So last Friday we started on a series to document how we will start living with a HUAWEI smartphone free from the clutches of the evil Google ecosystem. No, they are not really evil; I am just trying to be a bit dramatic here. You get the idea though. Modern HUAWEI smartphones today only come with HUAWEI’s very own Mobile Services and AppGallery; no Google Mobile Services and Play Store. Kind of sad, really.
Last week we managed to download Facebook and WhatsApp. We did not have Instagram, or Netflix, or Telegram. In short, there were plenty of apps we did not have. Did we miss them? Yes, very much, I had Instagram and Netflix, and Prime Video installed in other devices just to scroll through them.
I Still Miss Social Media
In truth though, I am not that big of a social media person.
While I do scroll through social media from time to time, I seldom spend more
than 15 minutes scrolling through Facebook, or Instagram, or Twitter, and even
Snapchat. I have never logged onto Tik Tok.
That does not mean that I can completely ignore all this social
media though. Of course, if I am being honest, I do miss the apps. The idea of
just seeing what other people are up to in their own life; that can still be
quite fun, and quite traumatising depending on the contents.
Facebook can be quite enough though, especially with
Facebook Watch and the countless videos on the platform. That is technically
all the entertainment I got from the HUAWEI Nova 7i. To keep in touch with my
friends, I have WhatsApp. Then again, I turn on my WhatsApp on desktop barely
looked at my smartphone when it comes to messages.
Exploring the AppGallery A Little Deeper
Still, things are not so bad after scrolling through the AppGallery
once more. There are apps in the smartphone after all. Social media apps
include Snapchat, Tik Tok (of course), and WeChat (of course). Nope, nothing
else that I use as far as I can tell. There is even TrueCaller on the AppGallery.
Things are looking a bit up now that I scroll through a little
bit more through the AppGallery. You can find Viu, iflix, and some cinema booking
apps within the AppGallery to start with. No, no Netflix or even Amazon Video
Prime. For now, iflix and Viu would do. I personally don’t have a viu account,
so I stick to iflix. We are currently under the Movement Control Order (MCO),
so I cannot go for movies.
If not though, I can do some window shopping via Zalora, Lazada,
and even Shopee. There are even some games that you might be familiar with. One
of them is Cut the Rope 2 within the AppGallery. You can even find Lords Mobile
and Fortnite on the device. So to be fair, you are not really getting
shorthanded in terms of entertainment here.
For productivity, they have WPS Office on the AppGallery. While
some say that WPS Office app is better than the original Microsoft apps, I
would respectfully disagree. The modern Microsoft apps are now so much better,
and so much more optimised. At the same time, it is easier to sync your Microsoft
apps to OneDrive than anything else. This is a problem on the device though;
there are almost no Microsoft apps here.
I say almost because there is a particularly useful Microsoft
app that we love. That app is Microsoft’s Translation app. In our opinion, this
is the best translation app that mankind has ever produced. It is accurate and
works with plenty of accents. Still, we are not here for the Microsoft Translate
app.
It is Still Android, Just Without Google
The apps that are downloaded are also very similar to the
Android apps you find on Google Play Store. The EMUI 10 is based on Android 10
after all. Still, we found these apps. Which are great. If you are worried
about bringing them out as your electronic wallet, you would be relieved to
find Touch n’ Go app in there and Boost app. Grab is making its way on
AppGallery. Still, the two largest e-wallets in Malaysia has a foothold in
HUAWEI’s AppGallery. That means the HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS), and
AppGallery cannot be that bad, right? Too early to tell in my opinion.
Still, we are going to dive a little deeper than that. For
now, that is all we can walk away with. Stay tuned for the next part.
Last night we saw a big fan fare of a smartphone launch. It was the very anticipated HUAWEI photography flagship, the HUAWEI P40 series. The ones we are going to see earlier is the HUAWEI P40 and P40 Pro. There is a third model, the P40 Pro+ which will be coming way later. Still, HUAWEI finally announced their first 2020 flagship.
The HUAWEI P40 is really everything that you might want in a
HUAWEI flagship photography king. If you owned the P20, it is really the
smartphone that you naturally want to upgrade to. There is one thing that it
does not come with though: Google.
This means that the HUAWEI P40 series will not have Google’s very handy Play Store and is stuck to the ways of HUAWEI’s own proprietary Mobile Services (HMS) and its AppGallery. We are not saying that it is a terrible thing though. It may sound bad, but you never know until you try right?
The Test Bed – The HUAWEI Nova 7i
Our test bed is a HUAWEI Nova 7i. In some markets, they know
it as the HUAWEI P40 Lite. We do not understand that half the time, so we will
just stick to Malaysia’s official name for it, we guess; the HUAWEI Nova 7i.
If you really have to know the specs of this MYR 1,099
device, it is is a mid-range smartphone that packs a relatively punchy
HiSilicon Kirin 810 system on a chip (SoC) and supported by 8GB of RAM and you
get 128GB of storage with that. The internals push EMUI 10.0.1.108 that is also
based on Android 10. So, when we say that it comes completely devoid of Google
stuff, I did not forget that this is still an Android device. We just mean that
the HUAWEI Nova 7i comes devoid of Google’s important frameworks that includes
the Google Play Store.
We are not focusing on the hardware capabilities of the
device, though. So, it does not really matter if the HUAWEI Nova 7i comes with
a 48-Megapixel camera and a Full HD display. What matters is that it represents
the collective of modern HUAWEI devices that are in the market right now,
starting with the era of the HUAWEI Mate 30 series. They all have one thing in
common, and that is HMS and AppGallery.
