Huawei Mate 8 review: An overpriced battery life beast

Huawei Mate 8 review: An overpriced battery life beast

Huawei's all-metal, 6-inch Mate 8 has a lot going for it, especially its long-lasting battery and high camera quality. After all, those are two things almost anyone would look for in a phone. But unfortunately the handset's price tag is too steep to close the deal -- €600 for the 32GB version and €700 for the 64GB model. Those numbers translate to roughly $650 and $760; £450 and £525.

The Mate 8 isn't expected to come to the US.

The prices alone aren't the problem; they're in line with premium rivals. The problem is that the Mate 8 just isn't a premium phone, certainly not premium enough to best the Google Nexus 6P or Samsung Galaxy Note 5, two of the phones I would look at if you're thinking of going large (scroll to the end for a full specs comparison). Part of my recommendation to skip the Mate 8 stems from the other, admittedly minor drawbacks, including a screen resolution that's lower than I'd like on a phone of this size.

A much lower price would help blunt those flaws and give fans of big phones a good alternative in an all-metal build. However, if you can get the Nexus 6P or Galaxy Note 5, or even the LG V10, do that instead. You'll get more for your hard-earned cash.

Pros:

• Long-lasting battery
• Recent version of Google's software, Android 6.0
• All-metal build
• Same accurate fingerprint reader that's on the back of the Huawei-made Google Nexus 6P
• Loud speaker audio

Cons:

• Large size is polarizing and won't fit comfortably in all hands
• Dim screen
• Screen resolution is too low

Battery life and screen size set the Mate 8 apart, but...

If you're hot on big phones, the Mate 8's 6-inch screen gives you the room you need to run wild. When I hold the Mate 8 in my hand, the screen seems bright and wonderful...until I stream video, view high-res photos or hold it next to any other phone. It's then that I notice its 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution looks dimmer and a little hazier than other phones of its class at any brightness level, especially the impossibly vibrant Nexus 6P.

Compared to ultrasharp displays like on the Nexus 6P's 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution, higher-res graphics look less detailed; that's because there are fewer pixels on the Mate 8, much lower than you typically see on a large-screen phone (see chart below). Most of the time, the Mate 8's resolution won't impede your viewing pleasure, but Huawei really should have climbed to the next rung in resolution to match the well-priced Nexus 6P (2,560x1,440 pixels).

The battery lurking below this shiny exterior packs some real muscle.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Better news is that battery here is a monster -- the Mate 8 lasted an average of 15.6 hours in our video drain tests. In everyday life, too, I always seemed to have enough battery reserves after continuously using it throughout the day. Some of that is due to the dimmer screen, though if your battery ever does get perilously close to flatlining, you can always turn on the phone's power-saving settings.

Bonus points: Camera and Android 6.0

Photos were another bright spot. The 16-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front-facing camera shot off rounds of very nice photos in most lighting settings, indoor and out. I'm not saying these were flawless -- camera photos do have their limits and I did get some weirdly yellow indoor shots in seriously terrible lighting -- but the camera components have gotten so good lately that most higher-end models will take photos you like.

Selfie shots were also pretty good when tested in the hand and yes, even on a selfie stick during a rowdy New Year's party, but Huawei does shove Beauty Mode down your throat -- unbelievably, you have your choice of two. Those with a more natural vibe can switch to the usual camera mode to slides settings down from Beauty 10 to zero.

The camera took pleasing photos in almost every lighting condition I threw its way.

Josh Miller/CNET

Here's another good thing: the Mate 8 has Android 6.0 Marshmallow onboard, Google's latest software. Being up to date means you get new features like Doze (automatic battery-saving software) and Now on Tap (which pops up extra info when you press the home button) -- I also like invoking Google voice search ("OK, Google") from any screen. The presence of Android 6.0 hopefully means that Huawei will continue to update the Mate 8 as Google rolls out updates.

If you've never used a Huawei phone before, you should know that Huawei liberally sauces Android with its own flavor, which it calls the Emotion UI (EMUI 4.0). It's a pretty dramatic change if you're used to the Nexus 6P's vanilla Android. Your apps lay out along multiple home screens like on the iPhone, and the lock screen and notifications pull-down menu have different effects, too. Spend some time playing around with the settings menu and lock screen and you'll get it all how you want it. I personally like some of the animated transitions, but a lot of Android purists I know rail against any changes to their favorite Android skin.

The colors on this broad-leaf plant are vibrant without being oversaturated.

CNET

I photographed this venerable St. Bernard close to the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.

Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

These friends took the Huawei Mate 8's selfie capabilities into their own hands -- er, their own selfie stick.

CNET

Our standard studio shot, taken in controlled lighting with the Mate 8.

James Martin/CNET

Things I'm not sold on

I've already mentioned that screen resolution is lower than I expect for a premium-priced handset. The Mate 8's processor and overall dimensions also raise some red flags.

The processor

Huawei doesn't just make gadgets, it now makes processors, too. Like Samsung, Huawei started using its Kirin chipset in phones. The Mate 8 did fine in our diagnostic tests, but generally lagged behind top phones from Samsung and Apple. More worrisome, Riptide GP2, which I regularly use to test smartphones, crashed the six or seven times I tried to push the limits in graphics settings (it played on medium-level graphics, though). On the other hand, those crashes could have more to do with how the developers coded the app; the phone behaved fine. Everyday tasks like opening apps and uploading photos worked smoothly and seamlessly, and bootup time was on par.

