To be honest, Samsung’s A Series devices have always struck me as the kinds of phones you’d get for a tween or a hip grandparent—they get the job done, they’re well-rounded, but certainly nothing top-of-the-line.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. Someone’s gotta serve the tweens and the elderly.

But is there something wrong with my opinion? Are Samsung’s Series A phones actually better than what I’m giving them credit for?

Well, I got my answer after testing out the new RM1,699 Samsung Galaxy A35.

A for attractive visuals

A step up from its predecessor (the A34), the Galaxy A35 has a glass back instead of plastic, giving it a polished finish. The frame of the phone is still plastic, though, but for our Awesome Iceblue colourway in particular, it has a slight metallic sheen that makes it look classy.

Overall, the build of the phone feels nice and durable. I might even say that it feels better than the Galaxy S24 FE, which launched with a more expensive price of RM2,999.

With an IP67 rating, the phone is water-resistant up to a depth of about 3 feet for up to 30 minutes.

The 6.6-inch AMOLED display allows for sharp and crisp quality, and the 120Hz variable refresh rate makes for a fluid experience for the most part.

Paired with the speakers on the phone, which boast pretty good audio quality, watching content from the phone is rather satisfactory.

An improvement in the display, compared to the A34, is that there’s no longer a notched design where the front camera is, but rather a hole-punch cutout. This makes for a more seamless display. That said, the bezels still feel a little chunky, especially on the top and the bottom.

Something I noticed about the A35 is that it’s quite fingerprint resistant, from its glass screen to its plastic frame. This might be thanks to the very pale blue colour we got, though.

In any case, as someone who smudges everything from my glasses to my camera lens, this is something I greatly appreciate.  

A for above average cameras

And that might be understating it.

The cameras on the A35 aren’t necessarily jaw-dropping, but they’re certainly not lacking.  

With a toggleable 50MP main camera (you can switch to a 12MP), pictures taken on the Galaxy A35 are clear and I do like the colour balancing, though it tends to be on the warm side.

My expectations for the phone’s night photography were low, but I’m glad to say it surpassed them. Once again, it’s nothing wow, but it does balance light and dark well, capturing street lights nicely without becoming overexposed.  

At 5MP and 8MP respectively, the macro and ultrawide cameras function well enough. But with the specs they’re given, don’t expect to get DSLR-level crispness, especially when shooting close-ups.

If you love taking selfies, the 13MP front camera is decent—no criticisms, but I wouldn’t shower it with compliments.  

Sadly, the A series does not come equipped with most of the Galaxy AI features, meaning you won’t be able to play around with the generative fill features just yet on the mid-range phone.

A for acceptable performance

Equipped with the Exynos 1380, I wouldn’t consider this to be a powerful phone for gaming purposes.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t handle some demanding games with high-quality graphics. It definitely can.

Don’t judge me, but I tried out dating simulator Love and Deepspace on the highest picture quality (Ultra), and what can I say? They—um, I mean it—looks pixel perfect.

But I can still feel a difference between this phone and the S24 Ultra that we reviewed earlier this year, which has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 under the hood. With the image quality set so high, I did experience some lag and choppiness with the A35, but not to an unusable degree.

As most phones do, the A35 did get warm after sustained usage, but not unbearably so.  

One of the highlights of the phone, though, is its impressive 5,000mAh battery. As someone whose phone is always dangerously low on battery when I’m out and about for events, I love the ease of mind that the Galaxy A35 gives me.

Speaking of ease of mind, the latest Galaxy Series A phones, which includes the A35 as well as the A55, are the first in the series to come with Samsung Knox.

Specifically, it features the Samsung Knox Vault, designed to protect users’ sensitive information, such as their PIN, password, and pattern. The encrypted data can then be safely transferred to the Samsung Knox Vault storage, which is completely isolated and separated from the main operating system.

A for affordable all-rounder

With a price tag of RM1,699, the Galaxy A35 is a value-for-money device that has all the basics down pat.

There are many other phones in the market in this price range (like the new Nothing Phone 2(a) which we’re currently reviewing), but I would say the reliability of Samsung makes the Galaxy A35 a competitive mid-range phone.

Coming with Samsung’s One UI 6.1, the phone will get four years of software updates and five years of security patches, which is great for a mid-range phone.

All this to say, I think the Galaxy A35 is a really solid phone. And I don’t mean just for tweens and grandparents, but for everyday users.

Pros	Cons
Impressive performance from the cameras, especially given their specs	Some lagginess after sustained usage
Bright, crisp, and vivid display as well as long-lasting battery life, making it great for gaming and streaming content
Affordable with great value for money

• Learn more about Samsung Galaxy A35 here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Samsung here.

VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion to our Facebook page.

There’s a common misconception that new phone models nowadays need to have the latest technological advances. But that’s just not realistic. 

Why? Because not everyone wants them.

Think of your grandmother or less tech-savvy aunts and uncles, do you think they care much about these updates? And would they want to pay more than a few thousand ringgit for it?

Chances are they just want a good phone with good specifications that’s an upgrade from their last device. Nothing too fancy (as new tech can be confusing) or anything that will break the bank.

This is where mid-tier phones like the latest Samsung Galaxy A55 shine bright. 

