Author: chris eilers

Xiaomi seems to not only focus on the affordable smartphone area but also others like drone. They are considering producing a drone at a budget friendly cost…

So far, Xiaomi has not officially announced their plans of entering the drone industry, yet the above secret was revealed by many people working in this field. At CES Asia held in Shanghai, much information was reported by South China Morning Post that Xiaomi had been testing their first drone in early 2015 and Xiaomi was likely to release one with a reasonable price tag in this summer. In addition, the product would compete directly with those of the technology company DJI.

However, besides some smartphones, we did not see anything like a Xiaomi drone to be released. So, if the source was right, it is probably that this Chinese giant will have an event to introduce the drone at the end of 2015 or in early 2016. Though, there has been no confirmation made by the manufacturer officially.

Analyzing the situation, Xiaomi is said to be worth 50 billion dollars and one of the fastest growing start-ups in China. Meanwhile, DJI is just accounting for 70% of the global drone market and worth 10 billion dollars. As a result, Xiaomi will have many advantages in the competition DJI.

Price will be the most important strategy of the firm. Therefore, prediction is that Xiaomi drone price will be much less than that of DJI. Now the lastest model drone from DJI is Phantom 3, launched in April and priced at 1,200 dollars (about RM5,100).

In conclusion, it is quite easy to understand why Xiaomi wants to join the drone market since peoples’s demands for it are increasing because some traditional technologies of recording and taking photos cannot help satisfy people nowadays. Moreover, drone is equipped with many interesting useful apps related to military, agriculture, real estate, archeology. etc. Then, perhaps we will be informed a Xiaomi drone in the near future.

We are at the beginning of the Q4 of 2015, so let’s check back what was able to stand out in the Q3 of the year in terms of Antutu benchmark scores. Here is the list of 10 Android smartphones with highest Antutu scores in the third quarter and you would be fairly surprised for what it has!

From the list, we easily see that the top 5 phones (which are Meizu Pro 5, Samsung Galaxy Note 5, S6 edge Plus, S6 and S6 edge) all use Exynos 7420 SoC chips made by Samsung company. Actually it is not really strange when 4 out of 5 devices are also produced by Samsung and 2 of them (which are Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 edge Plus) are the newest and strongest in the house. We used to think that Note would be powerful enough to beat all other flagships on the market, but it shocked us to know that the first place did not go to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Instead, the number one position belonged to a Chinese smartphone, Meizu Pro 5 to be specific.

Congrats, Meizu Pro 5! You deserve the spot with a whopping 76,582 Antutu points in the benchmark tests. You BEAT Galaxy Note5 which scored 72,156 points.Well done!

However, on the other hand, Samsung did a good job, too once having up to 4 out of 10 members joining the TOP 10. It shows that current Samsung flagship products are very quality and beautiful. From 6 to 10, we have Letv Le Max and Le 1 Pro earning the 6th and 7th place, scoring 61,327 and 62,520 points respectively. Those are also impressive results, in fact.

One more thing that surprised us is Sony Xperia Z5 since it stopped at the 7th. We thought it could do more than that. On the contrary, we are quite happy to see the case of Xiaomi Mi Note Pro scoring 57,163 points. Xiaomi Mi Note Pro launch happened many months ago but is still hard to be defeated.

Ending the list, OnePlus 2 ranking with a nice 57,119 is not difficult to understand. 

Though benchmark tests are not always everything we need to judge the real performance of the handsets, the scores do give us some ideas of how strong the machines as well as their chipsets are. For example here, we can say that Exynos 7420 is the winner, for Snapdragon 810 or other kinds of processor do not remain in the TOP 10.

Well, in the end, Meizu Pro 5 has won the Antutu battle to become a good smartphones with the highest score! 

Samsung sometimes comes up with great things like the curved screen of Samsung Galaxy edge series and they have kept developing them. Interestingly, some smartphone giants like Apple or Xiaomi also have been rumored to adopt that idea in the future. So, we have hope that Samsung could have something new in the upcoming months. And that day has come but we are not sure if it is new enough!

A few weeks ago, there was a smartphone from Samsung company allegedly called Samsung Galaxy A9 after a device coded as SM-A9000 was through the AnTuTu benchmark test. And recently, some pictures of the Samsung Galaxy A9 have been leaked on the internet, showing a handset with a rotating camera, which reminds us of OPPO N1 immediately. On the other hand, its front-facing speakers at the bottom of the phone also makes us think about an HTC smartphone. That is why we said that we were afraid that Samsung would not be able to bring consumers a special machine in terms of both design and specs.

