- Redme Note 8 Pro is the first camera available in Malaysia with 64Mp camera. I had tested it and its resolution is around 30Mp at the centre and in bright condition.
- This is good because even DSLR with large lenses cannot achieve more than 50% of the specified Mp.
- The video below explains it nicely to you in a very detailed information.
- 300 dpi is called retina by Apple when viewed at 12 inches. But when viewed at 6 inches, you need 600 dpi. https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/retina_display.html
- The calculation is based on 1 minute of arc for adjacent pixels to our eyes.
- I have just bought a 23.6 n FHD 1920x1080 IPS monitor. I can see individual pixels at 12inches so I was disappointed because it is at around 93 dpi.
- Currently, I am writing this article using a UHD 15.6in monitor. I cannot see any dots because its resolution is at more than 282 dpi. https://www.sven.de/dpi/
- A 64Mp sensor can produce only 32Mp resolution. Reduce the picture to 32Mp.
- For 8K display, 8Kx4K, for a 30in display, ppi is 298
- 4K, or UHD, 30in, it is 149 ppi.
- For printed materials, you can go for 600 dpi, so the size of 32Mp image can be like a 14in monitor, which is not that big.
- Why do iPhone pictures look better than Redme pictures, as shown by reviewers?
- Most reviewers talk about automatically taken pictures. Redmi downsizes pictures to 16Mp, in order to perform better in low light environment. iPhone has better HDR software, but it cannot recover lost data because of its 12Mp sensor.
- To maximise your 64Mp sensors, use them at bright places. In low light places, use external flash lights.
- Even professional photographers need to rely on artificial light sources in order to get the best pictures.
- To get the best out of a sensor, use them with RAW capture ability. Google Camera.
- https://www.soyacincau.com/2019/10/24/realme-xt-64mp-malaysia-launch-xrs/ Realme XT will be introduced in Malaysia next week. It will cost RM1000, cheaper than Redmi, but with Snapdragon 712. With AMOLED display and light weight, it will be ideal for non-gamers.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Why you need 64Mp cameras?
Monday, October 14, 2019
Testing HDR Display of Redmi Note 8 Pro
If you want to test your HDR TV or phone, use this youtube link.
Check the quality and set them to resolutions with HDR, e.e. 1080p HDR.
I can play with this quality on my PC at 1080p but its colour is not as good as my
mobile phone which has HDR display. Redmi Note 8 Pro, despite it being IPS LCD only.
Check the quality and set them to resolutions with HDR, e.e. 1080p HDR.
I can play with this quality on my PC at 1080p but its colour is not as good as my
mobile phone which has HDR display. Redmi Note 8 Pro, despite it being IPS LCD only.
The mobile phone appears better in colours than my 65in LG TV.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Cheaptest Noise Cancelling Earphones goes to the Xiaomi Airdots
https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-airpods-review-vs-xiaomi-airdots-2019-1?IR=T
Do not confuse Mi Airdots with Redmi Airdots, their prices differ by more than 100%.
Mi Airdots for RM125 from wesupermarket.
https://shopee.com.my/Xiaomi-Mi-AirDots-TWS-Bluetooth-Earphones-Wireless-In-Ear-Earbuds-(TWSEJ02LM)-i.58733693.2177334920
Redmi Airdots for RM64.90 from dasher.
https://shopee.com.my/-LATEST-Xiaomi-Redmi-AirDots-TWS-Mi-True-Wireless-EarBuds-Basic-Earphone-Bluetooth-5.0-Bass-Voice-Control-(BLACK)-i.724335.2166795853
The Haylou GT1 costs around RM70 and I bought 4 of them, thinking that they have active noise cancellation, but it does not. It is wasterful. But it is better than Redmi Airdots because it uses touch switches and has larger driver so its sound is better. The Haylou GT1 is similar to MI Airdots but without noise cancellation.
I need to order another wireless phone. I already have 3 wired ANC phones.
According to reviewers, QCY T1 Pro is better than Haylou GT1 and has noise cancellation, at RM100.
https://shopee.com.my/QCY-T1-PRO-TWS-Wireless-Sport-Bluetooth-5.0-Earphones-Headphones-w-Dock-i.18695082.1298443079
Mention of noise cancellation at 4:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LektXYz7Vk
Read about them here. At 3:15 he will tell you about the lack of active noise cancellation.
These are AirPods, Apple's $159 wireless headphones and these are AirDots, Xiaomi's $30 wireless headphones.
Xiaomi has long been referred to as the Apple of China. So we wanted to know, how do the headphones compare? Are AirPods worth the cost? Or can AirDots provide the same quality for one-fifth the price?
Let's start with looks. AirPods weigh approximately 46 grams or 1.6 ounces (4 grams per each AirPod and 38 grams for the case). And the AirDots weigh approximately 39 grams or 1.4 ounces (4.2 grams per each AirDot and 30.6 grams for the case). Both come in a container about the size of a pack of floss.
As for design, AirPods basically look like your normal Apple EarPods without the wire. They're long, sleek, and are generally molded to the shape of an ear. The AirDots look more like hearing aids. They're in-ear headphones that have an oval shape exterior which makes the earbuds bulky and a little bit heavy despite being a fraction of the weight of the AirPods.
