Bucket Tech: HONOR X7b: Impressive from All Angles

In February, HONOR announced the official availability of the HONOR X7b in South Africa. Featuring a large 256GB storage, long-lasting 6,000mAh battery, 108MP Superior Main Camera[2], and an Ultra-Bright Display, the HONOR X7b is the perfect statement for today’s movers and shakers. With its well-rounded features and affordability, the new HONOR X Series smartphone offers users an exceptional, uninterrupted user experience.

Uninterrupted Access and Ample Storage Capacity

Users who live and breathe content can fully leverage the expansive 256GB[3] storage drive, which can keep over 60,000 pictures, 24,000 songs or 950 HD videos[4] onboard. The HONOR X7b is also equipped with the HONOR RAM Turbo (8GB+8GB), an HONOR proprietary technology that moves a portion of flash memory to RAM, meaning 8GB RAM can be increased to 16GB, enabling users to carry on with their tasks seamlessly with ease.

6000mAh Long-lasting Battery to Support All-day Use

The HONOR X7b holds the DXOMARK Battery Gold Label this is because of its 6,000mAh ultra-large battery which promises usage of 3 days on a single charge. It impressively delivers the best battery life among all HONOR X Series smartphones to date. Once fully charged it can support up to 18 hours of video streaming, 24 hours of social media browsing or 69 hours of music streaming, making it a reliable companion for users who are on the go.

What’s more the HONOR X7b’s battery exhibits exceptional longevity, with the ability to maintain over 80% of its health even after three years of usage.

Superior Photography Capabilities for Crystal-sharp Visuals

The HONOR X7b boasts a 108MP Main Camera with a 1/1.67-inch sensor. Boosting light intake massively, the smartphone supports 9-in-1 pixel binning to achieve a pixel size measuring 1.92µm, enabling the camera to capture bright and vivid shots even in challenging low-light conditions. This ensures that night colours inherently pop in images. The HONOR X7b also features the Portrait Mode that supports 2X zoom, providing a diverse range of use that allows users to capture a wide variety of moments with versatility and flexibility.

Immersive Audiovisual Experience with Hyper-Transmissive Display  

Display real estate matters for today’s entertainment generation. With that in mind, HONOR has designed a 6.8-inch HONOR FullView Display with a 91.3% screen-to-body ratio on the HONOR X7b. It further supports a FHD+ resolution and a colour depth of 16.7 million colours, delivering visuals with stunning clarity and vibrant hues. With 850 nit Global High Brightness, 700nit Typical Brightness, consumers can see the navigation route, reply to messages, and stream videos clearly in strong outdoor light.

Delivering the brand’s uncompromising commitment to human centric technology, the HONOR X7b comes with industry-leading eye comfort features including Circadian Night Display and Dynamic Dimming. Having received the certification from TÜV Rheinland for its low blue light emissions, the smartphone is suitable for extended usage without causing eye strain, perfect for today’s digital-savvy generation who spend long hours viewing content on their smartphones.

Furthermore, the HONOR X7b incorporates advanced audio capabilities, thanks to the Dual speakers for stereo sound, 200% extra volume and Hi-Res sound quality certification, ensuring an immersive audio experience. Whether users are indulging in entertainment or focusing on work-related tasks, the HONOR X7b is well-equipped to meet the demands of various real-life scenarios, providing users with an enjoyable and captivating experience across different activities.

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR X7b is designed for the style-conscious user and is available in two stunning colours: Flowing Silver, and Midnight Black. The all-new smartphone is available to purchase for R6,499.00 at MTN, Vodacom, Telkom and Cell C.

For more information, please visit HONOR at www.hihonor.com.  

Bucket Tech: Oppo A53S & A15

Something new has sneaked its way into SA, that is OPPO, the Chinese mobile manufacturer. After enjoying great success in Asia, the sub continent as well as Europe and the Middle East, they've decided to launch in SA. Who is OPPO? They're  leading global smart device branch, with their first ever device launched in 2008 called the "Smiley Face". they have been relentless in the pursuit of synergy in aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today OPPO provides customers with a with a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno Series, ColorOS operating system as well as internet services such as OPPO Cloud and OPPO+.  With operations in over 40 countries and regions, 6 research institutes and 4 R&D centers worldwide as well as an international design center in London, OPPO's more than 40,000 employees are dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world. 