The focus of this write-up then, is what we can do with HMS
and what AppGallery can offer us. On paper, it does not look too good for the
write-up. The HUAWEI AppGallery is the third largest app marketplace behind
Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Which may not sound like much,
because there are not many major app marketplaces in the market. Since there
are two major camps of smartphone Operating Systems (OS) in the market, the two
largest ones are quite a given.
Starting-up HUAWEI’s EMUI 10.0.1
Let us still give this a chance though. We fire up the device
and everything feels just like a regular Android smartphone at first. It is an Android
10 based system after all, so it starts up very similar to any Android. Except,
you do not sign in with your Google account. You sign in with or sign up for a
HUAWEI ID account. We had one, so that was simple.
If you are familiar with an EMUI device that has Google Play
Store installed on it, like the HUAWEI P30 series, navigating the smartphone should
be nothing new really. It is still a very familiar EMUI to the EMUI’s of the past;
in that, there is no difference in experience at all. You cannot see Google’s Play
Store on the home screen though. So far, so good; familiarity with the
interface saves the face.
First set-up
No Play Store, no problem. There the HUAWEI AppGallery. First
thing I usually do with a new smartphone is download all the essential apps I
need. Those apps are Whatsapp, Telegram, Slack, Facebook, Instagram, and
Twitter. Out of all those apps listed, I only found two – Facebook and Whatsapp.
They are not loaded into the AppGallery though.
What happens is that the HUAWEI AppGallery will lead you to a
third-party site to download the apk files of Facebook and Whatsapp. These are
the only two I found so far. Not looking good now. When we checked in, HUAWEI
says that these two sideloaded apps are safe because the AppGallery is the one
that leads us to the site.
That is not to say that you cannot sideload the rest of the
apps that I listed down though. You can still download the apk files from other
sites, no problem. Just be wary of the sources though.
Still, we worked with the two apps that we just downloaded.
They both work just like the Android version app should work. They look the
same too. The only question now is whether we can keep up with the most current
update packages or not.
Day 0 Wrap-up
We wrap the test up with that for now. We got our smartphone
running with the most essential WhatsApp up. Even Facebook is there, so far
that is the entertainment we are getting for the night.
Still, we are going to try to live through the HMS and
AppGallery as long as we can and go in-depth. The HMS is available on every new
HUAWEI smartphone you buy today. Yes, they are all running on EMUI 10 now too.
Still, the HUAWEI P40 that was announced last night is not
just that. When you buy a new HUAWEI smartphone today, you get a free 50GB
HUAWEI Cloud Storage subscription for the next year. If you already own a
HUAWEI smartphone device, you already have 5GB of HUAWEI Cloud Storage for free
anyway.
We will be looking to more apps next week with the HUAWEI Nova
7i. Until then, stay safe during this whole Movement Control Order period. To
the ones outside of Malaysia, you stay safe too.
The HUAWEI P30 is a year old now, just about. The P series in HUAWEI’s stables has been the Photography smartphone. It was a smartphone that always took smartphone photography to the next level.
The P9 was the first smartphone that launched with two lenses.
The P20 series launched with a revolutionary three-lens camera arrangement. Then
came the P30 series last year that launched with one more lens in the back of
the device. It was also the device that started the maximum zoom distance race.
Of course, we have the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra that zooms up to 100x. Yes,
this was the race started by the HUAWEI P30 series. HUAWEI, in the modern era
of smartphones are definitely the trend-setters for smartphone cameras.
Source: HUAWEI
That is partly why this is an interesting year for HUAWEI
and for us. The question in everybody’s mind was, how is HUAWEI going to innovate
and revolutionise the smartphone camera again. How are they moving the goal
post, the gold standard of smartphone photography? All that is answered with
the HUAWEI P40 series.
As with any other modern HUAWEI devices, the HUAWEI P40 series
packs their very own HISilicon Kirin 990 5G ready System on a Chip (SoC). That processor
is supported by an 8GB of RAM to help things trundle along nicely and you get
to pick up to 512GB in storage. If that is not enough, you can expand it via a
NanoMemory 2 card. Here is the issue though, you can hardly find a NanoMemory
card in Malaysia.
That may be forgivable though. I hardly can think of anyone
needing an extra memory card in their smartphones these days. Even 128GB is also
plenty if you think about it. The main attraction for today though is the camera.
HUAWEI P40 Pro+
Source: HUAWEI
We start with the daddy of the lot, the big hulking thing
that is the HUAWEI P40 Pro+. Technically, it is not that much of a big thing. Its
display measures in a 6.58-inch. It punches a resolution of 1,640 by 1,200.
That is actually just a little more than Full HD. It also comes with something they
call a Quad-Curve Overflow display. That means that at its four sides, the display
curves into the frame. Visually, that gives you an illusion of a bezel-less
display. It might as well be though, because the bezels are so thin, you might not
even see it.
It also refreshes at 90Hz, not 120Hz like other premium
flagships we see out there. HUAWEI says that this is more battery efficient though,
which rings some truth. That should allow the 4,200mAh built-in battery to last
longer than your average workday.
Its IP68 body is a wrap of glass in front and ceramic at the
back. Ceramic is a unique material because it is a highly durable material. At
the same time, it has glass like qualities that makes it shine. Fortunately,
the P40 Pro+ only comes in that type of body. Unfortunately, the P40 Pro+ is
the only one in the series to get ceramic finish.
That ceramic back is house to a five-camera set up you might
find familiar looking in arrangement. They are very different from their
competitor though. The camera module are co-developed with Leica, as usual.
