Where to buy Xiaomi Singapore?

Beijing based Chinese electronics company is quite popular with its mobile phones and tablets such as Mi series mobile phones, Redmi series budget mobile phones and Mi Note Series. Singapore is an important country in Xiaomi's history. When founded in 2010, Singaporean government-owned investment company Temasek Holdings was one of the institutional inverstors in the first round of funding. In 2014 Xiaomi announced its expansion outside China, with their first stop in Singapore.  Xiaomi's Redmi and Mi3 phone were released in Singapore on 21 February – 7 March 2014.

You can buy Xiaomi products in Singapore through several mediums. First, you can buy Xiaomi online through e-commerce companies. For example Lazada, a Singaporean e-commerce company, sells Xiaomi products online. You can check here : Lazada Xiaomi Mobile.

Xiaomi also sells its products online through MI Singapore page.

And last but not the least, Xiaomi also has a retail store which is located in Suntec City. This Xiaomi Singapore store is first full fledged retail store outside of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.  This store is not 100 per cent run by Xiaomi, It is a collaborative effort with Singapore's current go-to tech e-commerce site Lazada, which will manage the sales. This is a good place to get your hands on latest Xiaomi products but some cool products that is usually reserved for sale in China cannot be found here (such as Mi Drones, Notebook Air, 4K Mi TV and Mi rice cookers ).

Xiaomi Singapore store is first full fledged retail store outside of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Wireless speakers in Singapore

Wireless speakers entered the market just a few years ago but their popularity is in exponential growth. As the number of players in wireless speakers market is growing as well as the prices are falling, consumers are opting more for this convenient option.

Wireless speakers allow people to play music from their smart phones remotely and since the number of smart phone users increased dramatically, market is wide open for these type of wireless devices. You can now find wireless speakers in every major electronics retailer here. And since Amazon is shipping free to Singapore, you can also buy many models online if you cannot find them in physical stores.

Wireless Speakers are also becoming cheaper. When wireless speakers first entered the market, yhey were expensive and sold for around 500 - 600 SGD. This was more than a year ago. A wireless speaker cost was about 189 SGD last year and now you can buy a wireless speaker for about 145 SGD.

One of the most popular application of wireless speakers is the commercial usage. For example if a cafe owner chooses wireless speakers for his business, he does not need to hire someone for wiring and often drilling holes on the walls for the wires.

There are many wireless speakers in the market now for all types of tastes and budgets. Speakers vary greatly in size, shape, and even the type of wireless system. Some wireless speakers include wireless transmitters built in and some do not come with the transmitters.

You also need to decide do you need a Bluetooth wireless speaker or AirPlay wireless speaker. Some wireless speakers support Apple AirPlay,  Apple's wireless audio feature that lets iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Mac users stream their iTunes libraries, and allow users to stream music to multiple speakers simultaneously. But you cannot stream music to these speakers from Android devices such as Samsung Galaxy phones. And AirPlay wireless speakers tend to be more expensive than the Bluetooth ones. They are also larger and consumes more power. If you need a battery powered wireless speaker so you can carry your speaker around, you will have hard time to find one.

Here are some of the best Wireless speakers according to PC Mag:

Braven BRV-X - (194.90 USD in Amazon with Free shipping) Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, the Braven BRV-X booms with 12 hours of music play fit for rocky canyons, powdered slopes, raging rapids, sandy dunes or even backyard barbecues. The BRV-X is designed with an IPX7 certified waterproof , shock absorbent, portable body and features a powerful 5200mAh power bank to charge external devices. Customize your listening experience for any environment by choosing indoor or outdoor mode. For an immersive left and right stereo experience, pair two Braven BRV-X speakers together using True Wireless.

Harman Kardon Aura - ($399.95 with FREE Shipping) The Harman Kardon Aura, a home audio system combining the ultra-modern performance and precision of a hi-fi luxury sound system, also boasts a unique, iconic design. The Aura’s has a sound as rich and rewarding as its appearance with six high- and mid-range transducers plus a built-in subwoofer delivering superior, Omni-directional, 360º sound – while elite features like built-in Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay lossless audio streaming and DLNA introduce you to the convenience and multi-function advantages of complete connectivity.

Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth Speaker System - ($399.00 with FREE Shipping) The Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth Compact Active Loudspeaker offers loads of ways to connect to your speaker, whether via your phone, vinyl player, TV or wirelessly via the latest version of Bluetooth, featuring APTX technology. With multiple music source options, you can connect to the Stanmore wirelessly via Bluetooth with APTX technology or through one of three audio inputs: 3.5mm input, RCA input or the optical audio input.

Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III - ($299.00 & FREE Shipping) Meet the speaker that brings your music and friends together—with a style that’s all your own. The SoundLink Bluetooth speaker III is our best-performing mobile Bluetooth speaker. It plays louder and longer than its popular predecessor, with advanced Bose technologies that reproduce the fullness, clarity and depth of your music. And a colorful assortment of optional covers let you personalize your speaker.

Microsoft Xbox One in Singapore

The long wait for Microsoft Xbox One in Singapore is finally coming to an end. Almost 8 months after Sony Play Station 4 release in Singapore, Microsoft Xbox One will be launched in Singapore on September 23,  2014. The new XBox One will be retailed from $639 here. Motion sensing Xbox One with Kinect will cost $739.

Xbox One video game console was announced on May 21, 2013 and it is already released across North America, several European markets, Australia, and New Zealand on November 22, 2013. Singapore will be among 26 markets (others being Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and UAE). This successor of the iconic Xbox 360 directly competes with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Wii U.

Xbox One is a real hardware beast : it has an 8-core CPU and GPU SoC (system on a chip), 8GB DDR3 RAM, a Blu-ray drive, and a 500GB onboard hard drive, HDMI in and out. One of the most important new features of the Xbox One is the x86 architecture, which is shared by the PS4, and could lead to a proliferation of console-purposed apps thanks to the wide development community.

In Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft also announced a spectacular lineup of games for Xbox One such as "Halo: The Master Chief Collection", "Sunset Overdrive", "Forza Horizon 2", "Fable Legends" and "Dance Central Spotlight":

A photo from Xbox One E3 Briefing

Flanked by some of video gaming’s most celebrated creators, Microsoft unveiled an incredible games lineup, including new iterations of its most popular franchises. 343 Industries lifted the curtain on “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” for Xbox One, which includes the complete story of the Master Chief on one console for the first time ever (“Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,” “Halo 2 Anniversary,” “Halo 3” and “Halo 4”), including an entirely remastered version of the iconic classic that revolutionized online console gaming, “Halo 2 Anniversary.” A massive collection that lets you experience “Halo” in an all-new way, at higher visual fidelity running at 60 frames per second (fps) on dedicated servers, “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” features curated campaign and multiplayer playlists across all four games and features more than 100 multiplayer maps — authentic to their original release. In addition, “Halo 2 Anniversary” will include six all-new maps built from the ground up for Xbox One.
Source : Xbox Delivers Winning Lineup of Exclusive Games for this Holiday Season

  “Halo 5: Guardians” will be released in fall of 2015, but followers can satisfy themselves for a while from  November with "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" which puts more than a decade of first man shooter blockbuster into one disc.

Best Places to Buy Electronics in Singapore

BudgetHotels.sg has published a short "Best Places to Buy Electronics in Singapore" guide which is, according to Singapore budget hotel site's press release, voted for by a panel of Singaporeans. The nine stores who made it into the guide have each been designated as the best places in the country to buy electrical appliances including video cameras and televisions and gadgets such as smartphones and tablets. Each outlet on the list is a local favorite for everything from PC spare parts to Play Stations, Xboxes to Canon cameras.