Starting off with the basics

Coming at the decent price of RM1,999, the newly launched mobile phone is one of two latest additions in Samsung’s Galaxy A series. The Galaxy A55 is an improved version of its Galaxy A54 which launched last year, featuring more upgrades internally rather than externally.

On the outside, the phone sports a sleek look thanks to its aluminium metal side frames. This is a step up from its predecessor’s plastic material. The back panel is made of Gorilla Glass Victus+, so don’t worry about dropping it or getting scratches. 

The phone is rated IP67 which means the phone is durable and can last up to 30 minutes while submerged in water. But only at a depth of a metre, so you shouldn’t bring it for a swim.

The 6.6-inch FHD display wasn’t a far cry from my own daily driver which I believe is a good size, but it was a little bulky for my small hands. Typing with one hand felt more secure but gripping it for long periods wasn’t very comfortable.

Similar to the Galaxy A54, this new model is still equipped with Super AMOLED, Samsung’s Vision Booster technology, and a peak display brightness of 1,000 nits. Together, they ensure clear visibility under direct sunlight. 

But the actual highlight of the phone is…

Good photography at a decent price

If you’re looking at the hardware camera’s specifications, you’ll find no significant differences between the Galaxy A55 and the Galaxy A54.

Selfie camera	21MP, f/2.2
Wide camera	50MP, f/1.8
Ultrawide camera	12MP, f/2.2
Macro camera	5MP, f/2.4

However, you’d be sorely mistaken to think there haven’t been any improvements since the last model.

A core focus of the Galaxy A55’s camera is its better nightography with its image processing abilities. Specifically, the phone uses an AI depth map and AI ISP (image signal processing) to make photos look clearer in low-light conditions. 

Note that the keyword here is low-light and not no-light.

If you’re in a dimly lit environment, the AI features do a great job at enhancing the clarity of your photos. The images come out looking high-contrast and detailed. The latter depends highly on your ability to stay still while the camera snaps a photo.

You can see how important this is based on this image of a flower I took at night. 

I don’t have the most stable hands and sometimes struggle to take photos without something to lean on. This was one of those times and it’s very evident in the photo because the details can’t be captured. But if you put that aside, the AI features enhance it pretty well.

A good rule of thumb to remember is that the darker the environment, the worse the photos come out. So you shouldn’t expect the AI tech to be a miracle worker. My recommendation for dark rooms is to just use good old-fashioned flash.

It’s what’s on the inside that matters

Another highlight of the Galaxy A55 is the Samsung Knox Security that’s built into the phone. For the Galaxy A series, it’s currently only available in the other new addition, the Galaxy A35.

This is Samsung’s secure mobile solution that provides real-time protection for your data, such as:

• Blocking unknown apps from unauthorised access to your phone 
• Labelling unknown and unsafe phone numbers that are potentially scams or fraud phone calls 
• Providing end-to-end encryption for data storage on Samsung Cloud 

Essentially, it provides safety against hackers who will perform malicious acts. This includes gaining access to personal data like messages and documents, location tracking, extracting passwords and login credentials, and even remotely controlling your phone.

Although, this isn’t to say the other Samsung models aren’t protected from such threats. The Knox security system simply enhances this protection, since it has multiple layers of security across hardware and software.

Verdict

The Galaxy A55 uses an improved Octa-core processor that is supposed to make multi-tasking, gaming, and streaming more effortless. 

Personally, I’m not a gamer girl so I didn’t really test this out. But when it comes to multitasking and streaming videos on YouTube, it certainly lived up to these claims. Even when I streamed YouTube videos for four hours straight with my Bluetooth earphones connected, the phone didn’t heat up or hang.

Like the Galaxy A54, this new model has a 5,000 mAh battery that lasts up to 28 hours before it needs to be charged. So, you don’t have to carry around a powerbank for outings.

Sporting 5G capabilities and an internal storage of 256GB, you can choose between three colourways: Awesome Violet, Awesome IceBlue, Awesome Navy. 

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A55 is a reliable phone with tools that are useful for daily needs. So if you’re someone who likes a good phone without too many frills, this might be a suitable choice for you.

Pros	Cons
Improved nightography abilities for better quality images in low-light conditions	Features are quite basic, might not be the best option if you’re looking for more tools to play with
Has built-in Samsung Knox Security to ensure device is safe from hackers

• Read other articles we’ve written about Samsung here.
• Learn more about Samsung Galaxy A55 here.

VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion to our Facebook page.

If you are a keyboard enthusiast and looking to level up your PC setup with customised keyboards or are planning to get a whole new setup, don’t sleep on The KapCo. 

Thomas Chan of The KapCo started his journey from corporate realms.

As a graduate with a degree in construction and a master’s degree in International Real Estate, he established his foothold in esteemed organisations like CBRE, Shimizu Corporation, and JLL Property Services.

Amidst his career and personal milestones like marriage and fatherhood, he sensed the need for a change and set his sights on the burgeoning ecommerce landscape.

In 2019, Thomas dove headfirst into the ecommerce wave, initially exploring the world of dropshipping. 

However, the tumultuous waters of online retailing demanded adaptability. Faced with the challenge of keeping his business afloat, Thomas and his team seized the opportunity to pivot towards branding—a decision that would redefine their trajectory.

