Continuing their ongoing trend of not fixing something that isn't broken, HTC have officially announced the HTC One M8s which is basically the same HTC One M8 but with an updated 64-bit processor and 13MP dual rear camera. HTC has seen fit to get rid of the UltraPixel rear camera completely with nearly every other tech spec remaining the same. This isn't exactly a bad thing if you're a really, really big fan of the HTC One M8, but it definitely won't look any different than before. The full tech specs and features include a 64-bit 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB Storage + microSD, 5-inch display with full HD 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, a 13MP rear dual camera and a 5MP front camera. The One M8s weighs in at 160g and 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.55mm and comes with a 2840 mAh battery along with Android 5.0 Lollipop with HTC Sense. Set for release in the UK at £379.99 (RM2062) there are as yet no plans for a Malaysia release date or any local pricing details. In any case, we're more likely to see the HTC One M8s at the DirectD Gadget Mega Store and other third party sellers like SatuGadget before any official HTC Malaysia release anytime soon.

For the past few weeks, there have been plenty of leaks and rumors about the upcoming HTC flagship,HTC One M9. The company is yet to reveal anything officially, but it has kept an event on 1st March 2015 called "Utopia in progress" where it will reportedly unveil the successor to the HTC One M8 flagship model. Recently, an image was spotted on twitter, which could be the official photo of the two upcoming flagship devices. An earlier leak had hinted at a possible HTC One M9 Plus version, which this photo could confirm. The image comes courtesy of @evleaks. The image confirms a full glass front on both the models. Also, like the earlier images, this one too features an oval physical home button, which is something not usually seen on HTC's flagship models. The button will reportedly include a fingerprint sensor, a first for an HTC device. Both the models have super slim bezels and a large round front camera. Judging from the looks, it could be the same as the 13MP shooter on the HTC Desire Eye, but nothing is confirmed so far especially not Malaysia release dates or pricing. Expect more details in the next few weeks.  

HTC's upcoming flagship device, the HTC One M9 has been making the rumor rounds for quite some time now. The device was recently spotted alongside the old HTC One M8 model and the differences between the two (although slight) were carefully marked in the picture. Although the device is probably a prototype model, its looks like it is in the final stages of design. One of the significant differences between the two models is the size of the bezels at the bottom and the sides of the display. The bottom HTC logo is now thinner and smaller making that area more compact than before. On both the sides of the screen, the bezels have been reduced greatly. So the alleged HTC One M9 looks much smaller and compact than the existing flagship. According to the picture, it looks like the device will retain the 5-inch display, which contradicts earlier rumors that said it will have a 5.5-inch 2K display. There may also be a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM onboard. At the back, the phone is said to feature a 20.7MP camera and up front, there could be a 13MP selfie shooter just like the HTC Desire Eye. As for software, the phone will probably come with Android 5.0.1 with Sense 7.0 UI on top but as always, do take this leak with a pinch of salt.

According to the latest poster released by HTC on its Weibo page, the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer will unveil at least one Desire smartphone at the upcoming CES 2015 event which will be held at Las Vegas starting 5 January 2015. The teaser image says 'Always Desire more' which probably hints at a new HTC Desire smartphone from the company this year. HTC's Desire range has shown some promise recently especially with the Desire Eye smartphone and the Desire 820. The Desire range usually offer  mid-range specs and the new Desire phone expected to be unveiled on 6 January 2015 will most likely be a mid-range smartphone as well. Given that HTC has not yet hinted at a new 'One' branded phone, it's very likely that the company won't announce a flagship device at the event. Traditionally, HTC announces its 'HTC One' flagship sometime later during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) which happens in February 2015. Hence, the leaked HTC One (M9) Hima flagship model could debut around March this year too. As for the new Desire smartphone, there aren't many details like Malaysia release dates or pricing available just yet. It could be something new and big like the unique Desire Eye smartphone with a 13MP front camera. Stay tuned for more updates from CES 2015 in the coming days.

Huawei announced the Huawei Honor 6 Plus smartphone with a dual rear camera setup on 16 December 2014. This is the world's first variable aperture smartphone without any add-on lenses and works quite differently from the HTC One M8 which also features a duo-camera. For the Honor 6 Plus there are two symmetrical 8MP camera sensors at the back which work together with a dedicated SLR-grade image signal processor (ISP) to achieve this. This unique setup also allows the phone to capture images in resolutions of up to 13MP. Huawei claims that the two 8MP cameras at the back works just like the human eye. The two lenses can focus on an object in just 0.1 seconds. The advanced 3IE algorithm in the device allows users to achieve a range of depths, from F0.95 to F16. Images captured especially at night benefit from the given two cameras. This is because, the amount of light reaching the lens and the sensors is twice than that of a single sensor, which contributes to better low light images. Huawei has released a number of samples taken from these dual rear cameras and they look very good, especially those taken in low light. We have added a few samples from the device down below. The company has not yet revealed details like Malaysia release dates or pricing for the Honor 6 Plus but the existing Honor 6 retails for around RM999 in Malaysia. 

