CategoriesSMARTPHONE By Khalil Be.

HUAWEI P30 Pro: 10X Hybrid Zoom, Amazing Night Mode

[cmsmasters_row][cmsmasters_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsmasters_text]

The best photophone of the moment but also one of the best smartphone in the Android market, the Huawei P30 Pro is an exceptional flagship launched just under the 1k usd mark.

With its new Huawei P30 and P30 Pro, the manufacturer hits hard and asserts a little more its number 2 position in the smartphone market. He pushes innovation a little further and hopes soon to titillate champion Samsung. A month after the formalization of the latest Korean Galaxy S10, Huawei meets the end of March 2019 with a conference in Paris by unveiling 2 new smartphones. Here’s our review of Huawei’s P30 and P30 Pro, as well as a comprehensive guide to phone performance.

https://youtu.be/2xMa3UZbRUU

Every year, Huawei has the habit of unveiling at the end of the year a new range of Mate smartphones, and at the beginning of the following year a P range. This time, there are 2 new flagships called P30 and P30 Pro who come to position themselves as the major references of the group (and the market?) for the months to come. Below you will find our opinion about the P30 and P30 Pro in detail, as well as their prices and detailed technical characteristics.

As you can see in our review on the P30 and P30 Pro below, the two phones are quite different in terms of features, and it’s not enough to just hope to see a difference in size (like this one). is the case of the Pixel vs the Pixel 3 XL, or the iPhone XS vs the iPhone XS Max). Such a difference was already observed on the previous range composed of Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro.

Let’s start our test and review on the P30 and P30 Pro with the design of each of them.

Huawei P30 and P30 Pro design

Design, size and performance of the screen

For this new generation of smartphones, Huawei has decided to standardize the quality of its screens: it is for the P30 and P30 Pro an AMOLED screen whose size varies depending on the model: for the P30, it is about a large screen of 6.1 inches of 2340 x 1080 pixels, against a screen of 6.47 inches (and still 2340 x 1080 pixels) for the Huawei P30 Pro.

The latter, however, seems larger since it is curved at the edges on the same principle as the Mate 20 Pro. The Huawei P30 is satisfied with a flat screen without being curved, but still very good. In the video below from our Huawei P30 review, you will discover all the shapes of the two new smartphones.

 

As for the size of the case, the Huawei P30 is 149.1 x 71.4 x 7.5 mm, the P30 pro when it is 75.4 mm in width. Both phones are taken in hand without any problem, although we find as in many smartphones visible fingerprints on the back. It is related to the glass that composes both the front and the back of the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro.

As for the Mate 20 Pro, Huawei decided to integrate the fingerprint sensor placed under the screen (optical sensor). The back of the phone is thus lightened the footprint sensor found for example on the back of the Pixel 3, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, or the Honor View 20. The Huawei P30 and P30 Pro are thus distinguished from previous models in the P range that still had a button down the front of the phone that served as a fingerprint sensor.

The P30 and P30 Pro are different from the Mate 20 Pro at the notch. The Mate 20 Pro has a 3D face recognition sensor that is ultra secure, and it is not present on the P range. This does not prevent the P30 and P30 Pro from having a conventional facial recognition system thanks to the Photo sensor located in a small bubble at the front of the phone. The same technology is found on the more classic Mate 20.

Last little detail at the bottom of the phone: the presence of a 3.5mm jack on the P30, which is however not present on the P30 Pro. In contrast, both Huawei models have a Type-C USB port on their case. For comparison, the Mate 20 also had a 3.5mm jack, and the Mate 20 Pro had already been deadlocked. Let’s continue our test and this notice P30 and P30 Pro with the colors available in France.

Color of phones

For its two new P30 and P30 Pro, Huawei has decided once again to harmonize the colors.Both smartphones will be available on the French market in three different colors: black, blue and crystal. The first 2 colors are fairly standardized and are reminiscent of the previous Mate range. Note that two other colors (Aurora and Amer Sunrise) will be available in other markets, but not in France at first.

Huawei P30 Pro

In terms of colors and the glass finish on the front and rear of the P30 and P30 Pro, Huawei is largely within the industry standard. Again, Huawei and Samsung are in front of the competitors on the finish of their products – beyond having very convincing technical characteristics. They are a step ahead of other Android smartphones, although Xiaomi with its Mi range (and Mi 9) are very seriously back on their steps.

