MUNICH -- Huawei on Thursday launched its 5G-capable Mate 30 line of smartphones, aiming to compete with Apple's iPhone 11 and Samsung's Galaxy Note.
The Mate 30 has 4 Leica-engineered lenses on the back, houses in a circular module that is designed to look like a professional camera. The wide, bokeh and low-light capture capabilities are carried over to video.
It is powered by Huawei's own Kirin 990 processor and a 4,500 mAh battery that can support fast charging of up to 40 watts with wires and 27 watts wireless. The wireless reverse charging for accessories is also 3 times faster, he said.
The new flagship phone runs Android 10 and EMUI 10, Yu said.
The sides of the 6.53-inch OLED panel curves to the edges, giving the illusion of a near borderless display.
A large part of the phone's glass back has a frosted finish, to prevent fingerprint smudging. Huawei is also offering the Mate 30 series in a vegan leather back option instead of glass.
Huawei also unveiled an array of accessories for photo and video including a gimbal that pairs instantly with the Mate 30 and a handheld studio light.
Shenzhen-based Huawei, the world's second largest smartphone vendor is positioning the Mate series for consumers who want the powerful phones for both work and play, pitting it against Samsung's Galaxy Note line.
For the first time, this year's Note came in two sizes, the Note 10 and 10+ and a more useful S-Pen stylus with gesture controls and handwriting recognition. Like premium Huawei phones, the Note 10+ also has 4 AI-assisted cameras.
Apple slashed the price on its entry-level handset, now simply called iPhone 11 with two cameras for wide and ultra-wide capture. The two other iPhones with 3 rear cameras and OLED screens instead of LCD now carry "Pro" branding.
"This year is quite a challenging year for Huawei. In tough times, we still achieved growth," Huawei consumer business group CEO Richard Yu said, citing a 26-percent jump in smartphone sales in the January to August period.
The Mate 20 series sold 16 million units and the P30 series, 17 million, Yu said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
Over more than a decade of writing about technology, reviewing a new iPhone has long been one of my simplest assignments.
Year after year, the formula was this: I tested the most important new features of Apple’s latest smartphone and assessed whether they were useful. Assuming the newest iPhone worked well, my advice was generally the same — I recommended upgrading if you had owned your existing smartphone for two years.
But with this review of the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max — the newest models that Apple unveiled last week and which will become available Friday — I’m encouraging a different approach. The bottom line? It’s time to reset our upgrade criteria.
That’s because we are now living in the golden age of smartphones, where the gadgets’ improvements each year are far from seismic. Devices that debuted three years ago remain zippy and more than capable. Those with the iPhone 7 from 2016, for example, still have a very good phone with a stellar camera and fast speeds.
So now is the moment to ask: Do we really need to upgrade our iPhones every two years?
Based on my tests of the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, the answer is no. Don’t get me wrong: The newest models are nice. Apple has made them speedier, improved the cameras and lengthened their battery life. The new lineup also starts at a lower price of $700, down from $750 a year ago, which is a relief in an era of skyrocketing smartphone costs.
But none of this is enough to warrant an immediate upgrade if you have had your smartphone for only two years. The latest iPhones just aren’t a big leap forward from last year’s iPhones or even the iPhone X from 2017.
So here’s what I ultimately suggest: You should definitely upgrade if your current device is at least five years old. The iPhone 11 models are all a significant step up from those introduced in 2014. But for everyone else with smartphones from 2015 or later, there is no rush to buy. Instead, there is more mileage and value to be had out of the excellent smartphone you already own.
IPHONE 11 VS IPHONE X
I tested the new iPhones for a week, starting with the $700 entry-level iPhone 11 with a 6.1-inch display, which I used as my primary phone for three days. Then I switched to the iPhone 11 Pro, the $1,000 model with a 5.8-inch screen, for two days. And then finally, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the $1,100 model with a jumbo 6.5-inch screen, for another two days.
Then I compared the results with my notes and photos from testing the iPhone X in 2017. What I found was that the iPhone 11 was better, but not profoundly so.
Here were the notable differences between the iPhone 11s and the iPhone X:
— All the iPhone 11 models have a new ultra-wide-angle lens in their cameras, which provides a wider field of view than traditional phone cameras. This makes them handy for shooting landscapes or large group gatherings. The iPhone X lacks the ultra-wide-angle lens but its dual-lens camera is capable of shooting portrait mode photos, which puts the picture’s main subject in sharp focus while softly blurring the background.
— The newest iPhones all have the same computing processor, called A13 Bionic, which is about 50 percent faster than the iPhone X. While that may sound significant, the iPhone X is already incredibly fast at shooting photos and running apps and games.
— The new iPhones all have longer battery life. Even after a day of heavy use, which included taking phone calls, using maps and shooting lots of photos, each iPhone had lots of juice remaining — at least 30 percent — by bedtime. After similar tests with an iPhone X two years ago, the battery had about 15 percent left by bedtime.
— The back of the Pro models is composed of a rugged glass that makes them scratch-resistant. This is impressive, but if you’re spending $1,000 on a phone, you will probably protect it with a case that covers the back anyway — just as many iPhone X owners do.