Huawei Mate 8 performance

Huawei Mate 8 (32GB) 17,883 1,736 6,214 Google Nexus 6P 24,224 1,286 4,313 Apple iPhone 6S Plus 28,080 2,403 4,240 Samsung Galaxy Note 5 24,589 1,488 4,939

• 3DMark Score (Ice Storm Unlimited)
• Geekbench 3 Score (Single-Core)
• Geekbench 3 Score (Multi-Core)

Note: Longer bars indicate better performance

The size

For me, the Mate 8's dimensions are just too big. The handset is hefty and wide, and even though there's a setting for one-handed controls, I'd never use them. The fingerprint sensor on the back that you can use to unlock the phone is dead on when you position your finger correctly, but I had to stretch to reach the sensor on the Mate 8 just as I did on the Nexus 6P, so I couldn't always unlock the phone the first time around. The larger-pawed folks I handed didn't have my problems.

Interestingly, the Mate 8 and Nexus 6P have about the same body dimensions, even though the 6P's screen is slightly smaller. If the 6P isn't too large for your hand, the Mate 8 won't be either.

Versus the Nexus 6P and others

With that premium-phone pricing and under-premium specs, the Mate 8 just isn't worth your money. Pick the Nexus 6P or Galaxy Note 5 instead. Although both are equally large in the hand, you'll enjoy a sharper, brighter screen and top-notch camera. Nexus 6P owners also get to brag about the perks of owning Android 6.0's debut phone, like getting new updates first and little things like a camera quick-start trigger.

Huawei Mate 8 specs versus rivals

	Huawei Mate 8	Google Nexus 6P	Apple iPhone 6S Plus	Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Display size, resolution	6-inch; 1,920 x 1,080 pixels	5.7-inch; 2,560x1,440 pixels	5.5-inch; 1,920 x 1,080 pixels	5.7-inch; 2,560x1,440 pixels
Pixel density	368ppi	515ppi	401ppi	518ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.2 x 3.2 x 0.31 in	6.3 x 3.1 x 0.28 in	6.2 x 3.1 x 0.29 in	6 x 3 x 0.3 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	157 x 81 x 7.9 mm	159 x 78 x 7.3 mm	158 x 78 x 7.3 mm	153 x 76 x 7.6 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	6.5 oz; 185 g	6.3 oz; 178 g	6.8 oz; 192 g	6 oz; 171 g
Mobile software	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Apple iOS 9	Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera	16-megapixel	12.3-megapixel	12-megapixel	16-megapixel
Front-facing camera	8-megapixel	8-megapixel	5-megapixel	5-megapixel
Video capture	1080p HD	4K	4K	4K
Processor	2.3 GHz eight-core Huawei Kirin 950	2.0 GHz eight-core Qualcomm Snapgradon 810	Apple A9 chip (64-bit)	Samsung eight-core Exynos 7 Octa 7420
Storage	32GB, 64GB	32GB, 64GB, 128GB	16GB, 64GB, 128GB	32GB, 64GB
RAM	3GB, 4GB	3GB	2GB	4GB
Expandable storage	Up to 128GB	None	None	None
Battery	4,000mAh (nonremovable)	3,450mAh (nonremovable)	2,750mAh (nonremovable)	3,000mAh (nonremovable)
Fingerprint sensor	Back cover	Back cover	Home button	Home button
Special features	Dual-SIM	Pure Android	N/A	S Pen stylus
Price off-contract (USD)	~$650 (32GB); $760 (64GB)	$500 (32GB); $550 (64GB); $650 (128GB)	$750 (16GB); $850 (64GB); $950 (128GB)	$670-$740 (32GB); $770-$840 (64GB)
Price (GBP)	~£450 (32GB); £525 (64GB)	£450 (32GB); £500 (64GB); £580 (128GB)	£620 (16GB); £700 (64GB); £790 (128GB)	Not sold
Price (AUD)	AU$899 (32GB only)	AU$900 (32GB); AU$1,000 (64GB); AU$1,100 (128GB)	AU$1,230 (16GB); AU$1,380 (64GB); AU$1,530 (128GB)	AU$1,100 (32GB)

---

Source

Tags:

• Huawei Mate 8 New
• Buy Huawei Mate 8
• The Huawei Mate 8
• Huawei Mate 8 Premium Review
• Huawei Mate 8 New
• Huawei Mate 8 Dual Sim Review
• Huawei Mate 9 Review
• Huawei Ascend Mate 8 Review
• Huawei Mate 50 Pro
• Huawei Matebook 14

Leaked Motorola Razr images give us a first look at the foldable phone's new design

Leaked Motorola Razr images give us a first look at the foldable phone's new design

Update, Nov. 14: The foldable Motorola Razr has been launched, and we went hands-on . Original story follows.

---

Motorola's foldable Razr is expected to be revealed next month, but the leaks are still coming. Noted leaker Evan Blass shared an image on his private Twitter account that appears to give one of the first clear looks at the foldable phone's design, which Motorola has been teasing for a while. The leaked images don't give us a full look at what the device will look like unfolded, but the leak does reveal that the new foldable Razr's design will remain similar to the original Razr line, including a "chin" that looks like it could house a fingerprint sensor. As for the inside, there is just a hint of the screen's reflection over what previously was the keypad. 

A second image shared Thursday afternoon by Blass gave a glimpse at the "closed" display viewing a notification. 

Read: The inside story behind the creation of the foldable Motorola Razr.

The new foldable Razr, closed. 

Evan Blass

Subsequent images leaked by Blass showed the phone's front screen that doubles as a viewfinder as well as what the phone looks like when fully opened. 

The front display and camera on the Razr. 

Evan Blass

Motorola did not respond to a request for comment. 

Following in the steps of Samsung's recently released Galaxy Fold and Huawei's previously announced Mate X, CNET previously reported that while Motorola had initially planned for a summer release date of its foldable Razr, the company was now targeting a late 2019 release. 

The Motorola Razr foldable, as leaked by Evan Blass.

Evan Blass

In addition to the foldable display, the phone has been reported to cost $1,500 and run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 710 processor with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage. It is also rumored to come in white, black or gold, measure 6.2 inches long and have a 2,730-mAh battery.

