OPPO Malaysia has revealed via its official Facebook page that the OPPO A54 smartphone has arrived and is now available for purchase. Equipped with a MediaTek Helio chipset, the device is the latest entry-level handset from the brand to be available locally.
The A54 features a decently sized 6.51-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 px and a screen-to-body ratio of 82.6%. Also on the display is a tiny punch-hole cutout which houses a 16MP front-facing camera. As mentioned earlier, powering the phone is a Helio P35 chipset with a RAM capacity of 4GB and storage space of up to 128GB.
As usual for most entry-level offerings, the major highlight of the OPPO A54 is its large battery size which comes in at 5,000mAh. However, it only comes with 18W USB-C fast charging capability, unlike the brand’s mid-level and higher phones that feature OPPO’s SuperVOOC tech.
Imaging-wise, the back of the smartphone is a triple sensor camera setup which comprises of a 13MP main sensor, a 2MP macro, and a 2MP depth sensor. The camera system is capable of recording videos at 1080p at 30fps.
Other than that, it runs on Android 10 via OPPO’s ColorOS 7.2 interface and features a side mounted fingerprint scanner. Surprisingly, the phone does not come with a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The new OPPO A54 entry-level handset is offered in black and blue colour selections and is priced at RM599 for the 4GB + 64GB configuration, while the 4GB + 128GB option comes in at RM699. Those interested can make their purchase via OPPO Malaysia’s official website.
Samsung has recently announced the new pricing for selected Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds models in Malaysia. Leading the list is the Galaxy Watch3 which the company announced during last August’s Unpacked event which also included the launch of Galaxy Note20 Series and Galaxy Z Fold2.
Similarly, Samsung has reduced the price tag of 2019’s Galaxy Watch Active2 which is available in our market despite its age. From the ceiling price point of RM 1,399, you are now able to obtain the watch for as low as RM 799:
As for the Galaxy Buds Series, the price reduction has been applied to the Galaxy Buds Live in which you can now obtain for RM 549 instead of RM 699. Samsung has also cut down the price tag for Galaxy Buds+ from RM 599 to RM 449.
According to Samsung Malaysia, the newly reduced price tag for all four Galaxy wearable products that we mentioned above is effective immediately at Samsung Experience Stores and Authorized Partners nationwide as well as its online store. So, if you’re planning to purchase any of them, make sure that their pricing matches the list above or else, you could end up paying extra for them.
Malaysian Android users can now download Instagram Lite, a new, lightweight version of the photo sharing application. According to Instagram, the Lite version retains the core features of the Instagram experience, while keeping the app fast and reliable for more people – regardless of the device, platform, and network they’re using.
Instagram Lite is just less than 2MB in size, making it fast to install and quick to load. For comparison’s sake, the full-sized version needs 30MB of space. App developers apparently took a page out of Facebook Lite and offloaded much of the code for phone app into the cloud.
To maintain a reliable performance, developers cut much of the elaborate, data-rich animation, such as cube transitions and the AR filters people can apply to faces. But they kept the less data-demanding stuff like GIFs and stickers.
Additionally, they put an emphasis on video and messaging, which remote residents use more frequently than their urban counterparts.
So Lite seems to be a deliberate outreach to people with entry-level devices and/or live in areas where connectivity is often unstable and network speeds are slower. Instagram and its parent Facebook are eyeing the fact that emerging markets will account for over 90% of new mobile subscribers globally.
Instagram Lite is now rolling out in 170 countries on Android. There seems to be no mention of when (or whether) it will arrive on iOS.
ASUS today has officially launched the 2021 ZenBook Flip OLED Series in Malaysia Available in two models, one of them is the ZenBook Flip S OLED which the company has claimed as the world’s thinnest 13-inch convertible laptop with a 4K OLED display.
ASUS further said that the Pantone Validated 13.3-inch 4K OLED touch display that it has equipped into the convertible also offers 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and is also a VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Back certified panel. Furthermore, the display also supports ASUS Pen active stylus which has 4096 pressure levels.
