The brand-new vivo V23e 5G smartphone is here, offering a magnificent 44MP front camera for selfie-lovers!
Take a look at what else the vivo V23e 5G offers, and find out if this is what you have been waiting for!
vivo V23e 5G : For Photography Enthusiasts!
The new vivo V23e 5G smartphone is designed for photography enthusiasts, offering really great front and rear cameras at an affordable price point.
Those are some of the most important characteristics many consumers are looking for in their smartphones during the pandemic.
6.44-inch Display
The vivo V23e 5G smartphone comes with a massive 6.44-inch display, with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.
It uses an AMOLED panel, which delivers much better colour gamut and brightness than regular LCD displays.
High-Performance Mobile SoC
The MediaTek Dimensity 810 is a new and faster mid-range mobile SoC, with an integrated 5G modem, and :
two high-performance Arm Cortex-A76 cores running at up to 2.4 GHz,
six power-efficient Arm Cortex-A55 cores, and
an Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU to accelerate 2D and 3G graphics
It also features a Multi-Turbo software that intelligently optimises network speed, heat dissipation, AI and gaming performance.
RAM + Storage
The vivo V23e 5G comes with 8 GB of LPDDR4x memory, with an additional 4 GB of extended RAM, giving up to 12 GB of RAM – more than enough to handle multiple memory-hungry games and apps at the same time!
There’s also no need to worry about storage – its 128 GB internal storage is plenty enough for a multitude of games and apps. And if you run out, you can top up storage through a microSD card!
44 MP Selfie Camera
When it comes to photography, the vivo V23e 5G offers both great selfie shots from its 44 MP front camera, with a wide f/2.0 aperture for great selfies even in low light conditions.
The front camera automatically focuses on your eye area, to ensure that you are always in focus; with software enhancements to deliver a natural portrait look.
You can also opt for Multi-Style Portrait to create portraits in a variety of distinct styles!
You can also take photos in really dark conditions using its Front Camera AI Extreme Night feature, which uses multi-frame noise reduction to combine multiple shots into one bright and clear shot!
It also supports Steadiface Selfie Video, which ensures that your face remains stable and clear, no matter how you move.
50 MP Triple-Camera System
In the back, it has a 50 MP main camera with a wide f/1.8 aperture, together with an 8 MP wide-angle camera, and a 2 MP macro camera for really close-up shots (as close as 4 cm).
The main camera supports Double Exposure, allowing you to take two different photos and combine them for a unique double-exposed shot!
5G Connectivity
While 5G connectivity is still not available in Malaysia, and sparse around the world, the integrated 5G modem means you’re future-proofed.
More importantly though are its other connectivity options. It comes with support for dual-band WiFi-AC, Bluetooth 5.1 and a reversible USB Type C port.
Sleek + Light
The vivo V23e 5G features a premium glass-covered chassis, with a smooth anti-fingerprint finish.
It has a sleek profile that is just under 7.5 mm thick, and weighs just 172 grams.
Large Fast Charging Battery
To power all that, the V23e comes with a large 4,050 mAh battery, which gives you a full day of usage and then some!
On top of that, it supports 44 watt flash charging – a quick 30 minute flash charge will restore its battery life to 69%! Best of all – vivo included the charger in the box!
vivo V23e 5G : Specifications
Specifications
vivo V23e 5G
Display
6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED Display
– 1080 x 2400 pixels
OS
Funtouch OS 12 (Android 11)
Platform
MediaTek Dimensity 810 (MT6873)
CPU
2 x Arm Cortex-A76 cores (2.4 GHz )
6 x Arm Cortex-A55 cores
The vivo V23e 5G is available in two colour options – Sunshine Coast on the left, and Cosmic Aurora on the right.
vivo V23e 5G : Price, Availability + Deals!
The vivo V23e 5G has a launch price of RM1,599 – approximately US$378 / £286 / A$532 / S$517.
For a limited time, every pre-order will come with free gifts worth RM550
Automatic Soap Dispenser Gift Box
Viu TV membership (1 month)
1 Year Extended Warranty
1 Year Screen Crack Protection
There is also a V23e 4G version with a launch price of RM1,399 – approximately US$330 / £250 / A$466 / S$453.
For a limited time, every pre-order will come with free gifts worth RM491
Backpack
Viu TV membership (1 month)
1 Year Extended Warranty
1 Year Screen Crack Protection
Buying either model will also get the opportunity to purchase any vivo TWS 2 wireless earphones at 50% off! There are also daily rewards from now until 17 December 2021!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The brand-new vivo Y76 5G is here, promising to offer unparalleled gaming and entertainment at an unbelievable price!
Take a look at what the vivo Y76 5G offers, and find out if this is what you have been waiting for!
vivo Y76 5G : Optimised For Gaming + Entertainment!
The new vivo Y76 5G smartphone is designed to deliver excellent gaming and entertainment at a highly affordable price point.
Those are some of the most important characteristics many young adults are looking for in their smartphones during the pandemic.
Hence, vivo partnered with Mobile Legends to create the Y76 5G, a fact which is obvious during their local launch in Malaysia.
6.58-inch Display
The vivo Y76 5G smartphone comes with a massive 6.58-inch display, with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2408 pixels, 96% NSTC colour gamut and 460 nits of brightness.
When used for mobile gaming, the extra-wide display offers you more screen space, more visibility over your opponents.
Designed For Gaming Performance
The MediaTek Dimensity 700 is a fast mid-range mobile SoC, with an integrated 5G modem, and :
two high-performance Arm Cortex-A76 cores running at up to 2.2 GHz,
six power-efficient Arm Cortex-A55 cores running at 2 GHz, and
an Arm Mali-G75 MC2 GPU to accelerate 2D and 3G graphics
It also features a Multi-Turbo software that intelligently optimises network speed, heat dissipation, AI and gaming performance.
Finally, the Dimensity 700 SoC is kept cool by a Five-Dimensional Liquid Cooling System that vivo claims will reduce core temperature by 10 degrees.
RAM + Storage
The vivo Y76 5G comes with 8 GB of LPDDR4x memory, with an additional 4 GB of extended RAM, giving up to 12 GB of RAM – more than enough to handle multiple memory-hungry games and apps at the same time!
There’s also no need to worry about storage – its 128 GB internal storage is plenty enough for a multitude of games and apps. And if you run out, you can top up storage through a microSD card!
Cameras Galore!
When it comes to photography, the vivo Y76 5G focuses on what’s necessary. That means a 16 MP camera in the front, with a wide f/2.0 aperture for great selfies even in low light conditions.
In the back, it has a 50 MP main camera with a wide f/1.8 aperture, paired with a 2 MP depth sensor for software bokeh effects. It also comes with a 2 MP macro camera for really close-up shots (as close 4 cm).
5G Connectivity
While 5G connectivity is still not available in Malaysia, and sparse around the world, the integrated 5G modem means you’re future-proofed.
More importantly though are its other connectivity options. It comes with support for dual-band WiFi-AC, Bluetooth 5.1 and a reversible USB Type C port.
Sleek + Light
To keep price low, the vivo Y76 5G features a plastic chassis. Yet, it maintains a sleek profile at just under 7.8 mm thick, and weighs just 175 grams.
Large Fast Charging Battery
This is a truly important feature – a large 4,100 mAh battery, which lets you game for hours on end.
On top of that, it supports 44 watt flash charging – a quick 32 minute flash charge will restore its battery life to 70%!
Best of all – vivo included the charger in the box!
The vivo Y76 5G is available in two colour options – Midnight Space on the left, and Cosmic Aurora on the right.
vivo Y76 5G : Price, Availability + Deals!
The vivo Y76 5G has a launch price of RM1,299 – approximately US$308 / £231 / A$428 / S$421.