Birth of The KapCo

The genesis of The KapCo was not scripted in a boardroom but emerged from a collective vision to create something exceptional.

“In July 2021, our ex-company allowed each sales team to come up with a brand to launch. We then had a brainstorming session that ultimately led to mechanical keyboards,” Thomas shared.

Inspired by his team’s ingenuity and fueled by a newfound passion for mechanical keyboards, he embarked on a quest to carve a niche in the competitive market.

Armed with a team of young and talented individuals boasting expertise in design, illustration, 3D modeling, photography, and marketing, The KapCo set out with a goal to revolutionise the mechanical keyboard experience. 

Their journey began with reselling plain-coloured keycaps, gradually evolving into designing bespoke keycaps that found enthusiasts worldwide. 

They have a variety of keycap sets such as spring tea keycaps, teddy bear keycaps and skull and roses keycaps. The price ranges from RM236.99 to RM377.99.

Additionally, they have designed keycap sets in partnership with a number of brands, including Ainbell, Creative Universe, Gateron, and Mocankeys.

They also have their own collections, which are The KapCo Artist, The KapCo Colorway, and The KapCo Original starting from RM141.99.

For its Artist Collection, The KapCo worked with international artists such as Ilustrata, Elora, Onitatu99, and others.

Through initiatives like The KapCo Artist Collection, they aim to infuse their products with creativity, authenticity, and a touch of exclusivity.

Defining his vision

Central to The KapCo’s ethos is a commitment to guiding keyboard enthusiasts through various levels of engagement, from novices to seasoned experts. 

By meticulously segmenting their target audience and crafting tailored experiences, The KapCo aspires to cultivate a vibrant community of keyboard enthusiasts.

Thomas and his team divide keyboard users into several levels:

• Level 0 – Non-mechanical keyboard users
• Level 1 – Those who have only heard about big brands such as Razer and Steelseries
• Level 2 – People who have delved deeper into the rabbit hole and started looking for customisation for their mechanical keyboards
• Level 3 – Enthusiast-level individuals who seek out unique and rare collectible keyboards

“For The KapCo, we envision ourselves helping people transition from Level 0 to Level 1, and from Level 1 to Level 2. As for Level 3, that’s our aim—to let our fans be the next ‘Kap’ enthusiast!” he told Vulcan Post.

Navigating challenges and embracing growth

Like any entrepreneurial endeavour, The KapCo’s journey has been punctuated by challenges and triumphs. 

From mastering the intricacies of product quality to navigating the dynamics of the global supply chain, Thomas and his team have persevered through sheer dedication and integrity.

As they gear up for the launch of their KapCo-branded keyboard later this year, they also anticipate collaborations with renowned brands like Peanuts, Nik Bental, and Ripndip.

With an eye on expanding their presence in offline retail spaces and securing bulk orders from international markets, Thomas envisions a trajectory of exponential growth for the brand.

In particular, they’re looking to expand their global footprint in China, Canada, and the US, believing that this will bring in more international collaborations and partnerships.

They are also aiming to collaborate with iconic IPs like Star Wars and Marvel to reach new heights of innovation and influence. 

In the ever-evolving landscape of ecommerce, Thomas Chan wants The KapCo to stand as a beacon of creativity in turning dreams into reality for its dedicated community of keyboard enthusiasts.

• You can also learn more about The KapCo here.

Featured Image Credit: Thomas Chan, founder of The KapCo

I’ve only had the Samsung Galaxy A55 for about one full day, but I already have some thoughts on it.

We managed to get our hands on the Awesome Lilac which is a light shade that veers close to pink. I find this a pleasant change from the Samsung Galaxy A54’s Awesome Violet that was much darker.

The new phone from Samsung’s midrange comes in three other colours: Awesome IceBlue, Awesome Navy, and Awesome Lemon. However, the latter isn’t available in Malaysia.

Out of the three, I believe this is the prettiest, but to each their own.

Weighing 213g, it’s slightly heavier than its Galaxy A54 predecessor. This is no surprise since Galaxy A55’s frame is made from aluminium metal, which is an upgrade from the A54’s plastic material.

It’s also much edgier than the Galaxy A54 since Samsung took away its curved design. Dimensions-wise, its 8.3mm depth makes it slightly bulkier to grip onto especially if you have small hands. 

But it feels secure to hold. Typing with one hand isn’t as daunting because it’s less likely to slip and fall on accident.

Moving on to what really matters…

In terms of software, it’s not vastly different from its A54 predecessor, though the cameras are certainly better than before.

The phone series’ nightography game gets an upgrade with an AI depth map, which is supposed to make photos look clearer in low-light conditions. 

In my short time with it, the nightography with AI does as it says. The photos I took of these bananas in the dark came out with a good balance of lighting and depth perception. Although, the colours are not as vibrant as I thought they would be.

Besides that, there’s the low-noise (LN4) nightography feature which improves the colour and image quality in dim environments. This is new and not found in the previous Galaxy A54 model.

In the short while I’ve had it, the nightography photos I took came out quite detailed. You could see the lines of the phloem bundles (the stringy bits) of the banana’s skin rather clearly. 

An added layer of security?