Danny Lee, founder of BudgetHotels.sg said, “Singapore is well known for its abundance of electronics stores and discounts and deals on appliances and gadgets is almost a national store. Everywhere you turn there are special offers just waiting to be snapped up so navigating the maze and avoiding the tourist traps is key. Our Best Places to Buy Electronics in Singapore guide was created with local help – each outlet is tried and tested by Singaporeans and designated as one of their own top places to shop. With this in mind, we reckon it’s just as essential as sun cream for any visitor planning to splash out on a few new toys while in town!”
For each of the nine recommended ports of call, the guide features tips and insider knowledge so even newcomers to the city island will be shopping like a local within minutes.

The nine recommended places to buy electronics and IT gadgets are Sim Lim Square, Funan DigitaLife IT Mall, Mustafa Center, Harvey Norman, Courts, Parisilk, Challenger, Cathay Photo and Computer Fairs and Expo.

Each listing includes a helpful hint – shoppers checking out the retail chain Harvey Norman for example are advised to keep their eyes peeled for older flat-screen TV models which are often seriously discounted and offer great value for money. Shoppers heading for Sim Lim Square are advised to bypass the first floors and any so called ‘freebies’ which are often included in the price of the package anyway.

In addition to the insider tips and list of hot spots, this electronics buying guide from BudgetHotels.sg also includes addresses, websites, opening hours and nearest transport links.

Read 9 Best Places to Buy Electronics in Singapore here.

No more cheap Monster Products from Amazon in Singapore?

If you are eyeing to buy those Monster Products like Monster Diesel VEKTR and Monster iSport Victory much cheaper than their Singapore retail prices, hurry up.Monster's managing director for the Asia Pacific, Mr. Robert Fong, told Singapore's Digital Life that "the contract between Monster and Amazon is supposed to be for the US market only. We are going to stop Amazon, that is the only way."

Amazon offers much lower prices compared to Singapore retail prices and the online retail giant has just added Singapore alongside India to global locations where it ships products for free. Since Amazon free shipment to Singapore was announced, consumers in Singapore have been flocking to Amazon.com to buy electronics.

Monster Products for example are much cheaper on Amazon compared to Singapore prices. On Amazon, Monster Diesel VEKTR On-Ear Headphones with ControlTalk is priced ad US$229.95 (S$290). But after Amazon's deep discount, price goes down to US$199.99. Same headphones in Singapore cost $500 from retailers. Another example is Monster iSport Victory In-Ear Headphones: It is US$149.95 on Amazon but sold for a price of $309 in Singapore stores.

Monster Diesel VEKTR On-Ear Headphones with ControlTalk

Monster's headphones are famous for their stronger bass levels.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in Singapore

Samsung Galaxy Note 2, world's top-selling mobile phone maker Samsung's new Android smartphone, is now in Singapore and sold by all three telcos of Singapore (SingTel, StarHub and M1). The Samsung Galaxy Note was an unexpected success in Singapore when it was launched in October 2011 and its successor will probably replicate that success. The device, which  is equipped with a quad-core processor and Android Jelly Bean mobile OS,  is one of the the most attractive Android handset to date with an impressive specs sheet. It comes with a 2GB RAM, 8-megapixel primary camera, front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera and a large 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display.

As we have seen in Samsung Galaxy S3 launch in Singapore, this new great smartphone was greeted with long queues at the outlets of all three telcos ahead of the 6pm collection Samsung's Galaxy Note II LTE smartphone.[1] According to CNet Asia, around 1,000 people were spotted standing in line at 5:30 PM yesterday to collect their Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE at the pre-launch for StarHub users in Plaza Singapura:

"It seems like Samsung's Galaxy Note 2 LTE is big in Singapore, with lines forming for the "phablet" ahead of a 6pm launch today. The smartphone/tablet with a 5.5-inch display officially launches tomorrow, but customers who pre-registered their interest could buy one today from one of the three mobile operators. 

