Google “realme 7Pro” and you know that this is not the latest smartphone. It is also not the “coolest” smartphone in the Singapore market (based on my quick search online for review done by Singapore tech writers.) However, I have yet to encounter any negative reviews on this phone and I can see it why. It is cheap and it delivers.

Quick Recap on the key features

In summary, I have narrowed it down to 2 which I think are awesome – 65W Fast Charge and 64MP Quad Camera.

Let us start with its 65W fast charge. Although it is not uncommon to find fast charge feature in the midrange smartphone, the realme 7Pro is one of the handful models offered at that price range that is armed with 65W fast charging capability. Its 65W SuperDart can charge up to 90% of its 4500mA dual cells battery in less than 30 minutes. A big thumbs up.

Yes. Camera (that’s what everyone is looking for in the smartphone). The realme 7Pro is giving you 4 cameras with the primary one sports 64MP Sony IMX 682 sensor which in theory, you can shoot sharper photos with better colour fidelity. The other 3 lens complement the main camera giving more control to user to take a wider variety of shots that a single lens camera cannot.

I have put up some unedited photos taken with the realme 7Pro. Take a look

What I really like?

If I just want a phone for doing the tik-tok stuffs, there are plenty of phones out in the market. However, what i really need is a phone that is versatile for me to get my work done while keeping me entertained at the same time, the realme 7Pro probably is the phone that can do the job without burning a hole in your pocket.

The 2 delicated nano SIM card slots allows me to insert both my private and business lines on a same phone. Yes, there is really no need for company to issue me with another phone especially during this time when we spend most of the time at home. The additional microSD card slot expands the storage capability upto 256GB. This feature gives a lot more flexibility especially when you need to make large file transfer between phone and computer. In that prospective, the “2+1” card slot matters the most and sadly, we cannot find this feature in the premium smartphones (even though you pay a huge premium)

Verdict

Judging from the global chip shortage, mid-range phone price may increase in the later half of the year. The price tag of SGD499 for the Snapdragon 720G-powered realme 7Pro does not sound expensive.

Traveloka presents EPIC Sale Campaign in Singapore. Taking place from 14th to 20th April 2021, Traveloka unveils special deals of up to 80% for a wide variety of Accommodations and Xperience products. Users are welcome to combine their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers, and numerous promotions available on the Traveloka’s App to get more benefit from this campaign.

EPIC Sale is one of the manifestations of Traveloka’s commitment in supporting the government in reviving the local tourism industry that is heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the economy moves towards recovery, the EPIC Sale campaign is also expected to boost the customer demand hence can positively contribute to the partners’ business continuity.

“The pandemic has impacted many businesses around the world, especially the tourism industry. Therefore, it is crucial for us to support and form a partnership with all stakeholders, including the government and industry players to revive their businesses post-pandemic. This has become our baseline in rolling out the EPIC Sale campaign in the market, not only to provide the best experience to our users but also to support our partners and the local tourism sector. Utilizing human-centered technology, the EPIC Sale combines the creative marketing strategy with cutting edge and breakthrough approach to better understand the customers, bringing forth offers that are aligned with the change in users’ behaviour and needs,” said Pascal Gekko Head of International Accommodation at Traveloka.

Learnings from Traveloka signalled that Singaporeans started their user journey looking at flexibility in brands to provide a better user experience through a combination of coupons stacking and time-bound promotions. As such, Traveloka’s EPIC Sale will feature the following:

• Epic Referral has begun as a pre-sale activation from 7-13 April, whereby users can earn coupons by sharing a referral link. There will also be daily rewards, new features and grand prizes!

• EPIC Hour offers 50-80% special deals every day between 6 – 7PM (Singapore Local Time) and additionally between 9-10AM on 14 April and 12-1PM on 20 April

• EPIC Sale offers incredible special deals ranging from 25 – 80% all day long that is combinable with SRV, Traveloka promotions, and bank coupons. Users can also save more with up to SGD 40 off all day during EPIC Sale period and up to SGD 50 off during EPIC Hour when paying with DBS/POSB Cards and applying the DBS/POSB Cards Coupon with Terms & Conditions apply.

Crafted based on Traveloka’s best selling experiences during its SingapoRediscovers campaigns, the EPIC Sale was created for users to enjoy experiences with family and friends at an affordable price. It reinforces Traveloka’s commitment to supporting the Singapore Government in boosting domestic tourism and promoting a safe way to enjoy a holiday.

