Sunday, February 28, 2021

Samsung Galaxy M12 With 6,000mAh Battery, 90Hz Refresh Rate Launching in India on March 11

Samsung Galaxy M12, as per an Amazon page, will launch in India on March 11 at 12pm (noon). The phone debuted in Vietnam earlier in February but the pricing was not shared.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2ZWOquY
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Disney+ Hotstar March 2021: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Teddy, and More

WandaVision episode 9, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Teddy movie, The Simpsons season 32, Family Guy season 19, Grey’s Anatomy season 17, Assembled: The Making of WandaVision — the biggest TV shows and series on Disney+ Hotstar in March 2021.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2NESOwh
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

SpaceX Delays Launch of Falcon 9 Carrier Rocket With Starlink Satellites by a Day

SpaceX has cancelled the planned launch of a Falcon 9 carrier rocket with 60 Starlink satellites.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3uI7lrp
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

OPPO Find X3 series launch set for March 11

OPPO’s next flagship series finally has a launch date. The company has revealed that it will be launching its Find X3 series on March 11 in China. From certifications to leaked images, we’ve been hearing a lot about the Find X3 Pro, Find X3, and Find X3 Lite and Neo. Last week, a leak claimed that the devices will be launched on March 11, and that has been revealed to be correct.

OPPO took to Twitter to announce the launch of the Find X3 series. It uploaded a poster that says the series would be launched on March 11 at 11:30 GMT / 12:30 CET.

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. Meanwhile, the Find X3 Lite and Neo are tipped to be rebadged versions of the Reno Pro5 series. Returning to the Find X3 Pro, it is rumored to feature a 6.7-inch (1440 x 3216 pixel) OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and run Android 11 out of the box.

It could have a 50MP primary camera with the Sony IMX766 image sensor, which is tipped to be accompanied by a 13MP telephoto camera with 2X optical zoom and 3MP macro camera. Moreover, it could pack a 4,500mAh battery with support for 65-watt SuperVOOC 2.0 wired and 30W VOOC Air wireless charging support.

The Pro variant could be sold in four color options of blue, white, orange, and black. It could be available in a single variant featuring 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The device is said to be priced between 1000 euros (~$1,126) and 1200 euros (~$1,460). On the other hand, the OPPO Find X3 Neo is touted to be a rebranded Reno5 Pro+. It could be made available in two color variants of silver and black. The 12GB RAM + 256GB storage model could be priced between 700 euros (~$851) and 800 euros (~$973). Moreover, the Find X3 Lite could be a rebranded version of China’s OPPO Reno5 5G It is touted to be priced between 400 euros (~$486) and 500 euros (~$608) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model.

The post OPPO Find X3 series launch set for March 11 appeared first on Pocketnow.



from Pocketnow https://ift.tt/37S2TwH
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Falcon & Winter Soldier, Teddy, and More on Disney+ Hotstar in March

WandaVision episode 9, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Teddy movie, The Simpsons season 32, Family Guy season 19, Grey's Anatomy season 17, Assembled: The Making of WandaVision - the biggest TV...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2ZZyckL
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

SpaceX Delays Launch of Falcon 9 Carrier Rocket With Starlink Satellites

SpaceX has cancelled the planned launch of a Falcon 9 carrier rocket with 60 Starlink satellites.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3dSJEXC
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

OnePlus 9 Pro Alleged Specifications and New Camera UI Surface Online

OnePlus 9 Pro alleged screenshots show that the smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage, a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display and 48-megapixel...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/37VuU6D
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

OnePlus 9 Pro Alleged Screenshots Tip Key Specifications and Redesigned Camera UI

OnePlus 9 Pro alleged screenshots show that the smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage, a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display and 48-megapixel quad rear camera system and Android 11 out-of-the-box.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2PmZy2j
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Oppo F19 Pro+, Oppo F19 Pro Teased to Launch in India Soon; Pricing, Specifications Tipped

