Apple Reportedly Launching Redesigned iPad Mini In Fall 2021

It is believed that Apple is planning to introduce a redesigned iPad Mini, according to various unofficial sources as early as late 2020. Originally speculated to be released in the first half of this year, a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurnam now suggests that the iPhone maker is due to launch the tablet by fall 2021.

Gurnam claims that the new iPad Mini will sport a design similar to the latest iPad Air. This could possibly mean that the tablet will come with a larger screen-to-body ratio by featuring thinner bezels and removing the physical home button. Unsurprisingly, it will also be equipped with the latest Apple processor, but its other specifications such as storage and battery capacities are not known at this time.

Although his prediction for the Mini’s release ended up inaccurate, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also claimed that the tablet will feature a larger display that is believed to be in between 8.5 inches and 9 inches. However, it is unclear whether he was referring to the iPad Mini’s overall size or just its screen. Meanwhile, another earlier leak (shown below) suggests that this refresh will see Apple debuting an in-display camera and home button cutout – which actually sounds very uncharacteristic for the brand, so we advise to take this information with a generous serving of salt.

A redesign for the Mini is perhaps one of the most long awaited refreshes to happen, given the fact that the series has been sticking with the same design for several generations. Mark Gurnam even described this upcoming release as “the biggest redesign in the nine-year history” of the product.

Regardless, we won’t know for certain for now as Apple has yet to officially announce the development of a redesigned iPad Mini. Hopefully we’ll hear something from them soon, perhaps during a potential keynote that’s likely to happen within the remainder of the year.

Alleged M1X MacBook Pro Confirmed In YouTube Tags; Reportedly Scrapped Before WWDC 2021

Prolific leakster Jon Prosser seems to have managed to unearth some information pertaining to an alleged “M1X” processor. First unearthed by Max Balzer, the YouTuber discovered that Apple’s own video of its keynote contained the tags “m1x MacBook Pro” and “m1x”.

While the tags went largely unnoticed, they clearly suggest that Apple had intended on announcing a new MacBook and M1 successor during the keynote, but decided to scrap it at the 11th hour. Having said that, the tags do corroborate rumours of an enhanced “X” variant of the M1 SoC instead of moving on to the M2.

As a quick primer, it was previously reported that Apple has redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros in its pipelines and that they would launch “as early as this summer.” The report suggested the return of the SD card slot, HDMI port, and the trip-friendly MagSafe charging connector. Rumoured improvements include twice as many high-performance CPU and GPU cores and support for up to 64GB of RAM.

Of course, it is also possible that Apple may have simply just added the tags as a means to boost its WWDC 2021 keynote, which is fair, albeit a little misleading.

Samsung To Showcase S-Foldable Smartphone And Other Prototypes During SID Display Week 2021

Samsung Display announced that it will be showcasing several prototype products during the Society for Information Display (SID) Display Week 2021 event, which starts today from 17 until 21 May 2021. Most interestingly, one of the confirmed demonstrations will be a smartphone concept known as the “S-Foldable” which features a tri-folding display (pictured above).

The S-Foldable sports a flexible display that transforms back and forth from phone to tablet mode via two hinges – with the process itself resembling an “S” shape, hence the device’s namesake. From the image provided by Samsung, the phone features what appears to be a triple camera setup on its left side, while on the right is a transparent material which serves as a cover for its display in smartphone mode. The latter might function as a notifications bar when viewed from the back of the S-Foldable in its folded form.

Other than the concept smartphone, Samsung noted that it will feature three other prototypes during the event. These include a tablet/laptop hybrid with a 17-inch foldable display, a smartphone concept known as the “Slideable” which features, well, a slidable display, and a laptop that comes equipped with its Under Panel Camera (UPC) technology. 

As we are aware by now, the innovations featured in the aforementioned products above are not particularly new. Slideable or rollable displays have been showcased before by rival smartphone maker OPPO and fellow South Korean company LG, while the UPC has already debuted by ZTE via its Axon 20 5G smartphone that was released last year.

It is also worth noting that Samsung had also teased these two technologies prior to this when they were still in the early stages of development. That being said, the SID Display Week 2021 event is the company’s best opportunity to demonstrate the latest evolution for its display-based innovations which could possibly see a commercial release in the very near future.

