Bucket Tech: HONOR Magic V2

In recent years, foldable devices have evolved significantly, becoming essential tools for people on the move to work, watch, and connect seamlessly. Initially, these devices faced common challenges like being too bulky, having small batteries, hinge design gaps, and durability issues.

Acknowledging these concerns, HONOR took on the challenge and designed the thinnest and lightest foldable smartphone, the HONOR Magic V2 as part of its flagship Magic Series. This foldable device successfully addresses all consumer worries, ticking every box with its innovative solutions.

The Thinnest and Lightest Foldable with 9.9mm Design

Foldables have entered the Millimeter era, thanks to the HONOR Magic V2. Weighing only 231g and measuring 9.9mm in thickness when folded, the Magic V2 pushes the boundaries of innovation for foldable devices. The Magic V2’s superior lightweight design and premium build quality are enabled using breakthrough innovations such as the super-light Titanium Hinge and HONOR’s proprietary steel, providing a perfect balance between weight and strength.

At a mere 9.9mm thickness, this foldable device blurs the lines between foldable and regular bar phones, offering a size that competes with them while delivering a unique foldable experience.

Ultra-Durable Even after 10 Years

The HONOR Magic V2 achieved a certification from global authority SGS for its cutting-edge proprietary steel which is inspired by steel used in tunnel boring. This state-of-the-art material is 25% thinner and 20% stronger compared to the previous generation Magic Vs, providing added robustness and durability to the hinge mechanism. As a result, this enables the hinge to withstand 400,000 folds, ensuring a lifespan of up to 10 years for folding 100 times a day.

Additionally, the Magic V2 features a poly-curved nanocrystal glass on its display creating a deeper sense of safety and endurance for its user, offering 10 times greater drop resistance compared to typical glass. The Nanocrystal Glass 2.0 display within the device serves as a protective layer and acts as a shield against the uncertainties of daily life.

Huge 5000mAh Battery with No Compromise on the Thinness

When it comes to foldables, the challenge has always been deciding between a bulky design with a large battery or a slim design with limited battery capacity. The traditional "three-layer stacked" screen driver architecture has long been a major obstacle for putting large batteries in thin and light folding screen smartphones.

HONOR, however, has solved this puzzle with the introduction of the Magic V2. By incorporating a groundbreaking "three-in-one" display driver component, HONOR was able to take advantage of the additional internal space and fit in the thinnest 5000mAh Silicon-carbon Dual Battery in its design. This ensures that thinness is not compromised, and users can stay connected without the need for frequent recharging.

Gearless Titanium Hinge with No Gaps

What’s more, foldable devices faced a critical challenge with the presence of a gap, impacting both durability and overall design, causing hesitation among potential users. The HONOR Magic V2 has successfully overcome these issues, elevating the standards for foldable technology.

In comparison to stainless steel, titanium alloy is 42% lighter, making it a much more desirable option material for a lightweight foldable smartphone. Thanks to the sophisticated and improved hinge design, the Magic V2 exhibits no gaps between screens when folded. With its advanced zero-gear structure, this cutting-edge device introduces an impressive hovering feature.

Bucket Tech: SAMSUNG Era of Mobile AI

The Galaxy S24 series has been the most rewarding period of my career. As an engineer, I have witnessed many examples of incredible innovations, but AI is the most transformative technology of the century. Few engineers get the chance to be involved in something with such seismic potential. It brings great change, not only for Samsung and the mobile industry but for all humankind.

When integrated into phones, AI is, to put it simply, a revolution. This is a new era for mobile experiences and Samsung Galaxy has a leading role to play in it. Mobile devices will become the primary access point for AI, and Samsung Galaxy — with our broad and comprehensive product portfolio, heritage of innovation and philosophy of open collaboration — is in a great position to accelerate its global expansion. We will make mobile AI easy to access and ignite new possibilities for all.

Opening Up New Possibilities

As we pioneer groundbreaking experiences in mobile AI, we’ve thought a lot about how this new and exciting technology can enhance our lives and inspire society’s next steps. Applied with care and consideration, Galaxy AI1 helps people communicate beyond borders, complete everyday tasks easily and so much more.

Since the launch of the Galaxy S24 series, we’ve had great feedback about how people actually use Galaxy AI features in their daily lives. One of the most welcomed AI features is Circle to Search2 with Google, an incredible new tool for intuitive discovery. Our communication tools for removing language barriers, such as Live Translate,3 Chat Assist4 and Interpreter, have captured the imagination of many. People also love Photo Assist, our tool for creativity powered by our ProVisual Engine.