While it has been a rocky road to recovery for Singapore’s hospitality industry, such a partnership between the Singapore Tourism Board and private travel and lifestyle platforms has ensured the survival of many hotels and attractions as international leisure travel has yet to return in the foreseeable future. In addition, such a synergistic partnership caters to the steady increase in hyper-local experiences such as staycations and rediscovering places of interests within the tropical island.

“We are grateful to partner with Traveloka and join the first EPIC Sale campaign this year, as they not only share the same mission and values with us but they also aim to provide a positive contribution to boosting Singapore’s local tourism sector, aligned with the Singapore Tourism Board’s agenda. Through this partnership, we believe it will bring a positive contribution to our business amid the pandemic,” said Jorge Fernandez, Director of Revenue Optimization at Shangri-La Hotel Singapore.

Traveloka’s EPIC Sale campaign will run from 14 April 2021 to 20 April 2021 and can be enjoyed through the latest version of the Traveloka App. Partnering with all of our merchants, users will be spoilt for choice and can discover more deals for their desired hotel stays, leisure attractions to visit or local tours by operators, such as Shangri-La Singapore, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, The Fullerton Hotels, Park Hotel Group, Singapore Cable Car, Jewel Changi Airport Attraction, Go Green Segway Eco Adventure, Wild Wild Wet, Trick Eye Museum, and more.

Earlier this month, both Starhub and Linksys announce the exclusive launch of the Linksys Velop MX4200 WiFi 6 Mesh System router in Singapore. Referred to as StarHub Smart WiFi Pro under the partnership, Linksys’ MX4200 combines Mesh networking and next-generation WiFi 6 technology for coverage, low latency and speed – offering the best of two worlds for an unrivalled home broadband experience.

Key Product Features of the Velop MX4200

Wi-Fi  Certified 6 – Built with the latest generation WiFi technology and security standards set by the Wi-Fi Alliance, WiFi 6 certification ensures increased capacity, device battery life and network safety for customers and their devices.  

Linksys Intelligent Mesh – in-house mesh system that is compatible with other Linksys’s product. Flexible and scalable for existing Linksys consumers who can expand their network as needs grow, with a simple addition of any Linksys mesh node/router. 

Qualcomm Networking Pro 800 platform – With 8 streams of tri-band WiFi 6 connectivity, and a 64-bit 1.4GHz Quad-Core ARM processor powering dynamic data processing and management, the Velop MX4200 provides game-changing network advancements that enhance efficiency, range and power consumption and deliver more capacity for online gaming, video calls and meetings, and 8K streaming on their devices.

Tri-band dynamic backhaul – Unlike some mesh systems that use a dedicated backhaul and limit the number of bands that the user can connect to, Linksys uses a dynamic backhaul, allowing access to all 3 bands throughout the home. Linksys’ dynamic backhaul technology chooses the best band to connect between nodes. 

StarHub is launching the Smart WiFi Pro (Usual price: $399) at no extra cost for customers who sign up for or renew their StarHub 2Gbps Fibre Broadband plans. Other StarHub Fibre Broadband customers can purchase this router at $0 upfront cost on an instalment plan from as low as $12 monthly.  Cash and carry router purchase is also available for in-contract (broadband) customers at $288 per unit (via ePOS), available at Starhub Shops and Platinum Shops.

These days, we interact so much online. Posting on Instagram and live streaming anytime and anywhere just mean that we need more gadgets on the move. Let run a quick checklist – a power bank (for your smartphone), laptop (obviously, that’s meant to edit stunning photos and video for posting), portable hard disk (what’s more disheartening when you forgot to back up your work?), camera (to capture professional shots for posting) and the list goes on. Well, does it make sense to carry that many devices?

Trek 2000 (stock quote: 5AB.SI), a Singapore-based company, wants to reduce your load with their Trek iSSD. The Trek iSSD is a portable data backup solution, power bank, SD card reader and a wireless charger.    

Quickly, let us go through the specs.

– The Trek iSSD is available in either 240GB, 480GB or 960GB capacities that pretty much covers the needs of users from day-to-day mainstream consumers segment to hardcore mobile workers.

– It also comes with a SD card slot that enable users to directly backup their photos/video in the card without going through an external computer.   

– The Trek iSSD also double-up as a 3000mAh power bank that supports bi-directional Qi wireless charging.   

– Through its wireless b/g/n connection, users could access their files via their smartphones which means you could use the device virtually anywhere.

