Kuala Lumpur, 8th December 2016 — The “Selfie Expert” OPPO F1s has always been a highly popular product among Malaysians since its release. Therefore, OPPO Malaysia plans to carry on the success by spicing up the color options for the OPPO F1s.
The OPPO F1s Black Limited Edition
On top of the colour options of Rose Gold and Gold OPPO F1s, the Selfie Expert OPPO F1s is now available in Black Color. Consumers can now pre-order your OPPO F1s Black Limited Edition at the price of RM1,198 / ~US$299 starting from 8th December until 16th December 2016 either at the 20 selected OPPO Concept Stores in Malaysia or online preorder from OPPO here.
As for the OPPO Concept Stores, consumers may pre-order the OPPO F1s Black Limited Edition for RM100 / ~US$ 25 in the 20 selected OPPO concept stores and pay the remaining amount when it is launched on 17th December 2016, whereas for consumers who pre-order from OPPO’s Official Website will need to pay the full amount (RM1,198) for the OPPO F1s Black Limited Edition.
On top of that, consumers will get a free OPPO Selfie Stick and also an exclusive phone case only if they pre-order the “Selfie Expert” OPPO F1s Black Limited Edition within the period from 8th December till 16th December 2016.
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OPPO is a fast-rising Chinese smartphone brand. In fact, it became the no. 1 smartphone brand in China when it surpassed Huawei, Apple and Xiaomi in June 2016 with a 22.9% market share. How did they accomplished that in the cutthroat smartphone business?
Their latest smartphone from their Selfie Expert series – the OPPO F1s (Amazon), may reveal the secret to their success. Let’s take a look…
Selfie Expert Series
Unlike most smartphones, the OPPO Selfie Expert series emphasize the performance of the front camera – the selfie camera.
Smartphones from the OPPO Selfie Expert series feature a higher resolution camera in the front, with a fast lens and flash support. They also feature the OPPO Beautify software, which automatically corrects for blemishes and uneven skin tones.
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) comes with a 16 MP front camera with f/2.0 lens, screen flash and OPPO Beautify 4.0 software.
OPPO F1s Specifications
Specifications
OPPO F1s
Model Number
OPPO A1601
Display
5.5" IPS display - 720 x 1280 pixels
Display Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (with 2.5D curved edge)
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop with ColorOS 3.0
System Platform
MediaTek MT6750
Processor
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.5 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.0 GHz)
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) smartphone comes with a very practical package. The clear TPU case may not be fancy, but it allows you to quickly protect the OPPO F1s out-of-the-box until you find a nicer case.
The same goes for the basic earphones. They will do the job until you get a nicer set.
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The OPPO F1s Smartphone
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) is a 5.5″ smartphone but with a width of just 76 mm, fits well in our Asian-sized hands. It is slim, but not delicately so. With a weight of 160 g, it has a heft to it that imparts a solid feel.
The Volume buttons are located on the left, with the Power button and the SIM / microSD card tray on the right. The earphone port is located at the bottom, with the micro USB port.
Cameras
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) boasts the highest resolution sensor for any front camera in the market – 16 MP. Even top-of-the-line smartphones only come with a 5 MP front camera (e.g. HTC 10, Samsung Galaxy S7 edge). The front 16 MP camera has a fast f/2.0 lens and is supported by screen flash and the OPPO Beautify 4.0 software.
The rear camera is no slouch though, with a 13 MP sensor and f/2.2 lens. It is supported by an LED flash. OPPO also used a larger 1/3.06″ sensor with larger pictures to increase light sensitivity and reduce noise.
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Fingerprint Sensor
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) boasts a fast fingerprint sensor built into the Home button. The sensor is a mere 0.1 mm thick, and it can detect your fingerprint in just 0.22 seconds.
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) uses a self-learning algorithm that helps it improve its accuracy over time. You can even set it to activate up to 5 frequently-used apps or features (like the camera)!
SIM & microSD Card Tray
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) comes with dual SIM, dual standby capability. It also supports a microSD card, allowing for additional storage of up to 128 GB.
Fortunately, the OPPO F1s (Amazon) is spacious enough to fit both nano SIM cards, together with a single microSD card. All three cards fit on the same tray.
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Setting Up The OPPO F1s
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop, which should be familiar to many Android users. It is very easy to setup. If you are setting it up as a new device, it should take you only 5 minutes to finish the setup process.
The fingerprint feature is not part of the setup process though. You will need to manually activate it in Settings after setting up the F1s.
It’s Alive!
The 5.5″ IPS display is bright and sharp, with a resolution of 720 x 1280. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, but it comes with a pre-applied screen protector for additional protection.
Even though it has a large 5.5″ display, it fits the hand quite well, thanks to the narrow bezel. However, single-handed operation is still a stretch.
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Available Memory & Storage
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) comes with 3 GB of memory. This is great, because the Android 5.1 operating system and background apps take up about 1.5 GB of memory. This leaves you with just over 1.5 GB of free memory to use.
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) also comes with 32 GB of internal flash storage – generous at this price point. It is expandable via a microSD card (up to 128 GB). Out of the box, the OPPO F1s has 23.69 GB of free space for you to use, excluding the system files and pre-installed apps.
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Camera Performance – Photos
We are preparing a selfie comparison, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at the performance of the rear camera. The OPPO F1s (Amazon) has a 13 MP camera at the back, with a f/2.2 lens and an LED flash. The photos have a maximum resolution of 4160 x 3120 in the 4:3 format. The photos are about 4-5 MB in size.
The rear camera of the OPPO F1s (Amazon) takes pretty good photos, with accurate colours and relatively low noise. There is visible noise only when the photos are blown up to full resolution, and they are mostly visible in dark areas.
Camera Performance – Video Recording
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) is capable of recording 1080p and 720p videos. However, it does not seem to support optical or electronic image stabilization. Check out the two sample videos we took.
The lack of image stabilization is pretty obvious, so you should try to use a tripod or monopod where possible. However, the OPPO F1s (Amazon) has good control of the exposure (only the bright backgrounds were overblown), and surprisingly good audio recording quality.
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Work Performance – PCMark
We tested the OPPO F1s’ performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
OPPO F1s
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
honor 5C
honor 5X
Work Performance Score
(Average)
3884
5785
5357
3898
Web Browsing
3688
5132
5643
3756
Video Playback
3789
4138
4487
4325
Writing
4141
6286
5944
4370
Photo Editing
3933
8388
5469
3250
The octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor powering the OPPO F1s (Amazon) appears to be roughly equivalent in work performance to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor powering the honor 5X smartphone.
Battery Life – PCMark
We then tested the OPPO F1s’ battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.
While the MediaTek MT6750 may not be a very fast processor, it is certainly very power-efficient. The OPPO F1s packs a 3,075 mAh battery – about the same as the HTC 10, but lasts more than twice as long!
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) definitely has very good battery life. Remember, it lasted 13 continuous hours on this stress test. In real life, we have no problem using it for a full day lasting 16-18 hours. Even when we play games on it, it lasts more than 8 hours on one charge.
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Battery Recharging Performance
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) comes with a 10 W fast charger. It takes about 135 minutes (2 hours 15 minutes) to recharge its battery from 15% to 100%. That’s a battery life : recharging ratio of 6:1 – very impressive!
It actually recharged to 90% in just 87 minutes (1 hour 27 minutes). Getting from 15% to 50% only took 35 minutes. Not bad at all. Even a short charge will give you plenty of juice to power through the next few hours.
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Overall Performance
AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.
OPPO F1s
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
honor 5C
honor 5X
TOTAL SCORE
41486
68184
53417
36983
3D SCORE
4868
18360
9842
2446
– 3D (Marooned)
3188
10739
5795
1492
– 3D (Garden)
1679
7621
4047
954
UX SCORE
17640
23464
19297
16269
– UX Data Secure
4885
5356
5577
4673
– UX Data Process
2542
3235
2706
2438
– UX Strategy Games
2829
5601
4109
2698
– UX Image Process
3885
6240
3144
2599
– UX I/O Performance
3499
3022
3761
3861
CPU SCORE
14336
19872
19254
14031
– CPU Mathematics
3142
5953
4198
2968
– CPU Common Use
4805
4830
5947
4696
– CPU Multi-Core
6389
9089
9109
6367
RAM
4643
6488
5024
4237
The OPPO F1s (Amazon) put in a decent performance in AnTuTu, coming in between the honor 5C and the honor 5X in 3D and UX performance. It was just a little faster than the honor 5X in CPU and RAM performance.
Gaming Performance – 3DMark
We tested the OPPO F1s’ gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.
