The HUAWEI Kirin 9000 and Kirin 9000E lay claim to being the world’s first 5G mobile SoC built on the 5 nm process technology.
Find out what HUAWEI’s latest and possibly last 5G platforms offer, and how they differ!
Kirin 9000 | Kirin 9000E : World’s First 5nm 5G Mobile SoCs!
The Kirin 9000 and Kirin 9000E are HUAWEI’s most powerful mobile SoCs (System on a Chip) – the brains of their new Mate 40 Series smartphones.
Fabricated on the latest 5 nm EUV process technology, they pack a whopping 15.3 billion transistors. That’s 30% more transistors than the Apple A14, which HUAWEI makes a point to note.
CPU Performance
They both have eight Arm Cortex cores, with a triple-tier architecture :
a boosted Arm Cortex-A77 core running at 3.13 GHz
three high-speed Arm Cortex-A77 cores running at 2.54 GHz
four low-power Arm Cortex-A55 cores running at 2.05 GHz
HUAWEI claims that they will deliver 10% better performance with 25% better power efficiency than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+.
GPU Performance
The Kirin 9000 has a 24-core Mali-G78 GPU that is supposedly 52% faster than the Snapdragon 865+, with 50% better power efficiency.
The Kirin 9000E has a 22-core Mali-G78 GPU, which should be slightly less powerful.
NPU Performance
The Kirin 9000 has 2 Big-Core NPUs and 1 Tiny-Core NPU that deliver up to 2.4X better performance with 2.5X better power efficiency than the Snapdragon 865+.
The Kirin 9000E has just 1 Big-Core NPU and 1 Tiny-Core NPU.
Integrated 5G Modem
Both mobile SoCs come with an integrated Balong 5000 multi-mode 5G modem.
HUAWEI claims it offers up to 5X faster upload speeds and 2X faster download speeds than the separate Snapdragon X55 modem that is paired with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+.
ISP Performance
They both also feature ISP 6.0 – their 6th generation image signal processor.
Compared to the Kirin 990, it offers 50% higher bandwidth, 48% better noise reduction capability, and better HDR video processing capability.
Kirin 9000 | Kirin 9000E : Specifications Compared
We created this table for an easier comparison of both mobile SoCs :
Specifications
Kirin 9000
Kirin 9000E
Fab Process
5 nm EUV
Transistors
15.3 Billion
CPU
1 x Arm Cortex-A77 (3.13 GHz)
3 x Arm Cortex-A77 (2.54 GHz)
4 x Arm Cortex-A55 (2.05 GHz)
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Now you may be wondering – what about MediaTek? They get a pass because they cheat at benchmarks.
Snapdragon vs Exynos vs Kirin : TLDR Summary
For those who are too lazy to drill down into the results, here’s a quick and dirty summary.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus is definitely the superior mobile platform.
In most benchmarks, it was significantly faster than both the Samsung Exynos 990 and the HUAWEI Kirin 990.
Snapdragon
865+
Exynos
990
Kirin
990
PCMark Work 2.0
Winner
-16.3%
-30.6%
Computer Vision
Winner
-16.9%
-23.2%
3DMark Vulkan
Winner
-11.4%
-33.7%
3DMark OpenGL
Winner
-4.5%
-30.1%
Geekbench Multi-Core
Winner
-3.2%
-3.7%
Geekbench Single-Core
-21.1%
-2.2%
Winner
AnTuTu Overall
Winner
-9.5%
-22.8%
Average
Winner
-6.1%
-21.4%
You are unlikely to notice the small 6% performance difference between the Snapdragon 865+ and the Exynos 990.
However, the 21% performance deficit of the HUAWEI Kirin 990 versus the Snapdragon 865+ will be noticeable. So will its 14% performance deficit against the Exynos 990.
Even if TSMC was allowed to continue making Kirin 990 for HUAWEI, it is no longer a competitive flagship mobile platform.
Snapdragon vs Exynos vs Kirin : PCMark Work 2.0
Snapdragon 865+
Exynos 990
Kirin 990
Work 2.0 Score
Winner
-16.3%
-30.6%
Web Browsing 2.0
Winner
-27.2%
-43.3%
Video Editing
Winner
-18.5%
-26.2%
Writing 2.0
Winner
-12.0%
-13.4%
Photo Editing 2.0
-10.7%
Winner
-45.6%
Data Manipulation
Winner
-29.6%
-26.9%
Snapdragon vs Exynos vs Kirin : PCMark Computer Vision
This is a benchmark that tests the AI capabilities of these mobile platforms :
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Snapdragon vs Exynos vs Kirin : 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme
We tested them using the Sling Shot Extreme test in 3DMark, using both Vulkan and OpenGL ES 3.1 graphics API.
Vulkan is a newer graphics API, with much lower overhead, and can therefore deliver better performance than OpenGL ES which is supported by more games.
3DMark rendered the game at the 2560 x 1440 resolution, allowing for a fair comparison irrespective of the devices’ actual display resolution.
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At the Global Mobile Internet Conference (GMIC) in Guangzhou, HONOR President George Zhao unveiled the Honghu 818 display SoC.
Here is everything you need to know about the HONOR Honghu 818 display SoC, which promises to deliver superior images and sound quality for smart displays!
The HONOR Honghu 818 Display SoC
The HONOR Honghu 818 was developed by the Hisilicon research and development team over a period of 5-years. It is their first intelligent display SoC to be made available globally.
Quad-Core CPU + Quad-Core GPU
While many media reported that the Honghu 818 has an octa-core processor, they would be wrong.
The Honghu 818 has a quad-core processor, and a quad-core GPU; but in this case 4+4 really does not equal 8…
To be specific, its CPU has two ARM Cortex-A73 high-performance cores, and two ARM Cortex-A53 low-power cores. Its ARM Mali-G51 GPU, on the other hand, has four cores.
This means it is far less powerful than Hisilicon’s flagship Kirin 980 or Kirin 970 mobile SoCs or even mid-range mobile SoCs like the Kirin 650.
However, HONOR says that it is more than capable of handling heavy image processing on large displays, as well as other tasks, at the same time.
In fact, they claim that this octa-core processor’s “bandwidth utilisation rate” leads the industry by “over 50% on average”.
Its image processing engine boasts these seven image processing technologies :
Motion Estimate and Motion Compensation (MEMC)
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Imaging
Super Resolution (SR)
Noise Reduction (NR)
Dynamic Contrast Improvement (DCI)
Auto Colour Management (ACM)
Local Dimming (LD)
Those algorithms lets the Honghu 818 enhance and optimise image resolution, contrast and colour performance of the display.
Histen Audio Technology
The HUAWEI Histen audio technology optimises sound quality in four aspects :
ultra-wide sound field
transient intermodulation distortion
sound equalization, and
intelligent bass.
This allows the smart display to deliver a great audio experience without using a separate audio chip.
Honghu 818 Multimedia Decoding Capabilities
The Honghu 818 has a built-in multimedia decoder that supports hardware decoding of up to 8K video at 30 fps, or 4K video at 120 fps.
According to HONOR, the Honghu 818 can open a H.265-encoded 4K video in just 1.3 seconds, while its rivals take almost twice as long.
It can also decode images of up to 64 megapixels in resolution, which is greater than the highest-resolution DSLR cameras (Canon 5DS and Canon 5DS R), and certainly much greater than any smartphone camera.
