Huawei Mate 30 review: Premium economy for flagship phones

MANILA -- Buying a flagship phone minus the "pro" or "plus" branding is like flying premium economy instead of business class, such is the case of the Huawei Mate 30.

The pocket-friendlier sibling of the Mate 30 Pro packs the same Kirin 990 processor, Leica-engineered cameras and EMUI 10 as on the Mate 30 Pro. All but the fourth depth-sensing rear camera and the fancy curved sides.

This year, Apple differentiated its 2019 models with a "pro" branding for the higher-end model, which costs as much as its base model MacBook Pro. It's a recognition that consumers are growing more cost conscious as manufacturers, especially the Chinese like Huawei, Vivo and Oppo are offering flagship features for less.

NON-PRO AT WHAT COST?

On paper, the size difference between the Mate 30 (6.62 inches) and the Mate 30 Pro (6.53 inches) seems small, but are more pronounced in the hand thanks to the less expensive model's flat panel and smaller notch. Both OLED displays are sharp with vivid colors, especially reds.

The Mate 30 Pro's notch is bigger to accommodate the face unlock cameras, but not as obtrusive as the iPhone 11 series or the Google Pixel 4, which is huge.

The Mate 30 has a 4,200 mAh battery compared to 4,500 mAh on the pro, but both can go from sunrise to late night comfortably without a midday top-up. This includes browsing on Instagram and Chrome, taking photos, watching YouTube videos and answering emails and messages.

Minus work correspondence on weekends, the Mate 30 can go from Saturday to Sunday. For the first time, too, the non-pro Mate charges wirelessly.

Like the Mate 30 Pro, the Mate 30 runs on Huawei's Kirin 990 with 8GB of RAM, but on board storage is at 128GB, half the 256GB on the Mate 30 Pro.

HOW ARE THE CAMERAS?

The Mate 30 has 3 cameras on the back, a 40-megapixel "super sensing" main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 16-megapixel ultra wide with f/2.2 aperture and an 8-megapixel telephoto with f/2.4 aperture.

The Mate 30 Pro has two 40-megapixel cameras on the rear: a "cine camera" with f/1.8 aperture and a "super sensing" camera with f/1.6 aperture. It also has an 8-megapixel telephoto with f/2.4 aperture and a fourth depth-sensing lens, like the P30 Pro from earlier in the year.

The circular camera array on the back of the Mate 30 mimics that of the Mate 30 Pro, but it has 3 lenses instead of 4. The performance is also close, especially in the dark, where Huawei has performed well since the P20 series from 2018.

More than the camera specs, what differentiates the current crop of smartphone cameras is how their computational photography software works. Huawei's Master AI tends to make red, blue and green hues pop, ditching the need for an Instagram filter.

In these dusk shots of the Rockwell skyline in Makati, a zoomed in shot heightened the red while the wide shot differentiated the blue from the red.

When the on-board AI detects more pavement and concrete than sky, like in this wide shot of EDSA, it sharpens the head and tail lights of the crush of cars and buses.

The Mate 30 took bright and clear shots of Christmas displays around the city, albeit cooler than the night modes on the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Galaxy Note 10+.

The Mate 30 can zoom up to 30 times like the Mate 30 Pro, but the zoomed images on the pro had less noise.

Wide shots have less distortion compared to the Mate 20. Close up shots of objects and food are clear and bright.

WHO IS IT FOR?

The Mate 30 is a solid phone, both on its own, and as an alternative to the Mate 30 Pro. It's fast, lasts all day and packs the Leica cameras that consumers look for in a Huawei smartphone.

The P16,000 savings from the Pro is also enough to save, or splurge on a Huawei Watch GT 2 with some P5,000 left to spare, or a nice pair of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Mate 30 hands-on: Flagship experience for less

MANILA -- The twin phones in the Mate series has always been about paying extra for a flashier design and a few extras versus saving money for an understated version that has the same core.

The Mate 30 series is P16,000 cheaper than the P50,990 Mate 30 Pro. Add P2,000 and you can buy a Nova 5T, by itself a phone that punches above its price point.

It's easy to dismiss the Mate 30 as a budget-friendlier version, but in our initial hands-on, it's shaping up to be a solid flagship on its own, considering the competition.

The Mate 30 has a 6.67 inch Full HD 2340 x 1080 display. The screen is flat (which I prefer), unlike the ultra-curved "horizon" panel on the Mate 30 Pro, which is slightly smaller at 6.53 inches. It is bright and sharp, typical of Huawei OLEDs.

The biggest upgrade to the non-pro Mate this year is wireless charging, fast wireless charging at that. Freedom from cords that break is a convenience you wouldn't miss unless you use it everyday.