OPPO F1s
Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro
honor 5C
honor 5X
Gaming Score
7666
16989
11560
5543
Graphics
7511
21800
11067
5046
Physics
8265
9585
13698
8460
Graphics Test 1
49.4 fps
120.7 fps
63.4 fps
27.5 fps
Graphics Test 2
24.4 fps
78.0 fps
38.8 fps
18.3 fps
Physics Test
26.2 fps
30.4 fps
43.5 fps
26.9 fps
In 3D performance, the OPPO F1s (Amazon) did quite well, coming in between the honor 5C and the honor 5X.
Our Verdict & Award
If you are wondering how the heck did OPPO beat the likes of Huawei and Xiaomi in the ferocious Chinese market, you can just look at the design choices in the OPPO F1s smartphone. OPPO focused solely on the basic necessities to keep costs low, and only spent money where it would make a real difference.
For example, the OPPO F1s (Amazon) comes with a large and sharp IPS display protected by Gorilla Glass 4, but kept the resolution to 720 x 1280. It may not compare favourably against higher resolution displays in the market, the difference in resolution wouldn’t make a real difference to the user.
A lower resolution display also allows for better graphics performance, while reducing power consumption. That allowed the OPPO F1s (Amazon) to deliver much faster 2D and 3D graphics performance than the honor 5X, which uses an equivalent processor. Yet, it boasts 50% better battery life than the honor 5X, even though they both also have the same battery capacity.
OPPO chose to focus instead on the high resolution selfie camera in the front, extra RAM and flash storage. The selfie camera is the OPPO F1s’ killer feature, after all. Anyone who wants the best selfie camera in a smartphone will know that this is what OPPO excels in. So it pays to spend money on the front camera.
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The extra RAM, on the other hand, gives it a real performance advantage over equivalent smartphones with 2 GB of RAM. The extra flash storage more than doubles the available storage for the user, and looks great when a potential buyer compares the OPPO F1s (Amazon) against competitors in the same price range (usually with just 16 GB of storage).
Even the accessories show the same focus on the necessities over bling. The OPPO F1s (Amazon) comes with a pair of earphones and a clear TPU case. Really the only accessories that you will likely use.
We only note two issues of concern. The first is OPPO’s continued use of the 1.5 year old Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. Other smartphone brands have long moved to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and are now in the process of switching to Android 7.0 Nougat.
We also wonder why the OPPO F1s (Amazon) does not even support electronic image stabilization. That is usually available when optical image stabilization is not built-in, because the cost to implement it is negligible. Perhaps they were focusing on the performance of the front selfie camera.
Overall, the OPPO F1s (Amazon) is a sleek, well-made smartphone with features that really matter. At this price point, it won’t have many competitors that can offer 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash storage. And no one else will offer a 16 MP front camera for the ultimate selfies. So if selfies are your “thing”, the OPPO F1s is really your only choice in this price point.
For those reasons, we think the OPPO F1s (Amazon) deserves the Tech ARP Reviewer’s Choice Award. Congratulations, OPPO!
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At the recent launch of the honor 8 smartphone, Allen An, E-Commerce Director of honor Malaysia also took the opportunity to reveal the new honor 5A smartphone. Check it out!
The honor 5A Smartphone
The new honor 5A smartphone is powered by the Kirin 620 chipset with an 64-bit octa-core CPU and comes with 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage. Its storage is further expandable via microSD (up to 128GB).
Running on Android 5.1, the honor 5A comes with a 5.5-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and is powered by a 3,100 mAh battery.
In terms of camera, the honor 5A packs a 13 MP primary camera on the rear and a 8 MP front shooter, equipped with flagship camera mode such as Light Painting, Professional and Time-lapse.
This smartphone comes in three colours – Black, White and Gold. The Black and White variants are priced at RM599 / ~US$149, while the Gold variant is priced at RM629 / ~US$157.
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At a glamorous launch event in Bangsar South, OPPO revealed a new member of their Selfie Expert series – the new OPPO F1s selfie smartphone. Malaysian actress, celebrity, and OPPO Selfie Queen, Nora Danish, even stopped by to give a few selfie tips! Check it out!
OPPO F1s Launch Event
The Malaysian national gymnastic team kicked off the OPPO F1s launch event with an impressive dance. Then OPPO Branding Director, Nikki Chen, gave an update on OPPO’s development in Malaysia.
OPPO F1s Key Features Revealed
Next, OPPO Overseas Product Manager, Abby, revealed the key features of the new F1s selfie smartphone.
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Selfie Tips From Nora Danish
Malaysian darling Nora Danish then came on stage to give everyone some selfie tips using the new F1s smartphone. Check it out!
Price & Availability
Finally, William Fang, CEO of OPPO Malaysia, revealed its price and availability!
The OPPO F1s smartphone will be available for pre-order from the 10th until the 19th of August, with retail sales and delivery starting on the 20th of August, 2016. It will have a recommended retail price of just RM 1,198 / ~US$ 299!
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Can’t get enough of Nora Danish? Here is the commercial she did for the new F1s selfie smartphone!
And here is a short clip of her photography session after the launch event.
Launch Event Photos
Here are some photos we took at the OPPO F1s launch event :
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OPPO F1s Specifications
Specifications
OPPO F1s
Model Number
OPPO A1601
Display
5.5" IPS display - 720 x 1280 pixels
Display Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (with 2.5D curved edge)
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop with ColorOS 3.0
System Platform
MediaTek MT6750
Processor
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.5 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.0 GHz)
Yes, with multi-finger support
- registers fingerprints in 0.22 s
GPS
Yes, A-GPS
NFC
No
Battery
3,075 mAh lithium polymer battery (non-removable)
Dimensions
76 mm wide x 154.5 mm high x 7.38 mm thick
Weight
160 g
Available Colours
Gold / Rose Gold
Recommended Retail Price (at launch)
RM 1,198 / ~US$ 299
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On June 28, 2016, TP-LINK announced the latest addition to its Neffos C5 family of smartphones – the Neffos C5 Max. With a 5.5″ display, it is literally the largest and most premium model in the Neffos C5 family of smartphones. Let’s check it out!
Neffos C5 Family
You might be wondering what’s the difference between the three Neffos C5 models. For your convenience, here is a specification comparison of all three models :
Front : 5 MP
Rear : 13 MP with dual-tone LED flash and f/2.0 lens
Front : 5 MP
Rear : 8 MP with dual-tone LED flash
Front : 2 MP
Rear : 8 MP with LED flash
Network
LTE FDD Cat4 (150/50 Mbps)
DC-HSPA+ (42/11 Mbps)
LTE FDD Cat4 (150/50 Mbps)
DC-HSPA+ (42/11 Mbps)
Connectivity
802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) WiFi
Bluetooth 4.0
802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) WiFi
Bluetooth 4.2
802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz) WiFi
Bluetooth 4.0
Dual SIM Capability
Dual SIM, Dual Standby
Dual SIM, Dual Standby
Dual SIM, Dual Standby
Battery
3045 mAh lithium-ion battery
2200 mAh lithium-ion battery
2000 mAh lithium-ion battery
Dimensions
76 mm wide
152 mm high
8.95 mm thick
72 mm wide
144 mm high
8.8 mm thick
67.7 mm wide
136 mm high
10.15 mm thick
Weight
161 g
141 g
154 g
Available Colours
Pearl White / Dark Grey
Pearl White / Dark Grey
Pearl White / Dark Grey
Neffos C5 Max Launch
Hugo Cai, Country Manager of TP-LINK Malaysia began the Neffos C5 Max with a speech, followed by the launch gambit.
Also present were Robert Hu, Regional Manager of Neffos Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa; CM Loo, ECS Senior Marketing Manager; and Bruce Lim, 11street Vice President for Merchandising.
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Neffos C5 Max Revealed
In this video, Martin Zhu, Product Director of the Neffos Mobile Phone Division, reveals the key features of the Neffos C5 Max smartphone :
Neffos C5 Max Key Features
Clarity Redefined
The Neffos C5 Max sports a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display which offers crystal clear picture quality. Equipped with high definition LCD technology, the display outperforms anytime with 178 degrees of impeccable clarity and boasts an impressive 1600:1 contrast ratio, providing users an immersive visual experience that is more brighter, sharper and defined.
Built To Last and Designed For Powerful Performance
Powered by a powerful MediaTek MT6753 octa-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A53 64bit processor and an ARM Mali-T720 MP3 GPU, the Neffos C5 Max is designed to provide users with a seamless mobile experience, whether for work or play.
