Huawei silently launched its Mate60 series, featuring Harmony OS, a whole new set of XMAGE cameras and even 5G
Source: HUAWEI VMALL
In a rather uncharacteristic move, Huawei has quietly rolled out its latest additions to the smartphone arena – the Huawei Mate60 Pro and the Mate60. Let’s dive into what makes these devices worth the buzz.
HUAWEI Mate60 Pro
The Mate60 Pro comes with a 6.82-inch 10-bit LTPO OLED screen boasting a resolution of 2720 x 1260 pixels complete with an adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate. Huawei has also integrated a second-generation Kunlun Glass for added durability.
Source: HUAWEI VMALL
Source: HUAWEI VMALL
Source: HUAWEI VMALL
Source: HUAWEI VMALL
However, it’s the triple punch holes at the top of the display that steal the spotlight. Here, Huawei houses the selfie camera and a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor. This clever setup enables facial recognition and Face ID-like features. The 13 MP ultrawide selfie camera, paired with sensors and lasers, ensures sharp and secure face mapping.
Flipping the phone reveals a circular camera module housing three more cameras. The headliner is a 50-megapixel main camera with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF). The camera setup was previously featured in the Mate50 Pro and P60 Pro. The 50-megapixel sensor features a variable aperture ranging from f/1.4-f/4.0 variable aperture. This is complemented by a 12-megapixel, ultrawide-angle camera with an f/2.2 lens and a third 48-megapixel sensor with an f/3.0 telephoto lens with OIS and AF.
Source: HUAWEI VMALL
The Mate60 Pro even features satellite messaging capabilities. However, this feature is only available in China.l The Pro also sports a 5,000 mAh battery that supports rapid 88W wired and 50W wireless charging, as well as 20W reverse wireless charging.
Huawei’s Mate60 series is launching with HarmonyOS 4. making it the first device to showcase this UI out of the box. While the phone’s chipset remains undisclosed, it is rumoured to feature an in-house Kirin 9000S processor with eight CPU cores, including a Cortex-A78, three more Cortex-A78 performance cores, and four efficiency Cortex-A510 cores, all powered by a Maleoon 910 GPU.
Huawei Mate 60
The Mate60 shares many features with its Pro sibling. However, there are a few differences that set it apart.
The display on the Mate60 is a 6.69-inch LTPO OLED with a resolution of 1216 x 2688 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. Like the Mate 60 Pro, it also features second-gen Kunlun Glass for added protection.
Source: HUAWEI VMALL
The camera setup is slightly different, with a 12-megapixel periscope offering 5x optical zoom replacing the 48-megapixel telephoto lens found on the Mate 60 Pro. The main 50-megapixel camera with a variable f/1.4-f/4.0 aperture and the 12-megapixel ultrawide modules are the same.
The Mate60 is likely powered by the same in-house Kirin 9000S SoC as its Pro counterpart and features 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. Its 4,750 mAh battery supports 66W wired charging, offering a slightly reduced charging speed compared to the Pro model.
Like the Mate60 Pro, it supports satellite messaging in China and comes in four colour options.
Pricing & Availability
The HUAWEI Mate60 Pro comes in an array of striking colours including White, Green, Purple, and Black, with glass or faux leather materials. Prices for the Mate60 Pro start at CNY 6,999 (USD$960/MYR4,468.68) for the 512GB version. The regular Mate60 comes in at CNY 5,999 ($824/MYR3,830.21).
Huawei has not divulged any plans for an international launch.
Huawei is making headlines once again with two significant developments that promise to reshape its future trajectory. From securing a cross-licensing agreement with Ericsson to the exciting resurrection of Kirin chips, Huawei is demonstrating its commitment to collaboration and innovation.
Cross-Licensing Agreement with Ericsson
Huawei partners up with Ericcson via cross-licensing. Image source: GSMArena
Huawei, a global technology giant, recently inked a cross-licensing agreement with Ericsson, a leading telecommunications equipment provider. This move is poised to have far-reaching implications in the realm of essential telecommunication standards. But what exactly does this agreement entail?
Simply put, a cross-licensing agreement allows both Huawei and Ericsson to access each other’s patents and technologies, fostering a spirit of cooperation rather than competition. The agreement covers the sharing of technologies between the two giants that covers standards such as 3GPP, ITU, IEEE, and IETF for 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular technologies.
One of the primary benefits of this agreement is the potential to reduce patent-related disputes and legal battles, which have plagued the tech industry in recent years. By sharing their intellectual property, Huawei and Ericsson aim to accelerate the pace of innovation and ensure that consumers worldwide benefit from cutting-edge technologies without unnecessary hindrances.
The Resurrection of Kirin Chips
In another intriguing twist, Huawei is reportedly reviving its Kirin chipset series. The Kirin chips were highly regarded for their impressive performance and power efficiency until they faced disruptions due to U.S. sanctions. Now, Huawei is making strides to reintroduce these chips into the market.
The resurrection of Kirin chips marks Huawei’s determination to regain its foothold in the smartphone industry. These chips are known for their exceptional AI capabilities, which contribute to improved device performance and energy efficiency. Huawei’s decision to revive Kirin reflects its commitment to providing consumers with top-tier, in-house developed hardware.
Huawei strategic moves to become an industry leader
In conclusion, Huawei’s recent moves demonstrate its strategic vision and commitment to advancing technology in collaboration with industry peers. The cross-licensing agreement with Ericsson paves the way for smoother cooperation in essential telecommunication standards. This fosters innovation between both companies while reducing potential patent disputes. Simultaneously, the revival of Kirin chips signifies Huawei’s determination to remain a significant player in the smartphone industry, promising exciting possibilities for tech enthusiasts and consumers alike.
