The flagship Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are available globally from March 2018 and both will ship with Android 8.0 Oreo. They are expected to hit Singapore shelves from April. In the meantime, consumers can register their interest here. Prices TBA.
Sony is able to draw upon their in-house expertise in other related fields of business – sensors for camera imaging, displays from their Bravia TVs, quality sound from their audio products, gaming from their PlayStation, and entertainment content from their movie studio.
They were the first to feature the Super Slow Motion video and 3D avatar features and now other major smartphone makers are following suit.
Looking forward to their production models when the new XZ2 & XZ2 Compact hit the shelves in Singapore.
The new Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact flagship Android smartphones from Sony are designed for the enjoyment of entertainment on the devices.
Xperia XZ2 ships with extended 5.7” HDR Full HD+ display, powerful stereo speakers, and a new Dynamic Vibration System to bring content to life.
The Motion Eye camera now has world’s 1st 4K HDR Movie recording in a smartphone and Full HD 960FPS Super slow motion.
The Xperia XZ2 Compact sports an extended 5” HDR Full HD+ display, Motion Eye camera experience and Sony’s AV technologies.
The bezel-less smartphone features the world’s first half-screen in-display fingerprint scanning technology with innovations in camera, speaker and sensors.
The Vivo APEX Looks like a truly “bezel-less” (concept) smartphone, with screen-to-body ratio exceeding 98%.
Vivo boasts that the new concept smartphone features the world’s highest screen-to-body ratio and groundbreaking half-screen in-display fingerprint scanning technology.
Read the details about APEX in their press releases below (Chinese version included).
The Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ will hit Singapore shelves on 16 March, with pre-orders commencing from this Thursday on 1 March, 12pm. Local prices & availability below.
Hands on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones in Singapore.
Pre-orders can be placed with M1, Singtel, StarHub Samsung Store Online, Samsung Experience Stores, Lazada Singapore, as well as major consumer electronics & IT stores (Best Denki, Courts, GAin City, Hachi, Harvey Norman & Newstead) and their websites.
Recommended retail prices in Singapore below.
Galaxy S9 (64GB): S$1,198
Galaxy S9+ (64GB): S$1,348
Galaxy S9+ (256GB): S$1,498
Only the Midnight Black, Coral Blue and Lilac Purple colours are available in Singapore.
Hot off the oven – first looks at the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones in Singapore.
Those who purchase a Galaxy S9 or S9+ will get a free Samsung Concierge Care Pack worth S$128 and trade-in an eligible device for up to S$610, under the Samsung Trade Up programme that was announced in conjunction with the launch.
Samsung unveils Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ with Super Slow-mo video, dual-aperture low light camera and AR Emoji. Available from 16 March, 2018 in select markets in 4 colour choices – Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, Coral Blue and a new hue, Lilac Purple. Prices & availability below.
Hands on the new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones in Singapore.
The new Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ flagship Android smartphones.
For the US, the direct purchase price from Samsung of a SIM-free Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will cost US$719.99 and US$839.99 respectively – local pricing for other countries are yet to be revealed.
Key specs of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Click on image to enlarge.
HMD Global has announced four new Android smartphones (Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, new Nokia 6, and Nokia 1); and reloaded the iconic Nokia 8110 in 4G. Prices and availability below.
The five new phones introduced by Nokia: Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, new Nokia 6, Nokia 1, reloaded Nokia 8100 with 4G.
The reloaded Nokia 8110 will ship with 4G connectivity, apps including Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Search, Facebook and Twitter, and the return of the slider phone.
Prices and availability
All prices are global average retail prices and exclude taxes and subsidies.
Nokia 8 Sirocco
(€749, early April).
Nokia 7 Plus
(€399, early April).
New Nokia 6
(€279, May).
Nokia 1
(US$85, early April).
Nokia 8110
(€79, May).
* Xpress-on covers for Nokia 1 are sold separately and are available from US$7.99 in Azure, Grey, Yellow and Pink.
Three of the four new Nokia Android smartphones will join the Android One family – the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and the new Nokia 6.
With a pure Android installation, these phones avoid unnecessary UI changes or hidden processes that eat up battery life or slow them down.
Each of the new phones comes with a limited number of pre-installed apps so that users will get more storage space.