This smartphone is also packed with 16GB of internal flash storage and 2GB of RAM, to allow users to seamlessly switch between multiple applications when on the go.
The Neffos C5 Max’s exterior is as powerful as its internal processor; with a built-in Corning Gorilla Glass 2 that is highly scratch resistant which increases the durability of the phone and enhances the touch interface experience.
Picture Perfect Camera
The Neffos C5 Max is equipped with a rear 13MP camera that captures beautiful, precise and detailed shots. With the camera’s large F2.0 aperture and dual LED flash, the Neffos C5 Max allows for extraordinary photos to be taken even in low-light environments.
The front-facing 5MP wide-angle lens, meanwhile, makes it possible for users to take endless we-fies and selfies with their loved ones, and capture their best moments through day to night.
A Personalized Mobile Experience
Combined with the highly customizable Android 5.1, the Neffos C5 Max features smart technology to simplify one’s life with a personalized interface, providing natural, colourful, effortless operations.
Consumers have the option of using the Smart Screenshot to capture multiple screenshots in one extended shot or awake their inner artist by drawing on their photos, make use of the different artistic filters on the Super Camera feature, and capturing perfect portraits with the Beautify Selfie mode.
Neffos C5 Max Price & Availability
The Neffos C5 Max is priced at RM699 / ~US$175 and comes in two sleek finishes – Pearl White and Dark Grey.
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On June 30, 2016, YTL Communications revealed their debut smartphone – the Yes Altitude. The Altitude is designed to be an entry-level VoLTE-capable smartphone. Hence, it is priced at just RM399 (~US$99), and bundled free with the new Yes Postpaid 88 plan.
In this video, YTL Communications CEO Wing K. Lee, explains the rationale behind the Yes Altitude smartphone and details its key features. Check it out!
Yes Altitude Smartphone Specifications
Specifications
Yes Altitude Smartphone
Display
5" IPS on-cell display (720 x 1280)
Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916)
Processor
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.0 GHz)
Graphics Processor
Qualcomm Adreno 306 GPU
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Memory
1 GB SDRAM
Storage
8 GB internal flash storage
microSD slot (supports up to 32 GB)
8 MP rear camera with f/2.0 lens
2 MP front camera
Battery
2,300 mAh lithium-ion battery
Dimensions
72 mm wide
142 mm tall
8.7 mm thick
Available Colours
Gold, Silver, White
Yes Altitude Offers
The Yes Altitude can be purchased at any Yes outlets for RM 399. Each will come with a free Yes 4G LTE prepaid card with 30 GB of free data worth about RM 190!
The Altitude is also offered FREE, or at a discounted price of RM 199, with these two Yes 4G LTE plans.
Of course, these Yes 4G LTE bundle plans will not include the free Yes 4G prepaid card with 30 GB of free data.
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Kuala Lumpur, 27 June 2016 — Bringing consumers superior photography and meticulous design at an incredible price, OPPO has announced a new entry-level device, the OPPO A37. Available starting today at the price of RM798 / ~US$199, the OPPO A37 boasts two high-performances cameras, eye-catching design and the upgraded ColorOS 3.0, making for a superb all-around experience.
Brilliant photography, front and back
The OPPO A37 brings users an outstanding selfie experience, even in low-light conditions. It uses a 5 MP front camera with a 1/4-inch sensor and OmniBSI+ (backside illumination), while its extremely large 1.4 μm pixels, the biggest available in this price segment, increase light sensitivity and reduce noise. Coupled with the Screen Flash feature, which emits a flash from the display, these features ensure that the A37 takes bright and natural-looking selfies in any condition.
The Beautify 4.0 technology has been optimized using data from millions of users, and now supports 7 different levels of intelligent beautification, with two modes for different skin tones. This allows the A37 to capture your best look at any moment.
The OPPO A37 sports an 8 MP rear camera with a 1/3.2-inch back-illuminated sensor and the same large 1.4 μm pixels as the front camera, for maximum light sensitivity and minimum noise. The large pixels also work to bump up the dynamic range and give pictures a vivid depth. Meanwhile, with Ultra-HD mode, the A37 shoots five photos consecutively and combines the best parts of each, creating 24 MP photos with breathtaking color and detail.
To avoid accidental shakes when a user’s arm is outstretched to take a selfie, the OPPO A37 features Palm Shutter. By simply waving a hand in front of the camera, users can activate an automatic photo countdown, with a customizable duration. The A37 also comes packed with 9 awesome filters and a host of shooting modes, including Double Exposure and Slow Shutter, opening up endless possibilities for creativity and style.
Sleek, eye-catching design
The OPPO A37 evokes a sleek, understated elegance. Its 5-inch display is covered in 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4, giving a premium look without sacrificing premium durability, while the flawlessly smooth rear surface is expertly calibrated for a comfortable, stable grip.
Fitted with an internal high-strength magnesium aluminum alloy framework, the OPPO A37 weighs in at only 136 grams. It’s an impressively balanced weight, giving the phone a beautifully light, but never insubstantial, feel.
The eye-catching device comes in two lustrous metallic colors: gold and rose gold.
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Snappy performance, new triple-slot card tray
The OPPO A37 cruises on 2GB RAM and a quad-core 64-bit Snapdragon processor, for a seamless multitasking experience. It supports 16 GB ROM, expandable by another 128 GB, giving you plenty of room for all of your favorite media and memories.
An expandable memory slot sits alongside two additional 4G SIM slots supporting speeds of up to 150 Mbps. Keeping life balanced is a breeze with the new triple-slot tray.
The OPPO A37 uses OPPO’s all-new ColorOS 3.0, fully upgraded for faster, smoother and more efficient performance. Combining a leaner design and purpose-built optimizations for a range of common use scenarios, ColorOS 3.0 has a running speed that’s more than 20% faster than the previous ColorOS 2.1. ColorOS 3.0 is also customized for power-saving, with an automatic cleanup feature that adapts to user habits to keep their battery going strong throughout the day.
ColorOS 3.0 supports a special Privacy Protection feature, allowing users to easily designate any contacts, apps, files, or other content as private. Then, when users activate the feature (for example, when lending the phone to a friend or colleague), all private info will be hidden automatically so the user can share the device without any worry.
The OPPO A37 also inherits OPPO’s legacy of premium audio experiences. With Dirac HD Sound, users will enjoy audio that’s as close to the original performance as possible.
OPPO A37 Specifications
Dimensions/Weight
Height 143.1 mm
Width 71 mm
Thickness 7.68 mm
Weight 136g (with battery)
Basic Parameters
Color Golden, Rose Gold
Operating System ColorOS 3.0 based on Android 5.1
CPU MSM 8916, Quad-core 1.2GHz
GPU Adreno A306
RAM 2GB
Storage 16 GB (Support independent micro SD, up to128GB)
Battery 2630 mAh
Display
Size 5.0-inch
Type IPS-TFT
Resolution HD (1280 by 720 pixels)
Colors 16 million color
Touchscreen 2.5D, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Camera
Main Sensor 8-megapixel
Front sensor 5-megapixel
Flash LED Flash
HDR Yes
Ultra-HD 16M&24M
Aperture Rear: f/2.2
Aperture Front: f/2.4
Connectivity
Malaysia Version
GSM Band 2/3/5/8
WCDMA Band 1/5/8
LTE Band 1/3/5/7/8/41
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On the 15th of June, 2016, Samsung officially launched the 2016 Galaxy J Series of affordable smartphones – the Galaxy J7, the Galaxy J5 and the Galaxy J1. All three models boast two key features – an Ultra Data Saving (UDS) Mode, and dual SIM, dual standby capability.
After the launch event, we had some hands-on time with all three models. Hope you enjoy our 2016 Galaxy J Series hands-on preview videos!
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The 2016 Galaxy J Series Is Optimised For Data
Arguably the key feature of the 2016 Galaxy J series is their Ultra Data Saving (UDS) Mode. The new UDS mode is designed to reduce data usage by up to 50%. It achieves this by compressing data that is uploaded and downloaded, while restricting data usage by background applications.
According to Samsung, the UDS Mode reduced data usage by up to 62% on Instagram and 46% on YouTube! This was based on their test results using Opera Max that was carried out from April 1-25. Of course, the actual results will vary according to your usage patterns.
As a bonus, the UDS Mode also frees up RAM, and increases battery life. In fact, Samsung says that the UDS Mode will double the 2016 Galaxy J Series smartphones’ standby time!
This is perfect for the next-generation data-only 4G LTE networks like the new Yes 4G LTE network.