Again, we’re only getting started. While developing the Galaxy S24 series, we had many ideas and concepts that we wanted to bring to life. Galaxy users will be able to enjoy more Galaxy AI features that build on these ideas and concepts over time as Samsung continuously enhances and grows the mobile AI experience.5

Moreover, we are already planning next steps for Galaxy AI beyond smartphones — optimizing it for various categories of devices across various services. In the near future, select Galaxy wearables will use AI to enhance digital health and unlock a whole new era of expanded, intelligent health experiences. Samsung will keep enriching and expanding Galaxy AI experiences across categories through collaborations with more industry-leading AI partners.

The Next Big Thing Is YOU

Over the past year, we frequently asked ourselves what users want or need and what they could achieve with a little assistance. These questions inspired the Galaxy S24 series, our first AI phone that invites users to imagine how their lives could change thanks to AI. It is the phone of the future — shaping the standard of mobile AI and defining this emerging category of AI phones.

Of course, there are challenges and responsibilities to consider. AI models in training are still susceptible to hallucinations, and the debate on intellectual property rights continues. It is crucial that companies openly collaborate to carefully define AI experiences, so users can confidently and reliably enjoy their new abilities.

It’s also important to raise the standards of security and privacy in this new era of data-intensive mobile experiences. That is one of the reasons we’ve taken a hybrid approach that combines on-device and cloud-based AI. Besides ensuring seamless usability, this lets users limit some features to function entirely on-device, giving them greater control over what they do with their data. We remain committed to enhancing Galaxy device security and privacy by providing users with transparency and choice.

In this new era of mobile AI, it is no longer a question of what any phone can do, but what individuals can achieve with the right tools. The Galaxy S24 series provides just some of those tools and I can’t wait to see what you will do with them. It is you who decides what’s possible, useful and meaningful. The next chapter of mobile experiences does not belong to us. It belongs to you, our Samsung Galaxy users.

Bucket Tech: OPPO Reno10 Series Launch

Last night we attend the the launch of OPPO South Africa's newest model, the OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G, to its innovative Reno range. By setting the standard for Ultra-Clear Portrait Camera System comprising a Telephoto Portrait Camera with large sensor, 100W SUPERVOOC™ flash charging, the signature slim, lightweight, and trendy design, and storage, this next-generation premium device is poised to redefine the level of innovation available in South Africa’s mobile market.

Since OPPO first launched in South Africa three years ago, the Reno series has carved a new chapter in excellence for the world-leading smartphone manufacturer, earning the series a solid reputation as an icon in portrait photography and the true creator’s companion, because it redefines the portrait shooting experience on mobile.

With more than 2.13 million portrait photos taken on Reno smartphones daily, Reno is truly the Portrait Expert in your pocket.

The Portrait Pro

Boasting one of the greatest telephoto lenses of any smartphone now on the market, the OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G allows the highest quality portraits to be captured with a 64MP Telephoto Portrait camera combined with the Portrait Expert Engine.

“We have worked to create the ultimate portrait shooting experience for our users, which comes down to capturing every bit of visual information and real, raw emotion to restore the moment as close as to what you see. No matter the lighting or how far one is, the Reno10 Pro+ 5G is geared to always make the subject of the portrait the main character, even in a crowded environment. It’s the coup de grace that turns a portrait into a masterpiece.” says Liam Faurie, Head of Go-To-Market and Operations of OPPO South Africa.

The 64MP telephoto portrait camera on Reno10 Pro+ 5G provides a 71 mm equivalent focal length for professional-looking portrait images. Together with its large f/2.5 aperture, 25cm minimum focus distance, and large 1/2″ camera sensor, the telephoto portrait camera creates an unprecedented portrait shooting experience on Reno10 Pro+ 5G, enabling pro-level portraits to be captured with just a simple click. Reno10 Pro+ 5G has the highest megapixels of any smartphone with a telephoto camera currently on the market and the camera is equipped with cutting-edge prime floating OIS for enhanced image stabilization. Thanks to more pixels, the large sensor, 3-times optical zoom, and OPPO’s in-sensor zoom technology, Reno10 Pro+ 5G also offers a second-to-none, ultra-clear 6-times zoom with optical quality. Together, these features enable users to capture excellent close-up portrait shots. 

For the Portrait Phone, OPPO has certainly raised the bar. The Reno10 Pro+ 5G has the most powerful Ultra-Clear Portrait Camera System, the brand-new ultimate Portrait Camera, and Expert-Level Portrait Tuning.

