My Crappy Life | Syed ™

Nikon recently introduced the Coolpix S800c that boasts a 10x zoom, 1080p video capability, 16MP CMOS sensor, 3.5” touch display, GPS connectivity and Android Gingerbread operating system. Yes, you read correctly, the S800c is Nikon’s first Wi-Fi compact digital camera and not only is it your regular 16MP shooter that can churn out quality images and videos, thanks to Android OS, it is as versatile as a smartphone or a tablet.

You know how some cameras are equipped with filters and allow you to edit the images on the device itself with a set of default tools? Well, you’re no longer limited to the tools provided. With Android, you’re allowed to download camera-specific photo and video apps while shooting with a real camera. On top of that, you can also share your pictures on various social networks such as Facebook or Twitter in an environment we’re all familiar with; you can also download other apps such as games, productivity and personal communication/email, including Nikon’s photo storage and sharing sites, though, with a battery of only 1050mAh, running games and other non-related apps on the device might not be such a great idea.

Powerful Images Are What Connects Us

What sets the S800c apart from connected devices is the focus on the quality of images that people can share. Features such as the spectacular 10x NIKKOR zoom lens and the 16-megapixel CMOS sensor affords the ability to create photos and HD video with unrivaled sharpness and clarity, whether up-close or at a distance, even in challenging lighting conditions. The S800c helps users to create images they will be proud to share, while offering connectivity and additional benefits to users, including:

• Optical 10x Zoom NIKKOR Lens: covering from wide-angle 25-250mm, so either the largest group or action from afar is captured with clarity that can only be accomplished with a quality lens. Additionally, the lens is bolstered with Nikon's VR optical image stabilization for blur-free photos and stable HD video, even while handheld.

• 16 Megapixel Backside Illuminated (BSI) CMOS Sensor: Much larger than the CCD sensor traditionally found in smartphones or tablets, this BSI CMOS sensor excels in challenging lighting conditions, and provides images with vivid colors, low noise and exceptional contrast and sharpness.

• Powered by Android: The camera's connection features allow users to seamlessly connect, browse and upload to their social networks, including Google+™, Facebook and Twitter. Users can also take advantage of the full functionality of Android technology to surf the web or even download applications and games onto their S800c. Just like a smartphone or tablet device, the camera has the opportunity to run camera-specific photo and video applications, yet enables the various benefits of shooting with a real camera.

• Google Play™: The S800c provides access to a vast world of applications for games, productivity and personal communication/ email, including Nikon's photo storage and sharing site, my Picturetown®. Users are also able to watch video downloaded from Google Play right on their camera.

• The Benefits of COOLPIX Camera Technology: With the EXPEED C2 processing engine, users will enjoy rapid response and speedy performance from their device. Additional benefits include the ability to use a camera flash to illuminate subjects, while continuous drive mode captures up to approximately 8 frames-per-second (up to three shots) to help ensure no moment will be missed. What's more, a variety of scene modes and creative filters keep it fresh and let the user easily create stunning images.

• Full HD Video: The S800c makes it easy to capture Full HD 1080p HD video with amazing fidelity and sharpness, with full stereo sound. Video clips can be instantly uploaded to popular video sites such as YouTube™ and Vimeo®.

• Built in GPS: Ever wanted to track a weekend excursion or geo-tag a hard to find shooting spot? The GPS function enables recording of shooting location information on stills and movies.

Easy Settings, Easy Connection, Instant Gratification

Smartphone and tablet users will feel at home with the S800c's familiar controls and operation, and will be able to easily navigate using the wide and bright 3.5-inch touchscreen OLED monitor. The camera will connect to the internet via granted access to any Wi-Fi network. Upon connection, the user will be prompted through an easy-to-understand set-up process, similar to that of other Android devices. The COOLPIX S800c also has the ability to connect through WPS for a fast and secure push-button connection. Additionally, when a Wi-Fi connection is not open or available, the camera can transmit images and videos wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet, allowing the user to share better images through a mobile network.