The main feature that Samsung highlights in its Galaxy A55 is the use of Samsung Knox Security. 

Essentially, it’s a security system by Samsung that’s built into its phones. This is ideal for those who want an added layer of security when it comes to the data that’s stored on their devices.

Some functions it has include:

• Blocking unknown apps from unauthorised access to your phone 
• Scanning for suspicious activities and providing additional defense against viruses and spyware
• Blocking images suspected of containing malicious media or malware in messaging apps
• Clearly labelling unknown and unsafe phone numbers that are potentially scams or fraud phone calls 
• Providing end-to-end encryption for data storage on Samsung Cloud 

Whether you’re using it for business or pleasure, Samsung’s Knox Security is supposed to ensure your privacy.

As I haven’t been using the phone for long enough, I have yet to encounter the functions that Samsung Knox Security provides. I’ll be exploring them further in an upcoming full review.

A decent first impression

A few other points that Samsung promises with this new Galaxy A55 is enhanced speed for better gaming and app launching. 

So far the latter doesn’t disappoint, but we’ll see how it fares with games later on. This, coupled with its larger cooling system (up to 74%), should make it a more comfortable experience when using more demanding apps too.

Overall, I’m looking forward to spending more time with it to really understand what the new RM1,999 Galaxy A55 is all about.

So keep an eye out for the next piece where we’ll unpack the phone in a full review.

• Learn more about the Samsung Galaxy A55 here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Samsung here.

Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post

It’s been a while since I set my hands on an A Series phone from Samsung, but from what I remember, they’ve always been reliable and solid phones for their price points.

The Galaxy A35 has just launched in Malaysia, and right off the bat, I have to say the phone looks really nice. We have the IceBlue version, and if we didn’t know better, we would’ve said this was a flagship model.

It has a nice heft, and the back is kept nice and clean with the three camera lenses lined up in a vertical row on the top left.

It’s not clear what glass is used on the back of the phone, but the front is Gorilla Glass Victus+, and the side panel with curved corners is made of plastic. The phone weighs 209g.

Looking good

The 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, along with Vision Booster to improve performance when directly under sunny skies.

There’s also an IP67 rating, which means it’s protected against dust and water, lasting up to 30 minutes in water of a 1-metre depth.

The A35 has an Exynos 1380 (5 nm) chipset. I downloaded Honkai: Star Rail, which is said to be quite a demanding mobile game, and it was able to play decently so far, with little screen tearing. I’ve yet to see how it handles sustained gaming sessions.

Battery life looks good too, the phone comes with a 5,00mAh battery, and I don’t think quick battery drainage will be an issue considering the specs.

Improved performance and security

For the cameras, you get a 50MP wide, 8MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, and a 13MP selfie camera.

They deliver sufficiently nice-looking photos, and Samsung says that the A35 has been equipped with enriched nightography for clearer photos in the dark too.

Something worth taking note of is also the fact that Samsung Knox Vault has appeared for the first time in the brand’s midrange phones through the A35 and A55.

To explain it simply, Knox Vault protects against hardware and software attacks by creating a secure execution environment that is physically isolated from the system’s main processor and memory.

This means that even if your phone is lost or stolen, your personal data like passwords, patterns, PINs, and biometric data will remain secured, according to Samsung.

Along with this, Samsung has also included other security features in the A35 such as:

• Auto Blocker, which blocks unknown apps, does app security checks, etc.
• Smart Call, to help you discern when unknown or unwanted numbers are calling 
• Samsung Knox Matrix, which ensures that no one can access your cloud data without your registered device
• Secure Folder, a private, encrypted space on your phone for an added layer of security when storing sensitive data

All in all, Samsung has taken steps to ensure that the new A Series phones hold their own when it comes to daily use and modern security needs.

The recommended retail price for the A35 is RM1,699, and we’ll be doing a more in-depth review of the phone to see how it fares against its price point soon, so stay tuned.

• Learn more about the Samsung Galaxy A35 here.
• Read more Samsung-related articles here.

On March 11, Samsung unveiled its Galaxy A55 5G and Galaxy A35 5G, two midrange smartphones.  

Virtually, the Galaxy A55 and the Galaxy A35 are similar. Both have a flat housing design, though it appears that the A55 sports a metal frame while the A35 is keeping to a plastic frame. The A35 is also lighter at 209g while the A55 is 213g.  

Both phones come in similar colourways—Awesome Iceblue, Awesome Navy, and Awesome Lilac.

Beyond their physical qualities, here’s what else to expect from these midrange phones.

The major highlights

The two phones come with 6.6-inch, FHD+ Super AMOLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate, and sport the scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.

Both have a IP67 rating, deeming them dust and water resistant.

On the topic of displays, both feature Vision Booster, Samsung’s answer to enhancing users’ visual experience. This offers adaptive brightness in different conditions for both phones, which boast a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits.

As for the chipset, it seems as though Samsung has yet to officially announce it, but the phones are expected to be powered by Exynos, with the A55 possibly using the Exynos 1480, while A35 may come with the Exynos 1380. Both phones will have an octa-core processor.

Another key feature of these phones is security. Specifically, these are the first Galaxy A series phones to be equipped with something known as Knox Vault, Samsung’s proprietary hardware-based and tamper-resistant security solution.

