Watching Netflix on your mobile device is one of the many conveniences that online streaming brings. However, there is nothing worse than having your viewing experience being disrupted by an accidental touch or if someone touches your screen. Netflix knows this too! That’s why the company is introducing a new feature: screen lock.
The new Screen Lock feature has apparently silently made its way to the Netflix app on Android. It essentially makes the screen irresponsive when touched while you’re watching shows – as the name suggests. This feature is a welcomed addition for users who, like many of us at techENT, tend to watch shows on our tablets or smartphones.
Source: 9to5Google.com
Enabling screen lock removes the whole Netflix UI. This includes the play and pause button, timeline scrubber and replaces it with a lock icon. You will need to double tap the lock to get back the regular Netflix UI. As of writing this story, the feature has yet to make it to iOS.
The new feature comes on the heels of Netflix’s announcement of enhanced parental controls. The enhanced controls were introduced as a way for parents to be more at ease with their children using the app as the world deals with the current pandemic.
It’s been a while since there was any news on a Motorola flagship. It’s last big flagship was the MotoMods touting Moto Z4. Since then, the company has been invested in their mid-range offerings with the Moto G series, which got a stylus in one of the more recent releases; and it’s Motorola One series. The last Motorola branded smartphone to reach Malaysia was the Motorola One Power which was sold through online shopping platform, Shopee.
This year, the now Lenovo owned Motorola Mobility looks to be reentering the flagship race with a new contender: the Motorola Edge+. If you’re asking where’s the “Moto” brand, it seems like the new flagship will be leaving the moniker behind. However, it’s also taking specs and features more seriously than any other Motorola flagship in recent years.
Built to Impress: The Motorola Edge+
The new Motorola Edge+ doesn’t hold back when it comes to specifications. It packs the cutting edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with 12GB of DDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage. They’re using the UFS3.0 for internal memory. The combination makes the Motorola Edge one of the most powerful flagship devices on the market. Coming equipped with 5G connectivity, the Edge+ is Motorola’s first 5G smartphone.
The display on the Edge+ comes with a curved, 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2340×1080 pixels. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The display is also HDR10+ certified. Their Endless Edge display wraps nearly 90-degrees around the long sides of the device. Their display is also one of the cornerstones of the their new MyUX experience which allows users to customize how they are able to interact with their phones. From gestures to pull down the notification shade by swiping and even lighting up for notifications, Motorola is looking to make a large device more functional with one hand.
A Camera Experience That Makes Sense
The Motorola Edge+ comes with the same camera 108-megapixel module that we’ve seen in recent flagships including the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi 10. It has the quad pixel technology that we’ve been hearing about. In essence, this technology combines 4 pixels to increase the amount of light being captured. This is complemented with an 8-megapixel sensor with a telephoto lens capable of 3x optical zoom; a 16-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide lens with a 117° field of view; and a time of flight sensor.
Cameras on the Motorola Edge+ will be able to shoot 6K video video footage. Users will also be able to take 20-megapixel pictures while shooting video. The camera array also has dual OIS on the main and telephoto lenses to minimise shaking. Motorola is touting that the Edge+ comes with the most advanced stabilisation which combines OIS and EIS for superior video stabilization. The front camera is a 25-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.0.
Motorola is looking to give one of the most well rounded experiences on a smartphone with the Edge+. To that end, the company has said that it has equipped the smartphone with the loudest, most powerful dual speaker setup and a 3.5mm jack. The sound experience on the Edge+ also calibrated by GRAMMY Award winning company, Waves.
The Edge+ comes with Bluetooth 5.1 LE, NFC and WiFi 6 connectivity. Also along for the ride is a USB Type C (3.1) connection. It is equipped with an on-screen fingerprint sensor. It is also touting a 5000mAh battery which has support for 18W fast charging, 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse charging. The Edge+ is also rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.
Scaled Back for Affordability: the Motorola Edge
Along with the Motorola Edge+, the company announced a scaled back version called the Motorola Edge. While the phone keeps the ethos of the new flagship device, the company has scaled specifications back a little bit to keep the price more affordable.
The Motorola Edge will be coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor paired with 6GB of DDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS2.1 on-board storage. It also has a smaller battery at 4,500mAh which has support for 15W fast charging. However, it will not support wireless and reverse charging.
The camera module on the Edge is a triple sensor setup with a smaller 64-megapixel sensor. It also lacks the time of flight sensor from the Edge+. The phone also doesn’t support WiFi 6. Instead, it supports WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. It also comes with a USB Type C (2.0) instead and is only rated IP54 for dust and water resistance.
