Huawei Mate 8 Review: Huawei’s Best Smartphone Yet

Huawei. A company that was once most known for its networking solutions is now one of the most recognisable smartphone makers in the world. It has partnered with Google to manufacture theNexus 6P, and now, we have the company’s latest phablet, the Mate 8.

Just how does it stack up against the best smartphones in the market? Well, after using this phablet for a while, I was left pretty impressed by it.

Design & First Impressions

When I first held the Mate 8 in my hands, I was still using the Nexus 6P. Transitioning between the two devices is rather interesting: the Mate 8 didn’t feel much bigger than the 5.7-inch Nexus 6P despite having a bigger 6-inch display.

This negligible size difference is thanks to the 85% screen-to-body ratio of the Mate 8. As a result, there is very little wasted space on the top and bottom parts of the device; what you get is a 6-inch device that doesn’t feel as unwieldy as other smartphones this big. The fingerprint sensor placed on the rear is also a very smart design choice to make the bezels as minimal as possible.

Speaking of the fingerprint sensor, I was really impressed with it; it’s definitely similar to the ones found on the Mate S and honor 7. It is quick, responsive, and it detects my fingerprint accurately most of the time. The best part is, these are not even the sensor’s best attributes; I’ll explain more in the software section.

Overall, the Mate 8 feels and looks like a solid, premium smartphone. Its build quality inspires confidence, and the volume rocker – as well as the power button – gives a very good tactile feedback. Of course, it would’ve been nice for the camera to be flushed against the rear panel, but the lens itself is slightly recessed, which should prevent it from being scratched easily.

Hardware

The Kirin 950 processor is by far one of the most exciting hardware aspects of the Mate 8. In day to day usage, the Mate 8 did not feel sluggish at all. In fact, it’s one of the fastest Android smartphones I’ve used, although I did notice a few performance hiccups occasionally. While the 3DMark score – which measures the capability of the GPU – of the Mate 8 isn’t as impressive as other flagship devices, mobile games (such as Asphalt 8) felt fluid and very enjoyable.

Benchmarks

Software

Emotion UI 4.0 feels a lot like EMUI 3.1 on the Huawei Mate S. There is no app drawer, and there are some bloatware – such as WPS Office and HiCare – which are not too intrusive.

But, one feature differentiates EMUI 4.0 from its previous iterations: Now on Tap. When I first started using the Mate 8, this feature was actually not available, but it was then enabled through an update. Basically, Now on Tap – a feature previously exclusive only to the Nexus 6P which can be activated by a long press of the home button – brings up various useful information based on what is currently displayed on the screen. If I want more information on a subject I’m not familiar with, Now on Tap will give me various links to said subject, including a Google search, a YouTube link, and even a Facebook page.

Aside from Now on Tap, Huawei also implemented Knuckle Sense on the Mate 8. For the most part, this feature doesn’t feel all that different from the Mate S: I can knock on the display twice with my knuckle to take a screenshot, and I can associate certain letters drawn – also with my knuckle – to launch certain apps. Knuckle Sense is by no means a game-changing feature, but it certainly is nice to have.

I really, really like how customisable the fingerprint sensor of the Mate 8 is: it’s a very convenient feature to have, especially on a device this big. I can slide down on the sensor to show the notification panel (I can also double tap on it to clear all notifications), and I can even touch and hold the sensor to answer a call. This is one of the reasons why I prefer a rear fingerprint sensor: useful gestures like these feel very natural in comparison to a fingerprint sensor placed at the front of the device.

I’ve used more than a few iterations of Android from Chinese smartphone makers, and personally, EMUI is one of the most lightweight and polished Android skins I have used. That said, it is not perfect: the constant notification to kill apps that are consuming too much power – such as WhatsApp – and the various permission requests on top of Marshmallow’s own requests can get really annoying. But, as a whole, I have to say: I really enjoyed using EMUI 4.0.