Dual SIM, Dual Standby Capability
All 2016 Galaxy J Series smartphones come with dual SIM, dual standby capability. This gives you the flexibility of using two different networks in a single device. This is particularly convenient for frequent travelers who can now use their local SIM and international SIM cards simultaneously.
2016 Galaxy J Series Smartphone Comparison
In this table, we will compare the specifications of the 2016 Samsung Galaxy J7, J5 and J1 smartphones.
The 2016 Samsung Galaxy J7, J5 and J1 smartphones are available beginning today, June 16, 2016 at all Samsung Experience Stores and authorised dealers, at the following recommended retail prices :
2016 Galaxy J7 : RM 1,049 / ~US$ 262
2016 Galaxy J5 : RM 849 / ~US$ 212
2016 Galaxy J1 : RM 449 / ~US$ 112
All three models will be available in 3 colour options – Black, White and Gold.
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On April 27th, 2016, LEAGOO revealed the LEAGOO Shark 1 [Amazon] smartphone. It boasts a large 6″ full HD display and a metal chassis, and an astounding 6,300 mAh battery. It comes to no surprise that LEAGOO claims that the Shark 1 will last 2 days of heavy use, or 3.5 days of normal use.
The LEAGOO Shark 1 [Amazon] is no lame duck either. It’s powered by a quad-core MediaTek processor and comes with 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. Check out its specifications :
Specifications
LEAGOO Shark 1 Smartphone
Display
6" LG LTPS full HD display
1080 x 1920 resolution (368 ppi)
Corning Gorilla Glass protection with 2.5D curved edge
Platform
MediaTek MT6753
Processor
8 x ARM Cortex-A53 processors (1.3 GHz)
Graphics Processor
ARM Mali-T720
Memory
3 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM
Storage
16 GB internal flash storage
microSD card slot (supports up to 128 GB)
Operating System
LEAGOO OS 1.2 on Android 5.1
Front Camera
5 MP sensor
Rear Camera
13 Sony BSI-2 sensor with f/2.0 wide-angle lens and dual-tone LED flash
SIM Capability
Two microSIM slots
Dual SIM, dual standby capability
Connectivity
4G LTE
Bluetooth 4.0
microUSB 2.0 port
GPS Support
Yes
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, 0.39 s recognition speed, 508 ppi resolution
Available Colours
Elegant Black / Modern Gold / Satin Silver
You can get more details about the LEAGOO Shark 1 in our launch coverage, where LEAGOO explains its key features. You can also check out Zul Ariffin’s testimonial about using his own LEAGOO Shark 1 smartphone.
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Shark 1 Hands-On Preview
After the LEAGOO Shark 1 launch event with Malaysian celebrity Zul Ariffin, we had the opportunity to record our own LEAGOO Shark 1 hands-on preview. Check it out below. We hope you enjoy it!
Here is the video transcript :
Here are LEAGOO Shark 1’s key features…
From the frontal aspect, it looks like the honor 5X we reviewed recently.
The fingerprint sensor in the rear aspect looks similar to the Huawei Mate 8.
Now, let’s take a closer look…
On the left side, you will find the dual SIM + microSD card slot.
The Gorilla Glass cover has a 2.5D curved edge all around.
The micro USB port is located at the bottom, together with a mic port.
There are no dedicated capacitive touch buttons in the front.
On the right side, you will find the Power button and a rocker switch for Volume.
Its specifications claim an LED flash for the front camera but it’s probably a typo. The LED flash is really for the rear 13 MP camera.
LEAGOO emphasised that the Shark 1’s rear camera uses a Sony BSI-2 sensor.
The fingerprint sensor has an activation speed of 0.39 seconds. And it allows you to unlock the LEAGOO Shark 1 with a quick touch.
The speaker vents are located at the bottom of the back.
The earphone port is located at the top, together with a second mic port.
The LEAGOO Shark 1 is powered by the 1.3 GHz MediaTek MTK6753 processor, which has eight Cortex-A53 cores and the Mali-T720 GPU.
The LEAGOO Shark 1 comes with Android 5.1 installed, and 3 GB of RAM with 2.1 GB free to use. And 16 GB of internal storage, of which 11.59 GB is free to use. Its microSD card slot allows you to add up to 128 GB of additional storage.
Its killer feature is really its 6,300 mAh Li-Po battery.
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On April 27 2016, we were invited to the grand launch of the LEAGOO Shark 1 [Amazon] smartphone held at Connexion@Nexus in Bangsar South. Here is our coverage of the LEAGOO Shark 1 launch which also included the introduction of local heartthrob actor, Zul Ariffin as LEAGOO’s brand ambassador.
Has battery life been a major concern for your choice of smartphone these days? Fret not, LEAGOO is here to solve your worries with the launch of their latest flagship smartphone, the LEAGOO Shark 1. Packing a massive 6,300 mAh Li-Po battery and a huge 6-inch screen, you can have it for just RM999(inclusive of GST) / ~US$ 249!
A Corning Gorilla Glass 4-protected 6-inch Full HD LG LTPS display(that has a pixel density of 368 ppi) covers almost the entire front of the Shark 1. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek MT6753 64-bit Octa-Core processor paired with 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card). All of these, encased in a metal unibody design.
Other than the large 6-inch screen, the LEAGOO Shark 1’s other selling point has got to be its massive 6,300 mAh battery that lasts up to 3.5 days on general usage and 2 days with heavy usage on a full charge. Worried that it’ll take forever to fully charge that massive battery?
Well, LEAGOO equipped it with what they coined as Pump Express Flash Charge technology. This is a quick-charging technology using a special 9V/3A charger, a mere 30 minutes of charging time can give users a full day of use, whereas a full charge only takes 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The LEAGOO Shark 1 [Amazon] also has Reverse Charging function that enables users to charge other devices too! Despite the massive battery, the LEAGOO Shark 1 still maintains a slim profile, coming in at only 8.5mm thick. According to LEAGOO during the launch, they are in the process of applying for a Guinness World Record for having the slimmest profile with the biggest battery.
The main camera on the back of the LEAGOO Shark 1 [Amazon] features a 13 MP Sony BSI-2 stack sensor with F/2.0 aperture with dual-tone LED flash. For Selfies, there’s a 5 MP camera up front that also comes with LED flash to help out when the lighting conditions isn’t ideal.
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The LEAGOO Shark 1 [Amazon] runs LEAGOO OS v1.2 based on Android Lollipop out of the box. As with most recent smartphones, the LEAGOO Shark 1 comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, which, other than being used for unlocking the smartphone from as fast as 0.39 seconds, does double duty to serve other functions such as taking photos and launching your favourite apps too!
Last but not least, the LEAGOO Shark 1 [Amazon] is available in a choice of three colors, namely, Midnight Black, Galaxy White and Champagne Gold. It is readily available for a retail price of RM 999 (~US$ 249) at LEAGOO’s flagship store in Low Yat Plaza as well as authorised dealers and retailers nationwide.
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The Doogee T6 is a 5.5″ smartphone with a super-long battery life, thanks to its 6,250 mAh battery! In many aspects, it is very similar to the Doogee Y200.
It has the same 5.5″ IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280, and comes with an 8 MP rear camera. The Doogee T6 is also powered by the same quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor and runs on Android 5.1 with 2 GB of RAM.
Beyond that, the Doogee T6 trades the fingerprint sensor, the 5 MP front camera and half the storage capacity for a dual-tone flash to support its rear camera and a much larger 6,250 mAh battery. This allows it to take better flash photography and even serve as a power bank for other devices.
Again, Doogee quotes both cameras as having higher resolutions of 13 MP and 5 MP respectively. However, that is because they perform software extrapolation to achieve those resolutions (by default). Their true resolutions are 8 MP and 2 MP respectively.
The Doogee T6 smartphone is available in either White or Black colours, and is now available for sale on GEMFIVE with the retail price of RM 599 / ~US$ 149.
First Look At The Doogee T6
This video shows the key features of the Doogee T6 smartphone, as well as its available RAM and storage capacity.
[adrotate banner=”4″]Key Specifications
Runs on Android 5.1
Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor
2 GB RAM + 16 GB flash storage
5.5″ IPS display with HD resolution of 720 x 1280
8 MP main camera with software extrapolation to 13 MP.
2 MP front camera with software extrapolation to 5 MP.
6,250 mAh lithium-ion battery (9 hour video playback / 3 days of normal use)
Available in black / white
77 mm wide x 153.8 mm tall x 9.9 mm thick
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The Doogee Y200 is a 5.5″ smartphone is targeted at the youth market. As such, it has an ultra-slim profile with a thickness of just 7.6 mm, and a fast fingerprint sensor that can unlock the phone within 0.15 second. It has an IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1280.