Battery life seems to be quite good for the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35, which will have a 5,000mAh battery that can supposedly last up to two days on a single charge.

While it doesn’t seem like the phones will come fitted with Galaxy AI, they will come with the Edit Suggestion feature that utilises AI technology so users can blur backgrounds, erase reflections, or remaster subjects in their photographs.

Some differences in the photography

As for photography capabilities, both have optical image stabilisation (OIS) and video digital image stabilisation (VDIS) built in.

The main difference between the phones is the camera specs, though.

For the A35, the three-camera setup comprises a 50MP main camera, a 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro camera.

These numbers are matched by the A55’s cameras, save for the ultrawide camera, which has a higher resolution of 12MP.

The front cameras are different too. While the A55 has a 32MP front camera, the A35’s is 13MP.

In a press release, Samsung also specifically highlighted the Galaxy A55 for its enhanced Nightography, and it supposedly offers clearer and more vibrant photos even in poor lighting conditions.

In any case, pricing details in Malaysia have not been released yet for either phone. That said, do stay tuned for any updates and reviews of the new gadgets once we get our hands on them.

• Learn more about the Samsung Galaxy A55 here.
• Learn more about the Samsung Galaxy A35 here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Samsung here.

Featured Image Credit: Samsung

Touting itself as “the pinnacle of mobile optics” is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which was just launched in Malaysia this morning at Hilton Hotel, PJ. 

Alongside that, the brand also released the Xiaomi 14 and a new line of wearables, including the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro (RM339), Xiaomi Watch S3 (RM699), and Xiaomi Watch 2 (RM769).

The main core features of the watches are their upgraded customisability and performance, such as having more straps and bezels to choose from and getting more comprehensive functionality. 

But it’s clear that the main highlights are the two new phones, so let’s dive a little deeper into those.

Xiaomi 14 Series

Co-engineered with Leica, the global manufacturer of high-end cameras, this flagship smartphone lineup seems to be a strong competitor in the mobile photography market. 

It incorporates Leica Summilux optics which indicates a maximum lens aperture of f/1.4. In layman terms, this means that the camera has enhanced light-gathering abilities. So even in low-light conditions, you’ll still be able to take good photos.

Internally, both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform. They’re equipped with a chipset of Qualcomm Fast Connect 7,000 that supports Wi-Fi 7. Though, the latter doesn’t really affect usability in Malaysia as we don’t have Wi-Fi 7 yet. 

In terms of operating system, they both use the Xiaomi HyperOS. A culmination of seven years of dedicated development by the brand, this system is designed for the “Human X Car X Home” smart ecosystem.

Essentially, this means that users will get more seamless connectivity between devices and comprehensive security and privacy features.

Apart from those, it’s easier to break down the differences by model.

Xiaomi 14

The Xiaomi 14 is marketed as being of a compact size with uncompromising features. 

It’s designed as a daily companion and weighs 193g. For comparison, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is 233g. The back panel is gently curved which makes it comfortable to grip for long periods.

In terms of display, its screen is 6.36” CrystalRes AMOLED with slim bezels of 1.71mm (length) and 1.1mm (height). The phone has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, which means visuals remain clear even under direct sunlight. 

So when you’re watching a movie, even while out in broad daylight, it’s a more immersive experience. 

It also helps that the power efficiency has increased by 17% when compared to its past models. So better power efficiency means better phone performance and battery life.

In fact, Xiaomi stated that you can get the phone fully charged within 31 minutes, and 46 minutes using wireless HyperCharge.

These systems are complemented by the Xiaomi IceLoop cooling system, which helps the phones perform during demanding tasks like real-time AI processing and intensive gaming. 

Xiaomi 14 Ultra

Visually, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra draws inspiration from traditional camera aesthetics and has a distinctive circular camera module. This makes it similar to some of its predecessors like the 13 Ultra and 12 Ultra.

Unlike the previous models, though, it comes with a streamlined flat back design instead of the traditional curved display. Which is a change that some may or may not like.

As you can tell from the phone itself, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s main pride is its camera’s capabilities.

This latest model comes with a professional quad-camera configuration that has a good range of focal lengths:

Leica ultra-wide (0.5x)	12mm	f/1.8
Leica main (1x)	23mm	f/1.63
Leica main (2x)	46mm	f/1.63
Leica telephoto (3.2x)	75mm	f/1.8
Leica periscope (5x)	120mm	f/2.5
Leica periscope (10x)	240mm	f/2.5

Spanning from 12mm to 120mm, the camera is integrated with an ultra-large one-inch LYT-900 image sensor. Essentially, this preserves richer details in light and dark settings. 

For the videographers out there, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra comes with its MasterCinema feature. So you can shoot videos in cinematic style with just your mobile phone.

With such heavy-processing tech, the brand introduced its new Dual-Channel IceLoop system to ensure users get a smoother photography and videography experience. According to Xiaomi, it provides 3x improved cooling performance.

You also don’t have to worry about the battery running out fast, as the phone can be fully charged within 33 minutes using HyperCharge.

-//-

Introduced alongside all of these is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit. It offers extended features in a dedicated grip and case that makes it look more like an old-school camera.