COOLPIX core technologies also make it easy for users to create share-worthy images. Various camera modes help the user achieve the greatest shot, whether it's a macro shot of tonight's cuisine or a scenic HDR shot of downtown, the image is instantly ready to share. For maximum creativity, the S800c has 18 filter effects, including the new Toy Camera effect, Pop and Super Vivid color filters, as well as Cross Process and Peripheral Darkening filters.

Price and Availability

The S800c will be available in September 2012 in both White and Black for a suggested retail price (SRP) of USD$349.95*. For more information about this COOLPIX camera, or other Nikon products, please visit www.nikonusa.com.





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The Samsung Galaxy Note II is expected to be revealed on 29th August at a Samsung Unpacked event in Berlin. While we are about a week away, Samsung has released its expected Unpacked teaser video which showed incredibly brief glimpse of its stylus in action.

Compared to its predecessor Galaxy Note, the new version is bigger at 5.5″ and runs on a similar quad-core Exynos processor as the Galaxy S III. Hopefully Samsung will be carrying over some of its recently revealed Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet multiscreen features to the new device.

The live stream of the Unpacked event is happening on Samsung Mobile facebook page.



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Almost all Android makers has already released its quad-core smart phones while the current Nexus smart phone is due for a replacement. In the recent Google IO, Google has revealed a 7″ tablet and a cloud media streaming device. So is there anything new from the Nexus program?

New rumour suggests that there will be not one but 3 smart phone makers working on the next Nexus device namely Samsung, Sony and LG. This came as NTT Docomo’s upcoming phone line up was leaked with 3 “Nexus” devices on the list.

For Samsung, word has it that the next Galaxy Nexus with bumped up 1.5GHz dual-core processor (previously 1.2GHz dual-core), upgraded 8MP rear camera, 1.9MP front facing camera and surprisingly a micro SD expansion slot. The other two devices from Sony and LG are lacking details but it is worth pointing out that the LG’s Nexus device is said to be waterproof.

It was once reported that Google was looking at allowing up to 5 manufacturers early access to latest Android builds to develop “Nexus” devices. If the rumours are true, this might be the first signs of multiple Nexus devices instead of the usual single partner approach for each release. Earlier on, it was rumoured that Motorola would be part from the Nexus program after Google’s acquisition but that didn’t materialise.

The first Nexus device – Nexus One was manufactured by HTC followed by the Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus which was made by Samsung. Meanwhile the recently announced Nexus 7 tablet is made by ASUS.



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Using a Sony Xperia phone? Well, it’s about time you check for an Ice Cream Sandwich update because you’ll soon be getting the Android 4.0 update from Sony over the next few weeks. Just last week, Sony announced the treat for Xperia P and starting from this week, Xperia arc, Xperia arc S, Xperia neo, Xperia neo V, Xperia mini, Xperia pro, Xperia active and Xperia ray will receive the update that comes with bug fixes and performance tweaks along with a host of other improvements.

The update will start off with Xperia mini pro and Xperia neo L and Live with Walkman so if you own any of the above mentioned devices, do check for an update regularly. For Gingerbread users, you must plug in your phone and upgrade using PC companion or Bridge for Mac. As for those who already have ICS on your Xperia, the company also has an update for you – Android 4.0.4 – that come with all the improvements.



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A device with a 5.3-inch display may not be for everyone, but its hard to argue that the Galaxy Note was not a huge success for Samsung. With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 right around the corner, we’re seeing new details surface on a regular basis. The latest is a picture of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 which shows off a white device with features that match up perfectly with a recently leaked image of the handset’s screen bezel.

As usual, we’re not willing to put a stake in the ground and declare that this is what the final Samsung Galaxy Note 2 will look like. A few people have already noted that the image looks flat, but that’s most likely explained away by the fact that we’re actually look at a picture of a picture rather than a picture of the Galaxy Note 2.