CNET's Corinne Reichert contributed to this story. 

Originally published at 8:24 a.m. PT
Update 3:05 p.m.PT: Added additional details and images. 

---

Source

Tags:

• Motorola Razr Phone Failure
• Motorola Razr Camera Error
• Motorola Razr Hot Pink
• New Motorola Phone Razr
• Motorola Razr Hot Pink
• Motorola Razr Screen Issues
• Motorola Razr Factory Unlocked

Huawei mate 30 pro ditches google apps keeps android device huawei mate 30 pro ditches google maps huawei mate 30 pro ditches google drive huawei mate 30 pro ditches google earth huawei mate 30 pro ditches that border huawei mate 30 pro ditches school huawei mate 30 pro google play install huawei mate 30 pro features huawei mate 30 second hand price malaysia huawei mate 30 pro huawei mate 9

Huawei Mate 30 Pro ditches Google Apps, keeps Android. Why it matters

Huawei Mate 30 Pro ditches Google Apps, keeps Android. Why it matters

Can Huawei make great phones without the full power of Google's Android operating system behind it? We're about to find out. The Chinese giant on Thursday unveiled the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, its latest flagship phones, at an event in Munich. The phones will ship with state-of-the-art hardware, including four rear cameras, but without full Android support. The Mate 30 phones are based on Android open source, meaning they will still function like Androids. What they won't have, though, is Google services or apps. No Google Maps, no Google Chrome and, most importantly, no Google Play Store. 

Instead, you'll surf the web through the Huawei Browser and download apps through the Huawei AppGallery. The AppGallery has around 45,000 apps, according to Huawei, compared to the Google Play Store's estimated 2.7 million. Google typically licenses the latest version of Android, currently Android 10, for phone manufacturers to use. The Mate 30 phones will instead be powered by open-source Android and run EMUI 10, Huawei's user interface that approximates Google's Android 10.

This means Huawei will only be able to bring security updates to the Mate 30 phones when those updates hit open-source Android.

The Mate 30 launch comes at an uncertain time for Huawei: The US Commerce Department blacklisted the Chinese company in May, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order effectively banning Huawei from US communication networks due to national security concerns over Huawei's ties to the Chinese government, which Huawei denies. Google parent company Alphabet followed by revoking Huawei's Android license, thus Huawei's need to resort to using open-source Android. 

The new phones -- particularly the Mate 30 Pro -- will compete with Apple's new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 phones and the upcoming Google Pixel 4, which launches on Oct. 15.

I had a brief opportunity to handle the phone. At first the user interface seemed identical to the P30 Pro. After a moment, though, I noticed the conspicuous absence of Google apps. This isn't quite a death sentence, but we'll have to see if Huawei's alternatives can capably plug the gap that Google's apps and services leave open.

Notice the lack of Google apps.

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

Anything that you can do…

Apple has made a big hubbub about its iPhone 11 Pro phones, which have three cameras on the back. Huawei tops this with an extra shooter, as the Mate 30 Pro comes with four rear cameras. This is wild, but not a world-first. Huawei did the same with 2018's Mate 20 Pro, as well as this year's P30 Pro.

The Mate 30 Pro's quad-camera setup consists of a 40-megapixel camera, a 40-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a time-of-flight sensor, which helps add depth to photos. 

This setup features one upgrade from the P30 Pro and one downgrade. On the plus side, the ultrawide-angle lens is now 40 megapixels against the P30 Pro's 20 megapixels. But the Mate 30 Pro uses a telephoto camera for zoom rather than a periscope one. As a result, you'll get 3x optical zoom, 5x hybrid and 30x digital. The P30 Pro had a superior 5x optical, 10x hybrid and 50x digital. 

Four rear cameras.

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

The cameras are aided by the Kirin 990 processor. Huawei says its BM3D algorithm can reduce noise by 30%. On the video front, Huawei is putting extra emphasis on slow motion. You'll be able to slow things aaaaaaaaaaall the way down to 7,680 frames per second. The Mate 30 cameras are not as advanced, but still solid, with a 16-megapixel camera and a 40-megapixel ultrawide lens.

Premium touches

On top of a promising photography setup, the Mate 30 Pro is brimming with luxurious hardware. It's powered by the company's new Kirin 990 CPU, and a 16-core Mali G76 GPU. We'll of course need to put these processors through their paces, but Huawei's top-of-the-line Kirin chips are usually impressive.

Then there's the display. It's a 6.53-inch OLED screen that curves over the side of the bezel. This curve, which Huawei calls an 88 degree ultra curve form, isn't just for show. There are in-screen controls for things like volume control that go there. It's especially good news for gamers: The "side touch" forms virtual L and R buttons, similar to Asus' ROG Phone's in-screen virtual buttons.

The Mate 30 Pro runs a huge 4,500-mAh battery, which Huawei claims will get you two days of heavy usage. The phone comes with a fast charger that the company says will get it from 0 to 70% battery in 30 minutes. It's also compatible with a 27-watt wireless charger Huawei is bringing to market, which will apparently charge the phone twice as fast as a standard charger. And finally, reverse charging, which lets you use the Mate 30 Pro as a wireless charger to juice up another device, is back. 

The Mate 30 Pro 5G model has the longest-lasting 5G battery and better 5G cooling system when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G, Huawei said during the event. A Porsche Design Mate 30 Pro RS edition, which features a leather covering on the back of the phone and 512 GB of storage, is also available. 

If Huawei can bring together an ecosystem that neutralizes the loss of full-Android support, this will be a fantastic phone. That's not a small "if," though.

The Mate 30 will start at 799 euro (about $885, £700 or AU$1,300), the Mate 30 Pro will start at 1,099 euro and the Mate 30 Pro 5G will start at 1,199 euro. The Porche Design Huawei Mate 30 RS will start at 2,095 euro.