Combining this mastery of light and shadow in the Portrait Expert Engine, with the ability to capture incredible detail with the Ultra-Clear Portrait Camera System and break the limitations of space, Reno10 Pro+ 5G is undeniably the best portrait smartphone of 2023.

Designed for humankind

The Reno10 Pro+ 5G is the Reno series’s first high-spec screen, with a 1.5K resolution, a super high 94% screen-to-body ratio, HDR10+, with Amazon Prime Video and Netflix certification, and ProXDR Smart Display Control, which uses a high-precision image recognition algorithm to automatically detect light sources based on RAW image data. ProXDR locally adjusts screen brightness up to eight times in select areas of the image (for example, boosting the brightness of the sky, streetlights in the city, or sunset over a hill), which provides a huge lift in dynamic range and brings you images with incredible expression right in the palm of your hand.

Charged to more for longer

The fully upgraded 100W SUPERVOOC™ not only leads in speed but also durability and reliability. It is the fastest-charging phone on the market, charging 50% in 10 minutes and 100% in 27 minutes.

In addition, OPPO’s self-developed Dynamic Computing Engine ensures up to 48-month fluency, which means the Reno10 Pro+ will feel as smooth and fast as it did on the day of purchase, increasing the longevity of the device to an industry-leading standard.

Bringing all these features together in a smart and convenient interface is the updated ColorOS 13 on Reno10 Pro+ 5G, which can be seamlessly connected to multiple devices with ease, such as PCs or TVs using the Multi-Screen Connect feature. With the Reno10 Pro+ 5G, the Multi-Screen Connect has been updated to support the smart connection between Reno10 Pro+ 5G and OPPO Pad Air.

On top of this, the Reno10 series is the first OPPO smartphone series to support IR Remote Control for smart devices such as air conditioners, TVs, set-top boxes, and more, bringing more convenience and efficiency to everyday life through smart technology.

It’s not just about visuals: it’s also about touch and feel, so the Reno10 Pro+ 5G has an entire integrated experience that combines premium colour in Glossy Purple and Silvery Grey, with a comfortable, sophisticated texture.

The Reno10 Pro+ 5G is the most powerful OPPO Reno handset to date, boasting unprecedented Pro Power brought to you by a series of new technology innovations that make it easier for everyone to enjoy a pro-level user experience. It is a pro-grade powerhouse.

OPPO Membership Benefits & Service Benefits

As with any standard Reno product, the Reno 10 Pro+5G comes with ENCO buds, OPPO care, charger, and cable in the box, and a limited launch offer where the user will receive an OPPO Pad Air to the value of R6,999.

In addition to at least two system upgrades and three years of maintenance, you can also enjoy benefits like points credits, IoT product bundles and discounts, and exclusive shopping services. The OPPO Reno Pro+5G will be available from early July with a special launch offer from R899 on a 24-month contract. In August the Reno10 will be available.

If you purchase a Reno10 Series, you could win a trip to France to see the Springboks in action. 

Register your purchase on www.opporewards.co.za to enter that draw.

Bucket Tech: Xperience HUAWEI

Last week saw HUAWEI's Consumer Business Group launch a range of their new devices to the South African Market. This was a major statement from the Chinese manufacturer, solidifying their stance that they're not just a mobile phone maker but so much more. While this is said, there was no doubt the star attraction from the event was their latest flagship mobile device and the first foldable offered in the country from them, the Mate Xs 2. This comes hot on the heels of the previous Mate Xs model which we didn't get in the country. Strategic timing from HUAWEI after their competitors introduced their latest models just a week prior to the Xperience HUAWEI event. Also showcased by HUAWEI that night was their new range topping notebook, a host of wearables and other home devices which I'll go through later in this blog post. 

Mate Xs 2

Lets talk about HUAWEI's first foldable smart phone to be introduced to the SA market, the Mate Xs 2. Firstly, the folding configuration needs to be talked about, its very different from the others on the market as the uni-screen folds around like a book cover rather than sitting on the inside. Now, I know what you're thinking, this makes the screen at a higher risk for getting damaged and scratched, but not to worry, HUAWEI's Mate Xs 2  is made form an innovative composite screen structure which absorbs and mitigates the force of impact making it super durable, having a drop resistance of 2.5x and impact resistance of 2.8x, not forgetting that all important crush resistance of 1.4x. This was demonstrated by Vice President, Akhram Mohammed on stage as he dropped his own Mate Xs 2 while giving us the demo. The Mate Xs 2 features and ultra flat screen when unfolded thanks to the double-rotating Falcon Wing Hinge which opens the massive, industry leading,  7.8-inch screen. 