If you pre-order one from now until 26 November 2021, you will receive free gifts worth RM587 :
RM50 instant rebate, so it’s only just RM1,249
VANZO Fragrance Gift Set worth RM138
1 Year Extended Warranty worth RM199
1 Year Screen Crack Protection worth RM200
After the pre-order period, every purchase will come with free gifts worth RM537 :
VANZO Fragrance Gift Set worth RM138
1 Year Extended Warranty worth RM199
1 Year Screen Crack Protection worth RM200
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
After introducing the V21 4G smartphone, vivo just launched the V21 5G Exclusive Edition variant!
Here is what you need to know about the new vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition smartphone!
vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition : OIS Cameras FTW!
The vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition is the ultimate vivo V21 flagship smartphone.
Built around the MediaTek Dimensity 800U, it offers flagship-class performance, with OIS cameras in both front and rear!
Let’s take a look at its key features!
6.44-inch AMOLED Display
The vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition comes with a large 6.44-inch AMOLED display, with 500 nits of maximum brightness and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.
On top of that, its HDR10-certified display has a higher 90 Hz refresh rate, and is protected by AG Matte Glass.
Performance
The vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 800U, which is a new mid-range mobile SoC, roughly equivalent to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G.
It has two fast ARM Cortex-A76 cores running at 2.4 GHz for sustained performance, six power-efficient ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at up to 2.0 GHz, and a tri-core ARM Mali-G57 MC3 GPU.
Memory + Storage
The V21 5G Exclusive Edition comes with 8 GB of RAM, but has the ability to expand it with 3 GB of Extended Memory (virtual memory).
It also comes with 256 GB of internal UFS 2.2 storage, which offers 110% faster read speed and 95% faster write speed, compared to the vivo V20.
Its storage can be further expanded using a microSD card – shared with SIM2 in a hybrid SIM tray.
44 MP OIS Selfie Camera
The vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition comes with a 44 MP selfie camera, with a wide f/2.0 aperture; and support for Super Night Selfie and AI Night Portrait.
This 44 MP selfie camera boasts two world-leading features :
its 44 MP selfie camera supports optical image stabilisation (OIS), which allows you to take super-steady photos and videos even while walking!
it is the first phone to feature Dual Selfie Spotlight, for radiant selfies even in low light conditions!
Triple Rear Camera System
The vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition features a triple camera setup, that consists of:
a 64 MP main camera with f/1.79 aperture,
an 8 MP wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture,
a 2 MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture, and
a single LED flash.
The 64 MP main camera with a 4-axes OIS technology, allowing you to take photos and record videos with incredible stability.
Large Fast-Charging Battery
The vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition has a large 4,000 mAh battery, which supports 33 watt fast charging. And yes, it comes with the 33 watt FlashCharge 2.0 charger in box!
vivo V21 5G Exclusive Edition : Specifications
We created this table to take it easier for you to compare the 4G and 5G variants of the vivo V21!
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Network : 4G LTE
Wi-Fi : 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Bluetooth : BT 5.1
USB : Type C
GPS
GPS, Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS
Battery
4,000 mAh
Charging
33 W fast charging
Dimensions
73.90 mm wide 159.68 mm tall 7.29 mm thick
74.37 mm wide
161.24 mm tall
7.38 mm thick
Weight
176 g – 177 g
171 g
Unboxing The vivo V21 Smartphone!
The vivo V21 comes in a premium-looking box. Once you unbox it, this is what you will find inside.
vivo V21 smartphone
vivo V21 clear TPU bumper case
Set of vivo V21 documents
vivo V3330L0A0-UK charger (supports 33 watt Flash Charge 2.0)
USB-A to USB-C data and power cable
USB-C to 3.5 mm audio adaptor
One pair of wired earphones
SIM tray ejection pin
vivo V21 Smartphone : Our Hands-On Experience!
vivo sent us a unit of the V21 smartphone to try out, so here is our hands-on experience and its key features!
6.44-inch AMOLED Display
The vivo V21 comes with a large 6.44-inch AMOLED display, which is HDR10 certified.
While this is the same size as the V21e, it comes with a brighter 500 nits panel, which supports a higher 90 Hz refresh rate.
Performance
The vivo V21 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 800U, which is a new mid-range mobile SoC, roughly equivalent to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G.
It has two fast ARM Cortex-A76 cores running at 2.4 GHz for sustained performance, six power-efficient ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at up to 2.0 GHz, and a tri-core ARM Mali-G57 MC3 GPU.
Memory + Storage
The V21 comes with 8 GB of RAM, but has the ability to expand it with 3 GB of Extended Memory (virtual memory).
It also comes with 128 GB of internal UFS 2.2 storage, which offers 110% faster read speed and 95% faster write speed, compared to the vivo V20.
Its storage can be further expanded using a microSD card – shared with SIM2 in a hybrid SIM tray.
44 MP OIS Selfie Camera
The vivo V21 comes with a 44 MP selfie camera, with a wide f/2.0 aperture; and support for Super Night Selfie and AI Night Portrait.
This 44 MP selfie camera boasts two world-leading features :
its 44 MP selfie camera supports optical image stabilisation (OIS), which allows you to take super-steady photos and videos even while walking!
it is the first phone to feature Dual Selfie Spotlight, for radiant selfies even in low light conditions!
Triple Rear Camera System
The vivo V21 features a triple camera setup, that consists of:
a 64 MP main camera with f/1.79 aperture,
an 8 MP wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture,
a 2 MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture, and
a single LED flash.
The 64 MP main camera with a 4-axes OIS technology, allowing you to take photos and record videos with incredible stability.
Large Fast-Charging Battery
The vivo V21 has a large 4,000 mAh battery, which supports 33 watt fast charging. And yes, it comes with the 33 watt FlashCharge 2.0 charger in box!
Heck, vivo even threw in a USB-C to 3.5 mm audio adaptor, and a pair of earphones too.
vivo V21 + V21e : Price + Availability
Both models are available for purchase with immediate effect, at these launch prices :
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The OPPO Reno5 Pro comes with 12 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. The larger storage capacity is important, because it does not support external storage through a microSD card.
Cameras Galore
The OPPO Reno5 Pro has a high-resolution 32 MP front camera, with an f/2.4 aperture. Despite its high resolution, it only supports 1080p video recording, at up to 30 fps.
In the back, it has a quad camera system that consists of :
a 64 MP main camera, with f/1.7 aperture
an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, with f/2.2 aperture
a 2 MP macro camera, with f/2.4 aperture, and
a 2 MP depth sensor, with f/2.4 aperture
The 64 MP main camera can record videos at up to 4K @ 30 fps, or 1080p @ 60 fps.
Beyond that, OPPO is trying to promote their new Dual-View capability, which combines videos from both the front and rear cameras.
5G Connectivity
5G connectivity is a key selling point for the OPPO Reno5 Pro, which supports both 5G SA (Standalone) and 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) modes.
However, you are unlikely to be able to actually utilise this capability for quite some time, as the 5G rollout will take years.
Small Fast-Charging Battery
The OPPO Reno5 Pro has a small 2,175 mAh battery, but it supports 65 watt SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging capability.
And yes, it comes with the charger in-box.
