Xiaomi just announced that the latest MIUI 8.2 update is now rolling out to most of the Xiaomi phones made over the last 2 years. These devices would progressively receive the update over-the-air (OTA) through the Updater app. Users can also run a manual update by downloading the update from here too.

The first round of devices that’ll receive the MIUI 8.2 update are: Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 4i, Mi Note, Mi Max, Redmi 1S and Redmi Note 4G.

We're now halfway of 2016 and Xiaomi has decided to send us a gift to their Mi fans, and that'd be releasing MIUI 8 Open Beta version before the official release date. If you're keen to test the ROM, you may visit their website to download. Below is the list of devices eligible for MIUI 8:

Mark your calendars! On 27 October 2015, Xiaomi is excited to present you the MIUI 7 Global Stable Build for MIUI users to upgrade their phones! MIUI fans will be able to update their beloved phones through over-the-air (OTA) on the Updater app next Tuesday or visit the MIUI download page to download the ROM package. 

Devices getting MIUI 7 global stable build on Oct. 27 are: 

• Xiaomi Mi 3 
• Xiaomi Mi 4 
• Xiaomi Mi Pad 
• Xiaomi Mi Note
• Xiaomi Redmi 1S 3G 
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G, 
• Xiaomi Redmi 2/Prime

Xiaomi recently announced several news including that as of the first half of 2015 they've managed to sell 34.7 million smartphones. This has allowed them to maintain their ranking as China's top smartphone vendor in terms of market share for the fifth consecutive quarter. The Mi 2, Mi 3, Redmi, Redmi Note, Mi 4 and Redmi 2 in particular have so far shipped over 10 million units each. In related news, they have also appointed former partner of international investment fund DST Shou Zi Chew as their new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Other big name joins include former president of Qualcomm Greater China, Wang Xiang who became senior vice president of strategic cooperation at Xiaomi. Xiaomi have also announced their entry into new markets such as Brazil with their Redmi 2 smartphone going for as low as 499 BRL (RM599). No news yet of any other Xiaomi releases for Malaysia but stay tuned for more developments.

The ASUS PadFone series of smartphones feature smartphones capable enough to power a tablet dock and the new ASUS PadFone S could well be the best bang-for-your-buck PadFone of the bunch. Featuring water and shock resistance, 4G LTE, 4K and slow motion video recording the PadFone S is priced at a very affordable RM899. On top of that, it also has many more features and top-notch tech specs but for more details on that, do check out our full review of the ASUS PadFone S super smartphone in this article.

Huawei is blazing new ground in the midrange market here in Malaysia with their Huawei Honor smartphones. While the Huawei Honor 3C is gaining ground in the below RM500 range, the curvy Huawei Honor 6 has been released for below RM1000. Offering flagship features that include 4G LTE Cat6, Huawei's own octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 920 processor and an IR (infra-red) blaster for a universal remote control feature, the Honor 6 could well be the next flagship smartphone killer in the Malaysian market. Does it have everything you might need? Read our full review on the Huawei Honor 6 below to find out.

In conjunction with the fourth anniversary of their MIUI user interface, Xiaomi Malaysia are offering free rebates and coupons for a special sale on 16 September 2014. According to the teaser image, more than RM1.4 million worth of rebates will be made available to Mi Fans along with an Mi 4 smartphone (3G only) for one lucky Mi Fan. Coupons will include an RM25 coupon for any Xiaomi phone, RM10 coupon for any Xiaomi accessory and RM5 coupon for any Xiaomi accessory. To get these coupons, Mi Fans will have to like the Xiaomi Malaysia Facebook page, enabling a profile rating or Mi Star on the Xiaomi site. Share this link on your Facebook wall to get entered into the Mi 4 lucky draw. The sale tomorrow will offer the Xiaomi 5200 mAh Mi Power Bank, 10400 mAh Mi Power Bank, Mi 3, Redmi 1S, Redmi Note and various Redmi 1S bundles so head on over to the Xiaomi Malaysia site.

Quite a few people in Malaysia would like to get their hands on a Xiaomi Mi 3 smartphone, judging how fast each batch goes when they are available. However, only a lucky few manage to get their hands on it, and many of them are third-party sellers who will sell it for more than the RM769 Xiaomi Malaysia is offering it at. Xiaomi Malaysia are therefore opening up the Mi 3 for Pre-Sale starting from 31 July 2014 (right now, it is still listed as out of stock). This means all you need to do is go to the Xiaomi Malaysia site, select to get the Mi 3 on Pre-Sale, make your payment and then thats it. No rush. You will have to wait for Xiaomi Malaysia to send it within the next 4 weeks though.

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.

Celcom is now offering the Xiaomi Mi-3 for free. You will have to sign up for a Celcom First Prime, First Premier and First Elite plus and mPro data plan or the mPro Plus postpaid plans for 24 months. While it is somewhat late to the table with a Xiaomi Mi-3 bundle, Celcom are offering fairly competitive pricing for the device with rather high data quotas as well. For more details, check out the table and links in this article.