Final Fantasy XVI Launching As Limited PS5 Exclusive On 22 June 2023

Square-Enix has shared the latest trailer for Final Fantasy XVI earlier during The Game Awards 2022. Apart from showcasing new in-game sequences, the video also included the much anticipated release date reveal for the latest installment of the publisher’s long-running role playing game series, which is now confirmed to be on 22 June 2023.

While the game itself has previously been confirmed to be available on multiple platforms, users on PC as well as Xbox Series X and S may have to wait a while longer before they’re able to sink their teeth in Final Fantasy XVI. As seen from the trailer, the game will first be released as a limited exclusive on the PlayStation 5, at least until 31 December 2023. In other words, gamers not on Sony’s current generation video game console will only get to play the game sometime in 2024, if not on the very last day of next year.

As for the latest trailer itself, shown are even more of Final Fantasy XVI’s fast-paced combat gameplay, with heavy emphasis on special moves, dodging, and summoning. While some scenes that were showcased are new, a majority of the video are things that we’ve already seen from the game’s past trailers from months back. And in case you missed our previous coverage, the 16th major installment of the series will also iinclude kaiju-scaled showdowns between summonable titans known, which are dubbed as “Eikons” in this particular entry’s lore.

Another interesting detail to highlight is that this is the third Final Fantasy title to receive an MSRB rating of M (Mature), and it is also the first numbered release to be classified as such. According to the game’s rating in Brazil, XVI’s mature direction will include explicit scenes and plenty of violence. Other games from franchise to score the same rating includes Final Fantasy Type-0 from 2011, and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin that was released back in March this year.

Google Pixel 6 And Pixel 6 Pro Officially Launching On 19 October

Google has just announced the date for the official launch of the long-awaited Pixel 6 phones. Scheduled to take place on 19 October, we should finally be able to know more details about Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro including specs and pricing.

The tech giant unveiled some features of the lineup back in August, such as high refresh rate displays and the use of Google’s mysterious custom Tensor chip, which we expect to find out more about during the launch.  While the details under the hood have been mostly kept under wrap, Google already started airing ads and displaying the phones for public viewing at its physical store in New York City.

At the moment, we are already aware that both phones will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor with the base Pixel 6 lacking the Pro variant’s telephoto lens and 120Hz display. We still don’t know how big the sensors are going to be though but a string of code in Google’s Camera app suggest that the Pixel 6 may be using the 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor for its main shooter.

The launch could also potentially announce the official rollout for Android 12 on Pixel devices. Google released the stable update to the Android Open Source Project earlier this week but said that Pixel phones will only be getting it “in the next few weeks”.

As per most tech events for the past two years, the Pixel Fall Launch will take place virtually on 20 October at 1:00 AM Malaysian time. Stay tuned for more updates as we will keep you posted with all the details from the event next week.

Alleged Intel ARC Alchemist Graphics Card Renders Leak; Launching In Q2 2022

Alleged renders of Intel’s soon-to-be released ARC Alchemist graphics cards have seemingly made their way online. Well, artistic impressions of the cards, to say the least.

Potential renders of the ARC Alchemist’s was first posted by prominent speculator, leakster, and YouTuber, Moore’s Law Is Dead, who says that they had made a request to their friends. Asking if they could do a simple animation of the Intel graphics card’s cooler shroud, based on the accummulated information around it.

Now, this isn’t the first time the YouTuber has leaked details of the Intel’s unreleased consumer-ready GPU. Back in April and when the card was still referred to by the Xe-HPG moniker, the channel had managed to procured images of what was supposedly engineering samples of the GPU’s cooler shroud.

In this case, the renders show the card’s cooler shroud in silver, rather than black. In addition, the 8+6 Pin PCIe connectors can be seen situated at the end of the card’s PCB, although the cooler extends a little further past it; a design trait that both NVIDIA and AMD have adopted for some time now.