The phone runs on a Kirin 990 CPU. 

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

Key specs

• 6.53-inch OLED display
• 88-degree ultra curve form, with "side touch" functionality
• Kirin 990 CPU, 16-core Mali G76 GPU
• IP68 dust and water resistance
• 40-megapixel wide angle; 40-megapixel ultrawide angle; 8-megapixel telephoto; Time of Flight quad-camera setup
• 32-megapixel selfie camera with AI HDR
• 198 grams, 8.8mm thick
• 4,500-mAh battery
• Reverse wireless charging
• EMUI 10, based on open-source Android
• Colors: Space Silver, Cosmic Purple, Black, Emerald Green, Vegan Leather Forest Green, Vegan Leather Orange, Porsche Design Mate 30 Pro RS edition
  

CNET's Alison DeNisco Rayome contributed to this report.

Originally published Sept. 19 at 6:30 a.m. PT.
Updates, 06.38 a.m. PT: Adds prices; 08:28 a.m. PT: Adds additional camera information.

---

Source

Magic 3 is honor s first post huawei flagship launch trampoline magic 3 is honor s first post huawei flagship launch today magic 3 is honor s first post huawei flagship launch servicing magic 3 is honor s first post huawei flagship launch meaning magic 3 is honor s first post huawei flagship smartphone magic 3 is honor s first post huawei mate magic 3 is honor s first post huawei y6 magic 3 is honor s first post huawei p40 magic 3 is honor s first location might and magic 3 isles of terra cheats

Magic 3 is Honor's first post-Huawei flagship launch

Magic 3 is Honor's first post-Huawei flagship launch

After being sold off by Huawei, Honor is back in the limelight with its new flagship Magic 3 series. It's the company's first global flagship launch since Huawei sold Honor to a consortium of buyers. And unlike Huawei devices, the Magic 3 lineup, will run Google's popular software and apps in their full capacity -- features it lost access to when it was owned by Huawei due to US sanctions. 

The Magic 3 series, which consists of the Magic 3, Magic 3 Pro, and Magic 3 Pro Plus, will start at 899 euros (which converts to roughly $1,055, £760 or AU$1,430) for the base version, then step up to 1,099 euros (about $1,290) and max out at 1,499 euros (about $1,760). All three devices have a gently curved screen on the front (89 degrees) and feature between three and four rear camera lenses placed in concentric circles to form an eye-catching camera bump. 

The Magic 3 series will also have access to Google Mobile Services, as well as popular Google apps including the Google Play Store and Gmail. Before Huawei sold the brand to "ensure its own survival," Honor was banned from buying American technology just like its former owner -- a consequence of sanctions levelled by the Trump administration. This marks a major victory for Honor, which along with Huawei, saw the market share of its consumer business erode partly due to absence of Google's wildly popular software and services.

The eye-catching Magic 3 camera bump.

Honor/Screenshot by CNET's Sareena Dayaram

Speaking of software, each Magic 3 phone will also get just one major software update, including a security update, putting Honor's premium phone line a step behind Samsung and Apple, which have committed to multi-year updates for their flagship phones. 

There are differences between the three phones too. Some of those differences are found in the processor, display camera module, and the water resistance rating, for instance. The base Magic 3 runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888, while the Pro models rely on the Snapdragon 888 Plus. Honor said this chipset is backed up by a flash memory fusion technology, which apparently gives an 8GB RAM phone performance that is similar to a 10GB device. 

Some of the biggest differences are in the camera set up. Pro models boast a 64-megapixel periscope-style telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom and 100x zoom. That surpasses the zoom capabilities of the iPhone 12 lineup, at least on paper, and it's on par with the digital zoom on Samsung's Galaxy Ultra. On the pro models, the telephoto camera is accompanied by wide, ultra-wide and monochrome lenses. The telephoto lens, typically a more high-end feature, is absent on the base Magic 3. Camera sensor sizes vary across each model too. The Pro Plus for instance, has a larger sensor for the main 50-megapixel (1/1.28-inch) camera.

Key specs

Display: 6.76-inch AMOLED, 120Hz,  2,772x1,334 pixels
Processor: Snapdragon 888 (Magic 3); Snapdragon 888 Plus (Magic 3 Pro, 3 Pro Plus)
Battery and charger: 4,600 mAh; 66-watt wired charger; 50-watt wireless (Pro versions)
Water-resistance: IP68 (Magic 3 Pro, Pro Plus); IP53 (Magic 3)
Weight: 202 grams (Magic 3); 212 grams (Magic 3 Pro Plus)

---

Source

Huawei mate 30 pro review huawei mate 30 pro amazon huawei mate 30 pro specs huawei mate 30 pro photography huawei mate 30 huawei mate 30 pro huawei mate 30 pro 5g

Huawei Mate 30 Pro review: Sublime camera, disastrous software

Huawei Mate 30 Pro review: Sublime camera, disastrous software

---

Huawei started 2019 strong with the excellent P30 Pro phone, but things went downhill from there. Due to concerns that its equipment could be used to spy on the US and other companies, the Chinese tech giant has been banned from using technology from US companies. As a result, it can't license Google Mobile Services. The Mate 30 Pro, its latest flagship, has no Google Play Store, and no apps like Google Maps, Gmail and YouTube. 

It has the striking appearance of a futuristic slab of aluminum and glass, but I knew I was in for a rough ride just moments after booting up the Mate 30 Pro. Entering the AppGallery, Huawei's version of the Google Play Store, I was encouraged to download some of its most popular apps: Weibo, WeChat and the China Drama Channel. It quickly became clear that Huawei doesn't have much to offer its non-Chinese customers.

One question has enshrouded the Mate 30 Pro since Huawei's tech ban: Can Huawei, a huge, powerful company with deep resources, find a way to neutralize the loss of Google? 