– FTP Functions that allow large file transfer via a network connection.

Well.  Enough of the sales pitch! I will just list down in order what I like about the product.

1. Light and Compact: The Trek iSSD weighs only 221g and measured 11.8cm by 7.0cm. To put it in prospective, the Trek iSSD weighs like a typical 20,000mAh powerbank but it is about the size of a portable hard disk. Considering that the Trek iSSD could do so much more, its noticeably light weight (as well as its compact size) is a big plus point. Kudos to Trek team!   

• Simple and Seamless SD Card Backup: The One Touch Backup in Trek iSSD is one of the most make sense features that a lot of portable hard disk makers overlooked. More importantly, it is amazingly easy to use. Power on, plug in the SD card, press twice on the power button to start the back up. Once the LED indicator stop blinking, Bang! You have backed up your SD card!

This is extremely useful when you are traveling (not that we can in the COVID-19 situation). I can imagine the time I am running up of capacity in my DSLR. I desperately need one more SD card, but I don’t have an extra one at my disposal. This feature will come in handy to free up the space of the card without going through computer. (I mean as much as we can, we will travel light)

• Wireless Charging: It is all about decluttering. It is definitely not nice to see many wires lying around. The Trek iSSD also serves as a wireless charging bay. The best part – it supports pass-through meaning you just need one USB cable to charge both Trek iSSD and your mobile phone. In other word, you free up one more power socket.   

• Mobile (Wireless) Backup: We have so many photos stored in our smartphone these days. However, there is a limit in the smartphone and occasionally, you need to clean up the phone’s memory. The Trek iSSD offers an easy way to back up the photo in your smartphones via a mobile app.  

Well, this is more like an alternative way of backing up your photo on top of what Apple iCloud and Google Drive are offering. I still stick to an old school way of storing digital photo offline at a separately physical drive.  We have heard enough stories of photo leaked online which eventually may be detrimental to some of you especially those who are influencers with large following. Come and think about it. Old school may be better.

• Wireless Sharing: When I first heard that the Trek iSSD is a file server and could support upto 8 devices simultaneously, I think it is a very cool feature.  I tried to share with another user, it works reasonably well which it is within my expectation; well, I have kept the number of users small. Although speed will be noticeably slower when any new device connected to it, it still delivers. Well, it is not fair to benchmark this to a NAS system. Considering how small the Trek iSSD is, its performance is quite remarkable.

My Take

It is a very versatile storage companion that serves my day-to-day needs. If you consume a lot of contents, this is a good storage solution. The Trek iSSD comes with 3 choices – 240GB (Black), 480GB(Blue) and 960GB (Red) and are priced at RRP USD $179, USD$349 and USD$499 respectively.

Last week, Sony Singapore introduces its latest smartphone to the Singapore market – Xperia 5 II.

Camera

The Xperia 5 II sports triple camera lens that paired with ZEISS optics calibrated specifically for the Sony Xperia 5 II. The triple camera system, with 3 different focal lengths: 16mm/24mm/70mm, is versatile to capture objects from a varied distance – be it a close-up or zoom in on distant objects.

Designed with technology from Sony Alpha series of camera, the Xperia 5 II is capable of capturing fast moving people and animal. The Real-time Eye AF is able to keep the focus on the moving people or animal even when one eye is covered.

Xperia 5 II offers Photography Pro which was developed in collaboration with professional photographers, giving advance features to more sophisticated users to manually control camera setting such as ISO, Shutter Speed and EV Indicator. At a look of it, the interface resemblance a lot to a Sony Alpha camera’s.

Other Physical Attributes

Unlike other smartphones we have seen in the market, the Sony Xperia 5 II sports a 21:9 display ratios which is very unusual from the standard 16:9 display we seen in other smartphones. At just 68 mm wide , the Sony Xperia 5 II is much more elongated and it is certainly, in the ergonomic sense, easier to hold with one hand. The wider display also gives a more cinematic viewing experience.

The Xperia 5 II is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery with a fast charge that charges up to 50% in about 30 minutes.

It is also IP65/68 certified with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on both front and back sides.

Price

The Xperia 5 II is already in store at SGD 1, 349 and it is available in Black, Pink and Blue. During the Sony Days 2020 Year-End Promotion, a WH-H910N wireless noise cancelling headphones worth SGD 399 will be given for every purchase of Xperia 5 II (obviously while stock last).