In addition to the renders, Moore’s Law Is Dead also speculated that Intel could be gearing up to launch its first-ever ARC Alchemist lineup sometime during the second quarter of 2022, which is also the expected launch window for the chipmaker’s 12th generation Alder Lake mobile CPUs and next-generation gaming laptops.

As always, this is alway merely speculation and as such, take this news with a large grain of salt.

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.

Realme Book Specs And Design Leaks; Reportedly Launching In Late August

Alleged renders of Realme’s first laptop has made its way online, showcasing the product in its full glory. The leak was provided by reliable tech insider OnLeaks (in collaboration with website GizNext), who also shared tidbits regarding the Realme Book’s specifications.

As mentioned earlier, the renders detailed the upcoming laptop in every angle – revealing more than what was teased by Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth back in June. To no one’s surprise, the Realme Book appears to be yet another device that has drawn inspiration from a certain MacOS-powered laptop in terms of design and form. Maybe if you squint a little, it might resemble something from one of Realme’s more closer rivals instead.

This is somewhat disappointing, considering that the brand has been very aesthetically vocal about its branding and strong use of colours on its products – especially its smartphones. But then again; these renders are merely leaks, so there is a chance that they may end up being inaccurate.

Moving on.

Specs-wise, OnLeaks and GizNext claim that the Realme Book will feature a 14-inch display, the “latest” Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processors, and will be offered in various RAM and SSD storage configurations. Other features include a power button + fingerprint scanner combo, two USB-C slots, one USB-A port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It will also come with pre-installed Windows 10 and Microsoft Office, the report added.

Lastly, the leak suggests that the new Realme Book is expected to launch by late August 2021 in India, at a competitive price of just under Rs40,000 (~RM2,247) for the lower-end variant. The report did not mention if the laptop would launch alongside the Realme Pad, the brand’s first tablet product which was also leaked a few days prior to this.

Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition OnePlus Watch Launching In China

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that was unexpectedly met with infamy from both gamers and critics due to its constant delays, troubled launch, and disappointingly unpolished release. Despite its mixed reception, it appears that certain brands are still banking on the CD Projekt Red-developed game to market limited edition products to consumers. One such brand is none other than Chinese tech company OnePlus.

After launching a special edition of the OnePlus 8T last year, the company has announced that it will be releasing another Cyberpunk 2077-themed product in China next week. This time around, the device in question is confirmed to be a limited edition of its first ever smartwatch, the OnePlus Watch.

Much like the smartphone, this version of the wearable also comes with similar design elements such as the neon yellow stripes, black on black lines, and the game’s branding. However, these are only limited to the straps. Its main body, on the other hand, is presented in the same gun metal black as the regular version of the smartwatch, which is somewhat disappointing.

OnePlus did not provide any details regarding the limited edition’s hardware, but it is believed that the specifications will be no different from the original. As a quick refresher, the OnePlus Watch features a 1.39-inch OLED display, 1GB RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a battery that is capable of lasting up to two weeks. It comes with a rating of IP68 in terms of dust and water resistance. Unique to the limited edition is the onboard Cyberpunk 2077-themed watch face and user interface.

Last but not least, the Cyberpunk 2077 limited edition OnePlus Watch also comes with a display stand that is modeled after Johnny Silverhand’s, well, hand. It wasn’t revealed if the accessory would feature some form of charging capability, or is merely just for decoration.

Pricing for the smartwatch will only be confirmed by the brand when it launches in China next week on 24 May 2021. Whether OnePlus is planning to have the device see an international release after this is not known at this time. But seeing that the OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition did eventually make its way to Malaysia in December of last year, there’s a chance that we might see this version of the wearable released locally as well.

OnePlus 9 Series Launching On 23 March; Hasselblad Partnership Confirmed

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has announced via the brand’s official forums that the latest OnePlus 9 series will be launching on 23 March. Lau also confirmed that OnePlus has signed a three-year partnership with Swedish camera maker Hasselblad to co-develop the imaging system for the upcoming smartphones as well as its future flagship devices.