Both the AirPods and the AirDots will automatically connect to your Bluetooth device when you put them in your ear. The AirPods do connect a little faster to your iPhone because it's an Apple product, but the AirDots still connect pretty quickly. Bluetooth, in general, is still an issue. I've had my AirPods glitch on me one or two times before. The sound would go in and out and there was one instance where only one of my AirDots was connected.
The AirPods are pretty comfortable and require very little effort to place in your ear. AirDots, on the other hand, require a bit more effort to stick them in your ear. Since they're in-ear headphones, the silicone rubber earbuds can be uncomfortable to wear. You might feel like your ears are clogged, as if you're in an airplane or underwater and they might take some time to fit and adjust in your ears. However, once they are in there, they rarely fall out no matter how hard you shake your head.
Moving on to the most important part, the sound quality. AirPods don't have a noise-canceling feature but music still sounds crisp and there's a decent bass. AirDots have a really good noise-canceling feature, a powerful bass, and clear sound. Unlike the headphones that sit in the outer ear, these earbuds extend into your ear canal, blocking out most sound from your surroundings. While this can provide you with some high-quality music, it might not be good if you like hearing everything around you. I wore them while walking down the busy streets of New York City and I couldn't hear any honking cars or the loud crowd.
You can also make phone calls on both devices. AirPods filter out the background noise pretty well and are able to emphasize the person's voice, but AirDots have limitations. You can hear a lot of background noise, like ruffling sounds from your clothes and your footsteps, which is distracting when you have to take a call on the go. If you use earbuds a lot for phone calls, you might wanna stay away from AirDots, despite them being good at blocking background noise while listening to music.
To end a phone call, you have to double tap your AirPods. For AirDots, you can single tap. You can also single tap either side of your AirDots to play a song, pause a song, or double tap to open voice assistant. While single tapping sounds like a more simple gesture it can actually be an issue. You could be adjusting your AirDots in your ear but it would register it as a tapping motion on the headphones. AirPods, on the other hand, offer a double tap feature that you can customize for each bud. You can set one AirPod to play the next or the previous track and the other pair to pause a song, open Siri, or turn the feature off completely. Taking one AirPod out of your ear also stops the music from playing.
These headphones also offer similar ranges. Apple claims the AirPods have a range of about 12 meters or 40 feet while Xiaomi says the AirDots can reach about 10 meters or 32 feet.
As for battery life, AirPods can last up to 5 hours of constant listening while AirDots can last up to 4 hours. Both devices come with a case that charges them. However, the AirPods will show you the battery percentage for both the case and the headphone on your phone while the AirDots will only show you the battery icon on your connected mobile device. There are lights on both headphones that indicate when they're charging. The AirPods use the same lightning cable as your iPhone so you don't have to worry about carrying another cable to charge them, whereas the AirDots use a micro USB cable.
Overall, for $30, I say the AirDots are a great deal. They're a solid set of wireless headphones that have most of the features of the AirPods at a fraction of the price. But if you don't mind the high price tag, want the customization of AirPods, and are already in Apple's ecosystem, the AirPods may be the way to go.
Do not confuse Mi Airdots with Redmi Airdots, their prices differ by more than 100%.
Mi Airdots for RM125 from wesupermarket.
https://shopee.com.my/Xiaomi-Mi-AirDots-TWS-Bluetooth-Earphones-Wireless-In-Ear-Earbuds-(TWSEJ02LM)-i.58733693.2177334920
Redmi Airdots for RM64.90 from dasher.
https://shopee.com.my/-LATEST-Xiaomi-Redmi-AirDots-TWS-Mi-True-Wireless-EarBuds-Basic-Earphone-Bluetooth-5.0-Bass-Voice-Control-(BLACK)-i.724335.2166795853
The Haylou GT1 costs around RM70 and I bought 4 of them, thinking that they have active noise cancellation, but it does not. It is wasterful. But it is better than Redmi Airdots because it uses touch switches and has larger driver so its sound is better. The Haylou GT1 is similar to MI Airdots but without noise cancellation.
I need to order another wireless phone. I already have 3 wired ANC phones.
According to reviewers, QCY T1 Pro is better than Haylou GT1 and has noise cancellation, at RM100.
https://shopee.com.my/QCY-T1-PRO-TWS-Wireless-Sport-Bluetooth-5.0-Earphones-Headphones-w-Dock-i.18695082.1298443079
Mention of noise cancellation at 4:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LektXYz7Vk
We compared Apple's $159 AirPods to Xiaomi's $30 AirDots and the winner was clear
2:28
https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-airpods-review-vs-xiaomi-airdots-2019-1?IR=T&jwsource=cl
Read about them here. At 3:15 he will tell you about the lack of active noise cancellation.
These are AirPods, Apple's $159 wireless headphones and these are AirDots, Xiaomi's $30 wireless headphones.
Xiaomi has long been referred to as the Apple of China. So we wanted to know, how do the headphones compare? Are AirPods worth the cost? Or can AirDots provide the same quality for one-fifth the price?
Let's start with looks. AirPods weigh approximately 46 grams or 1.6 ounces (4 grams per each AirPod and 38 grams for the case). And the AirDots weigh approximately 39 grams or 1.4 ounces (4.2 grams per each AirDot and 30.6 grams for the case). Both come in a container about the size of a pack of floss.