The First Honghu 818 Powered Display
HONOR said that they will be launching the HONOR Vision TV, which will be the first display powered by the Honghu 818. This 55-inch smart TV will also come with a smart pop-up camera.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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The Complete HUAWEI Kirin 980 Keynote Slides
Here is the complete set of the official HUAWEI keynote slides for your perusal :
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17 May 2018 – HUAWEI today launched the HUAWEI nova 3e smartphone, which features a FullView display and a dual-lens camera. Here are the HUAWEI nova 3e price, specifications and full tech briefing. Enjoy!
HUAWEI nova 3e Tech Briefing
The HUAWEI nova 3e is targeted at the youth market, with its high-resolution 24 MP selfie camera and its FullView display with the iPhone X-like notch. It also has 2.5D curved edge glass panels, with rounded corners for a more sophisticated look and feel.
The HUAWEI nova 3e is powered by the octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659, and comes with 4 GB of LPDDR3 memory, and a whopping 128 GB of internal flash storage. If that is not enough, you can upgrade it using a microSD card (up to 256 GB).
In addition to its 24 MP front camera, the nova 3e also comes with a rear dual-lens camera. This consists of a 16 MP main camera, with a 2 MP secondary camera that serves as a depth sensor. This depth sensor offers better depth perception, allowing the nova 3e to apply its bokeh effects with greater accuracy.
Dual-Lens Camera
16 MP sensor + 2 MP sensor, with f/2.2 lenses
Connectivity
LTE : Cat6 (300 Mbps DL, 50 Mbps UL)
WiFi : 802.11b/g//n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth 4.2
USB : USB 2.0 Type C
SIM Capability
Dual SIM, Dual Standby
GPS
With AGPS and GLONASS
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, Rear Mounted
Other Sensors
Hall sensor, Proximity, Ambient light, Digital compass, Gravity and Gyroscope
NFC
Yes
Battery
3,000 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
- supports 18 W fast charging
Dimensions
71.2 mm wide
148.6 mm tall
7.4 mm thick
Weight
145 g
Colour Options
Klein Blue / Midnight Black
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HUAWEI nova 3e Price & Availability
The HUAWEI nova 3e will be available from 25 May 2018 onwards, in two colour options – Klein Blue (with glitter cover film), and Midnight Black. HUAWEI announced an official retail price of RM 1,399 (inclusive of 6% GST) / US$ 352.50, but we have good news.
To assuage consumer concern about the upcoming zero-rating of the GST, HUAWEI is offering a RM 79 cash back up to 31 May 2018, so the actual retail price will be RM 1,320 / US$ 332.50. Purchasers of HUAWEI nova 3e will also receive a HUAWEI tripod and selfie stick worth RM 68 / US$ 17, while stocks last.
Starting 1 June 2018, we expect HUAWEI to maintain the price of RM 1,320.
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honor Malaysia today introduced the honor 8 Pro premium smartphone. It features a top-of-the-line processor, a long battery life, a 5.7″ Quad HD display and a dual-lens camera – all packed into a chassis that is just under 7 mm thick!
The honor 8 Pro is Geared for Speed
The honor 8 Pro is powered by the Kirin 960 SoC, that promises significantly better performance than its predecessor, the Kirin 950.
The Kirin 960 has 8 processor cores – 4 x high-performance ARM Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and 4 x low-power Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz – that improve single-core and multi-core performance by 10% and 18% respectively.
The ARM Mali-G71 GPU includes support for the cutting-edge Vulkan API, boosting graphics performance by up to 400%.
The new EMUI 5.1 system leverages machine learning to learn from your behavior and habits to minimise lag and ensure applications and files load smoothly. For example, if you tend to open an application at a certain time of the day, the honor 8 Pro will be able to anticipate your needs and pre-load the application.
Longer Battery Life
Coupled with advanced power-saving features, the honor 8 Pro’s 4,000 mAh battery provides up to 2 days of regular use, and almost 1.44 days of heavy use. The Smart Power 5.0 technology helps to maximise battery life by automatically identifying and terminating processes with exceptionally high power consumption, as well as minimising power consumed by background applications.
Minimalist Sophistication
Thehonor 8 Pro boasts an ultra-thin 6.97 mm metal body that is available in navy blue or midnight black colours. Its Quad HD display features a high pixel density of 515 ppi, 16.7 million colours and a 94.5% NTSC color gamut.
The honor 8 Pro also comes VR-ready, with a bundled cardboard viewer and pre-installed Jaunt VR app containing a wealth of video content. Users will also be able to dive into the exhilarating world of Galaxy on Fire 3, the first 3D game to run on the Vulkan interface.
Dual 12 MP Cameras
The honor 8 Pro features a 12 MP dual-lens camera. The two lenses work in tandem to always deliver the perfect shot:
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the monochrome lens captures a black-and-white image with incredible depth of detail while the RGB lens ensure faithful and vivid color reproduction
the camera software then combines the two images together.
The camera supports a wide software aperture range (f/0.95–f/16) to delivers DSLR-like depth of field “bokeh” effects for both photo and video shooting. The cameras also support 4K video recording, which are encoded in the efficient H.265 codec, producing files twice as small as its predecessor.
EMUI 5.1 also introduces Highlights, a new feature co-developed with Go Pro that intelligently organises photos by category and automatically generates video stories that are easily customisable – making sharing memories a breeze.
The 2017 Mobile Legends South East Asia Cup
Marking honor 8 Pro’s exclusive partnership for the 2017 Mobile Legends South East Asia Cup in Malaysia, Mandy Dai, Senior Marketing Director from Moonton said, “I am honoured to announce this exclusive partnership with honor Malaysia and have the honor 8 Pro as the official gaming phone for the tournament which will be used by professional e-sport gamers. The honor 8 Pro is a device that offers exceptional speed, graphic and detail, and we believe that gamers will take pleasure through its superior user experience.”
The honor 8 Pro Price & Availability
The honor 8 Pro will be made available in the Malaysia market beginning 11 July at a retail price of RM1,999 / ~US$ 475. vMall, the official licensed e-store for honor and HUAWEI will be the first online platform to offer the honor 8 Pro followed by honor experience stores and display zones beginning 12 July 2017.
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25 APRIL 2017 – Save the date! Come May 5th this year, Malaysians will be able to own Huawei’s latest flagship in the long-awaited Greenery and Dazzling Blue. The Huawei P10, co-engineered with Leica, is equipped with cutting edge technological innovations and now the latest on-trend colours, the P10 redefines what it means to be a flagship smartphone.
A photography studio in your pocket, that is just what the Huawei P10 (Amazon | Lazada) brings to the table. Featuring a Leica front camera, which complements the Leica dual rear cameras, the P10 is equipped with the most advanced photography technology to create modern artistic portrait masterpieces in Leica’s signature style. With features like studio-like re-lighting and 3D facial detection technology, the P10 brings the ability to produce beautiful photography in any environment to the masses.
The Greenery and Dazzling Blue Huawei P10
Huawei also sets a new standard in design by incorporating special colours into its latest flagship smartphone. By collaborating with Pantone Color Institute, the world’s pre-eminent thought leader on colour, Huawei presents the P10 in an all exclusive Greenery and Dazzling Blue.
Crowned as the official Pantone Colour of the Year 2017, Greenery delivers a clean and stylish sandblast finish, while the gorgeous Dazzling Blue Huawei P10 breathes character into the device through its Hyper Diamond-Cut finishing to produce a stunning glow effect. A smartphone that gives you world-class innovative technology along with exquisite aesthetics, the Huawei P10 (Amazon | Lazada) is truly a tool for everyone to express themselves in a unique way.