2021 iPad Pro M1 Now Available From Apple Malaysia; Price Maxed Out At RM 10,399

Following the release of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in purple colourway earlier this month, Malaysian consumers are now able to purchase yet another new product that was announced during Apple’s Spring Loaded event last month. This time around, it comes in the form of the 2021 iPad Pro tablets.

As you may have heard, one of the biggest attractions of the new iPad Pro is the fact that it is powered by Apple’s own M1 chip and Apple has chosen to utilise the variant with an 8-core GPU for the tablet. The 12.9-inch model is also equipped with the new Liquid Retina XDR display while the 11.9-inch variant still comes with a Liquid Retina display just like its predecessor.

In case you missed it, here is the full price list for the 2021 iPad Pro M1 in Malaysia:

11-inch 2021 iPad Pro M1

128GB: RM 3,499 (Wi-Fi) / RM 4,149 (5G)

256GB: RM 3,949 / RM 4,599

512GB: RM 4,849 / RM 5,499

1TB: RM 6,649 / RM 7,299

2TB: RM 8,449 / RM 9,099

12.9-inch 2021 iPad Pro M1

128GB: RM 4,799 (Wi-Fi) / RM 5,449 (5G)

256GB: RM 5,249 / RM 5,899

512GB: RM 6,149 / RM 6,799

1TB: RM 7,949 / RM 8,599

2TB: RM 9,749 / RM 10,399

Aside from Apple Malaysia’s own online store, you can also order the 2021 iPad Pro M1 through local Apple Authorized Resellers such as Lazada, Machines, and Switch.

All three AAR have noted that the tablet will be making its way to Malaysia within the second half of this month in case you want to check them out in real life first but with the MCO 3.0 now in place, that may not be the best option for the time being.

Next Battlefield Release Within Q4 2021; Announcement Coming In June

EA has the next Battlefield game locked for release within the last quarter of this year. This release window lines up with the release window of previous entries in the series. And it falls in the ever popular year-end holiday period.

In a set of presentation slides that accompanied its earnings report, EA has highlighted the games it plans to release for its financial year of 2022. In this, the company notes that a Battlefield game will be released in Q3 of its fiscal year. This lines up with Q4 of the calendar year of 2021. You can find this on page 13 of the slides, linked below.

The game will be developed by four studios. The company named EA DICE, DICE LA, Crterion and EA Gothenburg as contributing studios in its earnings call. In the same call, the publisher said that the game will be released for both previous- and current-gen consoles, as well as PC.

As for the game’s reveal to consumers, EA has the announcement for the next Battlefield game lined up next month. The company teased this via the official  Battlefield Twitter account, with no details as to the specific date that it will happen on.

Last month, the publisher announced a mobile Battlefield title is in development, bound for 2022. Considering the release schedule, it doesn’t look like it will show up until at least Q2 of next year.

HONOR MagicBook 15 2021 with 11th Gen Intel Core Chip Coming Soon To Malaysia

First launched in China alongside the HONOR V40, the brand is now gearing up to release the HONOR MagicBook 15 2021 in Malaysia later this month. The laptop is essentially an upgrade to the 2020 model through the inclusion of the 11th Gen Intel Core processor and the support for Wi-Fi 6.

In Malaysia, the MagicBook 15 2021 is released with only one set of specs which covers the Intel Core i5-1135G7, 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM, and 512GB PCIe NVMe solid state drive. As for its GPU, the Malaysian variant relies on the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics.

In terms of physical build and design, the MagicBook 15 2021 carries an aluminium chassis with a thickness of 16.9mm. The 1.56kg laptop also offers thin bezels on the three sides of its Full HD IPS screen that allows it to have an 87% screen-to-body ratio.

As per previous MagicBook releases, the new laptop also features an integrated fingerprint scanner inside its power button. Certain NFC-equipped HONOR phones can also take advantage of the MagicBook 15 2021’s Multi-Screen Collaboration feature that enables users to transfer files between both devices as well as control up to three apps directly from the MagicBook.

Price-wise, the HONOR MagicBook 15 2021 can be obtained for RM 3,699 starting from 13 May 2021 onwards. That being said, the laptop is already available for pre-order through Lazada and early adopters of the new laptop will be provided with an HONOR Laptop Backpack and Gift Box as well as a wireless mouse alongside the chance to obtain either HONOR Body Fat Scale, 3-in-1 Travelling Set, or Travel Adapter.