Around 1,000 people stood in line outside StarHub's shop at the Plaza Singapura shopping center, with the queue snaking around the atrium to the exterior of the mall. M1 had fewer customers in line--about 300--than StarHub, but a long line formed outside the Paragon shopping mall, too."[2]

Singtel Samsung Galaxy Note 2 price plans starts from 3G Flexi Lite for 39.9 SGD per month and 568 SGD for the phone

Singtel Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Price Plans
Price Plan	Monthly Subscription	Phone Prices
3G Flexi Lite	$39.90	$568.00
3G Flexi Plus	$99.90	$98.00
3G Flexi Premium	$204.99	$0.00
3G Flexi Value	$59.90	$288.00

Below there is a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review by Singapore's Today newspaper. You can also read a review of the phone here. In Singapore, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 offers LTE or Long Term Evolution. LTE is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals and is marketed as 4G LTE.

Samsung GALAXY Note II HANDS ON

According to the PopHerald Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is cheaper in Asia (Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong) and more over, the device is also more accessible to the masses:

According to sources from Asia-based online retailers, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has seen yet another mild price cut for the Asian market, from the original $750 each to $680 (16GB variant), unlocked and ready to use. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 unlocked is still sporting the slightly more expensive tag price of $750 to $800, unchanged based on its October week 1 unlocked price.[3]

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE queue in Singapore - Photo: CNet Asia

[1] - Queues spotted at Samsung Galaxy Note II launch
[2] - Queues form for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE
[3] - Samsung Galaxy Note 2 unlocked price lower in Asia, on-contract also attractive

SingTel will launch 4G tablet service with Prestige 75 plan

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) is launching 4G service for tablets in Singapore starting from August 28th 2012 which will allow its users to access speeds more than three times faster than current 3G services. The 4G service for tablets will be paired with a new subscription plan, the Prestige 75. Singapore's first fourth-generation (4G) tablets will be Asus Transformer Pad TF300TL and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (Long Term Evolution - LTE). They will be available at all SingTel stores by August 28th.

The Prestige 75 plan has a theoretical maximum speed of 75Mbps. But this speed can be hardly achievable in everyday usage. SingTel  promises a minimum download speed of 3.4Mbps and a maximum of 12Mbps.

SingTel Prestige 75 plan subscription plan will cost either 49.90 Singapore Dollars or  64.90 SGD per month depending on the size of the up front payment for the tablets:

For ASUS Tranformer Pad TF300TL 49.90 Singapore Dollars with up front payment of 549 SGD and 64.90 SGD per month with up front payment of 429 SGD.

For Samsung GALAXY Tab 8.9 (LTE) 49.90 Singapore Dollars with up front payment of 449 SGD and 64.90 SGD per month with up front payment of 329 SGD.

All these plans are for 10 GB bundle and $5.35 per GB (w GST) 1 July to 31 Dec 2012. $10.70/GB (w GST) from 1 Jan 2013. $94 (w GST) cap applies. [1]

[1] - SingTel to launch 4G service for tablets
[2] - SingTel launches Singapore's first 4G service for tablets

new iPhone 5's look disappoints many

Apple's new iPhone, iPhone 5, is expected to be released in September 12th 2012[1] but before it is officially released, its supposedly real photos traditionally leaked from an Apple parts supplier and repair company. And the "new" iPhone looks exactly the same way the iPhone 4S looks, which is almost identical to iPhone 4!

As expected many are unimpressed with the photos supposedly belonging to next iPhone:

But it's not a major change, and some reviewers are saying the iPhone is starting to look dated.
- Forbes Magazine says Apple appears to be "phoning it in" if these photos are to be believed.
- Fox News says it looks "small and chubby" compared to newer phones.
- And CNET says "gadgeteers will be disappointed" if this is the final phone.  

The problem, many say, is Samsung's new Galaxy 3, which is sleeker and thinner, with a much bigger screen.  The Galaxy raises the bar the way the iPhone used to, three or four years ago. 