It is powered by the quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor with the ARM Mali-T720 GPU, and runs on Android 5.1. It has 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal flash storage.
It also features an 8 MP rear camera (with a Sony sensor and LED flash), and a 5 MP front camera. However, Doogee quotes both cameras as having a resolution of 13 MP and 8 MP respectively, because they perform software extrapolation to achieve those resolutions (by default).
The Doogee Y200 smartphone is available in either White or Black colours, and is now available for sale on GEMFIVE with the retail price of RM 699 / ~US$ 175.
First Look At The Doogee Y200
This video shows the key features of the Doogee Y200 smartphone, as well as its available RAM and storage capacity.
[adrotate banner=”4″]Key Specifications
Runs on Android 5.1
Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor
2 GB RAM + 32 GB flash storage
5.5″ IPS display with HD resolution of 720 x 1280
8 MP main camera (Sony sensor) with software extrapolation to 13 MP.
5 MP front camera with software extrapolation to 8 MP.
3,000 mAh lithium-ion battery
Fast fingerprint sensor (0.15 sec detection)
All-metal unibody chassis (in black / white)
77.1 mm wide x 155.5 mm tall x 7.6 mm thick
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TP-LINK may be the largest global manufacturer of WiFi networking products, but they aren’t resting on their laurels. Instead of fighting for an even bigger share of the same pie, they decided to branch out into the smartphone market with their Neffos C5 and Neffos C5L smartphones.
Yesterday, we were invited to the official launch of the Neffos C5 and Neffos C5L smartphones. At hand was also the Neffos C5 Max smartphone that would be launched shortly as well. Take a look!
Now, let’s take a look at the pictures, videos and specifications of the Neffos C5 & C5L smartphones! We will also show you photos and some specifications of the upcoming Neffos C5 Max smartphone.
Neffos C5 Smartphone
The Neffos C5 is an Android 5.1 smartphone that is powered by the quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. It has a large 5.0″ IPS display with a HD resolution of 720 x 1280, and weighs just 141 g.
It has a 5 MP front camera, and an 8 MP rear camera with a dual-tone LED flash. In case you run out of storage, you can add a microSD card (up to 32 GB). It has a launch price of RM 539 (~US$ 135).
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Neffos C5L Smartphone
The Neffos C5L is an Android 5.1.1 smartphone that is powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. It has a 4.5″ display with a FWVGA resolution of 480 x 854, and weighs 154 g.
It has a 2 MP front camera, and an 8 MP rear camera with an LED flash. In case you run out of storage, you can add a microSD card (up to 32 GB). It has a launch price of just RM 359 (~US$ 90).
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Neffos C5 & C5L Specification Comparison
Here is a specification comparison of the Neffos C5 & C5L smartphones :
The Neffos C5 Max is an Android 5.1 smartphone that is powered by the octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. It has a large 5.5″ IPS display with a full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920, and a large 3,405 mAh battery.
It has a 5 MP front camera, and a 13 MP rear camera with a dual-tone LED flash. In case you run out of storage, you can also add a microSD card (up to 32 GB). Its launch price and date has yet to be announced.
Availability
Both the Neffos C5 and Neffos C5L will be available in both Pearl White and Dark Grey colours, at RM 539 (~US$ 135) and RM 359 (~US$ 90) respectively from Lazada Malaysia on April 12, 2016 onwards.
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Kuala Lumpur, March 7th, 2016 — Attention to all the love birds who celebrate White Day (White Valentine’s Day) and has been looking for a fitting gift for their other half(s), you have come to a solution: OPPO is adding a touch of Rose Gold into the F series, making the “Selfie Expert” a perfectly shiny, state-of-the-art gift for the romantics.
Remaining at the price of RM1,198 as the Gold colour variant that available in late January 2016, the Rose Gold option too, features a standout 8 megapixel selfie camera that has packed with Beautify 3.0, Pure Image 2.0+, a ton of selfie-friendly functions including “Palm Shutter” and “Screen Flash” that tailored for selfie supremacy.
Backed by OPPO’s spectacular build quality and design, the selfie camera quickly grabbed the attention of all since it arrived in Malaysian market alongside its selfie ambassador, Nora Danish. To match beautiful selfies with an equally stunning outlook for the full metal body phone, a hint of rose gold is set to create another frenzy for OPPO’s sales in March.
With 5-inch display, mere 7.25 mm of thickness and slight 134-gram weight, OPPO assures F1 feels just right in your palm. The 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Screen is twice as strong as ordinary glass, making F1 extra scratch-resistant, both durable and attractive to the touch.
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OPPO F1 Rose Gold Availability & Price
The OPPO F1 Rose Gold will be available starting from 11st March 2016at the price of RM1,198 (~US$ 289) in all OPPO concept stores and authorized dealer stores, check out the versatile tone that will fit right on your palm.
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The LEAGOO Alfa 2 is an improved and upgraded version of the previous Lead 2 and Lead 2s models with a new feature of its own. The first ever LEAGOO device with an Ion Smart Touch and like all LEAGOO smartphones, it came equipped with the DUAL SIM capabilities. Priced at RM 449 (~US$ 109), the Alfa 2 is now available at every authorized LEAGOO dealers throughout Malaysia.
LEAGOO Alfa 2 Design and Hardware
The Alfa 2 thin metal makes for the sleekest design in the Alfa series line-up. It is only thinner than the other Alfa series model due to its curved design and a removable back cover covering its built-in 2,600mAh battery that is able to last in a single day with the mobile data on and moderate usage. The Alfa 2’s 5-inch 720p display combines with the new 2.5D arc edges design with curved edges making it feels like a premium built device.
Equipped with a 1.3 GHz Quad Core Processor coupled with 1GB of RAM that offers a smooth and stutter free user experience, it came with a built-in 16GB of ROM with an option of expandable storage via Micro SD card up to 32GB maximum. Basic applications on the Alfa 2 have no difficulties operating with smooth performance and multitasking experience for user.
LEAGOO Alfa 2 Display
Its 5-inch HD IPS display has a resolution of 1280×720-pixel with a pixel density of 294 pixels per inch (PPI) where colours are vivid and vibrant in its typical IPS display. The display has no problem in the direct sunlight while colours are accurate and true even when the device is being hold at an awkward angle. The Alfa 2 is an excellent one handed device with its 5-inch screen coupled with the Rear Touch Panel further enhancing the one handed user experience.
LEAGOO Alfa 2 Software and Features
An almost-completely stock build of Android 5.1 with just a few tweaks by LEAGOO, all of Android Lollipop’s fine touches are still available, such as the sound and notification, multiple user accounts functionality and etc works perfectly fine like they always do. Features such as the three finger for screenshot capture, two finger to switch between themes and double tap for device wake up are all available in LEAGOO’s new OS 1.1 system.
The most notable feature on the Alfa 2 was indeed its Ion Smart Touch by LEAGOO, where it can be used to navigate the home screen from left to right or scrolling through webpages or applications such as Facebook and Instagram.
Waking up the screen with only the Ion Smart Touch or simply launching an app is just a slight double tap on the back. Both of the cameras on Alfa 2 are able to fully utilize its Ion Smart Touch technology to snap photo or selfie just by the long pressing on the center of Ion Smart Touch. Checking the selfie results with Alfa 2 is just a swipe to left on the Ion Smart Touch.
With Bluetooth 4.1 available, it helps reduces power consumption by 50% and also improves the transmission efficiency by 8 times compared to the previous version 2.0 for a faster connection between devices and multiple wearable devices.
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Camera and Video
With a SONY 13-megapixel rear camera and a dual-tone LED flash packed into the device, it is not surprising that the photo quality from Alfa 2 were always crisp and generally well saturated. Photography during low-light is no longer an issue with its dual-tone LED flash, while colours were pretty accurate and sharp thanks to its dual tone flash.
Its front camera was equipped with a SONY 5-megapixel and a front LED flash, allowing selfie lovers to fall in love with LEAGOO Alfa 2 that takes beautiful photos even in low light condition. With its Ion Smart Touch, selfie can be easily taken without lifting a finger. Video recording is surprisingly amazing with its capability to record videos in 720p format with 30 frames per second.
Summary
The first LEAGOO smartphone with a secondary touch panel on its back is a huge leap by LEAGOO to create a smartphone that tries to change the way on how smartphone are being used. A perfect upgrade from its old predecessor with a newly implemented feature with a new hardware and software wise, the Alfa 2 is launching in the Malaysia market from March 7th 2016 onwards. The Alfa 2 is available in Midnight Black, Dazzling White, Champagne Gold and Glossy Pink.
