It came as a surprise to many when a barely known tech company introduced the world’s first foldable phone. The future of smartphone is upon us as Royole Corporation launched FlexPai in Beijing. Royale Corporation is a relatively new company, which was founded by Stanford engineering graduates in 2012. It will go down in history as the company who conquered the “foldable phone” race ahead from Samsung and Huawei.
For the digital savvy Singaporeans who are interested in acquiring their own FlexPai, here are its specifications. FlexPai boasts its “virtually unbreakable and extremely durable screen”, which can be bent for over 200,000 times. This smartphone can be folded like a paper or a wallet to display various small screens: in the front, back, and spine. While it is folded, you can receive incoming calls or take photos from front and back screens. The spine is where the notifications will show. Its 7.8-inch display resembles a tablet when fully unfolded.
You may be wondering if it can take some Instagrammable shots. To tell you frankly, it has two cameras with 20 and 16 megapixels. You can bend it to capture objects and subjects at unique angles. Other features include having a microSD slot, a fingerprint reader, a Snapdragon 8-series chip, and a USB-C port. Furthermore, it is running on an Android 9.0 based Water OS.
See this latest handset in action as you watch the following demo.
As with many first models, this pioneer handset is far from being perfect. Royole needs to address some glitches. For instance, it should offer a sleek design which does not have visible fold marks when straightened out. There should be seamless switch between front and back displays. Furthermore, it is a bulky device that is about 50% heavier than Note 9 and the iPhone XS Max.
Nonetheless, Royole’s foldable product encourages other tech companies to provide different experiences to the Millennial consumers. While consumers in China can purchase a consumer edition FlexPai today, global consumers can pre-order the developer version online. The 6 GB model with 128 GB storage is available to consumers for $1,588 (about S$2182), while the 8 GB model with 256 GB costs $1,759 (about S$2417). These devices are expected to be shipped by December.
With all these information in mind, I am excited to see the foldable products that well-known tech companies will launch soon (e.g., Samsung Galaxy F).
Many of us are ignorant about how much side benefits our daily spending can reward us because of the many complicated terms and conditions that come with signing on a credit card. But trust me, once you’ve figured out the one (or multiple) card that fits your lifestyle, you’ll wish you had started using them earlier.
Unless you are impossibly rich or are covered by your company, hardly any one of us would be willing to pay over $10,000 for a First Class seat for what may be a few hundred dollars’ worth of flight ticket.
But what if you had the opportunity of enjoying First Class without having to fork out actual money?
That is why accruing air miles on your credit cards is the way to go.
Your next question would then be: what are some of the most travel-friendly credit cards to use to convert as many dollars into air miles?
If you’re a serial traveller, or have a dream to be one, this is going to be one post that will help you re-evaluate your credit card spending with these points below.
I give you a breakdown below on the best credit cards to get the best (miles) bang for your buck with the least limitations.
Citibank PremierMiles Visa Card
With a Citibank PremierMiles Visa Card, earn 10 mpd for booking hotels online on Kaligo. What this card trumps over the other credit cards is that you don’t have to pay in foreign currency, there is no limit on spending per month, and you certainly don’t have to fully prepay your reservation online – that means you can cancel your hotel reservations anytime without incurring any charges!
Apart from hotel bookings, earn 2.4 Citi miles per S$1 overseas spend in foreign currency and 1.2 Citi miles per S$1 local spend.
1 Citi Mile = 1 Mile with KrisFlyer, Asia Miles, Royal Orchid Plus and etc.
For new customers – Get 30,000 bonus miles with an annual fee payment of $192.60 and when you spend a minimum of $7,500 within the first 3 months.
Earn 4 miles per dollar when you purchase air tickets online. Unlike other credit cards, this card doesn’t limit you to certain carriers you book with and there is no minimum monthly spending. The only drawback is that you can only spend $2K a month.
UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card
An easy go-to card for everyday spending. Earn 4 miles per dollar each time you pay with Paywave/ Samsung Pay/ Apple Pay/ Google Pay on the go. The only limit is that you can only spend up to $1000 per calendar month, except where SMART$ are issued.
BOC Elite Miles World MasterCard
Earn 5 miles per dollar on your overseas currency transactions. There is no minimum or maximum spending, so this is one convenient card you can carry around while travelling and not have to worry about using to shop overseas!
Poor vision is a trait that has been passed from the one generation of our family to another. Thus, it comes as no surprise that my sister inherited the trait too. For her birthday, I decided to help her purchase a pair of spectacles. It is a practical and fashionable gift that she can use on a daily basis.
I purchased a new pair in less than ten minutes. I knew the frame that I wanted and came with a budget in mind. While, she took about two hours to select hers. She put a lot of thought in the selection process because she believes in finding the best pair possible. As a savvy consumer, she was on a hunt to find a pair that will last her for several years.