OPPO Reno5 Pro : Specifications Compared
Here is our comparison of the key specifications of the Reno5 Pro with its cheaper brother, the Reno5 :
Specifications
Reno5
Reno5 Pro
Model
CPH2145
CPH2201
Display
6.4-inch AMOLED
6.5-inch AMOLED
Resolution
1080 x 2400 pixels
Pixel Density
410 ppi
402 ppi
Colour Gamut
93% DCI-P3
135% sRGB
97% NTSC
100% sRGB
Display
Brightness
430 nits to 600 nits
500 nits to 800 nits
Display
Features
90 Hz refresh rate
180 Hz sampling rate
Protection
None
Operating System
ColorOS 11.1 (Android 11)
Platform
Qualcomm
Snapdragon 765G
MediaTek
Dimensity 1000+
Memory
8 GB
12 GB
Storage Options
128 GB
256 GB
External Storage
None
Front Camera
32 MP (f/2.4)
Rear Cameras
64 MP (f/1.7) main camera
8 MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide camera
2 MP (f/2.4) macro camera
2 MP (f/2.4) depth sensor
Connectivity
5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : WiFi-5
Bluetooth : BT 5.1
USB : Type C
5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : WiFi-6
Bluetooth : BT 5.1
USB : Type C
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Xiaomi just introduced a new entry-level 5G smartphone – the Redmi Note 9T!
Take a look at the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T, and see if this is what you have been waiting for!
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T : New Entry-Level 5G Smartphone!
Xiaomi just introduced a new entry-level 5G smartphone – the Redmi Note 9T! This is the 5G big brother of their Redmi 9T. Confusing naming, indeed!
6.53-inch FHD+ Dot Drop Display
The Redmi Note 9T sports a large 6.53-inch Dot Drop display, with a FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.
It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and is TUV Rheinland-certified for low blue light.
MediaTek Dimensity 800U
The Redmi Note 9T is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 800U mobile platform, with 5G and WiFi-AC connectivity.
It has an 8-core processor, with two high-speed ARM Cortex-A76 cores running at 2.4 GHz, and six low-power ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at 2 GHz.
It comes with the ARM Mali-G57 MC3 GPU, and a built-in AI accelerator.
Memory + Storage Options
Xiaomi is offering two memory and storage options – 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage.
Five Cameras
In the front, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T has an 13 MP selfie camera, with a f/2.3 aperture. At the back, it has a triple-camera system that consists of :
a 48 MP main camera, with f/1.79 aperture and 4-in-1 Super Pixel capability
a 2 MP macro camera, with f/2.4 aperture, and
a 2 MP depth sensor, with f/2.4 aperture
Power + Charging
Powering all that is a large 5,000 mAh battery, which supports 18 watt fast charging. Oddly enough, it comes with a 22.5 watt charger in the box.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T : Specification Comparison
To help you differentiate between the Redmi 9T (4G) and the Redmi Note 9T (5G), here is their specification comparison.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HUAWEI just unveiled the 2020 MatePad – a mid-range variant of their MatePad Pro tablet, with a 2K display.
Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about the 2020 HUAWEI MatePad tablet!
2020 HUAWEI MatePad : Mid-Range Tablet With 2K Display!
The 2020 HUAWEI MatePad is a mid-range 10.4-inch tablet, boasting a 2K display with narrow 7.9 mm bezels.
Built around the 7nm HUAWEI Kirin 810, it features fast CPU and GPU cores, with an NPU based on the new Da Vinci architecture.
It offers an immersive audio experience with four Harman Kardon-tuned speakers, with 4-channel output and HUAWEI Histen 6.0 3D sound effects.
Powering it is a large 7,250 mAh battery, offering up to 12 hours of video playback time, and 7 hours of 3D gaming. Its 10 watt charger takes just under 4 hours to fully recharge its battery.
You can extend its capabilities using the optional M-Pencil with ultra-low latency, as well as the keyboard which doubles as a protective cover.
Like other recent HUAWEI tablets and smartphones, it supports Multi-screen Collaboration, and HUAWEI MeeTime – a native chat app that supports 1080p video calling and remote screen sharing.
2020 HUAWEI MatePad : Specifications
Here are the key specifications of the 2020 HUAWEI MatePad tablet :
Specifications
2020 HUAWEI MatePad
Display
10.4-inch IPS Display
1200 x 2000 pixels, 470 nits
Operating System
HUAWEI EMUI 10.1
with HUAWEI Mobile Services
System Platform
HUAWEI Kirin 810
Processor
2 x ARM Cortex-A76 (2.27 GHz)
6 x ARM Cortex-A55 (1.88 GHz)
GPU
ARM Mali-G52
RAM + Storage
3 GB + 32 GB
4 GB + 64 GB
External Storage
microSD card (up to 512 GB)
Cameras
Front : 8 MP ultra-wide
Rear : 8 MP with flash
Connectivity
Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual-band)
Bluetooth : BT 5.1
USB : USB 2.0 Type C
Fingerprint Sensor
No
Other Sensors
Ambient Light
Colour Temperature
Compass
Gravity
Hall Sensor (proximity)
Audio
4 x microphones
4 x Harman Kardon-tuned speakers
4-channel audio output
HUAWEI Histen 6.0 3D sound
Stylus
HUAWEI M-Pencil (optional)
Battery
7,250 mAh battery
Charger
10 watt fast charger
Dimensions
245.2 mm wide
154.96 mm tall
7.35 mm thick
Weight
450 g
2020 HUAWEI MatePad : Price + Launch Deal!
The 2020 HUAWEI MatePad tablet is available starting 9 September 2020, at this SRP :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HUAWEI just launched the P40 Pro Plus / P40 Pro+ smartphone, featuring a 50MP Leica penta-camera system!
Here is a quick overview of the new HUAWEI P40 Pro Plus – its key features, price and availability!
HUAWEI P40 Pro Plus : A Quick Primer
The HUAWEI P40 Pro Plus is the big brother of the new P40 family of smartphones. It has a 6.58-inch OLED display, with a resolution of 1200 x 2640 pixels, and a 90 Hz refresh rate.
It comes only in 5G variants, powered by the Kirin 990 5G. HUAWEI will offer it with 8 GB of memory, and storage options of 256 GB and 512 GB.
In front, it has a 32 MP camera, with a depth camera. But its marquee feature is its rear Leica penta-camera system, which consists of :
a 50 MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture (OIS support),
a 40 MP ultra-wide camera with f/1.8 aperture,
an 8 MP 10X SuperZoom camera with f/4.4 aperture (OIS support),
an 8 MP 3X telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture (OIS support), and
a 3D depth sensor
Powering all that is a large 4,200 mAh battery, which supports 40 watt HUAWEI SuperCharge wired charging.
HUAWEI P40 Pro Plus : Specifications
HUAWEI P40 Pro+ (5G)
Display
6.58-inch OLED display
– 1200 x 2640 pixels, 90Hz refresh
Protection
IP68
Operating System
EMUI 10.1 (based on Android 10)
System Platform
HUAWEI Kirin 990 5G
Processor
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.86 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.36 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (1.95 GHz)
Leica Penta Camera System
– 50 MP main camera (f/1.9 with OIS)
– 40 MP ultra-wide camera (f/1.8 aperture)
– 8 MP 10X SuperZoom camera (f/4.4 with OIS)
– 8 MP 3X telephoto camera (f/2.4 with OIS)
– 3D depth sensor
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HUAWEI just launched the P40 Pro smartphone, featuring a 50MP Leica quad camera system!
Here is a quick overview of the new HUAWEI P40 Pro – its key features, price and availability!
HUAWEI P40 Pro : A Quick Primer
The HUAWEI P40 Pro is the middle brother of the new P40 family of smartphones. It has a 6.58-inch OLED display, with a resolution of 1200 x 2640 pixels, and a 90 Hz refresh rate.
It comes only in 5G variants, powered by the Kirin 990 5G. HUAWEI will offer it with 8 GB of memory, and storage options of 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB.