As for design, AirPods basically look like your normal Apple EarPods without the wire. They're long, sleek, and are generally molded to the shape of an ear. The AirDots look more like hearing aids. They're in-ear headphones that have an oval shape exterior which makes the earbuds bulky and a little bit heavy despite being a fraction of the weight of the AirPods.
Both the AirPods and the AirDots will automatically connect to your Bluetooth device when you put them in your ear. The AirPods do connect a little faster to your iPhone because it's an Apple product, but the AirDots still connect pretty quickly. Bluetooth, in general, is still an issue. I've had my AirPods glitch on me one or two times before. The sound would go in and out and there was one instance where only one of my AirDots was connected.
The AirPods are pretty comfortable and require very little effort to place in your ear. AirDots, on the other hand, require a bit more effort to stick them in your ear. Since they're in-ear headphones, the silicone rubber earbuds can be uncomfortable to wear. You might feel like your ears are clogged, as if you're in an airplane or underwater and they might take some time to fit and adjust in your ears. However, once they are in there, they rarely fall out no matter how hard you shake your head.
Moving on to the most important part, the sound quality. AirPods don't have a noise-canceling feature but music still sounds crisp and there's a decent bass. AirDots have a really good noise-canceling feature, a powerful bass, and clear sound. Unlike the headphones that sit in the outer ear, these earbuds extend into your ear canal, blocking out most sound from your surroundings. While this can provide you with some high-quality music, it might not be good if you like hearing everything around you. I wore them while walking down the busy streets of New York City and I couldn't hear any honking cars or the loud crowd.
You can also make phone calls on both devices. AirPods filter out the background noise pretty well and are able to emphasize the person's voice, but AirDots have limitations. You can hear a lot of background noise, like ruffling sounds from your clothes and your footsteps, which is distracting when you have to take a call on the go. If you use earbuds a lot for phone calls, you might wanna stay away from AirDots, despite them being good at blocking background noise while listening to music.
To end a phone call, you have to double tap your AirPods. For AirDots, you can single tap. You can also single tap either side of your AirDots to play a song, pause a song, or double tap to open voice assistant. While single tapping sounds like a more simple gesture it can actually be an issue. You could be adjusting your AirDots in your ear but it would register it as a tapping motion on the headphones. AirPods, on the other hand, offer a double tap feature that you can customize for each bud. You can set one AirPod to play the next or the previous track and the other pair to pause a song, open Siri, or turn the feature off completely. Taking one AirPod out of your ear also stops the music from playing.
These headphones also offer similar ranges. Apple claims the AirPods have a range of about 12 meters or 40 feet while Xiaomi says the AirDots can reach about 10 meters or 32 feet.
As for battery life, AirPods can last up to 5 hours of constant listening while AirDots can last up to 4 hours. Both devices come with a case that charges them. However, the AirPods will show you the battery percentage for both the case and the headphone on your phone while the AirDots will only show you the battery icon on your connected mobile device. There are lights on both headphones that indicate when they're charging. The AirPods use the same lightning cable as your iPhone so you don't have to worry about carrying another cable to charge them, whereas the AirDots use a micro USB cable.
Overall, for $30, I say the AirDots are a great deal. They're a solid set of wireless headphones that have most of the features of the AirPods at a fraction of the price. But if you don't mind the high price tag, want the customization of AirPods, and are already in Apple's ecosystem, the AirPods may be the way to go.
MI AIRDOTS
Product Description
Xiaomi Mi AirDots TWS Bluetooth Earphones Wireless In-Ear
Earbuds TWSEJ02LM
Xiaomi Mi AirDots TWS Bluetooth Earphones Wireless In-ear
Earbuds with Mic and Charging Dock
Main Features:
● Split body design, pick up automatic boot, storage
automatically shut down and charge
● Storage box for easy carrying
● Bluetooth 5.0 technology, stereo call, intelligent noise reduction,
automatic connection, ultra-low power consumption
● Smart touch operation
● 7.2mm dynamic speaker, wider range, more explosive sound
● Weighs only 4.2g, ultra-mini body, comfortable to wear
● Comes with 300mAh charging dock for 12 hours of battery
life
Brand: Xiaomi
Function: Answering Phone,Bluetooth,Microphone,Noise
Cancelling,Voice control,Voice Prompt
Material: ABS
Model: TWSEJ02LM
Type: In-Ear
Wearing type: In-Ear
Application: Running,Sport,Working
Charging Time.: 1.5 hours
Compatible with: iPhone,Mobile phone
Connectivity: Wireless
Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
Driver type: Dynamic
Impedance: 16ohms ± 15 percent
Music Time: 4H
Sensitivity: 106 ± 3dB
Sound channel: Two-channel (stereo)
Standby time: 12H
Talk time: 4H
Working Voltage: 3.7V
Bluetooth: Yes
Bluetooth mode: Headset
Bluetooth protocol: A2DP,AVRCP,HFP,HSP
Bluetooth Version: V5.0
Battery Capacity(mAh): 40mAh Li-ion Battery
Battery Type: Built-in
Package size (L x W x H): 10.00 x 8.00 x 6.00 cm / 3.94 x
3.15 x 2.36 inches
Package weight: 0.107 kg
Product size (L x W x H): 2.30 x 1.45 x 1.30 cm / 0.91 x
0.57 x 0.51 inches
Product weight: 0.0800 kg
Package Contents: 1 x Pair of Earphones, 1 x Charging Dock,
1 x Charging Cable, 2 x Pair of Silicone Eartips
Friday, October 11, 2019
Friday, October 4, 2019
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro value for money
I bought Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, global version , 6Gb RAM and 128Gb storage, from Shopee for RM1039 including postage via JT Express.
https://shopee.com.my/product/48929767/2879573933
It is a medium level phone because it is not equipped with the fastest in 2019 which belongs to Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. It is only equipped with Mediatek 12nm G90T processor, which is almost as fast than last years flagship processor, the Snapdragon 845. Antutu score of 282,000 vs 300,000.