However, both versions will be coming equipped with Android 10 with Motorola’s near stock experience.
Pricing & Availability
The Motorola Edge will be available in Europe starting in May, 2020 for €699 (USD$767/MYR3,298). It will be making its way to markets in Latin America, Asia Pacific and the United States shortly after. It will be available in Solar Black and Midnight Magenta.
The Motorola Edge+ will be heading to the U.S. on May 14, 2020. It will be retailing at USD$999 (MYR4,354). The Edge+ will be available in Thunder Grey and Smoky Sangria. It is confirmed to be heading to India and select Latin American markets.
No news just yet on the Edge and Edge+ coming to Malaysia.
We started this journey over two weeks ago. We also switched to a HUAWEI P40 Pro review unit last week as an HMS test device on a full-time basis. Starting it up and starting afresh, we thought we might want to give the HUAWEI device the best chance it has to stack up against all the other Android devices we encountered. That is why, rather than loading it with the set-up we had on the HUAWEI Nova 7i, we went with Phone Clone to get it to clone a HUAWEI Mate 20X I owned.
The result of that was the transfer of more than just the apps we had on the HUAWEI Nova 7i. We had more than we bargained with Prime Video and Telegram ported in. We had Facebook and Instagram ported too, alongside some of our favourite games like Brawl Starts and PUBG Mobile. More about Phone Clone app and the HUAWEI P40 Pro in our in-depth review later though. Note that the HUAWEI P40 Pro is a review unit and it is due for a return soon. So we only have a limited time with HUAWEI’s latest photography king and switch back to the Nova 7i.
Phone Clone is The Way to Go
The point is you can still run Android apps on the HUAWEI’s EMUI 10. It is still an Android 10 device after all. Well, just be sure that everything runs nicely. We found that Instagram will not turn over on the HUAWEI P40 Pro. It could just be a device issue, but that is quite annoying to us. The upgrade also comes with a big step up in the camera of course. But that is not our focus today.
The focus today is to test it out as a daily driver for the week. We popped in the YES 4G SIM card we had for our review devices and its ready to roll. Okay, it is ready to somewhat roll.
Of course, we had our concerns with the apps. For one, there is now no official support for the apps. Where do we update the apps? How do we update the apps? If I’m transferring WhatsApp from my older device, do I use Gmail still? We may not be able to answer all the questions you and I have.
Right out of the box, if you did not use Phone Clone to copy your WhatsApp data over to your new HUAWEI device, you are going to lose everything. If you use Phone Clone and WhatsApp did not copy its complete data over, you lose everything. There is no carry over of backup data because HUAWEI cannot back up to Gmail now. It is like switching from an Apple device to Android device. That is kind of a bummer.
We found a solution to that though, from HUAWEI’s own community site. It is not the simplest instructions to follow, because there is a lot of navigation around restoring your WhatsApp data in your HUAWEI smartphone. If you want to give it try you can head to their website. It still works (sort of) on the HUAWEI Nova 7i and HUAWEI P40 Pro as well. So that should not be too big of an issue.
We found that installing Google Drive may not work as well, because you cannot actually sign into your Google account. That, and a lot of other Google apps. At least you get your WhatsApp chat history back, right? You have to jump through some hoops, yes; but it works.
We did not manage to get Netflix ported over, or even working for that matter. At least Amazon’s Prime Video works well though. We cannot tell if it is only streaming in HD quality or not, but it works at least, and that is now part of our entertainment.
The next challenge is to update the apps. For that, we started using APKPure and Aptoide. Mind you, you cannot get these two app markets on AppGallery too, so you have to download them from their respective mirror sites.
New in AppGallery
Since we last spoke about the AppGallery though, there has been some additions to the ecosystem. There are some new apps there and here. A lot of which, we are not concerned about. One of which, could be interesting for residents of Malaysia. The MySejahtera app developed by Malaysia’s ministry of health to keep yourself in check of your own health status in the COVID-19 situation now. Of course, during the Movement Control Order restrictions now, food is important, and you have Dahmakan app in the HUAWEI device anyway. Nope, no others so far. Not even Grab.
You could, theoretically get Grab working on your HUAWEI through Phone Clone as well. Again, there is going to be update issues later. But I guess we can cross that bridge when we get there.
Still, if you are going to rely on the AppGallery solely, Dahmakan is your best friend.
