S6's camera proves to be better than the iPhone 6's

One of the main factor in buying a smartphone nowadays is the camera. It has taken the task of photographing essential moments in our life up to a point of even eliminating the market for point-and-shoot cameras (Ehem not to forget taking glorious pictures of ourselves to gloat, but this is a topic for another post). No wonder this has sparked plenty of debates among smartphones enthusiast crying out that their phone has better camera than the others, Leading to the common questions such as "How many megapixels does this have? Is the image quality good? How about low-light pictures?" being asked in many smartphone shop lots. Well what better way to test it than a blind comparison. Phonearena did this by comparing the current top 2 smartphones in the world:
the SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 vs the iPhone 6.

We've all know that the new phone from Samsung is something amazing! The 16 MP with f/1.9 for better low light pictures and a fast load-up of 0.7 second, still it was questionable whether they could beat Apple to the crown of the best smartphone camera, something that the iPhone has hold onto for several years now.

So which comes on top? I think I might have given you the answer from the post topic (sorry spoiler), officially, based on the poll:

Final results:

1. Samsung Galaxy S6 – 27063 votes
2. iPhone 6 – 3033 votes

It's quite a big margin right? It does look like we have a new smartphone camera king now. This test is rigged! I don't believe it! Well for some of you tougher ones to convince (or for any Apple fanboys out there), I have inserted a few of the pictures for you to compare on your own. Pick whichever of the two you like and down below I'll write down which smartphone was used to capture it. Enjoy!

*Click on the image for a bigger view*

Photo A: iPhone 6

Photo B: Galaxy S6

Photo C: iPhone 6

Photo D: Galaxy S6

Photo E: Galaxy S6

Photo F: iPhone 6

Photo G: iPhone 6

Photo H: Galaxy S6

Photo A: iPhone 6

Photo B: Galaxy S6

Photo C: iPhone 6

Photo D: Galaxy S6

Photo A: iPhone 6

Photo B: Galaxy S6

Photo C: iPhone 6

Photo D: Galaxy S6

PS: Do visit the source for more image comparisons.

Source: PhoneArena

E3: MICROSOFT/XBOX ONE NEW CONTROLLER

Microsoft has announced a new version of their Xbox One controller which is the Xbox One Controller Elite. A redesigned of the previous controller, it features more customizations in a sleeker design.

There are also swappable components such as changeable D-Pad ( a new satellite dish shaped and the standard 4 directions), thumbsticks (with different lengths) and pedals (that could be attached at the back of the controller, serving like an F1 pedal).

Along with it is an app that would allow the user to the minimum and maximum trigger values, thumbsticks sensitivity, and button assignments. You can also save this profile and as many different profiles as you want.

The new controller can have up to two profiles which you can change at the switch if a button, making transition from racing to fps games easier.

The controller will be available this October at a hefty price of $150 (Around rm540).

Other news from Microsoft are:

• There is a Game Preview feature
• Gears of War is coming but it's going to take some time (late 2016)
• Halo 5's multiplayer and co-op was previewed (etr Oct 15)

Source: gamespot.com, skynews

Top 5 Tech Myths by Austin Evans

Hye guys, these past few days I've been watching youtube videos and stumbled upon in my opinion a very good video made by Austin Evans, a known tech youtuber, detailing the top 5 tech myths. It so informative on things that most non-tech people tend to believe which in turns are myths. I've inserted the video below and do watch it! If you like it, then like it on youtube as well. And if you're looking for a good tech channel you should definitely follow his!
Bye!

PS: Extra information for the first tech myth, it's acceptable only if you are using original/certified cables and charging heads.

Introducing iOS 9

A few hours ago at WWDC15, Apple officially announced details on its upcoming iOS version. The update, contains more internal updates with the same aesthetics as the two previous iOS versions is said to be built from the ground up with the focus on stability and enhanced performance. Among the updates is a much faster and accurate Siri (by 40%), a more 'Proactive Assitant' ready to take more commands such as looking a photo or video. 

Spotlight now offers recent contacts, apps, or places in a new dedicated page that you can access by swiping left to right from the homepage. Apple Pay now supports even more brands (though this information should cater more to the US citizens). Apple Pay now adds more support in the UK as well.

Other than just storing your credit cards, Apple Pay now incorporates retail card store and reward cards. Just by opening Apple Pay and tapping the scanner will allow Apple Pay to automatically display the appropriate card. Since passbook now caters to a variety of cards, tickets and etc it has been renamed to Wallet.

Notes is also receiving a much needed overhaul. Taking cues from popular note-taking apps such as Evernote, Notes now allows a To-Do list to be created inside it, inserting a picture and even sketches using your finger. Contents from other Apps, Safari for example, can now be added directly to Notes. 

The dreaded Apple Map also received upgrades that includes A new Transit View with directions for public transport (not sure if any Malaysian cities are included), the ability to find nearby restaurants, bars, shops and activities.

Okay, okay Apple is upgrading most of its built-in apps but aren't there anything new? Well, I'm glad you asked. Apple introduced a new app called "News" and well you guess it, brings you the latest news. It acts like 'magazine' styled news reader that puts all your favourite topics in one single location and as usual, the data on what you read is kept private from any third parties.

Multitasking's look has been redesigned with new added features. 'Slide Over' lets you open a second app without leaving the first one.  'Split View' allow two apps to be opened at once, a feature that Samsung has long implemented in their TouchWiz. Another feature similar to what is found in Samsung devices is 'Picture in Picture' which allows the user to size down a video so you can keep watching it while doing something else (replying email for example).

• Health now not only track your workouts only, but the amount of water you drink as well.
• Homekit supports new accessories.
•  CarPlay is smarter and connects wireless.