The True-Chroma Foldable Display features 424 ppi, along with a high resolution of 2480 x 2200 when unfolded. The screens anti-reflection Nano Optical Layer keeps the view clear, even in direct sunlight. Camera's on the Mate Xs 2 is nothing short of what we expecting from their high-calibre of capturing devices in the past. It features a triple-camera system that includes a 50MP True-Chroma Camera, 13MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera and a 8MP Telephoto Camera. This all sits on the outside bevel of the device which when unfolded gives you a handy notch to hold the device by. The device is super light weighing in at just 255g, this is made possible from using airy-light design and innovative materials including the 3D fiberglass weave which also looks quite stunning. 

The Mate Xs 2 is available locally from September 1st and priced at R39,999 

MateBook X Pro

HUAWEI MateBook X Pro is a new-paradigm laptop that transcends the traditional notion of how a laptop should look and what it is capable of. It comes in a skin-soothing metallic body and elegant colours, Ink Blue and Mystic Silver. The use of light and strong magnesium alloys in the full-CNC unibody design means that the laptop weighs only 1.26 kg making it highly portable and durable. The 14.2-inch Real Colour FullView Display obtained the world's first Eye Comfort 3.0 certification by TÜV Rheinland and universal colour consistency technology ensures that the same pristine colours will be displayed.

The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro takes multi-device collaboration to a whole new level, thanks to the Super Device features. It lets you effortlessly connect to other Huawei devices nearby and collaborate between them all. In addition, with smartphones like the newly launched HUAWEI Mate Xs 2, it is even more useful. Once you have wirelessly connected your phone, you will see its UI (User Interface) appear on your laptop screen, so you can operate it as if your smartphone and laptop are one device.

Pricing for the MateBook X Pro is R35,999

MatePad 10.4

The HUAWEI MatePad brings advancements in all aspects. Being slim and portable, it embodies the beauty of minimalism while merging ergonomics and technological aesthetics, resulting in a perfect balance between looks and user experience. Equipped with a 10.4-inch, 2K resolution HUAWEI FullView Display, the HUAWEI MatePad is set-up to deliver better image quality over a wide range of content. As a smart office and educational tablet, the HUAWEI MatePad 10.4 enable users to better harness smart productivity and creativity, yielding an elevated learning experience.

The HUAWEI MatePad 10.4 is equipped with the second-gen HUAWEI M-Pencil Package, bringing users a more realistic writing experience to comprehensively improve work and learning efficiency. The stylus brings system-level stylus capabilities including HUAWEI FreeScript, Annotate and Take snippet, making handwriting input more efficient and convenient.

The HUAWEI Smart Keyboard supports Bluetooth connectivity and features 1.3mm key travel to offer office workers and students a comfortable and responsive typing experience.

Pricing on the MatePad 10.4 is R6,999

HUAWEI Wearables. 

Huawei introduced 4 new wearables on the night, which included the new Band 7 which is the trendy but affordable fitness tracker that keeps tabs on your work outs and much more. The HUAWEI WatchFit 2 also was showcased which includes all the cool features from the WatchFit one including checking your BMI and now also includes Bluetooth calling that enables you to answer and talk via your watch and not needing your device. The all-new Watch D was also introduced on the night, this falling in a niche category of smart wearables and has a function to read your blood pressure! The range topping Watch GT 3 and Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium were introduce on the night, boasting some great features that the other devices have and more, a standout feature is the battery life on the device which can give you up to 14 days of usage!

Pricing on the wearables as follows:

Band 7: R1,699

WatchFit 2: R3,299

Watch D: R9,999

Watch GT3 Pro Titanium: R10,999

Watch GT3 Pro Ceramic: R13,999

Other devices showcased on the night were HUAWEI's latest Mesh Series WiFI device which has Wi-Fi 6 Plus! Which features 6000Mbps speeds at 160Mhz and 600m sq of coverage. You can connect over 250 devices to it making it to the ultimate super networking device. Also shown was the HUAWEI Joy portable bluetooth speaker which was co-engineered with Devialet, producing 79dBA of sound via a quad speaker configuration. It has 26-hours of playback and is a great addition for your travels, picnics and parties. It's also IP67 certified making it water resistant enough to have around the pool. 