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Have you seen a smartphone survive a box of burning fireworks? The honor team had a spare box of fireworks and wondered – can the honor 5X survive death by firework? 😀
You can now witness the durability of the honor 5X when 1000 fireworks, wrapped around the body of the smartphone, was burned to great fanfare.
After the storm of explosions, the team retrieved the honor 5X, and checked to see the status of the phone. Is it still working? Was there any problems using the phone after the explosion? Did the honor 5X survive the fireworks? Check out the video here to see for yourself!
The full-metal construction of the honor 5X features a 5.5 inch 1080p screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor that delivers great performance, 16GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, 13-Megapixel rear camera, as well as a second generation, frameless fingerprint sensor.
You can read more about the honor 5X in our article on its launch!
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The honor 5X was one of the most eagerly-awaited smartphones to hit the Malaysian market. After all, how many Android smartphones do you know has a metal chassis with a full HD display, a fast second-generation fingerprint sensor and a Qualcomm octa-core processor, and costs less than RM 950 (~US$ 220)?
If that’s not enough, it comes with a large 3,000 mAh battery and three different card slots — nano-SIM, micro-SIM, and microSD. This means you no longer need to make the difficult choice of either having extra storage, or an additional SIM for your second line. Both SIM slots are 4G enabled, and the microSD slot supports up to 128 GB of extra storage.
After honor Malaysia announced the prices and pre-order date, honor fans counted down to the day they could place their order for the new honor 5X smartphones. When the day came, they flooded the etailers with over 3,000 pre-orders of the honor 5X smartphones. And that was just on the special pre-order day.
These lucky fans have already received their honor 5X smartphones on the 19th of February. Those who were not fortunate enough to order on the special pre-order date can start purchasing the honor 5X from tomorrow, February 23, onwards.
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As our review of the Alcatel Flash 2 noted, it is a hidden gem that offers a great deal of features and capabilities. Designed around the Alcatel mobigraphy concept, the Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) has a great main camera with a dual-tone flash, as well as a high-resolution selfie camera with its own flash. That’s why we know this would make a great prize for our first giveaway contest of 2016 – the Alcatel Flash 2 Giveaway Contest!
What’s At Stake?
The prize is our Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) review sample. This is a full retail set that includes the Alcatel Flash 2 flip case and screen protector, as well as a pair of hands-free earphones.
Tag 2 friends in the comments below the Contest Post.
Share the Contest Post (REMEMBER to set it to Public so we can track!)
Method #2 : Email
Subscribe to our mailing list. You will find it on the right side bar of our articles.
Email a link to Tech ARP, or any of our articles to your friends
CC or BCC contest @ techarp.com in your email so we can track
That’s it! It’s that simple. You don’t need to think of any slogans, dance for us, or do any funny shit. Just click, click, click from the comfort of your chair and you are done! 😀
You may participate as many times as you wish, using either or both methods. But make sure you read and follow the instructions.
The Alcatel Flash 2 Giveaway Contest ends at midnight, the 31st of January 2015 (GMT+8), so make sure you complete either (or both) methods before then to qualify!
At the end of the contest, we will collate all of the results (both Facebook and email methods) and randomly select one winner from the combined pool.
Flash 2 Giveaway Contest Terms & Conditions
Contestants are allowed to participate using either (or both) the Facebook and email methods as many times as they wish, but repetitions will not be counted.
Facebook users must use their personal Facebook account. Corporate and contest gaming accounts will be automatically disqualified.[adrotate banner=”4″]
Email users will be automatically disqualified if they send emails to fake email accounts.
Once the winner is announced, the contest winner will have 7 days to provide Tech ARP with the mailing details. Failing to do so will result in the nullification of the results, and a new winner will be selected instead.
Tech ARP will deliver the prize through mail or courier service to the winner. Tech ARP will, however, not be responsible for any loss or damage that occurs during the delivery of the prize.
In the event where a winner gives up the prize(s), either intentionally or by neglect or refusal to provide his/her details in a timely fashion, his/her rights to the prize will be rendered null and void.
Under unexpected circumstances where the prize(s) is not available, Tech ARP has the right to substitute the prize(s) with another prize of similar value.
Tech ARP has the right to disqualify any participant who violates the terms of this contest. The rules and regulations are subject to change by Tech ARP without prior notice. Complaints will not be entertained.
Tech ARP reserves the right to amend or delay or even cancel the contest due to any unexpected circumstances.
Flash 2 Giveaway Contest Privacy Policy
Any personal information that you submit will only be used by Tech ARP for promotional and communications purposes only.
Any personal information that you submit will not be sold or used or shared with a third-party, without your prior consent.
Contest Results!
We are very excited to announce the Alcatel Flash 2 contest results! This time, a total of 442 contestants participated. Thank you for making it such a success!
We have not only selected the winner of the Alcatel Flash 2, we have also pre-selected a backup winner, in case the first winner does not get back to us on time. Let’s see who won!
The winner must PM or email us with your details within 7 days of this announcement, or the prize will go to the backup winner, and so on.
Full Name
Mobile / Telephone Number
Full Address
If you did not win this time, don’t worry – our sister website has a contest running right now! Check out the EXMobile iCute Plus Giveaway Contest!
Help Us Help You!
Tech ARP will be sponsoring many of these prizes and delivery of all prizes at substantial cost to the team. If you would like to help us defray our costs, you can do so by visiting more of our sponsors or participating in our forums. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Samsung Malaysia launched the newSamsung Galaxy A Series (2016) smartphones to great fanfare at Sunway Pyramid yesterday. The new Galaxy A Series looks and feels eerily identical to the elegant Samsung Galaxy S6, yet is significantly cheaper. If you always wanted a Galaxy S6 but could not afford one, you will definitely want to check out the new Galaxy A series.
The elegant Choo Mei Sze was the MC for the day
Fittingly, Samsung chose the elegant Choo Mei Sze and the fun Samsung Malaysia’s Mobile Division Product Manager, Go Benn Lee, to launch the new Galaxy A smartphones which are targeted at the hip youth market.
Samsung Product Manager, Go Benn Lee showing off the new Galaxy A series (2016) smartphones with the help of two models
The new Samsung Galaxy A (2016) smartphones
The new Samsung Galaxy A (2016) smartphones
The Samsung Galaxy A Series (2016)
Kuala Lumpur, January 28, 2016 – Samsung Malaysia Electronics today is proud to unveil its latest Galaxy A Series (2016) smartphones in a unique lifestyle setting to underline the device’s core properties of camera and storage features.
Boasting the brand’s latest in innovative design and technology, the Galaxy A Series (2016) offers Malaysian consumers a platform to express their individuality with powerful performance in three screen size options: 5.5-inch for the A7, 5.2-inch for the A5 and 4.7-inch for the A3.
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
The Galaxy A Series (2016) continues the latest Samsung Galaxy design heritage, combining metal and glass to create a beautifully harmonious premium design. With superior viewing experience through a larger screen size, narrower bezel of 2.7mm and combined with improved battery life, the device has never been a better fit in the user’s hand.
All three variants come equipped with an enhanced camera system for both brighter and clearer photos and videos. This advanced system includes Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)* on the front camera to prevent image blurring, as well as a front and rear F1.9 lens to allow users to take the optimum photos in low light conditions.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
Additionally, the stylish smartphone is also equipped with a Quick Launch feature – double clicking the home button launches the camera in less than a second. Consumers can also take their best selfie yet with features including Wide Selfie, Palm Selfie and Beautifying Effects.
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)
A leap from its predecessor, the new Galaxy A Series (2016) comes with a built-in memory of 16GB and a microSD slot that can add up to 128GB of external memory.
[adrotate banner=”4″]To celebrate the arrival of this new fun device, Samsung Malaysia Electronics is offering a free 32GB microSD card for every unit purchased, which adds capacity for as many as 16,000 pictures and high-definition videos without the hassle of constantly having to clear older albums.
Available in Black, Gold, White and Pink Gold colour options, the new and refreshed Galaxy A Series (2016) is available at all Samsung brand stores nationwide from 28 January 2016 onwards at a recommended retail price of RM1,899 / ~US$439 (Galaxy A7 2016), RM1,599 / ~US$369 (Galaxy A5 2016), and RM1,299 / ~US$299 (Galaxy A3 2016) inclusive of GST.
From today until 31st January 2016, there will be a roadshow at Sunway Pyramid’s Blue Concourse for the general public to experience the features that the Galaxy A Series (2016) has to offer. A number of units are up for grabs for lucky winners.