Oppo F19 Pro+ and Oppo F19 Pro will launch in India soon, a dedicated Amazon page reveals. The Oppo F19 series was first in the news back in December of 2018 but only now has been confirmed to launch in the country.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3q3Wncj
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Golden Globes 2021 Winners — the Full List of All the Awards

The full list of the 2021 Golden Globes winners. Netflix’s The Crown won four of its six nominations. Nomadland and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm are the best picture winners. Chadwick Boseman won posthumously. Netflix won 10 Golden Globes and Apple TV+ got its first.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3sA8bEN
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Realme X9 Pro Specifications Surface Online, 90Hz Refresh Rate and 108-Megapixel Primary Camera Tipped

Realme X9 Pro may feature a full-HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate. It may sport a hole-punch design with the cutout placed on the top left corner of the screen. The leak reiterates that Realme X7 Pro may be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/2OeOLqs
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Oppo F19 Pro+, Oppo F19 Pro Teased to Launch in India Soon

Oppo F19 Pro+ and Oppo F19 Pro will launch in India soon, a dedicated Amazon page reveals. The Oppo F19 series was first in the news back in December of 2018 but only now has been confirmed to launch...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/301S0UO
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Golden Globes 2021 Winners - the Full List of All the Awards

The full list of the 2021 Golden Globes winners. Netflix's The Crown won four of its six nominations. Nomadland and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm are the best picture winners. Chadwick Boseman won...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3uFoZMA
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Realme X9 Pro Key Specifications Surface Online, 108-Megapixel Camera Tipped

Realme X9 Pro may feature a full-HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate. It may sport a hole-punch design with the cutout placed on the top left corner of the screen. The leak reiterates that Realme X7...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2MzZ8EL
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

International Space Station Being Prepped for New Solar Panels

Spacewalking astronauts ventured out Sunday to install support frames for new, high-efficiency solar panels arriving at the International Space Station later this year.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2PgynG9
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

International Space Station Being Prepped for New Solar Panels Coming Later This Year

Spacewalking astronauts ventured out Sunday to install support frames for new, high-efficiency solar panels arriving at the International Space Station later this year.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3q3Fq1G
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

GameStop and Other ‘Meme Stocks’ Hyped by Social Media Bots, Analysis Shows

Bots on major social media websites have been hyping GameStop and other "meme stocks," although the extent to which they influenced prices was unclear.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3b0zhzc
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Russia Launches Its First Arctic-Monitoring Satellite Arktika-M

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday carrying Russia's first satellite for monitoring the Arctic's climate, the Roscosmos space agency said.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/3uJx82s
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

GameStop and Other 'Meme Stocks' Hyped by Social Media Bots, Analysis Shows

Bots on major social media websites have been hyping GameStop and other "meme stocks," although the extent to which they influenced prices was unclear.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3qYWCXv
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Russia Launches Its First Arctic-Monitoring Satellite Arktika-M

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday carrying Russia's first satellite for monitoring the Arctic's climate, the Roscosmos space agency said.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3r8qIYO
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

Netflix March 2021 Releases: Indoo Ki Jawani, Pagglait, and More

Indoo Ki Jawani, Pacific Rim: The Black, Pagglait, Bombay Begums, Bombay Rose, Sky Rojo, Moxie, Yes Day, The Irregulars, Brave New World, Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 3, Diego Maradona, The Prestige, Hereditary — the biggest movies and series on Netflix India in March 2021.

from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/37SNzj9
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Indoo Ki Jawani, Pagglait, and More on Netflix in March

Indoo Ki Jawani, Pacific Rim: The Black, Pagglait, Bombay Begums, Bombay Rose, Sky Rojo, Moxie, Yes Day, The Irregulars, Brave New World, Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 3, Diego Maradona, The...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3dUmPmk
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

These are the top Android 12 features to get you excited

Google has released the first Developer Beta of Android 12, and as the name makes it clear, it is intended for developers to test the new APIs and accordingly tweak their apps in accordance with Google’s new vision for its mobile operating system. This is far from what the stable version looks like, but the first developer-centric build of Android 12 has already given us a glimpse of the changes that will greet users, both major and minor. Here’s our pick for the top Android 12 features we’ve seen so far:

NOTE: Some of the Android 12 features mentioned have to be enabled manually, or are still in the development phase in the first Developer Preview released by Google.