Her actions made me dwell upon the essential steps needed to acquire the “perfect pair”.
WHAT ARE YOUR REQUIREMENTS?
Eye-wear criterion vary from wearer to wearer. Similar to acquiring a new gadget, you must examine the requirements needed to be filled when choosing a pair of spectacles. Where will you use your prescription eye-wear predominantly? Are you going to use it for indoor or outdoor activities?
The more information the optometrist or store personnel is provided with, the easier the selection process will be. Let the professionals know which features will be most beneficial for you.
WHICH FRAME SUITS YOUR FACE?
Choose a frame that compliments your face shape. To identify your face shape, you look directly into a mirror and pull your hair back. The overall contours of your face is your face shape. People with an angular face should opt for round frames. While people with round faces shall opt for angular frames. How about the ones with heart-shaped faces? Well, they should opt for oval-shaped frames. Lastly, people with oval-shaped faces can choose any type of frame they want.
Image Credits: selectspecs.com
Nonetheless, it is best to take someone with you while you shop. Having a second opinion from a trusted companion can be really helpful.
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS FOR LENSES?
Would you believe that there are more than two options for lenses? The market offers plastic lenses, multi-coated lenses, blue cut lenses, and so on. Choose the spectacle lenses that will best suit your lifestyle.
Plastic lenses are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. High-quality plastic lenses offer protection against scratches and pressure marks. Multi-coated lenses combine anti-reflection, scratch-resistant, UV-protected, and water repellent properties. Lastly, blue cut lenses are used to block the harmful blue light that smartphones, monitors, and laptops emit.
WHAT CAN YOUR INSURANCE COVER?
People who browse intently through the fine print are often rewarded. Unbeknownst to you, your health insurance or employee benefits may cover your eye care expenses. Increase your awareness meter by approaching your HR representative. Ask him or her about the insurance plans or healthcare procedures that the company honors.
Say that your company is covered with the AXA Smart Vision plan. This visionary plan includes comprehensive eye examination, discount on eye-wear, and up to S$300 allowance for frame or contact lens (T&Cs apply).
HOW CAN YOU GET A LONG-LASTING PAIR?
Why will you buy an expensive pair of spectacles when you can get several pairs delivered at your doorstep? This is the mindset of many Singaporeans who subscribe to cheap prescription eye-wear. You see, multiple cheap pairs do not necessarily equate to a single quality pair.
Image Credits: pixabay.com
Purchasing an expensive high-quality pair that will last you for several years is better than purchasing an inexpensive low-quality pair that will last you for several months. Consider your prescription eye-wear as a health investment.
Singtel Dash is now accepted in Thailand, Singaporeans’ favourite holiday destination!
Thanks to VIA, the new cross-border payment alliance, you can continue to make easy cashless payment in Thailand with your mobile phone!
Forget queuing at money changers or fumbling with multiple currencies. Just tap or scan with your phone while you eat and shop away! Enjoy the convenience of paying in Singapore dollars at highly competitive exchange rates, and view both Thai Baht and Singapore dollars just before you make payment — no fear of additional fees or charges!
Simply Simply look out for the VIA logo at thousands of participating retail and F&B stores in popular shopping destinations like JJ Mall, Chatuchak Weekend Market, Central World and more. Visit https://www.viaconnects.com for more details.
Download and sign up for a free Singtel Dash account via the App Store or Google Play Store now!
Available for a limited period only, check out these exciting deals when you pay by Dash!
10% Cashback1 for all your spends in Thailand (promotion ends 31 December 2018).
ReadyRoam 1GB 30 days Thailand at only $5 (U.P. $12)2 for Singtel postpaid mobile users (promotion ends 31 October 2018. SMS ‘1’ to 727840 for instant activation).
63% OFF3 Etiqa Travel Insurance for Thailand (promotion ends 31 December 2018. Enter promo code DASH2THAI upon checkout).
8% OFF4 on IUIGA’s travel & outdoor items (promotion ends 30 November 2018. Enter promo code DASH8 upon checkout).
1Promotion is valid till 31 December 2018. 10% Cashback is capped at $5 per customer. Full payment must be made with Dash QR Code payment through VIA or Dash Visa Virtual Account through Visa payWave. Terms and conditions apply. 2Promotion is valid till 31 October 2018. The 30-day plan is valid upon activation and non-refundable once commenced. Auto renewal will apply upon exceeding the 1GB quota within the 30-day validity period (per local time). Terms and conditions apply. 3Promotion is valid till 31 December 2018. Promo code must be entered at point of purchase on Etiqa’s website. Promo code DASH2THAI is only applicable for travel insurance for Thailand. Full payment must be made with Dash Visa Virtual Account. Terms and conditions apply. 4Promotion is valid till 30 November 2018. No minimum spend required. Promo codes are applicable for all products under Travel & Outdoor except luggage. Full payment must be made with Dash Visa Virtual Account. Terms and conditions apply.