Up to 2015, pundits were sure that the pocket friendly point-and-shoot camera segment will still thrive over the smartphone in the world of photography. This is until they see the Leica co-developed HUAWEI P9 smartphone. Since then, smartphone photography did not really grow. It exploded, and now every single manufacturer is pushing for more powerful camera sensors. Samsung has already gone ahead in terms of Megapixel count in a tiny camera sensor with their mind-boggling 108-Megapixel sensors. Sony pushes the threshold at 64-Megapixels at this time.
If you know photography though, Megapixel count is only half the story when it comes to image quality, clarity, and detail. You need bigger sensors too, and that is also the reason why enthusiast grade cameras and even modern point-and-shoot cameras still have their place in the world of photography today. Bigger sensors also mean more light, and therefore better low-light sensitivity; it is simple physics. The race for bigger sensors in smartphones is now on, and births the idea of the HUIAWEI P50.
Technically, we would not know if the HUAWEI P50 comes with a bigger sensor or not. So far, the rumours that the HUAWEI P50 will come with a 1-inch camera sensor is just that; rumours. HUAWEI’s Richard Yu confirms that the HUAWEI P50 will come with a “new mobile imaging technology” though.
Leaked renders show that the HUAWEI P50 might come with two rings of cameras for a quad camera set-up. One of the rings, in the renders and leaks at least, shows three lenses while the other shows a single larger lens accompanied by the LED flash module. Larger lens could mean larger sensors, or it could mean better glass material for the sensor.
We are pretty sure that HUAWEI’s RYYB (Red Yellow Yellow Blue) sensor will still find its way to the upcoming HUAWEI P50. The RYYB sensor, after all, is a HUAWEI technology and they have been boasting the sensor in their smartphones for years now. Whether or not they will be increasing the size of the RYYB sensor is yet to be seen. For all we know, HUAWEI could be using the same 1-inch sensor that the Sharp Aquos R6 launched in Japan packs. Keep in mind that the sensor is also co-developed with Leica, HUAWEI’s camera partner.
For now, we can only speculate. It seems that we do not have to wait for long to find out if the rumours are true or we completely missed the mark. HUAWEI’s Richard Yu just confirmed in his Weibo page that the HUAWEI P50 series will launch on the 29th of July 2021, which is about 10 days away.
Richard did not confirm on whether or not this would be a global launch event though. There are no mentions on livestream links just yet too. While HUAWEI has been banned from using Google’s platform, their flagship launches has been a global affair. In that case, we do expect to hear more from HUAWEI soon.
There has been plenty of rumours pointing toward HUAWEI moving toward their very own developed Harmony OS. They say 2021 is the year they will jump into their own Operating System (OS). According to the launch as well, we can expect to see the first smartphones with Harmony OS by April 2021.
But the launch is not about HUAEI’s upcoming smartphone interface. It is about a certain replacement for the elusive HUAWEI Mate Xs of 2020. Welcome to the HUAWEI Mate X2.
The HUAWEI Mate X2, as you would have guessed, is the HUAWEI Mate Xs. Funnily enough, it does not look anything like a replacement for the HUAWEI Mate Xs. It resembles a certain foldable flagship from its competitor, to be fair.
Source: HUAWEI
That may not necessarily be a bad thing though. That sort of standardises a foldable smartphone format that everyone can agree on. While it does lack a little innovative flair, it also means that we know what to expect from a certain type of devices in the future.
The HUAWEI Mate X2 is now a dual display wielding device instead of a single foldable display beast. It makes a little bit more sense in terms of device handling as well with this type of inside-outside display layout. It also justifies the pricing a little bit better than before. You are now paying for two displays instead of one.
While the HUAWEI Mate X2 looks like a “Me Too” device, HUAWEI has made every inch of improvement they think a foldable smartphone like its type should have. For one, visually, the 6.45-inch display is a proper Full HD display at 2,700 pixels by 1,106 pixels. Inside, you get an 8-incher with 2,480 x 2,200 pixels on board, that’s more than 1440p and almost square.
Source: HUAWEI
But that is not all, the front display is a 90Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling display worthy of any games you throw at it. It is an actual usable display that is not too narrow to enjoy, or too tall to work with. It looks like a proper smartphone display you can enjoy. The internal display is a fast-moving 90Hz refresh rate display too with 180Hz in touch sampling for near instant response times.
The device is not even that thick to begin with. The HUAWEI Mate X2 is only 14.7mm thick at the thickest when it is folded. There also seems to be no gaps when you fold the device, it is a flush device and looks like it will feel like a single device. When you unfold it, it is 8.8mm at its thickest point. We say that because the device is designed as a wedge and to be heavier at the bottom plate of the device. That is also the only way for the device to be completely evenly squared when you fold it.
Powering the device is a HUAWEI Kirin 9000 System on a Chip (SoC). It is also the same one that we can find in a HUAWEI Mate 40 series. Alongside the powerful SoC you also get 8GB of RAM to work with.
Source: HUAWEI
Unlike its rival, the HUAWEI Mate X2 only packs two camera modules, both outside the device. This way, the 8-inch internal display remains undisturbed and full. Out the front display then is a 16-Megapixel selfie camera. But there is also a quad-camera set up at the back that fires at 50-Megapixel, 16-Megapixel, 12-Megapixel, and 8-Megapixel.
The 50-Megapixel main camera is the same ones you will find on the HUAWEI Mate 40 series as well, so you are not getting anything less than the best. You get a single ultra-wide camera with the 16-Megapixel. The two others are zoom lenses at 3x optical zoom factor (12MP) and a 10x optical zoom factor (8MP). As with any modern flagship you can record videos at 4K resolution.
To cap it all off, the EMUI 11 device runs on an internal 4,500 mAh battery. That battery charges at 55W at the maximum. That is good news considering that it also supports 5G and WiFi 6+. Of course, it charges via USB Type-C.