OPPO are launching two new devices to the market on the 7th of November, namely the A53S and the A15. Looking at the A53S, OPPO claim that the device makes premium features accessible to more customers with their low prices and offering faster and smoother performance with speed that connects you to your entertainment needs and friends. The A53S boasts a high refresh rate 65.-inch screen which offers smooth viewing at 90Hz thanks to a Neo-Display with AI brightness that rivals flagship phones. The 3D-curved Iridescent Wave Design hides a beefy 5000mAh battery that can be quickly charged with its 18W Fast Charge. The A53S has imbedded in its system a Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core 460 processor and OPPO's first RAM+ Memory Optimization is tailored to enhance the Google-powered Android experience for all-round performance. The A53S has 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB if UFS 2.1 storage which can be expanded to 256GB through a 3-Card Slot. Camera wise, the A53S has a 13MP AI Triple Camera on the rear which includes a 2MP macro camera. It has an array of stylish camera features which include Portrait Bokeh, Dazzle Color Mode and more than a dozen filters to add a dash of flair to your daily pictures and videos. The front facing camera is 16MP with AI beautification that automatically adjusts your skin tone to look natural and bright even in a dim environment. OPPO A53S has a built-in finger print sensor on the back for added security. 

The OPPO A15 also launches boasting a massive 6.52-inch screen and AI Triple Camera. OPPO South Africa's Head of GTM Operations, Liam Faurie says they are glad to introduce the A15 which offers the essential features users need to satisfy their mobile lifestyle, that can take great photos with the AI Triple Camera and enjoy the HD+ display on the 6.52-inch big screen, all while enabling you to stay connected with your friends and family. The big 6.52-inch waterdrop screen with a large 89% screen-to-body ration will have you fully immersed in your games or videos with a resolution of 1600 x 720. This ensures that every on-screen detail can be viewed with clarity and also includes features that ensure the comfort of your eyes with Eye Comfort Filters which effectively filter out harmful blue light and alleviate eye strain. The A15 sports a 4239mAh battery which gives you great battery life. The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 octa-core processor with 32GB storage, 2GB of RAM and extendable memory up to 256GB. The 13MP main camera with a 2MP Macro Lens which can take close-up shots as close as 4cm. The 2MP Depth Camera adds natural bokeh effect to the background. 

Pricing

OPPO A53S: R4,999 or R299pm on a 24-motnh contract at Vodacom

OPPO A15: R2,999 or R199pm on a 24-month contract at Vodacom

Bucket Tech: DJI Pocket 2

 

Yesterday saw DJI drop its latest hand held gimbal device, the Pocket 2. This pocket-sized and extremely portable device is perfect for capturing those on-the-go moments, in crystal clear video with unparalleled stability thanks to its 3-Axis stabilized camera. Equipped to stabilize movement and take sharp photos and smooth videos, Pocket 2 gives you the freedom to create magic at hand.  Because of its size, the Pocket 2 fits perfectly in your hand, bag, or pocket so that you can take it anywhere. When you journey begins or something that suddenly catches your eye, Pocket 2 is ready to capture it all. 

When it comes to gimbals, people generally get the notion that its only for videoing but with the camera stabilizer it even enhances the pictures you take. The Pocket 2 event offers a High-Definition panorama, with a 180 degree view range so you can capture the entire mountain range or get everyone in your group selfie with the 3x3 panorama. While the camera may be small in size, the shots it can take are big. Another great feature on the Pocket 2 is active track 3.0 which when object is selected, be it a moving car, or just your friend walking around, it will stay locked on to the subject throughout the record time, adjusting a moving to suit. 

Other great additions to the Pocket 2 is story mode, allowing you to create and edit videos with ease, the new timelapse function allows you to turn hours into seconds with ultra smooth hyperlapse videos which you can set the camera to turn as it records, just like the pros! Coming back to the editing, if you're not an editing buff, no need to worry, the AI Editor automatically combines your clips with transitions and music to create content that will blow your mind and make you look like Steven Spielberg on Instagram. There is no official date on when the Pocket 2 will be available locally but keep your eyes peeled for dates and pricing. 

Bucket Tech: Panasonic at CES 2018

In its centenary year, Panasonic chose to announce at CES 2018, held in Las Vegas that they have invested in a diversity of domains, including electric cars, voice assistant integrations and developments in the much-loved lifestyle appliances that have made Panasonic a household name. Panasonic South Africa's marketing managing director, Hidetoshi Kaneko believes that these investments align with Panasonic's quest to make daily life a better experience for people across the globe. "We are proud to expand our repertoire to include next-generation technology to create a better life and a better world for our consumers."

Panasonic also showcased some of its latest products, one of which they're held in great respect for. Since the dawn of the flat screen TV, Panasonic have been in the forefront of technology and quality in this industry. Their units were quite sort after since the value in their products were so great and reliability was second to none. The prices on their products were slightly steeper to competitors but it wouldn't take the consumer long to figure out why this is the case with some light research. With 4K OLED TV's now being the industry lead, Panasonic showcased its FZ950 and FZ800 series, featuring the HCX video processor and supporting HDR10+ dynamic metadata technology, as well as four new Ultra HD Blu-Ray players to maximise the leisure of any living room. Panasonic's high-end audio line, Technics, has unveiled the specs for its most premium turntable ever, which is bound to please vinyl lovers both young and old. 

Other notable products that were launched are their new line of 4K camcorders and the Lumix still camera range. CES 2018 proved to be the perfect introduction to Panasonic's future vision which will pave the way for the next 100 years and promises to be just the beginning for the appliance giant in the realm of technology and innovation. 

