Maxis is just dropping prices for their various bundled devices. This time around it is their Samsung Galaxy S III Mini which used to go for RM399 under their TalkMore48 + 1GB data plan. Now, in a move that will make those who don't call or SMS that much very happy, the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is available with the Maxis TalkMore28 or TextMore28 from RM76 a month (the original site may say as low as RM56 but this applies to the HTC Desire C with 200MB Mobile Internet Plan). The fineprint for this deal is that the Samsung Galaxy S III Mini is only available under a 24 month contract and new subscribers have to pay an advance payment of RM500. Existing Maxis customers who have been using Maxis Postpaid plans for more than a year don't have to pay this advance payment.

Just in from the rumour mill is that Samsung will soon be releasing a phablet called the Samsung Galaxy Mega and the new Galaxy Tab 3 Plus. The Samsung Galaxy Mega rumour mentions that it will release two models under this naming convention with the separate model numbers of GT-I9200 for a 6.3-inch version and the GT-I9152 for a 5.8-inch version with dual SIM support. Other rumours surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Mega models is that they may lack S Pen capabilities and have slightly lowered features in the same way like the Samsung Galaxy Grand.

Only just a few weeks ago, the price of the Samsung Galaxy S III at Maxis was slated at RM799 for a 12 months contract under their TalkMore48 plan. It appears that Maxis changed their minds as they've dropped the price of the Samsung Galaxy S III to RM599 for the same TalkMore48 plan but this time under a 24 months contract + 1GB data plan. A closer look at the details shows that the monthly for the plan remains at RM96 (RM48 + RM48) per month.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV is an impressive smartphone in either its Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version and its Exynos 5 Octa version. However, recent benchmarks of the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa have revealed that it is a lot more powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 version. The question here is, why has Samsung made nearly 70% of its Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV smartphones using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600? Why haven't they used just the Samsung Exynos 5 Octa?

Every time I do a flagship smartphone review I always compare it with the Pomegranate phone (which was a fake/hoax). This review about the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV is no different. The only difference here, is that in some ways the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV may actually beat the Pomegranate phone. Read on and find out how.

If the Design isn't broke, don't fix it

Building upon the record sales-breaking design of the Samsung Galaxy SIII, the Samsung Galaxy S4 looks exactly like it. It has the same Polycarbonate (plastic) shell, the same rounded corners, the same look and feel. Just this time around, Samsung have somehow managed to squeeze in more screen space, make it thinner, lighter and have a bigger capacity battery.

Samsung has finally released confirmed dates as to when the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV will be released in the United Kingdom with these dates being 25 and 26 April 2013. UK retailers have since opened up Pre-order registration for the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV starting from £629.95 (RM2962.44) without any SIM (meaning there isn't any data plan or service contract). The smartphone is available in both 'Black Mist' and 'White Frost'.

If you've been watching the Samsung ads and stumbled upon a group of hip and trendy modern women checking themselves out in what appears to be Samsung Galaxy phones then you wouldn't be far off. In actuality these are Samsung's collection for hip and trendy young modern women called the La'Fleur Collection. Consisting of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 in Garnet red, the Samsung Galaxy S III mini in white with floral design and the Samsung Galaxy Y with a similar white casing and floral motif, the La'Fleur Collection is Samsung's range of phones designed for modern women.

While there have been plenty of rumours about the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV Mini going about, we finally have confirmation that it will actually be produced. From Lee Keon Hyok, Senior Vice President at Samsung Electronics who talked to BusinessWeek recently, the quote goes like this, “the Galaxy S 4 doesn’t come out until late April. It’s fast, has a big, bright screen, and will probably be another huge hit for Samsung, as will the S4 mini that will go on sale soon after”.

With Samsung churning out new models almost daily, it was bound to happen eventually and therefore DiGi has announced the Samsung Galaxy Note II at a very much decreased price with their new DG Smart Plan 88. When the Samsung Galaxy Note II first came out it retailed at a pretty high RM2299 so this price drop is a little bit more than RM1000 but according to DiGi you save about RM740 on the Galaxy Note II based on the retail price of RM1999. This savings is based on the DG Smart Plan 88 for a contract of 24 months.

Previously we reported on the early benchmarks done using the Snapdragon 600-powered Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV or I9505 which were done using Geekbench 2. Now, benchmarks using the Exynos-powered Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV or I9500 have come up and blown practically every other device out of the water. The benchmark tests were done using AnTuTu and Quadrant. Check them out below:

AnTuTu (Higher is better)