It’s the last day of 2020, and what a year it has been! 

December is usually the time of the year when businesses have their last hurrah for the festive gifting season before a short lull as they gear up towards the new year. It’s no surprise then that the tech industry has been hard at work this month with tons of new releases and launches! 

If you’re looking to upgrade your gear in the new year, we’ve compiled a list of the most exciting product launches in December 2020 here for you. 

Phones & Tablets

Vivo X50e 5G

The Vivo X50e 5G boasts a powerful battery and 5G capabilities packed into a compact frame. It leverages on vivo’s antenna decoupling technology (DES) and side distributed antenna system (SDAS) to deliver a seamless, stable user experience free from signal interferences. Whether you are streaming videos or gaming, the Vivo X50E 5G promises a smooth and uncompromised experience. The phone also comes with a 32MP front camera and four rear cameras (48MP main camera, 13MP portrait camera, 8MP wide-angle camera and a 2MP macro camera) to meet all your photography needs.

Prices for the X50e 5G start at S$599. The phone is available in two colours: serene silver and brilliant black. It is available at all authorised retailers including M1, Singtel and Starhub, vivo official stores on Lazada, Qoo10, and Shopee as well as vivo standalone stores.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro comes with excellent 5G connectivity due to its Kirin 9000 system-on-chip. With that, it offers high performance for all of your needs including stunning graphics and unparalleled gameplay. Additionally, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro comes with a triple-rear camera configuration with a 50MP Ultra Vision main camera with f/1.9 aperture and RYYB colour filters. This, alongside its Kirin 9000 system-on-chip, promises crisp imaging quality and smooth video performance. 

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is available at S$1,598 in two colour variants – Mystic Black and Silver.

Gaming

Cyberpunk 2077

One of the most-awaited game of the 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 was finally released this month! Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role-playing video game developed and published by CD Projekt. Despite numerous teething issues with buggy gameplay, the game still delivers a thrilling storyline and gripping action that have drawn many fans. Even so, you might want to hold off purchasing it just yet until the teething issues are sorted out. 

Cyberpunk 2077 is available on Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One. It is slated to be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2021. It was previously available on PlayStation 4, but has been removed by Sony due to its poor performance on console. 

Omnidesk Pokemon Desk

Support local with Omnidesk’s newly-launched limited-edition Pokemon desks! The desks will come in three sizes (48-inch, 60-inch, and 72-inch) and use the Omnidesk PRO model as a foundation. They come in a variety of designs that feature some of the most well-loved Pokemons including Pikachu, Eevee (and its evolutions), as well as Charizard! 

The desks are priced at $950, $1,000 and $1,050 for the 48-inch, 60-inch and 72-inch options respectively and can be purchased from Omnidesk’s website or their showroom at 996 Bendemeer Road, #02-07, Singapore 339944. 

Audio

Adidas RPT-01 Headphones

The Adidas branded Bluetooth sport headphones have finally arrived in Singapore! With a sleek design perfect for that athleisure aesthetic, the RPT-01 headphones offers a beautiful sound quality with a durable and flexible frame to suit your active lifestyle. The headphone features Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity, a long battery life of up to 40 hours, and IPX4 sweat resistance. 

The Adidas RPT-01 retails for S$299 and can be purchased from Adidas Earphones’ Flagship Store on Lazada, or from their exclusive distributor TC Acoustic’s website.

The Transparent

If you’re looking to upgrade your audio experience at home in the new year, the Transparent is definitely the speaker to consider. With its aluminum frame and glass body, the Transparent is both stylish and sustainable, serving as a stunning centrepiece to your home without compromising on sound quality. 

To purchase the Transparent, you can do so via this website, as well as in physical stores located in Takashimaya Department Store (Level 3, Men’s department) and Grafunkt. The speakers are priced at S$899 for the Small speaker, and S$1,699 for the Transparent speaker. 

Photography

Leica SL2-S

Leica has launched their new SL camera, the SL2-S this month. Featuring a 24-megapixel CMOS-BIS sensor alongside a Maestro III processor, the SL2-S allows for stellar low-light performance and high burst rates. Additionally, the electronic shutter in the SL2-S has also been upgraded from 20fps (in SL2) to 25fps. The Leica SL2-S also impresses on the video front, being able to shoot 4K 30fps videos with no limit on recording time with Leica’s claims of no overheating issues. 

The Leica SL2-S is available at the Leica Store. Retail price for the body is S$7,200. Lenses will need to be purchased separately. 

Others

VIO Smart Lighting Subscription Plan

Smart living provider VIO has launched Singapore’s first smart lighting subscription plan this month! 

Through VIO’s smartphone app, users will get full control over the lights in their homes. Each smart light from VIO comes with the latest Bluetooth-WiFi technology for a swift set-up process. The subscription model enables users to select from a range of architectural lighting for a hassle-free and affordable lighting solution. Additionally, the subscription also includes pre-and-post after-sales care for your peace of mind. 

All lights come with a lifetime guarantee with the purchase of VIO’s subscription plan, starting from SGD 1.50. The smart lights are compatible with Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa. For more details, do head on to VIO’s website. VIO’s smartphone app can be downloaded on Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

LG’s 48-Inch OLED TV

LG Electronics (LG) has launched in Singapore the 48-inch LG OLED TV, bringing the unbeatable picture quality of LG OLED display technology in a brand new size to suit your household. Boasting perfect blacks and infinite contrast thanks to its self-illuminating pixels, the 48-inch OLED TV will elevate your viewing experience like never before. Beyond suiting your lifestyle needs, the LG 48-inch OLED TV is also great for gamers due to its adaptable refresh rate and ultra-fast response time that creates an immersive gaming experience. 

The LG OLED 48CX is available at S$$3,599 through major retailers. From now until 4 January 2021, customers can also receive a free FHD Smart TV (43LM57) (U.P. S$649), LG TONE-Free FN6 True Wireless Earbuds (U.P. S$268) and enjoy free delivery and installation (worth U.P. S$200). Terms and conditions apply.

Close Comfort

As the rainy season draws to an end, Close Comfort comes in to save the day! Close Comfort is a portable, affordable, and efficient cooling solution that leaves minimal impact on the environment. It uses 75% less electricity than standard portable air conditioning units, and emits less than 50% carbon dioxide than normal split system air conditioning units. Weighing only 17kg and with wheeled attachments, the Close Comfort can easily be shifted around your house to be with you when you’re working from home or having (up to eight) guests over. 

The Close Comfort is priced at S$699 and can be purchased on the official website, Shopee, or Lazada. 

Honourable Mention

KFConsole

This one was a bit of a head-scratcher. Still, fried chicken and gaming in one? Sign me up!

The KFConsole was launched by Colonel Sander’s fried chicken brand and combines high-end specs (inclusive of VR capabilities) and a built-in chicken warmer into one. Supposedly, the device is fully able to run top-shelf games with no issues, all the while keeping your KFC meal warm and crispy. 

While KFC has yet to release any details regarding pricing and availability, the KFConsole is definitely something to look out for come 2021.

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