By shipping with Android Oreo out of the box, the phones will have the latest features, including Picture-in-Picture for multitasking, Android Instant Apps to discover and run apps with minimal friction, 60 new emojis and battery-maximising features like limiting background app use.
These phones will be updated over time with the latest AI powered innovations and security patches from Google.
Below are more details from the press release about the five new Nokia phones.
The mid-range “dual selfie” camera smartphone will hit Singapore shelves on 26 February. The S$598 Xperia XA2 Ultra are available in Black, Blue or Gold.
Sony first announced the Xperia XA2 Ultra at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2018.
Engineered specifically for selfies, the Xperia XA2 Ultra ships with two front cameras: a 16MP camera with Optical Image Stabilisation, and a 8MP 120° super wide-angle camera.
Together with the Smart Selfie Flash, the cameras promises clear shots regardless of lighting or environment and accomodate more friends and and the surrounding into selfies.
An optional accessory for the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is the Style Cover Stand that comes in Black or Grey.
The rear camera has 23 megapixels, and a large 1/2.3” Exmor RSTM for mobile sensor that is capable of ISO 12800 sensitivity for better low-light photography.
Huawei showcases driverless Porsche Panamera driven by the Mate 10 Pro, leveraging the smartphone’s powerful computer chip and AI (Artificial Intelligence) engine.
Huawei boasts that it is the first mobile device manufacturer in the world to use an AI-powered smartphone to drive a car.
The aim of the “RoadReader” project is to push the boundaries of Huawei’s object recognition technology and put the learning capabilities, speed and performance of its AI-powered devices to the test.
The AI engine in the Huawei Mate 10 Pro transforms the Porsche Panamera into a driverless vehicle that does not just see, but also understands its surroundings.
The new Google Pixel 2 XL phablet in the tech4xmas 2017 gift list not just because it’s the latest, but mostly because it’s up there among the best, and whoever you’re giving this to as a X’mas present is going to be absolutely delighted. Available in Singapore from 15 November, 2017.
“The Google Pixel 2 XL has one of the best cameras I’ve tried among the flagship models of other smartphone makers and it does it with a single lens!”
Made by Google, the Pixel 2 XL ships with Google organic apps installed and most significantly, the phone will be the first in the market to receive Android updates from Google.
Having tried out the phablet, it truly has a superb camera.
The rear camera has a 12.2-megapixels sensor with f/1.8 lens while the front camera has 8 megapixels and a f/2.4 lens. Measuring 6.2 x 3 inches, the phablet comes in just black or black & white.
In fact, it has the highest DxOMark of 98 for its camera performance – higher than all other smartphone cameras today – and it does it with a single lens!
Photos turned out crisp and clear even in low light.
The aluminum unibody of the Google Pixel 2 XL makes it water/dust resistant IP67 standards. That means the Pixel 2 XL – like the Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8 & 8 plus – can withstand immersion in water up to one meter for 30 minutes.
It offers the popular Portrait Mode, boasting background blur if you keep the background relatively far behind the subject you’re shooting.
The new Huawei Mate 10 Series is based on the Kirin 970 AI mobile chipset; and comprises the 5.9-inch Mate 10 (S$888), 6-inch Mate 10 Pro, & Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10. Full pricing & availability to be announced on 26 October, 2017. Pre-order and registration of interest information below.
Update (26 October, 2017):
Huawei launched its Mate 10 series of Android smartphones in Singapore this evening.
Huawei Mate 10 Pro (left) is slightly longer while the Mate 10 (right) is broader. The Mate 10 Pro does not have a home button, a headphone jack nor an external memory card slot.
Prices & availability for Singapore were released.
Huawei Mate 10: S$888
Mocha Brown, Black (28 Oct)
Huawei Mate 10 Pro: S$1,098
Mocha Brown (11 Nov), Midnight Blue (25 Nov)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10: S$2,298
Diamond Black (24 Nov)
The Kirin 970 in the Mate 10 Series was unveiled during IFA Berlin last month and is Huawei’s first AI (artificial intelligence) mobile chipset.
The new phones will sport Huawei’s EMUI 8.0 user-interface and new Leica dual camera technology.