Running on Android 9 is smooth and it can play online games such as PUBG at the highest settings at high refresh rates with little stutter.
Its camera is good. It is the only one with 64Mp camera readily available in Malaysia Realme XT, is not easy to buy and is much less inferior. It does not even have NFC,which is vital for some applications such as UMS attendance system, Smart Hadir
Compared to Mi 9T, Note 8 Pro is faster and has the 64Mp camera. But because Google Camera app can be installed in Mi 9T, its pictures can be better than Note 8 Pro in noise and dynamic range but not in resolution (detail). Detail is very important because you cannot recover lost details whereas noise and dynamic range can be manipulated, at a loss of detail though. In bright light, Note 8 Pro will beat cameras equipped with Sony's 48Mp sensors, even with raw mode processing.
The weakness of the Note 8 Pro is the LCD display but I do not notice much difference compared to the Amoled display of the Mi 9T. Its display is even better than Xperia Z5 Premium 4K LCD.
Another possible weakness is the back placed finger print sensor, compared to in screen sensor but I notice that there is very little difference. Of course, it is the little difference that makes phones superior. Surprisingly, the Note 8 Pro finger print sensor is better than the Sony Z5 Premium which is located at the power button, like some Huawei mobile phones. I can wake the Note 8 Pro quickly even with one hand. The small space and the phone casing of the Z5 makes it difficult to wake up the Z5 using finger print.
Another weakness is the 20Mp selfie camera. Its picture is very bright but I do not think it can beat the Sony XA1 Ultra 16Mp with OIS, especially inside a room,
Another mobile phone with 64 Mp is the Realme XT but withut NC, not good for me. It is also slower with Snapdragon 730. A better option is the Realme X2 but still difficult to find but available at Shopee for RM1500. Redme Note 8 Pro is still a better value for money.
https://shopee.com.my/-New-product-reduction-100-purchase-win-eight-good-gifts-realme-X2-64-million-f-i.112216891.2901149338
At Aliexpress, Redmi Note 8 Pro costs around US200 and Realme X2 costs US300.
Realme X2 uses Super Amoled display but the Amoled display at the Mi 9T is not that much better than the Redme Note 8 Pro, and the Redme Note 8 Pro is 0.1in larger. Actually I do not see much difference, unlike my Nokia Lumia 1020 Amoled display which has an unnaturally rich colours.
Another advantage is the in-display finger print. It is still awkward to press one-handed. Not much better than the rear placed Redmi phone. Again not much effect for me. Unless the in-screen finger print sensor can be placed more central so that the thumb can be placed normally. For the Redmi, it can placed slightly to the top right (looking from the front) so that our fingers can be placed more naturally. However, design-wise a central location for the cameras and finger print sensor is more pleasing.
Realme uses Snapdragon 730G which is slightly faster than G90T and consumes less power. The price penalty is too much for the little advantage. The ability to find more Google camera apps may make it worthwhile but we should wait until its price has dropped more.
Despite having only 4000mAh battery, Realme should last longer than Redmi Note 8 Pro but allowing me to use the phone for more than 2 days is good enough.
Realme is also lighter which is not a big deal for me but my wife prefer a lighter phone. She feels tired easily. That is why Real is more suitable for women who are more gentle. Its disadvantage of using plastic body and lack of sealing does not matter but for me, it is vital.
Realme has the VOOC 30W special quickcharge but I cannot use a lot of my other devices such as my power bank to charge it. Despite using only 18W charger, its charger is more universal. At 3A charging rate, it should feel safer inside a car than larger chargers which can get hot very quickly.
https://shopee.com.my/product/48929767/2879573933
It is a medium level phone because it is not equipped with the fastest in 2019 which belongs to Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. It is only equipped with Mediatek 12nm G90T processor, which is almost as fast than last years flagship processor, the Snapdragon 845. Antutu score of 282,000 vs 300,000.
Running on Android 9 is smooth and it can play online games such as PUBG at the highest settings at high refresh rates with little stutter.
Its camera is good. It is the only one with 64Mp camera readily available in Malaysia Realme XT, is not easy to buy and is much less inferior. It does not even have NFC,which is vital for some applications such as UMS attendance system, Smart Hadir
Compared to Mi 9T, Note 8 Pro is faster and has the 64Mp camera. But because Google Camera app can be installed in Mi 9T, its pictures can be better than Note 8 Pro in noise and dynamic range but not in resolution (detail). Detail is very important because you cannot recover lost details whereas noise and dynamic range can be manipulated, at a loss of detail though. In bright light, Note 8 Pro will beat cameras equipped with Sony's 48Mp sensors, even with raw mode processing.