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“2017 is an exciting year for Huawei, and we have kicked off by launching one of the most technologically advanced smartphones to start year off with a bang. Since sales of the Huawei P10 started, we have received numerous request to bring in the P10 in the two unique Pantone colours, Greenery and Dazzling Blue, thus our decision to give our consumers what they want,” said Matthew Ng, Deputy Country Director of Huawei Malaysia. “The P10 is truly a complete device inside and out. From its powerful Kirin 960 processor, EMUI 5.1 interface and Leica cameras to its ultra slim, minimalistic and now expressive colours; the P10 is more than just a smartphone, it is a symbol of polished precision that is designed to be powerful and enjoyable at the same time.”
The Greenery and Dazzling BlueHuawei P10 (Amazon | Lazada) will be available in all Huawei Experience Stores and Display Zones nationwide starting May 5th this year, and will retail for RM2,499 / ~US$549.
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Fresh off their 2017 MWC revelations, Huawei knows we are all eager to know more about the new Huawei P10 Plus, P10 and P10 Lite smartphones. So they flew Justin Zhang, Huawei’s Senior Director of Smartphone Product Line Marketing, all the way from Shanghai to give us a product briefing on the new Huawei P10 Plus, P10 and P10 Lite smartphones
Let’s check out the presentation, specifications, prices and availability! Stay tuned for our hands-on previews of the three Huawei P10 models.
The Huawei P10 Plus, P10 & P10 Lite Product Briefing
Justin Zhang, Huawei’s Senior Director of Smartphone Product Line Marketing in Shanghai, briefed us on the Huawei P10 family’s key features.
Here are some key points :
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus boast the latest Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and the first under-glass fingerprint sensor.
The Huawei P10 family will feature the unique Hyper Diamond-Cut finish with micro pyramid facets.
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus will have an improved dual lens camera, with a 12 MP RGB sensor and a higher-resolution 20 MP monochrome sensor.
The Huawei P10 Plus will have a brighter Leica Summilux-H f/1.8 lens, with optical image stabilisation (OIS) capability.[adrotate banner=”4″]
The Huawei P10 retains the original Summarit-H f/2.2 lens.
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus will have a Leica front camera with f /1.9 lens.
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus are powered by the Kirin 960, while the Huawei P10 Lite is powered by the Kirin 655 SoC.
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus come with the Huawei SuperCharge capability, for low-voltage, low temperature fast charging.
The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus boast four LTE antennas (4×4 MIMO) and two WiFi antennas (2×2 MIMO) for better connectivity.
The Huawei P10 Plus, P10 & P10 Lite Specifications
Specifications
Huawei P10 Plus
Huawei P10
Huawei P10 Lite
Display
5.5" WQHD IPS display
- 1440 x 2560 pixels, 534 ppi
5.1" Full HD IPS display
- 1080 x 1920 pixels, 432 ppi
5.2" Full HD IPS display
- 1080 x 1920 pixels, 423 ppi
Protection
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Operating System
Android 7.0 Nougat
Android 7.0 Nougat
Android 7.0 Nougat
Platform
HiSilicon Kirin 960
HiSilicon Kirin 960
HiSilicon Kirin 658
Processor
4 x ARM Cortex-A73 (2.36 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.8 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A73 (2.36 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.8 GHz)
1 x ARM Cortex-A53 (2.36 GHz)
3 x ARM Cortex-A53 (2.12 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.7 GHz)
Graphics Processor
ARM Mali-G71 MP8 (1037 MHz)
ARM Mali-G71 MP8 (1037 MHz)
ARM Mali-T830 MP2 (900 MHz)
Memory
6 GB LPDDR4 (1800 MHz)
4 GB LPDDR4 (1800 MHz)
4 GB LPDDR3 (933 MHz)
Storage
128 GB internal flash memory
microSD slot (up to 256 GB, shared with SIM 2)
64 GB internal flash memory
microSD slot (up to 256 GB, shared with SIM 2)
32 GB internal flash memory
microSD slot (up to 128 GB, shared with SIM 2)
Dual lens camera with f/1.8 Leica Summilux lens
- 12 MP RGB sensor + 20 MP monochrome sensor
- supports OIS, comes with dual LED flash
Dual lens camera with f/2.2 Leica Summarit lens
- 12 MP RGB sensor + 20 MP monochrome sensor
- comes with dual LED flash
12 MP camera with f/2.2 lens and LED flash
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, built into Home button
Yes, built into Home button
Yes, built into the back
Connectivity
Network : 2G / 3G / LTE
WiFi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth : v4.2, A2DP, LE
USB : USB 2.0 Type C
Network : 2G / 3G / LTE
WiFi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth : v4.2, A2DP, LE
USB : USB 2.0 Type C
Network : 2G / 3G / LTE
WiFi : 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (dual band)
Bluetooth : v4.2, A2DP, LE
USB : micro USB 2.0
Battery
3,750 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
3,200 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
3,000 mAh lithium-ion battery (non-removable)
Dimensions
74.2 mm wide
153.5 mm tall
6.98 mm thick
69.3 mm wide
145.3 mm tall
6.98 mm thick
72.0 mm wide
146.5 mm tall
7.20 mm thick
Weight
165 g
145 g
142 g
Available Colours
Greenery, Dazzling Blue, Dazzling Gold, Graphite Black, Rose Gold, White Ceramic, Mystic Silver, Prestige Gold
Greenery, Dazzling Blue, Dazzling Gold, Graphite Black, Rose Gold, White Ceramic, Mystic Silver, Prestige Gold
Graphite Black, Rose Gold, White Ceramic, Sapphire Blue
Launch Price
RM 3,099 / ~US$ 679
RM 2,499 / ~US$ 549
RM 1,299 / ~US$ 289
Price & Availability
Malaysians can start pre-ordering the Huawei P10 Plus, P10 and P10 Lite smartphones starting 23 March 2017 at the Huawei Experience Store, Lazada and Vmall. Delivery and actual sales will begin on 31 March 2017 for the Huawei P10 and P10 Lite, while the Huawei P10 Plus will be available from 15 April 2017 onwards.
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The Huawei P10 Plus and P10 models will be available in two colour options – Prestige Gold and Graphite Black. The Huawei P10 Lite will be offered in the Sapphire Blue colour. The other colour options for all three models will only be introduced somewhere between the middle of May and June, 2017.
Huawei will also bring in the Huawei Nova Lite in April 2017.
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Kuala Lumpur, 14 November 2016 – Brace yourselves – the much anticipated and revolutionary Huawei Mate 9 will arrive on Malaysian shores sooner than you think!
Come November 22, Malaysians will be one of the first globally to get their hands on the Huawei Mate 9 in Champagne Gold and Mocha Brown which will be available for purchase at all Huawei Authorized Dealers at RM2,699 / ~US$675!
Ardent fans of Huawei will also be able to secure a unit online during the pre-order sale that starts tomorrow (November 15) exclusively via Lazada Malaysia and Vmall.my. Additionally, the first 10 customers to make an online purchase will score a free foldable Bluetooth Keyboard worth RM 499 / ~US$125!
At the global launch just two weeks ago, it was announced that Malaysia would one of the first few countries in the world to receive the brand’s latest and most advanced yet flagship smartphone, giving Malaysian users the edge to stay a step ahead.