As for the Samsung Galaxy A9 spec, it is said that the handset will sport a 5.5-inch Full HD screen and a Snapdragon 620 chipset (which is the latest one from Qualcomm and will be released at the end of the year). Additionally, an octa-core 1.8GHz CPU and the Adreno 510 GPU will be on-board as well. Other features include 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (we do not know if it can be expandable or not), and Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system.

However, the manufacturer has not confirmed anything yet, so we should take the information as well as images with a pinch of salt. We will come back if there are more details about Samsung Galaxy A9 😀 .

Meizu Metal has been the name that we are seeing and hearing a lot of times these days. Why? Because it comes with an all-alloy design, looking premium but costing just 1/2 or 1/3 the price of the most current smartphone HTC One A9! 

All-metal design has become a main trend for most devices in the mid-range and affordable category in 2015. And lately, Meizu and has introduced a product like that to consumers. As usual, when there is a new handset appearing on the shelves, it is going to be compared with many others in order to see which one will benefit users more in terms of budget and productivity.

Then, firstly, we want to say a bit about how it is different from its elder brother Meizu MX5, which is also built with a metal unibody and only two small plastic inlays running through the back to make sure that radio functionality will not have any ensure troubles.

Meizu MX5 and Meizu Metal look quite alike but the specs are not totally the same.

Well, if you need a slightly more powerful and faster smartphone, you can choose Meizu MX5 due to its 3GB RAM and 21MP rear camera. If not, Meizu Metal may be just enough or more than what you expect because its specifications are pretty strong when compared with the Meizu Metal price.

That is what we want to mention once it comes to an internal comparison. Yet, how about an external one? Then, let’s do it with HTC One A9, which was released in the same month as Meizu Metal.

Obviously, HTC One A9 is more expensive than Meizu Metal and perhaps stronger with the 3GB RAM version. Anyhow, the price can be a problem. Although the price of HTC One A9 2GB RAM ver has not been confirmed yet, we predict that it will be still not as affordable as Meizu Metal. So, think carefully before deciding which one you will take home tonight 😉 .

To recap, those are the main points about Meizu Metal we want to show you – A new all-alloy unibody smartphone from Meizu that is worth consideration 🙂 . 

Nokia concepts that are being expected to go real after Nokia come back in 2016 are no longer strange to many of us smartphone lovers. However, among many Nokia concepts that aspiring designers have produced, only several of them become our favorite, for a bunch of reasons. Among the most popular devices are Nokia Swan and Nokia C1.

Similar to what we did with the Nokia Swan VS Nokia Power Ranger comparison early on, this time we have your next favorite content: Nokia Swan VS Nokia C1 collation.

1. Nokia Swan VS Nokia C1: originality

Nokia C1 is famous for being the first Android smartphone Nokia ever made, if it really comes true after the Nokia come back set to happen in 2016. Although it is not official for now, there is very high chance for this Nokia C1 smartphone to be launched soon, since we already spotted real life image of this beast.

Meanwhile, Nokia Swan is still a pure concept made by a Vietnamese artist. We have no idea if Nokia got to know about this design already. If yes, we very much hope that they may be inspired and bring the Nokia Swan to real life.

2. Nokia Swan VS Nokia C1: design

Nokia C1 has a very realistic design, since it was made be produced and launched soon. The smartphone has slim bezel, and elegant body and round border. Because it has been a long while since the last Nokia smartphone was remember, this Nokia C1 could be the handset that re-create Nokia’s signature in the mobile market.

On the other hand, Nokia Swan looks much more fancy, for it is meant to be a product of creativity. The handset looks like it is full metal, with rounded shape and strong rear. Both of them look very appealing, but each serve as a different target.

3. Nokia Swan VS Nokia C1: what to be recognized

Nokia Swan is definitely offering very appealing features. It is a smartphone + tablet hybrid that works super smooth as a smartphone, but could be turned into a tablet in just seconds. Besides, the designer did not mentioned much about Nokia Swans specs, rather than popular 4GB RAM and 216GB ROM.

Nokia C1 has been having some rumors in terms of specs and release date. Everyone was automatically paying attention to the C1 since it is said to be the first Nokia-made Android smartphone ever. This piece of information itself is good enough to help Nokia sell the phone. Furthermore, the Nokia C1 price is said to be of middle range to reach the majority of customer: possibly sub RM1,300.