The main camera, the biggest sensor HUAWEI ever developed is
a 50-Megapixel main shooter with HUAWEI’s very famous RYYB sensor. They say
that it is bigger than its competition and its predecessors. As HUAWEI has
proven too, their RYYB sensor is supposed to be able to absorb more natural light,
allowing for better detailed shots and better details in low-light photography.
In another sense, it allows the camera to ‘see’ better.
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
There is a 40-Megapixel ultra-wide angle lens sitting on one
side of the main shooter. They call it a Cine Lens. Then there are two
telephoto lenses you will find on the HUAWEI P40 Pro+. There is a 3x telephoto
lens punching 8-Megapixels, and a 10x telephoto lens at the same pixel count. Both
sensors are RYYB sensors too, mind you. Together with the 50-Megapixel lens, the
HUAWEI P40 Pro+ can zoom up to 100x. Sounds familiar? Yes, somebody has done it
before. So far though, this alongside the Korean contender, are the only devices
to have a zoom factor of 100x. The fifth camera is a 3D ToF camera, to capture
and process 3D environments. There is also an additional colour temperature sensor
though. This is for better colour interpretation and reproduction on your photos.
This also means your photos should look stunning.
Before we forget though, the overflow display has a punch
hole in the top left corner of the OLED display. That houses a 31-Megapixel
camera, a depth sensor, and an Infra-Red sensor combination as its front
camera. That sounds like a recipe for a camera for a mid-range smartphone. The combination
should make a great selfie portrait though.
HUAWEI P40 Pro
Source: HUAWEI
Then there is a littler HUAWEI P40 Pro. When we say smaller,
we have already mentioned that the HUAWEI P40 Pro+ and the HUAWEI P40 Pro share
the same 6.58-inch DCI-P3 certified HDR display with more than Full HD+ resolution.
So in that sense you are getting a device with the same size. You even get the
same 32-Megapixel camera combination out the front.
You also get the same battery size for good measure. Nearly
everything about the device is quite the same as its more premium HUAWEI P40
Pro+ brother. Everything except for its storage option at 256GB, price tag, and
the back.
The back is not ceramic, nothing that premium. It is a glass
back and it comes in five interesting colour options. We especially like the matte
finish variant.
The back also houses an impressive camera set up though. Not
five cameras this time. It is a four-camera set up at the back in what seems to
be identical camera module housing. While it is not a five-camera set-up, it is
still a powerful arrangement with a 5x telephoto lens at the back though.
You still have the same RYYB 50-Megapixel sensor lodged in
the middle of the arrangement. That is also still flanked by a 40-Megapixel
lens. At the other side though is a 12-Megapixel RYYB telephoto camera at 5x
optical zoom. You get a 3D ToF camera to top it all off and a colour temperature
sensor.
HUAWEI P40
Source: HUAWEI
The littlest one in the family. It is not that little as
well. Its display measures in at 6.1-inch and punches Full HD+ resolution. Thing
is, the display can be considered small compared to its competitors too. Even
the OPPO Find X2 has a 6.7-inch display. The punch hole on the display also
houses the same 32-Megapixel camera combination as its more powerful siblings.
The back is also a glass finished glass, like the HUAWEI P40
Pro. Like the HUAWEI P40 Pro too, you can choose between 5 colour finishes. Unlike
the HUAWEI P40 Pro and the P40 Pro+ though, you only get 3,800mAh battery within
the more petite body. Unlike the HUAWEI P40 Pro also, this only sports 128GB in
memory. Still plenty, in our opinion. Unlike the HUAWEI P40 Pro series too,
this does not have the luxury of seeing the Quad-Curve display. It is completely
flat. Which may not actually be a bad thing.
Like its bigger brothers though it still retains its
50-Megapixel camera in the middle. Except, you only get two other cameras flanking
the main sensor. On one side is a 16-Megapixel ultra-wide angle lens. The other
is an 8-Megapixel 3x telephoto camera. While you get less, you still get the colour
temperature sensor though, which also means your photos still comes out as
stunning as it can be. Maybe just as stunning as the more premium variants.
The Vision Photography
All the devices in the range have plenty of things in common
though. They all share the same 8GB RAM size. They share nearly the same design
language and camera module housing. They also share the same software. All of
them are running on HUAWEI’s Android 10 based user interface (UI) that is the
EMUI 10.
The EMUI 10 in the HUAWEI P40 Pro has a few tricks up its
sleeve over the current generation of EMUI 10 though. While it still allows the
HUAWEI P40 series to shoot at 4K 60fps, the software takes advantage of the
3-mic set up of the Huawei P40 Pro and implements what the industry calls zoom
audio. That also means that it amplifies the volume of the object you shoot as
you zoom into the subject.
Source: HUAWEI
There is a new autofocus system on the HUAWEI P40 series too.
While the world is still stuck on Dual Phase Detection autofocus, HUAWEI uses
Octa Phase Detection autofocus on the HUAWEI P40. That also means you get near
instant and accurate autofocusing from the HUAWEI P40. You can now also take 4K
timelapse videos with your zoom lenses on the HUAWEI P40. So instead of
shooting a scenery, you can choose a subject to focus on and shoot.
The HUAWEI camera app also comes with a more powerful AI.
This is also thanks to HUAWEI’s HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G SoC with a large dual Neural
Processing Unit (NPU). The NPU on that processor is the most powerful independent
NPU we have ever seen in a smartphone SoC.