“We are extremely excited for Malaysians who will be some of the first proud owners in the world to experience the Mate 9. Malaysia is a key market for Huawei, as such, we are not only committed to continue delivering products that enrich our consumers’mobile user experience and digital lifestyle but also in a timely manner with the rest of the world,” said Matthew Ng, Deputy Country Director of Huawei Malaysia.
“We believe that after the P9 series, the Mate 9 will further enhance Huawei Malaysia’s strong position in the premium segment, giving end users the best technology and innovation available at a reasonable price point,” he added.
After Sales Services
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In line with Huawei’s standard and seamless customer engagement experience for all its flagship devices, consumers enjoy the following after sales services:
One-to-one device exchange within the 12-month warranty period
Free door-to-door pick-up and delivery service
3-months LCD screen warranty from Proof of Purchase Date –One Time only
Two free cleaning service within the 12-month warranty period
Dedicated VIP hotline Service
Building on Huawei’s success in delivering attractive and powerful mobile devices, the newest member of the Mate series bestowsusers with an all new Android experience, featuring the Kirin 960 for the fastest computing performance, 2nd generation dual rear camera co-engineered by Leica, 4,000 mAh high-density battery with SuperCharge technology and a stunning new UX with the latest EMUI 5.0.
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The Huawei Mate 9 Key Features
Maximized Performance and Speed with Kirin 960
With over 100 million units sold, Huawei’s Kirin chipsets showcase the company’s deep understanding of the kind of power and experience users are looking for; a fast mobile device that is intuitive and reliable. The HUAWEI Mate 9 Series debuts the premium Kirin 960 chipset with Huawei’s Machine Learning Algorithm to deliver a fast and smooth experience. What’s more, there will be no drop in performance even after 18 months of continuous usage.
The Kirin 960 is the world’s first chipset to feature an ARM Cortex-A73/A53 Octa-core CPU and Mali G71 Octa-core GPU. The CPU delivers the best multi-core performance among all smartphone SoCs, while reducing power consumption by 15 percent. The GPU boasts a 180 percent performance uplift and a 40 percent improvement in energy efficiency compared to its predecessor. The Kirin 960 also takes full advantage of the pioneering Vulkan graphics standard on Android 7.0, increasing graphics performance by up to 400 percent.
A Safe, Faster Charging Battery
The Huawei Mate 9 combines a 4,000 mAh high-density battery with Huawei’s all new Super Charge technology. With its advanced power saving technology, the HUAWEI Mate 9 increases battery life to provide over two days of uninterrupted performance. This includes a 40 percent increase in CDMA call time and a 20 percent increase in gaming time.
Supporting 5A fast charging, Super Charge technology enables a 50 percent improvement over the previous generation –10 minutes of charge provides enough power to watch two full movies. Most importantly, the battery sets a new standard in charging technology including Super Safe 5-gate protection, which offers real-time voltage, current and temperature monitoring to eliminate safety hazards and safeguard battery life.
A New Standard for Professional-quality Smartphone Photography
Following the incredible success of the Huawei P9, the Huawei Mate 9 features the second generation dual-lens camera co-engineered with Leica. Huawei and Leica have continued to improve and enhance the optical performance of the camera module, which now includes a 12-megapixel/F2.2 RGB sensor, a 20-megapixel/F2.2 monochrome sensor and enhanced image fusion algorithms that work in concert to produce stunning photography.
The RGB sensor captures true-to-life colours, while the monochrome sensor captures intricate details and depth resulting in the iconic Leica Image Style. When paired with the leading dual-lens camera Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) solution and the industry’s first dual-camera pixel binning technology, the Huawei Mate 9 has a superior night shot capability. The Kirin 960 is designed specifically to support the Huawei Mate 9’s second generation Leica dual-lens camera with Hybrid Zoom.The 4-1 Hybrid Auto-focus features laser focus, phase detection focus, depth focus and contrast focus.
Performance in Design
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The Huawei Mate 9 builds upon the Mate Series’ highly-regarded design DNA and uses the finest materials to deliver a smartphone that features a 5.9” FHD display and is both beautifully designed and comfortable to use. Based on an extensive process of research and development, the Huawei Mate 9 is constructed using 50 unique processes including one hour of CNC milling, resulting in a high-precision uni body metal frame. Every detail –from the soft sandblasted texture to the gorgeous colour palette –is a result of more than 25 years’ experience in delivering refined craftsmanship.
The Android Experience Reimagined
With the introduction of EMUI 5.0, the Huawei Mate 9 reimagines the native Android operating system using Linux to improve the experience, aesthetics and functionality. With EMUI 5.0, the Huawei Mate 9 becomes more intelligent and efficient over time by understanding consumers’ behaviour patterns, and ensures the highest priority applications are given preference subject to system resources.
This guarantees a long-lasting, smooth experience as over time, EMUI 5.0 slows down the performance erosion that all smartphone devices experience. EMUI 5.0 also introduces a brand new intuitive interface design. More than 50 percent of features can now be reached within two clicks while over 90 percent can be reached within three clicks.
The Huawei Mate 9 Specifications
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Boasting a unique Aurora Glass finish on its back, the new honor 8 smartphone is truly a work of art that has to be seen to be appreciated. But it is not just a good-looking smartphone. The honor 8 also features a dual-lens main camera, like its brother – the Huawei P9. So join us as we take a close look at the honor 8 smartphone!
The honor 8 Smartphone Specifications
First up, we would like to point out that the honor 8 is available in 5 different models, with 3-4 colours, depending on the location. But they basically consist of two versions – a standard honor 8 model, and a premium honor 8 model. Check out their specifications :
Single nano SIM (L14)
Dual nano SIM, Dual Standby (L19)
Connectivity
4G : LTE FDD LTE Cat6 : 51 Mbps (UL), 301 Mbps (DL)
3G : WCDMA
2 G : GSM
Bluetooth : 4.2 BLE
OTG, VoLTE
4G : LTE FDD LTE Cat6 : 51 Mbps (UL), 301 Mbps (DL)
3G : WCDMA
2 G : GSM
Bluetooth : 4.2 BLE
OTG, VoLTE
WiFi Capability
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz dual-band)
Hotspot supports up to 8 devices
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz dual-band)
Hotspot supports up to 8 devices
USB Port
USB 2.0 with USB Type C interface
USB 2.0 with USB Type C interface
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, 3D fingerprint recognition, 0.4 second unlock with Smart Key customisation
Yes, 3D fingerprint recognition, 0.4 second unlock with Smart Key customisation
Infra-Red Transmitter
Yes, with Smart Control 4.0
Yes, with Smart Control 4.0
NFC Support
Yes, tag read/write, P2P transfer, mobile payment
Yes, tag read/write, P2P transfer, mobile payment
Audio
HiSilicon Hi6402 audio DSP with Dolby DTS and HiRes Audio support
Dual-microphone noise reduction
HiSilicon Hi6402 audio DSP with Dolby DTS and HiRes Audio support
Dual-microphone noise reduction
Battery
2,900 mAh lithium-polymer battery
18 W fast-charging capability
2,900 mAh lithium-polymer battery
18 W fast-charging capability
Dimensions
71.0 mm wide x 145.5 mm tall x 7.45 mm thick
71.0 mm wide x 145.5 mm tall x 7.45 mm thick
Weight
153 g
153 g
Launch Price
RM 1,699 (~US$ 425)
RM 1,899 (~US$ 475)
The standard honor 8 models are priced at RM 1,699 / ~US$ 425 with 32 GB of storage, and is available in either Pearl White or Midnight Black. The premium honor 8 models are priced at RM 1,899 / ~US$ 475 with 64 GB of storage, and either Sapphire Blue or Sunrise Gold colours.