Weighing at just around 1.2kg, the 13.9mm thin laptop is powered by Intel Core i7-1165G7 which is also inclusive of the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. For Malaysia, the laptop comes standard with 16GB LPDDR4x-4266 RAM and 1TB solid state drive.
At the same time, ASUS has also rolled out the ZenBook Flip 13 OLED into our market which carries a similar 13.3-inch OLED display but has a lower resolution at Full HD. Nevertheless, the display still has a Pantone Validated panel with similar 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and support for ASUS Pen.
In terms of components, the Flip 13 OLED has two processor options including Intel Core i7-1165G7 and Core i5-1135G7 although both variants still rely on Intel Iris Xe Graphics as their integrated GPU. Similarly, both variants also come standard with 8GB of RAM and 512GB internal storage.
Weighing at just around 1.2kg, the 13.9mm thin laptop is powered by Intel Core i7-1165G7 which is also inclusive of the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. For Malaysia, the laptop comes standard with 16GB LPDDR4x-4266 RAM and 1TB solid state drive.
At the same time, ASUS has also rolled out the ZenBook Flip 13 OLED into our market which carries a similar 13.3-inch OLED display but has a lower resolution at Full HD. Nevertheless, the display still has a Pantone Validated panel with similar 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and support for ASUS Pen.
In terms of components, the Flip 13 OLED has two processor options including Intel Core i7-1165G7 and Core i5-1135G7 although both variants still rely on Intel Iris Xe Graphics as their integrated GPU. Similarly, both variants also come standard with 8GB of RAM and 512GB internal storage.
Since both of them are equipped with a 13.3-inch display, the Flip S OLED and Flip 13 OLED may look similar to each other but you can differentiate them by looking at their colourway and chassis outline. This is because the Flip S OLED is draped in Jade Black colourway while the outline of its lid and body, as well as the ASUS logo itself, are presented in Red Copper.
There is also a brushed aluminium deco bar on top of its keyboard area. On another hand, the Flip 13 OLED is much grounded in style and is painted in Pine Grey colourway without any of those fancy highlights that present on Flip S OLED.
In terms of pricing, the ZenBook Flip S OLED can be obtained for RM 6,799 while the Core i7 version of ZenBook Flip 13 OLED goes for RM 5,199. For those who prefer the Core i5-based Flip 13 OLED, it is priced at RM 4,699 and all of these new convertibles are readily available from ASUS retailers nationwide both online as well as offline.
Volvo Malaysia has officially launched the PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) variant of its XC40 T5 R-Design. The new SUV is part of the automotive company’s Recharge line, which consists of electrified (full or hybrid) versions of its existing vehicles such as the V60 and XC90.
The XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design is built on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, featuring the company’s first-ever 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine Drive-E powertrain. It is capable of producing a combined output of 262 hp and 425 Nm of torque, with an added 82 hp and 160 Nm torque via its electric motor, which is mounted to its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that’s powering the SUV’s front wheels.
Volvo claims that XC40 Recharge T5 is able to hit 0 to 100km/h in just 7.3 seconds, and comes with a top speed that is capped at 180km/h – in line with the company’s new initiative. For those unfamiliar, Volvo announced its Vision 2020 programme in March of last year with the aim to set a universal speed limit across all of its upcoming vehicles in order to promote safe driving. Like most of the company’s recent launches in Malaysia, the XC40 Recharge T5 is locally-assembled at its assembly plant located in Shah Alam.
Feature-wise, you can expect the new SUV to sport the same connectivity and infotainment technology via the company’s Sensus Connect sytem that has been featured in modern vehicles released by the company. Also not forgetting Volvo’s main focus and selling point which is safety features, where the XC40 Recharge T5 comes with a slew of helpful functions such as Pilot Assist system, City Safety, Run-off Road protection and mitigation, as well as Cross Traffic alert with brake support. There’s also five different drive modes available on the SUV, including Hybrid (which is set as default), Pure, Off-road, Power, and Individual.
