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On my first visit to South Korea, unsure what to buy, I followed my friend's lifehack of browsing Airfrov, a platform where travellers bring back requested overseas products. That's how I discovered the Onan Korea Lumena N9 portable fan.
I bought the Apple TV 4K at iStudio in Changi Airport Terminal 2 on my way to South Korea. Buying in the departure area saved the 7% GST, so the 32GB cost me S$250.47, below the S$268 retail price.
With semitseasia now the official V-MODA distributor in Singapore, the first product I tried is the Forza Metallo Wireless Earphones, retailing for S$289. It's V-MODA's third earphone, following the wired Forza and the Forza Metallo.
Vornado air circulators had been on my list, recommended by a colleague. Pricier than ordinary fans but cheaper than a Dyson, an air circulator moves all the air in a room rather than blowing in one direction.
In the second part of my Homey review, I focus on the desktop app. In my opinion, it has the best UI/UX of any smart home hub. Built in Node.js and packaged with Electron, it's split into several sections.
Google Pixel 2 XL arrives in Singapore from 15th November 2017, exclusive to Singtel; the smaller Pixel 2 won't be sold here. Two colours are offered, Just Black and Black & White, both in 64GB.
Homey is a smart home hub from Athom supporting a wide range of wireless technologies. It began as a Kickstarter in May 2014, raising €203,918 from 996 backers, but shipped well past its targeted June 2015 date.
The Linksys EA9300 Max-Stream AC4000 Tri-Band Router launched in August 2017 at S$399. Not Linksys's flagship, that's still the EA9500, it succeeds the EA9200 from two years prior. Yet its 1.8GHz quad-core CPU makes it the most powerful.
I've used the original KeySmart since March 2017, impressed enough to buy Li Xiang one after a month. So when KeySmart announced the Pro with Tile location tracking in June 2017, I pre-ordered as an early bird without hesitation.
The X-mini KAI X1 is the smallest speaker in X-mini's flagship KAI X series, launched June 2017 for immersive yet portable sound. It retails for S$69.90, with the larger X2 at S$99.99 and the largest X3 at S$129.90.
Singtel's price plans for the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus launch on 22nd September 2017 at Marina Bay Sands, with the iPhone X following later on 3rd November 2017.
A reference list of every iPhone's launch price in Singapore, contract-free, from the iPhone 4 in 2010 onward. I've left out the iPhone 2G, never sold here, and the 3G and 3GS, which launched only with contracts.
Google Wifi launched in Singapore on 31st August 2017 via a StarHub partnership, the first in Southeast Asia. You can get a three-pack bundle at S$15 a month over 24 months on selected StarHub plans, with no upfront cost.
The Aztech AIR-706P is Aztech's first mesh router, launched July 2017 at S$269. This budget router extends range by adding a second AIR-706P rather than an extender, though it's not a true mesh.
AXTRO Smart is the exclusive Singapore distributor for TrackR, a Santa Barbara startup specialising in personal item management. The TrackR Pixel is its latest, a small, lightweight Bluetooth tracker you attach to items and ring via the app.
Google Wifi is now officially available in Singapore through a StarHub partnership, the first Southeast Asian launch. From 31st August 2017, a three-pack bundle costs S$15 a month over 24 months on selected StarHub plans.
Singtel's price plans for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, launching in Singapore on 15th September 2017 in Midnight Black, Maple Gold, and Orchid Grey. It retails for S$1,398, S$230 more than the recalled Note 7, in 64GB only.
I bought the Samsung SmartThings V2 Hub (UK) from Amazon UK for £99.99, dropping to £83.33 with the 20% VAT exemption. Direct UPS delivery to Singapore was pricey at £15.18 but fast, arriving four days later.
uHoo is an indoor air toxin sensor launched in April 2017, shipping first to corporate customers, its primary audience, then to general consumers from June. Backed by an East Ventures seed round, it had earlier crowdfunded pre-orders on Indiegogo.
Parallels Desktop 13 for Mac launched with support for the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, macOS High Sierra, and upcoming Windows 10 features like the People Bar. It also brings big performance gains, up to 100% faster external Thunderbolt SSDs.
Vesternet runs a weekly Monday sale on Z-Wave products, so I picked up a couple of Fibaro Z-Wave Universal Door & Window Sensor 2 Gen5 at about S$52 each, plus some TKB TZ69E Z-Wave wall plug switches.
The Sudio Tre is the brand's second wireless earphones, after the Vasa Bla. It retails for S$179 in four colours. Shipping to Singapore brings a 20% tax rebate, and the code lesterchan takes a further 15% off.