Weight of P30 and P30 Pro

The weight characteristics between the two models are quite similar with 165 grams for the P30 and 192 grams for the P30 Pro. For comparison, the iPhone XS weighs 177 grams, and the pixel 3,148 grams. However, it remains at the level of other smartphones manufacturer Huawei since the Mate 20 Pro is 189 grams, and the Mate 20 about 188 grams.

The Huawei P30 and P30 Pro have a slightly higher weight than their competitors, but their hands-on grip makes it not really feel. Let’s move on now in our opinion on the P30 and P30 Pro to the technical characteristics of these devices.

Huawei P30 and P30 Pro Specifications

SoC Kirin 980 performance

It was on the occasion of the launch of the Mate 20 that we discovered the new chip developed by Huawei, the Kirin 980. It took the continuation of the 970 version with an inflated performance: a CPU that is 75 % faster, and a GPU that is 46% faster. Today it is one of the fastest processors on Android, far ahead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 chip. It should be close to the new Snapdragon 855, without being able to compare them for the moment.

kirin980 chip

Obviously, the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro range also benefits from this Kirin 980 chip engraved in 7 nm. According to the manufacturer, this chip would be even better than the A12 Bionic chip that was unveiled in the latest smartphones of the Apple brand. To get into the technical characteristics of the chip of the P30 and P30 Pro, we have two high-performance Cortex-A76 cores, two medium-performance Cortex-A76 cores and four low-performance Cortex-A55 cores.

Let’s move on to one of the central points of this P30 and P30 Pro review: the photo.

Photo sensors and image processing

While the camera is becoming more important in the technical features of a smartphone, Huawei obviously did not neglect this point. Already for its previous models, the Chinese high-end brand had strived to offer one of the best solutions on the market. Thanks to a regular collaboration with the German photography specialist Leica, his latest Mate 20 Pro has become a benchmark in the field according to the DXOMark ranking. For these two new models, the Huawei P30 and the P30 Pro, Leica is once again involved.

Whether it’s the new Huawei P30 or the P30 Pro, these two phones have an even more convincing camera. Huawei’s European leader, Walter Ji, explained late last year: “Next year we will see more innovations for cameras. Currently, we have three devices on the back.Imagine four devices next year. “ Promised thing, thing due. The main sensor also changes completely with 40% more captured lights, and the P30 is able to climb to 409 600 ISO, the P30 to 204 800 ISO, it is really exceptional.

The triple rear-facing photo sensor has become almost a standard among high-end Android smartphones, and it’s back on the Huawei P30: 40MP, 16MP Ultra Wide Angle and 8MP Hybrid Telephoto Sensor with x3 optical zoom, 5x hybrid and 30x software. As a reminder, the previous Mate 20 Pro also had a zoom x5, which shows a further progress on the part of Chinese on this point. The quality of the 4K videos of the P30 and P30 Pro will be significantly improved as well.

Huawei P30 picture

On the Huawei P30 Pro, there is – in addition to this triple photo sensor vertically aligned on the upper left of the back of the phone – a fourth photo sensor aligned vertically under the flash: it is a ToF (Time of Flight), which is able to model objects in 3D and will be very useful for augmented / virtual reality experiments. Note that the wide-angle sensor increases to 20 Mpx on the Huawei P30 Pro, against 16 Mpx for the P30.

At the front, you will have guessed that the small drop placed on the upper part of the screen also corresponds to a photo sensor, ideal for selfies. It is equipped with a 32 megapixel (f / 2.0) lens, a significant improvement over the previous Mate 20 Pro (24 megapixels). Again, Huawei wanted to improve his camera at all levels, and it’s largely successful. Our opinion on the Huawei P30 Pro is largely positive.

Waterproofness of Huawei P30 and P30 Pro

It has now become the standard at Huawei (and other premium manufacturers), IP68 certification is affixed to the latest P30 and P30 Pro. It was already the case for the previous range Mate, so it is logical to see that this standard is once again available on the new generation of Chinese. That means that the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro are dust-proof, and they are waterproof.

Note however that the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro are improving compared to the previous generation of the P range unveiled a year ago since it was only equipped with an IP67 certification. The latter was still resistant, but a little less (30 minutes on 1 meter of water, against 30 minutes under 1.5 meter of water for the IP68).