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
The biggest question is now, how expensive it will be. The HUAWEI Mate X2 will be available in China 25th February, 2021 onward and will come with a charger out-of-the-box. The get to choose between 256GB or 512GB variants at CN¥ 17,999 (MYR 11,270*) and CN¥ 18,999 (MYR 11,896*). There is no word yet on when the device will get to Malaysia. We are expecting them to mention the device’s local availability to be mentioned closer to the global launch of the HUAWEI P50 series. Still, keep watch of this space. For more information, you can head to HUAWEI.
*Approximately based on conversion rate of US$ 1.00 = MYR 4.04 on xe.com at 24/02/2021
Hot off the finalisation of the sale of it’s Honor brand, rumours are surfacing that Huawei may be looking to do the same with their P and Mate smartphone line ups as well. News first surfaced when Reuters reported that it had obtained the information from sources close to the matter.
The report stated that Huawei was in talks with Shanghai government-backed investment firms to spin the brands off as independent companies like Honor. One of the sources claimed that the idea has been floated since late last year. Sources are claiming that Huawei hasn’t made a final decision just yet and the deal may not go thru as Huawei is still looking to manufacture its own HiSilicon Kirin chipsets.
Be that as it may, Huawei has issued a statement to Android Authority dismissing the “rumours”. That said, the company did the same when initial rumours of Honor’s sale surfaced. In its statement, Huawei states, “There is no merit to these rumours whatsoever. Huawei has no such plan. We remain fully committed to our smartphone business, and will continue to deliver world-leading products and experiences for consumers around the world.”.
The sale would effectively mean that Huawei would be withdrawing itself from the high-end smartphone market. On the other hand, Huawei has been touting its upcoming Harmony OS as an alternative to Google’s Android OS since the sanctions from the U.S. were enacted. However, things haven’t been easy for the company as sanctions have tightened leading to the company losing access to key partners such as ARM and TSMC.
The sale of Honor seems to have been a boon to the brand as the company has since inked deals to engage partners like AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, MediaTek and more. This enables them to produce their Honor MagicBooks and smartphones. However, unlike Honor, the sale of the P and Mate brands would only leave Huawei’s lower end Y and Nova series in their smartphone portfolio.
The wait is finally over. All the main flagships of 2020 have launched. All you have to do is select the best one for you. You can either choose to get a Samsung Galaxy S20 or Note20 device, or an Apple iPhone 12 device, or now, you have a third option – the HUAWEI Mate40 device.
You could easily deviate and get a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 or a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, or even get a completely different flagship like an ROG Phone 3, or something like the new Lenovo Legion Duel gaming smartphone for that matter. But we will talk about that later. Today, we are focusing on the big three that every other person will think about. Well, technically one, because the Chinese tech giant just launched their flagship device and this article is actually dedicated to that.
Source: HUAWEI
There is plenty to talk about too, with the new HUAWEI Mate40 series. For one is the new design language that is not too different from last year’s Mate30 design language. They call it the Space Ring design, basically moving the camera arrangement from being contained in a circle to now being a ring that encircles, well, a circle with ‘Leica’ printed on it.
There is also the five lensed HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+ and that gives it the ability to zoom up to 100x (digital zoom) in its camera app. Of course, there is an ultra-premium version they only know as the Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate40 RS that could go with your Porsche Design Acer Book RS that was launched just a few days ago. And, there is a new Operating System (OS) based on Google’s latest Android 11. There is still no Google Play Store on the device though.
HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro+
Source: HUAWEI
We start with HUAWEI’s most overkill of a device, the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+. There are multiple HUAWEI Mate40 devices, but this is the most powerful. It is just slightly less powerful that the Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate40 RS, but the Mate40 Pro+ is technically just missing a small ingredient that might not change the experience that much anyway.
HiSilicon Kirin 9000 – The Most Powerful Ever
Source: HUAWEI
HUAWEI leapfrogged Samsung and Qualcomm in this department for now. They introduced the world to what seems to be the most advanced and their most powerful System on A chip with the HUAWEI Mate40 series. This is quite expected also, mind you.
What is unexpected is just how sophisticated this chip was going to be. You get 15.3 billion transistors packed into the octa-core unit, 3.5 billion more than Apple’s latest A14 Bionic. This goes without saying, the Kirin 9000 also has two more cores than the Apple chip. This is achieved with 5nm process, obviously. We are expecting the new Qualcomm and Samsung chips to be based on th 5nm platform as well though, so only time can tell whether or not this device stands the test of time. HUAWEI did promise a smooth Android performance even after 36 months though. That is 3 years of smooth Android with a speed drop off at only 2.5%.
Embedded within the chip is a larger, more powerful dual Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for even more complex compute power for more special and handy features like HUAWEI’s brilliant air gesture control. Then there is a bigger, more powerful 24-core Mali-G78 GPU that HUAWEI claims to surpass any other smartphones that comes before. That also means better looking games and better video and photo editing experience on the smartphone itself.
But that is not all the NPU offers though. Combined with a new, more powerful image processor chip, photos and videos are even better than before. AI Tracking of a subject is smoother and better, you do not even have to move your smartphone for that, and it looks like the camera is moving to the subject’s movements. The front camera now can shoot videos in 240fps slow motion mode now too, creating more creative possibilities. Of course, stabilisation is even more enhanced now with the combined power of the NPU and Image processor.
5G is not new anymore in these devices. The 5G chip that is on the Kirin 9000 though is a more advance chip that support 5G Super Uplink and 5G Downlink CA technology. That also means that 5G is even faster than before with up to triple data download speeds on supporting networks.