Either way, if you’re really interested in the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, you won’t have to wait too long to get a glimpse of its real design. Samsung is expected to unveil the phone at its Unpacked event on August 29th, in Berlin at IFA. That gives us roughly another two weeks of rumors to sort through.

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The rugged yet uprated Sony Xperia acro S is now available in Malaysia with the price tag of RM1,699. It runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and comes in black and white colours. As usual, Sony is bundling in extra accessories such as micro USB car charger, HDMI cable and 2 Xperia NFC SmartTags worth RM272.

To recap on the specs, the acro S offers Xperia S like hardware with a 4.3″ TFT HD display that does 1280×720, dual core 1.5GHz processor with 1GB of RAM, 12MP camera and a larger 1,910mAh battery. Being a rugged device, the acro S is rated IP55/57 for dust and water resistance. The acro S also comes with a scratch resistant mineral glass with wet finger tracking.

For those that have been eyeing on the larger Sony Xperia ion, the device will be coming to Malaysia by end of August in Black and Red colours. It will be priced at RM1,788 and bundled with HDMI cable, 2 Xperia NFC SmartTags and screen protector worth RM223. Initially launched as an LTE device, the Xperia ion features a 4.6″ TFT display that does 1280×720 with similar Xperia S specs of dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 12MP camera and 16GB of on board storage.



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If millions of people are buying 7-inch tablets for $199, how many 10-inch tablets would they buy for the same $199 price? We might find out soon because Engadget editor Tim Stevens is reporting that an “inside source” told him Microsoft will launch their 10-inch Surface tablet for $199 on October 27th.

Microsoft revealed their Surface tablets a couple of months ago and the early impressions were positive, but everyone wondered is they would be able to compete on price.

Android fans have flocked to Google’s $199 Nexus 7 tablet, and retailers have had difficulty keeping it in stock. Reports estimate that Google could ship six to eight million units by the end of the year. Amazon has also found similar success with their $199 Kindle Fire tablet, which has been their best selling product since it launched last year.

When tablet prices drop this low, it becomes harder for consumers to justify the price of a larger, more expensive device. Some say that the $199 price of a 10-inch tablet is “too good to be true”, but Microsoft might have made the decision to take a short term loss in hopes of growing its share of the tablet market.



The Surface Tablet comes in two models. The first Surface runs Windows RT (a version of Windows 8 for ARM-based devices) and includes NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 chip, while the second surface runs Windows 8 Pro and uses an Intel chip.

Highlights of the Surface for Windows RT include:

- Software: Windows RT + Office Home & Student 2013 RT
- Processor: NVIDIA Tegra-based ARM chip
- Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD capacitive touchpanel
- Capacity: 32GB / 64GB
- Weight: 676 grams
- Thickness: 9.3 millimeters
- Battery: 31.5Wh
- I/O: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae
- Accessories: Touch Cover, Type Cover, VaporMg Case & Stand
- A quick overview of the specs reveals that the Surface offers some hardware
advantages over Google’s Nexus 7. The two devices share a similar quad-core processor but Surface has a larger display, more internal storage, expandable storage with microSD, and faster WiFi.

Google has announced they will support Windows 8 and a preview version of Chrome is already available. It would be great to access Google services through their Chrome browser, but unfortunately Chrome will only run on Windows 8 for x86. Microsoft is not allowing browsers other than Internet Explorer on the Windows RT platform.

I believe that most Android users, who would buy a tablet, would want it to be a companion device to their smartphone. They are already invested in the Google ecosystem and they want instant access to their content and services from any device. Android fans might still be able to access some of their Google content and services through the Internet Explorer browser, but the experience will not be as fluid as an Android tablet.

We will have to wait and see how it plays out, because no press have actually received Surface review units or spent long periods of time with the device. Microsoft could have a major hit on their hands, or they could still screw it up.