Bucket Tech: Huawei P8

Technology is a marvelous thing, I mean at this very instant I'm writing this post aboard a flight to Cape Town. Rewind to 10 years ago and no one would believe this is possible. The great thing with the quick evolution of technology is that it makes things it more affordable to many as features that are new become the norm in many devices within a space of a year. Before having a camera on your mobile phone seemed sort of a luxury but now-a-days we look at how many megapixels it has on both front and back facing cameras and if it records in HD. Also with the host of competitors to the mobile industry just makes things better for the consumer with many striving for excellence in their products in terms of quality and userbility, Huawei is one of these manufacturers. A while back they sent me their latest smart phone to hit the market, the P8 to test. 

Huawei isn't shy when it comes to comparing Apples with Apples....well Apples with Hauwei as they see the US giant their direct competition. The P8 is seen as a direct competitor to the iPhone 6S and Samsung S6 and after using it for little under a month, I can tell you it's better than both of them. Why? Simply because it offers everything that those two phones offer and more in a slim, styish, little package that will get people second guessing at what phone you're using.

Dimensions & Accessibility 

Dimensions of the phone are pretty similar to the rest of them, measuring 144.9 x 72.1 x 6.4mm which fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. With a 5.2" screen it is bigger than the P7 so some with smaller hands might find it a bit difficult to access full screens capabilities with just one hand, hence Huawei were clever enough to help with this, witth a simple swip of the back key on the screen, it reduces the screen size to about 4.5" and this can be swopped to left or right side of the phone depending if you're left or right handed. Unlocking the device is standard as well with an unlock button on the side and depending on the security level you chose, you can either have a pin, matrix or simple swipe to complete the unlock.

Display

As mentioned above, the P8 has a 5.2" screen, its IPS-NEO LCD capactive with 16 million colours, not quite 4K but with 1080 x 1920 pixels, its not that far off. It has multitouch capabilities as well as Hauwei's famed knock control. Many asked how this works and if its such a big deal as they make it out to be, well yes. For one, it makes taking screen shots dead simple, just knock your screen twice with your knuckle to take a snapshot of the current screen, beats holding down the power and centre button! Also make screen selections to share is also as simple, make a selection with your knuckle in any shape making sure you complete the shape and it will be able to share it in whichever way you want to. Dont worry about knocking the phone too hard and cracking the screen as its covered in Corining Gorrilla Glass 3, so its pretty strong.

Camera

The most important feature for many is the camera, for capturing those special moments, or taking pictures of your food to instagram. The primary camera on the P8 is a 13 megapixel with autofocus, optical image stabilization and dual LED flash. It's the norm for cameras in this class of phone but what sets this one apart from the competitors is the features it has built in, from real time filters for both still and video capturing as well as taking long exposure shooting to the next level with letting the user take light trail photographs, provided you have a tripod or a really steady hand! Time lapse video is also another aawesome feature and one that I had fun with a lot but bare in mind it reduces the time a lot so a 30 minute lapse is about 30 seconds. The front facing camera is an 8 megapixel camera with 1080 video recording, good quality for taking those selfies! Speaking of which, it has the smile detection trigger so all you have to do is smile to take a picture, no need for timers or funny hand movements. 

Performance

It comes with  HiSilicon Kirin 93-/935 chipset and a Quad-core 2GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU. Like many others they've opted for the two Quad Core CPU system which just ensures a smooth running OS. It uses Androids latest version 5.0.2 Lollipop and with the simplified user interface it makes using it a breeze. It offers the the simplicity of an iPhone but with the robust and expandable Android software. In terms of memory, it has an internal hard drive of 16 gigs up to 64 gigs and a microSD slot capable of taking a 128gig card, which inserts into the second SIM slot. Yes all Huawei phones are dual SIM but depending on network, and software, they limit it to just one if not advertising.

Battery

First thing I do when getting a phone to test is load every single social media app that I use on the phone, that way I can get all my notifications and messages to test the real performance of the device battery and I've been seriously impressed with the P8. It's given me more than 2 days standby on a full charge if I use the phone, just a little over 26 hours. Thats all thanks to the Li-Po 2680 mAh battery, since the phone is fully concealed in a well finished aluminum case, the battery is non removable. 

Overall

This phone has really impressed me and costing about a 3rd to that of the iPhone 6S on contract, it is well worth the money. I've told numerous people to give it a chance and those who did are not regretting it. One of them being my own brother, I'm actually a little jealous that he has one for himself and I have to return mine tomorrow. The thing is with mobile phones, the techonoly is improving at such a drastic rate, it seems pointless to get a phone that will last you longer than a 2 year life span as by then a device thats 3 generations ahead of your current one will be on the market and you would want that one, so why waste your money on someting that you're paying for just the name? Rather opt for a device that does everything those ones do but at a fraction of the cost.