4. Nokia Swan VS Nokia C1: conclusion note

As I mentioned more than once above, since these devices have their different target, they were developed very directly into their orientation. However, it is nice to have a full review of 2 of the most popular Nokia concepts to date: one is pure product of creativity, the other is meant to be manufactured and used.

Technology is developing non-stop and something like 3D-capable smartphones may be new to the market at first but will definitely become a trend some day. Not standing outside the game, Nokia will probably bring to shelves their own capable of delivering 3D content…

Recently, Tommy Incrosnatu, a designer, has brought us an attractive Nokia smartphone concept that is not only available for your viewing pleasure but also capable of 3D looks. It is considered as a device coming with beauty elements of Finnish nature. Though the design is quite simple, we still can see the taste of a premium machine. Don’t you think?

In addition, the designer explained on his website that the concept was to show how simplicity and 3D elements can be combined:

“I teamed up with 3D artists Oula and Miika to create something amazing. I’ve had this idea for years to create a concept phone and give it my take on a modern smartphone user interface.

I wanted to use desirable and simplified graphics, spiced up with photography. I also added some concept level ideas to the core applications, pushing for a well thought out GUI and some playful tricks.

The goal was to have fun and prove something to ourselves, but maybe we’ve ended up being too ambitious, doing things like 3D racing game graphics.

The final presentation style aims for the beauty of Finnish nature and the end format will be 60 second full-on TV-advert.”

However, apart from the pictures, we are informed of nothing related to the Nokia 3D specs.

In the end, we want to thank the designer for this beautiful Nokia phone and perhaps Nokia would consider bringing it to shelves next year when they come back. Who knows?

Now, let’s take a look at some pictures of the Nokia 3D!

HTC has denied that they copied Apple iPhone 6 design for their latest flagship smartphone HTC One A9. Moreover, HTC revealed that “it’s Apple that copies us”…

We can feel the heat of this discussion is increasing day by day. Just after we heard and saw the first leaks of HTC One A9, things were started since it looked like a current Apple iPhone. Then, after the HTC One A9 launch, this new device of HTC has been receiving a lot of complaints mainly saying that it copied the Apple iPhone design.

Of course, when it is no longer a simple talk, HTC has to raise their voice to protect themselves and their newborn handset. At a press briefing in Taiwan, Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said that “it’s Apple that copies us” in terms of design as they were the first to introduce a metal unibody smartphone about 3 years ago.

“We’re not copying. We made a uni-body metal-clad phone in 2013. It’s Apple that copies us in terms of the antenna design on the back,” said Mr. Tong at a press briefing in Tawain on the HTC One A9 release date.

Besides, he added that the One A9 is thinner and lighter than previous HTC metal-clad phones, which is considered as a change and evolution. And if there has to be a copycat, it is Apple, not HTC.

If you remember, there was an HTC One M7 launched in March, 2013 with an aluminum unibody frame and plastic antenna lines across the phone. 18 months later, Apple announced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with similar looks and carried over to iPhone 6s line-up. So, who is right and who is wrong?

In conclusion, though we cannot be 100% sure that HTC One A9 did not copy iPhone 6 or vice versa, it is clear that both phone makers have borrowed or at least got “inspired” by a similar design from each other over the years. We wonder what will happen next. Whether Apple will take legal action against HTC for this case? Let’s wait and see!

With 81% year-on-year shipment growth, Huawei has become the champion of China’s Smartphone Battle. Congrats!

Huawei beats Xiaomi to be NO.1 in China’s smartphone shipment

According to a new survey, Huawei was able beat Xiaomi to get the top spot No. 1 smartphone market in the world in the Q3 of 2015. It also was the first year-over-year decline in phone shipments of Xiaomi. Things are changing!

Specifically, Canalys, a research firm stated that the phone shipments of Xiaomi fell 8% in the quarter 3 while those of Huawei jumped 81% but without specifics of their market-share data. In the Q2, Xiaomi used to have a 15.9% share of the market and Huawei 15.7% share, yet we think the numbers are going to be different in the last 3 months.

In fact, this result is not very surprising since Huawei is one of “the world’s largest suppliers of networking gear used by telecommunications carriers” and is expanding their smartphone business. Back to the second quarter, Huawei was reported to be the “world’s third-largest smartphone vendor behind Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc.” and almost half of the Huawei’s handsets have been mainly sold in the markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. They are actually growing pretty well though their machines’ prices are higher than those of Xiaomi in general: Huawei’s average smartphone sales price was $282 (RM1,190) while Xiaomi’s was $149 (RM630) in China in the Q2.