SINGAPORE, 9 OCTOBER 2020 Linksys today announced the global launch of Linksys’ first WiFi 6 EasyMesh router, the E9450 (AX5400). Singtel is the first operator in the world to offer the new Linksys WiFi 6 router as it continues to bring next-generation WiFi connectivity to more Singtel fibre broadband customers in Singapore. 

The WiFi 6 standard enables customers to enjoy faster data transfers, increased capacity, better connectivity performance in environments with many connected devices, and improved power efficiency. As the latest WiFi 6 solution for consumers’ increasingly demanding wireless connectivity needs, the E9450 router will be exclusively available to Singtel fibre broadband customers for two months starting from 10 October 2020.

“Asia has the greatest number of internet users in the world, accounting for 50.3% globally^[1],” said Jenny Ng, General Manager for Asia. “In 2019, 81% of Singaporeans were using the internet, with a trajectory to continue growing year-on-year².  As a tech savvy nation, it is no wonder that Singaporeans are discerning when it comes to the routers they use at home.  We are pleased to offer consumers an opportunity to optimize their home internet speeds and capacity with the next generation Mesh WiFi system in order to cater to growing bandwidth demands.”

So What is EasyMesh Wi-Fi?

EasyMesh was introduced by Wi-Fi Alliance and it is intended to serve as a standard to Wi-Fi networks that allows Wi-Fi routers or mesh systems to communicate with one another regardless of product line or brands. To put it simply, consumer can choose router or nodes of different brands to setup their mesh system as long as the products comply to EasyMesh standard. In other words, consumers have more choices.

Complied to this standard, the Linksys E9450 makes future upgrading of mesh system seamlessly for consumers.

Tech Specifications

The E9450 WiFi 6 router feature details below: 

Technical Specification	Details
Wi-Fi Speed	Dual Band AX5400 (4800 Mbps on 5GHz + 600 Mbps on 2.4GHz)
Product Dimensions	Length – 15.6cm Width – 6cm Height – 22cm
AX5400 Dual Band	4 internal antennas MU-MIMO OFDMA Technology 2.4 GHz radio 5 GHz radio  USB3.0 port
Processor & Memory	1.5GHz Tri-Core Processor 256MB Flash and 512MB RAM
WAN and LAN Connectivity	● 5 Gigabit Ethernet Ports: o 1x WAN   o 4x LAN
Security	WPA2 Personal WPA3 Personal WPA2 / WPA3 Mixed Mode Personal

Pricing & Availability

The E9450 WiFi 6 router retails at $399. 

At launch, it will be available at the special introductory price of $10.00/mth to the first 100 Singtel customers to sign up for or re-contract Singtel Fibre 1Gbps at $39.90/mth (U.P. $49.90/mth). Subsequently, customers can purchase the E9450 at $14.00/mth (U.P.$16.00/mth) with Singtel fibre plans.

The Linksys E9450 will roll out to the rest of the channel from 10 December 2020.

---

[1] Miniwatts Marketing Group, “Internet Users Distribution in the World – 2020 Q1” Data

² Statista Research Department, “Singapore: Internet user penetration 2015-2025” , Jul 28, 2020  

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced that the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition will arrive in June.

The exclusive Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition will be available from 13 June on the Samsung Online Store at a recommended retail price of $3,388.

Pre-sales will open from 2 June for UOB Reserve, Privilege Banking, Visa Infinite and Visa Infinite Metal credit card members and Club21 Members.

The Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition, which features the designer’s signature red, white, and navy brand colours, draped on a pebble grey exterior pulled straight from the runway, will be debuted in a limited edition of 200 sets. To complete the look, the special edition also comes with custom designed Galaxy Buds+ and Galaxy Watch Active2.

This collaboration with the iconic New York fashion brand combines the best of art and technology. As respective leaders in fashion and technology spaces, the limited-edition Galaxy Z Flip makes a bold statement with Thom Browne’s signature aesthetic and Samsung’s state-of-the-art foldable technology.

Key Product Highlights:

The smartphone is the first of its kind to be encased in glass while sporting a matte look that is soft to the touch and effortless to hold. When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition reveals even more design details inside, including:

• Iconic blinds, a reference to the mid-century office aesthetic at the centre of the Thom Browne world, which appear onscreen every time the phone is turned on and off;
• Pre-set app icons, labelled in classic text, as well as custom wallpaper which create an elemental Thom Browne uniformity;
• Distinctive sound cues including a typewriter for the keyboard, an analogue ringtone, and a shoe tap on a marble floor, that tie the entire experience together.

The Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition also comes with Galaxy Z Premier Service. This specialised care offering provides customers with the most premium product experience possible, which includes:

• 24-hour concierge support via Samsung Members App
• One-time screen replacement or repair with a deductible of $180 (including GST)
• Door-to-door pick-up and delivery service for device repair (up to two times only)

Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition customers can also enjoy additional complimentary customer service benefits, such as 30-day 1-to-1 exchange for functional defects¹, data transfer assistance¹, diagnostic checks¹, one-time 1-to-1 in-box accessories exchange¹, and dedicated and priority queue at Samsung Customer Service Centre at VivoCity.

Galaxy Z Flip Screen Protector Application Service

Samsung will also be launching a complimentary screen protector application service for all new and existing Galaxy Z Flip customers. This service is valid within 12 months from date of purchase. Interested customers can pre-book an appointment via the Samsung Members app before heading down to any Samsung Customer Service Centre.

Ever since Sony wowed the market with their WF-1000XM3 in 2019, the battle in True Wireless System (TWS) has turned the focus on Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and this is not just happening between the audio product giants but upcoming brands like Sudio is also joining in the fight. Ever since Sudio introduced their first TWS – Sudio Nivå in 2018, Sudio has been constantly improving their range of TWS. In the beginning of 2020, Sudio launches water-resistance Sudio Fem that comes with IP rating of IPX5. Months later, Sudio debuts their first TWS that comes with ANC features – Sudio ETT.

How does the ANC fare?

Unlike Sudio Fem, Sudio is bringing back the physical multi-purposes button. To turn it on. It is a simple long press on the button for 2 seconds and that will follow by a voice notification that ANC is turned on. (ANC is not turned on by default)

Obviously, I could sense that the surrounding noise drops dramatically once the ANC is activated. However, I also noticed several other changes in sound. First, I sense that the music volume increases significantly once the ANC is activated. I am not sure that is the culprit of making the surrounding sound “disappear”, but I think this is worth noting especially for those who are mindful on the music volume of their headset. A little tip: Lower the volume slightly before turning on the ANC.

Second, I notice the sound stage changes as well once the ANC is turned on. Beside being louder, the vocal appears to be brighter and overall experience is rather pleasant especially watching concert video over YouTube. Maybe it is purposely engineered for that purpose – you don’t want to be disturbed by your family TV when you are immersing yourself in Black Pink’s concert on your iPad.

Sound performance – ANC On Vs Off?

The Sony WF-1000XM3 is the game changer when comes to ANC and I have absolutely no doubt about it but I don’t really like the sound that it delivered when its ANC is on; maybe I am biased (Everyone who read my blog knows that I am not a fan of ANC). I feel that music lacks “life” when its ANC is turned on. I prefer the ANC to be turned off when I am listening to YouTube concert. (Don’t get me wrong! I love my WF-1000XM3. I am merely comparing its sound stage with ANC and without ANC)

Ironically, the Sudio ETT is entirely opposite. It sounds so much better when its ANC is turned on. A good balance of bass and treble and more importantly, the voice performance is richer. Listening to concert with this is extremely pleasant.   

Other Perks?

Sudio ETT is also water resistance with IP rating of IPX5 just like the Sudio Fem. Essentially, you could clean them with some water after your run.

The Sudio ETT can be charged wirelessly, a common feature that you could only find in some premium ranges of TWS. (For your info, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is not equipped with that function). If you have wireless charger at home (I mean who don’t own one these days), you could have one USD cable less in your power socket.

Verdicts

When comes to ANC, the Sudio ETT is not the ‘A’ student in the class. However, the performance is remarkable given the fact that this is Sudio’s first attempt to include ANC in their range of TWS. Afterall, it works and that is what matter for typical consumers. Anyway, we won’t turn on the ANC when walking on the busy street for obvious reasons. Furthermore, we are all staying at home these days. (how noisy can our home be?)

Retailing at SGD 239, you get a water-resistance TWS that comes with premium wireless charging and ANC feature. I think the price is reasonable but TND is bringing a special offer for the readers (there is always a perk for TND readers).  If you are using TND promocode “theneodimensionEtt”, you get a further 15% discount off.

The perk does not end there. From now till end of July, you can get a new Sudio tote bag for free with every purchase from sudio.com.