Source: HUAWEI
The camera app has something called Golden Snap. This feature
is pretty useful for not just regular photographers. It is a killer feature for
any photographers. First, there is the ‘best-shot’ recommendation intelligence.
This should not be all that new. The other two functions they teased though are
quite mind-boggling. The first is the AI Remove Passerby; which does exactly that.
It lets you discard any unwanted people in your photo and let the camera just
focus on you and your surroundings. While that sounds like something only
Photoshop can do before this, you are entering a new era of smartphone photography
with this one. The second is AI remove reflection, which is also exactly that.
No, it will not remove you completely if you deliberately take a photo of yourself
in front of a mirror. What it does is remove the reflected images you get when
you take a photo through a glass panel. Again, something that you though only
Photoshop could do. Not anymore.
The Power of EMUI
While this has nothing to do with its software, we have to
say it for the HUAWEI P40 series. The device packs the fastest wireless charging
capability in the current market. It comes with 40W fast charging capabilities.
It does not just stop there though, like the HUAWEI P30 Pro, you can share your
extra power with other wireless charging devices too. Keep in mind that this is
only for the HUAWEI P40 Pro and P40 Pro+ though.
Still, all the HUAWEI P40 devices have something called Celia;
HUAWEI’s very new, very personal, very clever assistant. It is basically HUAWEI’s
version of Google Assistant. Except, HUAWEI can no longer access Google’s framework
and services anymore. Which also means that this is an HMS device with AppGallery.
It is still Android based though, so you still can sideload Android compatible
apps.
Source: HUAWEI
Still they have something new in the AppGallery called MeeTime.
Sounds like FaceTIme? It is better than that. At first glance it looks like a
very regular video chat app. Thing is, it is like Google Hangouts on steroids.
You can use third-party cameras, connect it to the app, and let the app project
from the camera. You can share your screen across the video chat, you can even project
your video call on your TV or other WiFi compatible displays if you like. It is
the perfect video conferencing tool if you ask me.
Someone close to us mentioned before this that HUAWEI’s HMS
lack a cloud photo gallery. With the new HUAWEI P40 arrangement, it seems like
they are going to fix that in a big way. HUAWEI calls it their Cross
Distributed File System. Essentially, it is a file sharing tool between
devices. The thing is, you can activate it, and you can search your photos
across any of your own devices, even if it is not your smartphone or cloud
storage yet. If you are under the same WiFi umbrella, even better. Of course,
there is the great HUAWEI Share function that we all quite love.
HUAWEI’s Professional Studio Light by HUAWEI Camera Kit x Profoto
Alongside the photography kings, HUAWEI collaborated with Profoto
to create something that we saw; and we really want it. It is sort of a multipurpose
portable photography and video artificial light source. Well, it is technically
a very fancy lamp that comes with its own set of filters. You can control it directly
from your HUAWEI smartphone to your liking or to add a light source to make your
photos look better. No idea how much its priced, or when its arriving into the
market. We are excited though.
Price and Availability
The HUAWEI P40 and HUAWEI P40 Pro will be available in selected
global markets, including Europe from the 7th of April 2020 onward. Both
the devices will be available in the same five finishes; ice white, Deep Sea
Blue, and Black regular finishes, and Frost Silver and Blush Gold matte glass
finishes. The HUAWEI P40 Pro+ will be available way later in June 2020 in two
exclusive ceramic finishes; black and white.
Source: HUAWEI
The HUAWEI P40 series starts from EU€ 799 (MYR 3,768) with the
standard HUAWEI P40 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB in storage. The HUAWEI P40 Pro is
stuck in the middle priced at EU€ 999 (MYR 4,712). The series tops off with
the HUAWEI P40 Pro+ at EU€ 1,399 (MYR 6,598). Expensive? Yes, they are.
Remember that this is not representative of the prices of the Malaysian units when
they get here. There is no official word yet on when the device is coming into
Malaysia. If you need any more information on the HUAWEI P40 series you can
find it on HUAWEI’s
website.
If you go out into the smartphone market right now, you would be spoiled for choice. You have not even set a budget. So let us say that you have a budget of MYR 1,000 for a smartphone. That part of the market, while not as filled as the mid-range market from MYR 1,000 – MYR 3,000 market range, is still quite a crowd.
You get plenty of offerings from most of the Chinese brands.
They are not some brands you never heard of too. They are reputable brands that
have been in the market for some time now, with proven products and strategy. You
have brand names like OPPO, who have started making great flagships like their
OPPO Find X2 series. You have Xiaomi who had innovated with their Mi Mix Alpha
wraparound display. You have HONOR and HUAWEI who made headlines with their own
flagships too.
The point is, they make smartphones that sells at below MYR
1,000 as well; and they are not half bad products at that price. You still get
the latest Android, the latest hardware to work with, not the most high-end of
stuff; but you get the picture. It is a tough market to be in.
Source: Realme
That is where the Realme brand shines though. They make
budget friendly devices at great prices. Their latest offering just resonates
that quality of theirs. The Realme 6 that was just launched in Malaysia a few
days ago.
The Reame 6 is not some kind of revolutionary product that
completely changes Realme’s range of smartphones. It is to replace the Realme 5,
yes; but it is more like an evolution that a revolution.
The display, for example is not that big of a step up in terms
of size. At 6.5-inch, it is still the same size with the Realme 5. The notch
that was on the Realme 5 is now a punch-hole on the top-left corner of the
display. The resolution is also bumped up to Full HD+ instead of HD+. You also
get 90Hz refresh rate with the display, and 12Hz sampling rate. Then again,
90Hz is becoming a norm these days.