* Available in A7 and A5 models only.
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They appear to be very pleased with the results of their strategy of using stock Android and focusing their efforts on the hardware instead. Take a look their new blog post on why they believe other smartphone manufacturers will start adopting their strategy of using stock Android.
Flash 2 User Interface : Gone With the Era of Thorough Customization
Thanks to its unique openness and customizability, the Android system has been undergoing a press of reconstruction by various vendors right from the date of its birth, calling it by a good name of “thorough customization”.
Though it is eye-pleasing and easy to use, the customized UIs developed on the basis of the stock Android system have nevertheless also resulted in bloated operating system, which cause endless user complainants against “buffering” and “poor compatibility”, since it has been pre-loaded a lot of Apps which take up a large amount of ROM space. To get a simplified, more fluent operating experience, some users even tend to reset vendors’ customized UIs back to the stock Android system directly after purchasing a new phone.
More and more vendors now have opted to return to the stock Android OS for an authentic Android operating experience. On top of its purer and simpler user experience for ordinary users, the stock Android system also provides the festive tech geeks worldwide with a broader platform where they can maximize their imagination.
Persisting on simplicity and purity, Nexus and Flash fully embrace the stock Android
Being the most representative among stock Android mobile phones, and as Google’s own product, every Nexus series handset is equipped with the current year version of the stock Android system and becomes the ‘barometer” of Android phones worldwide with the mission of setting both the benchmark and the trend in the industry.
Launched in September 2015, the Nexus 6P well carries every hallmark of a flagship Google phone. Thanks to its outstanding performance, it was named by foreign media one of the best Android phones of 2015, well on a par with the Samsung S6 and Note5. In addition, the Nexus 6P has achieved good sales performance in the market. It is reported that consumers in Canada and other regions have to wait to get a Nexus 6P due to sellout and supply shortages.
Besides Nexus, Flash is also an extremely typical fan of the stock Android OS. As an emerging brand highly popular in Southeast and South Asia, Flash introduced in September 2015 its Flash 2 (Amazon) mobile phone, which is equipped with the stock Android L OS. Android L is a brand new OS, unveiled by Google at its 2014 Global Developers Congress. At the time, Android L could well be said to feature the largest improvement and breakthrough in the Android system since the system came into being. It has made revolutionary changes and improvement in both user experience and system performance. Its smoother and purer UI experience has won Flash 2 (Amazon) the popularity among Android fans and tech geeks.
With the breakthrough improvements made by Android L, will stock Android mobile phones become a “general trend”?
Firstly, Android L adopts a completely new Material Design interface design solution and can support new animation, 3D view, real time shadow and other functions and provide more flattened interfaces, smoother and softer edge corners and more fluent interface switchover effects. Such outstanding touch screen interface interactive design is well known in the industry as running head to head with iOS.
Material Design features highly imaginative creativity in the texture, layers and logical relationship of the interface switchover experience. For example, when users open the interface, the new page will not just pop up, but instead , it will unfold from a center point and utilize the projection of the former page on the bottom to create a sense of 3D space, thus providing a visual, ease-to-understand operating experience.
[adrotate banner=”4″]Secondly, Android L features considerable optimization of user experience, including the unprecedented most powerful search functions, featuring automatic recording of users’ search results by Google. While users are using other applications to process their search results, they can still easily come back.
In addition, the Android L system possesses a more fancy notification function with messages opening up like a card in the notice center. Users can directly call out the messages even on the screen locking interface and remove the notices by sliding the screen. Meanwhile, these messages will also be smartly sorted and ranked with priority so as to prevent users from missing the important ones.
Android L also greatly improves system performance and can provide a more fluent, smoother operating experience. Adopting ART as the default operating environment, the App can run 4 times faster than what the previous negation system can deliver and give Flash 2 (Amazon) higher efficiency in running complicated Apps with complex visual effects. In addition, users can enable Android L’s battery saver mode to gain an extra 90min of running time.
While “thorough customization” is still in vogue, it is only nature for the Nexus and Flash series to return to stock Android. This is the right choice to adapt to user demand.
“We noticed that most consumers do not like to see their mobile phones crammed with a lot of software. For true Android fans, the customized interfaces of many smartphones result in not only system buffering but also unnecessary stock system interface modifications. That is why Flash 2 (Amazon) is equipped with the stock Android L OS to provide simplified but not simple, fashionable but not superfluous user experience.” Michael Chen, Deputy General Manager, Mobile Internet Group, TCL Communication, once noted.
He also disclosed that Flash 2 (Amazon) will soon be updated to the Android 6.0 Marshmallow version to bring users new functions such as mobile payment and RAM optimization management, as well as more powerful computing and power-saving functions. It is believed that with the continuous optimization of the Android system, Nexus, Flash and other stock Android mobile phones will win more consumers.
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KUALA LUMPUR, 8TH JANUARY 2016 – EXMobile today unveiled its latest VoLte series smartphones and EX Watch for the Malaysian market.
Being in this business for 6 years, EXMobile has built up a solid network with over 800 Malaysian dealers with more than 100 models released since 2009. There are also 10 service centers nationwide. EXMobile has generated over RM50 million annual revenue in 2015 and hit over 100 thousand units of device sales under its brand.
“From 2014 to 2015, 4 out of 5 top Malaysia based Taiwanese/International brand fall in market share. The only vendor with growth had put their focus on budget conscious consumers.Also,The weakening Ringgit currency has brought big impact to the mobile market, the purchasing power of local consumers has also dropped correspondingly. This gives opportunity to local mobile device manufacturer”, said EXMobile’s Head of Business Development, Mr.Leng Chong Yap.
In 2016, EXMobile intends to create a better brand awareness among local consumers with media collaboration and strategic alliance. The company will be more proactive with digital presence in social media, online advertising and provides better web experience for consumers. EXMobile will also strengthen the products’ after sales service by increasing collection point/service center, offers reliable/consistent manufacturing parts and provides responsive/streamline technical team.
The EXMobile VoLte series smartphones mark the company’s initiative on rebuilding a new brand image with the aim to release better quality and more impressive design products, which includes the Volte series. In future, EXMobile will also focus more on youth market, and will launch a series of stylish yet innovative devices to attract younger generations.
EXMobile has invited the popular local internet celebrity “MR.GST” Gee Tian Long to promote the Volte series. Alongside EXMobile’s main ambassador, Rashid Sidek, the company believes this strategy will allow them to reach more consumer groups.
EXMobile VoLte 2
The latest EXMobile VoLte 2 smartphone sports a 5″ Super Color TCL IPS screen with 1280 x 720 pixels and 320 PPI pixel density. The VoLte 2 has 2.5D curved glass edges and nano coating on both the front and back glass panels, presenting an elegant design and premium finish.
The EXMobile VoLte 2 is 71 mm wide, 144 mm tall and just 6.8 mm thick, and weighs just 139 grams. Under the hood, it runs on the MediaTek 6735A quad-core processor together with the ARM Mali-T720 GPU, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage that can be expanded with a microSD card up to 64 GB.
This smartphone features a 13MP f/2.2 aperture rear shooter with dual LED flash and a 5MP front camera. It also comes with a high-grade Yamaha YDA165 audio chip that supports ACC and DTS Dolby.
The VoLte 2 is powered up by a 2,200 mAh battery with up to 90 hours of standby time and 7 hours of talktime. It supports 4G LTE connectivity with Dual SIM, Dual Standby support. It runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box.
The EXMobile Volte 2 is now available at authorized stores and dealers nationwide with the retail price of RM 549 (~US$ 129). Alternatively, you can grab one online here.
EXMobile will also be releasing a high-end smartphone in the near future. This model will feature a Quad HD display, octa-core processor mated to 4 GB RAM / 32 GB flash storage, and a 4,000 mAh battery with fast charging technology. It will also come with a 16 MP OIS rear camera and 8 MP selfie camera. It will support 4G LTE connectivity with dual SIM, dual standby capability.
EXMobile EX Watch
The EX Watch is a new smartwatch produced by EXMobile that offers a 1.22″ HD IPS round display with 240 x 240 pixels. Its display is protected by a nanometer-tempered glass screen with a full bonding process.
The EX Watch measures 52 x 46 x 13.5 mm, and it uses a 108 MHz MediaTek MT2502A SoC paired with 128 MB of RAM and 32 MB of internal storage. It also supports up to 8 GB of additional storage via a microSD card slot. It is powered by a 350 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery.
