iPhone 4S will be available in Singapore on 28 October. This is the launch date posted on the official Singapore Apple Online Store web page. I reckon the local telcos, especially Singtel will be able to start sell the iPhone 4S on that date too.

You can find out more on the iPhone 4S Singapore launch date at this official Apple web page:

http://store.apple.com/sg/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone

No pricing of the new iPhone 4S in Singapore dollar yet, however, I expected the price of the iPhone 4S without contract to be same as iPhone 4. SGD888 for 16GB and SGD1,048 for the 32GB model.

At the time of writing, there is no news from any of the telcos: Singtel, Starhub or M1 on their official launch date of iPhone 4S in Singapore yet. Meanwhile, we just have to wait for a few more days for the confirmed date and pricing for the iPhone 4S plans.

I have been using the Galaxy S2 for about 2 months now. After spending about 2 years with the iPhone 3GS, I renewed my Singtel contract in July and got the Samsung Galaxy SII. To be very very honest, I don’t miss the iPhone!

I love the iPhone 3GS. That’s why I didn’t upgrade to a iPhone 4 when it was launched last year. I wanted a phone with better reception and longer battery life.

Better Reception & Longer Battery Life

Samsung Galaxy S2 gives me better reception and longer battery life. My phone calls didn’t get drop as often when going into the lift. And I don’t have to recharge the Galaxy S2 every 8 to 10 hours. I can use the Galaxy S2 for up to 2 days with recharging.

The Samsung interface for Andriod is ok. I got used to it within 2 days. Apple iOS is still superior in this aspect. Apple iPhone OS is a lot more intuitive.

Great Phone Camera

I like the quality of the photo taken by the Galaxy S2 8MP camera. It gives sharp picture in bright outdoor and usable photos in low-light enviroment. You can also adjust the exposure to compensate for extreme lighting condition. In addition, the camera app has built-in editor for you to crop your images.

Email App

I don’t like the email app. It is slow and not intuitive to use. So I do not download to read email messages unless I think it’s urgent and important. I rather access my email on my MacBook.

Bluetooth Connectivity

Many iPhone users complain about the limitation of sharing files over Bluetooth**. One reason I switch to an Andriod phone is because I wanted to try out first hand the advantage of using Bluetooth to transfer file. Honestly, after 2 months, I still don’t see myself using this Bluetooth transfer frequently – I only transferred via Bluetooth 3 times so far.

Why?

Because I used Dropbox. I find it more convenient to transfer files via Dropbox App between my Galaxy S2, iPad and MacBook.

**iPhone 3GS Bluetooth Not Working

The HP Touchpad was officially launched in Singapore on 12 Aug 2011. You have seen the HP Touchpad ad in the newspaper and TV Commercial. So you are tempted by the cheap price as compared with the iPad 2 and the rest of the copycats.

So, should you buy the HP Touchpad?

The answer is NO.

The several HP Touchpad reviews that I’ve read indicated that this is an “obsolete” tablet.

Why is it Obsolete?

Because it was developed with iPad (1st generation) in mind and to compete with a product obsoleted by iPad 2.

Heavier, Thicker & Few Apps

HP Touchpad is a Brick — BusinessInsider

If you compare the HP Touchpad to the iPad 2, physically, the former is heavier and bulkier. And, of course, it has very few apps compare to what you could install on an iPad.

The HP Touchpad and the WebOS is doomed.

In fact, I just got the news that HP will kill off this 6-week old product.

Unless you are an ultra-geek or a collector, don’t waste the money to buy the HP Touchpad because of the aggressive ad campaign.

[Latest Updated - 1 Sep 2011] Comex 2011 – HP Touchpad Sale – Now you can get the HP Touchpad in Singapore at sale price. Be the first 200 to grab it at the Comex 2011 beginning 1 Sep 2011 at Suntec Singapore. The price of the Touchpad 16GB has been slashed to SGD118 and Touchpad 32GB to SGD188.

