Malaysia

Best Midrange Smartphones in Malaysia below MYR 1,500

Q3 2018 Edition

Published

on

Let’s be honest here: Flagship smartphones are not all that. They come with hefty price tags, and most certainly can be overkill to the basic needs of some consumers. Not everyone needs the latest Galaxy or iPhone. What’s the next best thing? Midrange smartphones. Better yet, this list of midrangers might be tailored just for you with a MYR 1,500 cap, so you’ll get bang for your buck.

Do be warned though, some of these smartphones are truly no-brainers for their respective price tags.

Huawei Nova 3i (MYR 1,249)

This smartphone could very well be the most attractive one on this list. Fresh off the shelf earlier last month, the Huawei Nova 3i takes design cues from the company’s flagship twilight-colored P20 Pro. Not to forget, this sharp-shooting quad-cam beast screams premium with its glass design.

ASUS ZenFone 5 (MYR 1,299)

ASUS is looking well oiled now with its latest ZenFone series. The ZenFone 5 has proven to be a worthy contender among midrange smartphones in 2018. This time, the company has even opted to keep bloatware to themselves, with only core Android apps pre-installed. Coupled with a solid set of cameras and more natural-looking selfies, this phone is worth your attention.

OPPO F7 (MYR 1,299)

OPPO has had a long history of promoting its selfie-centric devices. If selfies are your thing, the OPPO F7 is most likely your best bet for a midrange smartphone. The AI-equipped front-facing camera is excellent for the crisp selfies you need. The F7 is quite the endurance champ too with its 3400mAh battery, so if you take a ton of selfies yourself, you’ll know what to do.

VIVO V9 (MYR 1,199)

This is the other selfie warrior on this list. The VIVO V9 has only contributed to the company’s rise to fame in recent months with what it offers. Stutters and lag are the least of your worries with the solid Snapdragon 626 processor and the ample 4GB of RAM. The V9’s dual rear cameras and 24-megapixel selfie camera among everything else, make it a strong option in this spectrum.

Nokia 7 Plus (MYR 1,499)

Like stock Android? Look no further. All the nostalgia surrounding Nokia and its great comeback makes the Nokia 7 Plus all the more attractive to have in your hand. The dual rear cameras’ optical zoom capabilities, powerful Snapdragon 660 processor, and whopping 3800mAh battery all make it hard to turn your back on this one.

Samsung Galaxy A6+ (MYR 1,299)

If Samsung can produce the great Galaxy S9 series, you wouldn’t be expecting less from their midrange offerings. Enter the Galaxy A6+. Packed with Samsung’s signature Super AMOLED display at 6 inches, media consumption will be a more common activity. The main 16-megapixel shooter of the two rear cameras has a bright aperture of f/1.7, and the 24-megapixel selfie cam packs a punch, too.

Xiaomi Mi A2 (MYR 999)

Xiaomi’s second-ever stock Android handset shouldn’t be overlooked. Yet another budget smartphone running stock Android, the Mi A2 has been promised two years of software updates by the company. The dual rear camera setup has been upgraded from its predecessor, and the front facing 20-megapixel camera coupled with an LED flash provides much-needed assistance under low light.

Related Topics:

Events

[UPDATED] Stellar Blade: PlayStation taps cosplayers to play Eve for game’s launch

Exclusive items up for grabs too

Published

on

April 12, 2024

By

Stellar Blade Eve
L-R: @larissarochefort, @rurusama9, @lejosette_

PlayStation Asia has tapped different cosplayers to dress-up as Eve in anticipation of sci-fi action adventure title Stellar Blade. Larissa Rochefort, Le Josette, and Rurusama will grace a one-of-a-kind meet and greet event on April 27. That’s the same weekend of the game’s launch.

There will be three simultaneous meet and greets across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Since slots are limited, fans are encouraged to register via PlayStation Asia’s link here.