Opensignal April 2021 Report: Digi Overtakes Maxis In Terms of Download Speed

Opensignal today has published its first Mobile Network Experience Report of 2021 for Malaysia and as always, it contained several interesting observations regarding the general state of our telcos. Using data that was collected from 1 Dec 2020 until 28 February 2021, Digi is apparently the fastest telco in Malaysia right now when it comes to download speed.

According to the report, the telco managed to overcome Maxis who has been holding on to the Download Speed Experience title for so many years although the gap between both companies is not that big at just 1.4Mbps. On another hand, it is still a worrying sign for Maxis though as Opensignal has noted that the telco’s download speed has dropped further since the last report in September 2020.

Specifically, Maxis’ download speed has gone down from 14.5Mbps in September 2020’s report to 11.9Mbps. However, Maxis is far from the only telco that has seen a drop in download speed though.

The new report also said that Celcom download speed is now 7.7Mbps as opposed to 10.2Mbps back in September. This has also put the telco at the bottom of the chart which is quite a surprise given its status in the market.

U Mobile has also experienced some drop in speed although not by much; from 10.1Mbps in September to 9.6Mbps. On another hand, unifi Mobile joins Digi as the only other telco that has improved its download speed from 6.7Mbps in September to 9.1Mbps.

In addition to download speed, Maxis has also lost its Video Experience throne to Digi but still managed to maintain its Games Experience lead although the telco has to share the title with U Mobile under the April 2021 report. U Mobile has also retained its hold on the Upload Speed and Voice App Experience.

Meanwhile, Celcom once again emerged as the leader in terms of 4G coverage as per last’s report. The same also applies for 4G Availability but the telco has to share the title with unifi Mobile which generally is almost on par with Celcom in this segment of the report.

What we mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg. You can check out the full report over at Opensignal’s website right here to gain even deeper insights into the performances of our telcos for the past few months.

Apple TV 4K 2021 Uses An iPhone To Adjust Colour Balance; Starts From RM849

 Alongside the new iPad Pro and AirTag, Apple also announced the new Apple TV 4K at its recent event. This new entry features the A12 Bionic chip that we previously saw powering the iPhone XS and XR back in 2018.

The new Apple TV 4K has an interesting feature, simply called Colour Balance. This makes use of an accompanying iPhone to automatically adjust its own colour output, allowing it to compensate for colour inaccuracies of your TV. In other words, it works sort of like a monitor calibrator, except you do the calibration with an iPhone.

Accompanying the new Apple TV 4K is a new Apple TV Remote. It’s a small remote, with very few buttons. Most of the operation is done via the round clickpad at the centre. You can press down on each direction the old fashioned way. But in certain contexts you can also swipe across it like you would a smart device. And since it supports touch controls, you can also use circular gestures to use it as a jog control.

The Apple TV 4K comes with two storage options, 32GB and 64GB. These are priced at RM849 and RM949, respectively. You can also just get the new remote for RM229. Or, you can get the existing Apple TV HD with the new remote for RM719. That being said, Apple Malaysia has not said when you can actually buy it yet.

Digital E3 2021 Will Be Completely Free To Access

With E3 last year getting cancelled outright, this year’s event has been moved online. But earlier reports indicated that there would be segments that you’d have to pay for to access. The organisers of the event, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) have since stated that it won’t be so.

The official E3 Twitter account also quoted the original report by VGC, directly shooting it down. In the tweet itself, it says that the 2021 digital show is free for all “attendees”. The tweet goes on to say that more details will be shared soon.

VGC claims that prior to the tweet, the E3 organisers were supposedly pitching plans for fees gating some of the content. These would go up to US$35 (~RM145), though no details on what sort of content that would be. Though sources to the outlet say that at least one major video games company “expressed criticisms of the paywall plans”. This may be the reason behind the paywall ultimately not happening.

In another statement sent to the outlet, the ESA says that it would “deliver a free experience for everyone interested in E3 2021”. All in all, it probably makes more sense that a digital E3 is free for all to watch. Even BlizzCon, which traditionally required a paid online ticket, made access free in this year’s online iteration.