Quick Apps is a function that is on the HUAWEI AppGallery and a feature like no other. It is a sort of ‘pre-installed’ kit for devices with the AppGallery. They idea is that you can just access the Quick Apps gallery, pick the apps you want to use, and launch it without installing it. Where is it installed? In the cloud perhaps. But the essential point is that you can just use the apps as long as you are connected to the internet.
That is what the McDonald’s app is on the HUAWEI AppGallery, a Quick App. Of course, you need an active internet connection anyway for the app to work in the first place, so it does make plenty of sense. It also does not take up any space on your smartphone which is quite clever as well; a way to save storage space on your smartphone, if you might.
You can even add the app on your home screen so you can access it again anytime after your first visit. Just hit the app menu and add it to your home screen, very easy. We are not sure it is the most convenient way to discover an app though, because it is lodged very far down the AppGallery. You have to scroll all the way down to find the separate Quick Apps gallery.
Still, better than nothing right? There are plenty games within that gallery, none of which we play. Because the AppGallery is not segregated from one country to another yet, you can also find some broadcast apps on the platform. It is an interesting platform, if used correctly. Why not have WhatsApp there too? That is an idea.
Sidestepping the first issue which sees Google and Apple aiming to implement their feature directly on a device’s operating system while the NHSX version requires a downloadable dedicated application, this article will focus on the issue of privacy arising from the second issue.
In essence, Apple and Google have insisted that if there is to be any collaboration between the NHSX and them for the purposes of contact tracing the storage of all data will have to be decentralised. The NHSX, on the other hand, is pushing for centralised storage of data.
What’s the difference?
Before deciding on one system or another, it’s best to understand the basics of the distinction between these systems.
A centralised system has a single storage point and controller of the data collected. The central controller of the data may grant access to other users but remains ultimately responsible for the system as a whole. A centralized system is relatively easy to set up and can be developed quickly. Such a system is very useful where continuous modifications to the parameters of the system are expected or where the use of the data needs to be adapted for different purposes.
In contrast, a decentralised system has multiple controllers of data all of whom collect and store copies of the data on their respective systems. This system allows for quicker access to data and less risk of downtime as a fault with one controller will not necessarily affect the others.
The third form known as a distributed system in which there is no single central owner at all and instead gives collective ownership and control to each user on the network is unlikely to be used by either party.
Each system has its advantages and disadvantages and to make a decision between a centralised and a decentralised system the NHS and the tech giants will need to take into consideration a range of issues including:-
The overall effectiveness of the technology;
The adaptability of the system to the shifting demands of research;
The cost of deployment and maintenance;
Whether or not the system is a security risk for the user;
Whether there are compliance concerns.
Why is a decentralised system so important?
Google and Apple have been clear that the reason for a proposed decentralised system is to avoid the risk of mass government surveillance presently or in the future. This is a genuine concern as the data being collected will be directly related to a user’s location and medical history. Although not absent from criticism, this position is the preferred option and has been supported by academics and numerous civil rights groups including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Still, the European position is split with the seven governments supporting the project known as the Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (PEPP-PT) which proposes a centralised repository of data and a growing following for the Decentralised Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing (DP-3T) advocating a decentralised system.
The NHS itself may not be intent on surveillance however being publicly funded draws immediate speculation to its government links. In addition, both the NHS and the UK government have had a poor record of handling large scale IT projects such as the failed £11bn National Programme for IT, scrapped in 2011 and the plans for a paperless NHS by 2018 which could not even take off.
What about the NHS position?
Unfortunately, the focus on privacy risks coupled with the NHS’s bad track record in the field of technology projects have detracted from the core issue at hand – What does the NHS need right now to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus?
Ross Anderson, an advisor to the NHS on its contact tracing application highlighted the problem with a decentralised system:-
“…on the systems front, decentralised systems are all very nice in theory but are a complete pain in practice as they’re too hard to update. We’re still using Internet infrastructure from 30 years ago (BGP, DNS, SMTP…) because it’s just too hard to change… Relying on cryptography tends to make things even more complex, fragile and hard to change. In the pandemic, the public health folks may have to tweak all sorts of parameters weekly or even daily. You can’t do that with apps on 169 different types of phone and with peer-to-peer communications.”
The Covid-19 virus took approximately 2 months to infect 100,000 UK residents and the spread has shown few signs of a slowing infection rate. Time is critical in this situation and correspondingly, flexibility in adapting to the constantly changing nature of the infection is a necessity. Decentralised systems do not allow for rapid evolution.