In front, it has a 32 MP camera, with a depth camera. But its marquee feature is its rear Leica quad-camera system, which consists of :
a 50 MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture (OIS support),
a 40 MP ultra-wide camera with f/1.8 aperture,
a 12 MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture (OIS support), and
a 3D depth sensor
Powering all that is a large 4,200 mAh battery, which supports 40 watt HUAWEI SuperCharge wired charging.
HUAWEI P40 Pro : Specifications
HUAWEI P40 Pro (5G)
Display
6.58-inch OLED display
– 1200 x 2640 pixels, 90Hz refresh
Protection
IP68
Operating System
EMUI 10.1 (based on Android 10)
System Platform
HUAWEI Kirin 990 5G
Processor
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.86 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.36 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (1.95 GHz)
Leica Quad Camera System
– 50 MP main camera (f/1.9 with OIS)
– 40 MP ultra-wide camera (f/1.8 aperture)
– 12 MP telephoto camera (f/2.4 with OIS)
– 3D depth sensor
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HUAWEI just launched the P40 smartphone, featuring a 50MP Leica triple camera system!
Here is a quick overview of the new HUAWEI P40 – its key features, price and availability!
HUAWEI P40 : A Quick Primer
The HUAWEI P40 is the little brother of the new P40 family of smartphones. It has a 6.1-inch OLED display, with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.
It comes in 4G and 5G variants, powered by the Kirin 990 and Kirin 990 5G respectively. HUAWEI will offer it with either 6 GB or 8 GB of memory, and either 128 GB or 256 GB of storage.
In front, it has a 32 MP camera, with an IR camera. But its marquee feature is its rear Leica triple-camera system, which consists of :
a 50 MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture,
a 16 MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, and
an 8 MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 aperture (OIS support)
Powering all that is a large 3,800 mAh battery, which supports 22.5 watt HUAWEI SuperCharge wired charging.
HUAWEI P40 : Specifications
HUAWEI P40 (5G)
HUAWEI P40 (4G)
Model
ANA-NX9, ANA-AN00, ANA-TN00
ANA-LX4
Display
6.1-inch OLED display
– 1080 x 2340 pixels
Protection
IP53
Operating System
EMUI 10.1 (based on Android 10)
System Platform
HUAWEI Kirin 990 5G
HUAWEI Kirin 990
Processor
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.86 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.36 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (1.95 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.86 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A76 (2.09 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 (1.86 GHz)
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The new Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphones are powered by the Exynos 990 – the latest, greatest mobile platform developed by Samsung themselves.
But just how fast is the Samsung Exynos 990, compared to other mobile platforms? Let’s find out!
Samsung Exynos 990 : What You Need To Know
The Samsung Exynos 990 builds upon Samsung’s first mobile platform with an integrated 5G modem – the Exynos 980, but focuses on performance instead of 5G connectivity.
It boasts a range of significant improvements – new Samsung Mongoose 5 (Exynos M5) and ARM Cortex-A76 cores, and a new Arm Mali-G77 GPU.
Faster Processor + GPU
According to Samsung, its new custom Mongoose 5 (Exynos M5) cores are 20% faster than the Mongoose 4 (Exynos M4) cores used in the flagship-class Exynos 9825 used in the Galaxy Note 10 smartphones!
Its Arm Mali-G77 GPU uses the new Valhall architecture, and promises to offer a 20% boost in graphics performance or power efficiency.
Faster LPDDR5 Memory
The Exynos 990 will be the first Samsung mobile platform to use the new LPDDR5 memory, which offers a 31% higher clock speed – increased from 2093 MHz to 2750 MHz.
This allows it to deliver up to 5,500 Mbps or 687.5 MB/s in memory bandwidth. It should also allow for lower power consumption.
Faster NPU + DSP
Its AI capabilities also received a big boost with a new dual-core NPU and improved digital signal processor (DSP) that can process over 10 trillion operations (TOPS) per second!
Well, this is quite a nice surprise! Samsung Exynos has historically been rather poor at work performance.
The last-generation Exynos 9825 and Exynos 9820, for example, were significantly slower than their Qualcomm counterparts – the Snapdragon 855 and Snapdragon 855+.
But the new Exynos 990 was 36% faster than the Exynos 9820 (its predecessor), and 13% faster than the Snapdragon 855.
Samsung Exynos 990 Gaming Performance : 3DMark
For gaming, we first tested the Exynos 990 using 3DMark, with these results :
Not bad at all! Samsung caught up with Qualcomm in gaming performance as well.
The new Exynos 990 was 7.5% faster than the Snapdragon 855+, that powered high-end gaming smartphones like the Black Shark 2 Pro, in Sling Shot Extreme, matching it in the easier Sling Shot benchmark.
Notably, the Exynos 990 was 50% faster than its predecessor, the Exynos 9820 that powered the Galaxy S10+.
Samsung Exynos 990 Gaming Performance : AnTuTu
We then tested the Exynos 990 using AnTuTu, yielding these results :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HUAWEI just announced that their nova 7i smartphone will be available for sale in three colours on Valentine’s Day!
Find out what the new HUAWEI nova 7i offers, and its key specifications!
HUAWEI nova 7i : A New Star!
Malaysia will be the first country outside of China to receive the HUAWEI nova 7i, and just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Available in three colour options, the Sakura Pink model is especially eye-catching, and will likely sell fast.
Large Full HD+ Display
The HUAWEI nova 7i comes with a large 6.4-inch LTPS IPS display, with a 83.5% screen-to-body ratio. It has a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2310 pixels.
High Performance
The HUAWEI nova 7i is powered by HiSilicon Kirin 810 platform, with four fast Cortex-A76 cores, four low-power Cortex-A55 cores, and the Mali-G52 MP6 GPU.
It comes with 8 GB of LPDDR4x memory, and 128 GB of internal storage. If that’s not enough, you can add a HUAWEI NM card for more storage.
[adrotate group=”2″]
Cameras Galore!
Its front selfie camera boasts a 16MP HDR sensor, with a large f/2.0 aperture, and has been enhanced with video editing features like stickers, filters and effects.
In the back, it has four cameras – a 48 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, a 2 MP macro camera and 2 MP depth sensor.
MeeTime Video Calls
The HUAWEI nova 7i is the first to feature a new built-in video call feature called MeeTime. It leverages the nova 7i’s low light selfie camera, with its speaker and microphone, to deliver superior video call capabilities.
Fast Charging Battery
The HUAWEI nova 7i comes with a large 4,200 mAh lithium-polymer battery, with 40W SuperCharge capability which recharges it to 70% in just 30 minutes.
HUAWEI nova 7i : Specifications
Specifications
HUAWEI nova 7i
Display
6.4-inch Full HD+ IPS display
– 1080 x 2310 pixels (~398 ppi)
– 83.5% screen-to-body ratio
Protection
NA
Operating System
Android Q with EMUI 10
System Platform
HiSilicon Kirin 810
CPU
4 x ARM Cortex-A76 cores @ 2.27 GHz
4 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores @ 1.88 GHz
Quad Camera System
– 48 MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture
– 8 MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.4 aperture
– 2 MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture
– 2 MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
Connectivity
4G : LTE
Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth : BT5.0
USB : USB Type C 2.0
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, Side-Mounted
Other Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Compass
Battery
4,200 mAh LiPo battery
– 40W fast charging capability
Dimensions
76.3 mm wide
159.2 mm tall
8.7 mm thick
Weight
183 g
Colour Options
Sakura Pink / Crush Green / Midnight Black
HUAWEI nova 7i Price + Availability
The HUAWEI nova 7i will be available in three colour options, from center to the sides – Sakura Pink, Crush Green, and Midnight Black.
HUAWEI has not officially revealed the price, but it launched in China as the nova 6 SE at CNY 2,199, which works out to RM 1,296 / S$432 / $317 / £242 / A$473.