Adding icing to the cake is better battery life and security. iOS 9 is said to add an extra hour to the iPhone 6's life with average use. If that's not enough, iOS now has a 'Low Power Mode' which is said to be able to add an extra 3 hours of battery life!  Apple ID now has two-factor authentication.

iOS 9 now takes less space to install so you could have more space for your selfies.

Developer beta is available today while the public beta would be opened in July. iOS 9 will be officially available this fall (around September). 

Source: Apple.com

OFFICIAL IMAGES OF THE GALAXY S6 EDGE "IRON MAN" EDITION

Before this we have been tempted with several mock ups of the Samsung's flagship Iron Man edition, but wonder no more!

Samsung has just released official images and an unboxing video (check down below) of the device. The smartphone is the S6 Edge variant with 64GB of storage.

Sporting the same red and gold colours donned by the self-made hero, the S6 Edge is further customised with the hero's famous mask on the back with the words "Limited Edition" printed below it.

The box wrapping the device is also given the Iron Man treatment as well. Oh and did I forget to mention that with the device comes a wireless charger with the famous 'arc reactor' design. Talk about powering the device huh?

What the use of having this limited edition phone if you can't show it off right? Well Samsung has got your back, they have also included a clear case just for you to show it off and not to protect your device (just kidding). 

Sadly the device will only be released in South Korea on 27/05/2015 with China and Hong Kong following suit in June. No details yet if it will be arriving in Malaysia, but if it does manage to find its way through the grey market do expect to pay a hefty premium for it.

As noted by Engadget, there is no J.A.R.V.I.S on board and you'll have to make do with Google Now.

Pictures

Official Unboxing Video 

Sources: Samsung Avengers, Samsung Press, Engadget

XIAOMI MI 4i, the RM749 phone!

Xiaomi just keeps on growing and growing...

Launched in India as part of Xiaomi’s strategy to expand beyond China, The Mi 4i is actually quite a surprise. Many would have thought that the first truly global smartphone by Xiaomi would either be a totally new flagship on similar level to Mi Note and Mi Note Pro. What Xiaomi offers is like a 5C option to the iPhone 5S to sort of fill the gap that the Mi 4 set when it wasn’t able to deliver globally (LTE bands) but still all is set aside when the pricing and improved specifications were revealed.   

Sporting colourful poly-carbonate backs not unlike the 5C and the Meizu Note, this new phone is an alternative to the Mi 4 (since the official device released here has only 3G capability not the full 4G) and is a more global phone as it supports more LTE bands. Surprisingly certain colours doesn’t make the Mi 4i look cheap. Colours such as black or white actually looks good when compared to 5C and Meizu Note which can sometimes feel like toys in the hand. Honestly, the pictures are not doing justice to the phones, you have to see the hands-on video. I personally prefer this back as compared to the 5C, Meizu Note and even the Mi 4.

Source:amanz.net

Source:amanz.net

Source:amanz.net

Source:amanz.net

 It’s also a dual-SIM LTE phone, gets a 5-inch Full HD (441 ppi) display supplied by Sharp/JDI (strengthened with Corning Concore OGS) with what Xiaomi is calling the ‘Sunlight Display’ that brightens up individual pixels to make the screen more visible outdoors. The display now has a wide viewing angle of 178⁰. All of these are packed into something that’s slightly smaller than the iPhone 6 but with more screen estate (iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display, 326ppi).

Meanwhile the Mi 4i gets the 13MP f/2.0  rear shooter by Samsung/Sony with dual-flash something that is becoming a norm now with smartphones and a 5MP f/1.8 front shooter. When tested, the Mi 4i seems to provide very good macro and HDR photos compared to other 13MP shooter from other smartphones. (See the video review in the link below) Here are a few samples for you to judge yourself.

It has a mid-range Octa-core Snapdragon 615 (2^nd generation) 64-bit processor (quite rare in a phone at this price range) with 2GB RAM (LPDDR3). The OS on the other hand is the latest Android 5.0 with MIUI 6. Internal storage is offered at 16GB for the moment with no room for expansion. The battery is also quite big, coming at 3,120 mAh supplied by Sony or Samsung and is said by Xiaomi to be the most packed battery available and should last more than a day of usage.

To add icing to the cake, the Xiaomi Mi 4i has Wi-fi 802.11AC capability and supports dual-band! The latest standard in Wi-fi technology that is supposedly 3x faster than other Wi-fi. Trust me, this is a feature that only flagship smartphones get. Not what you would expect from a sub RM1000 phone.

All of this is rumoured to be under RM800 which is quite a steal and normal of Xiaomi making good phones at cheap prices. In Malaysia, this should definitely be a big thing. 
Price is confirmed to be RM749, even cheaper than expected.

Sources: xiaomi india, lowyat.net, soyacincau.com

3 features that make the Xiaomi Mi4i the most advanced phone below RM800 right now

Camera review by fonearena: 

Mi 4i Review by Clinton Jeff:

Update:  Xiaomi sent press invite for tomorrow, Thursday, 21 May presumably for the official launching of the device.

R

Top Mid-end Smartphones in Malaysia Compared [MAY 2015] [~RM1000-1500]

As promised, periodically I will be updating the mid-end segment of the smartphones available in Malaysia. Why the mid-end? Simply because most of us are suckers for 'value for money' products, especially smartphones.  With hundreds of devices to choose from, I've decided to compile a few that I think are worth considering when shopping for a new smartphone with a budget.


So here's an updated table for the mid-end segment!

PS: The prices are inclusive of GST as well so that you don't need to be pulling out your calculators. Prices obtained are from online websites and may fluctuate. Do check the current price before making any final decision ;) I've also included the Mi 4i that is not released in Malaysia as of the time of writing.

Double-click to enlarge

Leave a comment if you guys feel that there are any other smartphones worth being in this table as well :)