The venue and time details are as follows:

  • Indonesia: GSSHOP, Gandaria City Lt. 2, Jakarta, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
  • Malaysia: Anime Fest+ 2024 booth A25 and A26, Tropicana Gardens Mall Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
  • Singapore: 313@Somerset, 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Aside from seeing the cosplayers as the title’s main character, fans will also get a chance to redeem exclusive merchandise and try the game on PlayStation 5. Based from PlayStation Asia’s posts, prizes include exclusive vinyl and USB flash drives.

Here’s a glimpse of the cosplayers.

Rurusama

Larissa Rochefort

Le Josette

GadgetMatch was already able to try Stellar Blade‘s demo preview. For a quick refresher, here’s the link where you’ll find more details about the game’s visuals, character designs, gameplay, and more: Stellar Blade First Impressions

It’s fitting that PlayStation Asia thought of this idea for a launch event. We already know for a fact that players can customize Eve with various outfits. Seeing the cosplayers in the flesh is like seeing different versions of Eve. And that’s just a glimpse of the entire sci-fi world Shift Up’s platformer is about to offer.

Stellar Blade will be accessible by April 26.

UPDATE: On launch day, Filipino Cosplayer Charess revealed that she too was cosplaying Eve.

Continue Reading

Gaming

Pizza Hut Malaysia, Genshin Impact collaborate

For unique dining experience

Published

on

July 4, 2023

By

Pizza Hut Genshin

Genshin Impact is among the most popular mobile games in Southeast Asia. Establishing its presence further in Malaysia, HoYoverse’s hit open-world RPG has collaborated with equally renowned pizza chain Pizza Hut for a six-week promotional campaign with the official slogan “A Tasty Adventure with Pizza Hut.”

The two brands are bringing the unique experience to Malaysia this time. This, following the success of familiar campaigns in China, Taiwan, and Japan.

There will be a lot of physical manifestation of the collaboration at Pizza Hut Malaysia stores; three flagship stores will be transformed into Genshin Impact-themed scenery to become the perfect haven for fans.

Exclusive fan events will be held at these three stores on the following dates:

  • Pizza Hut Sunway Pyramid: July 8
  • Pizza Hut Queensbay Mall (Penang): July 15
  • Pizza Hut Midvalley Southkey (Johor Bahru): July 22

Tickets to the event are priced at MYR 60, inclusive of a MyBox Melts Genshin Impact Premium meal set worth MYR 47.90, a limited-edition merchandise, and in-game inspired beverage.

The Pizza Hut x Genshin Impact merchandise will release in three phases to allow players to collect items featuring specific characters:

  • July 5 to 18: Ningguang
  • July 19 to August 1: Yelan
  • August 2 to 15: Xiangling

Fans may choose from two MyBox Melts collaboration combo packages:

  • Standard Meal Set: MYR 27.90 + photocards + sticker packs
  • Premium Meal Set: MYR 47.90 + photocard + sticker pack + notebook
Continue Reading

Malaysia

Study: Smartphones least affordable in Philippines, Vietnam

About two months’ worth of salary

Published

on

July 25, 2022

By

Xiaomi 12 Pro

With inflation rates skyrocketing everywhere lately, consumers wonder how much spending power has been generally affected.

Well, a recent iPrice study, “Highly Connected, But Highly Priced: Smartphones Out of Reach for Many in SEA”, revealed that when it comes to smartphone affordability, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia lag behind considerably.

The study took into account the salaries of workers in the three countries, and found out that mid-range smartphones cost twice an employee’s monthly salary on average.

In the same countries, high-end smartphones come as expensive investments, as they cost anywhere between about three to six times the monthly average salary of workers.

Study Smartphone

And as if adding insult to injury, the prices of phones top brands like Apple, OPPO, vivo, and Samsung are generally higher in the Philippines and Indonesia compared to other countries in the region.

This leads to consumers opting for postpaid plans from telecom providers, capitalizing on the free device in exchange of a two-year lock-in period.

The finding is a stark contrast to the same smartphones’ affordability in Singapore and Malaysia. In those two peninsular countries, phones cost only about a third of an employee’s monthly average salary.

The main takeaway from the study is: average monthly salaries do not only differ from one ASEAN country to another; for some reason, products and services in countries with less spending power also cost more. Life is unfair, isn’t it?

Continue Reading

Trending