Source: Realme
The upgrades do not just end there though. It is throughout
the whole device. The device is packing improved power too thanks to the MediaTek
MT6785 Helio G90T Octa-core system on a chip (SoC). They tout it as a gaming
class processor, like almost everything else in the market. It does work well
on games like PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends though, as demonstrated in a
livestream.
That Octa-core processor unit is helped by 4GB of RAM, which
may not seem like a lot; but 4GB is more than enough most of the time on a
smartphone. You are not getting shorthanded in your storage size though; 128GB
in storage, in fact. You even get a MicroSD slot if you need to expand your
storage size.
Source: Realme
Out the back is still a quad-camera layout; no one is crazy
enough to make an official appearance of a five-camera layout just yet. Instead
of a 12-Megapixel shooter though, you get a bumped up 64-Megapixel main
shooter. That is supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 2-Megapixel
Macro lens, and a 2-Megapixel Black and White lens which also acts as a depth
sensor. Out the front is a 16-Megapixel shooter, that is also a bump up from
13-Megapixel of the Realme 5. Of course, with the main shooter you can shoot
videos t up to 4K resolution.
All this power is no use if you cannot bring it out of the house or leave your charger behind. It comes with a 30W fast charging capability on its 4,300 mAh battery. It is charged via a USB Type-C cable too, so there is that. On another plus side, it still has a 3.5mm jack so your old headphones are not obsolete.
Source: Realme
Source: Realme
Source: Realme
Source: Realme
Source: Realme
The Realme 6 will be available 27th March 2020 onward on Realme’s online retail partners for MYR 999. The device will be available in two colours options – Comet White, and Comet Blue. In conjunction with Lazada’s birthday party sale, Realme will bring the price down on the 27th March 2020 to MYR 799, exclusively on Lazada Malaysia from 12.00 a.m. to 2.00 a.m. Of course, more information can be found on their website, or you can head to Lazada Malaysia to check it out.
By now, the Xiaomi brand should not be an unfamiliar name to
any of us. The brand has been associated with not only super budget friendly
smartphones. They are also associated with high-quality smartphones for the modern
sensible people. The Xiaomi Mi 9T and Mi 9 Pro is still a very impressive
device to us, at its price.
While you think that Xiaomi cannot get any better than the Mi
9 series and Mi Note 10 series, you would think wrong. They just launched their
brand-new Xiaomi Redmi 9S just a little while ago. It starts at MYR 799, and they
are measuring themselves against the biggest names in the industry, like
Samsung and their Galaxy A51 mid-ranger. That Samsung device Is worth twice the
Redmi Mi Note 9S.
Source: Xiaomi Malaysia
We start with the outlook, the design. While the front looks
just like any other smartphone that is, the back is a little different. They
say they design it with symmetry in mind. They are not kidding. It sort of
looks like a little like a familiar smartphone we saw a year or two ago. In a
sense, it looks good. It also has all the familiar things that makes it a
Xiaomi device.
It has that very familiar 3D curve at the back that makes the device feel better in the hands. To be fair, plenty of smartphones share similar design too. This is a Xiaomi device though, so even at MYR 799, it should feel premium. Still, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S is not known as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S in India, it was known as the Redmi Note 9 Pro and it was launched earlier this month.
Out the front is a 6.67-inch IPS Small DotDisplay pushing
out Full HD+ resolution protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The Corning
Gorilla Glass is not just reserved for the front too. It extends all the way at
the back.
On the sides are aluminium frame that holds the two pieces
of glass together. The display does not contain a fingerprint sensor though. The
fingerprint sensor is now on the side integrated with the power button. Yes,
the power button fingerprint sensor is making a comeback.
Source: Xiaomi Malaysia
At the back is a 48-Megapixel quad camera that is housed
with an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 5-Megapixel macro lens, and a 2-Megapixel
depth sensor. Oh yes, we are forgetting the front facing “dot” camera – a 16-Megapixel
shooter. The main camera also packs an Electronic Image Stabiliser for better
photos. It makes night, long exposure photos look even better. Even if you are
not using a tripod.
The Android 10.0 based MIUI 11 device is packing power with
Qualcomm’s 720G Octa-core system on chip (SoC). You get up to 6GB of RAM and up
to 128GB in storage, with microSD compatibility. All this goodness is kept running
by a large 5,020mAh battery with 18W fast charging.
There are a few more things that makes this device a treat
though. The Redmi Note 9S still comes with 3.5mm headphone jack when every
other smartphone does not include the jack. It is also splash-proof; not an IP
rating, but splash-proof is still good to have. It has an IR blaster packed in
as well.
Source: Xiaomi Malaysia
Source: Xiaomi Malaysia
Source: Xiaomi Malaysia
Source: Xiaomi Malaysia
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S will be available in Malaysia from
the 27th March 2020 onward. It will come in three colour options; Glacier
White, Aurora Blue, and Interstellar Grey. It will be available in two variants;
a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and a 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. When it is available
you can get the 4GB + 64GB from Shopee and Lazada for MYR 799. The 6GB + 128GB
options will be available in the online stores and the official stores on the
same day too for MYR 899. You can find more information on the Xiaomi Redmi
Note 9S from their website.
HMD Global has long been one of the only Android smartphone manufacturers to support Google’s Android GO platform. The platform sought to bring better performance to lower end smartphones to improve the overall user experience. Instead of building in most of the apps into what limited space the device has, it optimises based on usage and allows users to stream or download; whichever suited their needs better.