On the other hand, we wonder if Xiaomi can still be able to complete their target of selling 80-100 million smartphones globally this year. If in the first half of 2015 Xiaomi said they sold out 34.7 million units, they will have to sell 46 million or more and now their shipment growth is decreasing.

Anyhow, Xiaomi conpany has replied that “the China market is still big enough. Xiaomi’s focus is user experience and product innovation, and not just specifically seeking flashy numbers and the top market seat” in a Weibo post written by Xiaomi’s spokesman Tony Wei.

In conclusion, we would like to congratulate Huawei on their new achievement but they also should keep doing well like that because Xiaomi is not just a small manufacturer; they can get back on track any time.

Since DUAL SIM was invented, things seemed easier and more comfortable for us to work. We do not have to buy 2 phones to call people with different numbers.

Thanks to the request of one of our readers on PricePony Malaysia Fanpage, we have come up with a list of the best 8 smartphones that feature Dual SIM. However, 8 is not really enough, so we decide to make a part 2 with other 7 smartphones including dual SIMs. Check them out!

1. Sony Xperia C5 Ultra Dual: 

2. ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser

3. Alcatel Flash 2

4. Lenovo Vibe P1

5. Meizu Mental

6. Xiaomi Redmi Note 2

7. Huawei Mate S

Huawei Mate S Specs

In conclusion, those are 7 smartphones equipped with dual SIMs. Most of them were just launched not long ago and maybe you have to wait a bit more for them to come to Malaysia. However, some such as Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 or Alcatel Flash 2 has already arrived here 😉 . Hope you have found out the most gorgeous machine! What is it? Tell us please 😎 .

Some people think that ASUS will be able to repeat their success with ASUS ZenFone 2 – the world’s first phone coming with 4GB RAM, with a device called ASUS ZenFone 3. It will can also be the world’s first 6GB RAM smartphone, not the Samsung Galaxy S7. Who knows, right?

Earlier, some said the ASUS ZenFone 3 would come with 5GB RAM, which had already blown us away. However, it was before Samsung announced their 6GB RAM for smartphones. As a result, our logic is that ASUS will grab this chance to join the 6GB RAM battle with their third generation of ASUS ZenFone!

As for the ASUS ZenFone 3 specs, we hope that the company will equip it with the top features at the time it is released. The trend now is 2K resolution and predicted to be 4K next year. Therefore, the case in which ASUS ZenFone 3 smartphone boasts a 5.5-inch Quad HD display is totally possible. About the processor, maybe Zen 3 would still use a chip from Intel, but it should be something like Intel Atom Z3590 2.5GHz or better. In addition, we’ve got 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage as what are expected to be on-board as well.

In terms of camera, it would be the best if ASUS ZenFone 3’s snappers are capable of at least 16MP plus OIS on the back and 8MP on the front. Then, those who love taking photos or selfies would feel extremely happy. The whole machine would be powered by a 3,500mAh battery, yet it could be more like 4,000mAh and above. 

Asus Zenfone 3 Release Date and Price

Though, the above information has not been confirmed by the manufacturer. Just take it with a pinch of salt ;). Most likely the Asus Zenfone 3 will launch in March 2016. The Asus Zenfone 3 Price will be around the same as Zenfone 2. We really hope that Asus will do the same Marketing Stunt for their new Asus phone and be the first to have 6GB RAM worldwide. Anyhow, the concept is so “delicious”, right?! We really hope it will see the light some day!

We have Nokia C1, Nokia Swan, and Nokia Power Ranger as the best current smartphone concepts expected to be made by Finnish company Nokia. And today we want to add one more into the series: Nokia Morph. 

Actually, unlike the others, Nokia Morph concept used to be unveiled on February 25, 2008 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It was the product of a joint study into the future of mobile phones by the Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge’s Nanoscience Centre. Moreover, they presented Morpth as part of the museum’s “Design and The Elastic Mind” exhibit.

“Nokia Research Center is looking at ways to reinvent the form and function of mobile devices… The Morph concept shows what might be possible,” said Bob Iannucci, Nokia’s chief technology officer.

Accordingly, Morph shows that the future of phones may be stretchable, flexible, and even able to let users transform their machines into different shapes. Besides, it also demonstrates what nano-tech can deliver: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces. More specifically, whether you want your device to be a tablet, a music player, or a normal smartphone, Nokia Morph will do it all. As we can see, this Nokia product can feature 3 modes: Standard, bracelet and landscape.