Source : New iPhone photos leave many unimpressed

And this time users have one more important excuse to directly upgrade from their current iPhones to Samsung Galaxy SIII: New iPhone is expected to come with a smaller connector plug which will basically make current chargers and zillions of types of docks useless (if they do not allow some space for a converter.)

iPhone versus Samsung Galaxy S 3. Henry Blodget says
Galaxy SIII looks like a next generation phone while iPhone looks old now.
Source : Business Insider

Some like Henry Blodget even went further to say that it will be a disaster for Apple if this photos really belong to the new iPhone. henry Blodget wrote in Business Insider that if the iPhone 5 really looks like this, Apple may be screwed:

"And I can't be the only potential customer who is deflated by what they see. In fact, I'll go far enough to say that, if the iPhone 5 looks like the pictures that have recently appeared, Apple may be screwed. 

Why? 

Because the "iPhone 5" looks pretty much like the iPhone 4S. Which looked exactly like the iPhone 4, a phone that is now two years old. In the meantime, Samsung and other manufacturers have come out with phones that make people's jaws drop, such as the Galaxy S3, which has a (relatively) humongous screen. Although the Apple faithful may start hyperventilating about things like the movement or elimination of a button, most phone buyers couldn't care less. Now that most phones do the same things and work pretty much the same way, the most obvious (and, arguably, important) difference between them is the screen."
Source : If The iPhone 5 Really Looks Like This, Apple May Be Screwed...

Henry Blodget argues that Apple's decision to move the release of last year's iPhone from the summer to the fall, and then to release a phone that was only a "refresh" of the prior generation, had allowed Samsung, et al, to catch up.[2]

[1] - Apple Will Announce The iPhone 5 And iPad Mini On September 12
[2] - Here's How Apple Blew It On The iPhone

The EOS M: Canon's first mirrorless compact camera

Canon, Japanese camera and optical products maker, has announced its first compact mirrorless camera, The EOS M. The EOS M will come with a 18.1-megapixel image sensor, the DIGIC 5 imaging processor similar to other Canon DSLR cameras. The compact 108.6mm x 66.5mm x 32.3mm camera weighs 265g and is equipped with a 3-inch touchscreen panel.


Some of you may ask what is mirrorless camera? Unlike a compact digital camera, a mirrorless interchangeable-lens digital camera (MILC) is equipped with an interchangeable lens mount and unlike a digital single-lens reflex camera, a MILC does not have a mirror-based optical viewfinder. This enables manufacturers to keep the camera body smaller and lighter.[1]

In Japan, where consumers tend to value easily portable products, mirrorless cameras account for around a third of all interchangeable lens models. In the United States, their market share is closer to a tenth.

Canon’s move will ratchet up competition with Nikon, its main rival for hefty single-lens reflex cameras used by professional photographers and enthusiasts.[1]

The Canon EOS M - Source : mashable.com

The first mirrorless camera in the market was Panasonic’s DMC-G1 in 2008. The Nikon 1 system introduced last September left Canon as the last holdout, a lag it attributes to the additional time spent on development.

Singapore pricing for The EOS M has not been announced yet. The camera will be sold for around US$800
(Singapore $1,010) with the 22mm pancake lens in USA. The EOS M will be available in Singapore in 
early October 2012. A zoom and pancake EF-M lens will be launched together with The EOS M. Plus, an EF-EOS M mount adapter makes the camera compatible with Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses, 
including all their autofocus functions.[2]

[1] - Canon to enter mirrorless camera market
[2] - Canon goes mirrorless

Android based phone sales are booming in Singapore in 2012

I have started to observe an interesting and important shift in Singapore in terms of smart phone usage. I have a habit to count the number of iPhones and other smart phones in MRT train rides and up until recently, it looked like Singapore is dominated by Apple. It was like 4-5 iPhones to 1 Samsung. But recently, I frequently end up with opposite results. Today for example, I have counted 5 Samsung smart phones (most of them are these fantastic Samsung Galaxy S III) to 1 iPhone on the feeder bus and 4 Samsung smart phones to 2 iPhones in the MRT train car.

So when I have read the news that Singaporeans no longer obsessed with iPhone, I was not surprised:
70% of M1's new customers in 2Q12 chose Androids. Telcos provide lower handset subsidy on Androids versus iPhones due to the cheaper retail price of Androids. According to DBS Group Research, this is likely to benefits SingTel and StarHub.