Huawei P30 and P30 Pro IP68

In any case, our opinion on the P30 and P30 Pro is that we must be very careful and avoid as much as possible contact with water. With a smartphone that approaches (see above – see price of the P30 Pro below) the symbolic bar of € 1,000, we must remain very vigilant – even to bring a series of accessories to prevent damage. Here is now the part dedicated to the autonomy on this notice P30 Huawei.

Autonomy and recharging of P30 and P30 Pro

As always, Huawei distinguishes the autonomy in each range between the classic versions and the Pro versions. This is still the case for the generation of P30 and P30 Pro. In this case, the Huawei P30 Pro is equipped with a battery of 4,200 mAh, the equivalent of what we saw on the Mate 20 Pro. Huawei’s P30 model has a 3,650 mAh battery. For comparison, the Galaxy S10 is equipped with a battery of 3400 mAH, and the S10e version of a battery of 3100 mAh.

Huawei hit a big blow late last year by unveiling on its smartphone Mate 20 Pro reverse charging . The phone can be used as a support for charging other wireless devices. As you can imagine, the Huawei P30 Pro is once again equipped with this advanced technology that Samsung has been quick to adopt.

The Huawei P30 and P30 Pro are also compatible with SuperCharge 2.0 Super Fast Charge.Let’s move on to the last point on our P30 Huawei review: the price. This is one of the key elements where the Chinese giant differs from the competition in France.

huawei P30 Pro

Huawei P30 and P30 Pro Prices

Huawei is now the top of the range of Android smartphones, and it is clear that prices are slowly approaching what can be seen in his great rival Samsung. This new generation of P30 and P30 Pro is close to, or exceeds on a model, the symbolic threshold of € 1,000. In this case, the Huawei P30 version has a single price of 749 € for a model with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

As for the Huawei P30 Pro, there are two versions available on the French market: a version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage available at a price of € 999 for the version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage – the same price as the original Mate 20 Pro (6GB RAM, 128GB storage). A version with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage takes a step since it is displayed at € 1,099.

On the model Huawei P30, it is possible to add up to 256 GB additional thanks to a micro SD player. On Pro models, it is possible to use nano-SD cards, a proprietary format at Huawei, to increase the storage capacity by 256 GB.

Note in this notice Huawei P30 and P30 Pro that the “Pro” version is 250 € more expensive than the classic version. This difference was already observed on the latest smartphones in the Mate range, and it seems once again perfectly justified. It is likely that this new generation of Chinese phones gives pride of place to the P30 Pro which will be logically lasting in the face of his little brother.

Our opinion on the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro

We are now at the last part our opinion on the Huawei P30. As you would expect, the focus on the picture is on this P30 and especially on the P30 Pro. On paper the pictures look excellent and we move to four sensors on the Pro, but especially a main sensor capable of capturing 40% more light. In terms of technical characteristics, we find the strengths of the Mate 20 Pro. The design is very successful with a low part that looks like the Galaxy S10 + and a notch similar to the classic Mate 20. The difference is great with the P20 Pro, which embarked a fingerprint sensor at the front, and whether it is at the screen or body / screen ratio, the evolution is important, and welcome. This convinced us in our positive opinion on the huawei P30.

Huawei also tackles the iPhone XR (for the P30) and the iPhone XS Max head-on, while offering a lower price than its direct competitors. The P30 is an excellent compromise between price and features, when the Huawei P30 Pro is a decidedly high-end smartphone.We will see all this in our test and opinion of the P30 Pro video that will be published on our YouTube channel.

What is your opinion on the Huawei P30 (as well as the P30 Pro)?

[/cmsmasters_text][/cmsmasters_column][/cmsmasters_row]

CategoriesReviews SMARTPHONE By Khalil Be.

OnePlus 8 Pro Review : Welcome to the FLAGSHIP-ZONE

[cmsmasters_row][cmsmasters_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsmasters_text]

Since the beginning (2014), the Oneplus company was the “dark knight” of the mobile world industry,  Obviously by making what we truly called a “FLAGSHIP KILLER” at a reasonable price.

OnePlus 2020, welcome to the FLAGSHIP-ZONE

OnePlus 8 Pro is the latest and most expensive smartphone the six-year-old company has ever launched.  with the base OnePlus 8 Pro, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, costs $900, and the fully kitted model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs $1,000.For those keeping count, that’s as much as the Galaxy S20 and $250 more than last year’s top-end OnePlus 7 Pro. OnePlus’ price advantage — a key part of the identity the company built for itself — isn’t as big a factor anymore.