Hasselblad is known to manufacture medium format cameras for both photography and video production. As emphasised in the recent promotional material for the upcoming OnePlus 9 series, the camera maker’s biggest accomplishment is the use of its 500 EL Data Camera models in several NASA moon missions – producing iconic photographs such as “Earthrise” by US astronaut William Anders during the Apollo 8 moon orbiter mission, and “First Footprint on the Moon” by Buzz Aldrin during the historical Apollo 11 moon landing mission.

According to Lau, both OnePlus and Hasselblad have been working closely together to create a new colour solution known as Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad, which will serve as a new standard for all future OnePlus smartphone camera systems – starting with the OnePlus 9 series. The CEO promises that the new joint-developed imaging system on the new flagships will produce images with higher quality, sharper detail, and accurate colours.

While three years does seem pretty short for a major partnership such as this, the duration makes sense in a business and development perspective. OnePlus isn’t particularly known for the photography performance of its smartphones, and Hasselblad’s first foray into the mobile scene with Motorola in 2017 wasn’t as groundbreaking as most would’ve hoped. Therefore, playing it safe with a three-year deal is sufficient for both companies in order to determine whether the results of their collaboration are deemed significant, let alone profitable. Of course, we can expect the partnership to be extended longer should this end up being a success.

In the same forum post, Lau also confirmed that the upcoming OnePlus 9 series’ cameras will feature a custom Sony IMX789 for the main sensor, 12-bit RAW support for stills, a panoramic camera with 140-degree FOV (field of view), and a freeform lens for its ultra-wide camera that eliminates edge distortion. Video-wise, the series is capable of recording 4K footage at 120 fps and 8K at 30 fps, and also better HDR videos via the Hasselblad Camera for Mobile solution.

Aside from featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, other specifications of the OnePlus 9 series are still kept under wraps at this time. Unofficial sources suggest that the flagships may come with a 6.55-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate, dual stereo speakers, and a 4,500mAh battery with fast charging support at 65W for wired and 40W wireless.

The company will reveal more details regarding the upcoming OnePlus 9 series and its partnership with Hasselblad via a virtual launch on 23 March at 10pm. The event will be streamed live through the company’s official website, as well as its social media channels.

Leak Suggests Lite Variants Of Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 And Tab A7 Launching In June

Samsung has been offering consumers with more affordable variants of its flagship smartphones and tablets with the introduction of the Lite series, including those from the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Tab S6. It appears that the company is continuing to follow that approach again this year, as suggested by a recent leak of alleged promotional materials featuring the Lite variants of last year’s Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab A7.

Images of the materials are provided by leakster WalkingCat (@_h0x0d) via Twitter, which reveals only minor tidbits regarding the supposedly upcoming tablets. If what’s shown is to be believed, Samsung may debut both devices later in June – although no specific date was provided.

The Galaxy Tab S7 Lite is shown to feature a similar design and screen size as last year’s Plus variant. Specifically, the tablet is suggested to feature a 12.4-inch display with a front facing camera situated on its side. Unfortunately, no images of its rear design have been provided, so it’s uncertain what the Lite’s back panel may look like or whether it also features a dual camera setup as the original.Additionally, the alleged promotional materials reveal that the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite will support 5G connectivity and comes with Samsung’s Galaxy Continuity feature, which allows users to receive calls and messages from a connected and compatible Galaxy-branded smartphone. Given that this is intended to be a more affordable variant, it is expected that Samsung will downplay certain hardware such as cameras and other internal components. Using the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite as reference, it is possible that this upcoming tablet will feature an Exynos chipset instead of the Snapdragon 865.

Next up is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, which is shown to feature a “slim metal design” along with a screen size of 8.7-inches. The image suggests that it would also come with one-handed operation functionalities and provide “immersive entertainment” capability. It is not clear what the latter is trying to imply, but it is likely something related to the device’s display and onboard speaker system. Much like the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite, not much regarding the specifications of this model was provided in this leak.