Battery Life

This is by far the Mate 8’s greatest strength. Packed with a huge 4,000mAh battery, the battery life of this device left quite an impression on me. It isn’t uncommon for flagship phones these days to last into the next day, but with some effort, I managed to get a full two day’s worth of battery life out of the Mate 8.

As for the quick charge capability of the Mate 8, I managed to get about 30% worth of battery within 30 minutes of charging. Considering it has a big 4,000mAh battery, this is actually quite respectable – 30% could easily last half a day’s worth of use.

Display

To be honest, I thought the Mate 8 had an AMOLED display when I first looked at it. The colours on the IPS-NEO panel are vibrant, and the depth of the blacks are quite impressive, although it is nowhere near as good as the black levels of an AMOLED display.

Despite the Mate 8’s 6-inch display with “only” a 1080p resolution, I did not have any issue with the sharpness of the display. Sure, a 1440p panel would definitely look better on a device this big, but then the battery life would suffer. I’d gladly take a 1080p display if it means better battery life.

Audio

I was rather impressed by the audio quality of the Mate 8. It is decently loud, and the speaker doesn’t buzz or crackle at maximum volume either. While I would’ve liked a front-facing speaker setup like the Nexus 6P, I really have no complaints – nor praise – on the Mate 8’s audio quality, which should be enough to satisfy most users.

Camera

Huawei smartphones are not exactly known for its camera prowess, and unfortunately, the same still holds true for the Mate 8.

Don’t get me wrong: the Mate 8’s camera performance is definitely better than smartphones in a similar price range, but in pales in comparison to the best flagship smartphones such as theSamsung Galaxy S7 edge and the latest iPhones. The autofocus speeds could’ve been faster, and the overall responsiveness of the camera UI – especially in low lighting – needs some work.

Again, the Mate 8’s camera performance isn’t bad – quite far from that, actually. I like how there is very minimal shutter lag in between shots, and in the right conditions, you can take really impressive shots with the Mate 8. While taking great images with the Mate 8 isn’t effortless, its camera is definitely capable in the right hands.

Shooting under ideal lighting can produce some really good shots, but it’s in low-light conditions that the Mate 8’s camera shows its weaknesses. The dynamic range isn’t as good as other competitors, and it’s not able to capture as much light as I would’ve liked.

Is the Mate 8’s camera good? Well, it is, but not to the point where it closely rivals flagships from Samsung and Apple. Then again, it isn’t as costly as other high-end smartphones as well, so there’s that. There is high hopes from Huawei that the Leica cooperation in the new P9 series will change this, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on that.

Sample Images

Competition

As a flagship smartphone, the Mate 8 has plenty of competition. For one, there’s the Samsung Galaxy S7 duo. On paper, the S7 and S7 edge have a faster Exynos 8890 processor, a higher resolution 1440p display, IP68 dust and water resistance, and most importantly, a better and faster 12MP dual-pixel camera. That said, the Mate 8 has a bigger 4,000mAh battery, and a larger display for those who love watching things and working from their phones.

More importantly, the Mate 8 only retails at RM2,099 and RM2,399 for the Standard and Premium models respectively, while the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are going for RM2,699 and RM3,099 respectively; that’s quite a difference in price. That said, while the latter two are more costly, you are getting what you pay for in the form of a better camera and IP68 rating, among other things.

Other than the S7 duo, the Nexus 6P is also an interesting competitor to the Mate 8. It has a sharper, more vibrant 5.7-inch 1440p AMOLED display, better camera performance, and arguably better software experience thanks to its stock software – it will also be one of the first Android smartphones to receive the latest versions of the OS.

However, the Nexus 6P is also more costly than the Mate 8 at RM2,698, not to mention the fact that the 6P does not have expandable memory, which can be a deal-breaker to some consumers. Also, the Mate 8’s battery life far eclipses that of the Nexus 6P, thanks to a more efficient processor, lower resolution display, and again, that 4,000mAh battery.