The answer, unfortunately, is no.

The Mate 30 Pro is an exceptional piece of hardware. Its quad-camera setup shoots outstanding photos (sometimes better than the iPhone 11 Pro) a dazzling 6.53-inch waterfall display is the centerpiece of an inspired design, and its 4,500-mAh battery goes and goes and goes. But the fiasco that is Android without full Google support makes it impossible to recommend. 

Even more galling is the Mate 30 Pro's price. The phone starts at AU$1,599 in Australia, which converts to $1,100 or £830. (No availability has been announced for either the US or UK.) Yes, it's a premium phone and premium parts ain't cheap. But as a proposition to you, the buyer, that much money for a partially functioning phone is preposterous. 

Huawei tries Android without all of Google

Since Android 10 itself is open-source, the Mate 30 Pro still runs Google's most recent operating system fine. But since Google Mobile Services requires a license, Huawei has no access to the Google Play Store or any of Google's apps. 

Instead, you'll use Huawei's AppGallery, which the company says has over 45,000 apps. That sounds like a lot, but I could count the useful apps in the AppGallery on one hand.

There's no Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Netflix, Disney Plus or Reddit. You won't find Google apps, like Gmail, Maps or YouTube. (You can log into Gmail through Huawei's native email app, though.) Even if you do install Google apps by downloading their APKs -- the Android equivalent of Windows' .exe files -- they won't work without authentication from Google Mobile Services. Uber doesn't work either, since the ride-sharing app runs Google Maps. Losing Google's suite of apps is devastating; losing almost every useful app in the Google Play Store is debilitating. 

Huawei's AppGallery has over 45,000 apps. You'll find few of them useful.

Ian Knighton/CNET

Of all the apps I download onto every new phone, only one was available: Spotify. When I tried to find Spotify in the AppGallery a week later, however, it appeared to have been pulled. TikTok (which is owned by Chinese company Bytedance) was available at first, then disappeared and then appeared again. 

To get around the software obstructions I downloaded APKs from assorted websites. It was a dodgy process, and worked inconsistently. Some apps ran fine, others crashed after a few moments and others still didn't work at all.

It was a total mess.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro's camera credentials

If Huawei phones have been known for one thing, it's cameras. Huawei beat competitors to the punch with dual-lens cameras (P9), a dedicated Night Mode (P20 Pro) and 5x optical zoom (P30 Pro). Photography is undoubtedly the Mate 30 Pro's greatest strength.

The phone has a fantastic quad-camera setup. The main shooter has 40 megapixels. Then there's an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, which has a 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom; a 40-megapixel ultrawide-angle lens; and there's a 3D "time-of-flight" sensor that helps with depth perception.

The Mate 30 Pro has less zoom capability than Huawei's current flagship the P30 Pro, which has 5x optical and 50x digital. But it has a bigger, better ultrawide-angle sensor over the P30 Pro. This is a worthwhile trade, because I find ultrawide-angle capability much more useful than better zoom functionality. 

Some Portrait shots give the subject brushed, lightened skin.

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

Others work better.

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

The Mate 30 Pro's quad-camera setup generally captures crisp, vibrant shots. 

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

See that fountain all the way in the back? 

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

Here it is, shot with 30x zoom. 

Daniel Van Boom/CNET

Photography isn't perfect. Thanks to heavy software processing, skin can look artificially brushed in Portrait shots. This processing also makes Night Mode superfluous: Low-light shots capture an impressive amount of light, and toggling on Night Mode often results in overkill. I didn't have the option to shoot a dark photo even when I wanted to because the scene is brightened with software by default. 

But despite these issues, the Mate 30 Pro has one of the best camera setups on any Android phone. Photos generally look spectacular, with rich color and crisp detail. 

And Huawei packed in another innovative trick, but this time for the video camera. The Mate 30 Pro features stupefying slow-motion capabilities. There are four options: 4x, 8x, 32x, 64x and an astonishing 256x. That 256x option uses AI software to slow things down to 7,680 frames per second. 

Slow-motion cameras need more light, so you'll need a reasonably bright environment to take advantage of ultra-slow-mo. And since 256x slow motion makes 25 seconds out of one-tenth of a second, you'll need good timing to shoot the split second you want in slow-mo. But I found the feature super fun to play around with. It makes something as little as a water splash look spectacular. 

Good parts, bad phone

In regards to hardware, the Mate 30 Pro is luxurious in every aspect.

Its 6.53-inch, 2,400x1,176x-pixel screen is beautiful, bright and crisp. Its OLED screen is a waterfall display, meaning it wraps around the side of the phone all the way to the aluminum back. Videos and browsing were a joy, and the glass body felt more luxe to hold than aluminum. The downside is that there are no volume buttons, so I had to tap the side of the display to activate an on-screen volume slider instead. This generally works OK, but makes quick volume changes more cumbersome than they need be.

Powered by Huawei's own Kirin 990 processor and 8GB of RAM, the Android heavyweight felt silky smooth to use. But where the Mate 30 Pro really shines is battery life. Running it through CNET's battery test -- turning the phone on Airplane mode and looping an HD video -- it lasted 24 hours, 12 minutes. That's crazy. 

The best phone you shouldn't buy.

Ian Knighton/CNET

I wish I could say that the Kirin 990 CPU also scored well on Geekbench 5, a benchmark we run to test a processor's efficiency. Saying it performed well would be a safe bet but, after downloading the APK for Geekbench 5 from four different sites, the app never worked. I could try searching for more Geekbench APKs, but I think this anecdote is an apt encapsulation of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

It's a beautiful device with powerful parts and a sublime camera. But its software situation is a disaster. Don't buy this phone. 