Design-wise, the Recharge variant bears a resemblance to its other XC40 siblings, save for its sportier-looking R-Design trims and a new charging lid that is located on the vehicle’s left-hand front wing. Meanwhile, its interior is mostly unchanged from the original but with some changes made to its doors which now provides more functional storage space, including retractable hooks for hanging items.
The XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design is initially priced at 255,888 but with the sales tax exemption that is ongoing until late June this year, Volvo is now offering it at only RM241,997 (on-the-road, without insurance) with five years/unlimited mileage warranty and eight years/160,000km warranty for its PHEV battery. The new SUV is now available for viewing at all authorised Volvo dealers nationwide, and is also offered in five different colour choices: Crystal White Pearl, Bursting Blue Metallic, Black Stone, Coral Red Metallic, and Glacier Silver Metallic.
Sony has officially announced the latest member of its Cinema Line cameras with the new FX3, which also happens to be the smallest of the bunch. As you may recall from our previous report, the camera had already been leaked last week – with its overall design and some of its key specifications revealed ahead of its launch.
As previously pointed out in the leaks, the Sony FX3 Cinema Line does indeed carry some hardware elements from the A7S III, packed into a more compact A7C-like body. However, the camera does feature a different sensor – specifically, a back-illuminated full-frame 10.2MP which Sony claims to offer low noise, up to 409,600 ISO in sensitivity and over 15 stops of dynamic range. Included onboard is the same S-Cinetone colour matrix that is also featured on the brand’s FX6 and FX9 cameras, as well as eleven different picture profile settings such as S-Gamut3 and S-Gamut3 Cinema. However, unlike its Cinema Line brethren, the FX3 does not come with an internal electronic ND (neutral density) filter.
The new camera is able to capture videos in 4K with 10-bit 4:2:2 colour sampling internally or 16-bit RAW output via HDMI. Frame rate-wise, it can record up to 120 fps in 4K resolution and up to 240 fps in Full HD 1080p. Much like the Sony A7S III, the FX3 Cinema Line does not have the ability to record 8K footage, although that is to be expected considering its size. It is also worth noting that it does come with better internal cooling than the aforementioned model, allowing it to shoot videos at up to 13 hours uninterrupted. According to Sony, the cooling system’s fan can be customised to operate in three modes: Auto, Minimum and Off.
Further assisting with the FX3’s imaging capabilities is a 627-point focal-plane phase-detection autofocus system. This comes with several functionalities such as Eye-AF, Real-Time Tracking AF and Touch Tracking via its rear LCD screen. The camera is the first from the Cinema Line series to be equipped with a 5-axis on-sensor image stabilisation system (IBIS), which can be further enhanced with digital stabilisation by activating the onboard Active Mode. However, the company noted that the mode is only available for low frame rate video recording.
Despite its slight resemblance to the A7C (or rather, a bulkier version of it), the Sony FX3 Cinema Line does not include an electronic viewfinder – somewhat reminiscent of the brand’s older NEX mirrorless camera models instead. For image framing, the new camera relies on a tilt-swivel 1.44 million-dot LCD screen on its back, which also enables for touch-based autofocus control, selection and tracking. Sony says that its body is supported by stainless steel substructure, making it sturdy enough to handle challenging situations. It is also noted to be dust and moisture resistant to an extent, although no IP rating was provided.
Other than that, the camera comes with five 1/4-20 inch UNC thread holes on its upper body for mounting external peripherals, one USB-C port, a microUSB port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a full size HDMI Type-A port. It is also worth noting that the USB-C port can be utilised to keep the device powered for extended periods. Storage-wise, the FX3 features dual CFexpress Type A and SD memory card slots.
Sony has confirmed that the new FX3 Cinema Line is expected to arrive in Malaysia this May. The camera will be sold at a recommended retail price of RM18,999 – a tad higher than the Sony A7S III (currently at RM16,599), but still considerably affordable than the other devices in the brand’s Cinema Line series.