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Samsung recently provided some detailed information on its latest Exynos processor, the Exynos 5 Dual. Despite running on two cores instead of its four-core predecessor, the Exynos 5 Dual is deemed a “substantial upgrade” due to its ARM15 architecture and features.

The Exynos 5 Dual incorporates the latest dual-core Mali-T604 GPU which supports stereoscopic 3D as well as resolutions up to 2560 x 1600. Intriguingly, it also supports DirectX 11, as well as incorporating USB 3.0 and SATA III controllers into the chip. Memory has also been upgraded from 400MHz LPDDR2 to 800MHz LPDDR3.

Unfortunately, it will be some time yet before we are able to see this nano-beast in action, as Samsung are yet to announce any new product that will run on the processor.



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Maxis has added the Samsung Galaxy S III into its Port-in bundled (MNP) offers.

Just like the iPhone 4S and HTC One X offer, the Samsung Galaxy S III can be yours for only RM799 with 24 months contract of Maxis Value Plus 50 postpaid voice + 1GB data plan (RM98/month). An upfront payment of RM1050 is required which will be rebated back to your monthly bill. This offer is valid until 20th August 2012.

For more information, head over to Maxis.



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With 4 Fibre players on TM’s HSBB network, there’s more competition for subscribers. That also mean consumers are more spoilt for choice. Maxis has gone with a price war where they offered 10Mbps Home Fibre from as low as RM118/month.

Now for the business users, P1 has slashed their price where 5Mbps is offered as low as RM99/month and 20Mbps for RM199/month. This marks not only the cheapest business plan but also the cheapest Fibre service at the moment. The plans – ForBiz Fiber 149 is originally priced RM149/month while the higher ForBiz Fiber 329 is at RM329/month. There’s no change for its 10Mbps and 30Mbps offering which makes it obvious that P1 is looking at pushing 5Mbps and 20Mbps offering for now.



Similar to most fibre services at the moment, P1 does not impose any download quota on its ForBiz Fiber plans. There’s no pre-bundled call minutes included and calls are charged at 15sen/minute nationwide. The RM200 installation fee is waived and the subscription is tied with a 24 months contract.

For more information, head over to P1 ForBiz Fiber page.

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Apparently, alongside Jelly Bean, Google has also introduced the Google Ears app at I/O 2012. You can get this Amazing App Right Now on you Android Smartphone running 4.0/4.0.1/4.0.3/4.1.1 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Google Ears is a Shazam or SoundHound-like service, which analyzes the music coming from your surroundings and tells you the artist and name of the song, as well as some other info about it. Among other things, it also let's you buy the song quickly, if it's available on the Google Play Store.

How to Install Google Ears ?

Download Google Ears (APK) from link below.



1) Download Google Ears

2) Once you've downloaded the Google Ears apk, you need to copy it over to your device's internal storage, in case you didn't download it with your phone.

Check that you have the allowed the installation of apps from "unknown sources". This option is usually in Settings -> Applications, or Settings -> Security.

3) Install the application by navigating to its location using the file explorer and launching the .apk file.

4) Put the "Google Sound Search widget" on your homescreen, play a song, and let Google Ear hear it (internet connection required).



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If you consider yourself a mobile gamer, I bet the thought of owning an Android tablet has crossed your mind. Playing games on your phone can be fun, but some titles just scream for a larger display. The first wave of Android tablets were too expensive and didn’t live up to expectations, but the latest generation of devices is starting to make people think they might need a companion device for their smartphone.

There are countless Android phones to choose from, but the selection of Android tablets is more limited. You can still enjoy a great gaming experience on tablets at every price point, but the number of quality products is limited to a few OEMs. Check out our top picks for every budget.

High-end: ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700



The Good: 10.1-inch 1920 × 1200 Full HD display with Super IPS+, Quad-core Tegra 3 processor @1.6 GHz with 12-core GeForce GPU, 32 or 64 GB of built-in memory, SonicMaster audio technology, microSD expansion slot, and micro HDMI port.