Originally published Dec. 17.
Update, Dec. 28: Adds video review, comparison to iPhone 11 Pro camera.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro

	Huawei Mate 30 Pro	Google Pixel 4 XL	Samsung Galaxy Note 10	OnePlus 7T	iPhone 11 Pro
Display size, resolution	6.53-inch OLED	6.3-inch OLED	6.3-inch AMOLED; 2,280x1,080 pixels	6.55-inch AMOLED; 2,400x1,080-pixels	5.8-inch OLED Super Retina XDR; 2,436x1,125 pixels
Pixel density	409ppi	537ppi	401ppi	402ppi	458ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	6.22 x 2.88 x 0.35 in	2.9x6.3x0.3 in	5.94x2.83x0.31 in	6.34x2.93x0.32 in	5.67x2.81x0.32 in
Dimensions (Millimeters)	158.1x73.1x8.8 mm	75.1x160.4x8.2 mm	151x71.8x7.9 mm	160.94x74.44x8.13 mm	144x71.4x8.1 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	6.98 oz; 198g	6.8 oz; 193g	5.93 oz; 168g	6.70 oz; 190g	6.63 oz; 188g
Mobile software	Android 10 with EMUI	Android 10	Android 9 Pie	Android 10 with OxygenOS	iOS 13
Camera	40 megapixel (standard), 8 megapixel (telephoto), 40 megapixel (ultrawide-angle), 3D ToF sensor	12.2-megapixel (standard), 16-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultra-wide angle), 12-megapixel (telephoto)	48-megapixel (standard), 12-megapixel (telephoto), 16-megapixel (ultra wide-angle)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera	32 megapixel, 3D ToF sensor	8-megapixel	10-megapixel	16-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Kirin 990	2.84GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, or Samsung Exynos 9825	2.96GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+	Apple A13 Bionic
Storage	128GB, 256GB	64GB, 128GB	256GB	128GB	64GB, 256GB, 512GB
RAM	8GB	6GB	8GB	8GB	Not disclosed
Expandable storage	Up to 256GB	No	No	No	No
Battery	4,500-mAh	3,700-mAh	3,500-mAh	3,800-mAh	Not disclosed, but Apple claims it will last 4 hours longer than iPhone XS
Fingerprint sensor	In-screen	No	In-screen	In-screen	No
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	Lightning
Headphone jack	No	No	No	No	No
Special features	Up to 256x slow motion; wireless charging; reverse charging; IP68 resistance; dual-SIM; waterfall display	Soli motion sensing and touchless gestures; 90Hz display; water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging	S Pen stylus; Wireless PowerShare; hole punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68)	90Hz display; dual-SIM; Warp Charge 30T	Water resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
Price off-contract (USD)	Converted: About $1,100	$899 (64GB), $999 (128GB)	$949	$599	$999 (64GB), $1,149 (256GB), $1,349 (512GB)
Price (GBP)	Converted: About £830	£829 (64GB), £929 (128GB)	£899	Converted: About £485	£1,049 (64GB), £1,199 (256GB), £1,399 (512GB)
Price (AUD)	AU$1,599	AU$1,279 (64GB), AU$1,429 (128GB)	AU$1,499	Converted: About AU$890	AU$1,749 (64GB), AU$1,999 (256GB), AU$2,349 (512GB)

---

Source

Huawei oneplus and beyond china s biggest smartphone ever made huawei oneplus and beyond china s biggest smartphone makers huawei oneplus and beyond china s biggest port huawei oneplus and beyond china sea huawei and us government huawei oneplus and oppo huawei oneplus india

Huawei, OnePlus and beyond: China's biggest smartphone brands you should know about

Huawei, OnePlus and beyond: China's biggest smartphone brands you should know about

This story is part of Generation China, CNET's series exploring the nation's technological ambition.

Apple, Samsung and Huawei have long been mainstays on the global smartphone leaderboard, but in recent years there's been a string of new players. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo might sound unfamiliar to most Americans, outside a tech-savvy bubble, but they're right up there with the world's top brands.

While Samsung wears the crown as the world's largest smartphone company and Apple still pulls in the most profit, Chinese phone-makers have ascended rapidly worldwide and are displaying resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world's second largest seller of smartphones last year, achieving this coveted milestone without selling any phones in the US, and briefly eclipsed Samsung in April. A Shenzhen-based phone company, Transsion, meanwhile, has overtaken Samsung as the No. 1 phone supplier in Africa since its launch there in 2018. 

"Chinese smartphone-makers have captured around 40% of the global market share, showing that Chinese firms are increasingly capable of building consumer products with global appeal," said Dan Wang, technology analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, a research firm. 

In addition to enticing shoppers around the world to buy their handsets, Chinese vendors have worked hard to shed the reputation that they're merely cheap copycats -- they're starting to drive innovations such as foldable designs or pop-up cameras, which offer a window into the future of smartphone technology. Royole, a Shenzhen-based company, unveiled the world's first flexible smartphone, beating Samsung to the punch, although the South Korean electronics giant is often mistakenly credited for it. Nevermind that it was a spectacular failure. Xiaomi, meanwhile, unveiled the first trifold foldable phone that much of the world had ever laid eyes on. Vivo and Meizu both made waves when they released phones without a single physical button and almost no ports.

Generation China is a CNET series that looks at the areas of technology where the country is looking to take a leadership position.

Along with these innovative designs, Chinese phone brands are increasingly churning out high-end phones and pushing price boundaries, aiming to transcend their budget phone image and compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple after focusing on the budget or entry level market for years. Critics say they still have a long way to go. 

"These competitive pressures drive changes in pricing, innovation and marketing, but I'm not convinced that Chinese vendors, aside from Huawei previously, pose a significant threat to Apple's brand," said Tuong Huy Nguyen, senior principal analyst at Gartner. "Apple is a high-end brand and an ecosystem-driven experience."

