News & Reviews:   Huawei Honor 3C

The Huawei Honor 3C made a big splash with it's 2GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera when it first hit Malaysia at just RM499. Now, we could be seeing the entry-level version as Huawei have officially announced the Huawei Honor 3C Play Edition which is going for just CNY599 (RM308). Tech specs for this version include a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582 processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 5-inch display at 720p pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, dual-SIM support and Android 4.2. In terms of design, the Honor 3C Play looks more or less the same as the Huawei Honor 3C but for now, it seems like it is just for China. We expect it to arrive in Malaysia soon and shake up the entry-level market even further.

The Huawei Ascend G6 4G is the refresh of the Huawei Ascend G6 with new 4G LTE connectivity. Originally designed to provide a more affordable midrange offering of the former flagship Huawei Ascend P6, the Ascend G6 features the same look and feel with a slightly smaller 4.5-inch screen and a thicker 7.9mm thin chassis. Does it still offer enough punch for today's users? Check out our full review of the Huawei Ascend G6 4G below to find out.

While the Huawei Honor 3C already has a prime spot on the value smartphone market at just RM499, this is still not entry-level pricing. As such, Huawei have since come out with teaser images of their upcoming Huawei Honor 3C Playpriced at a very low price of CNY599 (RM312). Tech specs for the Honor 3C Play are quite good and include a 1g.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6583 processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, 5-inch display with 720p pixel resolution, 8MP rear camera and Android 4.2.2. We suspect that the front camera will probably be a 2MP version and the rear camera won't have any LED flash but we assume it will come packing with Emotion UI 2.3 and offer an Apple iPhone like design based on the Apple logo image in one of the teasers. No news yet on actual Malaysia release dates or pricing but we expect it to come out soon in August 2014 or it may risk having to battle it out with the next Apple iPhone, Galaxy Note and Xperia Z smartphones in September 2014. Check out the teaser images for yourself.

The Huawei Talkband B1 is Huawei's first wearable device that combines a smartband fitness tracker along with a bluetooth headset. Coupled with a compatible smartphone, the smartband receives calls and lets you answer them directly. How exactly? Check out our video review below for a better idea and see if it is the smartband for you. Just as a refresher, the tech specs and features of the Huawei Talkband B1 are included as well:

• 1.4 inch flexible OLED
• 247.5 / 221.5 x 19.3 x 14.6mm | 26.2g (9.4g headset + 16.8g wristband)
• Supports Bluetooth 3.0, NFC fast pairing
• Features dual-mic noise reduction, 7 hours talk time 2 weeks stand-by
• Compatible with Huawei MediaPad X1 / M1 / Ascend P7 / P6 / P6s / Mate / Mate2 / Y530 / Y330 / Y300 / G730 / G610 / Y600 / G6 / B199 / Honor 3C / Honor 3X / SAMSUNG Galaxy S5/S4/S3/Note 3 LTE/Note 2, MEIZU MX3
• 90 mAh battery
• IP57 water and dust resistance

Huawei Malaysia has been teasing twins for about a month now and we finally see that it isn't about a dual-SIM Huawei Ascend P7, but rather the opening of their new KLCC Flagship store at the KLCC Twin Towers. In line with that, they are currently offering a Twin Tower Twin Promotion from 16 July 2014 to 20 July 2014, where the first 100 twins, triplets or quadruplets who purchase ANY smartphone there may get a BUY 1 FREE 1 or BUY 1 FREE 2 promotion. The promotion image is of the Huawei Ascend P7 so we suppose that you could get this super slim flagship smartphone for your twin for free if you go check it out. The promotion is available as long as stocks last so if you have a twin, triplet or quadruplet siblings looking for a smartphone deal, go check out the Huawei KLCC Flagship store quick. If you're wondering which to buy do check out our reviews on the Huawei Ascend P7 and Huawei Honor 3C.

In a move likely to one-up other online smartphone selling competitors, Huawei Malaysia has announced that it will be bringing 30000 Huawei Honor 3C units to VMALL.My on 16 July 2014. The price will remain the same at RM499 along with the same value added tech specs and features of 2GB of RAM, a quad-core processor, 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. We fully expect third-party sellers to be on the ready for said date as well, so be warned and be ready if you didn't manage to get your hands on the Huawei Honor 3C last Tuesday.

Sony is joining the selfie bandwagon with the official announcement of the Sony Xperia C3 smartphone. While it has tech specs that slot it into the midrange market, the most notable features include a 5MP front camera complete with LED flash. Like some other selfie cameraphones, the Xperia C3 front camera is wide angle and features a Superior Auto mode for automatic enhancement, portrait retouch, Timeshift-burst and sweep panorama. Other selfie features include a double tap rear control which triggers the camera and a smile shutter feature which takes the shot when you smile. Other tech specs include the following:

• 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB storage + microSD
• 5.5-inch Triluminous display (720 x 1280 pixel resolution)
• 8MP rear camera (Sony Exmor RS, pulse LED flash) + 5MP front camera (wide angle, soft LED flash)
• Supports 4G LTE, dual-SIM
• 2500 mAh battery
• Android 4.4 KitKat

The Nokia XL is the bigger brother in the range of Nokia X smartphones designed to bring the Windows Phone experience to the masses through an Android smartphone. As such, it features a simplified interface and Nokia's tough Lumia polycarbonate design that should make it great for everyone to use. The main question here is, does it deliver for you? Read our full review on the Nokia XL below to find out.

Xiaomi Malaysia will be selling their new Xiaomi Redmi 1S tomorrow, with a batch of 5000 units starting from 12pm on 8 July 2014. Keeping the smartphone company will be 10000 units of Xiaomi Mi-3 smartphones, 10000 units of 10400 mAh Mi Power Banks and 5000 units of 5200 mAh Mi Power Banks as well. Tech specs for the Xiaomi Redmi 1S are quite competitive with a 1.6GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4.7-inch 720p display and 8MP rear camera at just RM419. However, unlike the Huawei Honor 3C, the Redmi 1S will only offer a 1.3MP front camera. The Xiaomi Redmi Note will be coming 22 July 2014 at RM509.

Huawei Malaysia recently revealed that 10000 units of their value-busting smartphone, the Huawei Honor 3C will be available at http://www.vmall.my from 11:58am on 8 July 2014. Unlike other third-party dealers and sellers of the Huawei Honor 3C, VMall.my is the official online store for the smartphone and as such, one of the few places in Malaysia to offer the smartphone at it's retail price of RM499. We've noted other sellers offering the smartphone for as high as RM799 and even then, there are still buyers for it. The Huawei Honor 3C brings many value-added tech specs to the market with 2GB of RAM, a quad-core processor, 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. Do check out our full review of the Huawei Honor 3C smartphone for more details regarding this smartphone.