Whether these promotional materials are authentic or not remains to be seen at this time, but WalkingCat does have a good track record of leaks. That being said, it will still definitely take a while until we find out since the suggested June launch window for the alleged Lite variants of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab A7 is still a couple of months away.

OPPO Reportedly Launching Three Find X3 Models Next Month; Promo Images Leak

OPPO is reportedly planning to launch its new Find X3 flagship series in March. News of this was brought forward by leakster Evan Blass (aka OnLeaks), who also provided leaked promotional images of the new phone.

The recent photos corroborated with the leaked renders which he had showcased previously, seemingly confirming the new rear camera design featured on the new handset. Blass added that the upcoming series will consist of three models: the Find X3 Pro, Neo, and Lite – the latter is believed to be a rebranded OPPO Reno5 5G, according to several sources.

An earlier leak from Blass suggests that the Pro variant will feature a 6.7-inch curved display with 1440p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, as well as dual-cell 4,500mAh battery with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging support. Chipset-wise, OPPO had confirmed that Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888 flagship will be powering the new device.

Unfortunately, not much is known regarding the other models, especially the interestingly named OPPO Find X3 Neo. Hopefully we’ll find out more details about the upcoming flagship series soon enough, provided that its rumoured March launch window is accurate.

Huawei Mate X2 Launching In China On 22 February; Inward-Folding Design Teased

Huawei has officially confirmed that it will unveil its latest foldable flagship smartphone, the Mate X2, later this month. The announcement was made through the company‘s official Weibo page earlier today, featuring a brief glimpse of the upcoming device.

As seen from the teaser image, the new Huawei Mate X2 will sport a new inward-folding design that is somewhat similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. Earlier leaks revealed that the new foldable will sport a 8.01-inch diagonal screen with a resolution of 2380 x 2222, and would come with a 6.45-inch external display as well – both featuring 90Hz refresh rate.

Other than that, the leaks added that the upcoming phone will be powered by the 5nm Kirin 9000 5G chipset and feature a 4,400mAh battery with 66W charging. It is also likely to come with the company’s Harmony OS, along with various first-party Huawei App Gallery offerings onboard.

The Huawei Mate X2 will launch in China on 22 February. Whether the company is planning to globally debut the new foldable phone in the near future is not known at this time.

OPPO Reno5 Launching In Malaysia On 18 January; Sub-RM2000 Price Range Expected

OPPO will be launching its latest Reno5 series in Malaysia on 18 January 2021. This is confirmed via a page dedicated to the new mid-ranger, which recently went live on the brand’s Malaysian website.

As a refresher, the OPPO Reno5 series will be available in variations: a Pro model and a standard version. The Pro comes with a 6.55-inch OLED Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 180 Hz touch sampling rate, as well as an in-display fingerprint sensor. Under the hood, it packs a MediaTek Dimensity 1000 chipset, RAM of up to 12GB, storage of up to 256GB, and a 4300mAh battery with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging support. Camera-wise, the high-end Reno5 has a 64MP main camera, an 8MP wide-angle lens, and two 2MP modules, while in front is a 32MP selfie shooter.

As for the standard Reno5 model, its hardware is mostly similar to the Pro but with only minor differences, especially the display and processor. The device’s screen is slightly smaller, coming at 6.43 inches but with the same resolution, refresh and sampling rates. Meanwhile, its chipset here is instead a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G. Other than that, the battery and cameras on the Reno5 is similar to the Pro. It’s also worth noting that this variant lacks NFC, but comes with a 3.5mm audio jack that is not present on the high-end version.

OPPO Malaysia did not reveal the prices for either model along with the announcement. However, the brand is claiming that the new Reno5 series will be its first 5G-enabled smartphones to be released within the RM2000 price range. This is most likely referring to the standard variant and its configurations, that was launched in China back in December 2020 at a starting price of CNY2,700 (~RM1,675).