Unboxing The honor 8 Smartphone
The honor 8 comes in a white two-piece cardboard box with a textured surface. The tall and thin design presumably allows more units to be placed side-by-side on a counter. The inner box slides downwards and is secured by a single clear security sticker. Be careful once that sticker is cut, because the inner box will slide right out!
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Inside the honor 8 box, you will find the following items :
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The honor 8 Smartphone Up Close
The honor 8 has a large 5.2″ LTPS display that covers almost its entire front – with a 72% screen-to-body ratio. To achieve that, honor eschewed the use of physical buttons, in favour of virtual on-screen buttons. In fact, it only has two physical buttons – a Power button and a Volume rocker switch on the right side.
The honor 8 has an infra-red transmitter at the top, which can be used as a remote control in conjunction with the built-in Smart Controller app. It is also the first honor smartphone to feature the new Type C USB interface. It is still a USB 2.0 port, but the Type C interface is bidirectional – you no longer have to worry about plugging the cable in the wrong way.
Even though the honor 8 is the same size as the honor 5C, they managed to squeeze in a 2,900 mAh lithium-polymer battery while reducing its thickness to just 7.45 mm. They even fit in the 3.5mm audio port, albeit at the bottom, together with the USB port.
Hybrid SIM
The honor 8 has dual SIM, dual standby capability. However, only the FRD-L09 and FRD-L19 models come with the hybrid SIM slot that allows for a second nano SIM card. These two models are only sold in Europe and Asia. The other models only support a single nano SIM.
Of course, the hybrid SIM slot means you have to choose between using a second nano SIM card, or a microSD card. You can’t use both simultaneously.
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Fingerprint Sensor & OTG Support
The honor 8 boasts a new 3D fingerprint sensor that can actually detect the ridges of the finger. This allows for more accurate detection of your fingerprint. With an auto-learning ability, the honor 8’s fingerprint sensor can recognise your fingerprint and unlock the honor 8 in just 0.4 seconds.
On the other hand, the honor 8 (like the honor 5C) does not support USB OTG (On-The-Go) drives. If you plug any USB OTG flash drive into its USB port, it will not be detected. The honor 8 also requires you to use the Huawei HiSuite software to access its files from your computer. This also limits what you can copy out from the honor 8 smartphone.
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Cameras
The honor 8 has an 8 MP front camera with an f/2.4 lens. It will deliver a maximum photo resolution of 3264 x 2448 in the 4:3 format. Again, a wider 16:9 format will crop that to 3264 x 1840. It will record videos in 1080p quality with electronic image stabilisation.
Its killer feature is the dual-lens camera at the back. It is actually two individual cameras, each with a Sony IMX286 sensors with f/2.2 lens. One camera captures the image in monochrome, while the other captures the same image in colour. They are then combined to deliver sharper and more detailed pictures. The camera is supported by a dual LED flash, and a laser autofocus system.
The photos have a maximum resolution of 3968 x 2976 in the 4:3 format. If you prefer a wider format, the honor 8 will do that by cropping the image to 3968 x 2240 (16:9). It is capable of recording video in full HD quality (1080p) with electronic image stabilisation.
Aurora Glass
The honor 8 has a 2.5D glass body on both sides with diamond-cut aluminium alloy edges to create an ultra-narrow bezel. Its 3D grate design and 15-layer craftsmanship on the back of the device, combines with the glass/metal back to create what honor calls Aurora Glass.
The Aurora Glass back gives the honor 8 a very reflective surface at the back. The only catch – it naturally lacks the oleophobic coating of the front screen for a proper grip. However, that means its highly-reflective back is easily smudged by fingerprint smears, which detracts from its lustre.
The Initial Setup
This video will show you the initial setup process when you power up the honor 8 for the first time. If you do not need to restore a backup, the whole setup process should take about 5 minutes. Note how fast it takes to register a fingerprint.
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Available Memory & Storage
The honor 8 comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory. The Android 6.0 operating system and honor-preloaded apps take up about 1.3 GB of memory, leaving you with 2.4 GB (60%) of free memory. Very good!
This is a premium honor 8 model (FRD-L19), which comes with 64 GB of internal flash memory. This is expandable via a microSD card (up to 128 GB). Fresh out of the box, the honor 8 has 53.2 GB of available space (excluding the system files), of which 51.38 GB is free to use.
In the standard honor 8 models which come with 32 GB of internal flash memory, we can estimate that they will have about 19 GB of free space.
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Camera Performance – Photos
The honor 8‘s dual-lens camera has not one, but two, 12 MP Sony IMX286 sensor with reasonably fast f/2.4 lens. The photos have a maximum resolution of 3968 x 2976 in the 4:3 format. Check out these photo samples.
The honor 8 delivered excellent resolution in these photos. If you blow them up to 100%, you can see the amount of detail that is not possible in other smartphone cameras. The edge resolution (between elements of different colour), in particular, was very impressive. The amount of noise is also very low, even in dark areas.
While the honor 8 does not have the most user-friendly camera app in the industry, the photos produced by its dual-lens camera is very, very impressive. Even without turning on HDR, the colour are very vivid and visually pop out.
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Camera Performance – Video Recording
The honor 8 can record full HD (1080p) ideos with electronic stabilisation. This is an improvement over the honor 5X, whose main camera does not support electronic stabilisation. Here is a sample video we recorded of a piano performance by Mr. Yang I-Deun.
And this is a sample video taken at a street market.
The honor 8 did a great job maintaining focus and controlling exposure in the videos we took. Even bright backgrounds were not overblown. The honor 8 does not support optical image stabilisation, probably because it would prevent the dual-lens system from being in sync, but its electronic image stabilisation still did a decent job.
You should also notice that it records better audio than most smartphones. The piano music sounds richer, even through the background noise. And in the street market footage, the ambient sounds sound clearer and more authentic.
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Work Performance – PCMark
We tested the honor 8‘s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
honor 8
ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra
HTC 10
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Work Performance Score
(Average)
6350
6313
6105
4892
Web Browsing
8073
6257
5782
6908
Video Playback
4396
4287
3321
3218
Writing
6231
7166
7463
4629
Photo Editing
7352
8262
9694
5563
The honor 8 is powered by the top-of-the-line Kirin 950 SoC. These PCMark results show that the Kirin 950 proved to be more than a match for the Snapdragon 820 that powers the HTC 10, and the Snapdragon 652 that powers the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra. In fact, it was 30% faster in this benchmark than Samsung Galaxy S7 edge‘s Exynos 8890!
Battery Performance – PCMark
We then tested the honor 8‘s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.
The honor 8 lasted just over 10 hours on the PCMark stress test. This is 1.5 hours less than the honor 5C, but is excellent considering it uses a more powerful processor and graphics processor, and comes with twice the memory. The HTC 10, for example, lasted just over 5.5 hours on the same test!