Bucket Tech: Huawei Nova 8 & Y60

Last night saw Huawei introduce it's new Nova series to the market with two devices hitting our shores in September. The Nova 8 and Nova Y60. Aimed at the youth, Nova series brings you the best in tech, style and performance all while being affordable.

 

The Nova 8 is the flagship level device of the Nova series that launched. Featuring a stylish unibody design with a 6.57-inch 90Hz curved OLED screen, that has a 392 PPI Pixel Density and 10 bit colour depth. The rear has a quad camera system, with a 64MP high resolution lens that lets you capture vividly sharp photos using 4-in-1 light fusion technology it can capture more detail in crystal clear quality. The front selfie camera is equipped with a 32MP high resolution lens that optimises the perfect lighting conditions for your selfies. The Nova 8 also features HUAWEI SuperCharge technology that charges the battery from 0-60% in just 15 minutes and 0-100% in 35 minutes. Ensuring you're good to go in a flash should your battery be depleted.

The Nova Y60 is the cheaper alternative in the range. It comes with a 6.6-inch full view display that has bright colours that gives the user an immersive multimedia experience. The 13MP main camera makes use of an F/1.8 large aperture which translates to great pictures in low-light. It also has a 120-degree ultra-wide angle lens that ensures your capture everything on one snap. The 8MP front selfie camera has AI beauty algorithm that guarantees perfect selfies. The Y60 comes with a 5000mAh battery with AI power saving technology that helps conserve power when you not using it.

With th Nova devices aimed at Gen Z, being youthful and playful, Huawei have teamed up with local Sneaker brand Bathu Sneaker to release a custom made Nova edition, of which only a 100 will be made available and will be offered to the first 100 pre-orders of the devices. This collaboration is a first of its kind in the country and really highlights local talent at its best. 

Overall both devices in the Nova series offer great value for money and are perfect for young users. Making sure you have great features in a devices that doesn't cost as much as the other flagship devices on the market. Both devices are available for pre-order from the Huawei online store, from now till 30 August, with great free gifts as part of th pre-order bundle. Devices will be on sale from September 1st. 

Huawei Nova 8 - R10,999

Huawei Nova Y60 - R3,099

Bucket Tech: Oppo Reno5 5G

Wednesday saw the launch of Oppo's latest flagship device in the country, the Reno5 5G. While the brand has been around in the country for some time now we've only had the options of the lower end A Series models, the Reno5 however ushers in the big dogs of the brand. While Oppo remains to be one of the bigger brands in Europe and the Sub-Continent, it has yet to make waves locally and with the introduction of the Reno5, that could change things for the brand very quickly. 

A quick look at the Reno5, it has an AI Quad camera which is made up of a 64MP wide lens, an 8MP ultra wide lens, 2MP macro and 2MP depth senor camera. The front facing camera is a 32MP wide lens and features HDR with video recording capabilities of up to 1080p. Highlights of the camera is the smart AI system which auto detects light settings as well as subject, the camera is able to differentiate race, skin tone and background light to adjust to give you the best picture all the time. The beauty AI also has various settings depending on the subjects face and memorizes this for future selfies, now that is really intelligent AI. It also adjusts for stunning night shots as well as videos with natural brightness in low light conditions. The camera also has stabilizers for both the rear and the front facing camera, now you must be asking why the front too? Well that is because the Reno5 has dual view mode which allows to take videos with using both cameras at the same time. 

The design is sleek, full metal unibody which is ultra slim and very light. It's width is just 7.9mm and weights 180g. Screen on the Reno5 is 6.4 inch HD with 90Hz refresh rate that equates to a super immersive experience. The Reno5 has a 4300mAh battery with SuperVooc 2.0 charging technology which has 65W fast charging that charges the device from 0-100% in about 35 minutes. It has super intelligent battery saving technology allows the phone to go into power save mode at 5% but still allow you to use WhatsApp for 1.4 hours.  The device is Neflix and Amazon Prime certified and has Dolby Atmos sound. Reno5 5G has the latest Snapdragon 756G chipset with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage which allows you smooth, fast and innovative usage.

The Reno5 5G is available now in SA from Vodacom and MTN with a recommended retail price of R14,999

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: Huawei P40 Pro

To say I'm a fan of Huawei's P series products is putting in mildly, I'm on my 4th device right now, the P30 Pro and its absolutely brilliant. Negate the phenomenal camera which allows you to zoom and take pictures of the moon and in no light at all, the phone itself is capable of multiple tasks with ease. No over heating, no stalling, no unexpected restarts and that is what you essentially want in a phone. To perform what you need it to do with out any hassles. So when Huawei sent me their new P40 Pro a couple of weeks ago to test out, I was very interested to see how different it would be given that this phone is after the US trade ban era, so the biggest thing from that would mean zero Google services present on the device. I knew it wasn't going to be a smooth transition but apart from that, what would be the major noticeable changes in terms of performance and general functioning of the device? Find out more below. 

