SoyaCincau » Nokia

Galaxy S4 Camera vs the Others: Daytime Comparison

soyacincau — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:15:14 +0000

Couple of weeks back, we did a camera comparison of the latest flagship devices such as the HTC One, BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5 and Sony Xperia Z. With the Samsung Galaxy S4 being launched recently, it’s time for another round of camera shootout. This time we’ve thrown the Galaxy Note II in the mix as well.

Topping the megapixel count in this comparison are the 13MP shooters – Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z while the Lumia 920 8.7MP shooter shoots at 7.9MP. The iPhone 5, Galaxy Note II and the BlackBerry Z10 comes with the usual 8MP count. Of course not forgetting is the HTC One’s Ultrapixel camera which shoots an effective 4MP.

Without further ado, head after the break for the comparison. Let us know which you think is better?

Chili & Ketchup

Galaxy S4

Xperia Z

Lumia 920

iPhone 5

HTC One

Note II

BlackBerry Z10

Nut & Bolt

Galaxy S4

Xperia Z

Lumia 920

iPhone 5

HTC One

Note II

BlackBerry Z10

Mall Indoor

Galaxy S4

Xperia Z

Lumia 920

iPhone 5

HTC One

Note II

BlackBerry Z10

Books

Galaxy S4

Xperia Z

Lumia 920

iPhone 5

HTC One

Note II

BlackBerry Z10

Coloured Cubes

Galaxy S4

Xperia Z

Lumia 920

iPhone 5

HTC One

Note II

BlackBerry Z10

Typewriter

Galaxy S4

Xperia Z

Lumia 920

iPhone 5

HTC One

Note II

BlackBerry Z10

Previous Comparisons

(HTC One, Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5, Xperia Z, BlackBerry Z10)

Daytime – Photo Comparison
Daytime – Video Comparison
Night – Photo Comparison
Night – Video Comparison

Nokia Lumia 925 revealed with aluminium frame and smart camera features

soyacincau — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:55:16 +0000

Nokia has just announced its latest Lumia flagship device – the Lumia 925. Departing from its usual signature colourful polycarbonate designs, the Lumia 925 now uses aluminium as the device frame which is a more premium feeling material. The back of the Lumia 925 still uses polycarbonate.

In terms of hardware specs, it is almost identical with its Lumia 920. It runs on the same 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 processor with 1GB of RAM, a 4.5″ 1280×768 display, 8.7MP camera with Optical Image Stabiliser and 2,000mAh battery. However the display on the Lumia 925 uses OLED as oppose to the Lumia 920′s IPS panel. The camera is given a boost with a 6-element lens which is 1 extra over the 920. In terms of dimensions, the Lumia 925 is lighter at 139 grams (Lumia 920: 185 grams) and shaves a couple of milimetres off its height, width and thickness as well.

In terms of software, the camera usability is given a much needed boost. The Lumia 925 comes with Smart Camera Apps which lets you take burst shots (Max 5MP), best shot (similar to best faces) and Action shot which is similar to what Galaxy S4 and HTC One is offering right now. Existing Nokia Lumia devices will also get the latest Smart Camera apps via Nokia’s upcoming Amber update but there’s no mention when it will be rolled out. For those eager to take food pics with filters, Nokia has also introduced Hipstamatic Oggl app, which is Windows Phone 8′s alternative to Instagram. Out of the box, the Lumia 925 doesn’t support wireless charging natively. However it is still possible with an optional sleeve like the Lumia 720.

The Lumia 925 is offered in Silver and Grey colours with a price tag of 469 Euros which is about RM1,815. It is expected to be rolled out in June beginning with China and Europe. Overall, the Lumia 925 is looking like a mere slimmed down Lumia 920 facelift rather than an all new model with small touches on the hardware and smart add-ons in the camera department.

For more information, head over to Nokia’s Lumia 925 product page.

More official product photos, videos and sample photos taken with the Lumia 925 after the break.

Sample Lumia 925 photos

HTC One

Sony-Xperia-Z

Ixora

iPhone 5

BlackBerry Z10

Nokia Lumia 920

HTC One

Sony-Xperia-Z

Fire Hydrant

iPhone 5

BlackBerry Z10

Nokia Lumia 920

HTC One

Sony-Xperia-Z

For night shots, check out our previous camera comparison post here.

Nokia Asha 501 – Cheap and Cheerful full touch screen phone for the masses

soyacincau — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:59:45 +0000

Nokia Asha range hasn’t been much attention but the new Asha 501 is set to make heads turn. Made with a seamless and strikingly colourful brick design, the new Nokia Asha 501 is a refreshing take on the lower mobile segment.

On-board it runs on a new Asha platform that’s still based on SmarterPhone which combines the experience of Symbian, MeeGo and Lumia. In the UI front, they have something called fastlane whereby your activities are being lined up in a chronological manner including past, present and upcoming future events. Another enhancement is its built-in browser which has the budget data users in mind. The touch based browser supports server side compression which helps to cut down 90% of data usage when browsing the web.

At the front, it has a 3.0″ TFT display that does 320×240 pixels resolution and it supports multi-touch using 2 fingers. There’s a 3.2MP camera, WiFi and 4GB of on-board storage which can be expanded using microSD.

Juicing up the Asha 501 is a 1,200mAh battery which Nokia claims to have a standby time of 48 days. On the downside, the Asha 501 lacks 3G support which is rather surprising for a 2013 phone. As people associate Nokia of old as being tough and durable, it is good to know that the Asha 501 comes with a hardened glass display and a tough looking monobody back cover. Pricing is definitely a factor in this segment and the Asha 501 carries a price tag of just US$99. That’s about RM300 excluding prevailing tax and additional cost.