So we expect it to cost RM 1,299 when it is officially made available for sale here in Malaysia. We will update this article when we know more.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Samsung just unveiled details of the Exynos 990 mobile platform, which boasts the new Arm Mali-G77 GPU and a new dual-core NPU!
Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about the new Samsung Exynos 990 mobile platform!
The Samsung Exynos 990 Mobile Platform
The Samsung Exynos 990 builds upon Samsung’s first mobile platform with an integrated 5G modem – the Exynos 980, but focusing on performance instead of 5G connectivity.
It boasts a range of significant improvements – new Samsung Mongoose 5 (Exynos M5) and ARM Cortex-A76 cores, and a new Arm Mali-G77 GPU.
Faster Processor + GPU
According to Samsung, its new custom Mongoose 5 (Exynos M5) cores are 20% faster than the Mongoose 4 (Exynos M4) cores used in the flagship-class Exynos 9825 used in the Galaxy Note 10 smartphones!
Its Arm Mali-G77 GPU uses the new Valhall architecture, and promises to offer a 20% boost in graphics performance or power efficiency.
Faster LPDDR5 Memory
The Exynos 990 will be the first Samsung mobile platform to use the new LPDDR5 memory, which offers a 31% higher clock speed – increased from 2093 MHz to 2750 MHz.
This allows it to deliver up to 5,500 Mbps or 687.5 MB/s in memory bandwidth. It should also allow for lower power consumption.
Faster NPU + DSP
Its AI capabilities also received a big boost with a new dual-core NPU and improved digital signal processor (DSP) that can process over 10 trillion operations (TOPS) per second!
No Built-In Modem
Interestingly, the Samsung Exynos 990 does not appear to have a built-in modem, not even for 3G and 4G connectivity.
Instead, it appears to be designed to be paired with the new Samsung Exynos Modem 5123 multi-mode 5G modem with transfer rates of up to 7.35 Gbps in mmWave, and 5.1 Gbps in sub-6GHz.
In addition to 10-bit video and HDR display support, the Exynos 990 comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate driver.
Better Photographic Capabilities
Its advanced image signal processor (ISP) not only supports up to six image sensors, it can process images from three of them concurrently! It supports sensor resolutions of up to 108 MP.
Its Multi-Format Codec supports encoding and decoding of 8K videos at up to 30 fps, or 4K UHD videos at up to 120 frames per second. It also supports HDR10+ with dynamic mapping in videos.
Samsung Exynos 990 vs. Exynos 980
Features
Samsung Exynos 990
Samsung Exynos 980
Process
7 nm EUV
8 nm FinFET
Design
Tri-Cluster (2+2+4)
Bi-Cluster (2+6)
Processor
2 x Mongoose 5 cores (2.73 GHz)
2 x Cortex-A76 cores (2.5 GHz)
4 x Cortex-A55 cores (1.9 GHz)
2 x ARM Cortex-A77 cores (2.2 GHz)
6 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores (1.8 GHz)
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Xiaomi just launched the Redmi Note 8 Pro, offering 64 MP photography at ridiculous price points!
Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, including its key features, price and availability!
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro Revealed!
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro (Lazada | Shopee) is more than just the Redmi Note 8 with a 64 MP camera. In fact, it is built upon the MediaTek Helio G90T mobile platform that is optimised for mobile gaming!
In this video, Allen An, Xiaomi Country Manager of Malaysia and Singapore, explains what the Redmi Note 8 Pro offers!
More Premium Design
Despite the very similar names, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro (Lazada | Shopee) is quite different from the Redmi Note 8. Not only does it boast a more premium curved design, it come with these features :
a larger 6.53-inch Dot Drop display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, and 84% NTSC gamut
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro (Lazada | Shopee) uses the MediaTek Helio G90T, which is a 12 nm gaming-centric mobile platform.
It has two high-performance Cortex-A76 cores running at 2.05 GHz, and six low-power Cortex-A55 cores running at 2.0 GHz. And it comes with the Mali-G76 GPU running at 800 MHz.
64 MP Samsung GW1 Camera
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro (Lazada | Shopee) is the world’s first smartphone to feature a 64 MP main camera built around the Samsung GW1 sensor, paired with a 2 MP depth sensor.
In addition, it comes with two additional cameras like the Redmi Note 8 :
[adrotate group=”2″]
a new 8 MP wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture
a new 2 MP macro camera with f/2.4 lens
In the front, it sports a higher-resolution 20 MP camera with a bright f/2.0 aperture.
Faster Charging Larger Battery
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro (Lazada | Shopee) comes with a larger 4,500 mAh battery.
Like the Redmi Note 8, it supports 18 watt fast charging. But the good news is – it comes with a 18 watt fast charger.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 vs Redmi Note 8 Pro Comparison
Specifications
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro
Display
6.3-inch Dot Drop display – 1080 x 2340 pixels (409 ppi)
– 84% NTSC, 1500:1 contrast ratio
6.53-inch Dot Drop display – 1080 x 2340 pixels (395 ppi)
– 84% NTSC, 1500:1 contrast ratio
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (front + back)
IP Rating
NA
Operating System
Android 9 Pie
System Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
MediaTek Helio G90T
CPU
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 260 Gold cores (2.0 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 260 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
2 x ARM Cortex-A76 cores (2.05 GHz)
6 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores (2.0 GHz)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 610
ARM Mali-G76 (800 MHz)
RAM
3 GB / 4 GB LPDDR4x
6 GB LPDDR4x
Storage
32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB storage
64 GB / 128 GB UFS 2.1 storage
Front Camera
13 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture
20 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture
Rear Cameras
48 MP Samsung GM1 camera with f/1.79 aperture 8 MP wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture 2 MP macro camera with f/2.4 lens 2 MP depth sensor with f/2.4 lens
64 MP Samsung GW1 camera with f/1.89 aperture 8 MP wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture 2 MP macro camera with f/2.4 lens 2 MP depth sensor with f/2.4 lens
Dual SIM Capability
Dual SIM, dual active capable
Connectivity
4G : LTE Cat 13 UL, Cat 13 DL
Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 2.0 Type C
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, Rear-Mounted
Other Sensors
Proximity, Ambient Light, Acceleratometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
NFC
No
Yes
Battery
4,000 mAh lithium-ion battery
4,500 mAh lithium-ion battery
Charger
18 W fast charging (maximum)
10 W fast charger in box
18 W fast charging (maximum) 18 W fast charger in box
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The new HONOR View20 smartphone boasts a 48 MP main camera, paired with a 3D TOF camera. Is the 48 MP camera a game changer? What on earth is a 3D TOF camera?
In our preview, we will take a close look at the HONOR View20, and share with you details on its 48 MP main camera, and the 3D TOF camera!
The New HONOR View20 Smartphone
The HONOR View20 is built around the new Hisilicon Kirin 980 mobile SoC, with two variants – 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage, or 8 GB RAM with 256 GB storage.
The large storage capacity is important, because the View20 lacks a microSD card slot.
The HONOR team extended their experience with advanced nanolithography coating technologies to develop a new V-shaped colour gradient with a gleaming effect for the View20’s back panel.
They also managed to pack a large 4,000 mAh battery into its svelte form factor, with 22.5 watt fast charging capabilities.
HONOR View20 Price + Availability
The HONOR View20 will be available in four colour options, three of which are shown in this video :
It will be available in two variants, with the following launch prices :
Like the recently-launched HUAWEI nova 4, the HONOR View20 has a 6.4-inch display with a punch hole 25 MP front camera, which allows it deliver a 91.8% screen-to-body ratio.