And YES, the progress comes at a price: OnePlus has graduated from plucky underdog to almost indistinguishable from the rival manufacturers whose prices the Shenzhen-based company used to routinely mock. So, when there is almost no price difference … is it still worth picking a smartphone from OnePlus over rivals from Samsung, Apple and Huawei?

OnePlus 8 Pro is here. And it’s all about speed once again.

The speed and fluidity of OnePlus phones has been one of the company’s biggest strengths, which is something the OP8 and OP8 Pro showcase in full force. Between a number of OS optimizations and either 90Hz or 120HZ screens (which are a real delight), both phones are a joy to use. Everything feels incredibly snappy, and combined with OnePlus being one of the faster phone makers when it comes to pushing out new software updates, OnePlus phones deliver the best Android experience of any phone not made by Google.

Specs — Just the Right Stuff ..

OnePlus 8 ProOnePlus 8
SoftwareAndroid 10
OxygenOS		Android 10
OxygenOS
Display6.78″ QHD Fluid AMOLED
3168×1440, 513ppi, 19.8:9
120Hz		6.55″ FHD Fluid AMOLED
2400×1080, 402ppi, 20:9
90Hz
ProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 865
Adreno 650		Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Adreno 650
MemoryStorage: 128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.0)
RAM: 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5		Storage: 128GB / 256GB (UFS 3.0)
RAM: 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X
Camera (Rear)48MP Main
—f/1.7, OIS, EIS, 1.12um
—Dual LED Flash
—PDAF + CAF + LAF
—Sony IMX68948MP Ultra Wide
—f/2.2, 119.7° FOV8MP Telephoto
—f/2.4, OIS, 1.0um
—3x hybrid zoom5MP Color Filter
—f/2.4		48MP Main
—f/1.75, OIS, EIS, 0.8um
—Dual LED Flash
—PDAF + CAF
—Sony IMX58616MP Ultra Wide
—f/2.2, 116° FOV
—Sensor zoom 2x2MP Macro
—f/2.4, 1.75um
Camera (Front)16MP Front
—f/2.4, EIS, 1.0um
—Sony IMX471		16MP Front
—f/2.4, EIS, 1.0um
—Sony IMX471
Battery4510mAh
Warp Charge 30T
Warp Charge 30 Wireless
Reverse Wireless Charging		4300mAh
Warp Charge 30T
Connectivity5G / 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11ax (WiFi 6)
Bluetooth 5.1
NFC		5G / 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11ax (WiFi 6)
Bluetooth 5.1
NFC
OtherIn-display fingerprint
USB-C (USB 3.1)
Dual nano-SIM
Alert Slider
Dual Stereo Speakers
IP68 water and dust resistance		In-display fingerprint
USB-C (USB 3.1)
Dual nano-SIM
Alert Slider
Dual Stereo Speakers
Size165.3 x 74.35 x 8.5mm
199g		160.2 x 72.9 x 8.0mm
180g
ColorsOnyx Black
Glacial Green
Ultramarine Blue		Onyx Black
Glacial Green
Interstellar Glow

DESIGN — Luxury to the bones.

OnePlus labels this phone as compact, compared to the phones I’m comparing to (Galaxy S20 Ultra, LG V60), it does feel smaller and fantastic in-hand. OnePlus was big to point out that the phone is hardly thicker than a pencil at just 8mm, where a standard pencil is around 6mm. That’s pretty thin.

Sadly, no versions of the OP8 have a headphone jack

DISPLAY — simply the best.

For the OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus tossed in a 6.78″ Quad HD Fluid AMOLED display with a top refresh rate of 120Hz. This is the top-spec for a display in 2020. If you are making a high-end phone this year, it better match this or you will be thought of (rightfully) as a step below.

This particular display has excellent viewing angles, where even steep off-axis viewing provides crystal clear colors. It might be better than Samsung in this area, which is huge for those of you who look at your phone as it lies on a desk all day. With colors, you get to customize that experience with Vivid, Natural, or Advanced options. Advanced lets you go wild with Wide Gamut, sRGB, or Display P3 modes, should that be a thing of interest. I left my review device on Vivid and love the punch and sharpness.

Is 120Hz as cool as you hoped? Yes, it is. Coming from a Pixel 4 XL with 90Hz and a Galaxy S20 with 120Hz, I’m so enjoying this world with high refresh rates. I can’t ever see myself going back to 60Hz for an extended period of time. The world on your smartphone looks better when everything is smooth at all times.

