08/12/2025

LYFE MONDAY | DEC 8, 2025

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Malaysian Paper

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Ű BY MARK MATHEN VICTOR

D URING year-end holiday and festive sales, tech stores around the world are known to push certain categories harder than the rest. Shoppers often see steep discounts on items such as smartphones, laptops, TVs, gaming consoles, small smart-home gadgets and headphones. Retailers know these are high demand items, especially among a growing base of tech-savvy shoppers, gift buyers, teens and young adults. New or last-year models get heavy discounts as makers make room for new releases. Many buyers use holiday deals to upgrade especially younger adults who treat phones as essential for communications, streaming, everday tasks and social media. Retailers spotlight “money off” phone bundles, trade-in discounts or include freebies, which are a particularly strong draw for budget-conscious buyers and the typical deal-seeking Malaysian. 0 Laptops and tablets As students finish semesters or plan holidays, discounted laptops and tablets become hot sellers. Entry-level and mid-range machines often see notable price drops, making them attractive to students, freelancers or anybody needing a bang-for-buck upgrade. 0 Televisions and streaming gear Big-screen TVs and media streaming devices, useful for holiday movie nights or family gatherings, often perform well. Stores promote these heavily, often Tech that sells most 0 Smartphones

Smartphones often get the biggest holiday price cuts. – PICS FROM FREEPIK

Year-end tech push

next year. This creates pressure to clear older stock, leading to discounts that are steeper than usual. For consumers, this means old but capable gear becomes affordable at holiday prices. Retailers often spotlight bundles or value-adds, making holiday offers more compelling than regular deals. Here are some tips to get the best deals this holiday and festive season: 0 Compare older models and current ones to check if the discount justifies buying now or waiting. 0 Assess your actual needs. If you only browse the web or study, a budget laptop might do better than a high-end one. 0 For gifts, headphones, smarthome gadgets or accessories often deliver good value for money. 0 Read the fine print, as sometimes free “bundles” involve subscriptions or conditions that change value or even lock you into a certain plan. 0 Get rid of the “buying because it is cheap” mentality. Only buy if you really need or will use the gadget.

o What gadget outlets promote most during festive sales , items worth buying for next year

0 Smart-home

gadgets

and

accessories. Items such as smart speakers, smart lights, wearables, portable chargers and Bluetooth devices often get marked down. Their lower price points and gift appeal make them attractive for first-time tech buyers or as Christmas gifts. Tech appeal, best deals Retailers push these categories because they preserve margin by combining room for discounting, high demand and gift appeal. TVs, gaming kits, headphones and smart-home gadgets appeal to younger buyers and families wanting gifts or to upgrade existing gear affordably, while smartphones and laptops remain staples in everyday life. The sale timing also plays a role: many tech manufacturers release new models near year-end or early

bundling with streaming-service subscriptions or accessories, making them appealing gifts. 0 Gaming consoles and accessories Consoles, gaming headsets, controllers and recent games spike in popularity around holidays. The younger crowd often see this period as ideal to grab gaming gear at discounted prices. 0 Headphones and earbuds Due to the widespread demand for affordable and premium headphones among students, commuters and remote workers alike, retailers highlight deals on noise-cancelling, wireless or budget-friendly models.

PC hardware and laptops are popular during end-year holiday sales.

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Canon EOS R6 Mark III Price: RM10,999 A full-frame

mirrorless camera built for higher resolution, faster shooting and better subject track ing. Its 32.5MP sensor

DJI Osmo Action 6 Price: RM2,079

captures

Fujifilm X-T30III Price: RM4,248

finer while continuous shooting reaches up to 40fps with the electronic shutter. A pre-continuous capture mode records frames before the shutter is fully pressed, helping freeze decisive moments. Autofocus improvements offer stronger subject detection, including priority tracking for registered people. For video, the camera records up to 7k Raw internally, supports 3:2 open gate, Canon Log 2 and Log 3, and includes monitoring tools such as waveform, zebras and false colour. detail,

Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay+ Price: RM938

An action camera built around a new 1/1.1 inch square CMOS sensor with up to 13.5 stops of dynamic range and a variable aperture from f/2.0 to f/4.0, DJI’s first in this category. It records up to 4K/120fps, supports 10-bit D-Log M and introduces 4K Custom Mode for flexible reframing. Low light performance improves with fused 2.4 Ʌ m pixels, SuperNight mode and better noise handling. The camera is waterproof to 20m, operates at -20°C and includes 50GB internal storage.

The camera updates the compact mirrorless series with faster processing, AI subject detection autofocus and support for high-resolution video up to 6.2K/30P. It maintains a lightweight 378g body and adds a film simulation dial with 20 film looks, including Reala Ace and Nostalgic Neg. Other core features include a tilting LCD, pop-up flash and wireless connec tivity to instax Link printers for quick printing.

First selfie camera in the instax lineup and functions as both an instant camera and a Bluetooth smartphone printer. Users can preview shots on the LCD, record short voice clips that print as QR codes and try simple creative tools like layered photo mode and the sound album. It also launches with the new soft glitter mini film for a subtle gold-accent look.