The weakness of the Note 8 Pro is the LCD display but I do not notice much difference compared to the Amoled display of the Mi 9T. Its display is even better than Xperia Z5 Premium 4K LCD.
Another possible weakness is the back placed finger print sensor, compared to in screen sensor but I notice that there is very little difference. Of course, it is the little difference that makes phones superior. Surprisingly, the Note 8 Pro finger print sensor is better than the Sony Z5 Premium which is located at the power button, like some Huawei mobile phones. I can wake the Note 8 Pro quickly even with one hand. The small space and the phone casing of the Z5 makes it difficult to wake up the Z5 using finger print.
Another weakness is the 20Mp selfie camera. Its picture is very bright but I do not think it can beat the Sony XA1 Ultra 16Mp with OIS, especially inside a room,
Another mobile phone with 64 Mp is the Realme XT but withut NC, not good for me. It is also slower with Snapdragon 730. A better option is the Realme X2 but still difficult to find but available at Shopee for RM1500. Redme Note 8 Pro is still a better value for money.
https://shopee.com.my/-New-product-reduction-100-purchase-win-eight-good-gifts-realme-X2-64-million-f-i.112216891.2901149338
At Aliexpress, Redmi Note 8 Pro costs around US200 and Realme X2 costs US300.
Realme X2 uses Super Amoled display but the Amoled display at the Mi 9T is not that much better than the Redme Note 8 Pro, and the Redme Note 8 Pro is 0.1in larger. Actually I do not see much difference, unlike my Nokia Lumia 1020 Amoled display which has an unnaturally rich colours.
Another advantage is the in-display finger print. It is still awkward to press one-handed. Not much better than the rear placed Redmi phone. Again not much effect for me. Unless the in-screen finger print sensor can be placed more central so that the thumb can be placed normally. For the Redmi, it can placed slightly to the top right (looking from the front) so that our fingers can be placed more naturally. However, design-wise a central location for the cameras and finger print sensor is more pleasing.
Realme uses Snapdragon 730G which is slightly faster than G90T and consumes less power. The price penalty is too much for the little advantage. The ability to find more Google camera apps may make it worthwhile but we should wait until its price has dropped more.
Despite having only 4000mAh battery, Realme should last longer than Redmi Note 8 Pro but allowing me to use the phone for more than 2 days is good enough.
Realme is also lighter which is not a big deal for me but my wife prefer a lighter phone. She feels tired easily. That is why Real is more suitable for women who are more gentle. Its disadvantage of using plastic body and lack of sealing does not matter but for me, it is vital.
Realme has the VOOC 30W special quickcharge but I cannot use a lot of my other devices such as my power bank to charge it. Despite using only 18W charger, its charger is more universal. At 3A charging rate, it should feel safer inside a car than larger chargers which can get hot very quickly.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Accessories and J2ME software for V3x and 6300
17 June 2007
Accessories:
The accessories that I bought was the microSD flash memory cards. The cheapest that I found was RM42 for Kingston 512Mbyte but now for the RM45 we can a Kingston 1Gbyte at Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Karamunsing Complex. It used to be RM39 for a TwinMOS. But by the time I bought my V3x, it was already RM45 but RM29 for a 512Mbyte one, at Digital Wise, 2nd Floor, Wisma San Hin.
Initially I had problems with disappearing applications and pictures from the memory card. For 3 days and night, I had to sweat hard trying to find out the problems. The main problem is that it was intermittent. Sometimes, I can read, sometimes I cannot. Upgraded Mobile Phone Tools to the latest version, scanned for viruses for free next to Master Phone Shop where I bought my V3x, called Motorola toll free help desk, that recommends that I do a master reset. I had downloaded the software update but while waiting for the virus scan, I also find another customer with similar problems while scanning for virus. Replacing the memory card solved all problems. This is the 2nd time that I meet the same problem of disappearing contents. It happened to my 256Mbyte Apacer MMC card. I still keep it for general testing and short time use. This memory cannot maintain its contents for more than a few minutes.
The phones were equipped with transparent hard covers but it was not a good idea for a clam shell phones. I keep on opening it to the point of scratching its surface. For bar phones, there should be no problem, but there is none available for Nokia 6300. However my wife managed to get a soft rubber casing that could be better because it maintains its thinness while giving protection.
I advised my son to discard his hard casing the moment he needs to open its cover. Taking out the covers make the V3x small and handy but exposed. The cheapest screen protectors can be bought at the 3rd floor of Karamunsing Complex, for RM5. We don’t the correct models but using V3i works well and it comes with 2 pieces.
For additional protection, I bought a spiral plastic cord with a lockable hook from Boulevard, and a soft pouch from our local mobile phone shop at Taman Jumbo for RM6. A better looking but coarse inside costs RM29 which is not worthwhile for me who is not fashion conscious. My wife and children didn’t like to hook the phones because they feel that this is not the fashion. Safety does not seem to be a fashion here. I am extremely safety conscious, not against theft but against myself in case I drop or misplaced them.