To be fair, China's smartphone industry has witnessed its fair share of failures along with the meteoric rise of companies like Huawei and Xiaomi as the smartphone market consolidates. Gionee, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer that was among the first Chinese firms to break into the lucrative Indian market, went bust last year. There was also Vsun, a Chinese contract manufacturer that laid off all its employees on the same day it filed for bankruptcy in May last year. Small players have been squeezed even tighter amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in Chinese phone-makers refocusing their efforts back to their home market, according to industry analysts.

But the rapid emergence of China's phone-makers on the global stage underscores the country's rising technological prowess. It comes as Beijing seeks to catch up and eventually overtake the US as the global technological leader across 10 high-tech sectors including robotics, semiconductors and even electric vehicles, as part of Chinese President Xi Jin Ping's ambitious master plan known as Made in China 2025. It's this very plan that fueled the costly trade war between Washington and Beijing. In May, Beijing unveiled a follow-up plan that details China's involvement in setting the standards for key tech like 5G.

Still, some Chinese phone-makers are poised to gain market share from Apple and Samsung in the second quarter despite the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged the global economy and disrupted supply chains, according to a TrendForce report published in April. 

But who are the key players? The following is a breakdown of all of the Chinese phone-makers you should know, according to how recognizable they are in the US.

Huawei

US chipmakers continue to sell product to Huawei, despite a Trump administration ban on the sale of US technology to the Chinese telecom giant.

SOPA Images

Of all the Chinese phone manufacturers on this list, Huawei is probably the name that needs no introduction. It's the world's second largest smartphone company, and it's at the center of an international battle for technological dominance between Beijing and Washington. 

Once virtually unknown to most Americans, the telecommunications giant was splashed across newspapers when top executive (and daughter of the company's founder) Meng Wangzhou was arrested in Canada for an alleged violation of US sanctions with Iran. Since then, the Chinese telecom has regularly made international headlines, especially since the US Commerce Department banned American companies from doing business with Huawei without first obtaining a license. 

For Huawei, that meant it could lose access to crucial technological parts including semiconductors, which are key components used in its base stations and phones. It also meant Huawei's handsets were cut off from the full power of Google's Android operating system, along with several popular apps including the Google Play store, Gmail, Google Maps and apps that rely on Google like Uber and eBay. 

At its launch in September, the Mate 30 was Huawei's first major phone to launch without Google's proprietary apps. Despite US efforts to constrain Huawei, the company reported first-half earnings this month showing revenue grew more than 13% from a year ago to around $65 billion.

But in May, Washington tightened its entity list measures in a move that blocked Huawei's global chip supply from key supplier's like Taiwan's TSMC, which could put Huawei's future in genuine jeopardy. "It might cripple Huawei, which I consider China's most important technology company," Wang said.

ZTE

ZTE launched the Axon 10 series in the US last year, which marked its comeback into the United States after being swept up in a trade fight with the Trump administration. 

Angela Lang/CNET

You may remember ZTE from when it got embroiled in a trade fight with the US government. Once the fourth largest phone vendor by market share in the US, ZTE saw its operations come to a grinding halt after the Commerce Department in 2018 barred the state-owned Chinese telecom from buying components from American companies over sanctions violations. 

Although the ban was lifted several months later as the result of Trump's surprise intervention, ZTE paid the US $1.4 billion in penalties, the Chinese telecom took a reputational hit and suffered a $1 billion loss in 2018. 

The 35-year-old company had spent years building its brand in the US, where it sold low-cost smartphones through wireless carriers including AT&T and Verizon, selling 19 million phones in 2017, according to Canalys. It had achieved what none of its homegrown competitors had been able to in the US. Much of that evaporated with the controversy. 

Last year, ZTE quietly reentered the US market with its "comeback phone," the Axon 10 Pro, its first major phone launch since it was banned. Still, industry analysts say they have doubts over whether ZTE can shake off the impact of the US ban even after installing company veteran Ni Fei at the helm of its consumer electronics business.

"ZTE is expected to face challenges from both its Chinese competitors and the US-China tensions," said Will Wong, research manager at IDC Asia Pacific. "Since ZTE has been banned by the US in the past, the current tensions between the US and China are expected to make its channel players more cautious while working with them."

Lenovo

Angela Lang/CNET

Lenovo is a giant in the PC industry. It can even lay claim to the world's first 5G laptop. But it's also the owner of one of the most iconic American phone companies: Motorola, which it bought from Google for a cool $2.9 in 2015. Still, it's been a long road back to the black for Lenovo's phone business. After years of bruising losses and layoffs, Lenovo's mobile unit turned a small profit last year, its first since it acquired Motorola, thanks to a "clear focus on selected markets, a competitive product portfolio and expense control." This year, the company released a string of phones across the price spectrum under its Motorola label like the revamped Razr, and it's gearing up to release its Legion-branded gaming phone as the company seeks to grow those gains in its phone business.

OnePlus

Launched this month, the Nord is OnePlus' inaugural midrange phone from a brand-new line by the same name.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Unlike most of its Chinese competitors, OnePlus has emerged as an unlikely success story in the US, breaking into the brutally competitive American smartphone market within the seven years of starting out. The young company, which has roots in tech metropolis Shenzhen, started off there as an online-only supplier of high-end yet affordable phones. 

But it truly broke into mainstream America in 2018 when it launched the 6T flagship series with the support of a key US ally: T-Mobile. It was the first time OnePlus had the backing of a major US carrier, which marked an important milestone for OnePlus since most Americans still buy their phones from carriers. It also meant that the phones would be available in T-Mobile's vast network of retail stores around the country. 

Jump ahead to 2020, and OnePlus is one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in the US after its phone sales more than tripled in 2019, according to Counterpoint Research. Although its market share remains minuscule compared to those of Apple and Samsung, it has managed to snatch a small slice of the pie from both juggernauts, as well as curry favor with some of the most discerning gadget enthusiasts out there. 