[Latest Updated - 22 Aug 2011] HP Touchpad Sale – Major electronics retailers are trying to clear the now obsoleted HP Touchpad. 16GB model price is slashed to $98 and 32GB model at $148 in Australia. — Source: current.com.au

It’s the June school again. One of the biggest events this month is the PC Show Singapore 2011. This is the second of the 4 major electronics and IT fairs: The IT Show in March, The PC Show in June, COMEX Singapore in August and SITEX Singapore in November.

PC Show 2011 9 -12 June 2011 Level 1, 3, 4 & 6 Suntec Singapore Opening hours: 12pm – 9pm

Big Brands at the PC Show 2011

Yes, the big brands will be there. Check out the table below to find out on which floor your favorite brands are located.

Beside IT products such as notebook and tablet PC, there will be the digital cameras and the latest smart TVs from major electronics manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung and LG.

Telcos PC Show Promotion

Bargain hunters looking for free computer could sign up for broadband promotion packages by Singtel, Starhub and M1. For example, Singtel PC Show promotion in previous year offered free MacBook when you signed up for a 2 years broadband contract.

Singtel PC Show 2011 Promotion – Free MacBook Pro

There are a lot more bargain items you can find at the PC Show and for controlled price items such as Apple computers and iPad, retailers will bundle it with free gifts to make it worth your while to visit the show.

SingTel iPad 2 will be available from Sat, 14 May 2011. The cheapest iPad 2 with data plan offered by SingTel starts at SGD399. The mobile broadband plan costs SGD40 per month.

SingTel iPad 2 Mobile Broadband Plan at $40/mth

If you have made up your mind to get the iPad 2 64GB WiFi+3G, it will cost only SGD599 – you save SGD509. Factoring the data plan cost for 24 months which total to SGD960, you end up paying SGD18.80 per month for the 7.2 mbps data plan. I think the SingTel iPad 2 offer is reasonable and quite attractive.

To be among the first to get hold your iPad 2 from SingTel, go register your interest before 12pm, 13 May 2011 at

www.singtelshop.com/ipad/register.html

It was announced last month that Singapore will get it’s Apple iPad 2 in April 2011. Finally, the iPad 2 was launched on April 29, 2011. The cheapest iPad 2, the 16GB WiFi model costs S$668 and the most expensive 64GB with 3G costs S$1,108.

There were rumours that the new iPad 2 price will be lower than that of the iPad in the initial launch due to the stronger Sing Dollar. But who’s complaining about the price? It’s the delay of the launch in Singapore that upset Apple fans in Singapore.

Apple to ship iPhone 5 in September?

According to a report at Yahoo Finance, iPhone 5 will be available in September 2011.

Now that the date of iPhone 5 is drawing near, will people wait to see what new features iPhone 5 has to offer before deciding whether to buy the iPad 2?

The official iPad 2 release date is 11 March 2011 in the US and will be available in 26 other countries on 25 March 2011.

And the 26 countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Hungary, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, POrtugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK.

No, Singapore is not in the list. There is no exact iPad 2 release date in Singapore yet.

[Updated 23 March 2011] According to a report in The Straits Times, iPad 2 will be available in Singapore in April 2011.

iPad 2 Specifications

As for the new iPad 2 specs…

• Thinner and lighter
• Faster processor, dual-core A5
• 9 times faster graphics
• 2 cameras: 1 front and 1 back
• 10-hour battery life

Detailed technical specs at http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

iPad 2 Singapore Release Date

We, in Singapore, usually have to wait until the 2nd tier or even 3rd tier launch date which could be as long as 6 months after the official launch in the US.

I am hoping that the iPad 2 release date in Singapore to be within 45 days of the initial launch and I could pre-order at Apple Store tomorrow.

[UPDATE] Apple released a press release on Mar 22, 2011 announcing that the iPad 2 will be available in Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea in April.

Sources:

Apple confirms March 2 iPad event

Rumors pin iPad 2 announcement on March 2

Before iPad 2 release date there are production issue to be sorted out

The Singapore IT Show 2011 will start in less than 10 days time. This is probably the largest, in term of visitors and revenue, among all the consumer electronics trade fairs in Singapore.

