Author: Stephen Fenech

Tech Guide was one of the few publications that was able to get a hands-on look at the impressive new Huawei Mate X foldable which has just been unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech was of the very few journalists, and the only Australian journalist, who was allowed to handle the Mate X foldable device just hours after it was revealed to the world at the Huawei press conference. While most people have seen the device from a distance – even then it is very impressive. https://youtu.be/tHUEVON26aY But when you actually hold it in…

Alcatel has unveiled its latest range of affordable yet feature-packed smart phones and a tablet at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona which feature 18:9 Full View Displays and premium finishes inspired by nature. All of the new Alcatel devices come preloaded with Google Assistant to help manage your day, access your content and control your home’s smart devices. The new range includes the Alcatel 3, the Alcatel 3L, the Alcatel 1S and the Alcatel 3T 10 tablet. TCL, Alcatel’s parent company, acknowledges the fact the market is on the verge of change with 5G connectivity as well as folding…

TCL Communications, the company behind Alcatel and BlackBerry, has unveiled its latest innovation – the DragonHinge flexible display technology which will be used in a range of future devices. DragonHinge uses flexible AMOLED displays from TCL’s sister company CSOT and includes a mechanical housing that allows them to fold and bend in a variety of usage scenarios. The technology will empower engineers to come up with advanced designs and provide a range of new user experiences. On the CSOT stand at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, there were several examples if working bendable screen samples that bent in different ways.…

Huawei has stunned the smartphone community by revealing the Mate X – the world’s fastest foldable 5G phone – ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Last year Huawei turned a lot of heads with its MateBook X Pro – a slender Windows laptop which had the highest screen to body ratio in this class. This year it is about to do it all over again. The new 2019 MateBook X Pro weighs in at just 1.33kg and is a svelte 14.6 mm thick. It will be available in silver and space grey. One thing that took customers breath away on the previous model was this remarkable screen with bezels that were barely there. This time out it has a 91 per cent screen to body…

Oppo has showcased a range of new mobile technologies at its first European Innovation Event on the eve of  Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company revealed its new 10x lossless zoom camera and its developments in 5G technologies including its very first 5G smartphone which is being developed by Australian carriers Telstra and Optus and is set for release in Q2 2019. Oppo’s 10x lossless zoom has a triple lens camera structure made up of a 10x telephoto lens, an ultra-wide angle lens and the 48-megapixel main camera. This technology, combined with improved Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), is like…

Leading robotics company Sphero has announced RVR – a driveable robot – as its latest project which will be launched through the Kickstarter platform. The ready to drive and fully programmable and customisable robot will provide not only hours of fun operating it but also limitless coding opportunities as well. Sphere RVR is due for release in September and the company is accepting pledges from as little as $249. Backers who support RVR within the first week will go into the draw to win a trip to Sphero headquarters in Boulder, Colorado on March 14. Users will be drive RVR…

Two Blokes Talking Tech is coming to you live from Samsung’s Unpacked event in San Francisco for Episode 379 with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. The blokes take you through all the big announcements including the Galaxy Fold – Samsung’s first foldable device and the three new Galaxy S10 smartphones. We’ll also cover the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G phone which will be offered to Telstra in a special deal and we’ll wrap up the new Samsung wearables – the Galaxy Buds, the Galaxy Watch Active and the Galaxy Fit. You can listen to the show right…

Samsung’s new range of Galaxy S10 smartphones offer cutting-edge features developed over 10 years that will set a new standard for modern mobile devices. Tech Guide took a hands-on look at the three S10 devices and was immediately struck by the build quality and incredible sharpness of the new Dynamic AMOLED displays. https://youtu.be/liKaGx4jdeo On the design side, the S10 and S10+ don’t look wildly different to the S9 but they do have slightly larger screens and that new in Infinity O,  or hole punch, screen so the  front cameras can be positioned in the top right corner without a notch.…

Samsung has launched one of the world’s first 5G smartphones – the Galaxy S10 5G – and Australians will be among the first customers to use it in the first half of 2019 on the Telstra 5G network Unveiled alongside Samsung’s Galaxy S10 smartphones in San Francisco, the Galaxy S10 5G is the company’s first 5G-enabled device that will offer customers speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G. Telstra has partnered with Samsung to offer the Galaxy S10 5G to its customers. Telstra customers who purchase the Galaxy S10+ on a plan will be able to upgrade to the…

