DirectD is one of the better known third-party mobile device sellers and retailers in Malaysia. This is due to their often lower than average prices and early (before official release) inventory of the latest smartphones, tablets, mobile devices and more. Recently, they held the grand opening for their latest DirectD Gadget Mega Store here in Petaling Jaya. Featuring 18000 square feet and lots of nearby parking space, DirectD say that they have the largest mobile phone shop in Malaysia yet. While there are more than 300 smartphones and tablets and 1000 or so accessories available at a time, the store also has the latest devices on display, a dedicated service center with comfortable waiting area and telco center for both new subscribers and bill payment. These telcos include DiGi, Maxis, U Mobile and YES with plans to add more soon. In addition, free WiFi is available throughout the store. Individual buyers can also opt to pay via installment plan or credit card while wholesale buyers are also welcome with no minimum order required. The DirectD Gadget Mega Store will be open from 9.00am to 9.30pm everyday. Here are some of the highlights and promotions available;

• located at Lot 11, Jln 51A/219, PJ (next to Mazda service Centre, same row with Avon and Hong Leong bank, along side Federal Highway)
• a snap post & win contest!
• the first 50 or so customers were able to buy a power bank at just RM1 or phone at RM10 or bid for a smartphone starting from RM10!
• those who came could also buy 1 and get free 1 original Lumia 530 smartphone
• "I am a member" membership program with redemption prizes and other benefits
• "I am a dealer" dealership program 

Chinese brands like Xiaomi and Meizu have gained international recognition lately. While Samsung and Apple are the top two smartphone makers worldwide, the third position is currently being battled over by Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, Huawei and Lenovo. Many consider them to be direct competitors in the industry. However, according to Huawei's Chief, Richard Yu, the company's real competitor is Samsung and not Xiaomi. According to him, the affordable smartphone maker Xiaomi has no chance against Huawei in the high-end segment. He claims that his company's flagship devices are much better than Xiaomi's offerings. This comment doesn't come as a surprise since he recently criticized both Xiaomi and Meizu for incorporating a Quad HD resolution display on their devices. Both the Xiaomi Mi Note Proand the Meizu MX4 feature quad HD ultra-high resolution displays. His recent comment indicates that Xiaomi's Mi Note flagship and Xiaomi Mi 4 doesn't offer the advantages of Huawei's devices like theHuawei Mate 7 and the Honor 6 Plus. The two Chinese companies are expected to unveil a number of devices later this year, including flagships like the Xiaomi Mi 5, Huawei P8 and even the next generation model of the popular Mate 7. So, it would be interesting to see which one actually comes out as the winner in 2015.

DiGi is now offering the Meizu MX4 smartphone from RM429 with their postpaid plans. Retailing at RM1299, this version of the smartphone packs in 32GB worth of storage. As usual with DiGi, to qualify you'll have to sign up for a postpaid DG SmartPlan 78, 108 or 148 postpaid plan under a 24 month contract. Active Digi postpaid users with 12 months usage or more can waive the advance payment, but if not, you'll have to pay a 1 month's worth advance payment. For more details, check out the table and links 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

The upcoming rumoured Meizu MX4 smartphone has apparently been photographed with a picture showing the smartphone to have nearly no bezels. While the rest of the design follows the Apple iPhone right down to the rounded corners and circular home button, the screen looks to be much bigger. Rumoured tech specs include a versions that will have a 5.5-inch screen with 1536 x 2560 pixel resolution along with a version offering a 5-inch screen and 1080 x 1800 pixel resolution. Other tech specs include 3GB of RAM, a 16MP rear camera and 8MP front camera. No Malaysia release dates or pricing yet and it will likely never come to Malaysia unless through third-party sellers. However, the Meizu MX4 is rumoured to be priced around $320 (RM1011) perhaps to give the Xiaomi Mi 4 some competition.

While a completely edge-to-edge smartphone has yet to become a reality, it appears that the upcoming Meizu MX4 smartphone could be the smartphone with the world's slimmest bezels yet. This rumour comes courtesy of ePrice who have leaked the front panel of the Meizu MX4 and the tech specs that the side bezels will be a near non-existant 1.1mm. According to other rumours, the Meizu MX4 will come in two versions with other tech specs and features to include a version with a 5-inch full HD display and another version with a 5.5-inch display with a 1536 x 2560 pixel resolution. While this may seem a bit off from the usual 2560 x 1440 resolution, Meizu have done weird resolutions before when they released their MX3 smartphone with a resolution of 1080 x 1800 pixels. Other notable tech specs include a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 16MP rear camera but no confirmation on which model might have these. No Malaysia release dates or pricing yet but we expect the Meizu MX4 to appear in China next month in August 2014.