Additionally, OnePlus once again included a number of display options that I feel should be standard on all phones in 2020. It has adaptive brightness, but you’ll find a “Comfort tone” setting that adapts screen color based on your environment, video color enhancing and smoothing modes, and Night and Reading modes.

CAMERAS — Agh .. it’s not enough.

OnePlus phones usually had one big caveat: The cameras were never that great. That’s starting to change though. I’m not going to say that the company nailed it this time — some of its decisions are certainly questionable — but overall we’re looking at big improvements where it matters.

You’ll spend most of your time with the 8 Pro’s standard wide camera, so it’s a good thing that OnePlus clearly paid the most attention to it. Oneplus went with Sony’s 48-megapixel IMX689 sensor, with optical image stabilization and an f/1.78 aperture, but don’t be fooled: You’re much better shooting 12-megapixel stills instead of full-resolution whoppers.

The setup here is a 48MP main shooter at f/1.7, 48MP ultra-wide angle at f/2.2, 8MP telephoto at f/2.4, and a 5MP color filter lens. I still have no idea what the color filter lens is doing after two weeks of testing, but I can tell you that the main and wide-angle cameras are excellent.

The selfie camera works well enough, but you’re going to look pretty soft in anything less than ideal light, and a built-in macro mode can be helpful if you’re taking incredibly tight shots. It’s not necessary all the time because the main camera does a nice job when you’re right next to your subject, but the extra processing does bring out some of the finer details.

BATTERY— finally a fast wireless charge made by Oneplus.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been waiting for Oneplus to implement a wireless charging solution on its phones since the Oneplus6, but dear readers, this phone gets what I was looking for – a RAW 30W WARP CHARGE- Thank goodness.

One of the big upsides of OnePlus’ many tweaks and optimizations is that the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro really sip power when doing things like watching videos— something that allowed both phones to turn in some of the longest battery lives.

However, in real life if you’re connected to 5G or you have 90Hz or 120Hz mode turned on, you’re looking at at least two to three hours less of real-world runtime, especially if you enable 120Hz mode at the OnePlus 8 Pro’s max QHD+ resolution.

CONNECTIVITY — Obviously its about the 5G .

For connectivity, OnePlus has mostly knocked this out of the park. You have LTE and 5G connectivity where you will need it. I know that it doesn’t have 5G mmW support, but 5G mmW is stupid and a waste of worry. This phone connects to mid-band and low-band 5G, which is all you will ever really need to care about for the next several years.

The OnePlus 8 Pro also has Bluetooth 5.1 and WiFi 6 (802.11ax), so it’s as ready for the future of connectivity as any device on the market.

COLORS — Few choices but well-chosen ..

The OnePlus 8 Pro comes in black, a deep ultramarine blue, and a new light green which is by far my favorite of the three, though “green” can seem like a misnomer: Depending on the light around you, the finish varies from seafoam to teal, which you’ll probably notice in our photos.

SIDE NOTES :

  • On top of being available unlocked, the OnePlus 8 will also be available from both T-Mobile and Verizon.
  • The carrier versions of the OnePlus 8 have a few differences including official IP68 water resistance and support for mmWave 5G on Verizon.
  • On the more premium OP8 Pro, OnePlus has finally added Qi wireless charging, which is really fast when paired with OnePlus’ 30-watt wireless charger.
  • The OnePlus 8 Pro feels a lot like a cheaper version of the Galaxy S20+, in a good way.
  • While they sound neat, the OP8’s macro cam and the OP8 Pro’s color filter camera aren’t really all that useful.
  • Pre-orders for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are live, with devices officially going on sale on April 29th.

 

Verdict: OnePlus finally made a flagship phone flagship features and a flagship price.

The 8 Pro stacks up surprisingly well against the best the industry has to offer. It used to be that OnePlus phones were excellent because of their value, but don’t get caught up in that line of thinking.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is an excellent phone, period.

[/cmsmasters_text][/cmsmasters_column][/cmsmasters_row]

CategoriesNEWS SMARTPHONE By Khalil Be.

Huawei presents the Nova 7, 7 Pro and 7 SE, three 5G smartphones.

[cmsmasters_row][cmsmasters_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsmasters_text]

The Nova 7i already launched in Malaysia a few weeks ago. While it can be called the first Nova 7 smartphone, it is actually just a rebranded Nova 6 SE. Yesterday, it was reported the “real“ Nova 7 will be released in April, shortly after the launch of the Huawei P40 series whose launch date has been announced already. Today, a new leak has revealed that there will be three (for now) Nova 7 phones and all three will have 5G support.