Latest reports suggests the HTC Hima, the successor of the HTC One (M8) flagship will miss MWC 2015. According to upleaks, a well-known tipster on Twitter, HTC may skip both CES 2015 and MWC 2015, only to launch the new flagship at a special event later in the year. The current flagship, HTC One (M8) had also skipped both these major events. If rumors are to be believed, HTC is dropping the 'M' brand name for its flagship device in favor of a new one called 'Hima'. The new HTC device is expected to come with the latest Snapdragon 810 processor. This new chipset features an octa-core processor with 4 Cortex-A57 cores clocked at 2.0GHz and 4 Cortex-A53 cores at 1.5GHz along with 3GB RAM. No tech specs about the internal storage or expandable storage options have been leaked. Other tech specs include a 5-inch 1080p display, 20.7MP rear camera, 13MP / Ultrapixel front Selfie camera and 4G LTE Category 6 connectivity support. The HTC Hima is expected to run on Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sense 7.0 UI on top. It may also feature a 2840 mAh battery. The new device is rumored to come in with same color profiles as the One (M8) – grey, silver and gold.

The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have already arrived in the US and other select markets. While there are no Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet, many are expecting the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to reach us in November 2014, so we still have time to decide which Apple iPhone to get. Following the iPhone lineup in the US, we estimate that for Malaysia there will be the Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. For this comparison we'll see which Apple iPhone you should get as we compare the Apple iPhone 6 vs the Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs the Apple iPhone 5S vs the Apple iPhone 5C. Check out our detailed analysis in this article.

The more affordable HTC One E8 was recently launched here in Malaysia from RM1699. The smartphone bears a similar shape and design as the HTC One M8 but goes for a plastic or polycarbonate backside casing instead. Currently available at all authorized HTC resellers here in Malaysia, the smartphone comes in Electric Crimson (red), Misty Grey (blueish grey) and Polar White (white). Check out the full tech specs and feature list for the HTC One E8 below:

• 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB storage + up to 128GB microSD support
• 5-inch display (Super Clear LCD, 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution)
• 13MP rear camera (LED flash, f/2.2) + 5MP front camera
• supports 4G LTE,
• Features dual-front Boom Sound speakers,
• 2600 mAh battery
• Android 4.4 KitKat + Sense 6.0

Samsung fans have waited a long time for a semi-premium smartphone made from metal, and Samsung have finally given in by officially announcing the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Rumoured to be the Samsung smartphone with the brushed metal backside, this appears to be still a rumour as only the frame is solid metal, but it does a lot to making the phone feel more premium. The Galaxy Alpha should now have less flex and feel a lot more sturdy compared to the larger and thicker yet more plastic build of the Samsung Galaxy S5. The perforated design on the back casing remains the same though just as the back material is also still plastic. Ironically, the Galaxy Alpha is much lighter at 115g and super thin at just 6.7mm. Check out the full tech specs and feature list for the Samsung Galaxy Alpha below:

• Octa-core Samsung Exynos processor (1.8GHz quad-core + 1.3GHz quad-core)
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• 4.7-inch display (Super AMOLED, 1280 x 720 pixel resolution)
• 12MP rear camera (LED flash, 4K video record) + 2.1MP front camera
• features LTE Cat.6, WiFi 802.11 ac, MIMO(2x2), NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 BLE, Hall Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor, Heartrate sensor
• 132.4 x 65.5 x 6.7mm | 115g
• 1860 mAh battery
• available in charcoal black, dazzling white, frosted gold, sleek silver and scuba blue
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat

HTC and KDDI of Japan recently launched the new HTC J Butterfly smartphone for Japanese markets. The smartphone offers the same design as the HTC One M8 except that it is water-proof and doesn't have dual-front BoomSound speakers or the Ultrapixel Duo camera. Other tech specs and features for the HTC J Butterfly include a Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage with microSD support, 5-inch full HD display, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, supports 4G LTE and packs in Android 4.4. No specific Malaysia release dates or pricing yet but the HTC J Butterfly will be in Japan from late August 2014 and could eventually come to Malaysia hopefully.