This powerful chip is the beating heart of HUAWEI’s most advanced and most expensive Mate flagship series to date. At least for the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+, the HiSilicon Kirin 9000 should pack enough power to get the best out of the 5-camera set-up. Of course, there is the matter of powering the EMUI 11.
EMUI 11 – Better Than Ever, More Powerful Than ever
Source: HUAWEI
We have pointed out before that HUAWEI’s Android based EMUI has come a long way from the early days of being and ‘iOS copy’. EMUI has matured to become a unique ecosystem and OS in its own rights.
While Always-on Display (AoD) is not all that new, there is a new revamp anyway on EMUI that makes AoD even better than before. Rather than just having a static display with preset layouts and graphics, EMUI allows you a little bit more creative space with AoD. They call it Dynamic Graphic AoD, you can take a short video or even put up different photos to spice up your AoD or completely change the layout of the AoD just to get the right looks on your HUAWEI Mate 40 device.
Source: HUAWEI
It does not stop there though, they also developed something called Eyes-on Display (EoD). That means your display only turns on when you look at the device. We are guessing that the mechanism uses the front-facing camera to track your eye movement to turn on the display just for the moment you look at the display. It displays the same AoD graphics that you have set for your device too, but it only displays when you look at the display. That is a nifty way to cut back on battery consumption and allow your device to last even longer.
Of course, multi-window is still possible. With the right apps you can have up to three apps open at the same time on the device. Of course, you are going to struggle a little bit with screen real estate at that point, but if you need to multitask with three different apps, EMUI 11 can handle it. The mechanics are exactly the same as well on EMUI 10.1.
Source: HUAWEI
They have improved multi-screen collaboration on HUAWEI devices with the new Mate40 series though. You can have your PC, HUAWEI Share enabled of course, running at least three different instances of your HUAWEI Mate40 device all running different apps or instances of a single app. It looks amazing, and we are betting that they should be amazing to work with in terms of productivity. You have to be using a HUAWEI smartphone with a HUAWEI notebook PC though.
The native email app received a little bit of an overhaul. Now you can opt to make your emails look like a chat or a messenger style chat app. The layout is sort of an optimisation for mobile devices and make full use of the small display real estate. It makes your email app looks better too somehow.
Speaking of apps, EMUI also introduced a new navigation app they call Petal Maps. We have not tried it, but it is a HUAWEI developed app that looks like a cross between Google Maps and Waze. In addition to the navigation app, they have Petal Search as well; a Google alternative to search engines made for mobile devices. They say that Petal Search also does not collect your information, does not track your location, and does not expose your preferences or data. We look forward to trying those.
On top of those new features, they took away a few things too. No, that is not a bad thing. It is to protect your privacy from prying eyes.
For example, to prevent unknown eyes from looking at your notifications on your lock screen, HUAWEI automatically hides the notifications from eyes and faces it does not recognise. If you gaze on it, it opens up with more information on the notification. When you share your screen or cast your screen to a smart display too, notifications will only be contained on your own smartphone display instead of the smart display. You can now make plans with your friends on the side while watching a movie casted from your HUAWEI Mate40 device.
The Penta-Camera Combo – HUAWEI’s Most Advanced Camera Ever
Source: HUAWEI
Before we start, we have to clarify that HUAWEI’s penta-camera set-up is not actually the first in the market. That honour has to go to Nokia and their PureView smartphone that has not seen the light of the market just yet. This is the first HUAWEI device to feature five cameras pointing out of the back of the glass back though.
The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+ packs one 50-Megapixel Ultra Vision Camera with HUAWEI’s signature RYYB (Red Yellow Yellow Blue) sensor and built in Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) out of the ceramic back. That main camera is supported by three other lenses that can do ultra-wide photos (20-Megapixel Cine Camera, 100o angle), optically zoom up to 3x ( 12-Megapixel Telephoto Cameaa), and even super zoom up to 10x optically (8-Megapixel SuperZoom Camera). There is an extra ToF 3D sensor in the array for depth information, so you can get stunningly accurate depth-of-field information on your photos. With the zoom lenses too, the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+ can digitally zoom images at up to 100x, technically. You might not use that on a gallery poster though.
The cameras are not just for high-resolution photos though. They are also made for breath-taking videos. With cleverer image stabilisation, your 4K videos should look like they are shot on gimbals and big stabilisation rigs. HUAWEI really pulled all the stops for this one as well with AI Active Tracking. We mentioned earlier too that you do not have to move your device to capture a moving subject zoomed in, the image cropping algorithm just follows the subject and keeps the subject in consistent scale on your frame.
You can shoot videos at up to 3,840fps too, for ultra-slow-motion videos, but that mode is restricted to 720p resolution. Speaking of slow-motion videos though, you can now shoot at 240fps with no limits on your HUAWEI Mate40 device. Of course, it stops when your device overheats or when storage runs out.
Out the front is a combination of two cameras so that you can create stunning contents as well. There is a 13-Megapixel Ultra Vision Selfie Camera that can go up to 100o for a wider shot and a ToF 3D sensor for more accurate Depth information. This also means that the front-facing camera can shoot videos at up to 4K and even shoot unlimited 240fps videos at 1080p. Again, the limit is when you overheat your camera, when your battery runs out, or storage is full.
On both ends though, HUAWEI’s AI eliminates lens distortions. That means that your ultra-wide angle photos or wide-angle selfies will look like they were taken with a regular lens. Your face will not be stretched out and your subject will not look extra funky. This is brilliant stuff.
Everything Else
Source: HUAWEI
You see all of the greatness projected out to you via a large 6.76-inch display. It is an OLED panel that projects more than Full HD at 2,772 by 1,344 pixels. Of course, a modern smartphones needs a fast refreshing display and this keeps up at 90hz together with 240Hz sampling rate.