Scrolling screenshot

Personally, no other convenience tops it for me than a native scrolling screenshot feature. I am heavily reliant on this feature on my secondary phones running skins such as OnePlus’ Oxygen OS and Xiaomi’s MIUI, but my daily-driver Pixels haven’t had a native solution for it. Thankfully, Android 12 finally adds this convenience, and I can’t wait for it to roll out widely with the stable Android 12 update for all Pixel users at some point in August.

Wi-Fi password sharing made easier

Google released Nearby Share – its wireless file transfer tool for Android phones – back in August last year, and has kept improving it ever since. With Android 12, Nearby Share gets yet another useful trick – the ability to share Wi-Fi passwords. All you have to do is hit the Nearby button on the Share Wi-Fi screen, let it scan, and find the device that you want to share the password with.

One-handed mode

For folks like me with smaller than average fingers, using a large phone such as the Pixel 3 XL was nothing short of a daily struggle. Thankfully, Android 12 is introducing a native one-handed mode that will solve the reachability issue. Though it currently doesn’t look as polished as its implementation by other OEMs, it is definitely good to see this convenience arrive with the first developer preview of Android 12.

A more granular theming system

In Android 12, you’ll get deeper customization controls with a fresh approach to theming. For example, UI elements such as accent colors and notification backgrounds change their hue based on the wallpaper you have set on the home and lock screen. This approach also extends to the settings menu where the background and slider colors are also tweaked accordingly.

Image: XDA-Developers

Privacy indicators

Android 11 introduced a nifty feature called one-time permission that allowed users to grant an app temporary access to their device’s sensor (or any other data-related parameter) as long as the session lasts. In Android 12, Google is taking a more proactive approach in that direction, showing warnings even in system apps if they are using the mic or camera. Additionally, you will able to shut off access to your phone’s camera and mic for all apps using dedicated quick action tiles.

Accessing notifications shade made easier

On Pixels, you have to reach all the way to the top and perform a swipe-down gesture to access the notifications tray, or you can customize the fingerprint sensor at the back to do so. But in Android 12, you will be able to do the same by just swiping down alongside the bottom edge of the screen.

Refined picture-in-picture mode experience

The picture-in-picture (PiP) mode experience on Android has been a barebones affair so far. Thankfully, Android 12 Developer Preview 1 introduces the ability to resize a picture-in-picture window, and also adds the ability to stash it on the side of the screen without actually closing it.

Sending haptic feedback to connected controllers

Vibration feedback on a gaming controller plays a key role at enhancing the whole feel of playing a game. In Android 12, if you are playing a game on your phone or tablet, you will be able to channel the vibration feedback to your connected gamepad, which is quite cool.

Editing at your fingerprints

Imagine a scenario where you have to share a photo, but quickly have to crop the sides and add some annotations to it. Ideally, you would do it first-hand before hitting the share button, or you will rely on the in-app solution, the likes of which you see on WhatsApp. In Android 12, the native editor now appears on the share sheet to save you the hassle.

Image: XDA-Developers

If you want a more in-depth look at everything that the first Developer Preview of Android 12 brings and the features that are currently in the pipeline, check out this comprehensive and constantly updated Android 12 guide over at XDA-Developers.

The post These are the top Android 12 features to get you excited appeared first on Pocketnow.



from Pocketnow https://ift.tt/3b2IAhV
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

AI turns even ancient portraits and statues into eerily smooth facial expression clips.

Ever wondered what Alexander The Great’s face looked like while he was plotting his next military conquest? Or Albert Einstien casually smiling in a eureka moment after cracking the mass-energy conversion code? Or your grandfather rocking his cowboy hat and a badass handlebar? If yes, then MyHeritage’s mind-bending AI project will do just that and fulfill your wish.