The EX Watch watchcase is made of stainless steel, with two watchband options – stainless steel or leather – that weighs 128 g and 62.8 g respectively. The leather strap variant will come with Silver, Black, Rose Gold, Royal Blue and Gold colour options and retail for RM 399 (~US$ 93) in Q1 2016.
In the highly-competitive smartphone market, Alcatel aims to differentiate themselves by focusing on mobile photography. Today, we are going to take an in-depth look at their latest effort, the Alcatel Flash 2 smartphone. Alcatel promised that it will deliver the ultimate mobile photographic experience, which they call mobigraphy. Let’s take a look!
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) comes in a large 2-piece cardboard box. This is a generic box, so be sure to check the side label for the correct colour. This is the Volcanic Grey model. A Mica White version is also available. Unlike some smartphone manufacturers, Alcatel has no qualms pointing out that they use MediaTek chips in their smartphones.
Once you remove the white outer sleeve, you will need to cut a single security seal on the green box to gain access inside. The box is big because Alcatel provides a complete set of accessories, including a flip case!
You can take a look at our unboxing video here :
[adrotate banner=”4″]Once you remove everything, you will find the following items :
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) smartphone has a 5″ IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 720. It is powered by the MediaTek MT6753 SoC that features a 1.3 GHz octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor and the ARM Mali-T720MP4 GPU.
Its main features are its front and rear cameras. The front camera boasts not just a larger 1/4″ sensor and autofocus capability, it even comes with an LED flash. The main gSight camera at the back has a 13 MP Samsung ISOCELL sensor with a f/2.0 lens and a dual-tone LED flash.
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) only has buttons on the right side – a Power button at the top, with a Volume rocker switch below it, and a dedicated camera shutter button all the way at the bottom. Although this may seem like a weird position, it actually works great if you are taking photos horizontally. If you are taking pictures virtually though, it works better for left-handed users.
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) is a dual-SIM, dual-standby smartphone. This is a pretty nice feature to have at this price point. The dual-SIM, dual-standby capability means you can install and use two SIM cards. The only difference from dual-active smartphones is that all calls and messages to the other SIM card will be temporarily ignored when you receive a call from one SIM card.
Finally, the Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) comes with 2 GB of LPDDR3SDRAM to run the pure Android 5.1 operating system and apps. It also comes with 16 GB of internal flash storage. That’s expandable to 128 GB via a microSD card.
Flip Case & Screen Protector
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) comes with a free flip case and screen protector. They are both necessary as it will be quite hard, if not impossible, to find compatible cases and screen protectors. The flip case is made from PVC with a faux leather feel and a clear plastic window.
Take a look at this video to see how the back cover is removed to access the SIM and microSD card slots. It will also show you how to install this flip case. The flip case actually replaces the original back cover, so once installed, it becomes one with the Flash 2 smartphone.
Unfortunately, the cover of this flip case feels thin and flimsy. It also doesn’t magnetically lock to the Flash 2 when you close it. Still, it is a free flip case, so we can’t really complain…
The Other Accessories
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) comes with a 5W travel adaptor, which can be used with any power outlet worldwide. The microUSB cable they provided, however, is rather dodgy-looking.
The hands-free earphones are also of rather poor quality. They will do in a pinch (hey, they’re free!), but if you want quality audio, you need to switch to a better pair of earbuds.
Camera Performance – Photos
The Alcatel Flash 2’s emphasis on mobile photography is really obvious. Its main gSight camera uses a 13 megapixel Samsung ISOCELL sensor with a fast f/2.0 lens. That allows it to take high-resolution photos (4096 x 2304) in relatively poor lighting.
Despite their best efforts, the Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) is not going to be a replacement for a dedicated DSLR or a higher-end smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S6 (for example). The Samsung ISOCELL sensor is relatively noisy. If you blow up the picture on a desktop, you can see consistent noise (speckling and artifacts). However, they are only of real concern if you are going to make large prints of these photos.
The sensor also produced rather unsaturated photos. We would have liked them to be more vivid. That said, the gSight main camera takes very good pictures for a smartphone at this price point. In fact, you will probably only find the same photographic capability in smartphones that cost twice as much.
Camera Performance – Video Recording
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) can record full HD (1080p) videos – a real feat for a smartphone at this price point. You won’t get any optical image stabilisation, but it supports EIS (electronic image stabilisation). Here is a sample video we recorded of a piano performance by Mr. Yang I-Deun.
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) did a reasonably good job of controlling the exposure of the scene, although the bright areas were overexposed. Overall, it was rather exceptional performance for a smartphone at this price point.
Work Performance – PCMark
We tested the Alcatel Flash 2’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
Alcatel Flash 2
ASUS
ZenFone 2 Laser
Samsung
Galaxy S6
Work Performance Score
(Average)
3816
3539
5078
Web Browsing
4623
3829
6788
Video Playback
2905
3835
3091
Writing
4151
4085
5918
Photo Editing
3804
2614
5357
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) may be powered by a MediaTek chip, but it is a powerful 8-core MT6753 chip. It beat the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser with its quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor in all aspects but video playback.
Battery Performance – PCMark
We then tested the Alcatel Flash 2’s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) lasted just over 8 hours on the PCMark stress test. This is a stress test that simulates the worst possible workload using work apps. In our real world experience, we had no problem using it for 12-14 hours with light loads, although its battery life dropped to about 6 hours while playing games.
Battery Recharging Performance
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) has a large 3,000 mAh lithium-ion battery, but it does not have Fast Charging capability. Even so, it was able to recharge its battery really quickly.
Our tests showed that the Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) will recharge from 17% to 100% in just 165 minutes (2 hours 45 minutes).
Overall Performance – AnTuTu Benchmark
AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.
Alcatel Flash 2
ASUS
ZenFone 2 Laser
Samsung
Galaxy S6
TOTAL SCORE
36345
23644
68885
Multitask
4306
4162
9298
Runtime
2535
2395
4250
CPU Integer
5651
2913
10596
CPU Float-Point
4266
2327
6307
Single-Thread Integer
1253
1218
2537
Single-Thread Float-Point
1026
981
2223
RAM Operation
2109
1148
3259
RAM Speed
2039
1724
4316
2D Graphics
1615
1022
1631
3D Graphics
8994
3656
21162
Storage I/O
1861
1433
2571
Database I/O
690
665
735
Although MediaTek chips are not as powerful or efficient as Qualcomm chips, Alcatel made up for that by using the 8-core MediaTek MT6753. The result? It beat the more expensive ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser by 53.7%!
Gaming Performance – 3DMark
We tested the Alcatel Flash 2’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Extreme test.
Alcatel Flash 2
ASUS
ZenFone 2 Laser
Samsung
Galaxy S6
Gaming Score
4549
2686
Maxed out!
Graphics
3966
2240
Maxed out!
Physics
9365
8876
Maxed out!
Graphics Test 1
22.3 fps
12.6 fps
59.6 fps
Graphics Test 2
14.0 fps
7.9 fps
49.6 fps<
Physics
29.7 fps
28.2 fps
39.6 fps
Despite its modest price, the Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) did surprisingly well in this test. It was almost 70% faster than the ASUS ZenFone 2 Laser!
Our Verdict On The Alcatel Flash 2
We are very impressed with the Alcatel Flash 2 smartphone. At first, we doubted they could really achieve the level of performance they promised, but it looks like they really pulled it off.
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) delivers much better camera performance than we have seen in other smartphones with the same price point. It can take 13 MP pictures with dual-tone flash, with a 5 MP selfie camera that even has its own flash! On top of that, its main camera can record full HD videos, something that many similar smartphones cannot do.
Alcatel didn’t skimp in the performance department either, opting for an 8-core MediaTek processor. That made it much faster than more expensive smartphones out there. The Alcatel Flash 2 also has a generous 2 GB of RAM, with 16 GB of internal storage. Since it runs on pure Android 5.1 Lollipop, that is more than adequate for most users.
[adrotate banner=”4″]The downside though is a shorter battery life, because the 8-core processor does sap more battery than a quad-core processor. It should last a good 8 hours though. The good news is, even though it doesn’t support Fast Charging, you can fully charge it in less than 3 hours.
Although it comes with a complete set of accessories, their quality leaves much to be desired. Probably the most useful is the screen protector. Still, we are glad that they spent the real money on the Flash 2’s hardware, instead of those accessories.
The Alcatel Flash 2 (Lazada / Amazon) is a hidden gem. It delivers a whole lot of features and capabilities at the highly affordable price of just RM 549 (Lazada) / ~US$ 129 (Amazon). If you are on a budget but want a smartphone that can double as a good camera, the Alcatel Flash 2 is definitely worth your serious consideration.
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