FreeYond is a company based in Shenzhen China, founded in June 2023 by Dr. Yu Lei plus 17 other founding members. The company also received funding from a Malaysian investor, Dato’ Eddie Chai Woon Chet. The brand’s name was inspired by the science fiction comedy drama, Upload, “Freedom” and “going Beyond”.
Yesterday, the company finally announced the availability of its products in our shores. The Communications and Digital Minister, Fahmi Fadzil was also invited to officiate the launch.
To kickstart their entry here, FreeYond is releasing a line up of affordable devices consisting of smartphones, smartwatches and wireless earbuds.
FreeYond M5
This budget smartphone is using a Unisoc T606 octa-core processor that’s running at 1.6Ghz. It has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD). The phone has a 90Hz 6.52-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 and 400-nits of brightness.
To keep the phone running, there’s a big 5,000mAh battery that support 18W charging via USB-C. On the back, it has a triple-camera setup: a 50MP main camera, a 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro. On the front, there’s a 8MP selfie camera.
Besides that, it’s running on Android 12, Bluetooth 5.0, no WiFi 6 support, 3.5mm headphone jack, support dual-sim cards, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
It’s available in Blue and Black colours and the body is made out of plastic.
FreeYond F9
The F9 is using a Unisoc SC9863A octa-core processor that clocks at 1.6Ghz and it support up to 3GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage which is expandable via microSD.
The screen is a 6.52-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 and there’s a 5,000mAh battery to keep the screen on.
There’s dual-camera setup here, a 13MP main camera and a 2MP macro, plus a 8MP selfie camera. The F9 is running Android 12 Go edition, Bluetooth 4.2, 2.4Ghz WiFi, dual-SIM support, 3.5mm headphone jack and a fingerprint sensor.
This phone is also available in Blue and Black colours and the chassis is plastic.
FreeYond S1 and F1
The FreeYond Watch S1 has a zinc alloy frame, and stainless steel customisable function keys. It features a 1.39-inch screen with high-hardness tempered glass and an IP68 rating. FreeYond claims the battery can last up to 7 days with light use and has a maximum standby time of 60 days.
On the other hand, the FreeYond Watch F1 has a larger screen at 1.8-inch. It has an IP67 rating and FreeYond said the battery can run up to 5 days with light use and it has 50 days maximum standby time.
Both smartwatches come with a solid silicone strap and are equipped with health management features including heart rate, blood oxygen level, and sleep trackers. Both smartwatches have over 100+ activity modes, small games, and plenty of watch faces to choose from.
FreeYond Pods 1
This is a wireless earbuds that promises up to 6 hours of use on a single charge, and a total duration of 30 hours with the charging case. Besides that, it also features a 12mm large dynamic bass enhancement with a composite diaphragm to present a rich and delicate open sound field.
There’s no active noise cancellation (ANC), but FreeYond said it has an advanced Al noise reduction algorithm that can effectively separate the background noise of your calls in noisy environments, so that the recipient on the other side can hear your voice clearly. Additionally, it has an IPX4 waterproof rating and Bluetooth 5.3.
Future Releases
Here are the products that FreeYond plans to release in the near future.
FreeYond M5 5G
FreeYond M5A
FreeYond F9S
Pricing and Availability
Product | Price |
FreeYond M5 (8GB+128GB) | RM699 |
FreeYond F9 (3GB+128GB) | RM499 |
FreeYond F9 (2GB+64GB) | RM399 |
FreeYond S1 | RM159 |
FreeYond F1 | RM119 |
FreeYond Pods 1 | RM89 |
FreeYond said their products are now available in Malaysia at selected retail stores. The smartphones and wireless earbuds will also be available on FreeYond’s official e-commerce stores on Shopee and Lazada by 26 March 2023. FreeYond PR representative said all the products should be available by May 2023.