In addition, we should consider that unlike centralised systems, decentralised systems are often unencrypted. While trying to prevent a government from carrying out surveillance, the Google and Apple system may inadvertently open itself up to more security problems than expected. In fact, they have themselves admitted this risk stating that nothing is “unhackable”.
As a second consideration, the API that Google and Apple will release will likely have strict limitations on the type of data that may be collected. For example, the NHS would not be able to gather a list of every person a user has been in contact with based on user proximity. Instead, it will utilise a more manual version of contact tracing involving sending every phone in the system a list of other phones that have been reported as contagious, and asking the user whether they have “seen this user” Such a system relies heavily on user verification which is often incorrect or simply disregarded.
Key location data which may be used for developing population flow maps and anticipating the further spread of the virus will likely not be made available under Google and Apple’s current proposal. It is also important to note that data from contact tracing could be used beyond the scope of curbing the spread of the virus i.e. for decisions on directing the flow of emergency aid, development of temporary healthcare facilities, deployment of healthcare equipment and personnel.
What has been going on elsewhere?
Contrasting the UK’s situation, the Asian experience, having less stringent data protection regulations, have taken remarkably different approaches to Europe in general.
Hong Kong, for example, introduced the mandatory use of an electronic wristband connected to a smartphone application to enforce quarantine for arrivals from overseas. Users refusing to adopt this requirement are refused entry into the country.
South Korea won praise for both tracking and publishing data relating to affected person’s travel routes and affected areas, the data being collected through the government’s application as well as numerous independent applications. Residents also receive numerous location-based emergency messages and are not allowed to opt-out of this function.
China’s measures, which have come under considerable question, see a private entity collaboration through the Alipay Health Code. Citizens are given a ‘traffic light’ status that determines the restrictions that will be imposed on them. Although the exact basis for determining a person’s status is not known the status has widespread application including restriction of access to certain public facilities and payment systems.
Privacy concerns of these measures aside, all these countries have seen a considerable reduction in the spread of the Covid-19 virus. While it would be premature to suggest that this is solely attributable to the contact tracing measures implemented there is no doubt that the quick and extensive deployment of the technology has contributed to the battle against the virus’ spread which begs the question:
Is privacy getting in the way?
In 1890, Brandais and Wallace, pioneers of modern day privacy wrote:-
“…To determine in advance of experience the exact line at which the dignity and convenience of the individual must yield to the demands of the public welfare or of private justice would be a difficult task…”
The UK and indeed Europe are at this juncture and need to decide on the cost of the compromise as the death toll and infection rate continue to increase. History reminds us that the greatest privacy and surveillance violations occurred when the world was focused on a raging war and in fact it is times like this that we must be most vigilant about rights.
It seems like Google may have a little bit of a problem when it comes to Android. There are an increasing number of reports coming in from users about random app freezes and UI lock ups. These reports were initially thought to be isolated to Google’s Pixel devices. However, OnePlus and Xiaomi users have begun reporting the issue too.
We're also looking into the horrible Play Store My Apps performance issues, and I'll be trying to reproduce both together on video in the coming days.
Here's the first try today showing
1) My Apps locking up badly after pressing Update 2) The Home button completely unresponsive pic.twitter.com/N1X0b1tQdv
The bug appears to be initiated by an app freezing. This has been reported to cause the whole Android UI to freeze up; leaving the device unusable. So far, users have been able to alleviate the issue by simply turning off the display and locking the device. Unlocking the device thereafter solves the problem. The bug can also be dealt with by pulling the notification shade down by using the fingerprint sensor. However, this is not supported on all devices.
The issue was highlighted on Twitter by user @ArtemR and @CBuzle. However, it seems like the issue has been around for quite a while. Staff from Android Authority and Android Police have reported the issue as well. The issue doesn’t seem to be linked to any one OEM or company as it even occurs on devices with Nova Launcher and Action Launcher. Most commonly, the issue occurs when YouTube, Amazon, Twitter, YouTube Music and the Play Store are in use. However, reports of it occurring while using other apps are increasing.
It looks like the issue seems to be plaguing devices running on Android 10. However, Android Police notes that there has been a report of it occurring on a Pixel 3 running the Android 11 developer preview. They also note that the issue seems to be similar to a memory management bug that was seemingly fixed with the December 2019 patch from Google.
After months in the rumour mill as the OPPO Reno3 Youth, it looks like the OPPO Find X2 Lite is now official. The Find X2 Lite has been launched in Portugal and should see its way to other markets pretty soon.