Last year, the 4-day IT Show attracted a massive turnout of over 80,000 visitors and chalked up over $65 million in sales

IT Show 2011 Singapore

10-13 March 2011
Level 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6
Suntec Singapore
Opening hours: 12.00pm to 9.00pm

People flocked to the IT Show to look for latest gadgets such as smartphones, iPad-like tablet PC, digital cameras, portable entertainment devices. As for the staples like the laptops, netbooks, flat panel TVs and monitors, printers and etc., people come to the IT Show to look for the best bargain.

Beside major brands e.g. ACER, ASUS, Apple, Canon, Creative, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, LG, Nikon, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba, you can expect the 3 Singapore telcos: Singtel, Starhub and M1 at each other’s throats vying for more subscribers.

Hot Gadgets at the IT Show 2011

Here’s my list of hot gadgets for IT Show 2011:

• MacBook Pro
• Lumix GF2
• Olympus E-PL2 and XZ-1
• Free MacBook Air offer by telcos

Have I missed out something? Tell me what hot gadgets you are buying at the IT Show 2011. Leave your comment at the box below.

These are my dream compacts: Fuji X100, Lumix GF2 and Olympus E-PL2. If money is no object, I will definitely get the Fuji X100. It will make a perfect companion when I go traveling.

Fuji X100 is Expensive!

The Fuji X100 costs twice as much as the Olympus E-PL2.

The retail price of X100 is US$1199; EPL2 with 14-42mm kit lens costs less than US$600 with the 14-42mm kit lens at Amazon and Lumix GF2 with 14-42mm kit lens sell for about US$600. The GF2 with a 14mm f/2.5 costs US$679.95.

For those who can afford the high price tag, and want to get it the moment it becomes available, go to Amazon’s Fuji X100 page now.

And if you do not have thousand of dollars to splurge on a fixed lens compact then the choice is between GF2 and EPL2.

GF2 vs EPL2

I have been using the Lumix, first was the LX3 and then the LX5. So I do have an inclination for the Panasonic digital compact.

However, I am also using an Olympus DLSR, the E5, and I love Olympus color!

As for the physical specs, the GF2 is smaller and lighter. But I am not sure if I’ll like the touch screen since I used to dials and buttons.

Lumix GF2:  112.8 x 67.8 x 32.8 mm, 265g
Olympus EPL2: 115.4 x 72.7 x 42.0 mm, 317g

EPL2 Singapore Price

[Updated on 18 May 2011]

E-PL2 with 14-42 MK2 = SGD899
E-PL2 with 14-42 MK2 & 40-150 = SGD1120

Which is Better?

I have read all the recent discussion threads on GF2 vs EPL2 at my favorite photography forums. I have studied the technical reviews at dpreview.com on GF2 and EPL2 – the ratings were 71% for EPL2 and 70% for GF2 which to me means equal!

No. I cannot decide which one to buy.

So, what do you suggest?

The COMEX 2010 will be held at Suntec Singapore from 2 to 5 September 2010. As with the IT Show and PC Show held earlier in March and June, this year’s Comex Show is expected to be crowded.

Singapore’s economy is doing very well and people are having more cash in the pockets. Many are willing to spend more on the latest electronic gadgets such as the iPad, game consoles, digital cameras, portable hard drives, LED TV, BluRay players, laptops, netbooks and etc.

Over 820 Exhibitors at Comex 2010

However, I observed that as compared with last year, many of the big brands were either absent or had smaller booth in the earlier IT Show 2010 and PC Show 2010. I really hope to see Acer, Asus, Canon, Dell, Fujitsu PC, HP, Lenovo, LG Electronic, Nikon, Sony, Samsung and etc. have bigger presence and showcase their latest products at the Comex Singapore.

COMEX 2010 Price List

I do not have many items on my list. I will need a wireless Wi-Fi laser printer and hopefully save enough to buy the Olympus E-P2. To get the best bargain, I will download all the Comex Price Lists I could get hold of online, from Hardwarezone and Bootstrike, to compare prices and freebies before going to Suntec Singapore to get my wireless laser printer which probably will be a HP, Epson, Brother or Lexmark printer.

What are you buying at the Comex 2010? Please comment below.