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Battery Recharging Performance
The honor 8 has a large 2,900 mAh lithium-polymer battery, with Fast Charging capability. honor claims that it will recharge from 0% to 47% in just 30 minutes. Let’s see if that’s true…
Our tests showed that the honor 8 will recharge from 17% to 100% in just 146 minutes (3 hours 26 minutes). This is decent, but not exceptional quick charging performance. It fully recharges the battery about 20% faster than the honor 5C, which does not support quick charging and uses only a 5 W charger.
That said, we can see that the honor 8 recharges fastest in the first 90%, before it tapers off to a slower recharging pace for the last 10 percent. Recharging 47% (from 17% to 64%) took 36 minutes in our test.
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Overall Performance – AnTuTu Benchmark
AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.
It was actually 12% and 47% faster than the HTC 10 in the UX and CPU tests, but its 65% slower 3D performance pulled down its overall results.
Gaming Performance – 3DMark
We tested the honor 8‘s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.
honor 8
ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra
HTC 10
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Gaming Score
18659
17719
23171
28650
Graphics
19993
21124
27512
33685
Physics
15127
11328
14925
18810
Graphics Test 1
122.5 fps
115.2 fps
136.6 fps
162.9 fps
Graphics Test 2
67.4 fps
76.3 fps
106.4 fps
133.1 fps
Physics Test
48.0 fps
36.0 fps
47.4 fps
59.7 fps
The honor 8 is roughly equal to the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra in gaming performance. This means the ARM Mali-T880 GPU in the Kirin 950 is about as fast as the Qualcomm Adreno 510 GPU.
Our Verdict
The honor 8 is more than just a more powerful version of the honor 5C smartphone. Yes, they are both 5.2″ smartphones powered by Kirin processors from HiSilicon, a Huawei company. But the honor 8 is really a whole different beast targeting a different market.
The honor 8 is very fast, and comes with 4 GB of RAM and up to 64 GB of internal flash storage. On top of that, its dual-lens camera produces excellent photographs and videos. It even comes with a new 3D fingerprint sensor that activates the phone in just 0.4 seconds.
The honor 8 also looks the part of a premium smartphone, thanks to its Aurora Glass finish. This is honor’s top-of-the-line smartphone for those who want nothing but the best without paying through the nose.
Now, all that extra capability comes at a price, and it comes to no surprise that the honor 8 costs twice as much as the honor 5C. Even so, it costs less than half of what their competitors charge for equivalent smartphones.
If we have any gripes, it is the lack of USB OTG support and the requirement to use the Huawei HiSuite to manage files using a computer. This unnecessarily makes it a pain to access the files in the honor 8 smartphone.
honor continues to impress us with their ability to focus on creating no-nonsense Android smartphones with practical features. Even the dual-lens camera proved to be a practical way to improve the quality of photos and videos taken using a smartphone.
We like the honor 8 enough to give it out coveted Editor’s Choice Award. Congratulations, honor!
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When the honor 5X(Amazon) was announced in CES 2016, it was one of the most anticipated smartphones to hit the market in 2016. After all, it offers a 5.5″ full HD display with a metal allow body, a second-generation rim-free fingerprint reader, and a Qualcomm octa-core processor for less than US$220.
However, it was just a matter of time before honor introduced a variant powered by the new Kirin processors processors (more accurately known as SoCs) from HiSilicon, a sister company under Huawei. Check out the differences between the two models :
Specifications
honor 5X
honor 5C
Operating System
Android 5.1.1 with EMUI 3.1
Android 6.0 with EMUI 4.1
Processor Platform
Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 (MSM8939 v2)
HiSilicon Kirin 650
Processor
4 x ARM Cortex A53 (1.5 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex A53 (1.2 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (2.0 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.7 GHz)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno 405
ARM Mali-T830 GPU
Display
5.5" IPS display
- 1080 x 1920 resolution
- 403 ppi pixel density
- 72.5% screen-to-body ratio
5.2" IPS display
- 1080 x 1920 resolution
- 424 ppi pixel density
- 68.7% screen-to-body ratio
13 MP BSI sensor with 5-element f/2.0 lens and single LED flash
Selfie Camera
5 MP sensor
22 mm wide-angle f/2.4 lens
8 MP BSI sensor with 4-element f/2.0 lens
Dual SIM Capability
Dual SIM, Dual Standby capability
- One MicroSIM slot + One nanoSIM slot
Dual SIM, dual standby capable
- Second SIM shared with microSD card
Connectivity
802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) WiFI
Bluetooth 4.1 (Class 1)
micro USB 2.0
802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) WiFI
Bluetooth 4.1
micro USB 2.0
GPS
GPS / AGPS / GLONASS
GPS / AGPS / GLONASS
Fingerprint Sensor
Second-generation, rim-free touch sensor
Second-generation, rim-free touch sensor
Battery
3,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery (non-removable)
3,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery (non-removable)
Chassis
Diamond-polished aluminium alloy body
Aircraft-grade aluminum-alloy with brushed metal-effect finish
Dimensions
76.3 mm wide
151.3 mm tall
8.15 mm thick
73.76 mm wide
147.1 mm tall
8.3 mm thick
Weight
158 g (including battery)
156 g (including battery)
Available Colours
Sunset Gold / Dark Grey / Daybreak Silver
Sunset Gold / Dark Grey / Daybreak Silver
The honor 5C (Amazon) comes in 3 colour options, with the Grey and Silver options priced at ~$200 (RM 799), while the Gold model retails at ~$213 (RM 840). However, all three models have the same features and performance.
Now, let’s take a look at the new Kirin 650-powered honor 5C smartphone!
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Unboxing The honor 5C
The honor 5C (Amazon) comes in a hard aqua-coloured cardboard box, with a security seal on each side. In this video, you will witness our unboxing process and check out each component inside the honor 5C box. Take a look!
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The honor 5C Smartphone
The honor 5C (Amazon) has a large 5.2″ IPS display that covers almost its entire front – with a 68.7% screen-to-body ratio. To achieve that, honor eschewed the use of physical buttons, in favour of virtual on-screen buttons.
The back metal chassis comes protected with a plastic film that doubles as an information sheet, with labels and tips. This plastic film has cut-outs for the fingerprint sensor and camera, so you can use the honor 5C without removing it, especially if you intend to fit a case over it.
The honor 5C (Amazon) uses a second-generation rim-free fingerprint sensor. As you will later see in the Initial Setup video, it registers your fingerprint in fewer steps. It is also much faster and more accurate than the previous generation sensor at reading your fingerprint. Once you have used it, it will become second nature to turn on and instantly log into the honor 5C by simply touching the fingerprint sensor.
Although higher-end smartphones are trying to go ridiculously thin, the honor 5C (Amazon) is reasonably thick at 8.3 mm. The slight increase in thickness not only allowed the inclusion of a large 3,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, as well as an earphone port at the top.
Although not explicitly mentioned, the honor 5C has stereo speakers. The second speaker emits through the left row of ports in the picture above. The right row of ports is for the microphone. The honor 5C still uses a micro USB 2.0 port, instead of the newer reversible USB-C port.
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Buttons & Hybrid SIM
The honor 5C (Amazon) only has two physical buttons, because it uses virtual on-screen Android buttons instead of physical buttons. They are both on the right side – a volume switch and a Power button.
The honor 5C is Dual SIM, Dual Standby capable. However, you cannot use two SIM cards together with a micro SD card. Instead, it comes with a hybrid SIM slot on the left side. The tray inside fits two nano SIM cards, or one nano SIM card and a micro SD card.