The curve on the sides are sharper than ever at 88o angle. That also means that your palms are technically touching the sides of the display when you hold it. You can still control the volumes using the virtual volume slide on the sides though, but the display is not your main source of interaction with the device anymore, the volume rocker button is back.
That is not all though, thanks to Kirin 9000’s cleverer NPU, air gesture controls are now much more powerful and precise. You do not even have to touch your device to interact with the device. Useful when you get your hands dirty. You can pick up calls, you can change screens, you can control your volume, you can even pause and play videos or music just via your hands moving in front of the display, like magic.
Of course, the processor is just part of the recipe for a smooth running, powerful device. You need a large RAM too, and the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+ has 12GB of it. To contain all the content that you will be making with the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+, there is a 256GB storage to boot.
Of course, HUAWEI is known for their super long-lasting battery. They are touting the Kirin 9000 to be more efficient than the current generation of SoCs out in the market. That also means that the 4,400mAh battery shoehorned into the device should last you a full day of use and maybe even more, depending on how you use your device. If you ever run out of battery and you need to get it going quick, the battery can take on 66W via HUAWEI SuperCharge (included in-the-box) through the USB Type-C port, and 50W wireless charging (Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge sold separately).
Specifications
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 9000 5G w/ Dual NPU Octa-core 1 x Cortex-A77@3.13 GHz 3 x Cortex-A77@2.54 GHz 4 x Cortex-A55@2.05 GHz
Non-Removable Li-Po 4,400 mAh Fast Charging 60W (HUAWEI SuperCharge) Fast Wireless Charging 50W (Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge)
Connectivity
Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP Bluetooth 5.2 OTG Support USB 3.1 Type-C NFC
Camera (s)
REAR: 50 MP Ultra Vision Camera (Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture, OIS) 20 MP Cine Camera (Ultra-Wide Angle, f/2.4 aperture) 12 MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4 aperture, OIS) 8 MP SuperZoom Camera (10x Optical Zoom, f/4.4 aperture, OIS) 3D Depth Sensing Camera, support AF HDR LED Flash 4K Video recording 720p@3,840fps FRONT: 13 MP Ultra Vision Selfie Camera (Wide Angle, f/2.4) 3D Depth Sensing Camera 4K video recording 1080p@240fps
Sensors
Gesture Sensor 3D Face Recognition Gravity Sensor Infrared Sensor Fingerprint Sensor Barometric Pressure Sensor Gyroscope Compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Laser Sensor Colour Temperature Sensor
Miscellaneous
Stereo Speakers IP68
HUAWEI Mate40 Pro
Source: HUAWEI
You do not need five cameras, you tell yourself. You do not need to spend as much money, you say. But you want that power, the same one as the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+. Then the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro is for you.
The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro is technically a twin sibling to the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro+. It packs the same large 6.76-inch display with a very steep curve on the side. The body is made out of roughly the same materials too. Well, save for the ceramic back; the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro has a regular glass back.
Source: HUAWEI
It packs the Same HiSilicon Kirin 9000 though. That also means the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro’s EMUI 11 can work as well as the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro+. You get the same air gesture controls, the same AoD or EoD, and probably around the same battery life with the 4,400 mAh battery.
The biggest visual difference, other than the variety of colour options, is the cameras. Up front, they are still the same sensors; a 13-Megapixel sensor with a ToF 3D depth sensor. It can still record 4K videos and 240fps 1080p videos as well.
The difference is at the back. There are two cameras less on the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro. You lose the ToF sensor and one telephoto lens. Instead you get a 50-Megapixel main sensor (same one as the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+), a 20-Megapixel Ultra-Wide Cine Camera (same on as the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+), and a 12-Megapixel Telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom capabilities.
Source: HUAWEI
You get the same camera modes too as the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+. In that case, if you are looking at a slightly tighter budget, the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro might seem like a good choice. While there is only an 8GB RAM for the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro, the differences in experience should be minute enough that you might not notice at all.
Specifications
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 9000 5G w/ Dual NPU Octa-core 1 x Cortex-A77@3.13 GHz 3 x Cortex-A77@2.54 GHz 4 x Cortex-A55@2.05 GHz
Non-Removable Li-Po 4,400 mAh Fast Charging 60W (HUAWEI SuperCharge) Fast Wireless Charging 50W (Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge)
Connectivity
Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP Bluetooth 5.2 OTG Support USB 3.1 Type-C NFC
Camera (s)
REAR: 50 MP Ultra Vision Camera (Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture, OIS) 20 MP Cine Camera (Ultra-Wide Angle, f/2.4 aperture) 12 MP Telephoto Camera (5x Optical Zoom, f/3.4 aperture, OIS) HDR LED Flash 4K Video recording 720p@3,840fps FRONT: 13 MP Ultra Vision Selfie Camera (Wide Angle, f/2.4) 3D Depth Sensing Camera 4K video recording 1080p@240fps
Sensors
Gesture Sensor 3D Face Recognition Gravity Sensor Infrared Sensor Fingerprint Sensor Barometric Pressure Sensor Gyroscope Compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Laser Sensor Colour Temperature Sensor
Miscellaneous
Stereo Speakers IP68
HUAWEI Mate40
Source: HUAWEI
Then there is the most regular and basic of the bunch. The HUAWEI Mate40 is the entry level to the series of high-end devices. It is also a smaller device with a 6.5-inch display. It is still an OLED panel with 90Hz refresh rate and 240hz response rate. But it is not as high-resolution as its other siblings at 2,376 by 1,080 pixels (Full HD+).
It is still virtually as powerful with the HiSilicon Kirin 9000E (one less NPU core, 22-core Mali G78) SoC though. Like the Mate40 Pro it packs an 8GB of RAM, though storage is a step smaller at 128GB. Unlike both the Mate40 Pro and Mate40 Pro+, it only has a single 13-Megapixel front-facing camera for selfies but still support the same 4K video recording and 1080p@240fps videos.