It includes a two-stage shutter button, a zoom lever, a customisable video recording button, and an additional custom dial. It also functions as an external charging battery bank, providing 1,500mAh of battery life. 

At the moment, many online reviews are comparing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra to Samsung’s Galaxy Ultra S24. Much of this has to do with both cameras’ specifications being quite similar to each other’s.

When it comes to pricing, Xiaomi seems to beat Samsung with the Xiaomi 14’s starting price at RM3,499 (12GB + 256GB) and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s starting price at RM5,199 (16GB + 512GB). 

But performance? Well, we haven’t tried it out for ourselves yet so we can’t share our verdict.

Regardless, though, both the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra seem like good options on paper. Especially if you’re a photography enthusiast who wants to explore the field without committing to a full-on professional camera. 

Sales for all its new products start tomorrow (March 8, 2024). Customers can purchase them at Xiaomi’s stores or at their retail partners, such as DirectD, Lazada, Senheng, Shopee, and Urban Republic.

	Xiaomi 14	Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Memory & storage	12GB + 256GB 12GB + 512GB	16GB + 512GB
Display	6.36″ CrystalRes AMOLED 1.5K display	6.73″ AMOLED display
Battery	4,610mAh internal battery, which supports 90W HyperCharge, claimed to be 100% in 31 minutes	5,000mAh internal battery, which supports 90W HyperCharge, claimed to be 100% in 33 minutes
Weight	193g	219.8g
Colour variants	Black, white, and jade green	Black and white
Price	RM3,499 to RM3,799	RM5,199

• Learn more about the new Xiaomi 14 Series here.
• Read articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.

Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post

What comes to mind when you think of ASUS? For me, one word in particular sticks out: bold.

I’m no expert when it comes to the brand, but it’s shown me that it doesn’t shy away from pushing the envelope in consumer tech.

So it’s no surprise that when asked what ASUS’ standout milestones are, Lenny Lin, Business Development Manager of ASUS Malaysia, told Vulcan Post:

“Our proudest milestones would be how far we have come in offering truly innovative viewing experiences in various form factors.”

“We are very proud to be the only PC brand to offer a wide selection of multi-display form factors, with our ScreenPad, ScreenPad Plus and of course, our most recent ASUS Zenbook DUO that gives you two full 14-inch OLED displays in one ultraportable laptop.”

Granted, these technologies may not be for everyone. However, Lenny did share results from a survey performed to gauge the interest in dual-display technology, and they were quite promising.

Regardless, seeing laptops that deviate from the norm is always an exciting thing to witness, and ASUS seems set on paving the way for more innovation.

Welcome to our new future

According to a 2023 report from market company research GfK, ASUS dominates in market shares for both the global and Malaysian market when it comes to OLED laptops.

The exact figures are P&C, but we have verified that they justify ASUS’ claims of market dominance.

That’s a significant result, because Lenny candidly shared that ASUS had invested heavily to become the leaders in OLED laptops (and multi-display laptops too), a move that has paid off.

What’s next for the brand, then?

Doubling down on AI, it seems. 

ASUS has already been integrating AI features into their laptops, Lenny shared. This includes their AI noise cancellation, and the ASUS AiSense Camera for 3D noise reduction, eye contact correction, appearance filter, and automatic framing, among other things, to improve how users experience virtual calls.

“The reason why we are making AI the next big thing to focus on is thanks to the wider availability of AI-capable hardware from our partners,” he explained.

“Now with Intel and AMD integrating NPUs (Neural Processing Units) into their designs, these features will only improve while making a minimal impact on battery life, which is key to a great user experience.”

Part of what that enhanced user experience would look like involves a more efficient workflow through features such as:

• Call summarisation and raw data analysis (Microsoft 365 Copilot)
• Optical character recognition capabilities to extract text from screenshots (Snipping Tool on Windows)
• Transcribing video to text (Premiere Pro)

Beyond all that, AI in gaming is already quite mature, Lenny pointed out. An example would be NVIDIA using AI for Frame Generation in order to deliver higher FPS.

“And even with all that said, I would say that we are barely scratching the surface of what we can do with AI.”

From doubts to demand

You’re not alone if you feel like everything online seems to revolve around AI this and AI that. Sometimes you might even wonder, is it really AI, or are brands just using it as a marketing buzzword?

Many of us would be none the wiser, after all.

Despite that, Lenny is confident in the direction that ASUS is taking.

“ASUS AI-ready laptops are here to stay, and the advantage of having AI-ready hardware will only keep growing.”

He did acknowledge though that it’s a new field of PC that will take some time to develop depending on consumer response and technology maturity.

Thus, to promote user experience, ASUS is working with upstream and downstream partners to enable AI PCs to become an important driving force in the PC industry.

Lenny shared, “We are seeking to democratise AI by making AI models that are trustworthy, inclusive, secure, and affordable, and we are also collaborating closely with our key partners on a range of innovative AI solutions which everyone will get to see this year onwards.” 

So, gamers and creators can keep a keen eye out for ASUS’ AI PCs to drop sometime in the second half of this year, and ASUS expects single-digit penetration of AI PCs in 2024.

“Whether there will be double-digit penetration in 2025 depends on the development progress and user response in 2024.”