The Nokia 1 was one of the first devices to support the platform. That doesn’t change with the new Nokia 1.3. Coming with the Snapdragon 215 processor, the new affordable smartphone looks to carve a niche in the lower end for itself. The Snapdragon 215 is a quad core processor clocked at 1.3GHz; unlike it performance centric brethren, the 215 does not adopt a bigLITTLE configuration and is made of four Cortex A53 chips. This is supported by 16GB on on board storage and 1GB of RAM.
It comes with a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. The screen of the Nokia 1.3 will have a HD+ resolution of 720×1520 pixels with a pixel density of 295 pixels per inch. It will be powered by a 3,000 lithium polymer battery and have HMD’s signature all day battery life.
On the connectivity front, the Nokia 1.3 comes with support for WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2 LE and GPS. It also is 4G capable.
Camera Experience Powered by Google’s Camera GO
The new Nokia 1.3 is one of the first smartphones to come with Google’s new Camera GO app. The new Camera GO app is made to enable advanced features such as portrait shots on lower-end, sub USD$50 smartphones. The app plays well with Google’s Android GO, in fact, Google says that the app is deeply integrated with the system.
On the Nokia 1.3, the Camera GO app will be working with the single 8-megapixel sensor of the smartphone. It is autofocus capable and has HDR support. On the front, the Nokia 1.3 omes with a single 5-megapixel sensor.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia 1.3 will be available starting in April 2020. It will be availble in Cyan, Charcoal and Sand colours. It looks to be costing about € 95 (MYR 447.29).
HMD Global has arguably made Nokia phones a mid-range champion. The company brought back the Nokia brand with a bang with their first generation of Nokia Android smartphones, spearheaded by the original Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. Two years later, the company has stuck to its guns and launched the latest iteration of their mid-range champion, the Nokia 5.3
Like it’s predecessors, the Nokia 5.3 comes packs respectable specifications with a design language that has become a signature for Nokia smartphones. The new smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 and will be complemented with 64GB of internal storage. However, users will be able to chose between 3GB, 4GB, or 6GB of RAM. Storage is expandable through the microSD card slot.
The Android 10 touting smartphone will come with a 6.55-inch IPS LCD display with a HD+ resolution of 720×1600 pixels. It has a pixel density of 268 pixels per inch with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone will be running on the Adreno 610 graphics processing unit.
On the camera front, the Nokia 5.3 comes with a quad camera array. The main camera is 13-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 with support for Phase Detection Auto-focus (PDAF). This is complemented with a 5-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, 2-megapixel macro sensor and 2-megapixel depth sensor. It will be able to support Full HD 1080p video recording at 30 fps. On the front, the Nokia 5.3 is equipped with a 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.
Connectivity wise, the Nokia 5.3 will support WiFi 802.11b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 LE and GPS. It supports USB Type C but doesn’t seem to support fast charging.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia 5.3 will be available globally in April. It will come in Cyan, Sand and Charcoal. It looks to be costing about €189 (MYR 891.48).
No, please do not get the title wrong. The HUAWEI Mate Xs still does not have Google Play Store out of the box. Now that we got that out of the way, let us get right to it; HUAWEI’s very anticipated foldable smartphone is available for purchase in Malaysia today onward.
For the price of MYR 11,111, you are getting a piece of engineering
marvel that is the
HUAWEI Mate Xs starting from today. There is a problem, however. We are not
technically allowed out of our homes to buy a smartphone. Even if do get
outside, the shops are not even open. So, what is HUAWEI on about? How are they
selling their new smartphones?
Source: HUAWEI
Online is the word. Of course, selling smartphones online is
nothing new to HUAWEI. They have been doing it for years with their sister
brand HONOR. Of course, they have their own curated web store as well.
Obviously at this state, where no one can be out and about
doing their regular shopping, HUAWEI can only put the HUAWEI Mate Xs on sale on
the web store. So here it is, no launch gambit, no fancy roadshows; just a simple
product put online. A little underwhelming for the Mate Xs? Yes. Necessary? Yes
as well.
The HUAWEI Mate Xs – As Weird as Interstellar
The HUAWEI Mate Xs comes only in one colour option; that is Interstellar
Blue. As you can see in our hands-on video, with poor lighting, the device does
actually look quite good. If you must ask as well (of course, you would) it
really feels like a quality product like no other. The folding mechanism gives
you a load of confidence with the device, it has a solid resistance that gives
you a sense that this thing is meant to be folded in and out for a lifetime. Even
the crease is barely noticeable on the HUAWEI Mate Xs, less pronounced than,
let us say a Samsung Galaxy Fold.
Still, it is quite a different interpretation of what a foldable smartphone should look like. We like that about the HUAWEI Mate Xs. We also like the fact that it has a tonne of power and 5G connectivity thanks to the ultra-powerful HiSilicon Kirin 990 System on a Chip (SoC) with 8G of RAM and 512GB of storage. We like that the EMUI 10 (based on Android 10, by the way) that is on the device is optimised for multiwindow functionality.
We also like the fact that the device only features one display
(8-inch to 6-inch), which is technically cheaper and simpler to maintain. Although,
at this point, it is difficult to say thanks to the more ‘robust’ folding
mechanism. Also, not too sure about the battery life because it only has 4,500
mAh squeezed into its tight body. We are not saying that this is not impressive;
it is an impressive feat still.
As we mentioned before in our launch article as well, you only get a single array of cameras that you use for both main camera shots and selfies. That is, in our books, great as well; less things to worry about and you get a single camera quality instead of two different results on two different fronts. The HUAWEI Mate Xs has a main 40-Megapixel camera, a 16-Megapixel ultra-wide angle lens, an 8-Megapixel telephoto lens, and a Time of Flight sensor for even more stellar portraits and better auto focusing.