Conclusion

After using the Huawei Mate 8 for a couple of weeks, it truly is the best flagship smartphone the company has ever made. It is much better than the Huawei Mate S, and it certainly is one of the longest-lasting smartphones I have ever used. That said, it’s not exactly up there along with the Samsung Galaxy S7 duo and the latest iPhones: its camera still needs a lot of work.

But for its asking price, the Huawei Mate 8 is definitely a compelling high-end smartphone. It feels and looks premium, it’s fast, and most of all, it has very good battery life. If you’re fine with this smartphone’s size and “okay” camera, you will be very satisfied with the Mate 8.

LG Introduces 4K Action Camera with LTE and Live Streaming Capability

Korean tech giant LG Electronics has introduced a new action camera called the LG Action CAM LTE. The latest addition to the LG ecosystem comes with built-in LTE connectivity and is capable of live streaming to sites like YouTube Live.

Touted as the first LTE action camera to be available globally, the new action camera is fitted with a 12.3 MP sensor and will shoot 4K videos at 30 fps; it is also capable of recording 1080p videos at 60 fps and even slo-mo video at 120 fps at 720p. However for live streaming purposes, the action camera is limited to 720p at 30 fps.

In addition to the live streaming feature, the action camera will also double as a CCTV camera or even as a dash camera – the company adds. The action camera supports MicroSD card storage for these purposes and will also come with built in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS as well as a USB Type-C port.

Other specifications include a 1,400 mAh battery, which the company say will last a good four hours of Full HD video recording. It will also come with an IP67 rating and is water resistant to a depth of one metre for up to 30 minutes. The action camera will also be made compatible with a range of first party accessories like a waterproof case and a mount, according to the company’s press release.

The LG Action CAM LTE will be launched next month in South Korea followed by other key markets worldwide. More details will be announced at the time of launch.

(Source: LG)

ZTE Blade V7 Max Heading To Malaysia This Month For RM 999

Alongside the new Blade V7 Lite, ZTE Malaysia has also launched another new model under its Blade smartphone series called Blade V7 Max. As implied by its name, the new smartphone is a higher-end model within the Blade V7 series and was originally introduced in China last month.

Just like the Blade V7 Lite, the new Blade V7 Max also features metal body although it is much slimmer at 7.2mm and carries a bigger 5.5-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) display. It is also much more powerful in terms of firepower due to its 1.8GHz MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core processor alongside 3GB of RAM. Pre-installed with Android 6.0, it also carries 32GB internal storage and supports microSD card.

The Blade V7 Max also comes with a fingerprint sensor but instead of located on its rear, ZTE has equipped the sensor on the right side of the device. Furthermore, it is not integrated with the phone’s power button which means that both the fingerprint sensor and the power button existed separately.

In terms of photography, the Blade V7 Max relies of the 16-megapixels PDAF camera as its main snapper together with an 8-megapixels front camera. Not to forget, the LTE-enabled dual SIM smartphone also features a USB Type-C port and 3,000 mAh battery.

Priced at RM 999, the new ZTE Blade V7 Max is scheduled for release into Malaysia by the end of May. To learn more about the device, keep a look for further information through ZTE Malaysia’s Facebook page.

Huawei P9 Series Hands On: One for Every Price Point

At Huawei’s Southern Pacific Conference, the Chinese giant has announced the regional availability of its latest P9 series of smartphones. All three of these devices – the P9, P9 Plus, and P9 Lite – are catered to almost every price point: the P9 Lite is aimed at budget-conscious consumers, while the higher-end P9 and P9 Plus are for those looking for a premium smartphone.

With some help from Leica, can the P9 and P9 Plus truly “redefine mobile photography?” From our brief time with the devices, we have to say…they are quite promising.

Huawei P9 Plus

The most exciting of the three smartphones is definitely the Huawei P9 Plus. Packed with a beautiful 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display alongside a capable Kirin 955 processor paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM, the P9 Plus is definitely a high-end device. It also has a 3,400mAh battery, up to 64GB of expandable internal storage, and of course, the Leica-certified 12MP dual camera setup at the back.