Source: HUAWEI
The back of the device shares more similarities with the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro though. It only has three cameras mounted at the back, like the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro. The 50-Megapixel camera stays but the Cine Camera is a 16-Megapixel unit rather than a 20-Megapixel shooter. The telephoto lens an 8-Megapixel shooter is capable of 3x optical zoom.
It even has a slightly smaller battery compared to the other devices in the series. It has a 4,200mAh battery compared to the 4,400mAh on the two bigger devices. We suspect that the battery size difference is also due to the size constraints of both devices. The battery charges at 40W with HUAWEI’s SuperCharge technology via USB Type-C, and the device features no wireless charger.
Specifications
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 9000E 5G w/ Dual NPU Octa-core 1 x Cortex-A77@3.13 GHz 3 x Cortex-A77@2.54 GHz 4 x Cortex-A55@2.05 GHz
Non-Removable Li-Po 4,200 mAh Fast Charging 40W (HUAWEI SuperCharge)
Connectivity
Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP Bluetooth 5.2 OTG Support USB 3.1 Type-C NFC
Camera (s)
REAR: 50 MP Ultra Vision Camera (Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture, OIS) 26 MP Cine Camera (Ultra-Wide Angle, f/2.4 aperture) 8 MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4 aperture, OIS) LED Flash 4K Video recording 720p@3,840fps FRONT: 13 MP Ultra Vision Selfie Camera (Wide Angle, f/2.4) 4K video recording 1080p@240fps
Sensors
Gesture Sensor 3D Face Recognition Gravity Sensor Infrared Sensor Fingerprint Sensor Barometric Pressure Sensor Gyroscope Compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Laser Sensor Colour Temperature Sensor
Miscellaneous
Stereo Speakers IP68
Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate40 RS
Then there is the one that HUAWEI has been saving for last. This is the most premium Mate series going to be in production. The Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate40 RS is here.
When I say more premium though, I am referring to its price point. Everything that is built into the device points to the fact that it is a HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+ under the skin. It is a Porsche Design product, so it looks different with the Ceramic back and colour options too. Instead of a clean round shape of the Space Ring, the Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate40 RS has an octagonal shape to it, more angular. The plain smooth back of the Mate40 Pro+ is now littered with powerlines that is inspired from the modern Porsche sports cars.
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
The only big differentiator in performance is the extra temperature sensor that is encircled by the five-camera set up. Even the camera set-up is similar to the Mate40 Pro+, save for the extra temperature sensor. The differences, in this case, is only skin deep. Oh, of course the other difference is on the price tag.
Specifications
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 9000 5G w/ Dual NPU Octa-core 1 x Cortex-A77@3.13 GHz 3 x Cortex-A77@2.54 GHz 4 x Cortex-A55@2.05 GHz
Non-Removable Li-Po 4,400 mAh Fast Charging 60W (HUAWEI SuperCharge) Fast Wireless Charging 50W (Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge)
Connectivity
Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP Bluetooth 5.2 OTG Support USB 3.1 Type-C NFC
Camera (s)
REAR: 50 MP Ultra Vision Camera (Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture, OIS) 20 MP Cine Camera (Ultra-Wide Angle, f/2.4 aperture) 12 MP Telephoto Camera (3x Optical Zoom, f/2.4 aperture, OIS) 8 MP SuperZoom Camera (10x Optical Zoom, f/4.4 aperture, OIS) 3D Depth Sensing Camera, support AF Colour Temperature Sensor HDR LED Flash 4K Video recording 720p@3,840fps FRONT: 13 MP Ultra Vision Selfie Camera (Wide Angle, f/2.4) 3D Depth Sensing Camera 4K video recording 1080p@240fps
Sensors
Gesture Sensor 3D Face Recognition Gravity Sensor Infrared Sensor Fingerprint Sensor Barometric Pressure Sensor Gyroscope Compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Laser Sensor Colour Temperature Sensor
Miscellaneous
Stereo Speakers IP68
Pricing and Availability
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
Source: HUAWEI
They did not mention when the devices will start shipping out to customers. The HUAWEI Mate40 and the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro will be available in Mystic Silver, White, Black, Green (Vegan leather), and Yellow (Vegan Leather) colour options. The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+ and Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate40 RS will be available exclusively in Ceramic White or Ceramic Black.
The HUAWEI Mate40 (8GB + 128GB) will be available for EUR€ 899 (MYR*). The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro (8GB + 256GB) will set you back EUR€ 1,199 (MYR*). The HUAWEI Mate40 Pro+ will be priced at EUR€ 1,399 (MYR*), while the Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate40 RS will be available for EUR€2,295 (MYR*). We will be keeping a close ear to the ground for local pricing and availability.
*Based on approximate exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.91 as of 23/10/2020
The HUAWEI MatePad Pro is awesome. We tried it at its launch and loved it. There was only one problem we have with the tablet. If not for that small problem, it would have been perfect. Still, nothing in this world is perfect.
Let us not dwell on that though, there are new tablets in town from HUAWEI. You Might have guessed them from the title. The HUAWEI MatePad, and the HUAWEI MatePad T is joining the HUAWEI MatePad Pro in Malaysia.
HUAWEI MatePad
The regular HUAWEI MatePad is easily mistaken as the HUAWEI MatePad Pro. They are similar in design and functionality, to be fair. They are similar only in design though. Everything inside is different from one to the other.
Source: HUAWEI
The HUAWEI MatePad packs a HiSilicon Kirin 810 System on a Chip (SoC) with an integrated Da Vinci Artificial Intelligence (AI) NPU. You get slightly less resolution than the HUAWEI MatePad Pro too at 2K resolution. Still, 2K in resolution is still plenty of pixels for 10.4-inch. That display is still paired to a great four-speaker stereo audio system tuned by Harman Kardon.
