After what seems to be all the details leaked, Samsung's thinnest smartphone yet, the Samsung Galaxy A8 has officially been announced. While it isn't the world's thinnest smartphone, at 5.9mm thin it is the thinnest Samsung smartphone around. Like other Galaxy A smartphones it maintains a full metal frame with a mix of midrange to high-end tech specs. For the high-end features you can expect a 16MP ISOCELL rear camera, 5MP front camera with wide f/1.9 aperture, fingerprint sensor and 5.7-inch full HD Super AMOLED display. The midrange tech specs include a 1.5Ghz octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 16/32GB storage + microSD support, 3050 mAh battery and Android 5.1 Lollipop. While there are no official Malaysia release dates, leaks indicate that the Galaxy A8 will be going for RM1888. This price range and features places it in direct competition with other metal frame, fingerprint sensor packing smartphones so stay tuned for our tech spec comparison soon.

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is coming soon, that much is inevitable, but while it usually arrives in September a day or two before the IFA rumours say that it come as early as August and that it will come with 4GB of RAM. Other tech specs aren't really included but we assume that since the Galaxy S6 is the latest flagship, the Galaxy Note 5 will probably borrow certain features like the better 16MP rear camera and 5MP front camera. It will likely feature a 5.7-inch 2K display with Samsung S-Pen stylus support. No Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet, but we expect it to come soon if it actually does come in August next month.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 recently got leaked complete with Malaysia pricing. The folks at MDroid recently spotted it going for RM1888 while renders of the smartphone have also appeared courtesy of @OnLeaks. The leaked image certainly looks authentic and features a full metal frame like the other Samsung Galaxy A range. Tech specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.7-inch FHD super AMOLED display, 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera and 3050 mAh battery. It is set to come with Android 5.1 right out of the box and even has a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. While there are no Malaysia release dates it should be coming soon.

China's TENAA recently saw the certification of the Samsung Galaxy A8. Along with pictures of the upcoming smartphone it looks like it will be the phablet entry in the current range of Samsung Galaxy A smartphones consisting of the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7. Featuring slim bezels and measuring in at 158 x 76.77 x 5.94mm thin, it could well be the thinnest smartphone from Samsung yet. Other tech specs include a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, a 5.7-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and support for up to 128GB microSD. TENAA has it also coming with a 16MP rear camera and 8MP front camera but these features are usually saved for the flagships and not the midrange so we assume that this could be 13MP for the rear camera and 5MP for the front camera like all the other Galaxy A smartphones. The phone is also lightweight at just 142g but may also pack in the battery life with a 3050 mAh battery. No news yet on specific Malaysia release dates or pricing details but stay tuned for further developments.

NowSecure recently reported that a security vulnerability found in the default SwiftKey keyboard app pre-loaded on some Samsung Galaxy smartphones could put said smartphones at risk. Since this includes more than 600 million devices, this is quite a big thing. According to NowSecure, they informed Samsung last year in December but while Samsung have released the patch, not all distributors have rolled it out. The security vulnerability allows an attacker to remotely execute code as a privileged (system) user, allowing the attacker to steal confidential information or install a backdoor app or virus. The vulnerability is only accessible if you connect to an insecure Wifi network, something which quite a few people in Malaysia do at coffee shops. Since it is classified as a system app, SwiftKey cannot be uninstalled from your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and the vulnerability is still active even if you switch to a different app. Check out the NowSecure site for more details.

Samsung Malaysia Electronics is currently holding their Samsung Hari Raya Festival promotion starting from today till 19 July 2015. All you have to do to enter is buy any Samsung Galaxy device within the contest period. Those who buy Samsung Galaxy devices wil also get instant freebies such as a free clear cover and battery pack worth RM405 for the Samsung Galaxy S6, a free 32GB dual-USB 3.0 drive and 500 music voucher worth up to RM569 for a Galaxy A device (A3, A5, A7) and a free book cover for a Galaxy Tab A worth up to RM179. There aren't even any forms to fill out, just retain the original recept and answer a simple question correctly, then submit this answer via SMS to 33310 with your details in this format - “SAMSUNGRAYA <SPACE> Answer <SPACE> CONSENT (Y/N) <SPACE> NRIC <SPACE> IMEI NUMBER <SPACE> FULL NAME”. Check out more details at www.samsung.com/my/raya2015 and what Samsung have to say about it below:

“Samsung is extremely proud of our Galaxy devices. Combining design, craftsmanship and performance, our Galaxy products seamlessly blend premium materials with the most advanced Samsung technology to offer consumers an unmatched mobile experience. Our flagship Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones are the top of its class. It is our privilege to reward our customers through this promotion. Not only can our customers enjoy the excellent performance of our Galaxy devices, but also stand a chance to enjoy the comfort of a brand new car this year!” Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, Mobile, IT and Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics

It seems that the strikingly blue and green coloured Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge colours are now available for Malaysians who don't want to sign up for either Celcom or Maxis to get either colour. Do note that the Blue Topaz colour remains the exclusive colour for the Galaxy S6 while the Green Emerald is only available for the Galaxy S6 edge. Tech specs and pricing are likely to remain the same as before though, with the Galaxy S6 costing RM2599 while the Galaxy S6 edge retails from RM3099, both for the 32GB storage version. Both should be available for purchase at all authorized Samsung resellers and Samsung Experience stores, and if it isn't yet just wait a while longer for stocks to arrive.

Red and gold are already a pretty nice colour combination but this time around we finally get the official announcement for the Iron Man Samsung Galaxy S6 edge in conjunction with the recent Avengers 2: Age of Ultron movie. Featuring the aforementioned colours with the gold accents for the metal parts, this version of the Galaxy S6 Edge certainly looks nice and the bundled wireless charger has also been rebranded to look like an arc reactor (that thing in the center of Iron Man's chest). Tech specs and features should remain the same as the 64GB storage version though, but we expect the price to be a bit higher than the current retail pricing of RM3599. You do get an Iron Man theme, box and extra back casing though. For now, there are still no Malaysia release dates as it will be going Korea first on 27 May 2015, followed by China and Hong Kong in June. Check out the official unboxing video in this article.

After it's initial Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge trade-in program got widely negative criticism for rather low trade-in value, Samsung Malaysia have apparently increased the discount and added a few more trade-in options. While the highest value discount remains the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 at RM1200, now you can trade in any other smartphone not listed in the table below for RM200. The dates to do the trade-in remain the same from 9 May 2015 to 31 May 2015 at Samsung Authorised Stores though. Samsung Malaysia have made the terms and conditions clearer as well in that the trade-in device must have a functional and uncracked screen, it shouldn't be damaged or have missing buttons, it can be unlocked and still works. For more details and a list of participating stores check out the Samsung Site.

Samsung Malaysia have just opened up a trade-in programme for their latest Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones with 19 smartphone models to trade-in that give discounts off the existing retail price from RM95 to RM1000. Considering that the standard Galaxy S6 is priced at RM2599 while the Galaxy S6 edge retails for RM3099, this is a pretty good offer on the surface, especially as you now have the option to get the Galaxy S6 edge with 64GB storage at RM3599 and the previously unavailable Blue Topaz for the Galaxy S6 and Green Emerald for the Galaxy S6 edge. The offer is valid until 31 May 2015. Take a closer look at the trade-in table in this article.