Flagship Processor + Graphics + AI
The HONOR View20 is powered by the Hisilicon Kirin 980, which is the first 7 nm mobile SoC in the world. It is also the first to come with two NPUs, a Cat.21 modem and support for faster LPDDR4X-2133 memory.
The Kirin 980 also uses a new 2+2+4 cluster architecture, with two ARM Cortex-A76 high-performance cores running at 2.6 GHz, two additional ARM Cortex-A76 cores running at 1.92 GHz and four ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8 GHz for background or less-intensive workloads.
It also comes with a 24-core ARM Mali-G76 GPU and two NPUs, which should double both its graphics and AI performance.
On top of that, it supports LTE Category 21 download speeds of up to 1.6 Gbps, as well as dual frequency GPS (L5 + L1) for 10X more accurate positioning.
[adrotate group=”1″]
48 MP + 3D TOF Cameras
While the HUAWEI nova 4 opted to go with a triple camera setup, the HONOR team chose a dual camera module for the View20. It pairs a 48 MP main camera with a 3D TOF camera.
The 48 MP main camera has a large ½-inch Sony IMX586 sensor, with 48 million pixels – each 0.8 micron in size. It is paired with a fast, bright f/1.8 lens, which would give it excellent low-light performance.
The second camera is a ToF (Time of Flight) camera, which does not actually take any photos.
Paired with an LED emitter that sends out pulses of invisible near infra-red light, its sensor captures the reflected light to create a 3D map of objects and their distances.
This 3D TOF camera also allows the View20 to more accurately separate the subject of your photograph from the background, for better retouching of the subject and background blurring.
It can also turn the View20 into a motion-controlled gaming console with compatible games.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HONOR View20 Specifications
Specifications
HONOR View20
HONOR View10
Display
6.4-inch All-View display
- 1080 x 2310 pixels
5.99" FullView Display
- 1080 x 2160 pixels
- 18:9 aspect ratio, 402 ppi
Operating System
Android 9.0 Pie with Magic UI 2.0.1
Android 8.0
Platform
Hisilicon Kirin 980
HiSilicon Kirin 970
Processor
2 x ARM Cortex-A76 cores (2.6 GHz)
2 x ARM Cortex-A76 cores (1.92 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores (1.8 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A73 cores (2.4 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.8 GHz)
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Triple Leica Camera System
- 40 MP wide-angle camera with f/1.8 lens
- 20 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 lens
- 8 MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 lens
Triple Leica Camera System
- 40 MP wide-angle camera with f/1.8 lens
- 20 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 lens
- 8 MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 lens
Triple Leica Camera System
- 12 MP wide-angle camera with f/1.8 lens
- 16 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 lens
- 8 MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 lens
Connectivity
Network : LTE Cat. 21, LTE Cat. 13
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth 5.0
USB 3.1 Type C
Network : LTE Cat. 21, LTE Cat. 13
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth 5.0
USB 3.1 Type C
Network : LTE Cat. 21, LTE Cat. 13
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth 5.0
USB 3.1 Type C
Water-Resistance
Some, IP53
Yes, IP68
Some, IP54
Battery
5,000 mAh Li-Po battery
- supports fast-charging
4,200 mAh Li-Po battery
- supports fast-charging
- supports 15 W wireless charging
4,000 mAh Li-Po battery
- supports fast-charging
- supports 15 W wireless charging
HUAWEI Mate 20 Series Price + Availability
After overtaking Apple, HUAWEI is aiming its sights at Samsung. It is a steep mountain to climb, with a huge gap in their sales, and the overwhelming popularity of the Samsung Galaxy Note9, but they’re counting on the Mate 20 will help them gain on Samsung.
They officially released the Mate 20 smartphones for sale on 27 October 2018, with overwhelming response.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The HUAWEI Mate 20 Up Close!
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) boasts a large 6.53-inch IPS display, with a resolution of 1080 x 2244 pixels. But thanks to its thin bezels, it does not feel like an overly large device.
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) runs on the new HiSilicon Kirin 980 platform using Android Pie. It comes with 6 GB of LPDDR4x memory, and 128 GB of internal flash storage. All that is powered by a large 4,000 mAh battery, in a chassis that is only 8.3 mm thick, and weighs just 188 grams.
Dewdrop Notch
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) has a large 6.53-inch IPS display, with a resolution of 1080 x 2244 pixels. To maximise the display area, while minimising the actual device size, it uses very thin bezels and a dewdrop notch. Also known as a raindrop notch, this is a very small notch that gives us a larger notification area.
HUAWEI Kirin 980
Although Apple was the first to launch smartphones with a 7nm mobile SoC, the HUAWEI Kirin 980 is technically the first 7 nm mobile SoC in the world. It is also the first to come with two NPUs, a Cat.21 modem and support for faster LPDDR4X-2133 memory.
The Kirin 980 also uses a new 2+2+4 cluster architecture, with two ARM Cortex-A76 high-performance cores running at 2.6 GHz, two additional ARM Cortex-A76 cores running at 1.92 GHz and four ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8 GHz for background or less-intensive workloads.
It also comes with a 24-core ARM Mali-G76 GPU and two NPUs, which should double both its graphics and AI performance. On top of that, it supports LTE Category 21 download speeds of up to 1.6 Gbps, as well as dual frequency GPS (L5 + L1) for 10X more accurate positioning.
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) comes with a hybrid SIM + NM card tray. It has slots for two nano SIM cards, but the second SIM slot can be filled with an NM card for extra storage (up to 256 GB).
What is an NM card? Short for Nano Memory, the NM card is a HUAWEI invention that is basically a smaller version of the microSD card. In fact, it is shaped exactly like a nano SIM card, and is designed to fit the same slot.
While NM card may be the future, it is quite hard to get hold of – only HUAWEI makes and sells them. And they are pricier than microSD cards – the 128 GB NM card costs £55 in the UK, and RM 299 here in Malaysia.
Unless you are prepared to pay a premium for an NM card, be prepared to live without additional storage…
Fingerprint Sensor
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) features a rear fingerprint sensor, located right below the square camera module at the back. This is a very fast and accurate fingerprint sensor that is easy to train and use.
Like all other rear fingerprint sensors – it cannot be used while the Mate 20 is mounted on a car dashboard.
Its close proximity to the Leica camera module increases the risk that you will smear their lenses while trying to locate the sensor… which is made even more likely by the sensor’s almost completely flat profile, which offers little tactile sensation.
Fortunately, the cutout in the TPU case that comes with the HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) helps guide your finger to the sensor.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The HUAWEI Mate 20 Front Camera
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) has serious photography chops. In the front, it has a very high-resolution 24 MP camera with f/2.0 lens.
In this close-up shot, you can just about make out the light sensor to its upper left, and the row of tiny speaker ports.
The front camera takes 24 MP photos with a resolution of 5632 x 4224 pixels. Despite its very high resolution, the front camera is limited to recording 720p videos.
The HUAWEI Mate 20 Leica Triple Cameras
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY)’s key selling point though is its Leica triple camera system in the back. It consists of three different cameras, supported by an LED flash :
12 MP sensor with standard lens and f/1.8 aperture
16 MP sensor with wide-angle lens and f/2.2 aperture
8 MP sensor with 2X telephoto lens, and f/2.4 aperture
All three cameras support laser autofocus, phase focus and contrast focus, as well as HUAWEI AI Image Stabilisation. Let’s check out how useful the three cameras are in these three photo comparisons, which you can click on to check out the full, original photos :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Hyper Optical Pattern
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) is available in four colours – Black, Twilight, Midnight Blue and Emerald Green. They all have a special glass texture which is non-slip and anti-fingerprint.
The Midnight Blue and Emerald Green colours are unique though, because they have a unique Hyper Optical Pattern, which you can see below.