DESIGN

I'll be straight up with you, I hate the bevel sides on a phone, yes when Samsung first launched the "curved" sides it was pretty cool but for me, its a solid no. I still curse it with my P30 Pro but as the common saying goes "it is, what it is". Design on the P40 Pro is similar to the P30 Pro, the metal unibody is still the same great quality, it feels a bit more slicker and stylish. Comfortable in hand and in pocket. The actual finish feels a bit slippery but in saying that, I didn't have a scare with it and I took the phone to some interesting spots which required quite a tight grip or its gone forever, needless to say I still had it and sent it back in one piece. I think in terms of build quality there's not much to add to Huawei, they really know what they're doing, the quad camera layout on the back is pretty to look at and has a glass back plate over it to protect the lenses. With the screen being slightly bigger than the P30, it has a more prominent screen to body ration so it looks great. The "notch" has been moved to be more on the left side with the dual sensors. It doesn't really hamper your view of things so this is good. 

PERFORMANCE

There's no shortage on power when it comes to this device, powered by the Kirin 990 5G processor, the P40 Pro has an Octoa-core which is made up of 2 x Cortex -A76 based 2.86 GHz + 2 x Cortex - A76 Based 2.36 GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 1.95Ghz. GPU is 16-Core Mali-G76. So very close or slightly better than previous chipsets we're seeing in competitor devices. The operating system is Huawei's EMUI 10.1 which is based on Android 10, so it's not completely different, as there will be similarities for you to go on from when getting the device. Memory, the phone has 8GB RAM and an internal memory of 256GB, the P40 Pro supports NM SD Card of up to 256GB. Battery life has been really great on the P40 Pro, it has a 4200mAh, it gave me roughly 2 days of usage, so 16+ hours of use which included taking pictures and videos. The SuperCharge works superbly, with a max of 40W, its considerably faster that the P30 Pro. I didn't have a 5G Sim to test the true 5G speeds and the number of 5G networks currently available are few and far between at the moment. 

CAMERA

We don't need to delve too much into this aspect, while the P40 Pro and P30 Pro cameras are pretty similar in terms of functionality, there is a difference in the quality with a much better, crisper end product on the P40. Even with the hybrid 50x zoom, the images are sharper with more detail. This is obviously thanks to the rear 50MP Ultra Vision Camera. The Image stabilization is incredible, either in video or when utilizing that mad zoom on the 12MP telephoto camera. The 3D depth sensing camera also adds levels to your pictures, giving you that real feel when looking at pictures. 4K video recording is brilliant, I'm yet to watch it on a 4K TV but so far on the phone it looks crispy and smooth. The super slow video also manages to capture so much more detail at an insanely slow frame rate. Overall, one of the best cameras on the market and this isn't even the Pro+ which I have news about at the end of the blog. 

VERDICT

You've read the brochure part of the review, now its time to talk about the hard truth. Without Google Services, it was a bit of a mission. I think it will be for anyone, most would understand this sort of issue when migrating for IOS to Android on vice versa but its not all that bad given that EMUI is based on Android in anycase. So there's a lot more familiarity with this user interface. It's about making the adjustment and finding apps which you're normally used to use on Playstore on the Huawei App Gallery. While there are app's being populated by the thousands every week on the Gallery, there's no significant ones to speak off. Huawei are still working very hard on getting this right, most of the major banking apps are there, funnily enough FNB wasn't one of them but they do say they are in the process of releasing one soon. For more Gmail, I used to just log on via the browser, same goes for some social media applications. The lack of notifications was actually a blessing and also aided to not draining the battery. Being still based on Android software, there are always hacks and ways to get around this There's tonnes of videos online on how to get Google Playstore on the device and get all your favourite apps. Like I said previously, something has go to give, either guys like Facebook and Twitter will come to the party and release versions for the device or the US may take a u-turn on their decision.  While there is a learning process, its not something that will cripple your use of the phone and once you get into it, you will soon realise what a masterful piece of tech this is. 

Huawei have announced that the Huawei P40 Pro+ will be available to purchase locally from tomorrow, August 1st 2020. Check their online store for more. 

SAMPLE PICS FROM THE P40 PRO