We have heard enough bad news about Covid-19. In Singapore, people are encouraged to stay at home during this circuit breaker. If there is one good thing in this pandemic, we are still free to go out for run. A good set of earpieces is a perfect companion especially we are running alone. If you have been following my blog closely, we have reviewed several headsets that are designed for fitness fanatics. The latest one is Soul ST-XS².

This time, we are reviewing another TWS from Soul – Soul Emotion². The cheaper Emotion² is different from the Soul ST-XS² in several ways. In terms of appearance, the Emotion² is smaller and sleeker. Apart from that, the Emotion² does not come with ear wings.

Unlike the Soul ST-XS² that comes with 4 colours, the Soul Emotion² comes only with 3 colours (pink, white & black). Soul Electronics sends me a white Emotion² for review. Although the Emotion² is a smaller device than the ST-XS², the Led indicator light on the Emotion² is larger and more visible than the one on the ST-XS².

The Emotion² is also splash-proof with a rating of IPX4. In another words, you could clean the Emotion² with little water (just make sure you don’t put it under the running tap).

The Emotion² is incredibly light. Weighed at approx.5g, it is amazingly comfortable to wear for long hours. However, this advantage may have some side effects to those with big earhole. I brought this out for a run and find that I must frequently make adjustment to make sure the Emotion² is at the place that it should. Although I have switched to its biggest earplugs, it just does not work for people like me who have big earhole.

Audio Quality

The Emotion² delivers crystal clear sound with a balanced sharpness. Bass is warm and it mixes well with the treble. While I am immersing myself to a passionate vocal performance on YouTube, the Emotion² produces a well-balanced sound with “visible” enough High, Mid and Low tones.

Conference call with this is acceptable as I can clearly hear what the counterparty is saying but it does not work as well for the other party. Apparently, the performance of mic is a little lacking. I need to speak louder to get my voice across.

Although physical design blocks off some surrounding noise, it is still quite disturbing when you are trying to focus on your online seminars. In this case, a good noise cancelling TWS could help to block off noises from the Kids TV programme while you are working. Unfortunately, this feature is not included.

A Good Buy?

This is a good product for loner like me who spent lots of hours online watching movies and concerts alone. Music is an experienced goods that touches people emotionally. As long the TWS could deliver what it is supposed to deliver, it is a good product. That is why I find the name of this product speaks for itself.  

Of course, it is also extremely comfortable to wear (just don’t bring it out for run. It is not designed to anyway).

It is cheap and I do not mean it in a negative way. Their official store at Lazada is selling at SGD54.90! That is crazy! Granted. There are flaws like no active noise cancelling but why does that matter? Who else is watching “Baby-Shark” when I am all by myself at home watching Black Pink’s music video? I am a cheapo if you want to say so.

Recommendation: “Buy” (if you are an introvert like me)

Apple has been hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Apple share (stock quote: AAPL) has slumped more than 30% since Feb this year and given the fact that US is experiencing the highest unemployment rate never seen since The Great Depression, Apple has reacted by launching cheaper iPhone SE (2^nd Gen) to the market.

The new iPhone SE comes in three beautiful colors — black, white and (PRODUCT) RED— and will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, April 17, 8PM SG time from SGD 649 onwards.

The new iPhone SE is armed with A13 Bionic chip, the one that is used in iPhone 11 series. When comes to camera, there is a slight upgrade from its predecessor, the new iPhone SE features a single 12MP rear camera. The front-facing camera is powered by a 7MP sensor.

Apple has also improved the iPhone SE with features such as wireless charging and water resistance of IP67 rating. You can literately wash your iPhone to disinfect. Unlike the iPhone 11 series, Apple has also brought back the popular physical home button which you could use the Touch ID to unlock and make Apple Pay transactions.

What is missing here is the Face ID which I believe Apple is trying to use that feature to distinguish the premium iPhone series from the budget SE series. Anyway, you don’t need your face to access to your apps so it is not a must-have.

The display has got larger. The new iPhone SE is now powered by 4.7 inch LCD display. Note that this is not the OLED display used in the iPhone 11 series. Well, Apple has to find way to cut corner to lower the price, but I don’t think that will affect the whole Apple experience greatly. Anyway, how much difference between LCD and OLED, in terms of quality, can you spot?

In view of the current Covid-19 situation, Apple has lowered sales forecast in the near term. It is not surprising that the new iPhone SE could be a nice alternative for the current users who are retiring their old iPhone 7/8.