So, you can get your hands on the HUAWEI Mate Xs today for
MYR 11,111 from HUAWEI’s
one and only web store. With that purchase you get a free HUAWEI Freebuds 3
worth MYR 679. You also get an Envelope Leather Case for the device worth MYR
299. In the box itself you get a sort of shell to cover the sides of your new
smartphone and a pair of USB Type-C earphones. Oh right, this thing does not
have a 3.5mm headphone jack. You also get HUAWEI’s three months warranty on
your display, just in case. That warranty covers everything from drops to
whatever sort of accidental collisions the device might face within the three
months. It does not cover water damage though, and this is not an IP rated
device, so keep it away from coffee, or even rain.
HUAWEI VIP Home Delivery Service
Beyond that, you get to choose on the method of your receipt
of the device. Yes, you get to choose. You can be optimistic and tell the web
store that you will collect your HUAWEI Mate Xs at your preferred HUAWEI Store.
That is if you can find one that is open, or if you can wait until April for
the device. If not, you can choose for the HUAWEI Mate Xs to be delivered right
to your doorstep. They call it the HUAWEI VIP Home Delivery Service.
You can expect a man in tuxedos to arrive at your doorstep,
mask ready of course (health and safety requirement), and gloves. They would
ring your doorbell, and you answer the door greeted by an English accent and
your smartphone on a silver tray. They will sanitise the device in front of you
as well, just to add to the drama and show. Then you pick it up and feel like
the most important man in the world.
Source: HUAWEI
No, we are kidding. The face mask and sanitation procedures
are true though. Still, I would imagine that if you bought your smartphone you would
not be able to wait for it to get a first glimpse and hands-on with it. I
suggest you go for the delivery service, all you have to do is provide them
with your contact and delivery details anyway.
The HUAWEI Mate Xs is now on sale at HUAWEI’s online
web store. The highly anticipated smartphone will set you back MYR 11,111.
The free gifts mentioned are available for all purchases of the HUAWEI Mate Xs until
further noticed by HUAWEI. More information on their device can be found on HUAWEI’s Website.
Nokia’s brand has a long history in the telecommunications space. After a successful relaunch into the mobile industry a few years ago, HMD Global, is looking to up the ante with their first 5G device – the Nokia 8.3 5G. The company touts the Nokia 8.3 as their future-proof 5G smartphone.
The Nokia 8.3 will come packing the new Snapdragon 765G modular platform which allows for high performance that won’t break the bank. To this end, HMD has taken advantage the chip’s unique offerings to push Nokia devices forward. The new Nokia 8.3 is one of the first smartphones that will be equipped with the new Snapdragon 765G and will be 5G capable. In fact, it will support more bands across the TDD and FDD spectrum than any other devices.
The processor will be paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. It will also be able to support more memory through the use of microSD cards. It will come with a 6.81-inch IPS LCD display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It will retain the usual 20:9 aspect ratio with a pixel density of about 386 pixels per inch.
On the camera end, the Nokia 8.3 will be coming with a quad camera setup on the back. We’ve been hearing about it’s “Captain America Shield” design. It looks like that is the case with ZEISS branding in the middle. The Quad camera setup comes with a 64-megapixel main sensor. The sensor is a wide angled sensor with an f/1.89 aperture. The 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor is equipped with an f/2.2 aperture. These sensors are complemented by a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. All of these are, of course, ZEISS optics. HMD was also touting Log mode video capture on the 8.3 which will be able to bring cinema quality video to the smartphone. On the front, the 8.3 is equipped with a 24-megapixel selfie camera.
HMD Global talked about enhancing the camera experience on the Nokia 8.3 with new features. One of which is the new action cam mode which is similar to the super steady feature we’ve seen in other manufacturers. Of course, being a Nokia device, the smartphone is also capable of recording OZO audio which will support directional sound recording.
The Nokia 8.3 will be powered by a 4,500 mAh lithium polymer battery. HMD is confident the battery and software optimisations will allow the 8.3 to deliver on its “all day battery” promise. It also supports 18W fast charging. The 8.3 will be launching with Android 10 out of the box with the promise of 2 alphabet updates.
Pricing & Availability
The Nokia 8.3 is expected to be available sometime in March or early April in selected markets. It will be available in Polar Night, a deep shade of blue. Prices for the device will start at €599 (MYR 2,822.77).
If you have not known yet, Malaysia is on lock down from the
18th March 2020 all the way to the end of the month on the 31st
March 2020. Well, some may argue that it is not technically a lock down, rather
a restricted movement order. Whatever it is, the government has put their hammer
down and asks everyone that is not essential to the country’s main functions to
stay at home. We have stayed in for two days.
While the news for COVID-19 remains as bleak as ever, there
are still some that aims to cheer the people up. Life goes on as well for everyone,
HUAWEI is soon releasing their foldable Mate Xs still into the market, despite
the lock down. HMD and Xiaomi is still going ahead with their global smartphone
launch; although this has nothing to do with Malaysia’s lock down. Stores are
still operating in full capacity. Except, everyone is online now.
OPPO is one such brand that is still doing business as usual
online. They are soon releasing the OPPO Find X2 Pro 5G on the 21st
of March 2020. They have also just launched their new entry-level smartphone,
the OPPO A91 into the market with the help of Lazada and Shopee; their online
marketplace partners. They are not stopping there though. For the period of the
lock down (19th March 2020 – 31st March 2020) they are giving
out massive discounts in their own web store.