The source of the info is Digital Chat Station and a post made on Weibo earlier today reveals the names of the three phones that make up the Nova 7 series. According to the post, there will be a Nova 7 5G, a Nova 7 SE 5G, and a Nova 7 Pro 5G.

Huawei Nova 7 5G series

The post mentions there will be a Kirin 990 5G processor under the hood and OLED displays with an in-display fingerprint scanner.

UPDATE : The Huawei Nova 7, 7 Pro and 7 SE have just been formalized in China. 

They are distinguished by a premium design and the integration of the new SoC Kirin 985 for the first two models. The Kirin 985 is a high-end 5G chip that is located halfway between the Kirin 980 and 990. The Nova 7 SE as far as it is concerned is a mid-range smartphone which benefits from a very honorable technical data sheet. Everything is offered from 2,799 yuan in China (around € 367 gross).

Huawei Nova 7 Pro: technical form

Let’s start with the Nova 7 Pro, the more advanced version of the three proposals. Its design strongly recalls that of the P40 Pro with its curved almost borderless screen and its large hole in the upper left corner. The screen is OLED type and displays a diagonal of 6.57 inches in 2340 × 1080 pixel resolution (19.5: 9 ratio) . The smartphone is equipped with a SoC Kirin 985, the new premium chip that is already found on the high-end Honor 30, 30 Pro and 30 Pro + .

This processor directly integrates a 5G modem and is supported by 8 GB of RAM memory for 128 or 256 GB of non-expandable internal storage. The battery has a capacity of 4000 mAh. For the photo part, the smartphone has four sensors: a 64 MP main module , an 8MP ultra wide-angle lens, an 8 MP telephoto lens and a 2 MP macro lens.

The Huawei Nova7 Pro supports 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom and up to 50x for digital zoom. As indicated by the size of the hole in the screen, there are 2 sensors for selfies: a 32 MP + module supported by an 8 MP wide-angle sensor.

The characteristics of Huawei Nova 7 and 7 SE

The Huawei Nova 7 standard has a design similar to the Nova 7 Pro, unlike the hole in the screen that takes the form of a drop of water. Under the hood, their characteristics are also similar: the smartphone has a slightly smaller OLED screen whose size is 6.53 inches (FHD +) . We also find here the SoC Kirin 985 supported by 8 GB of RAM and 128/256 GB of storage . The configuration of the photo sensors is the same at the rear. On the front, the Huawei Nova 7 has a single 32 MP sensor. The battery also has a capacity of 4000 mAh.

Finally, the Nova 7 SE is the “Lite” version of the family taking advantage of a Kirin 820 SoC engraved in 7 nm and also having an integrated 5G modem. The smartphone has a 6.5 inch screen, but this time LCD. Its photo sensors are the same as those of the Nova 7 and 7 Pro on the back. For selfies, there is a 16 MP module. Its battery has a capacity of 4,000 mAh. The Nova 7 SE is available in 6 GB / 128 GB and 8 GB / 128 GB versions.

Availability and price

The Huawei Nova 7, 7 Pro and 7 SE are already available in China. We do not know for the moment if they will arrive in Europe, but here is the configuration of prices on the Chinese market and the gross conversion to euro.

  • Huawei Nova 7 SE : 6 GB + 128 GB – 2,799 yuan (~ € 367)
  • Huawei Nova 7 SE : 8 GB + 128 – 2399 yuan (~ € 313)
  • Huawei Nova 7 : 8 GB + 128 GB – 2,999 yuan (~ € 392)
  • Huawei Nova 7 : 8 GB + 256 GB – 3399 yuan (~ 445 €)
  • Huawei Nova 7 Pro : 8 GB + 128 GB – 3699 yuan (~ 484 €)
  • Huawei Nova 7 Pro : 8 GB + 256 GB – 4,099 yuan (~ € 536)

As a reminder, the last smartphone in the Nova line to have been launched in Europe is the Huawei Nova 5T.

[/cmsmasters_text][/cmsmasters_column][/cmsmasters_row]

CategoriesSMARTPHONE By Khalil Be.