"In mid- August, we expect StarHub to beat market expectations by 12 % and report 2Q12 earnings of S$95m (23% y-o-y and 8% q-o-q). We like to highlight that the upcoming launch of iPhone5 (rumored to be in September end) could reverse the trend just like how the iPhone 4S did last year," said DBS.
Source : Singaporeans no longer obsessed with iPhone

Singapore consumers queuing for Samsung Galaxy S3 in front of M1 shop in Paragon - Source : CNet Asia

Recently, there were long queues during the day 1 of Samsung Galaxy S III Sale In Singapore all 3 operators in the country offers the smart phone for prices starting from 198 SGD depending on the subscription plan.

Android is a Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It is developed by the Open Handset Alliance, led by Google.

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Samsung Galaxy S III/S3 GT-I9300 Factory Unlocked Phone International Version (Pebble Blue)	[Ultimate Clear Plus] Samsung Galaxy S3 Rearth Ringbo Screen Protector	Hyperion Samsung Galaxy SIII 2 x Battery + Charger

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SingTel 4G smartphones are on sale today

SingTel, one of three telcos in Singapore, has become the first to launch 4G (Fourth Generation) smart phones in Singapore yesterday. The 4G service providers up to five times faster internet speed compared to the maximum speeds delivered on the 3G network! The 4G network technology is called LTE (Long Term Evolution) and  marketed as 4G LTE. It is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals.[1]

"LTE stands for long-term evolution of 3G and offers much higher data transfers compared with the 3.5G (HSPA) speeds most commonly used now. The theoretical speed of LTE is 75Mbps, more than three times faster than HSPA, which tops out at 21Mbps in Singapore. 

SingTel expects to provide between 3.4 and 12Mbps download speeds when the network is loaded with more customers on 4G plans."[2]

SingTel is currently offering 3 LTE enabled smartphones by June 5th: HTC One XL, LG Optimus True HD LTE and Samsung Galaxy SII (S2) LTE. LTE coverage in Singapore is currently available only in half of the island but will be available in 80 per cent of the island by the end of the year, and islandwide by early 2013.[3]

HTC One XL one of three 4G mobile phones available from SingTel  - Source : http://asia.cnet.com 

But the greater speed comes at a cost. New data plans offered for 4G are not "eat-as-much-as-you can" style:

Among SingTel’s new price plans — which would apply to both 3G and 4G customers from next month — the lowest data bundle for its Flexi Lite plan was at 2GB, down from the previous 12GB cap. Data usage caps for the other three plans — Flexi Value, Flexi Plus and Flexi Premium — were also cut to 3GB, 4GB and 12GB respectively.

 Charges for excess usage will be S$10.70 per GB and S$5.35 per GB for 4G and 3G subscribers, respectively. All excess usage charges will be capped at S$88 per month.[3]

This may look like bad news for some but it is actually a very very good news. Connecting internet on mobile network has been painfully slow in the past few years thanks to the large number of users and these unlimited data plans offered. In Singapore, 10 percent of all users are the download maniac minority and abuses these plans at the expense of the majority. According to SingTel CEO Consumer Singapore Yuen Kuan Moon, 90 percent do not use more than 2-, 3-, 4- or 12GB in their respective Flexi plans. But the last 10 percent of its customers consume 64 percent of the company's mobile data! By providing a tiered data bundle, the company hopes to improve the speed for the majority by giving heavy users a disincentive to consume too much data. [2]



[1] - LTE
[2] - SingTel announces LTE plans for mobile phones
[3] - Faster 4G is here, but at a cost


 it also unveiled plans that do
away with the “buffet-style” mobile
data bundles that consumers had become accustomed to.