For more information, head over to Nokia’s Asha 501 page.

Head after the break for hands-on video and product shots.

Camera Shootout: HTC One, BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5 & Sony Xperia Z Outdoor Video Test

soyacincau — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:13:48 +0000

Following our previous Camera Shootout for Videos, we have done some sample shots during the day. This time we tested the HTC One, BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5 & Sony Xperia Z. The Sony Xperia ZL was dropped this time as it produces the same result as its water resistant sibling.

Among the smart phones we have tested, only HTC One and Sony Xperia Z offers native HDR Video recording. It is worth pointing out that the Nokia Lumia 920 is rather steady thanks to its optical image stabiliser.

Head after the break to view the samples. Don’t forget to change the resolution to HD to watch it in higher quality.

BlackBerry Z10

iPhone 5

Nokia Lumia 920

Sony Xperia Z (Normal)

Sony Xperia Z (HDR Mode)

HTC One (Normal)

HTC One (HDR Mode)

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our previous comparison for photos and videos.

Camera Shootout: HTC One, BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z & Xperia ZL videos compared

soyacincau — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:32:21 +0000

After comparing photos taken with the 6 devices – HTC One, BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5 & Sony Xperia Z/ZL, it is time to compare its Full HD 1080p video capabilities. For this test, we recorded in both indoors and outdoors. Don’t forget to change the resolution to 1080p to watch the sample video in its full glory.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the photo comparison of the 6 devices over here.

Head after the break for the video comparison.

Indoor

iPhone 5

BlackBerry Z10

Nokia Lumia 920

HTC One

Sony Xperia Z

Sony Xperia ZL

Outdoor Night

iPhone 5

BlackBerry Z10

Nokia Lumia 920

HTC One

Sony Xperia Z

iPhone 5

BlackBerry Z10

Nokia Lumia 920

HTC One

Sony Xperia Z

Sony Xperia ZL

Drop your thoughts in the comment section below.

DiGi offers Free Lumia 610, Extended Warranty & Free SMS for Earth Hour

soyacincau — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:36:22 +0000

In conjunction with Earth Hour that’s happening tomorrow on 23rd March at 8.30PM, DiGi is having its Black Out sale. They are offering the Nokia Lumia 610& a bluetooth headset for Free with a 12 month contract on DG Smart Plan 58. In addition, they are offering additional extended 1 year warranty on selected devices on their Online Store which probably will be revealed by tomorrow.

Prepaid users too will given 100 Free SMS (within DiGi Network) for credit top ups of RM30. Remember, this Black Out Sale offer is only valid for one day only on 23rd March 2013.

For more information, head over to DiGi or visit the Lumia 610 page.

MWC 2013 Hands-On: Nokia Lumia 520 & Lumia 720

soyacincau — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 02:15:16 +0000

Nokia had announced 2 new Windows Phone 8 devices at MWC 2013 – The entry level Lumia 520 and the mid-spec Lumia 720. Both are running on dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 with 512MB of RAM and 8GB of storage which can be expanded with up to 64GB of microSD memory.

Read on for more details and our hands-on video.

Nokia Lumia 520

The Lumia 520 comes with a modest 4.0″ scratch resistant IPS display that pushes a WVGA resolution of 800×480. Behind the coloured backpanel which is easily pinched open comes with a removable 1,430mAh battery. In terms of imaging, it has a 5MP main camera that shots 720p HD videos but it lacks front facing camera. In the hands, it feels rather nice and the matte coloured back cover gives it a rather durable feel. Since it is a entry level device, there’s no wireless charging support available.

Nokia Lumia 720

Next is the mid-level Lumia 720 which comes with a bigger 4.3″ screen that pushes the same 800×480 pixels resolution as the 520. However the display is much better with a IPS Clear Black Display, Gorilla Glass 2 and comes with the nice sculpted curved edges around the screen.

In the imaging department, the Lumia 720 has a front facing 1.3MP camera and a rather odd 6.7MP shooter at the rear. The camera is one of the key highlights with a f/1.9 aperture for the main shooter and a wide angle camera with f/2.4 aperture for the front. The device is powered with a 2,000mAh battery and by default it doesn’t support wireless charging. However there’s an added wireless charging cover that doubles up as a protective shell which can be snap-on for it to work with the variety of wireless chargers.

Some images of the Lumia 720 with the Wireless Charging cover below.

Maxis now offers 4G LTE for Smart Phones

soyacincau — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:22:24 +0000

UPDATE: Added details of Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC One XL 4G LTE bundling plans. Thanks bertjit for the heads up!

Maxis being the first to offer 4G LTE service in Malaysia has finally announced its 4G LTE smart phone bundling. Initially Maxis 4G LTE was only launched with its Wireless Broadband service offering. There are 2 devices being offered – Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC One XL which both supports 2600MHz frequency.

The 4.5″ Nokia Lumia 920 is offered as low as RM1,099 while the 4.7″ HTC One XL will be offered from as low as RM1,199. Both devices will be tied with either Maxis SurfMore 75 or TalkMore 78 with 3GB bolt on data plan. The HTC One XL looks identical with its One X sibling but instead it runs on dual-core Qualcomm Krait processor as opposed to the One X’s Quad Core Tegra 3 processor. The devices will be available at Maxis centres at KLCC and TTDI.

In terms of speeds, Maxis 4G LTE offers up to 75Mbps with average speeds hovering around 10-30Mbps. Currently its 4G LTE coverage is limited to Klang Valley including areas such as TTDI, Damansara Utama, Desa Sri Hartamas, Bandar Puchong Jaya, Bandar Sunway and Putrajaya with more areas to be covered soon.

Head after the break for the Smart Phone bundling options available.

For more information, head over to Maxis 4G LTE Devices page.