At that time, people predicted the Morph’s elements could be available to integrate into high-end smartphones within 7 years, which is 2015 or 2016. Unfortunately, perhaps we have to wait until next year to see such tech. And who knows, it will probably come true along with the Nokia’s comeback. But, let’s say, recently Samsung has also been rumored to use the flexible tech for their handsets in the future. So, we do not know who is going to be the volunteer in this kind of field.

Anyhow, back to our Morph, do you like the Nokia Morph design? Tell us!

Things are going “crazy” on the mobile market. New smartphones are introduced almost every month and we can say that you may feel confused and dizzy once trying to find the most suitable one for yourself. That is why we come up with this list with some potential suggestions for each price range. 😀

~RM750: Xiaomi Redmi Note 2

Equipped with high-end specs like many flagship phones and a super affordable price, Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 has really been successful in impressing consumers these days.

This happens because Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 specs include so many top features but just go with about RM700 for Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 price in Malaysia. This is also the reason why Redmi Note 2 has not been announced officially here in Malaysia but lots of people still look for it at retail stores.

In terms of design, Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 owns a plastic cover which is usually seen in many mid-range devices. However, the Note 2’s slim body and big display make it hard for many buyers to believe that it can have such a price.

~RM1,000: ASUS ZenFone Selfie

ASUS ZenFone Selfie is a smartphone produced by ASUS this year and it aims at selfie lovers, just like the name having hinted us. Moreover, the phone comes with fashionable colors such as Pure White, Chic Pink, and Aqua Blue. And the front camera is awesome when capable of up to 13 megapixels, even equal to the rear one.

ASUS ZenFone Selfie Price in Malaysia is at RM979.

~RM1,200: Lenovo Vibe Shot

Introduced at MWC 2015, Lenovo Vibe Shot drew a lot of attention due to many good specs it sports and the unique design it has (like a digital camera when you look at the back). Specifically, Shot features a 16MP rear shooter with Optical Image Stabilisation and Tri-LED flash, which are key selling points of Lenovo Vibe Shot. It not only appears like a digital cam, but also makes you feel like using a real one by including a shutter button and a slider enabling you to switch from Smart to Pro mode and vice versa. On the other hand, Shot’s front snapper is also amazing. It is capable of up to 8 mega-pixels, which will absolutely satisfy those who love taking selfies.

Lenovo Vibe Shot Price in Malaysia is from RM1,200.

~RM1,500: Samsung Galaxy A8

It is a phablet coming with a 5.7-inch display but only at 5.9mm of thickness. Besides, Samsung Galaxy A8 is powered by the powerful Exynos 5430 Octa-Core processor with 4x 1.8 GHz + 4x 1.3GHz. The device features a mix of mid-range and flagship tech specs and functions such as a fingerprint sensor at the home button allowing you to open the camera when double taps on it. Furthermore, it has 16MP ISOCELL rear camera, which is similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6, 5MP front-facing camera,  2GB of RAM. The handset also gets the 32GB internal storage as well as the dual-SIMs supporting 4G LTE. In addition, the second card slot allows users to insert a microSD card for storage expansion.

Samsung Galaxy A8 Price in Malaysia is from RM1,490.

~RM1,700: Huawei P8

P8 is a Huawei flagship smartphone dressing a premium metal cover. This super slim (6.4mm of thickness) handset features a 5.2” Full HD screen and HiSilicon Kirin 930/935 64-bit octa-core 2.0GHz chipset by Huawei itself. P8 also owns 3GB RAM, 32GB of storage (able to be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card), Android v5.0.2 Lollipop pre-installed with Emotion UI running on top of it, 4G SIM and 2,520mAh battery. As for camera, it sports a combo of 4-color Sony’s RGBW 13MP rear cam with Optical Image Stabilization and dual-tone LED flash, and an 8MP front shooter with auto “beautify” support…

Huawei P8 Price in Malaysia is from RM1,700.

~RM2,000: OnePlus 2

OnePlus 2 is a smartphone launched in July 2015 with a “scary” nickname “Flagship Killer“. However, many people think that in general, OnePlus 2 specs are not that outstanding to defeat all the flagship phones on the market, but, say, we have to admit that it is also very hard for others to “kill” this OnePlus product. Agree?

OnePlus 2 Price in Malaysia is from RM2,000.

In conclusion, those are our suggestions for each price range when you want to buy a new smartphone. Hopefully it can help you pick out the perfect one for yourself 😉 !