If you can't beat them, then join them seems to be the saying many tablet makers are going for as they strive to overtake the Apple iPad tablets. Following that, HP have announced the HP 8, which is a 7.85-inch display tablet that looks exactly like the first Apple iPad mini. Having bought one of these clones myself already I can't help but wonder if everyone is getting the same aluminum unibody shell from the same supplier as the Apple iPad mini because everything looks nearly the same. Perhaps the iPad mini may have a bit more chrome trim but the design is nearly identical. Tech specs are the same in some aspects as well including the aforementioned 7.85-inch IPS display, which has a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution.

Filming across 15 locations with 15 teams helmed by cinematographers and utilizing 100 Apple iPhones, the newly released 1.24.14 video shows how Apple technologies have changed life. While the video itself is pretty cool, the making of the video was actually just as cool as all of the shooting took place on the same day on 24 January 2014 which is why the video is called 1.24.14. Film director Jake Scott interfaced with all 15 teams live using Face Time with the end result of 70 hours worth of video footage going to production with 46 Apple iPads and 86 Macs for an awesome video. Check it out for yourself below but this is what the director had to say about it:

"There’s a sense of liberation about being able to tell these stories with this device, to explore it and investigate it — to see what the iPhone is capable of, and then to push it and stretch it”

It has been 2 months since the last teaser ad, but Celcom is finally offering the Apple iPad mini with Retina Display from RM948. You have a choice of 12 month to 24 month contracts but you have to sign up for any of the three available Celcom First iPad plans. You will have to pay an upfront payment which will be rebated for the next 10 months. Contrary to the RRP listed on the Celcom site, the iPad mini with Retina Display is currently priced at RM1279 for the 16GB WiFi-only model and RM1699 for the 16GB WiFi + 4G LTE model. For more plan details check out the table and links in the article.

As teased earlier, U Mobile has finally launched 4G LTE on their networks. Offering up to 75Mbps speeds the service currently covers Bandar Sunway, Berjaya Times Square, Puchong and Taman Molek, Johor Bahru. While the coverage areas are still rather limited, U Mobile have done good on their claim of 4G for all by opening it up to Prepaid, Postpaid and Broadband users. This means you don't need to get a new 4G LTE SIM card to get on U Mobile's 4G LTE network. As long as you have an LTE capable device and a U Mobile SIM all you need to do is send 'LTE ON' to 28118. Check out more deals and links in this article.

The Apple iPad mini is the first generation 7.9-inch tablet from Apple while the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is the official next generation tablet after the first Samsung Galaxy Tab (despite there being several other tablets that came directly after the first Galaxy Tab). Both fit the 7-inch touchscreen tablet class but each device has it's own tech specs, features and pricing. The main question that we're looking to answer this time is which device is better in this comparison between the Apple iPad mini and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Check out the full comparison in this article.

This time around Maxis is also the first to offer the Apple iPad mini with Retina Display from RM1159. Going for a retail price of RM1699, Maxis is of course offering the 4G LTE Cellular version of the iPad mini with Retina Display. This includes the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage versions but you have to sign up for 24 months under either the SurfMore50 plan or the SurfMore75 plan. Like some other telcos, you will have to make an advance payment which is then rebated back into your account. For more details check out the table and links in this article.

Celcom recently opened plans for the Apple iPad Air starting from RM1248. Quite obviously, the plans are for the Apple iPad Air 4G LTE Cellular version covering the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. Celcom are currently offering the deal on their Celcom First iPad plans for both 12 month and 24 month contracts. Of note is the fact that the monthly commitment is quite low, from just RM50 up to RM100. For more details check out the table and links in this article.

Completing the major Malaysian Telco Apple iPad Air offers is DiGi who are offering the tablet on a zero contract package from RM1453. Unfortunately, the catch is that it is only for the 16GB Apple iPad Air 4G LTE Cellular version and there is only one plan for it. You also have to pay an upfront payment and advance payment as well. The good news is that the early payment will be rebated back to you over the course of 24 months, but if you decide to terminate or shift plans, you lose this early payment. For more details, check out the table and links in the article.

While some rumour sites have said that the Apple iPad mini with Retina Display could be launching in Malaysia on 12 December 2013, Apple have already made the 2nd generation Apple iPad mini 2 or Apple iPad mini with Retina Display available for Malaysia from RM1279 on the Apple Store. The Apple iPad mini with Retina Display brings a number of major improvements to the table which include Apple's new 64-bit A7 chipset and processor, 1GB of RAM and the aforementioned Retina Display. Check out the full pricing for the iPad mini with Retina Display below but if you still want the 1st generation Apple iPad mini, it is available from RM949:

• 16GB WiFi – RM1279
• 32GB WiFi – RM1599
• 64GB WiFi – RM1929
• 128GB WiFi – RM2249
• 16GB WiFi + 4G Cellular – RM1699
• 32GB WiFi + 4G Cellular – RM2029
• 64GB WiFi + 4G Cellular – RM2349
• 128GB WiFi + 4G Cellular – RM2679

If you're still wondering whether to get the Apple iPad mini or the Apple iPad mini with Retina Display, check out our previous comparison article about it. 

Maxis has recently revealed the Malaysia pricing for the Apple iPad Air 4G Cellular version beginning from RM2049 for the 16GB version, RM2299 for the 32GB version and RM2649 for the 64GB version. While these are the retail prices, the Apple iPad Air Cellular version is available on Maxis SurfMore data plans from RM1449 on a 24 month contract. Check out the table and links in the article for more information.