Samsung Galaxy S3 in Singapore

Samsung Galaxy S3 (SIII), world's top-selling mobile phone maker Samsung's new Android smartphone, is now in Singapore and sold by all three telcos of Singapore (SingTel, StarHub and M1) with almost similar prices. The launch was met with queues where some buyers has started waiting from as early as 10 AM. The new Samsung Galaxy has a 4.8-inch (12.2-cm) screen which is 22 per cent larger than the previous S2 and comes with a more powerful processor, voice recognition software, multi-tasking capabilities and a new cool eye movements detector which can override the automatic shutdown if the user is looking at the screen.

Samsung has unveiled Samsung Galaxy S3 in London earlier this month and it will start selling itin 28 countries from Tuesday the phone will be available in 145 nations by July via 296 wireless carriers[1]. Samsung introduced its first Galaxy in 2010, three years after the iPhone's debut, to counter Apple's roaring success in smart phones when the troubles of bigger rivals Nokia and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion had started.[2]

Samsung Galaxy S3 was announced to be available in 2 colors, white marble and pebble blue but due to manufacturing issues there will be considerably less blue versions available on launch day, with most customers having to settle for the white clad Galaxy S3 for the time being.Samsung's GALAXY S III Pebble Blue version comes with a newly invented blue colour and special hyperglaze material according to Samsung.  [3] .

Samsung sold 44.5 million smartphones in January-March - equal to nearly 21,000 every hour - giving it 30.6 per cent market share. Apple sold 35.1 million iPhones, taking 24.1 per cent market share.

Singtel Samsung Galaxy S3 price plans starts from 3G Flexi Lite for 39.9 SGD per month and 498 SGD for the phone and ranges up to iThree Plus for 192.9 SGD per month and 198 SGD for the phone.

Singtel Samsung Galaxy S3
Price Plans	Monthly Subscription	Samsung Galaxy S III Phone Price
3G Flexi Lite	$39.90	$498
3G Flexi Value	$59.90	$348
3G Flexi Plus	$99.90	$198
3G Flexi Premium	$205.00	$198
iOne Super Value	$15.00	$748
iOne Plus	$25.68	$648
iTwo Value	$48.15	$498
iTwo Plus	$82.93	$348
iThree Plus	$192.60	$198

M1 Samsung Galaxy S3 2 years price plan starts from Value Surf for 39 SGD per month and 498 SGD for the phone and ranges up to SunMax Plus for 195.81 SGD per month and 198 SGD for the phone.

M1 Samsung Galaxy S3
Price Plans	Monthly Subscription	Samsung Galaxy S III Phone Price
Take3 – Pay nothing for phone	on mobile plan from  $82.93 per month
ValueSurf	$39.00	$498
LiteSurf	$55.00	$348
ExtremeSurf	$95.00	$198
SunSaver	$25.68	$648
SunSaver Plus	$48.15	$498
SunMax	$82.93	$348
SunMax Plus	$195.81	$198

StarHub Samsung Galaxy S3 price plans starts from PowerValue 100 for 25.48 SGD per month and 648 SGD for the phone and ranges up to SmartSurf Unlimited Plus for 205 SGD per month and 198 SGD for the phone.

Starhub Samsung Galaxy S3
Price Plans	Monthly Subscription	Samsung Galaxy S III Phone Price
PowerValue 100	$25.68	$648
PowerValue 300	$48.15	$498
PowerValue 700	$82.93	$348
SmartSurf 100	$38.00	$498
SmartSurf 300	$58.00	$348
SmartSurf 700	$98.00	$198
SmartSurf Unlimited	$205.00	$198

Singapore consumers queuing for Samsung Galaxy S3 in front of M1 shop in Paragon - Source : CNet Asia

In an article in today's Today (First look at the Galaxy S III) Peter Yeo takes a look at Samsung Galaxy S3 to understand that much-hyped device worth the buzz or not. The device's Super AMOLED screen is quite huge but this does not make it any more unwieldy than its competitors with smaller displays. He notes that the layout of the phone is clean, with few buttons:

"Its much talked about Smart Stay feature, which senses when you are looking at the screen and keeps it lit, worked well except for a couple of occasions when it dimmed before detecting my presence and brightened up. Also important to me was the ability to create a personal hotspot, as we need to be on hand to report news at all times, and the GS3 did not disappoint. Connectivity via tethering stayed strong despite moving around. 