Samsung has expanded its range of wearable devices to include the Galaxy Watch Active, the Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Buds that deliver features to manage your fitness and wellbeing. These new products are designed to suit different users, different health goals and different lifestyles. “Consumers are increasingly putting their overall wellbeing at the centre of their lifestyle decisions, and they’re looking for wearables that make it easier to get active and stay balanced every day,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “Everyone has their own way of pursuing their goals. We’re thrilled…

Samsung has revealed the future of the smartphone with the launch of the game-changing Galaxy Fold – a foldable mobile device that will offer the convenience of a phone and the luxury of a tablet in one. Due for release in the first half of the year, Galaxy Fold is a bold step in an entirely new direction for the smartphone market. At its heart is Samsung’s impressive Infinity Flex Display which has been years in the making until it was strong enough to be folded but still thin enough to allow effortless touchscreen capabilities. https://youtu.be/z9z_mF4XL4s The device has a…

Samsung has capped 10 years of innovation with the release of its all-new Galaxy S10 smartphone line-up but has also set the agenda for the next 10 years after unveiling its first 5G handset and a folding mobile device. At its global Unpacked event in San Francisco, Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 (6.1-inch), the S10+ (6.4-inch) and the S10e (5.8-inch) which have enhanced screen technology, improved cameras and wireless power-sharing. The new Galaxy S10 smartphones will be available for pre-order from today before going on sale on March 8. Also revealed at the Billy Graham Civic Auditorium was the Samsung…

Alcatel’s Australian boss Sam Skontos has slammed recent false claims by rival vendors and issued a challenge to competitor brands to be part of an independently audited review of industry sales in Australia. Skontos, the VP and regional managing director, South East Asia & Pacific, for Alcatel, says this incorrect information is misleading to customers as well as retail partners gauging the true strength of brands in this competitive category. Alcatel has struck a chord with customers by offering quality devices packed with features at an affordable price at a fraction of the cost of a high-end product. Figures from…

Telstra will next week launch its improved third-generation Telstra TV along with new home broadband plans with no lock-in contracts. The latest Telstra TV will be released on February 26 and include an improved wireless remote control that will now include voice search as well controls that can adjust the TV’s volume and power. Also onboard is a TV Smart Search feature which means users can ask for actors, TV shows and movies across live TV and streaming services Customers will find with the new Telstra TV that Bigpond Movies has been replaced by Telstra TV Box Office where you…

Get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and review with Episode 336 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show, we take a look at what we can expect to see at this week’s Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco, the best smartphones under $500 and how to choose the right microSD card for your devices. Canon has also released the EOS RP mirrorless camera, D-Link has launched the Omna Indoor/Outdoor Surveillance Kit and we share our thoughts about the Star Wars Identities exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. In the…

This weekend you better get out the popcorn and prepare for a movie marathon on with new release titles available to rent for as little as $2.99 in the return of Movie Frenzy. All the studios have come together for this year’s Movie Frenzy which will run from February 22 – 24 and offer titles to read for as low as $2.99 from across major platforms including iTunes, Foxtel, Fetch, Google Play, Microsoft Movies, PlayStation Store and Telstra Bigpond Movies. This promotion is a reminder that most consumers have a movie store in their own homes that can be accessed…

Wireless earphones are more popular than ever and the new Jabra Evolve 65t are taking things to the next level with new standards and a range of new features. These are professional grade earphones that are UC (universal communication)-Certified – the first wire-free earphones of their kind to earn this certification. They are also designed and optimised to be used with Skype for Business so they’re not just about playing your music well – which they do – but also for voice communication. With that in mind it should be noted these earphones cost $605 because they carry with them…

Apple is reportedly planning to release a new version of its popular AirPods which will be offered in a new piano black finish and with wireless charging. According to the Taiwanese Economic Daily News, the AirPods 2 are rumoured to be offered in the original white colour as well as the new black option. And the case will also be chargeable wirelessly with the release of new AirPods coming with the long-awaited AirPower charging mat that can charge the iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch. AirPower was announced back in 2017 with the iPhone X but has yet to come to…

Memory cards. We all need them for our cameras, our  dashcams, our smartphones, our tablets, our drones, our portable gaming devices and our security cameras – but which is the right one to choose. microSD cards are becoming even more popular because of their small size and their high-capacity. And being so small that have become the ideal storage solution for our mobile devices and other products like drones, dash cams and wireless security cameras. But not all microSD cards are created equal and in choosing the right one you need to understand how it will be used. Here’s what…