Being connected while you travel is an essential nowadays. How else do we search for directions to that hyped café, museum, or that amazing rooftop view? Although there are many alternatives for data coverage in the market, it is also important to select the most cost effective option, and therefore, we recommend ChangiWiFi for your travels, a Wi-Fi router service which covers more than 70 well-travelled countries, with packages for multiple countries as well.
ChangiWiFi’s service started back in 2015 with intentions to offer affordable data roaming services to its customers. Here are 6 reasons to select ChangiWiFi amongst your choice for data roaming.
1) Convenience
Booking a ChangiWiFi router is simple, head over to ChangiWiFi’s official website and place a reservation, choose your point of collection at one of the Changi Recommends counters across all 4 terminals in Changi Airport and submit your booking! Collection points are located at the Public Area of each terminal and can be collected right before your departure. Being able to collect it right before your trip is a bonus, as it does not require you to stay at home twice — to receive and to return your routers as required by other Wi-Fi rental companies. This takes away the trouble of time wasting if the delivery personnel happens to be late and you have other important things to attend to. Upon return, you can drop off your router at any one of the Changi Recommends booth too.
As service booths are open 24 hours every day, you can simply pick up or return your routers at the airport before your check-in, or after your arrival in Singapore.
2) No Bill Shock
If you are someone who opts for your data roaming plan while you travel, you may have experienced extra data costs which were excessive from overusing your data, or accidentally forgetting to terminate your roaming plan. However, choosing to use a Wi-Fi router may just take away these problems. Furthermore, Wi-Fi routers do not have a limit to how much data you can use, and if your problem is retaining your mobile number for important calls and texts, a Wi-Fi router allows you to do that too!
Here is a comparison between ChangiWiFi’s router and other Telco’s roaming plans.
3) Value For Money For Group And Business Travellers
One of the many benefits of a Wi-Fi router is being able to share data connection on more than 1 device. As seen in the above table, ChangiWiFi’s router can be connected to up to 5 devices. This means cheaper connection if you are travelling in a group, as you can split the cost of the rental fees with up to 5 travel buddies!
If you are a business traveller who owns many phones and needs to connect them to the internet for communication, or your laptop, having a Wi-Fi router may be an option for those who always search for internet connections. Besides, not all hotels offers great Wi-Fi access right? It is definitely time and money saving if you think of the bother.
4) May Be Cheaper Than SIM Cards
Yes, you read right. If you compare SIM card charges for certain countries to ChangiWiFi’s router rental fee, you might just end up paying lesser. Here is a comparison of buying a SIM card for a one week trip to Japan, or renting them from ChangiWiFi (with promo code benefits).
Most SIM cards for Japan is only available for purchase for 8 or more days of travel, that means paying a hefty price for a SIM card for those who are travelling to Japan for a shorter period of time.
Above is the cost of renting a Wi-Fi router from ChangiWiFi! As you can see, you are actually paying lesser for your one week trip, and for those who are travelling for 8 days even, it is still cheaper than a SIM card! What’s more, you can share the price of the router rental with your peers who are going with you on the trip. That’s a score if you ask me!
5) Ensure Smooth Internet Access While You Travel
ChangiWiFi offers 24 hours customer service and technical support for their Wi-Fi rentals. If you have any trouble overseas with your router, you can just email or WhatsApp them for assistance. This means that you can contact them during the weekends or public holidays as compared to other router rental services!
6) No Fair Usage Policy For Countries Like Australia, Japan, South Korea, And Taiwan
Although fair usage policy varies from country to country, there are some countries who do not enforce this rule like the above. However, some Wi-Fi router rental companies offers rentals for Wi-Fi devices for parts of the world instead of single country usage, and this limits the 4G/3G coverage of the device per day to 500MB before becoming extremely slow. Therefore, if you happen to rent those for a one city visit, it may not be feasible for group vacations or a heavy data user. ChangiWiFi though, offers Wi-Fi rentals for each country you visit, and for that, you would get unlimited data for the above countries!
ChangiWiFi Rental Rates And Promotions
ChangiWiFi rental rates are highly affordable for everyone. Prices starts from $5 a day depending on country and Changi Recommends tries to constantly add on more cities for everyone’s convenience. For those travelling to China, do not worry about VPN access as ChangiWiFi has got them covered for you too! Oh yes, did I mention you do not have to pay for your rented router till your return? You would only need to deposit $1 on your departure and pay upon your return.
Also, they are running a promotion currently which offers 2 days free ChangiWiFi rental for your trip! This promo code runs till January 2019, for travels up till February 2019.
To book a ChangiWiFi Router, visit ChangiWiFi’s official website. Do take note that walk-in rentals are available, however, subjected to availability of routers.