The Hyper Optical Pattern is not just about looks though. It also imparts a matte finish that gives you a better grip, with a textured surface that is resistant to fingerprint smears.
Bigger Battery + Wireless Charging
[adrotate group=”2″]
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) come with a bigger 4,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, which should allow it to last longer, especially with its more efficient 7 nm Kirin 980 SoC.
It supports the HUAWEI SuperCharge fast charging technology. With its 22.5 watt charger, you just need 30 minutes to get from 1% to 58%!
It also supports 15 watt fast wireless charging. However, it does not support reverse wireless charging. That feature is only available in the Mate 20 Pro.
Ergonomics
Despite its larger 6.53-inch display, the HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) is slightly smaller than the Samsung Galaxy Note9! Of course, one may argue that it’s not a true 6.53-inch display due to its display notch.. even though it is a small dewdrop notch.
Thanks to its relatively small form factor, it fits quite well in our hands. It is still a two-handed device, of course, but it will fit better in your pocket than the longer Galaxy Note9. We also like its textured back which gives a better grip, and is more resistant to fingerprint smears.
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) lacks the higher-resolution and more brilliant WQHD+ OLED display of the higher-end HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro, or the Samsung Galaxy Note9. But it’s not something you would notice unless you compare them side-by-side. More importantly, it’s bright enough to use outdoors without looking washed out.
Please note that its FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2244 pixels results in a non-standard 18.5:9 display ratio. Watching movies will result in some pillarboxing– a black bar on each side of the movie.
Available Memory & Storage
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) does not allow monitoring of the available system memory, but this workaround showed that with a clean system, it has between 2.9 GB and 3.3 GB of free memory.
That is between 48% and 55% of its 6 GB memory, and is more than enough to run several memory-guzzling apps at the same time. However, it does point to a considerable amount of bloat.
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) comes with 128 GB of internal flash storage, with about 113 GB of free space to use. This is enough space to store about 31,000 photos, 19 hours of 1080p videos, or 11 hours of 4K videos.
There is thankfully A LOT of free space for you to use, because you can’t just pop in a microSD card for extra storage. The Mate 20 offers storage expansion only using their NM card. You can buy 128 GB NM card for £55 in the UK, and RM 299 here in Malaysia.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HUAWEI Mate 20 Camera Performance – Photos
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) has a main 12 MP camera with f/1.8 lens. The maximum 12 MP resolution is attained with the 4:3 aspect ratio, with 4608 x 3456 pixels, and a file size of between 3 MB and 5 MB.
Here are fourteen full-resolution unedited samples for you to check out. Click on them to load the full-sized photos, which you can also download to examine.
The resolution and detail of the HUAWEI Mate 20‘s main camera is truly incredible. Download the original photos and expand them to see how much detail it captured.
[adrotate group=”2″]
We especially love its macro capability, which allows you to take really close-up shots. Many competing cameras lack a macro mode, and have trouble focusing close up.
The f/1.8 aperture naturally creates a very narrow depth of field, with a nice bokeh effect. But you have to be more careful in framing the shot, because the subject may end up out-of-focus.
If you need a stronger bokeh effect, the HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) has a Wide Aperture mode, which is very similar to the Live Focus capability of the Samsung Galaxy Note9.
It basically uses the main camera as a depth sensor, to help the telephoto camera in separating the subject from the background. This allows the Mate 20 to apply a software bokeh effect to the background. You can adjust the amount of bokeh effect after taking the photo.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
HUAWEI Mate 20 Camera Performance – Video Recording
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) can record not just 1080p videos, but also 4K videos, from its main camera. Surprisingly, its front camera can only record 720p videos even though it has a much higher-resolution sensor.
HUAWEI has traditionally been weak in video recording capabilities, so let’s see how well the Mate 20 fares in this regard…
Video Recording Test #1 : Piano Performance (1080p)
In Mr. Yang’s live rendition of one of Emil Chau’s best songs – Friends, you can see just how sharp and detailed the video is, and just how well its electronic image stabilisation (EIS) worked. Note too how the Mate 20 allows you to switch between its three cameras while recording the video.
The only problem we have with the Mate 20 is its rather poor noise cancellation capabilities. It really detracts from its rather rich audio range.
Instead of focusing on the audio from the back, and using the other microphones to cancel sound from other directions, it just recorded from all directions.
Video Recording Test #2 : Piano Performance (4K)
In his rendition of The Last Waltz from 1967, you will see some autofocus issues in the beginning. But the image quality was very good, and so was its electronic image stabilisation (EIS) capabilities.
Its ability to zoom in and out of the scene was also incredibly useful, although there’s a weird jerk after each switch. It’s certainly not seamless as it is with the Samsung Galaxy Note9.
The recorded audio was, however, richer than the Galaxy Note9, albeit with less than stellar noise cancellation. However, in this video, the lack of noise cancellation worked to its benefit – you can hear people from the sides and the back singing.
[adrotate group=”1″]
Video Recording Test #3 : Street Market (1080p)
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) does not support optical image stabilisation (OIS), but it has pretty good electronic image stabilisation (EIS) capabilities. While not as smooth as smartphones with OIS cameras, it does a good job of preventing you from creating nausea-inducing videos.
Video Recording Test #4 : Street Market (4K)
When we switched to 4K, EIS was thankfully still enabled. However, we noticed that it was less effective at this higher resolution, compared to when we recorded the 1080p video above.
Do note though how much richer the audio recording is. HUAWEI definitely did a better job in the audio department, although they could do better at noise cancellation.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Work Performance – PCMark
We tested the HUAWEI Mate 20’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browsing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
The new HiSilicon Kirin 980 demonstrated just how fast it is. It beat the Honor Play, which uses the last-generation Kirin 970, by almost 39%! It was almost 84% faster than the Exynos 9810 used in the Samsung Galaxy Note9, and is 90% faster than the Exynos 7885 used in the Galaxy A7 2018.
Gaming Performance – 3DMark
Next, we tested the HUAWEI Mate 20’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.
We then tested the HUAWEI Mate 20’s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.
Even though it has the same battery capacity as the Samsung Galaxy Note9, and is almost twice as fast in the Work 2.0 test, the Mate 20 lasted two hours longer in this stress test!
This means the HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) is about 20% more efficient than the Galaxy Note9. VERY IMPRESSIVE!
[adrotate group=”1″]
Battery Recharging Performance
The HUAWEI Mate 20 comes with a 22.5 watt HUAWEI SuperCharge power adaptor. Let’s see how fast it recharges the 4,000 mAh battery.
It took the HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) just over 118 minutes (1 hour 58 minutes) to recharge its battery from 20% to 100%. Not particularly good performance, considering it’s using a high-powered 22.5 watt charger.
The Samsung Galaxy Note9, in comparison, took under 107 minutes (1 hour 47 minutes) to recharge its 4,000 mAh battery with a less powerful 15 watt charger. The Note9 is thus 9% faster and 14% more efficient than the Mate 20 in this aspect.
This slower battery recharging speed gives the HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) a battery life : recharging ratio of 6.3 : 1 – a good ratio. A rule of thumb – for one hour of battery life, charge it for 9.5 minutes.
The fastest recharging happened up to the 90% level. This took just under 84 minutes. Then the recharging speed slowed down, and it took a further 35.5 minutes to top up the remaining 10%.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Our Verdict + Award
The HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) is a seriously impressive smartphone. Powered by the very powerful HiSilicon Kirin 980, it trounced its rivals in both work and gaming performance. If that’s not impressive enough – it delivered all that performance with an exceptionally long battery life!
It also boasts serious camera chops with a 24 MP front camera, and a Leica triple lens camera. Far from being a marketing ploy, the Mate 20 delivers incredibly detailed photos with a very useful automatic macro mode, and a Wide Aperture mode for greater bokeh effects.