Setting up:
I set up for both 3G wap and MMS services. Celcom does not offer over-the-air setup for V3x but Maxis does via the *100#. For Celcom, refer to its website for the 3G setup. Enabling 3G and MMS is free for all operators. For Celcom postpaid, we had to change our SIM cards but Maxis pre-paid 014 does not need to.
I had wasted my time calling Celcom operators because I thought my MMS setting was faulty but actually it was due to the large size of messages that I had tried to send. Nokia 6300 converts images that are too large, but V3x does not give a proper error message and does not do any conversion. There is no need to setup GPRS because 3G settings will default to GPRS if 3G were not available.
Setting up for internet access is best described by the Celcom site. It describes way of connecting a personal computer to the internet via Bluetooth. There is no need to buy a 3G data card just to access the internet.
3G services and costs:
Testing the phones cost my son RM3. Mine could be even larger but my Maxis pre-paid consumed RM3 while not allowing the activation of mobile TV. Celcom offers mobile TV for RM1 per day per connection even for pre-paid. Not sure for Maxis but my 014 was not allowed but I watched a lagging MTV channel from one of the promoters of Maxis at Centre Point, KK.
One colleague, a technician at TM, incurred charges of RM300 in just one day. Be careful with browsing via mobile phones. A few colleagues who need to connect frequently, had opted for the unlimited data connection. I am thinking of using this service but reports indicate that wireless internet connection is not as reliable as wired ADSL services. I intend to use the 3G for backup connection but for only for really emergency uses. Going to the cyber café should be much cheaper.
Free Software:
Much time is spent searching and downloading software. Because I don’t intend to use the software for serious uses, I search for free software only. Many sites offer so called advert sponsored free but you had to connect to the web sites which is expensive here. Downloading those adverts will cost a lot of money so beware.
The best site is www.getjar.com. It comes with a filter for your own phone brands but unlisted phones, you can use J2ME as a search filter.
We can update for free Motorola Mobile Phone Tools V3.xx up to version 4.xx by repeatedly updating the software. However I find it not that useful. It is better to use just the mass storage driver for Motorola and Nokia. It allows the full power of MS File Explorer to be used to see hidden files.
Bluetooth cannot be used to install applications to V3x but can be used by 6300. For V3x, the safest is to take out the microSD from the phone, and use a card reader to read its contents. Reading via the phone USB connector is risky. When the USB is connected to the V3x, the phone goes into the local storage mode, where the phone cannot access the memory card. When the USB is disconnected, it takes time for it to revert access of the memory card to the phone. Making I worse, sometimes it gives warnings of out of date applications. Earlier, I deleted these files but it is best to just switch off the phone after every USB connection, or wait for a while longer.
For V3x, you need to install to the kjava hidden folder but you still need to install them first. For 6300, you can copy the .jar file anywhere and it is immediately installed.
Another useful free application is the J2ME phone emulator. Download the Version Sun Java Wireless Toolkit for CLDC from http://java.sun.com/javame. The latest is version 2.5.1. It requires the .jad file in order to execute .jar J2ME executable files. V3x an 6300 does not need these .jad files. After installing the WTK, just double click on the .jad files, in order to lauch the emulator.
This emulator is fast enough and more convenient to use compared to our phones and it is free. Its size of 38 Mbytes requires fast connection.
These J2ME are very powerful indeed. Some are more powerful than any pocket PC software available. My favourites are the graphic scientific calculators XCalc from getjar and Fnattlab from Helmut Dersch. I also got Microsoft Word and Excel emulators in J2ME but are just basic but should be useable, from J2ME applications distributed in pirated disks. You can also try the PtviewerME2 from Helmut Dersch. It allows J2ME phones to display panoramic pictures that few Pocket PCs are capable of. The need powerful but not free J2ME virtual machine from IBM in order to run this program.
Both V3x and 6300 comes with QVGA screen resolution, as large as most Pocket PC PDAs. It is not surprising that they are capable of running programs as expressive as those in PDAs. Their speed will be getting faster and faster making them capable of performing better and better. Please note that these mobile phones are already more powerful than those widespread Apple II and CPM machines which are capable of running more useful software such as word processors and database management systems. There is no reason why these mobile phones cannot support these classes of software.
Accessories:
The accessories that I bought was the microSD flash memory cards. The cheapest that I found was RM42 for Kingston 512Mbyte but now for the RM45 we can a Kingston 1Gbyte at Boulevard, 3rd Floor, Karamunsing Complex. It used to be RM39 for a TwinMOS. But by the time I bought my V3x, it was already RM45 but RM29 for a 512Mbyte one, at Digital Wise, 2nd Floor, Wisma San Hin.
Initially I had problems with disappearing applications and pictures from the memory card. For 3 days and night, I had to sweat hard trying to find out the problems. The main problem is that it was intermittent. Sometimes, I can read, sometimes I cannot. Upgraded Mobile Phone Tools to the latest version, scanned for viruses for free next to Master Phone Shop where I bought my V3x, called Motorola toll free help desk, that recommends that I do a master reset. I had downloaded the software update but while waiting for the virus scan, I also find another customer with similar problems while scanning for virus. Replacing the memory card solved all problems. This is the 2nd time that I meet the same problem of disappearing contents. It happened to my 256Mbyte Apacer MMC card. I still keep it for general testing and short time use. This memory cannot maintain its contents for more than a few minutes.