“But we are confident that once consumers see the practical benefits of AI laptops, the uptake of AI laptops in the market will be on the uptrend,” Lenny concluded. 

I may still be a skeptic with my doubts about AI PCs, but I truly look forward to being proven wrong by ASUS’ signature bold approach.

• Learn more about ASUS here.
• Read more of our content about ASUS here.

Featured Image Credit: ASUS

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been to a social gathering where I don’t quite want to make small talk or make new friends.

Those times are when I wished I could game without my phone dying on me within the hour (ah, the struggles of using phones of yesteryear).

Newer phones with bigger batteries and better processors might make that issue a thing of the past, though.

With the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in hand, I decided to put its gaming performance to the test. 

Just how long would it take to drain its 5,000mAh battery from 100% to 0% if I was gaming non-stop?

Game on

To try and get results that were as accurate as possible in my non-professional, non-lab tested experiment, I simply charged the phone to 100% and closed all background apps before running a game.

Then I went into the Gaming Hub and ensured that no notifications would get through (maybe that would help reduce battery consumption too?).

It was time to lock in.

Hour 1

My two games of choice were Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail (HSR). One, because they were games I actually enjoyed playing, and two, I know for a fact that they’re quite demanding games.

I started with Genshin Impact, bumping up all its settings until they were overclocked. This meant 60fps with pretty much every feature on “High” or “Very High”.

Off I went, exploring the open world, engaging in battle, doing some quests, and living my best RPG life.

Halfway through the first hour, my hands and wrists were aching before the phone was even warm.

The S24 Ultra weighs 232g, just 2g lighter than its predecessor, so it’s still quite a heavy phone. I really started to feel it with both my arms unsupported, slouched over in my chair, and trying to keep a grip on the smooth metal back.

Resting my arms on my table helped take off the tension a bit, and having an ergonomic, easy to hold phone case would have been much more comfortable too.

I ended hour 1 with 78% battery left.

Hour 2

Going into hour 2, I wasn’t expecting much to change yet. After all, the S24 Ultra seemed like a beast, taking on my challenge easily.

I had moved locations, leaving my wonderfully air-conditioned bedroom to brave the fan-ventilated living room.

This was when I felt the phone actually start getting hot. I’m not sure if it was because of the change in temperature, my continued Genshin Impact gameplay, or a combination of both.

The heat was right around the camera housing, and though it was growing noticeable, there was still zero lag or screen tearing, not even a stutter.

Hour 2 ended with 59% battery, and it seemed like the battery consumption was quite consistent so far.

Hour 3

Halfway into hour 3, at 50% battery, the phone was getting quite hot to the point where it was uncomfortable to use, but to my amazement, there was still no lag. I was loading areas and domains just fine, and could even co-op online.

Normally, online co-op is intimidating when your device or network isn’t strong enough, because your teammates will be left waiting for you to load in and you’ll end up feeling like a burden. With the S24 Ultra, I was the one who would often end up waiting for everyone else.

Since I was at the midpoint for battery life, I decided to switch games to HSR (also on overclocked settings) to see how the phone would handle that.

Hour 3 ended with the phone being at 39%. Interestingly enough, the phone had cooled down after I switched to HSR, and maybe because I moved back to my air-conditioned room too. 

And this was without me even taking a break between switching games, so the phone had been running non-stop for three hours by now.

Hour 4 

I don’t have much to report on how the S24 Ultra performed around hour 4, because it kept on trucking. 

I had found a comfortable position to game in by this time, which is why I’m no longer complaining about the weight of the phone. However, I could feel myself getting fatigued by this point, unlike the unwavering S24 Ultra.

Bit by bit, the battery had trickled down to 18% by the end of hour 4.

And guess what?

Still no lag!

Hour 5

This is where things started getting crazy, and not because the S24 Ultra was acting up or anything. The complete opposite, in fact. 

It was still going as steadily and smoothly as ever. I swear that I had yet to see a noticeable lag in my gameplay, even though the battery had dipped well below the 20% mark.

TechRadar tested the S24 Ultra against a top-of-the-line dedicated gaming phone, and reported that the Samsung came up on top in every metric.

Hard to believe at first, but I wouldn’t be surprised after seeing the S24 Ultra in action myself.

Though the phone was at 11% by the end of hour 5, it was just warm and had no stutter, performing as though its battery was still full.

Hour 6

I wasn’t ambitious about the phone lasting much longer past the fifth hour. Based on my track record, it seemed like I was draining the battery at an average of 20% every hour, so surely it wouldn’t last more than five hours… right?

This was the only time when performance dropped a bit. Running around in the game was okay, but whenever I clicked into stuff and the game had to change its UI or load menu screens, it would get a bit choppy.

23 minutes into hour 6 (a whole 23 minutes more than I expected the phone to last!), I called it quits with the phone at 2%.

And right up until it hit 2%, I was still engaged in battle. I only lost the battle due to skill issues, but it was better than losing because the phone suddenly shut down. 

Verdict

About five and a half hours of high performance gaming across two demanding games on a full charge is no joke, especially considering how optimal my experience was right up to the very end.

Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, the S24 Ultra supports ray tracing too, but there aren’t many mobile games that support that yet. Maybe with such games, the performance might take a harder hit faster, but until then, I have to say:

If you had the S24 Ultra with you at a boring event, rest assured that you’ll get lots of use out of it, gaming or not, with probably more battery to spare to Grab or Waze home after.

Pros	Cons
Large 5,000mAh battery that has good lasting power	Phone is quite heavy to hold for extended periods
Bright, gorgeous, HD display
Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset for consistent performance

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a starting price of RM6,299, and you can learn more about it here.
• Read our full reviews of the phone here, our thoughts on its AI features here, and its photography prowess here.

By now, you’ve probably heard that Samsung has recently released its latest Galaxy S24 series. It’s jam-packed with new AI features, such as live translations of up to 13 languages, Circle to Search, and transcript assist.

Each of them is exciting for the gadget enthusiast who likes experiencing the latest technology in the palm of their hands.

But for myself, I’m of the belief that a phone just needs two things—connectivity for phone calls and the internet, and the ability to take good photos.

So when the brand sent us a unit of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, I was excited to try all the new changes available in its camera app.

Here’s my review for Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra for mobile photographers like myself.

A switch that’s arguably for the better

One of the major changes to the S24 Ultra’s hardware is one of its camera lenses, switching out the 10x periscope camera that sports a 10MP sensor with a 5x telephoto camera that sports a 50MP sensor.

Essentially, this means that the zooming capabilities have changed. 

Where before this we could zoom up closer, the image would have lower resolution. This is because a higher megapixel camera can capture more detailed images.

Though, some might argue that a higher megapixel camera doesn’t guarantee image quality. You still have to factor in the quality of the lens and how the images are processed.

In this regard, my opinion is that the S24 Ultra certainly delivers. 

When looking at this from an everyday consumer’s perspective, the 5x zoom is also more practical. I personally can’t remember a time when I’ve needed to magnify a subject matter at 10x zoom.

Aside from that, Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 series supports optical zoom in 3x and 5x, and optical quality zoom in 2x and 10x. For context, optical quality zoom simply means that they’re digital zooms which are enhanced by Samsung’s Adaptive Pixel sensor to replicate the quality of optical zooms.

This digital zoom is supported up to 100x on the phone, which means that you’re still able to capture that moon shot. If you’re a frequent traveller, it might even help with getting information from faraway street signs.

Aside from the 5x camera upgrade, the other cameras on the S24 Ultra remain the same:

Primary camera	200MP, 24mm, f/1,7, 1/1.3” sensor
Ultrawide camera	12MP, 13mm, f/2.2, 1/2.55” sensor
3x Telephoto camera	10MP, 67mm, f/2.4, 1/3.52” sensor
5x Periscope camera	50MP, 115mm, f/3.4

Does it perform better in the night?

Besides the camera lenses, another notable feature on the S24 Ultra is its improved night photography. Or as the South Korean company calls it, nightography.

Similar to its capabilities during the day, the photos by the latest model have lower exposure and a better saturation. The details in the photos are also more pronounced. 

You’ll also find that photos by the S24 Ultra in night mode are brighter than on the S23 Ultra.

There are certain pros and cons to these features. 

For one, I found that the images look more realistic considering the higher level of details. It also looks more professional and at times, it looks pretty close to what you would see in real life.

This makes it quite ideal for times when you’d like to capture subjects in dark settings. This could be in your own room, a cinema, or even night markets.

On the other hand, there’s an appeal to the S23 Ultra’s nightography images too.

Sporting a slightly lower resolution, it brings a more dreamy and whimsical quality to the photos. I’d even argue that without tweaking any camera settings, it would take better photos where you want to emphasise on the contrast between light and dark.

For example, I believe it would suit people who enjoy taking shots of concerts, city skylines, and even amusement parks.

Can you guess which phone took this?

To better answer the question of whether it’s worth upgrading from the S23 Ultra to the S24 Ultra, here’s a test for you. Press on the + sign to the right of “Answer” to reveal it.

Test 1

Test 2

Test 3

Verdict

Of course, as with other aspects of the S24 Ultra, there are also AI features and tools available for photography.

This includes the object eraser tool which can erase things or remove reflections, the generative fill technology, and image clipping editing where you can move an object to other parts of the photo.

We’ve written a separate review that covers its new AI upgrades here, so I won’t talk much about that. 

Overall, I found that the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s photography abilities certainly improved from the previous series from image quality to providing a more life-like photo.

Looking at just the camerawork alone, though, is it enough to switch from the S23 Ultra? 

If given the chance, I probably wouldn’t make the jump as it’s not a drastic enough change between the two. And I’ll admit that I prefer my nightography photos to be a little dimmer, so the new upgrade wouldn’t serve me much. 

My opinion aside, whether it’s worth it or not for you is entirely dependent on the kinds of photographs you like to take.

This new phone retails at a starting price of RM6,299, which is a pretty big jump from the S23 Ultra’s debut price of RM5,299. So are these upgrades worth RM1,000 to you?

Pros	Cons
Improved telephoto camera makes for higher quality zoomed-in images	Brighter images in low-light settings which might take away from the nature of the photograph
New AI features make photo editing easier and more fun

• Read other articles we’ve written about Samsung here.
• Learn more about Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra here.

Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post