What makes the P9 Plus particularly unique in comparison to the other two devices is not only the dual-camera setup, but also its “Press Touch” display. Essentially, it works much the same as Apple’s 3D Touch: you press harder on the display to summon a list of additional options. In contrast to Apple’s take of the technology, Press Touch on the P9 Plus isn’t quite as refined.

Where the iPhone features a unique light haptic “tap” when 3D Touch is activated on a menu, the P9 Plus simply vibrates, as if you’ve just received an email. It isn’t really a huge deal, but it does show the level of refinement that isn’t present on the P9 Plus.

Aside from the pressure-sensitive display, the P9 Plus feels a lot like a P series device. It is slim, comfortable to hold, and definitely premium. Despite packing a 3,400mAh battery, the P9 Plus doesn’t feel all that heavy, and the glossy, brushed metal back definitely helps with getting a good grip of the device.

Huawei P9

One tier down the lineup is the Huawei P9. As its name suggests, it is quite simply a smaller, slightly more affordable option to the P9 Plus. It has a smaller 5.2-inch Full HD IPS – instead of AMOLED – display, the same Kirin 955 processor paired with up to 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of expandable storage, as well as a more modest 3,000mAh battery. Of course, it also has the Leica-certified 12MP dual-camera setup of the P9 Plus.

Fortunately, we managed to capture some images with the P9. Due to the similarities with the P9 Plus hardware, camera performance of this device is likely similar to the P9 Plus. Here are some sample images:

The dual-camera setup of the P9 isn’t like other devices such as thehonor 6 Plus. In the case of the P9, it has one standard 12MP sensor complemented by a 12MP black-and-white sensor. This explains why black and white images look quite impressive with the P9; colour images look pretty good as well, of course.

But, most capable smartphones today are able to take great-looking images with proper lighting; only when the lighting isn’t ideal we can see the weaknesses of a camera. Unfortunately, we were not able to try out the low-light performance of the P9, but rest assured, we will do so in a full review of it.

Aside from the camera, the P9 feels a lot like a smaller P9 Plus. It is still very slim, and using the device with only one hand is quite easy, thanks to the more compact dimensions. That being said, I’m not particularly fond of the matte back panel: it is much more slippery over the P9 Plus’ glossy finish. Weird, I know.

Huawei P9 Lite

Those who are looking for something more affordable may be interested in the P9 Lite. After all, its predecessor, the P8 Lite, was very well-received by consumers on a budget. That being said, as it is a more budget-friendly option, the P9 Lite doesn’t have the same dual-camera setup of its higher-end siblings. Instead, it is equipped with a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing shooter.

Other specifications of the P9 Lite include a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display (a welcome change over the P8 Lite’s 720p display), a new Kirin 650 processor paired with up to 3GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable internal storage, and a 3,000mAh battery – its predecessor had a much smaller 2,200mAh battery. There is also a fingerprint sensor at the back of the P9 Lite, a feature that is becoming increasingly common on budget-oriented devices.

In my hands, the P9 Lite – like the other two devices in the series – feels solid for such a thin device. However, I don’t particularly like the device’s back panel: I was told that it is made out of metal, but it feels rather plasticky. At least, this is the case with the white model of the P9 Lite.

The Huawei P9 series is definitely an interesting lineup. It caters to more than one price point, and the Leica-certified camera – marketing gimmick or not – definitely shows promise especially in normal lighting. It will be very interesting to see how the dual-camera setup of the P9 compare to the best mobile shooters in the market, such as theSamsung Galaxy S7 edge. In fact, we do have a comparison in mind, so keep an eye out for that.

At Huawei’s Southern Pacific Conference, the company only revealed that the P9 series will be arriving in Malaysia from the end of Mayonwards. Ultimately, especially for Malaysians, the retail prices of these devices will affect how consumers respond to them. Here’s hoping Huawei Malaysia will price the P9 Plus, P9, and P9 Lite competitively when they arrive here.