Maxis tests LTE in Malaysia
Last Friday, Maxis became the first operator in Malaysia to successfully test an LTE network.
In the test, Maxis working together with Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei, managed to achieve download speeds of between 60 to 104Mbps.
In a press release announcing the successful completion of the test, Maxis mentioned that it will continue with LTE testing in Bandar Utama and Damansara “to rigorously assess the quality of LTE performance” with its existing HSPA network. In the same release Maxis said that its network is ready for LTE integration.
Does this mean we will be seeing LTE deployments in Malaysia soon?
First impressions: Samsung Galaxy S
We had some playtime with the Samsung Galaxy S at the Malaysian launch last Friday and while we wait for the uncertain availability of a review unit from Samsung, we thought we’d give you a quick first impressions on the latest Android smartphone to hit the market.
Display, Design and Built-quality
The screen of a touchscreen smartphone is always the centerpiece of its device, so we’ll start off our observations from there.
There’s an intense debate between the two of us here at SoyaCincau.com as to what would be the perfect screen size for a smartphone. How big should and could a screen go before it inadvertently makes a device bulky and cumbersome to hold and fit in your shirt or back pocket. Our discussions have always ended in the agreement that the 3.5in screen on the iPhone is the best size for a smartphone.
So how does the 4in Super-AMOLED 800x480px screen on the Galaxy S fair against the ideal 3.5in screen size? Very well actually, making the device nice to hold but not too bulky that you feel you’re going to drop it due of its girth. The additional screen real-estate is definitely noticeable making the Galaxy S a joy to use and Samsung’s super AMOLED technology delivers bright and clear renditions of icons, text and video. In terms of display, we feel the Galaxy S trumps the Nexus One, Desire and iPhone 3GS. We like it a lot.
The screen is definitely a plus point but we can’t say the same about the built of the Galaxy S. Overall, the Galaxy S feels too plasticky to live up to its flagship device claim. Comparing the Galaxy S against its natural rival, the HTC Desire, we’d say the Desire with its velvety plastic chassis feels more premium and better built than the Galaxy S.
Dimensions wise, there’s really not much to separate the Galaxy S with the Desire, the Nexus One or even the iPhone. There’s literally very little in it. They all feel very nice in the hand except for the Nexus One, which is the only device that we feel we can’t confidently hold due to its overly curvy design.
WiMAX Inside: Features in detail
P1 together with Intel will be launching WiMAX embedded laptops tomorrow. Over the weekend we got one WiMAX-Inside laptop to review and here are our findings. We’ve done quite extensive testing on this WiMAX laptop and its going to be diffficult to put our findings down in one post, so we will be spliting it into smaller pieces for easier reading.
We did promise a full on road test of the WiMAX-Inside laptopn and that’s coming right after this, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at what the technology has to offer.
UPDATE: Steve Jobs: iPhone 4 may be recalled (?)
(Update 0025hrs 28061020) As it turns out the Daily Mail has removed the news piece without any explanation. the tweet the article referred to to belongs to one of the many fake Steve Jobs Twitter account out there. In this case, it was from ceoSteveJobs.
But with unhappy customers growing in numbers by the day, can Apple afford not to recall the flawed iPhone 4?
(Update 0126hrs 28061020) Another short update. Found found a screencap of the earlier report on Flickr.
“We may have to recall the new iPhone. This I did not expect.”
Steve Jobs revealed via Twitter that the recently launched iPhone 4 may be recalled barely a week into its debut, UK’s Daily Mail Online reported.
The is probably the first time we’ve heard Apple recall a product and if it is indeed true, this would definitely be the first time an iPhone is being recalled.
The culprit? You’ve guessed it, the externally antenna that we’ve talking about here, here and here.
Could this mean that there will be delays for subsequent shipments of the iPhone 4 to other countries? Most likely. Would it affect sales of the iPhone 4? Probably but maybe not.
Experts agree: External antenna not that good
It turns out, external antennas are not that revolutionary after all and they could be more problematic than internal ones. At least, this is what one antenna expert from Denmark is saying.
Professor Gert Frølund Pedersen from Aalborg University’s Institute for Electronic Systems saw Steve’s presentation at WWDC10 and says that the design of the antenna as a part of the phone’s frame is really not anything new. In fact numerous phones in the past have used a similar design. The professor is currently leading an international research team to develop a more effective mobile antenna technology
What’s different with the iPhone 4 is that the installation of the external antenna is flawed and it is causing reception problems when the phone is held in a certain way.