The Mate 30 has a 4,200 mAh cell, compared to 4,500 on mAh Pro. Both phones had enough juice for a day of heavy use well into the night. It helps that the screens don't max out at quad HD, which will require more power.

Like the Mate 30 Pro, the Mate 30 runs on Huawei's Kirin 990 processor and ships with EMUI 10, the phone-maker's zippiest interface yet.

The Mate 30 has 3 cameras, while the circular "halo ring" design will make it appear like it has 4 Leica shooters. It has a 40MP main camera at f/1.8 aperture, a 16MP ultra wide with f/2.2 and a 8MP telephoto with f/2.4 and OIS. The Mate 30 Pro has a fourth, depth-sensing camera.

The Mate 30 cameras also like the "cine" branding of its more expensive sibling, while both are "super sensing." We will tell the difference between the two in future tests. Here are some test shots:

Huawei's Mate 30 runs Android 10 and like the Mate 30 Pro, doesn't come with the Google Play Store out of the box. It retails for P34,990.

Consider late 2019 flagships that are marketed as budget-friendlier versions: The Galaxy Note 10 sells for P53,990 while the iPhone 11 starts at P47,990. The OnePlus 7T is cheaper at P32,990.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Germany's Leica distances self from Tiananmen video

BEIJING - Germany's Leica Camera AG has distanced itself from a promotional video that depicts a news photographer covering democracy protests at Tiananmen Square amid a backlash on social media and broad censorship of the brand's name.

The five-minute video, called "The Hunt", includes a dramatized scene in which a photographer runs from Chinese-speaking policemen before capturing the iconic "tank-man" photograph of a protester standing in front of a convoy of tanks to block their path.

Mention of the June 4, 1989, event is heavily censored in Chinese news and social media, as well as related dates, names and symbols. The ruling Communist Party has never declared how many protesters were killed in the crackdown in and around Tiananmen Square, with many analysts putting the toll in the hundreds.

A spokesman for Leica, Dirk Große-Leege, said in a statement "the video was not commissioned, financed or approved by any company in the Leica Group. We expressly regret any confusion and will take further legal steps to prevent unauthorized use of our brand."

Leica did not clarify how the promotional video was conceived, or comment on the company's relationship with the Brazilian ad agency that created it, F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi.

F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, which previously produced promotional videos for Leica, produced "The Hunt" video and published the video on its Twitter account on April 16.

F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi did not respond to requests for comment, however a spokeswoman for the ad firm, Carolina Aranha, was quoted by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post as saying the video was approved by Leica.

The backlash against the video in Chinese social media comes at a particularly sensitive time, ahead of the 30th anniversary of the protests.

Hundreds of people using Chinese social media site Weibo left comments on Leica's recent posts, condemning the video before mentions of the company's name were swiftly censored. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Huawei launches new phone with triple camera

In a bid to take the lead in the cameraphone race, smartphone brand Huawei launched the P20 and P20 Pro, geared to meet the demands of on-the-go photographers.

The Huawei P20 has a new generation Leica Dual Camera with an improved sensor designed to absorb more light for clearer, more detailed photos even in low-light conditions. 

Meanwhile, kicking up a notch the battle for the hearts of photographers around the world, Huawei's P20 Pro has three high-resolution cameras, dubbed the Leica Triple Camera, up from previous models' two.

The Leica Triple Camera features a 20 megapixel (MP) monochrome camera, a 40 MP RGB camera, and an 8 MP telephoto camera which lets users take clear photos in most conditions, even at night.

Both the P20 and P20 Pro have a 24 MP front camera with LED flash and artificial intelligence-driven 3D facial enhancement for high-quality selfies.

The phones also have a full view display, maximizing the P20's 5.8-inch RGBW screen, and the P20 Pro's 6.10-inch OLED display.

The P20 comes in Twilight, Pink Gold, Midnight Blue, Black, and Champagne Gold; while the P20 Pro is available in Twilight, Pink Gold, Midnight Blue, and Black.

The Twilight and Pink Gold variants feature a gradient color finish, which Huawei said was inspired by the radiant energy of light.

Both models are splash and water resistant--perfect for summer getaways.

More information about the new Huawei P20 and P20 Pro can be found on the Huawei website, Facebook, and Instagram.

NOTE: BrandNews articles are promotional features from our sponsors and not news articles from our editorial staff.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Iconic camera brand Leica now in PH

The German camera brand, Leica, has finally arrived in the Philippines, opening its first-ever store in Greenbelt 5 in Makati.

Leica's arrival in the country coincides with the brand's celebration of its 100th year.

ANC's "Future Perfect" dropped by the store and looked at some of Leica's newest camera models, including the Leica S, which offers excellent image quality; the Leica M, with its digital rangefinder and iconic design; and the Leica D-Lux, a compact camera that allows users to take selfies in style.

Future Perfect, ANC, November 23, 2014

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