It is also compatible with HUAWEI’s magnetic keyboard that was designed for the HUAWEI MatePad Pro. You can even use the M-Pencil on this if you want. You charge the M-Pencil with the large 7,250mAh battery pack in the tablet.
Unlike the HUAWEI MatePad Pro though, the MatePad has something called the eBook mode that optimises its display for better reading experience. Of course, it comes with MEETime out of the box too. Yes, it also has HUAWEI’s clever Share capabilities.
The HUAWEI MatePad is available 16th May 2020 onward. There are no colour options for this, so you only get to have it in Midnight Grey. The HUAWEI MatePad will set you back MYR 1,399 when it is available, about MYR 1,000 less than its bigger, higher end brother. You get a Flip cover, a free 3 months Premium subscription to HUAWEI Video, and 15GB of HUAWEI’s Mobile Cloud storage for 12 months. For more information on the HUAWEI MatePad, you can head over to their website and webstore.
HUAWEI MatePad T 8
10-inch tablets are not your thing? We understand that. 10-inch is a little on the hefty side and difficult to enjoy in a lot of conditions. You just need something to carry around and might need to kill time with it.
Source: HUAWEI
The HUAWEI MatePad T 8 would fit in that bill very easily with its 8-inch display. The 8-inch is no slouch still, mind you. There is still an Octa-Core processor within its smaller form factor. Given, it is a MediaTek. The MT8768 platform is MediaTek’s latest tablet platform.
That new tablet processor is also designed to be kind to the battery. Still, it does not hurt to have 5,100mAh battery packed in the 8-incher. All that and you are still only carrying 310g around. It is not lighter than an average smartphone, but it is pretty close to some of the flagships these days.
It is not just a tablet designed for the adults though. It is also designed with kids in mind. You can have a Kids Corner put on the tablet for your kids. That dedicated space is designed as a safe space for children to learn and be entertained. It is also designed so that parents can have better control over their kids’ media consumption of course. You can set time controls, content restrictions, and more.
The HUAWEI MatePad T will also be available the same time as the HUAWEI MatePad on the 16th May 2020. You can get your hands on one for MYR 559. It only comes in one colour though: Deepsea Blue. If you do get your hands on one, you are entitled to a 3 months Premium subscription of HUAWEI’s Video app and 12months of 15GB access to HUAWEI’s Mobile Cloud Storage. For more information on the HUAWEI MatePad T 8, you can head over to their website and webstore.
HUAWEI Sound X
Alongside the HUAWEI MatePad T and HUAWEI MatePad, HUAWEI also launched the HUAWEI Sound X finally in Malaysia. HUAWEI’s Sound X is a result of their collaboration with one of the world’s premium audio solutions manufacturer, Devialet. It has six tweeters and two woofers. The 8 drivers should deliver clean, crisp, and punchy audio from the low frequencies to the high all around. Apparently the woofers can go as low as 40Hz, which is where bass frequencies lie. The HUAWEI Sound X will set you back MYR 1,299 and is also available at the same time as the HUAWEI MatePad and MatePad T.
The mid-range smartphone market is a crowded marketplace, for good reason too. Mid-range smartphones these days are what bolsters sales of smartphones around the globe. It is sort of the brands’ revenue maker. The best selling devices today are not flagships anymore, they are the mid-rangers.
There is a reason to why mid-range smartphones sell like hot cakes too. They are not very expensive; that is one. But they are not just inexpensive, they perform well too. In everyday life and use, the mid-rangers are no less powerful than a high-end smartphone like a HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro or such.
Source: HONOR
Of course, if you are going to spend way less money on a smartphone you are going to have to make some sacrifices. But the trade-offs these days are quite minor compared to the money that you actually save. That is the exact job description for the HONOR 9X Pro.
The name of the game here is value-for-money. There should be as little compromise as possible while keeping the price to as low as possible. The result is a flagship class HiSilicon Kirin 810 System on a Chip (SoC) for starters. According to HONOR, the Kirin 810 is the most powerful single core SoC available in their smartphones. It even has what HUAWEI calls a DaVinci Neural Processing Unit, one of their most advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming.
Thanks to a new 7nm construction too, the Kirin 810 comes with a powerful GPU which can be pushed even further with GPU Turbo 3.0. While that increases the heat produced dramatically, you might not feel it all that much in your palm thanks to a highly efficient liquid-cooling copper pipeline embedded in the svelte device.
Source: HONOR
The SoC is paired to 6GB of RAM for smooth multitasking or even gaming. 6GB is also what most flagships will come with for RAM. Even storage is not being compromised with a super fast 256GB UFS 2.1 storage module. With all that power, you really want a big battery; 4,000mAh big for this one.
Out the back are three cameras you can appreciate. The main shooter is a 48-Megapixel shooter flanked on both sides by a 2-Megapixel depth sensor for that tight Bokeh portraits, and an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide angle shooter. Who needs a telephoto lens when you have 48-Megapixel to work with.
The super high resolution photos is channeled to the large 6.59-inch FullView display with no compromises. That means the 16-Megapixel front-facing camera is hidden away in a motorised pop-up mechanism. Of course, the whole device is wrapped in 3D glass. The front is a Gorilla Glass, quite obviously and the back still features the signature X pattern.
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
The HONOR 9X Pro is powered by HONOR’s Magic UI 3.0.1 based on Android 10. You get the HUAWEI App Gallery instead of Google’s Play Store though. That also means that this is a HUAWEI Mobile Services device instead of Google’s official Mobile Services device. Still, at least it is a familiar User Interface (UI).