Pull a portrait from your family album, upload it, and see your ancestors come to life

Aptly named Deep Nostalgia, this AI needs just a picture of someone’s face to create a short clip of around 15 seconds with eerily accurate facial movements and an overall smooth flow. And yes, the results are impressive and creepy to equal measure. Don’t believe me? Just visit this page, upload a picture of your great-grandma, and see her come to life in a short clip in just about 10-15 seconds.

The AI is groundbreaking, and it actually sounds appealing on paper, especially when it comes to having an opportunity of imagining your deceased relatives and ancestors appear lively. But history buffs, including me, are having a gala time with it right now, experimenting it even on mummies and statues of historical figures ranging from Plato to Alexander the Great. Have a look at some of the results:

1. The best recreation of Deep Nostalgia I’ve seen so far on the internet
2. Hey, Mozart. Nice to see ya!
3. Two legends of the canvas brought to life. I present to you, Van Gogh and Picasso
4. The great Napoleon (with a not so great jawline), and a long dead, random Swiss chap with the jawline of Greek Gods
5. Two queens from an era long gone
6. Oh, Jesus!
7. The Bard and the Queen
8. Charles Dickens, a favorite of mine and arguably the best novelist of all time. Don’t fight me!
9. Statue time with a mad AI!
10. Of course, AI can give us stuff of nightmares too!
11. Just a couple of ancient portraits smiling, thanks AI!

So, what’s the secret AI sauce here?

MyHeritage says it has licensed a photo animating technology from D-ID that relies on machine learning for facial re-enactment. “The Deep Nostalgia feature uses several drivers prepared by MyHeritage. Each driver is a video consisting of a fixed sequence of movements and gestures. Deep Nostalgia can very accurately apply the drivers to a face in your still photo, creating a short video that you can share with your friends and family. The driver guides the movements in the animation so you can see your ancestors smile, blink, and turn their heads,” says the company in the FAQ section.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, it can animate all the faces in a yellowing family portrait. However, you have to click on each face to individually see the animated clip. Right now, you have to sign up in order to animate a photo, and depending on the complexity, it may take anywhere between 10-20 seconds to bring a picture to life. And yes, it works for both color and monotone pictures. Your turn next, Google!

The post AI turns even ancient portraits and statues into eerily smooth facial expression clips. appeared first on Pocketnow.



from Pocketnow https://ift.tt/37VSsIB
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

OnePlus 9 Pro leak predicts support for 4K video capture at 120 FPS

OnePlus is rumored to launch its next wave of flagship killer phones – the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, and 9E (aka 9 Lite) later this month. Multiple leaks that have emerged so far have given us an idea about what to expect from the most powerful member of the aforementioned trio – the OnePlus 9 Pro – both in terms of design and internal hardware. Now, a fresh leak claims to show an impressive camera capability upgrade for the device, alongside a few other specifications.

OnePlus 9 Pro will also allow 8K video capture at 30 FPS

Alleged screenshots of the camera app’s UI on OnePlus 9 Pro, courtesy of Techmaniacs, shows the option to capture 4K videos at 120 FPS frame rate. Now, this is a big boost compared to its predecessor, which locked 4K video capture at up to 60 FPS. The new camera trick will also give the OnePlus 9 Pro an edge over rival camera-centric phones such as the iPhone 12 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, both of which can record 4K videos at a peak frame rate of 60 FPS only.

The leak also suggests that the next OnePlus offering will also be able to shoot 8K videos, but this will almost certainly be capped at 30 FPS. The other screenshot, which purportedly shows the ‘About Phone’ page of the OnePlus 9 Pro, reveals the presence of four rear cameras – 48MP + 50MP + 8MP + 2MP. We’ve also heard rumors of a 4,500mAh battery on the device that will offer support for an impressive 45W wireless charging, while wired charging capability will also not-too-shabby at 65W.