There are now claims that Apple will be releasing a patch to solve the issue but we’re wondering if a software patch can really solve the problem?
We don’t think so.
This is because the root cause of the reception degradation is direct physical contact with the iPhone 4’s antenna. The professor explains: “the human tissue will in any event, have an inhibitory effect…Touch means that a larger portion of the antenna energy turns into heat and lost. This makes the antenna less efficient to send and receive radio signal.”
Researchers at Aalborg University is quick to point that found that if mobile phones are held tightly generally where the antenna is located can cause reduction in reception by more than 90%.
You’re holding it wrong Apple
Who’s holding it wrong now Steve?
Click for larger image.
[source]
Serious design flaw on the iPhone 4
We thought that it’s really weird for the iPhone 4 WiFi to stop working during the FaceTime demo at WWDC10. At that time Jobs claimed that the over 500 wireless APs in the conference hall was causing problems for the iPhone 4, resulting in the botched up demo.
We thought that it was very unlikely that the WiFi routers were to blame for the failed demo. We noted that there could be something seriously wrong with the external antenna on the iPhone 4 when it comes to WiFi performance. It turns out WiFi performance is not the only thing the iPhone 4 is having problems with.
Many early iPhone 4 owners experiencing a dropped calls and a major drop is signal reception when handling the phone. All of these early iPhone 4 users have their fingers pointed directly at the “revolutionary” external stainless steel antenna.
We didn’t realize it at first but it has now become obvious to us. Is the antenna design on the iPhone 4 majorly flawed? We are inclined to believe that it definitely is. The logic behind this is simple, if you we’re to hold any antenna, be it TV, radio or even handphones, you are bound to experience signal degradation. To overcome this, product designers add some form of insulation around the antenna to minimize short circuiting the antennae with can cause interference and signal degradation. Could the exposed antenna design on the iPhone 4 be the root cause of all this?
Without a unit to test for ourselves, for now we can only speculate, but we have a very strong feeling that it is indeed the case.
WiMAX-Inside roadtest complete, results on Monday
We have just completed our road test with the upcoming Intel based WiMAX embedded laptop that is going to be introduced by P1 next week. These new range of what P1 calls, WiMAX-Inside laptops is said to be able to deliver a simillar level of convenience offered by WiFi but with the advantages of better performance and coverage of WiMAX all without the need for external dongles.
To find out if what P1 says is true or not, we acquired a test WiMAX laptop and took it on “end to end” LRT ride and the a long drive along LDP highway. The test results are interesting and we have a lot to share in terms of ease of use, connectivity, download speeds and power consumption.
Watch this space on Monday to read all about it.
UPDATE: Our road test post is up, read all about it here.
When standing in line for iPhone 4, bring a portable generator
When it comes to doing things differently, you can take your hats off to the Japanese.
During iPhone 4 launch day, we’re sure you’ve seen all the pictures and reports of lines going around the block in front of the many Apple stores in five countries getting the first wave of iPhone 4 shipments.
Japan was one of the five countries getting the iPhone 4. At first glance, you’ll see the same long lines as you did in the US and and in the UK, but it’s slightly different. One dude brought a portable generator along with him so that his gadgets will never run out of juice while he’s waiting in line. Genius!
We wonder if there will be long lines here in Malaysia when Maxis eventually make the announcement that the iPhone 4 pre-orders are open.
If there is, you’ll be sure we’ll be at the front line to give you all the latest.
In the meantime, enjoy this video report of the Japanese guy standing in line with his portable generator after the jump.
Steve Jobs “responds” to iPhone 4 unfair criticism
The new iPhone 4 has been plagued with complaints ranging from discolouring of the screen, not so durable glass construction and reception problems with the way you hold the phone. There is even report of a unit that came with volume controls assembled the wrong way.
The guys at Apple isn’t too pleased with all these complaints which seems to be an over exaggeration for their latest revolutionary product ever. “Steve Jobs” and his chief designer “responds” in an exclusive interview with “Walt Mossberg”, taking a swipe at their users while adding that “common sense” is short supply these days.
Check out the video after the jump. Be warned that “Steve Jobs” is obviously ain’t friendly when he is pissed.