The Find X2 Lite comes with a smaller 6.4-inch AMOLED display with a a dew drop notch for the selfie camera. The display has a Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It has dual SIM capabilities and will be able to support 5G connectivity thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. This will be supported by 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
On the camera front, the selfie camera of the Find X2 Lite is a 32-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. The main camera is a quad camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.7 aperture. This is complemented with an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, 2-megapixel monochrome sensor and an additional 2-megapixel depth sensor. The main camera supports 4K UHD recording and has gyro electronic image stabilisation (EIS).
It’s powered by a 4,025mAh battery with support for VOOC 4.0 Fast Charging. It has support for Bluetooth 5.0 LE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (WiFi 6) and 4G LTE connectivity.
Pricing & Availability
The OPPO Find X2 Lite will be retailing for EUR€499 (USD$542/MYR2,370.10). It will be available in Moonlight Black and Pearl White.
The device isn’t available for pre-order just yet in Portugal but OPPO Portugal has already opened registration of interest for the country. No word if the device will see a release elsewhere either.
Samsung has announced a new tablet in their line up, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. The new tablet complements their recently announced Galaxy Tab S6. The S6 Lite brings most of the Tab S6’s cutting edge features at a more affordable price point.
The new Galaxy Tab S6 lite will be running on Android 10 with One UI 2. This will be powered by an octacore Exynos 9611 processor with 4GB of RAM with either 64GB or 128GB of internal memory. The setup promises a pretty comparable experience to the Tab S6 and other competitors on paper.
Samsung is focusing on productivity and entertainment with the S6 Lite. It has equipped the tablet with AKG tuned dual speakers as well as a large 10.40inch TFT screen. It has a WUXGA resolution of 1200 x 2000 pixels and a pixel density of about 224 ppi. In addition, Samsung is bundling 4 months of YouTube Premium with the Tab S6 Lite. Spotify also integrates seamlessly into the new One UI setup on the Tab S6 Lite.
The Tab S6 Lite will also be coming with an S Pen in the box. You won’t need to worry about losing your S Pen as it will be able to stick to your tablet thanks to a magnetised right side. The S Pen comes with all the bells and whistles that come with the S Pen on the Note 10 series. However, given the camera setup of the S6 lite, we doubt it will have the AR features. That said, if you want to enhance your productivity even more, you’ll be able to get an optional keyboard magnetised case for the tablet.
The camera setup on the Tab S6 lite is a single 8-megapixel sensor on the back. This sensor comes with a wide lens and has a 1.12µm pixel size. It is capable of shooting 1080p at 30fps. On the front is a 5-megapixel sensor capable of shooting in 1080p at 30fps. These cameras should be able to handle most of what you need a camera to on tablet.
On the connectivity front, the tablet supports 4G LTE connectivity and also dual band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. It also has support for Bluetooth 5.0 LE and WiFi Direct. It is powered by a 7,040 mAh battery with Adaptive Fast Charging.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite will go on sale starting in Q2 2020 (April – June 2020) priced from USD$349 (MYR1,526.54). It will be available in Oxford Gray, Angora Blue and Chiffon Rose.
Last week, two of the biggest tech companies, Google and Apple, announced that they would be working together to help address the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the companies announced a cross-platform API that would allow for better contact tracing. The companies also mentioned that they would be working with government bodies, non-government organisations (NGOs) and other orgranisations to develop the APIs.
That effort may have just hit its first snag in the United Kingdom (UK). in report published by The Guardian, the NHSX, the digitization arm of the National Health Service (NHS), and Google and Apple are at an impasse. The main issue seems to be related to the way data is collected and access to the data. In their announcement, the two tech companies were adamant that the development of their API will keep user privacy intact. This would mean that the data that is collected in a decentralised way; limiting what data is visible and what can be done with it. The NHS, however, is looking to collect data with a centralised database.
While the two approaches seem to a menial issue when it comes to the bigger picture, a decentralised approach to collecting data will allow better user privacy by limiting who has access to the data. Essentially, this will keep the data within the same device. However, using the NHS’s approach of having a centralised database, the data can then be viewed in aggregate. It also means that data is continuously communicated over the internet which can lead to more security concerns.
That said, with the new APIs begin developed by Google and Apple for Android and iOS, these contact tracing applications would be able to run in a more power efficient way. With the current restrictions on the way device features are used on the operating systems, the NHS’s app would be rendered near useless as it would need to be “active” to be able to use features like Bluetooth. This would mean that the apps would, in essence, force devices to maintain an open Bluetooth connection to help do the contact tracing. The fact that the app would need to be active to effectively contact trace, introduces a potentially huge backdoor for hackers and malefactors to take advantage of. However, using the approach being used by the APIs, this wouldn’t happen. It would use operating system access to trigger the Bluetooth when needed.