Jumping on the voice control wagon, the GS3’s S-Voice crashed whenever I asked if it loved me and could not find contacts I wanted to text. But I have never liked the idea of asking a phone for favours in public anyway. 

The Pop Up Play feature, which lets you multi-task while playing a video “picture-in-picture”, was impressive.  

The contract for my current phone will run out in October. If nothing better comes along, the GS3 might be my next smartphone of choice."

[1] - Samsung to start selling Galaxy S3 in 28 nations
[2] - Samsung Galaxy S3 gets head start on rival iPhone
[3] - Pebble blue Samsung Galaxy S3 delayed

ipad2 will be in Singapore in April 2011

When will iPad2 arrive Singapore for sale? This is a question I am regularly asking to a reseller since iPad2 is announced. I held my self off buying a tablet for a year and I am now waiting for ipad2 to hit the shores in Singapore. Today, they have told me that it will be sold in Singapore in 2 to 3 weeks time (by mid April 2011). Price? Not announced yet. Demand? A lot. I have registered anyway to buy one but I can still catch the second batch if the first is sold off before I can get one.

Why iPad but not a Google Android device? I personally had chance to try iPad and several tablets in the market in several IT shows and the main difference between Apple (particularly Steve Jobs) and its rivals is the focus on user experience. There are some great android tablets out there with great hardware, greater than iPad hardware, but when it comes to user experience, Apple products are superior for now. Also i find 10'' screen just optimum for my user experience and 7'' small to use. For these reasons, despite 2 major drawbacks for me, iPad lacks smartphone functionality and flash support, I will probably buy iPad2.

iPad2 is slimmer than iPad which is good because although i like 9.7'' large screen, it is really hard to hold it for a long time. iPad2 will hopefully be better in this. I really do not care about the back camera because iPad is not something I will naturally use to take photo but front camera is good for video chat, which will be very useful for me to keep in touch with friends who are thousands of mile away.

I would really like to have flash in a tablet I use, android tablets beat iPad here since iPad2 also do not support flash. It is an inconvenience but not a big deal if you do not have a habit of watching streaming video.

Many iPad users out there are a little disappointed with this new iPad2 since it looks like an upgrade rather than a radical new version. Digital Life (The Straits Times) summarizes this quite well:

"The iPad2 is a different animal to different users. Those who have held off buying the iPad will find this second-generation tablet, with its additional features and more powerful hardware, a very good buy. But if you already own an iPad, the iPad2 will feel more like a version 1.5 than an all-new second generation product." 

No Flash Support in iPhone and iPad. In the image above, all superheros can be displayed by an Google Android device
but in the bottom one Flash has gone and it is replaced with a "lack of flash support" icon which is familier to iPhone and iPad users :)

So for people like me, who did not enter into tablet world, iPad2 will be a definitely good buy. But as long as a new iPadX does not come with Retina Display (as in iPhone), USB port, SD card slot and something catchy, a lot of existing iPad users probably will not upgrade.

Google Nexus S on sale in Singapore

Google Nexus S, the newest android mobile phone from Google is available from all three Singapore mobile operators from today. The handsets will be available with discounted prices for those who sign 2 years contract. Nexus S, produced by South Korean tech giant Samsung, comes with a 4'' screen, 5 mega pixel camera and 512 MB memory.

Samsung announced that consumers in Singapore can buy the phone for 828 SGD without a contract at retailers like Planet Telecom. M1 is selling it for 498 SGD with a two-year contract.

Google Nexus S

Android is an operating system for mobile devices (i.e. smartphones, tablets), developed and promoted by Google. Android phones are getting very popular in Singapore, 40 percent of all smartphones sold in Singapore were running on Android. In US, android based smartphones occupy number 2 position before Apple's iOs (operating system of iPhone and iPad) but after RIM (BlackBerry).