OnePlus 9 Pro will reportedly come equipped with a 120Hz display and four rear cameras

As per previous leaks, OnePlus 9 Pro’s Hasselblad-branded camera setup will include the new 50MP Sony sensor, accompanied by a 48MP wide-angle camera. The display will measure 6.7-inches diagonally and will reportedly employ an LTPO panel to offer a 120Hz Adaptive Refresh rate experience. Additionally, the leaked screenshot also mentions 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage, likely ticking alongside the Snapdragon 888 processor. but more powerful memory configurations might be in the pipeline as well.

The post OnePlus 9 Pro leak predicts support for 4K video capture at 120 FPS appeared first on Pocketnow.



from Pocketnow https://ift.tt/3kxaMfV
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Microsoft plans xCloud game streaming resolution upgrade from 720p to 1080p

Microsoft is currently at work trying to bring its xCloud game streaming service to more platforms, with a web-based solution currently being in the test phase for its arrival on PC and iOS. But if you’ve been playing games over the cloud on your Android phone or tablet, you must be aware of the 720p resolution limit, which is honestly quite disappointing. However, Microsoft is looking to bump the cloud game streaming resolution to 1080p, and the tests are already underway.

xCloud game streaming won't look like a blurry mess on tablets anymore

As per separate reports from The Verge and Windows Central, Microsoft has started testing 1080p streaming for the xCloud service. However, it is unclear when the resolution boost will go live widely for all users. The improvement in visual quality likely comes as part of an infrastructure upgrade that involves replacing the older Xbox One S server blades with more powerful Xbox Series X boards.

The next-gen processor inside the Xbox Series X is way more powerful compared to the server blades based on the existing Xbox One S boards, and is said to come with a built-in video encoder that is reportedly 6x faster. Additionally, the faster SSDs inside Microsoft’s latest console might also reduce the game loading times on the xCloud service. As for the resolution bump, games will no longer look like a blurry mess at 720p resolution, especially on tablets. 

Just so you know, the free tier of Google's Stadia offers 1080p output

In comparison, the free tier of rival game streaming service from Google – Stadia – already offers 1080p resolution, and goes all the way up to 4K. As for xCloud, you currently need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription that costs  $14.99 per month. For that price, you get perks such as cloud game streaming, access to over 100 games (on mobile, PC as well as consoles), exclusive discounts, EA Play subscription as well as Xbox Live Gold benefits. 

The post Microsoft plans xCloud game streaming resolution upgrade from 720p to 1080p appeared first on Pocketnow.



from Pocketnow https://ift.tt/3kwViJ9
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro review: keeps getting better and better

If you’ve been following HUAWEI and its development over the past quinquennial, you know very well that the two flagships, the spring P-series, and the autumn Mate-series are two different animals.

The P40 – which earned our Road Warrior award for the Pro version, and the Best Camera of 2020 for the Pro+ variant – is aimed towards the creative, focusing on multimedia and photography. The Mate-series is the one pushing the limits of performance. It is also the device that usually introduces the latest iteration of the Kirin chipset.

That has certainly been the case with the Mate 40 Pro, bringing even more power to the palm of your hands. Three months after starting using it, this is our HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro review, long-term.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

Design

HUAWEI decided to spruce up the color palette of the Mate 40 Pro, offering it in White, Black, Olive Green, Sunflower Yellow, and the very interesting, chameleonic, Mystic Silver we have over here.

This color option shifts shades from dull silver all the way to red, through orange, yellow, green, and starting from blue. It’s got most of the colors in the spectrum if the proper light hits it at the right angle. The matte finish of the glass also helps keep fingerprints to a decent amount.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

The display is curved towards the edges, and so are all the extremities of the back panel. This makes the phone incredibly easy to grab, and ergonomic. The buttons are easily reachable with the power button on the lower side being painted in vibrant red. The volume rockers are placed towards the top, but you also have the option to control output via the virtual buttons on the left side of the display.