It seems that the NHS was hoping that these limitations would be eased up on for contact tracing purposes. However, Apple and Google are adamant in maintaining their limitations. In fact, Google has gone on record to say that the limitations are being maintained to prevent the abuse of functionality; in particular for surveillance purposes. On the other hand, the limitations also pose a data collection conundrum for bodies like the NHS. The extra data that they get from their approach would allow tracking of population flows, “near misses” and even contacts from those who have opted to share their data.
Malaysia and Singaore have released their own contact tracing apps in the Apple App Store and Google Playstore. The MySejahtera app and TraceTogether respectively have been deployed by the governments in those countries to help with managing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease. However, the apps have seen limited adoption among the general public. The TraceTogether app is already known to use Bluetooth to Bluetooth communication to help with contact tracing. The data collected by the app is stored in a centralized server similar to how the NHS wants to implement its app. This could be one of the factors of the app’s limited adoption.
Samsung has released the Galaxy S10 Lite equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. The processor is paired with a minimum of 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage and up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. A new and improved triple main camera consisting of a 48MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro camera. For the selfie camera, it gets a 32 MP wide camera. Packing a relatively large-sized 4,500 mAh battery that could last you the entire day.
Coming in three different beautiful colours of Prism White, Prism Black, and Prism Blue. It is Priced at MYR 2,699 in Malaysia and USD$649 in the US. Will the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite live up to its other S10 Series? Is this Samsung’s answer to go against Chinese’s smartphone flagships?
The HONOR brand has always been known for bringing devices with great value for money and killer specs. Their flagship devices always bring top of the line specifications with a price point that makes them even more compelling. This year, the company is looking to do this with the HONOR 30 Series. Their latest flagship which refocuses their line up on smartphone photography.
The HONOR 30 series consists of three devices: the HONOR 30, HONOR 30 PRO and the HONOR 30 PRO+. The new line up is HONOR’s first to carry the Kirin 990 and Kirin 985 processors. The new 7nm chipsets bring 5G capabilities and better power efficiency. In fact, the HONOR 30 is the first smartphone to carry the all new Kirin 985 processor. The HONOR 30 PRO and PRO+ will be running on the Kirin 990 processor.
When it comes to display, the HONOR 30 PRO+ is the only one in the range which comes with 90Hz refresh. Other than that, the HONOR 30 series comes with an OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The HONOR 30 comes with a smaller 6.53-inch display while the PRO and PRO+ come with a larger 6.57-inch display. Across the series, the displays have a Full HD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels.
On the memory side of things, the 30 will be equipped with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM while the PRO will only come with 8GB of RAM while the PRO+ will come with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. The 30 and 30 PRO will be pairing their RAM with either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage while the PRO+ will be only have 256GB of internal storage. This is expandable with HUAWEI’s proprietary NM card.
As mentioned earlier, the HONOR 30 range is refocusing the company’s flagship series on photography. The 30 is equipped with a quad camera setup. The camera setup consists of a 40-megapixel RYYB sensor, a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. However, the PRO and PRO+ versions of the HONOR 30 come with a 50-megapixel RYYB sensor for the main sensor; specifically the Sony IMX700. They also retain all the same telephoto lens but have a larger 16-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. The PRO and PRO+ come with only a triple camera setup unlike the quad camera on the HONOR 30. All these devices are capable of 50x hybrid zoom.
On the front, the 30 PRO and PRO+ come with a dual sensor setup with a 32-megapixel sensor paired with an 8-megapixel sensor. The HONOR 30 is equipped with a single 32-megapixel sensor.
The HONOR 30 series is the company’s first to come with 5G connectivity. This includes mmWave and sub-6 connectivity. The series comes with dual SIM capabilities and is powered by a 4000mAH battery with support for 40W SuperCharge. Wireless charging is only supported on the HONOR 30 PRO+. It also supports WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 LE. The series will be running Android 10 with Magic UI 3.1.
Pricing & Availability
The HONOR 30 and 30 PRO will be available in three colours: Emerald Green, Icelandic Frost, Neon Purple and Midnight Black. While the HONOR 30 PRO+ seems to have an additional Titanium Silver edition with the brand inscribed. Pre-order have already begun in China with the device scheduled to be available starting on 21 April.