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The Initial Setup
This video will show you the initial setup process when you power up the honor 5C (Amazon) for the first time. If you do not need to restore a backup, the whole setup process should take about 2.5 minutes. Note how fast it takes to register a fingerprint.
Available Memory & Storage
The honor 5C (Amazon) comes with 2 GB of memory of the LPDDR3 type. The Android 6.0 OS and honor pre-loaded apps takes up about 1.1 GB of memory. This leaves you with only 692 MB of free RAM to use. It would be helpful if honor can cut down on the pre-loaded apps.
The honor 5C (Amazon) also comes with 16 GB of internal flash storage. This is expandable via a microSD card (up to 128 GB). Fresh out of the box, the honor 5C has 10.4 GB of available space (excluding the system files), of which 9.78 GB is free to use.
OTG Support
Please be aware that the honor 5C (Amazon) does NOT support USB OTG (On-The-Go) drives. If you plug any USB OTG flash drive into its micro USB 2.0 port, it will not be detected.
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Cameras
The main camera has a 13 MP sensor with a 5-element f/2.0 lens, supported by a single LED flash. The photos have a maximum resolution of 4160 x 3120 in the 4:3 format. If you prefer a wider format, the honor 5C will do that by cropping the image to 4160 x 2336 (16:9). It is capable of recording video in full HD quality (1080p) with electronic stabilisation.
The honor 5C’s front camera is a significant improvement over the honor 5X, boasting an 8 MP BSI sensor with a 4-element f/2.0 wide-angle lens. It will deliver a maximum photo resolution of 3264 x 2448 in the 4:3 format. Again, a wider 16:9 format will crop that to 3264 x 1840. It will record videos in 720p quality.
For a smartphone in this price category, the honor 5C (Amazon)comes with a pretty good set of cameras. We will examine its photographic and video recording performance later in the next page.
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Camera Performance – Photos
The honor 5C’s main camera has a 13 MP sensor with a fast f/2.0 lens, which allows it to take pretty decent photos in relatively low-light conditions. The photos have a maximum resolution of 4160 x 3120 in the 4:3 format.
honor did not reveal what sensor was used in the honor 5C (Amazon) smartphone, but the pictures we took look like they came from the same Samsung ISOCELL S5K3M2 sensor used in honor 5X.
The Samsung ISOCELL S5K3M2 is a relatively noisy sensor. If you blow up the picture on a desktop, you can see consistent noise (speckling and artifacts). However, they are only of real concern if you are going to make large prints of these photos.
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Camera Performance – Video Recording
The honor 5C (Amazon) can record full HD (1080p) videos with electronic stabilisation. This is an improvement over the honor 5X, whose main camera does not support electronic stabilisation. Here is a sample video we recorded of a piano performance by Mr. Yang I-Deun.
And this is a sample video taken at an ice skating rink.
The honor 5C (Amazon) did a better job of controlling the exposure of the subjects than the honor 5X. However, we noted some focus issues – it can sometimes lose and readjust focus, causing the subject to be temporarily blurred. Still, it was a decent performance for a smartphone at this price point.
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Work Performance – PCMark
We tested the honor 5C’s performance using PCMark, which simulates work applications like web browing, playing video, writing text and editing photos.
honor 5C
ASUS ZenFone Zoom
Samsung Galaxy S6
Work Performance Score
(Average)
5357
5829
5078
Web Browsing
5643
5751
6788
Video Playback
4487
4536
3091
Writing
5944
5270
5918
Photo Editing
5469
8400
5357
The honor 5C (Amazon) may be powered by the mid-range Kirin 650, but these PCMark results show that the Kirin 650 is no performance slouch. In these work-related tests, the honor 5C actually keeps up with top smartphones like the ASUS ZenFone Zoom and the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Battery Performance – PCMark
We then tested the honor 5C’s battery performance using PCMark. It basically ran the PCMark work tests until its battery capacity dropped to 20%.
The honor 5C (Amazon)lasted just over 11.5 hours on the PCMark stress test. That was a really amazing result, as this is a stress test that simulates the worst possible workload using work apps. In our real world experience, we had no problem using it for 16-18 hours with light loads, although its battery life dropped to about 8.5 hours while playing games.
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Battery Recharging Performance
The honor 5C (Amazon) has a large 3,000 mAh lithium-ion battery, but it does not have Fast Charging capability. In fact, it only comes with a 5 W travel charger. Even so, it was able to recharge its battery pretty quickly.
Our tests showed that the honor 5C (Amazon) will recharge from 19% to 100% in just 180 minutes (3 hours). This is very good performance, especially since it only uses a 5 W charger.
Note that it only took the honor 5C just over 2 hours to recharge its battery to 90%, and that the battery temperature did not go beyond 35°C.
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Overall Performance – AnTuTu Benchmark
AnTuTu is a nice benchmark for testing various performance aspects of Android devices.
honor 5C
ASUS ZenFone Zoom
Samsung Galaxy S6
TOTAL SCORE
53417
65914
75222
3D SCORE
9842
16839
20579
– 3D (Marooned)
5795
9863
12475
– 3D (Garden)
4047
6976
8104
UX SCORE
19297
21371
24065
– UX Data Secure
5577
5896
5507
– UX Data Process
2706
4353
4392
– UX Strategy Games
4109
4118
6948
– UX Image Process
3144
2926
3413
– UX I/O Performance
3761
4078
3805
CPU SCORE
19254
23110
25402
– CPU Mathematics
4198
5196
7823
– CPU Common Use
5947
8699
7585
– CPU Multi-Core
9109
9215
9994
RAM
5024
4594
5176
The honor 5C (Amazon) did well in AnTuTu, coming in only 19% and 29% slower than the ASUS ZenFone Zoom and the Samsung Galaxy S6 respectively. This is surprising performance, since the Kirin 650 is only a mid-range chip.
Gaming Performance – 3DMark
We tested the honor 5C’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.
honor 5C
ASUS ZenFone Zoom
Samsung Galaxy S6
Gaming Score
11560
21372
21166
Graphics
11067
21748
23298
Physics
13698
20152
16031
Graphics Test 1
63.4 fps
112.6 fps
120.6 fps
Graphics Test 2
38.8 fps
81.5 fps
87.3 fps
Physics Test
43.5 fps
64.0 fps
50.9 fps
The honor 5C (Amazon) is pretty fast in 3D, but only half as fast as the ASUS ZenFone Zoom and Samsung Galaxy S6. The Kirin 650 may boast the ARM Mali-T830, but it still cannot beat the ZenFone Zoom’s PowerVR G6430 graphics processor, or the Galaxy S6’s ARM Mali-T760 graphics processor.
Our Verdict
When we reviewed the honor 5X, we were very impressed by its value proposition. It offered a solid set of features in a smartphone that costs less than US$220. The honor 5C (Amazon) follows the same philosophy but takes it one step further.
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Thanks to the use of the Kirin 650 chip, the honor 5C offers even better performance at a lower price point. The other key features of the honor 5X were maintained or even enhanced :
Full HD display? Check! Aluminium alloy body? Check! Dual SIM, dual standby capability? Check! 13 MP main camera with 1080p video recording? Check! Fast fingerprint sensor? Check!
The honor 5C (Amazon) has one disadvantage though – it only comes with a hybrid SIM slot. That means you can choose to use a second nano SIM card, or a micro SD card; but not both at the same time. This may be a deal breaker for those who need to use two SIM cards since the honor 5C only has 10.4 GB of free storage capacity to use, and does not support USB OTG drives.