Apple WWDC Event To Take Place Virtually From 7 To 11 June 2021

Apple has announced that it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from 7 until 11 June 2021. Much like last year, the event will be an online-only virtual keynote due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Unlike the company’s usual events that we’re accustomed to, WWDC usually covers Apple’s upcoming software offerings for the year.  These include updates and new features that are inbound to its iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS platforms. The Cupertino-based tech firm did not disclose what are the highlights to be expected from the event, but noted that it will be “the biggest and best yet.” 

New hardware announcements during a WWDC keynote are rare but not unheard of. Apple cunningly snuck in reveals of updated iMac and iPad Pro models in WWDC 2017, the then-new Mac Pro in 2019, and announced its Mac line-up transition to Apple Silicon chips in 2020.

On that regard, there have been plenty of rumours suggesting new Apple hardware that are planned to be unveiled this year. These range from redesigned iPad mini and MacBook Pro, a VR/AR/mixed reality headset, to the ever elusive Air Tags. Most of which were tipped to be revealed during a supposed “surprise” keynote on 23 March, which never happened.

As to whether Apple will announce a new piece of hardware remains to be seen. Regardless, we’ll eventually find out when WWDC 2021 kicks off in another two months time.

Leslie Cheung online concert on YouTube April 1, 2021, 7:30pm - 8:30pm

Concert dedicated to late singer and actor Leslie Cheung will take place online on Apr. 1, 2021, 7:30pm - 8:30pm.

The Hong Kong icon had passed away at the age of 46 on Apr. 1, 2003.

Industry veteran Lawrence Cheng, who is also the concert's creative director, said that he had been granted permission from Cheung's former manager Florence Chan and life partner Daffy Tong, Yahoo Malaysia reported.

Called In Loving Memory of Leslie Cheung Online Concert 2021, the event is jointly supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Harbour City, and「哥」迷會 LesFANmily, which is Cheung's fan club.

A number of Cheung’s classic songs will be performed by Samuel Hui, Karen Mok, Hacken Lee, Julian Cheung, Metro Vocal Group, and HKBU Symphony Orchestra.

The event will be hosted on HiEggo's YouTube channel and Facebook page.

HiEggo has previously held two other concerts: Sam Hui Online Concert 2020 and Aaron Kwok Cheer up & Dance Online Charity Concert 2020.

Additionally, donations received from the YouTube stream will be donated to Hong Kong charity organisation Food Angel, which prepares meal boxes for underprivileged communities in the country.

In Loving Memory of Leslie Cheung Online Concert 2021

Date: April 1, 2021 (Thursday)

Time:

Best of Leslie Cheung’s Performances, 7pm - 7:30pm

In Loving Memory of Leslie Cheung Online Concert 2021, 7:30pm - 8:30pm

Platforms:

• HiEggo’s YouTube channel
• HiEggo’s Facebook page

Samsung Galaxy A Series 2021 Trade-Up Program Offers Extra RM 100 On Top Of Trade In Value

In conjunction with the recent release of Galaxy A32, Galaxy A32 5G, Galaxy A52, and Galaxy A72 in Malaysia, Samsung has also launched the Trade-Up program for them. The company has set up a similar program in the past but it was usually for its flagship series such as Galaxy S21, Galaxy Z Fold2, and Galaxy Note20.

So, it is rather interesting to see that there is also one for a mid-range release such as the Galaxy A Series. Not only that, the list of devices that the program accepts seemed to follow the theme as well since it consists of previous Galaxy A and Galaxy J devices.

Leading the list is Galaxy A21S which made its debut in Malaysia back in early June 2020 and has a trade-in value of RM 495 according to the list. Other high-value models in the list include Galaxy A51 (RM 430 – RM 485), Galaxy A71 (RM345 – RM 450), and Galaxy A70 8GB/128GB (RM 420).

At the same time, Samsung is also offering up to RM 100 of additional discount on top of the trade in value. The program which is being held through cooperation with CompAsia does accept other devices that are not listed on the site too, so it seems possible for one to obtain substantial discounts for their new Galaxy A Series 2021 device through this Trade-Up program.

But of course, the final trade in value not only depends on the model of your device but also its condition. For more details, you may want to visit the nearest Samsung Experience Store or participating authorised retailers but don’t take too long though as the program will conclude on 30 April 2021.