Its video recording capabilities was less impressive, but only in comparison to its more expensive rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Note9 and the Samsung Galaxy S9+.
Now, it’s not perfect. HUAWEI made a particularly controversial decision in swapping out the microSD card slot for the new NM card slot. Only HUAWEI currently makes and sells NM cards, so buying the Mate 20 means you either pay HUAWEI a premium for their new NM card, or stick to internal storage.
HUAWEI also made the questionable decision of limiting the front camera to 720p video recording. Now, we understand the need to differentiate the cheaper HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) from its more expensive Mate 20 Pro brother. However, why set the limit to 720p, and not 1080p? It is, after all, the year 2018… not 2016.
But other than these two issues we are pointing out, the HUAWEI Mate 20 (US | UK | MY) is an exceptionally good deal. Hence, we have no qualms awarding it our Editor’s Choice Award. Congratulations, HUAWEI, on a job well-done!
HUAWEI Mate 20 Purchase Links
Here are some direct purchase links for your convenience :
Triple Leica Camera System
- 12 MP wide-angle camera with f/1.8 lens
- 16 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 lens
- 8 MP telephoto camera with f/2.4 lens
Connectivity
Network : LTE Cat. 21, LTE Cat. 13
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth 5.0
USB 3.1 Type C
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
We were recently invited to an exclusive HUAWEI Kirin 980 tech briefing session.
Here is everything you need to know about the HUAWEI Kirin 980, with videos of the demos and its development board.
Now you can pretty much guess how the upcoming HUAWEI Mate 20 will perform before its official launch on 16 October 2018!
The HUAWEI Kirin 980
Although Apple was the first to launch smartphones with a 7nm mobile SoC, the HUAWEI Kirin 980 is technically the first 7nm mobile SoC in the world.
Take a look at the development board, and how small the Kirin 980 really is.
The HUAWEI Kirin 980 is also the first to feature the ARM Cortex-A76 processor core, and Mali-G76 GPU, as well as the first to come with two NPUs, a Cat.21 modem and support for faster LPDDR4X-2133 memory.
It took HUAWEI and TSMC 36 months of joint research and co-engineering to develop this mobile SoC.
The process, which started in 2015, involved over 1000 semiconductor design and process experts.
Thanks to their efforts, the 7 nm process technology delivered a 20% speed improvement, with a 40% boost in power efficiency, and a 60% greater transistor density. This allowed HUAWEI to cram 6.9 billion transistors into the Kirin 980.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what’s new in the HUAWEI Kirin 980!
[adrotate group=”1″]
The Kirin 980 CPU Architecture
The HUAWEI Kirin 980 pairs four new ARM Cortex-A76 high-performance cores, with four ARM Cortex-A55 cores.
However, instead of the traditional big.LITTLE 4+4 clusters, HUAWEI uses a 2+2+4 cluster architecture.
The four ARM Cortex-A55 cores, running at 1.8 GHz, are used for low loads and background tasks, while two ARM Cortex-A76 cores, running at 1.92 GHz, will be used for most loads, together with some of the A55 cores.
But when you really need a big boost in performance, the last two Cortex-A76 cores kick in.
With a higher clock speed of 2.6 GHz, they offer a big boost in performance. But to conserve battery life, they are meant to be used in short bursts.
Here is a table that illustrates the kinds of loads that will trigger each cluster :
New Mali-G76 GPU
The HUAWEI Kirin 980 is the world’s first mobile SoC to deploy the ARM Mali-G76 GPU.
HUAWEI did not reveal how many cores it has, but they say that it offers 46% better performance than the Mali-G72 GPU used in the Kirin 970, with 178% better power efficiency.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Kirin 980 Has Dual NPUs
The HUAWEI Kirin 980 retains the same NPU that was first introduced in the Kirin 970.
However, HUAWEI double its AI performance by using two of them, instead of just one.
The boost in AI performance allows HUAWEI to introduce new AI-related technologies like :
the HUAWEI AI Loading Prediction technology, and
the Real-Time Multi-Person Gesture Recognition technology.
We will take a closer look at these two technologies below.
HUAWEI AI Loading Prediction Technology
The HUAWEI Kirin 980 manages its CPU and GPU performance using an AI Loading Prediction Technology.
It basically predicts when a game will require more power, or less; and pre-emptively boosts or reduces the CPU and GPU clock speeds accordingly. It also determines when the CPU’s turbo cluster (of two Cortex-A76 cores running at 2.6 GHz) should be activated for a boost in performance.
The combination of much faster CPU and GPU cores, with AI Loading Prediction Technology, allows the Kirin 980 to hit and sustain 60 fps even with strenuous games.
Note that while it can go beyond 60 fps in this demo of NBA 2K18, the AI Loading Prediction Technology caps its frame rate to reduce power consumption and extend battery life.
Real-Time Multi-Person Gesture Recognition
Thanks to its greater AI processing capabilities, the HUAWEI Kirin 980 can perform real-time multi-person gesture recognition.
It can also determine their distance using a single camera, allowing it to know when someone has gone in front of, or behind, someone else.
Most impressively, it accomplished this using a single camera. Imagine how much more accurate it can be using two cameras which would offer much better depth perception.
Kirin 980 Has Dual ISPs
It has two image signal processors which offer a 46% boost in performance, a 33% reduction in recording latency, and 23% better power efficiency.
The boost in performance greatly expands its ability to “massage” the raw images to produce better photos.
Although HUAWEI did not detail how they did it, their sample photos above appear to be using HDR to bring out details in the shadows while correcting for overblown highlights.
For sharp images, it will needs to be paired with a fast image sensor that can take multiple photos with different exposures in quick succession.
[adrotate group=”1″]
Kirin 980 Has Faster LTE + WiFi Speeds
The HUAWEI Kirin 980 boasts a new LTE Cat.21 modem, which allows it to deliver download speeds of up to 1.4 Gbps! Upload speed remains at 200 Mbps.
When paired with the HUAWEI Hi1103 chip, it can offer WiFi transfer rates of up to 1.7 Gbps.
Kirin 980 Introduces Dual-Frequency GPS
This is arguably its most underrated feature – support for dual-frequency GPS.
By using both L1 and L5 frequencies, it can deliver 10X better positioning accuracy. You won’t ever have to worry taking the wrong turn!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
How Fast Is The HUAWEI Kirin 980?
These HUAWEI performance comparisons show the performance differences between the Kirin 980 and its predecessor, the Kirin 970 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.
CPU : 75% Better Performance, 58% Better Power Efficiency Than Kirin 970
CPU : 37% Better Performance, 32% Better Power Efficiency Than Snapdragon 845
Memory : 20% More Bandwidth, 22% Lower Latency Than Snapdragon 845
GPU : 46% Better Performance, 178% Better Power Efficiency Than Kirin 970
Image Recognition : 89% Faster Than Snapdragon 845, 3X Faster Than Apple A11
App Launch Time : 6% to 23% Faster Than Snapdragon 845
Game Performance : 22% Better Performance, 32% Lower Power Consumption Than Snapdragon 845
AI Performance : 2X Better Performance, 87% Better Power Efficiency Than Snapdragon 845
[adrotate group=”1″]
Kirin 980 vs Kirin 970 Summarised
Here is a HUAWEI comparison of the Kirin 980 against the Kirin 970.
Kirin 980 vs Snapdragon 845 Summarised
And this is a HUAWEI table summarising the differences between the Kirin 980 and the Snapdragon 845.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Complete HUAWEI Kirin 980 Keynote Slides
Here is the complete set of the official HUAWEI keynote slides for your perusal :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!