The Not-so-good: Cost of tablet and keyboard dock can get pricey.

Final words: The Transformer Pad Infinity is the best Android tablet on the market period. It has the highest resolution display, fastest processor, longest battery life (with dock), and largest internal storage. We are likely to see some new tablets around Q4 2012, so keep that in mind before you purchase.



Last Amazon Price: $488 for 32 GB model, $588 for 64 GB model.

Mid-range: ASUS Transformer Pad TF300



The Good: 10.1 inch 1280 x 800 LED backlight IPS display, Quad-core Tegra 3 processor @1.2 GHz with 12-core GeForce GPU, SonicMaster audio technology, microSD expansion slot, and micro HDMI port.

The Not-so-good: Display is not as high resolution as Infinity Pad and the Tegra 3 chip is clocked slower. No 3G/4G connectivity.



Last Amazon Price: $374 for 32 GB model, $299 for 16 GB model

Final words: Offers a similar 10-inch gaming experience to the Infinity Pad at a lower price. You give up the high-resolution display, but you can still output video to a big screen TV through HDMI.

Budget: Google ASUS Nexus 7



The Good: Only tablet shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Quad-core Tegra 3 processor with 12-core GeForce GPU, 7” 1280×800 HD display,

The Not-so-good: No expandable storage, no HDMI video port.



Final words: The Nexus 7 offers a comparable gaming experience to the best tablets with a smaller display and price tag. Some might even prefer the 7-inch display over a larger one because it is easier to reach all the on screen buttons. The limited storage and single USB port can be limiting, but cloud storage and wireless controllers can make up for it.

Google Play Price: $199 for 8 GB model, $249 for 16 GB model
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I’m sorry if you’re bored of hearing the same thing over and over again, but it looks like the next iPhone will really have a longer 4” display. According to a picture of iOS 6’s home screen, it is able to be scaled to show five full lines of apps when displayed at 640 x 1136 – the resolution a 4” iPhone should have.

After tweaking the iOS Simulator, the folks at 9to5mac found that when the display resolution is changed to 640 x 1136, iOS 5.1 displayed the home screen with a stretched set of 4 rows of apps while the iOS 6 showed five complete rows that come with a perfect fit. However, when the display resolution is changed, the simulator will not correctly display 5 rows of icons; the icons will instead be scaled to an iPad alike home screen layout, so this could very well confirm that the next iPhone will be equipped with a 640 x 1136 resolution 4” screen.

So how will the longer new iPhone look in your hands? Sure we’ve seen alleged iPhone 5 parts and casings, there were even pictures of everything pieced together, but how will the phone look in your hands? Thanks to some rendered images, check out how good it looks to hold the new iPhone; personally I’m glad that it’s longer and not really much wider because as much as I love big screens, they’re usually not one-hand operable. More images available over at source link, there are even images of the next iPhone in other colors like blue, pink, green, etc.



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Are you a road warrior that’s always out and about all the time? Need to be on-site for your work and travel about between offices throughout out the day? Celcom recently launched its PortaWiFi that keeps you connected to your own personal and secure Wi-Fi wherever you are be it at home, on the road or on the go. PortaWiFi comes bundled with a 3-pin adapter for your home and office, a car adapter and charger for those on the road, and a USB dongle for your laptop for when you’re away.

The device alone costs RM159 but if you sign up for a package with Celcom First Data, you will also get to enjoy a special rebate of up to RM180.



Note: 12 months contract applies.

Visit Celcom for more information.

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Maxis introduces TalkMore 48 which is a new postpaid plan that comes pre-bundled with talktime minutes and SMS for just RM48/month. It comes with 400 minutes of calls and 200 SMS which can be used to all networks in Malaysia that’s valued at RM75.