On the other hand, the honor 5C (Amazon) comes with a much better 8 MP front camera, with either a Sony or Hynix sensor. The front camera also has brighter f/2.0 lens, allowing for much better selfie shots in dim conditions. In addition, both front and rear cameras now support electronic stabilisation.
The honor 5C (Amazon) comes with the same 3,000 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery as the honor 5X, but it now lasts 11.5 hours of non-stop benchmarking on PCMark. In real world usage, it should have no issues lasting 16-18 hours of non-stop use.
honor continues to impress us with their ability to focus on creating no-nonsense Android smartphones with practical features. The honor 5C is not flashy, but it’s sleek and packed with the only features you will really need. If you were impressed with the honor 5X, you will be even more impressed with the honor 5C (Amazon).
In fact, we like it so much, we are awarding it our Reviewer’s Choice Award! Congratulations, honor!
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In our Kirin 950 and Kirin 650 technology report, you will be able to watch the full technical briefing and check out the performance of the Kirin 955 compared to the Exynos 8890. We will also share with you the presentation slides for your perusal. Enjoy!
Kirin 950 & Kirin 650 Technical Briefing
We were invited to an exclusive briefing on the unique features of the Kirin 950 and Kirin 650 family of processors (more accurately, System on a Chip or SOCs). The briefing was conducted by Mr. Zhou Chen, the Director of the Kirin Chipset Solution Planning, HiSilicon Wireless Terminal BU of Huawei.
Mr. Zhou Chen and his colleague also demonstrated the performance advantage of the Kirin 955-powered Huawei P9 Plus smartphone against the Exynos 8890-powered Samsung Galaxy S7 edge smartphone. Check it out :
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Key Features Of The Kirin 950 Family Of SoCs
Manufactured on the TSMC 16 nm FinFET+ process technology
Processor : 4 x ARM Cortex-A72 cores (2.3 GHz to 2.5 GHz) + 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.8 GHz)
Graphics Processor : ARM Mali-T880 GPU (900 MHz)
Motion Co-Processor : i5 sensing co-processor
Memory Support : LPDDR3 or LPDDR4 SDRAM
Dual 14-bit ISPs (960 MP/s) with standalone DSP
HiFi audio DSP
4K video decoder (supports H.265)
5 Mode LTE Cat6 modem, with RF band of 450 MHz ~ 3.5 GHz
Key Features Of The Kirin 650 Family Of SoCs
Manufactured on the TSMC 16 nm FinFET+ process technology
Processor : 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (2.0 GHz) + 4 x ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.7 GHz)
Graphics Processor : ARM Mali-T830 MP2 GPU (900 MHz)
Motion Co-Processor : i5 sensing co-processor
Memory Support : LPDDR3 SDRAM
LTE Cat7 modem, with support for VoLTE and pseudo base station protection
Features SPLC intelligent voice enhancement technology
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Kirin 950 & Kirin 650 Briefing Slides
Huawei has kindly provided us with the slides for their Kirin 950 and Kirin 650 technical briefing, which we sharing with you here. They should allow you to have a clearer picture of the video presentation above.
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Kuala Lumpur, 11 July 2016 – The honor 5C has enjoyed a rousing response from its honor fans nationwide ever since it was unveiled in Malaysia. From the device’s pre-ordering in June 20th to date, there are more than nine thousand honor 5C units sold, a great start for honor Malaysia’s latest addition to its line of smart devices.
As an appreciation towards its honor fans who pre-ordered the device via VMall Malaysia and Lazada Malaysia, honor Malaysia is topping up their purchased honor 5C with an add-on gift – an honor selfie stick worth RM78 (~US$20). The gift will be shipped with the pre-ordered honor 5C by the respective e-commerce platforms.
Lately, a series of affordable smartphone launches have been setting the scene in Malaysia, with various brands offering value-for-money devices for a price that one cannot possibly miss. The honor 5C is honor Malaysia’s answer to its fans who have been eager to get their hands on a mid-range smartphone, priced below RM 1,000 (~US$ 250), but come packed with all the state-of-the-art technology, topnotch performance and the best user experience fans can ask for.
Powered with the all-new Kirin 650 chipset which employs the FinFET Plus 16nm technology, the honor 5C is what Malaysians are looking for: An affordable and quality smartphone with flagship capabilities. The honor 5C is also equipped with a 13 MP rear and 8 MP front cameras, which offer flagship shooting modes, for instance the
Professional mode, Light Painting mode, time-Lapse and even Beauty mode for stunning selfies. On the phone quality front, the 5C is the first ever model built according to Huawei’s stringent 3.1 quality assurance standards, the newest series of accelerated tests conducted to identify improvements.
honor 5C Availability & Pricing
The honor 5C can be yours for an attractive price of RM799 (~US$ 200) in Grey/Silver, whereas the Gold variant is at a smooth RM849 (~US$ 200). Similar to its predecessors, the honor 5C comes with a 6-month oneto-one exchange policy from honor Malaysia.
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honor 5C
The Huawei P9 Plus is the (slightly) larger version of the Huawei P9 smartphone with the same capabilities and dual-lens camera. Its main difference is its larger display and battery, as well as a faster front camera lens. We recently came across the Huawei P9 Plus smartphone, and had some hands-on time with it. Hope you enjoy our quick coverage!
Note : This is a Chinese-spec model, which features a hybrid SIM card slot – you can opt to use a second SIM card, or use a microSD card instead. Otherwise, all other specifications remain the same.
Our Huawei P9 Plus Sneak Peek
In our Huawei P9 Plus Sneak Peek video, we will give you a quick rundown of its key features. Hope you enjoy it!
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Huawei P9 Plus Specifications
Specifications
Huawei P9 Plus (Dual SIM version)
Huawei P9 Plus (Single SIM version)
Model
VIE-L29
VIE-L09
Display
5.5" AMOLED full HD display (1080 x 1920)
Operating System
Google Android 6.0 with Huawei EMUI 4.1
System Platform
HiSilicon Kirin 955
Processor
4 x ARM Cortex-A72 (2.5 GHz)
4 x ARM Cortex-A53 (1.8 GHz)
WiFi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac with WiFi Direct
Bluetooth : 4.2, with BLE support
USB 3.1 Type C
NFC Support
Yes
FM Radio
No
IrDA
Yes, supports Smart Controller
Press Touch Technology
Yes
GPS Support
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Sensors
Fingerprint, Gravity, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient Light, Proximity and Hall Effect
Battery
3,400 mAh lithium-polymer battery
Size
75.3 mm wide x 152.3 mm tall x 6.98 mm thick
Weight
162 g
Available Colours
Haze Gold
Quartz Grey / Ceramic White
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Some Sneak Peek Photos
Here are some photos we took of the Huawei P9 Plus smartphone. Unlike the Huawei P9, this model sports a front 8 MP camera with faster f/1.9 lens (instead of f/2.4). It shares the same Leica dual-lens camera as well as the fingerprint sensor at the back.
The only physical buttons are on the right side – a orange-rimmed Power button, and the Volume control. On the left side, you will find the SIM-microSD card slot. This unit is a hybrid dual SIM model which supports a second SIM card or a microSD card, but not both at the same time.
Fortunately, Huawei used the latest Type C USB 3.1 port. The Type C port is not only bidirectional, it also allows for much faster transfers.
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