At first, I didn’t know what to think about the round, Oreo-like camera arrangement on the back, with the Leica branding in its middle, painted with the same color-shifting shade as the rest of the phone’s backside. I guess this makes it a circle, rather than a disc or an Oreo. You catch my drift. HUAWEI calls it “the Space Ring”.

Overall, we think HUAWEI nailed it with the design, materials, and overall finish of the Mate 40 Pro. That is why Pocketnow decided to honor the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro with its Editor’s Choice Award for design.

Specs

The Mate 40 Pro, as the case with any Mate model before it, is a beast. It is powered by the 5nm octa-core last-gen Kirin 9000 processor, which contains a 24-core Mali G78 GPU, three NPUs, as well as modems capable of operating on most 5G networks and frequencies. 

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

Couple that with 8GB of RAM and future-proofing just got an entirely new meaning. It also features 256GB of storage, and a 4,400mAh battery capable of 66W wired, and 50W fast wireless charging.

The display is a gorgeous 6.76-inch OLED panel with an FHD+ resolution of 2772 x 1344 pixels and a max refresh rate of 90Hz. Aside from the fact that it’s a gorgeous display, it is also extremely curved around the edges, to the point where content flows over almost to a 90-degree angle.

Underneath the display, you’ll find a fingerprint scanner that is fast and accurate and gives you an easy alternative to unlock your phone in case facial recognition fails, you know, due to the fact that you’re wearing a mask most of the time when you’re out.

Just in case HUAWEI needed to prove that they really mean business with the Mate 40 Pro, they packed a total of 5 cameras, 3 on the back and 2 on the front.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

On the back, you’ll find a trio of 50MP Ultra Vision Camera (Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture),  20MP Cine Camera (Ultra-Wide Angle, f/1.8 aperture), and 12MP Telephoto Camera (f/3.4 aperture, OIS), as well as the LED flash.

On the front, inside the oval pill-shaped cutout, there’s a 13MP Ultra Vision Selfie Camera (Wide Angle, f/2.4), as well as the 3D Depth Sensing Camera.

Performance

I’ll be honest, I haven’t handled a smartphone snappier than the Mate 40 Pro in the past 12 months. Whether it’s the fast processor, the amount of memory, or EMUI 11 (or a combination of all of the aforementioned), I really don’t know, but it’s wicked.

Throw at it whatever you want and it will instantly execute without breaking a sweat. It does that both fresh after a restart as well as running without a reboot for days.

We won’t bore you with benchmarks and other analytical information (there are other reviews out there that specifically focus on that) as we here at Pocketnow believe in real-life performance.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

Now, whether you’re playing a demanding game, like Asphalt 9 Legends, or you have several other applications running in the background, you won’t feel any lag, delay, or hiccups.

While we weren’t able to test out 5G due to the lack of service in this particular region, we can safely say that the same performance is translated to WiFi and 4G as well. Data speeds are right there at the upper limit of what the service provider guarantees. Phone calls and general call audio is crisp and clear, and limited only by the quality of your service provider (for instance Hi-Fi voice is only available if both parties’ phones, and their carriers, support it). That is not the case with calls placed on WhatsApp or Facebook, and the quality is crisp and clear.

This brings us to the speakers. The Mate 40 Pro has a pair of rather powerful speakers, one at the top, and one at the bottom, for stereo effect. They are not only loud, but they produce a rather surprising high-quality sound, considering where that sound is coming from (a phone). 

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

Huawei has literally spoiled us with the performance of the cameras it equips its phones with. The triple-camera setup on the Mate 40 Pro is no different. It is needless to say that it’s one of the best camera phones out there, competing head to head with its other siblings in the Mate 40 line-up, as well as the P40 lineup.

Regardless of what you decide to capture for posterity, the Mate 40 Pro will not disappoint, let it be landscapes, close-ups, portraits, etc. Colors are accurate, contrast and depth are spot-on, and with the improved focal length of the ultra-wide camera, you’ll get great results. These are also due to the free form lens Huawei decided to use on the Mate 40 Pro, where an uneven shape is utilized to reduce and sometimes completely remove distortions.

HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro zoom increment samples

HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro miscellaneous camera shots

HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro selfie shots

When it comes to the telephoto lens, you have the option to zoom in optically up to 5X. Since it’s an optical zoom, and it’s heavily stabilized, the quality of the pictures is exceptional. There’s also the option to go further with digital zoom, but we’d advise you to keep it towards the lower end.

And, again, when it comes to low light, Huawei does such a great job that oftentimes night photos are as bright as if they were taken at dawn or sunrise. 

Turning to the front we can only commend Huawei for opting for a wide-angle lens for the selfie camera. It makes it easy to frame your shot, as well as gather more people inside the same frame, should you decide to not distance yourself socially.

Selfies snapped can often benefit from the effects you choose to apply, but you’ll be satisfied with the results even if you opt not to utilize one.

Experience

This elephant in this same room has been addressed so many times before that I feel I’m writing the same paragraphs every time I review a modern HUAWEI smartphone.

Yes, it’s Google! I won’t beat the same dead horse once again. The status quo has become the “norm”, so I think it’s time the world shifts from a complaining/wishful thinking/criticizing mindset to just accepting the product for what it is.

EMUI 11 is based on AOSP Android 11, and, instead of Google Play, you get your apps officially from the HUAWEI AppGallery, or unofficially (at your own risk) from one of the various services out there.

We touched on this topic in detail in at least two of our recent reviews with the occasion of the HUAWEI P40 Pro and Mate 30 Pro.

So instead, we’ll be looking at the present and the future. HUAWEI is not only committed to, but has already proven that it can build a solid alternative ecosystem. The AppGallery is expanding every day and yes, while it’s still far behind the Play Store, chances are more and more apps are available every day, slowly filling in the gap.

Solid Google Maps alternatives are represented by TomTom and Here Maps, local banking apps are being added (localized to each country), Bolt is available as an Uber alternative, so yes, there’s an app gap, but it’s closing slowly to the point where the absence of Google and its services is really manageable.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

HUAWEI did a nifty little thing with Quick Apps. You go to a website, like YouTube for instance, and it loads the mobile version of the page (which is pretty much as close as you can get to the mobile app functionality-wise). With Quick Apps, you can send that page directly to your home screen, retaining the icon and everything, so for an untrained eye it would seem like it’s the regular app you have installed.

You can do that with Google Maps, Gmail, and pretty much every other service that has a mobile-optimized web offering. Trust me, even if one or two features are missing (which is on the company that’s offering the service, not HUAWEI), it’s as close as it gets.

HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro review: conclusion

Sure, I’ve been commending and recommending modern HUAWEI smartphones for years now. Their solid build quality, great design, snappy performance, stellar cameras, and the all around experience makes it easy to recommend them hardware-wise.

But it’s the software and services that really made me hold back just a little in recommending a purchase, especially for those who are not advanced users to the point where you can make this work by spending a little extra time and tinkering with the software.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro review

This has now changed thanks to HUAWEI’s efforts. Sure, the product is continuously improving hardware-wise from the predecessor to successor, and that’s easy to recommend, but it’s the company’s software and ecosystem efforts that allow me to finally recommend HUAWEI’s flagship without major reservations, and I think that’s the most important conclusion to our HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro review.

And the thing is, with top-notch hardware components inside the Mate 40 Pro, it’s future proof enough to where it will still be a top performer down the line when the HMS ecosystem will continue developing into what HUAWEI’s vision is down the road.

You can purchase the Mate 40 Pro outside of the US from HUAWEI’s store (where available) or partner retailers. In the US, it currently goes for $1,348 on Amazon.

HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro review: Pros and Cons

Pros:
+ excellent build and design;
+ exceptional cameras;
+ great battery life;
+ powerful speakers.

Cons:
– a tad on the expensive side;
– some apps might not be available yet.

The post HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro review: keeps getting better and better appeared first on Pocketnow.



from Pocketnow https://ift.tt/3bKvfds
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)