Additional call usage is charged at 10 sen/min to Maxis numbers and 15 sen/min to others. Additional SMS are charged at 10 sen to Maxis and 15 sen to others. Once your usage hits RM110/month, calls and SMS within Maxis are charged at 5 sen/min and 5 sen per SMS.

Overall the call rates are cheaper than the standard Maxis Value Plus 50 offering. Maxis VP50 charges 12 sen/min to calls within Maxis and 18 sen/min to others. With that rate, it gives you about 416 minutes of calls within Maxis or 277 minutes to other networks, whereas for RM2/month less (RM48) on TalkMore 48, you’ll get 400 minutes and 200 SMS which is better value.

For more information, head over to TalkMore48 postpaid page.

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While many devices are still waiting for their Android Ice Cream Sandwich updates or may have just received it, Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S2 and Note users can sigh in relief that your devices are said to be getting the latest Android update, Jelly Bean, by the end of the year. It has been reported on Sam Mobile that inside sources told them that the Galaxy S3 will be receiving Jelly Bean firmware update around the end of the third quarter to the beginning of quarter four this year.

As for the rest of the devices like the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note that received its ICS + Premium Suite update not too long ago, the source also said that they will be given the JB treats though, no dates or time period were mentioned. The next generation Note will also get JB update because Sam Mobile goes on to mention that Note 2 will be running on ICS at launch.

It’s good to know that these flagship Samsung mobile phones will get bumped up to the latest Android version, let’s hope that Malaysia will get the updates as soon as they become available.



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Google has just released Android 4.1 Jelly Bean this summer, the latest Android Operating System with some tweaked GUI. Now, Reports about the Next Android OS is spreading around.

Next Android OS or Android version 4.2 will be Named "Key Lime Pie", which is a delicious Creamy Pie with Key Lime, Android 4.2 Key Lime Pie is rumored to be released in the first Half of 2013.



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Aside from a funky-looking backplate we can see that the device will feature on-screen capacitive buttons. The name suggests we’ll be seeing an HD display, of course, and the only other specs that the poster was able to confirm is that it’ll have an 8 megapixel camera instead of the previously rumored 13 megapixel camera.

While this is a model not intended for the United States we certainly expect Verizon to carry something nearly identical branded as the Motorola DROID RAZR HD.

That version will notably have LTE radios, but we still don’t know what to expect under the hood. Take a look at the images above and get more from XDA user “siloner.”



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Remember when Samsung announced that the Android ICS update is coming to its Galaxy Tab range of devices by this month? Well, they kept their promise all right so if you own the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, do check for an update now. I know, many are looking forward for some Jelly Bean treats but ICS is better than nothing on this 1-year-old tablet.

As for the rest of the Galaxy Tab users such as the Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wi-Fi, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Wi-Fi users, do be patient because the update will be arriving to your device soon. No dates were mentioned of course, but a little over a month ago, Samsung did promise that the update would be rolled out in August.

To update your Tab 10.1 now, connect your beloved tablet to your computer and update via Samsung Kies, or you could wait for the over-the-air update to appear, just make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi.

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These pictures reveal a new Sony Xperia variant that’s expected to make its debut later this year. The Sony Xperia SL (LT26ii) looks to add two new colours (pink and grey) along with a faster Snapdragon S3 MSM8260 1.7GHz dual-core processor. None of this however has been confirmed and no other details about the Xperia SL has been revealed. Taking into account that this is very likely an Xperia S refresh, we don’t expect much to be added on to this model.

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Announced in February this year at the Mobile World Congress Barcelona, two of the most anticipated LG Android-based smartphones have entered the Malaysian market – the LG Optimus 4X and the Optimus 3D Max.

The LG Optimus 4X HD is regarded by many as the successor to the Optimus 2X – LG’s previous gen Android flagship. The once world’s first dual-core Android smartphone was eagerly anticipated but failed to make an impact due to stiff competition from rivals Samsung amongst others.