2021 Edition of Samsung’s The Frame 4K Smart TVs Now Available For Pre-Order In Malaysia

You may remember in our previous report regarding the new Neo QLED Smart TVs that Samsung is launching in Malaysia this month. As the story goes, they will not be the only new Samsung Smart TVs that are coming to our shores though as the company is releasing the 2021 iteration of The Frame QLED 4K Smart Lifestyle TV over here as well.

Revealed alongside the Neo QLED lineup back in January, the 2021 version of The Frame is said to be 46% thinner than its predecessor. Samsung has also upgraded the internal storage for The Frame from just 500MB to 6GB which allows them to store up to 1,200 UHD images.

Additionally, 2021’s The Frame Series also comes standard with the equally new Eco Remote Control which doesn’t require AA or AAA batteries to functions but relies on its built-in solar panel or users can also choose to charge the remoted directly using its USB-C port.

While Samsung Malaysia’s website has listed five different screen sizes for 2021’s The Frame, the site is only taking pre-orders for the variant with 50, 55, and 65-inch screen at the moment. Price-wise, the 65-inch variant of 2021’s The Frame can be obtained for RM 9,499 while the 55 and 50-inch options are available for RM 6,999 and RM 5,799 respectively.

If you aiming for the 65 and 55-inch model, do note that Samsung Malaysia is currently giving away free soundbars for pre-orders until this Sunday, 28 March. To learn more, just head on to its official website.

Leica To Increase Prices Across All Product Lines Starting April 2021

Leica has announced that it will be increasing the prices across all of its product line starting on 1 April 2021. According to a press release provided to website Red Dot Forum, the camera maker says that the new prices will vary by product, but will generally reflect on an average of 2% to 5% increase.

“Over the past year, the relationship between the US Dollar and Euro has suffered and we have absorbed these costs,” Leica wrote. “However, as this continues, we need to adjust our pricing in order to ensure pricing integrity across all Leica subsidiaries and to continue delivering the highest quality of products.”

According to the product price list provided by the company via Red Dot Forum, a majority of Leica lenses will be seeing an increase of US$100 to US$200 – with the exception of higher-end models such as the Summilux-M 90mm f/1.5 ASPH, which is listed to have an increase of US$700. The same can be said for the brand’s camera collection as well, with the likes of the Q and S series to see a price hike as low as US$100 and as high as US$1,000. Although Leica says the upcoming price hike will see a 5% increase at most, the list actually reveals jumps reaching up to 9% – albeit only affecting a small number of its products.

The camera maker noted that not all of its products will see a price increase next month. Recent releases such as the APO-Summicron-M 35 f/2.0 ASPH, Leica D-Lux 7 Street Kit, Q2 Daniel Craig x Greg Williams, and the APO Summicron-SL 28mm f/2.0 ASPH will be exempted from this.

The upcoming price adjustment is slated to apply across all markets simultaneously on 1 April. For a full list of products and their new prices, please refer to the Red Dot Forum link provided below. Before you ask, Leica Malaysia has confirmed with us that the price changes will be reflected on all of the brand’s products sold in the local market as well. However, it noted that the updated price list has not been made available just yet.

2021 VAIO Z Signature Edition Now In Malaysia For RM 18,088

It has been a while since we heard about VAIO’s activities in our market. Yes, the brand is indeed still active in Malaysia and is recently taking pre-orders for its new 2021 VAIO Z Signature Edition ultralight laptop.

Originally announced to the world last month, the 2021 VAIO Z made its way into the headlines thanks to its status as the world’s first full carbon-fibre laptop. It is also one of the first laptops to adopt the equally new Intel Core i7-11375H which is part of the 11th Gen Intel Core H35 Series of processors that were designed for a new class of gaming laptop that Intel refers to as the ultraportable.

Despite that though, the 2021 VAIO Z is not a gaming laptop especially given the fact that it does not carry discrete graphics. Other hardware that has been equipped into the 2021 VAIO Z in Malaysia includes a 14-inch 4K display, 32GB RAM, a 2TB solid state drive, a smudge-proof backlit keyboard with a 1.5mm travel distance, a built-in slider cover for its 2.0MP webcam, and 53Whr battery.

As for its pricing, the 1.06kg 2021 VAIO Z Signature Edition can be pre-ordered in Malaysia for RM 18,088. The brand didn’t mention the exact rollout date for the new laptop in our market but it has been noted in VAIO Malaysia’s online store that customers should receive their laptop within two to three days after they have pre-ordered it.