concept video to show that the iPhone actually plays the 4K resolution video smoothly. Check out their video in this article.

We take the Apple iPhone 6 out for a spin today with a hands-on video and a gaming demo of Asphalt 8:Airborne. The 4.7-inch display iPhone 6 is a surprisingly thin 6.9mm with a mostly metal body. Featuring the new A8 processor from Apple it should offer graphics and gaming performance better than the previous iPhone. We try this out in our hands-on video which you can check out for yourself in this article.

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

The Apple iPhone 6 remains one of the worlds most wanted smartphones even here in Malaysia. The 6.9mm thin smartphone is also one of the first Apple smartphones to have a display larger than 4-inches with features and tech specs on par with any other flagship smartphone. If you've been wondering what the Malaysia local priced version will get you then check out our unboxing video of the 64GB Apple iPhone 6. As expected of such a premium device, the insides are also fairly premium but do check out our unboxing video for yourself in this article.

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