Malaysia

Study: Smartphones least affordable in Philippines, Vietnam

About two months’ worth of salary

Published

July 25, 2022

GadgetMatch

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.

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?

Related Topics:iPrice Philippines smartphones

Gaming

Pizza Hut Malaysia, Genshin Impact collaborate

For unique dining experience

Published

July 4, 2023

GadgetMatch

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

Gaming

God of War: Ragnarok price and availability

Comes in 4 editions

Published

July 8, 2022

GadgetMatch

After it was revealed earlier on the PlayStation Blog that God of War: Ragnarok’s release date will be on November 9, 2022, people are naturally curious to know how the price tags for the sequel to the 2018 game.

Luckily, we have all the details for you. God of War: Ragnarok will come in Standard Edition, Launch Edition, Collector’s Edition, and the premium Jotnar Edition.

Watch this unboxing to see what each Edition has to offer:

Of course, the pricier the edition you pre-order starting on July 15, the more extra premium items you’ll be able to enjoy with the full copy of the game.

For now, here are the prices for the physical and digital packages of the game for Singapore, Philippines, and Malaysia:

Singapore

Physical

Standard Physical Edition (PS5): SG$ 97.90
Standard Physical Edition (PS4): SG$ 79.90
Collector’s Edition: SG$ 279
Jötnar Edition: SG$ 359

Digital

Standard Digital Edition (PS5): SG$ 97.90
Standard Digital Edition (PS4): SG$ 79.90
Digital Deluxe Edition: SG$ 109

Philippines

Physical

Standard Physical Edition (PS5):PHP 3,490
Standard Physical Edition (PS4): PHP 2,990
Collector’s Edition: PHP 9,990
Jötnar Edition: PHP 12,990

Digital

Standard Digital Edition (PS5): PHP 3,490
Standard Digital Edition (PS4): PHP 2,990
Digital Deluxe Edition: SG$ 109

Malaysia

Physical

Standard Physical Edition (PS5): MYR 299
Standard Physical Edition (PS4): MYR 249
Collector’s Edition: MYR 839
Jötnar Edition: MYR 1,099

Digital

Standard Digital Edition (PS5): MYR 299
Standard Digital Edition (PS4): MYR 249
Digital Deluxe Edition: MYR 339

Gaming

Call of Duty Mobile: Garena Masters II, Wild Dogs new gameplay announced

Major updates from Garena

Published

May 9, 2022

GadgetMatch

The largest Call of Duty: Mobile (CODM) tournament in Southeast Asia is back.

Garena has announced the return of Garena Masters II – Redemption, wherein 16 teams from Singapore, Philippines, and Malaysia will battle it out for a US$ 25,000 prize pool and championship title.

There will be nine teams from the Philippines, three teams from Singapore and Malaysia, and four finalists from the CODM Garena Masters to compete in the new battlegrounds.

Fans and CODM players also stand a chance to win in-game items when they tune in to matches.

New gameplay for Wild Dogs

Garena also introduced an immersive new game play experience for its latest season, Wild Dogs.

There will be new maps, weapons, rewards, and modes, and players can also travel back in time to ancient Egypt, endure challenges, and compete to find the fallen spy satellite.

CODM is one of the largest FPS games in history, with over 200 million active players to date.

The popular mobile game also won Best Mobile Game back in The Games Awards 2019 and Mobile Game of the Year in the 16th British Academy Games Awards.