In April, it launched its OnePlus 8 flagship series amid the coronavirus pandemic with the backing of Verizon, and is set to launch the more wallet-friendly Nord this month via an augmented reality launch.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi's flagship for this year is known as the Mi 10 series.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi is one of China's earlier homegrown success stories. Founded in 2010, Xiaomi, which was once widely ridiculed for blatantly copying Apple, has matured into one of China's domestic champions, shipping more than 124 million phones in 2019 in more than 90 countries worldwide. 

For many years, Xiaomi's not-so-secret weapon has been selling quality phones at near cost. It has even released a $100 phone. This low-margin strategy has helped Xiaomi cultivate a loyal fan base, especially in price-sensitive countries in Asia like India, where its slick Android phones often sell out within hours of release. 

Xiaomi generates most of its revenue from selling phones, but recurring revenue from the sale of software and services that ride on its phone allow the Beijing-based company to sell its handsets for cheap. It also sells a portfolio of its own smart products to help boost its brand. 

In addition to phones, Xiaomi relies on a portfolio of smart products including bedside lamps and air purifiers to help build its Mi brand internationally. An upgraded electric scooter (pictured above) was launched in July.

Screenshot by Sareena Dayaram/CNET

In recent years, however, Xiaomi -- like many of its rivals -- has prioritized selling more high-priced phones as the global smartphone industry and its margins shrink. This strategy seems to have paid off, with the company reporting nearly 14% revenue growth in the first quarter despite the business challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. It stands in contrast to Samsung and Apple, which have both warned of a challenging year ahead. 

Oppo and Vivo

Vivo has broken ground for a 32-story highrise, which will house its headquarters, in the southern Chinese tech metropolis of Shenzhen. It's scheduled to be completed by 2025.

NBBJ

If you're not familiar with the name Vivo, there's still a good chance you have seen some of its phones, which appeared in Marvel's blockbuster Captain America: Civil War. As with its older and larger sibling Oppo, the Chinese phone-maker's trademark marketing style involves using high-profile product placement and sponsorships to win over European shoppers. Although Oppo and Vivo aren't household names in the West, both have vaulted up the global rankings to place within the top six smartphone manufacturers in a comparatively short period of time, due partially to the popularity of their affordable phones among young consumers. 

Oppo and Vivo (along with Xiaomi) are expected to have gained even more market share in the April-to-June quarter despite the pandemic, according to IDC. That's mainly because both companies enjoy a strong foothold in Asia, including the world's two largest smartphone markets, China and India, where most of their regional sales are generated, according to Wong. Even though Oppo and Vivo stress that they're competitors, both companies were spun out of the same parent company. BBK Electronics is a privately held, media-shy Chinese conglomerate believed to be the world's third largest manufacturer of smartphones. Along with Vivo and Oppo, it counts OnePlus and RealMe as part of its stable of brands.

RealMe

Ian Knighton/CNET

RealMe is the baby of the bunch, a 2-year-old company founded by a former Oppo executive. RealMe phones found success quickly because they were cheap but juiced up with cutting-edge technology. 

Last year, the company, which is also owned by BBK Electronics, said it shipped 25 millions phones -- a figure it hopes to double by the end of 2020.

"Their connection with Oppo allowed them to form a partnership with channel players in a more efficient way, which might be difficult for new smartphone-makers as channel players may not be familiar with a new brand," said IDC's Wong. 

The brand originally piggybacked on Oppo's success, and was known back in 2010 as Oppo Real before it spun off into an independent division. It also rapidly entered new international markets, finding success in India and parts of Europe in recent years. Earlier this year, the company unveiled its first 5G phones as part of a push toward the premium end of the market.

TCL

TCL is the new kid on the smartphone block -- after a fashion. The Shenzhen-listed company has had a long history of designing, manufacturing and marketing phones under brands that are not its own: TCL has produced handsets carrying the Alcatel name, the once-popular Blackberry brand and even has the tiny Palm handset. 

In April, the company, better known for making televisions, launched the moderately spec'd TCL 10 series, the debut line using its own brand that included a 5G phone, internationally. 

But the Chinese company is also vying to become the next big name in foldable phones, teasing radical designs including a trifold phone and a rollable phone. 

Founded in 1981, the Chinese consumer electronics company built its reputation selling value-for-money TVs that mostly kept up with competitors in terms of specs.TCL will continue selling these TVs along with the bevy of consumer electronics under its portfolio, but it's aiming to boost its brand through the more personal smartphone, echoing a strategy employed by industry giants Samsung and LG. 

Meizu

The Meizu Pro 6 (center) looks a lot like an iPhone.

Dave Cheng/CNET

Formerly a maker of MP3 players, Meizu was one of the earlier Chinese firms to make a foray into the hypercompetitive world of smartphones. The Zhuhai-based company rolled out its first phones in 2009, quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with domestically, and eventually entering overseas markets like India and parts of Europe. 

At its height, it was China's sixth largest domestic manufacturer, shipping approximately 20 million smartphones in 2015, which was a 350% jump from the year before. Huawei sold about 100 million in 2015. In a sign of confidence in its business that same year, Meizu garnered a near $600 million investment from Alibaba, as part of the e-commerce behemoth's push of its own mobile operating system into Meizu's popular handsets.

But Meizu has failed so far to break into the upper strata to join the ranks of China's smartphone elite. Today, the once high-flying company is struggling to stay afloat amid the consequences of misguided business decisions that included the over-release of smartphones and intensifying competition from its homegrown rivals. As players with more financial firepower refocus on the Chinese market, "there is little room left for smaller vendors," said Canalys research analyst Hattie He in a 2018 report.

---

Source