The phones were equipped with transparent hard covers but it was not a good idea for a clam shell phones. I keep on opening it to the point of scratching its surface. For bar phones, there should be no problem, but there is none available for Nokia 6300. However my wife managed to get a soft rubber casing that could be better because it maintains its thinness while giving protection.
I advised my son to discard his hard casing the moment he needs to open its cover. Taking out the covers make the V3x small and handy but exposed. The cheapest screen protectors can be bought at the 3rd floor of Karamunsing Complex, for RM5. We don’t the correct models but using V3i works well and it comes with 2 pieces.
For additional protection, I bought a spiral plastic cord with a lockable hook from Boulevard, and a soft pouch from our local mobile phone shop at Taman Jumbo for RM6. A better looking but coarse inside costs RM29 which is not worthwhile for me who is not fashion conscious. My wife and children didn’t like to hook the phones because they feel that this is not the fashion. Safety does not seem to be a fashion here. I am extremely safety conscious, not against theft but against myself in case I drop or misplaced them.
Setting up:
I set up for both 3G wap and MMS services. Celcom does not offer over-the-air setup for V3x but Maxis does via the *100#. For Celcom, refer to its website for the 3G setup. Enabling 3G and MMS is free for all operators. For Celcom postpaid, we had to change our SIM cards but Maxis pre-paid 014 does not need to.
I had wasted my time calling Celcom operators because I thought my MMS setting was faulty but actually it was due to the large size of messages that I had tried to send. Nokia 6300 converts images that are too large, but V3x does not give a proper error message and does not do any conversion. There is no need to setup GPRS because 3G settings will default to GPRS if 3G were not available.
Setting up for internet access is best described by the Celcom site. It describes way of connecting a personal computer to the internet via Bluetooth. There is no need to buy a 3G data card just to access the internet.
3G services and costs:
Testing the phones cost my son RM3. Mine could be even larger but my Maxis pre-paid consumed RM3 while not allowing the activation of mobile TV. Celcom offers mobile TV for RM1 per day per connection even for pre-paid. Not sure for Maxis but my 014 was not allowed but I watched a lagging MTV channel from one of the promoters of Maxis at Centre Point, KK.
One colleague, a technician at TM, incurred charges of RM300 in just one day. Be careful with browsing via mobile phones. A few colleagues who need to connect frequently, had opted for the unlimited data connection. I am thinking of using this service but reports indicate that wireless internet connection is not as reliable as wired ADSL services. I intend to use the 3G for backup connection but for only for really emergency uses. Going to the cyber café should be much cheaper.
Free Software:
Much time is spent searching and downloading software. Because I don’t intend to use the software for serious uses, I search for free software only. Many sites offer so called advert sponsored free but you had to connect to the web sites which is expensive here. Downloading those adverts will cost a lot of money so beware.
The best site is www.getjar.com. It comes with a filter for your own phone brands but unlisted phones, you can use J2ME as a search filter.
We can update for free Motorola Mobile Phone Tools V3.xx up to version 4.xx by repeatedly updating the software. However I find it not that useful. It is better to use just the mass storage driver for Motorola and Nokia. It allows the full power of MS File Explorer to be used to see hidden files.
Bluetooth cannot be used to install applications to V3x but can be used by 6300. For V3x, the safest is to take out the microSD from the phone, and use a card reader to read its contents. Reading via the phone USB connector is risky. When the USB is connected to the V3x, the phone goes into the local storage mode, where the phone cannot access the memory card. When the USB is disconnected, it takes time for it to revert access of the memory card to the phone. Making I worse, sometimes it gives warnings of out of date applications. Earlier, I deleted these files but it is best to just switch off the phone after every USB connection, or wait for a while longer.
For V3x, you need to install to the kjava hidden folder but you still need to install them first. For 6300, you can copy the .jar file anywhere and it is immediately installed.
Another useful free application is the J2ME phone emulator. Download the Version Sun Java Wireless Toolkit for CLDC from http://java.sun.com/javame. The latest is version 2.5.1. It requires the .jad file in order to execute .jar J2ME executable files. V3x an 6300 does not need these .jad files. After installing the WTK, just double click on the .jad files, in order to lauch the emulator.
This emulator is fast enough and more convenient to use compared to our phones and it is free. Its size of 38 Mbytes requires fast connection.
These J2ME are very powerful indeed. Some are more powerful than any pocket PC software available. My favourites are the graphic scientific calculators XCalc from getjar and Fnattlab from Helmut Dersch. I also got Microsoft Word and Excel emulators in J2ME but are just basic but should be useable, from J2ME applications distributed in pirated disks. You can also try the PtviewerME2 from Helmut Dersch. It allows J2ME phones to display panoramic pictures that few Pocket PCs are capable of. The need powerful but not free J2ME virtual machine from IBM in order to run this program.
Both V3x and 6300 comes with QVGA screen resolution, as large as most Pocket PC PDAs. It is not surprising that they are capable of running programs as expressive as those in PDAs. Their speed will be getting faster and faster making them capable of performing better and better. Please note that these mobile phones are already more powerful than those widespread Apple II and CPM machines which are capable of running more useful software such as word processors and database management systems. There is no reason why these mobile phones cannot support these classes of software.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Buying Mobile Phones at Kota Kinabalu
I and my teenage son, has just bought Motorola V3x for RM580 each, my wife a Nokia 6300(RM780) and my daughter Sony Ericson K750i(RM580).