Considering that, it would be quite selfish of us to not
share what they have in store for you. Here are the five things we thought you
might want to buy for the lock down. Keep in mind there are no particular standings
to the listed items.
A little about the history of OPPO. They did not really
start with manufacturing smartphones. They were initially a digital audio
company. They started life as OPPO Electronics making high-end earphones, amps,
and speakers. They were good at that too. They made the iconic OPPO PM-1. (PM
for Planar Magentic) headphones. In MYR, they were worth more than 10,000.
Sadly they went out of production.
Still, the legacy of their audio expertise live on with the OPPO
Enco Free True Wireless earphones. The OPPO Enco Free TWS earphones is worth
MYR 599. With the battery case, it offers up to 25 hours of music playback. The
earphones itself gives you 5 hours of music playback, which also means the little,
compact case gives you five four extra charges.
With Binaural Bluetooth transmission on top of the Bluetooth 5.0, OPPO’s Enco Free ensures that you have a constant and stable feed of music from your connected smartphone. Yes, it does sound good too with a large (for an in-ear earphone) 13.4mm driver stuck within its slim body. The stems are also touch buttons that supports slide gestures or even touch gestures. Plus, the interchangeable silicon tips ensure that you get a good fit and that your Enco Free does not drop off. Of course, it makes a great wireless earpiece too.
In this case, we did not mention a specific model. There is a reason for that. The reason is that it is quite difficult to choose, for us anyway.
The OPPO Find X2 series is a flagship series that is two years
in waiting. The pro version is only coming on the 21st of March
2020. But that does not mean that you should not get the regular OPPO Find X2. The differences, though can be quite an upgrade
in experience, is minute enough that you can consider saving MYR 600 and get
the OPPO Find X2. You only get one different lens, a battery that is 60mAh
smaller, and a smaller memory module.
Both devices are great devices though. Both supports 5G connectivity so you have the option to upgrade to a 5G SIM card once its available. Both pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 for good measure. Both are ultra-smooth operators with 6.7-inch AMOLED QHD+ display that refreshes at 120Hz and samples at 240Hz. Both have the same great 48-Megapixel main shooter. What more could you want from a flagship?
It is important to keep yourself active and find ways to exercise at home in the lock down period. These two weeks at home can make a person lazy very fast. There are tonnes of home exercises you can do as well. There are tonnes of them you can find online. That is easy enough then.
What is difficult is keeping your progress in check. You
need a fitness tracker for that one. But what is the use of a fitness tracker
that you only use for two weeks? You should get one that would last you even
longer than two weeks. You should get one that you can take even up the mountains
when you go for a hike. You should get the Coros Pace from OPPO’s web store.
The Coros Pace is hardly a smartwatch. There is no Bluetooth connectivity on it either. It does have GPS/GLONASs though. That means that the watch can trace your steps to form a running or cycling map for you. Like any fitness tracker too, you get an accurate heart rate monitor. It will also go deep into the water with you with 5 ATM water resistance rating. Of course, it tells time. What is amazing about this fitness tracker is that it will last you up to 50 days (in UltraMax GPS mode, up to 30 days in regular use).
Regular fitness trackers are not your thing? No problem, you
go for the WeLoop XH3 smartwatch. One
big plus side; it is cheaper than the Coros Pace, a whole lot cheaper.
Cheap does not mean bad though. The square face displays everything
that you need. It is even a touch screen so interaction with it is simple. Being
a smartwatch, you can connect it to your smartphone and work as your notifier
with vibrations and what not.
Of course, this works as your fitness tracker too. It has a heart rate monitor on its back, it has got all the right motion sensors to keep your movements recorded and decoded correctly, it connects to all the popular fitness apps you can find on your smartphone, and for good measure you can take it swimming too. Beyond all that, it can last you up to 40 days on a single charge. That eliminates the need of plugging it into a charge constantly or every night. A watch should not have to be kept on a charger, it should be worn, and this is designed to be worn
OPPO has a accessories arm called Olike. They make things
like powerbank, TWS earphones, and Bluetooth Headphones and even regular
earphones. They also make cables, good cables.
One thing that all of us in the tech industry can agree on
is that you can never have too many spare cables. There is pain in looking for
the right cables when you need a charge of your powerbank or even your friend’s
powerbank. Even when you want to leech off your friend’s PC for more juice, you
always need a cable.
Having your own cable also means that it is one less thing
to worry about when you need power. Plus, when you take a photo and need to
offload it for post processing on your PC, it is always good to know you have a
cable somewhere in your bag.
Olike cables are reasonably priced and they work well too. We especially like their braided cables because they feel like they can last forever. They support all kinds of fast charging too, so even if you are using a Qualcomm Fast Charge 3.0, or OPPO’s VOOC charging, you are safe with Olike cables.
Codes Codes Codes
Source: OPPO
What was the point of all this again? Oh yes, OPPO is giving
out discounts in their own web store. The discounts are not reflected on the store
though unless you have a discount code. What discount codes?
Code
Voucher Worth (MYR)
Limitations
TechENTIOT50
50
Enco Q1 & Enco Free
TechENTOPPO20
20
Phones below RM600
TechENTOPPO50
50
Phones from RM600 to RM999
TechENTOPPO100
100
Phones from RM1000 to RM1999
TechENTOPPO200
200
Phones RM2000 and above
TechENTxOPPOFindX2
250
FindX2 and Find X2 Pro
We have you covered. Now you can go shop. More information
on products can be found on OPPO’s website.