LG hopes the Optimus 4X HD will fare better with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a larger display – 4.7-inch True HD IPS with 1280×800 resolution and a pixel density of around 320ppi – and a 1.5Ghz quad-core 4-PLUS-1 Nvidia’s Tegra 3 processor, that features four performance cores to handle intensive tasks and one companion core for non-processor exhaustive tasks like handling text messages and calls.

The Optimus 4X HD also comes with 1GB of RAM and 16GB on-board memory, dual-mic active noise cancellation and a micro SD memory expansion slot. In the imaging department, the Optimus 4X HD is equipped with a 1080p video-capable 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera. To top it off, there’s a 2,150mAh battery that should offer up good stamina all wrapped in a body that’s just 8.9mm thick.

The Optimus 4X HD retails for RM1,799 which is really cheap when compared to its direct competitors — the Samsung Galaxy S III (RRP RM2,199) and the HTC One X (RRP RM2,099)

The Optimus 3D Max is an improvement over the original Optimus 3D with a 4.3-inch 800×480 Gorilla Glass 2 display (approx. 217 ppi). Powering the device is a 1.2Ghz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor with 1GB RAM and 8GB of on board storage with a micro SD card expansion slot.

In the camera department, you get a dual-array 5MP rear camera that shoots 1080p videos in 2D mode and 720p in 3D. Battery capacity is a rather standard 1,520mAh.

The Optimus 3D Max retails for RM1,599 but we’d rather something else without the 3D capabilities.

The long awaited high end Sony smart phone dubbed Hayabusa has taken its own sweet time to make an international appearance. Expected as a high-end addition to the Xperia line up, the device was launched as Xperia GX that’s exclusive to Japan. While there’s no new updates, someone has managed to get their hands on an engineering model of a supposed international version.

The LT29i Hayabusa which is intended for international markets shares the same design and specs as the Xperia GX. It maintains the similar Xperia arc design and it is slightly thinner with 8.6mm at the thinnest point (Xperia arc at 8.7mm). Powering the device is a dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 S4 processor, 1GB of RAM and it comes with a higher 13MP camera. Over at the front, it has a larger 4.6″ display that does 1184×720. The odd number is due to its additional screen real estate to cater for on-screen Android navigation buttons.

The GX comes with an all-black front and the Xperia logo is said to be illuminated, likely in the same fashion as current Xperia smart phones. Hopefully the illumination can be tweaked as a notification light. While phones without removable battery and memory expansions are getting popular, the LT29i fortunately comes with a accessible back for battery, microSIM & microSD slots.

Since this is an engineering model, there are a number of limitations such as a capped processor speed of 918GMHz and the 1,700mAh battery included is said to be non-final. No news on availability but it is likely that Sony Mobile might reveal the LT29i along with other new entry smart phone models during IFA2012 that’s happening end of this month.



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If you’re looking for a mid-range dual-sim smart phone, Samsung’s Galaxy S Duos has surfaced on the web and it looks similar with its high end sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S III. The only give away is its larger and rounded home button and smaller phone dimension that houses a 4.0″ display.

Under the hood, it is reported to be powered by a mid-level 1GHz Qualcomm MSM7227A processor, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage which is expandable via microSD. The 4.0″ display pushes a resolution of 800×480 and the device is juiced up with a 1,500mAh battery. Over at the back it has a 5MP camera and there’s a front facing VGA camera. It is 10.5mm thick and it weighs 120g. Out of the box, it runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Overall, the hardware looks rather identical as the HTC Desire V which also supports dual-sim.

No official details yet on availability and pricing but this is one of the better looking dual-sim phones to look out for. We’ll take this over the Galaxy S III knock offs any day. Before this, Samsung has made a couple of high end dual-sim phones which didn’t make it to the Malaysian market. One of it includes a dual sim Samsung Galaxy S II for China market that comes with a 4.52″ Super AMOLED Plus screen, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and a large 1,800mAh battery.

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