You can get technical specifications for most mobile phones at:
http://www.gsmarena.com/
This is a European site that is well versed in almost all technical aspects of Mobile Phones but it does not have prices.
I used it to find phones with given technical specifications:
My specifications are:
Screen resolution: 240x320
Band: UMTS
Weight < 150g
Camera resolution >= 2Megapixel
It contains user comments that may be useful in determining the reliability of mobile phones.
For Malaysian price comparisons, a competitor to gsmarena is at http://www.mobile88.com.my/.
This site could be the best when it comes to price comparisons in the world at the moment. It provides technical specifications as well as technical comparisons.
However this website is too cluttered and filled with subjective advertising(advocative) descriptions of all mobile phones, but it does have price information that seems to be updated.
Another way of determining prices will be from ebay and Malaysian lelong. lelong has the best prices on offer even without freight charges. ring mobile in lelong is by far the cheapest consistently. It has reasonable feedback and claims nationwide warranty support.
The cheaper prices are those termed as AP, or rather parallel imports where warranty is from importers that are not recognised by the local Mobile Phone Manufacturer's representatives, mostly Zitron.
Recently the price differences has become more than RM100 so it is not worthwhile anymore to buy from these local representatives unless longer warranty periods and ease of mind is of the highest priority.
My previous experience with an AP supplier was bad but not disastrous. The supplier does not even have the code to unblock an already blocked Siemens M35 for the European Market. I saved RM40 but it was damaged 2 years ago while an obsolete but still perfectly functioning M35 for the Malaysian Market distributed by Hello Marketing still survives to this day.
For detailed reviews of mobile phones, go to this Russian site
www.mobile-review.com/.
gsmarena also offers better professional looking reviews compared to user-reviews and that in Malaysian newspapers and other publications. Malaysian reviewers are too commercialised. They won't mention any bad points about a product let alone make recommendations to the manufacturers how to improve their products.
For mobile phone buyer at Kota Kinabalu, we are fortunate that our prices are lower than those at Kuala Lumpur. My son has just returned from Kuala Lumpur hoping for a bargain but was disappointed. Based on my web search, the cheapest can be found via mail-order through ring mobile. In order to order safely, it is better to use the safe-trading facility offered by lelong but it will add 2% to the cost of the mobile phone.
The cheapest prices can be found at Master Phone Shop, at the ground floor of Centre Point, Kota Kinabalu but other shops may be able to match their prices. Service-wise it is also excellent. It is best that we buy from this shop unless they run out of stock and we are in a hurry to buy mobile phones. It kept on getting out of stock of the V3x.
You can get technical specifications for most mobile phones at:
http://www.gsmarena.com/
This is a European site that is well versed in almost all technical aspects of Mobile Phones but it does not have prices.
I used it to find phones with given technical specifications:
My specifications are:
Screen resolution: 240x320
Band: UMTS
Weight < 150g
Camera resolution >= 2Megapixel
It contains user comments that may be useful in determining the reliability of mobile phones.
For Malaysian price comparisons, a competitor to gsmarena is at http://www.mobile88.com.my/.
This site could be the best when it comes to price comparisons in the world at the moment. It provides technical specifications as well as technical comparisons.
However this website is too cluttered and filled with subjective advertising(advocative) descriptions of all mobile phones, but it does have price information that seems to be updated.
Another way of determining prices will be from ebay and Malaysian lelong. lelong has the best prices on offer even without freight charges. ring mobile in lelong is by far the cheapest consistently. It has reasonable feedback and claims nationwide warranty support.
The cheaper prices are those termed as AP, or rather parallel imports where warranty is from importers that are not recognised by the local Mobile Phone Manufacturer's representatives, mostly Zitron.
Recently the price differences has become more than RM100 so it is not worthwhile anymore to buy from these local representatives unless longer warranty periods and ease of mind is of the highest priority.
My previous experience with an AP supplier was bad but not disastrous. The supplier does not even have the code to unblock an already blocked Siemens M35 for the European Market. I saved RM40 but it was damaged 2 years ago while an obsolete but still perfectly functioning M35 for the Malaysian Market distributed by Hello Marketing still survives to this day.
For detailed reviews of mobile phones, go to this Russian site
www.mobile-review.com/.
gsmarena also offers better professional looking reviews compared to user-reviews and that in Malaysian newspapers and other publications. Malaysian reviewers are too commercialised. They won't mention any bad points about a product let alone make recommendations to the manufacturers how to improve their products.
For mobile phone buyer at Kota Kinabalu, we are fortunate that our prices are lower than those at Kuala Lumpur. My son has just returned from Kuala Lumpur hoping for a bargain but was disappointed. Based on my web search, the cheapest can be found via mail-order through ring mobile. In order to order safely, it is better to use the safe-trading facility offered by lelong but it will add 2% to the cost of the mobile phone.
The cheapest prices can be found at Master Phone Shop, at the ground floor of Centre Point, Kota Kinabalu but other shops may be able to match their prices. Service-wise it is also excellent. It is best that we buy from this shop unless they run out of stock and we are in a hurry to buy mobile phones. It kept on getting out of stock of the V3x.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)