The HONOR 9X Pro will be available in Malaysia and other selected markets from March 2020 onward. The price was announced to be EU€ 249 for the European market. That translates to about MYR 1,143 in Malaysia. There has been no official pricing attached to the device in Malaysia yet. we are looking at somewhere between the MYR 1,099 to MYR 1,199 range. We could be wrong though.
HONOR launched a bunch of things this morning (Malaysia time). One of them is their highly anticipated HONOR View30 Pro flagship. The big surprise with it though is that it does not come with four cameras.
Source: HONOR
Since we are on that subject, the HONOR View30 Pro comes with an array of three cameras instead of the four that we are used to on its HUAWEI counterparts. There is the 40-Megapixel SuperSensing main cameram, which has been known to take superb photos on their own. Then there is the 8-Megapixel telephoto for to see even further out. The game changer for the View30 Pro though is the 12-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor that they call a Cine-Camera.
The Cine-Camera is a pretty normal ultra-wide sensor, if you look at it. The thing is though, it is not just a normal ultra-wide sensor. They packed it with a 5-axis EIS, not OIS mind you. That is enough to give you much smoother videos on the get go though. It records at 4K resolution with EIS helping to really stabilise the footage. You can shoot videos in two modes at a single time too. The DualView videography captures videos using both main lens and the ultra-wide lens.
Source: HONOR
There are some very big advantages to shooting videos in the 18mm ultra-wide lens that the HONOR View30 Pro boasts. For one, you get a bigger field of vision. Two you get to go closer to the subject and have a more cinematic vision of your videos. You capture more to tell your story and frame your story better. There are reasons why film makers like to use wide angle lenses you know. Beyond that, you can also use the cine-camera as a macro lens.
A powerful camera needs a powerful processor. That power comes in the form of the HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G ready System on a Chip (SoC). This also means that the HONOR View30 Pro is capable of 5G connectivity, wherever it is available of course.
The 5G speed and powerful SoC translates to super smooth and near instant experience you feel through the 6.57-inch FullView display boasting Full HD+ resolution. Speaking of display, the FullView display on the HONOR View30 Pro is a punch hole display with two cameras housed in the whole as selfie cameras. One is a 31-Megapixel shooter and the other is an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter.
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
Source: HONOR
All Android 10 based Magic UI 3.0.1 goodness are topped off and powered by a 4,100 mAh battery. Keep in mind that this will come with HUAWEI Mobile Services, which also means you are not going to have official access to Google’s Play Store. Yes, you are not wrong 5G will indefinitely drain the battery faster. You can charge it even faster with 40W of fast charging though. Wirelessly, it can charge at 27W too, not what you call slow.
The HONOR View30 Pro looks set of being launched in three colours – Ocean Blue, Icelandic Frost, and Midnight Black. It will be available in selected markets in March 2020, just like the MagicBook. There is no official price that comes with it just yet though. They will announce it at a later date obviously, but if the HONOR View20 Pro was any indication, we are expecting the price to be in the low 2,000s or the high 1,000s in Malaysia. Until then. We can only patiently wait.
Mobile World Congress 2020 was cancelled, but that does not
mean that you will miss all the big announcements. HUAWEI just had their announcement
not more than an hour ago. In that announcement they announced the latest HUAWEI
Mate Xs foldable smartphone. It is pretty much an evolution of last year’s
HUAWEI Mate X foldable smartphone. That is not all they launched though.
This year they also introduced the HUAWEI MatePad Pro, a
high-end tablet designed for the professionals. Why we say that? It has a DCI-P3
colour accurate display for the best sort of colour reproduction you can get on
10-inches of display. The 10.8-inch display pushes 2,500 by 1,600 pixels, effectively
a QHD+ display. With a 90% screen to body coverage too it is small, really
small. Thin too at 7.2mm, as thick as modern smartphones.
It is one of HUAWEI’s most advanced tablets to come out of
the Chinese tech giant’s showrooms. It packs HUAWEI’s HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G
processor. You get an option of getting the MatePad Pro with 5G connectivity
too if you really must. Of course, the 5G versions will cost you a little bit
more.
Audio cannot be neglected in a super powerhouse like the
MatePad Pro too. You get not only four speakers at each corner of the device; you
also get far-field mics for your voice commands from a distance away. That is
all wrapped in ultra-light fiber glass body or stylish vegan leather body.
For maximum productivity, you can get the HUAWEI M-Pencil
for EU€
99. You can take advantage of the app multiplier, multiscreen collaboration, multi-window
modes, and even HUAWEI share for even more optimised productivity and
multitasking. Of course, it does have large battery to fill the space within
the slim and compact body. 7,250mAh large, in fact. For that, you get all-day
productivity. It even charges at 40W if you plug it in a wall charger. It can
charge wirelessly at 37W too.
The HUAWEI will be available within this quarter of 2020. Malaysia? We do not have a set date yet, but it looks like we are also getting it soon enough. It comes in either Green or Orange Vegan Leather colour options, or White or Grey glass fiber colour options. Prices start at EU€ 549 (6GB + 128GB) [MYR 2,520], EU€ 649 (8GB + 256GB) [MYR 2,979], EU€ 749 (8GB + 256GB, M-Pencil, Vegan Leather) [MYR 3,438] for the WiFi version, EU€ 599 (6GB + 128GB) [MYR 2,749], EU€ 699 (8GB + 256GB) [MYR 3,208] for the LTE variant, and goes all the way up to EU€ 799 (8GB + 256GB) [MYR 3,666], EU€ 949 (8GB +512GB) [MYR 4,355] for the 5G variant. The HUAWEI MatePad Pro runs on HUAWEI’s EMUI 10.0.1 based on Android 10 Operating System (OS) though you can only get your apps through HUAWEI’s App Gallery.