OnePlus Concept One A Phone With Invisible Cameras

Before CES 2020, I believed that the Mi Note 10’s penta-camera setup was the best new hardware feature of the year. What drove this innovation in multi-camera technology is the fact that image sensors have gotten much better, modern image signal processors are more powerful, and camera software has become more sophisticated.

That’s why this year, smartphone giants like Samsung and Huawei will unveil devices with quad and penta-camera modules contained within a rectangular area on the rear. Housing camera modules in a circular or rectangular enclosure is how smartphone brands make multi-camera devices look aesthetically pleasing. But what if there were another way? That’s what OnePlus is demonstrating with the Concept One – a prototype smartphone with cameras that can turn invisible.

During a briefing with the press at CES, OnePlus explained that the Concept One device is the latest example of the company’s push to improve the colors, materials, and finish (CMF) of smartphone design. With the new device, OnePlus says they’ve now stepped into the territory of “ECMF,” where the E stands for Electronic. Their goal is to create a material finish that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional for day-to-day use. To that end, OnePlus chose to once again partner with McLaren, the British sports car manufacturer. Over the course of 18 months, OnePlus worked to create a concept smartphone with McLaren’s iconic orange leather, aluminum alloy framing, and electrochromic glass. Internally, the OnePlus Concept One has the same specifications as the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition, but it has a radically different design.

McLaren Papaya Orange

The leather on the rear of the OnePlus Concept One has the same Papaya Orange color found in McLaren vehicles, specifically the McLaren 720S. There’s even stitching in the leather that surrounds both sides of the camera lenses and runs down the length of the body. The frame of the device is made up of PVD (physical vapor deposition) coated aluminum rather than an oxidized aluminum layer. OnePlus also added a thin layer of 24 karat gold to make the frame shiny.

OnePlus says they’re the first to utilize PVD in smartphone design, but while the McLaren Papaya Orange finish is indeed beautiful, it’s not what’s most interesting about the Concept One. That crown belongs to the Invisible Camera.

Invisible Camera

In order to hide the camera, OnePlus says they needed a new easement approach. OnePlus took inspiration from the McLaren 720S and other luxury vehicles where the sunroof’s transparency can be adjusted to control how much light can shine through. Basically, the glass can shift from transparent to opaque by changing the current and voltage. The technology, called electrochromic glass, is thus not new, but it’s now been applied to smartphone camera lenses for the first time.

OnePlus makes the argument that the smartphone industry will eventually figure out under-screen camera technology, eliminating visible cameras on the front of a device. Indeed, OPPO showed off an impressive under-screen camera prototype at its Innovation Day event last month. What OnePlus is doing with the Concept One, is, therefore, complementary to under-screen camera technology: the end goal of both technologies is to hide cameras from view. With electrochromic glass, OnePlus is able to show the rear cameras while the camera app is in use but hide them when the camera app is closed. Furthermore, this glass technology enables OnePlus to make the camera module part of the overall design of the rear rather than having the cameras isolated in a circular or rectangular bump.

The process to bring this glass technology down to the size of a smartphone took 18 months because OnePlus needed to lower the power consumption, speed up the switching of the transparency, and reduce the size while maintaining the opacity of the electrochromic glass. At its current stage, OnePlus says the electrochromic glass technology now draws a negligible amount of power, switches in 0.7 seconds, and measures only 0.05mm – about the thickness of a tempered glass screen protector.

OnePlus spent several months improving the thickness of the glass and electrochromic glass layers. They needed the electrochromic material to be thin, but not so thin that its opacity would be impacted. Similarly, they also needed the glass to be thin without being too fragile, so they added nonpolar glass particles to give the entire glass more structure and rigidity. These nonpolar glass particles are 0.05mm in diameter and don’t cover the camera lenses so as to not impact the electrochromic effect. In total, OnePlus shaved the thickness of the glass panels down to 0.15mm each, resulting in a total combined thickness of 0.35mm.

OnePlus Concept One – Will it come to the market?

#oneplus concept #oneplus concept one #disappearing camera #electrochromatic #chromatic glass

OnePlus’ first concept phone, unfortunately, remains a concept for now. The company does not have a date set for a release, although they did have functioning units for the media to test at CES. OnePlus seems confident in where they’re at with the electrochromic glass technology, but the company says the device needs more thorough testing before it’s ready for production.

 

 

CategoriesSMARTPHONE By Khalil Be.

