Maxis first to activate 4G LTE for Apple devices - iPad 4, iPad mini, iPhone 5

In another first for Maxis, owners of Apple devices (at least the latest ones) will get to experience super-fast mobile connectivity now.

In short,

• Customers using the iPhone 5, iPad mini and iPad 4 (iPad with retina display), can now enjoy 4G LTE speeds in selected areas
• By the third quarter of 2013 more areas in Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Baru will be covered

Are you currently using one of these?

I suppose this is one of the key areas the telecommunications service provider is campaigning on, which is good.

In February 2013, Maxis launched two 4G LTE smartphones - the Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC One XL, -  the first two smartphones to be activated on Maxis' 4G LTE network


Maxis activates 4G LTE for Apple devices

MAXIS Berhad has announced that customers using the iPhone 5, iPad mini and iPad 4 can now enjoy the speed of its 4G LTE (Fourth Generation Long-Term Evolution) network.

In 2009, Maxis was the first to introduce the iPhone to Malaysia, said its joint chief operating officer (COO) Suren J. Amarasekera. It is now announcing that customers using the Apple iPhone 5, fourth generation iPad with Retina display and iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular model can use its 4G LTE network.

With 4G LTE, customers using iPhone 5, iPad mini and iPad 4 can experience download speeds five to 10 times faster than 3G, enabling them to upload pictures and video 10 times faster, Maxis claimed. Following the 4G LTE activation for these Apple devices, customers on Maxis iValue plans as well as data plans of 1G and above will receive an SMS requesting them to update the settings on their devices.

Once they do so, they will automatically be able to experience 4G LTE speeds in Maxis 4G LTE coverage areas. In areas where 4G LTE services are not available, the device will automatically and seamlessly fall back onto Maxis’ 3G network.


Areas covered by Maxis 4G LTE service:

• Bangsar, Mont Kiara, Desa Park, Damansara Heights
• Cyberjaya
• Damansara Utama
• Kota Damansara, Sunway Damansara
• Puchong (Wawasan Puchong, Bandar Kinrara 1, Bandar Kinrara 3, Bandar Kinrara 4, Bandar Puteri)
• Seapark, Dataran Prima, Tropicana
• Petaling Jaya Section 13, 14, 17, 19, SS2
• Sunway, Kampung Tunku, SS2, SS3
• Taman Desa, Pantai Dalam, Old Klang Road
• Taman Gembira, Desa Petaling
• Taman Kinrara 2, Taman Kinrara 3, Taman Kinrara 4
• Taman Megah (SS23, SS24, SS26), Kelana Jaya
• Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Bandar Utama, Mutiara Damansara
• USJ3, USJ4, USJ5, USJ9, USJ11, USJ12, USJ13.

TheGreenMechanics: Let's hope the cost of data subscription will become cheaper, as increase of speed means more traffic in data exchange which translates to more revenue for the competing telco companies.

For more details, refer to www.maxis.com.my/4GLTE.

iPad Mini price in Malaysia: RM999

It was a pleasant surprise! The price starts at RM999.00, who could have predicted that?

iPad mini is here and Apple-store Malaysia has released the official prices for Apple's latest mini slab. Contrary to the earlier estimation that was based on UK and US prices, the iPad mini is priced more competitively:

iPad Mini prices:

Wi-Fi	US	Malaysia
16GB	$329	RM999
32GB	$429	RM1,299
64GB	$529	RM1,599
Wi-Fi + Cellular
16GB	$459	RM1,399
32GB	$559	RM1,699
64GB	$659	RM1,999

Still, it is priced more than Google Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), but I would say the 16GB + Cellular variant is very close to Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), which is selling for RM1,299. 

Check out this gadget at official Apple.store:

According to the official store, delivery is within 2 weeks but I'm quite sure your local retailers would be able to deliver them faster (in some cases).

iPad Mini launched & Prices

Apple Inc. unveiled the new tablet half the size of the existing iPad called "iPad Mini" on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. Measured diagonally at 7.9 inch, it is obvious that it is aimed at competing with Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7.

iPad currently is the king of the tablet world, and it is evident the Mini iPad is made to dominate the 7-inch segment of the fast growing tablet market.

Not really a 7-inch tablet but looks easy on the hand.

iPad Mini build

The rounded edges reminds you of the iPhone 3G. Thickness (or rather thinness) is 7.2mm and weight is 308g. This means that the mini version is 23% thinner than the big iPad and weighs at half of the bigger sibling. The volume and screen-rotation lock buttons have moved to the right-hand side. Not a big deal to me, just a bit of getting use to.

Screen

The 7.9-inch display is LED-backlit. Because it is at almost 4:3 ratio it looks more squarish when compared to the bigger iPad. Screen resolution is 1024x768 at 163ppi which is similar to that of the iPad 2. Check out the picture below.

Camera

Main camera is iSight 5MP similar to the one on iPad 3. There is stabilization on video camera so it should be easier to take picture. Taking picture with the iPad 3 is easy, I expect it would be better with the smaller iPad.

Battery

Announced as up to 10 hours of surfing the web on WiFi, watching video, or listening to music. If you are on cellular data network, you can surf up to 9 hours. Of course, these are always based on ideal conditions but with my current iPad 3, I'm happy with the battery performance.


iPad Mini performance

The iPad Mini is using the A5 dual-core chip, similar to the one found in iPad 2. In comparison, the new iPad 3 is using dual-core A6X with quad-core graphics chip.

Heck, who'll be able to tell how it perform if one hasn't even fiddle with the slab for at least a day or two. But the mini is loaded with LTE which means faster communication through 4G network (in selected countries). Don't put your bet on that to happen very soon in Malaysia though. We have 4G here but there is still that nagging compatibility issues.

For gaming and ease of use, you will have to wait for early adopters to come out with their comments.

Will you go for it?

While it is too early to hand down a verdict, there is one obvious reason why people would pass this one: Prices are way too high! Base model starts from $329 / £269 (possibly RM1,299) and the top end 64GB WiFi + Cellular will set you back $659 / £529 (possibly RM2,599).

It's a big hindrance as Google's Nexus 7 is only $199 (RM600) and Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) at RM1,299. I am comfortable with my iPad 3, with the 9.7-inch display being just what I need to complement my smaller smartphone. I think I'll keep my saved cash for a newer iPad.

Scaled comparison of the iPad Mini with the bigger siblings. 

iPad Mini prices:

Wi-Fi	US	UK
16GB	$329	£269
32GB	$429	£349
64GB	$529	£429
Wi-Fi + Cellular
16GB	$459	£369
32GB	$559	£449
64GB	$659	£529

Malaysia prices? Check this site again soon, we'll make some interpolation and put our best prediction for Malaysia market.