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha : discover its amazing “surround” screen

[cmsmasters_row][cmsmasters_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsmasters_text]

The Chinese manufacturer created the event with a smartphone with a screen that goes all the way around the device! Very expensive (about 2,500 euros), the Mi Mix Alpha may foreshadow the future of flexible screens, with slabs “folded” and not “foldable”.

The conference organized by Xiaomi was eagerly awaited, especially for the launch of a new smartphone with an innovative screen. If most rumors were confirmed, the speculation on the screen was below reality. Xiaomi did not create a mainstream smartphone with a cascading screen, but a concept smartphone with a “surround” screen.

While the manufacturer follows the current fashion and is also working on a device with a foldable screen , the Mi Mix Alpha could rather be described as having a “folded” screen. Rather than having the screen on the entire front and the slice on each side as expected, the famous cascading screen, here the screen is wrapped around the device. Only a thin band at the back, including the camera, is not covered by the display.

Screen ratio exceeding 180%

Xiaomi can boast of being the first to offer a smartphone with a screen ratio exceeding 100%. The Mi Mix Alpha surround screen offers a ratio of 180.6%! As a result, the device was unloaded from any physical button . Instead they are touch buttons, haptic feedback , which appear on the edge. The icons of information such as the battery, Wi-Fi or the mobile network, have also been moved to the side of the mobile.

The screen occupies almost the entire front panel. As on many other high-end mobiles, the speaker has disappeared, integrated directly into the display. Regarding the front camera, it will not be an opportunity to finally discover the hidden camera under the screen which Xiaomi had made a short video demonstration . Mix Mix Alpha just does not have it because it does not need it. Simply flip it over to use the main camera with the image displayed on the back of the camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-I4W9oTH2M

To designate its new smartphone, Xiaomi evokes a “concept” and should not be expected to be marketed in large quantities. © Xiaomi, YouTube

A 108 megapixel photo sensor

The camera is composed of a triple photo module placed in a band at the back. This is the first smartphone to feature a 108 megapixel main sensor . It is accompanied by a second sensor ultra wide-angle of 20 megapixels, capable of taking macro shots just 1.5 centimeter distance. Finally, the third sensor is a 12 megapixel telephoto lens for a 2x zoom. On the side of the data sheet, Xiaomi validated the information that had already leaked. The Mi Mix Alpha is equipped with a processor Snapdragon 855+ compatible 5G . It embeds 12 GB of RAM , 512 GB of storage and a battery of 4.050 mAh compatible with the fast charge40 watts .

Mix Mix Alpha has been described as a concept smartphone and should therefore be available in limited numbers. It will be available at the end of December, for a price of 19,999 yuan, or around 2,500 euros. A price still higher than the Samsung Galaxy Fold proposed to 2.020 euros. The device is out of the ordinary and could be a way for Xiaomi to test the strength of its screen when replacing the shell, suggesting that it could prepare a foldable smartphone with the screen that folds around the device , like the Huawei Mate X .

Mi MIX Alpha: Xiaomi to unveil smartphone with cascading screen

Xiaomi is  preparing to launch the successor of its Mi Mix 3. It will not be the Mi Mix 4, but the Mi Mix α, or Mi Alpha, according to posters unveiled in teaser by the firm on Weibo. One of the peculiarities of this new model is its “cascade” screen, which completely covers the edge of the device on each side. It is for this reason that the manufacturer placed it in the middle of books, to show that the display extends to the edge of the device.

This is an evolution of screens with curved edges, and allows the manufacturer to go further than a simple edge-to-edge screen . The body / screen ratio thus exceeds 100%. The firm has detailed the evolution of the screens in five steps, the last being a screen that would do all around the device, front and back. It remains to see the usefulness of a cascading screen, and if a screen on the sides will not interfere with the grip since there will be more, a priori, buttons.

 

An integrated camera under the screen?

Other information is already known about Mi Mix α. It will ship a Snapdragon 855+ processor and should be compatible with the 5G. According to rumors, it could be equipped with a 108 megapixel photo sensor and a fast charging of 40 W. Its cascading screen could also support a refresh rate of 90 Hz .

Mi Mix α has no notch or wide black band at the top of the screen to integrate the front camera . Will the device be retractable, like the OnePlus 7 Pro , or integrated directly under the screen as the company had already shown in June in a tweet  ? All information should be quickly unveiled by Xiaomi, which is expected to present its new smartphone during a press conference on Tuesday, September 24.

[/cmsmasters_text][/cmsmasters_column][/cmsmasters_row]