— The Pro models have OLED displays that are slightly brighter than the screen on the iPhone X.
There are lots of little things that are somewhat better on the new iPhones compared to the two-year-old iPhone X. For early adopters who are keen to have the latest and greatest tech, those differences may add up to a substantial upgrade.
But for most of us, the upgrades won’t meaningfully change our phone experience.
CONTRASTING THE PHONE CAMERAS
The most noteworthy new feature on the iPhones 11s is the ultra-wide-angle lens. Using the ultrawide mode is simple and seamless: You pinch outward to zoom all the way out. On a beach, the wider view captured my dogs playing on the sand, the ocean waves and the adjacent highway.
The telephoto lens on the iPhone 11 Pro did an exceptional job zooming in on my dog Mochi’s snout as she shook some water off her head.
The new iPhones also have a new mode for shooting photos in low light. Once the camera detects that a setting is very dark, it automatically captures multiple pictures and then fuses them together while making adjustments to colors and contrast. The result was that photos taken in low light without flash look brighter, in a natural way.
Photos taken with the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro looked crisp and clear, and their colors were accurate. But after I finished these tests, I looked back at my archived photos taken with an iPhone X.
Those pictures, especially the ones shot with portrait mode, still looked impressive. Some of the low-light ones looked crummy in comparison to the ones taken by the iPhone 11s, but I wouldn’t recommend that you buy a new phone just to get better night photos. You could always just use flash.
WHEN SHOULD I UPGRADE THEN?
Each year, the most common question I get from friends and colleagues is whether they should buy a new iPhone. So here’s a list of considerations in any decision about upgrading.
The simplest place to start is software. Apple’s newest mobile operating system, iOS 13, will work only on iPhones from 2015 (the iPhone 6S) and later. So if you have an iPhone that is older than that, it is worth upgrading because once you can no longer update the operating system, some of your apps may stop working properly.
For those with younger iPhones, there are ways to get more mileage out of your current device. While the newest iPhones have superb battery life — several hours longer than the last generation — a fresh battery in your existing gadget costs only $50 to $70 and will greatly extend its life.
If you have the iPhone 6S from 2015 and the iPhone 7 from 2016, the iPhone 11s are speedier, with camera improvements and bigger displays. That makes an upgrade nice to have but not a must-have.
But if you spent $1,000 on an iPhone X two years ago, then hold off. The iPhone 11s just aren’t enough of an innovation leap to warrant $700-plus on a new smartphone.
If you wait another year or two, you will most likely be rewarded with that jump forward. That might be an iPhone that works with fast 5G cellular networks, or a smartphone that can wirelessly charge an Apple Watch.
Patience has its benefits — and so will breaking free of the iPhone’s automatic two-year upgrade cycle.
2019 The New York Times Company
source: news.abs-cbn.com
SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Apple on Tuesday played to its strengths with powerful new iPhone and iPad models able to serve as stages for its new game and television services.
The Silicon Valley titan added into the mix a new-generation Apple Watch that can tell when a place is getting too noisy or help point wearers in the right direction.
Here is what Apple will be releasing as the company strives to offset slumping iPhone sales:
CAMERAS AND CHIPS
Apple introduced three new iPhone models.
An iPhone 11 boasted upgrades including a dual-camera system; longer battery life, a muscular computer chip and better water resistance.
The iPhone 11 will be priced starting at $699 when it hits the market on September 20.
The phone's camera has a new "ultra-wide" angle lens. Like the other new models, the iPhone is powered by an "A13 bionic" chip made in-house by Apple and infused with machine learning as well as high-performance graphics and processing capabilities.
Apple also introduced an iPhone 11 Pro and larger-screened iPhone 11 Pro Max that will have starting prices of $999 and $1,099 respectively when they are available on September 20.
The Pro line of iPhone has rich "super retina" OLED displays and a third camera on the back for professional quality photos and video, as well as a ramped-up zoom and editing software.
Apple played up an ability to use Pro iPhones for slow motion portrait snippets like selfies that it called "slofies."
None of the iPhones was tailored for the 5G telecom networks starting to roll out.
iPAD WITH A PENCIL
Apple introduced a seventh-generation iPad with a 10.2-inch display priced at $329. It is set to be in stores starting September 30.
A "must-have" Apple Pencil integrated to work with the iPad touch screen can be used as a controller for creation or productivity. The iPad case is made entirely of recycled aluminum and will have a recently introduced operating system designed specifically for the tablet computers.
WATCH TIME
The fifth-generation Apple Watch has a touch-screen face that is always on so the time and notifications are always viewable, while still being stingy on battery power. Previous generations had the smartwatch face go dark when arms dropped to save on power.
New software features include tracking ambient noise levels to safeguard people's hearing; an ability for women to monitor menstrual cycles, and a "compass" to keep users properly oriented.
Apple also invited Watch users to volunteer for three new health studies, though data collected will remain anonymous.
Apple Watch Series 5 had a starting price of $399 and was set to be available starting September 20. Apple also reduced the price of Apple Watch Series 3 to a starting price of $199.
TV AND GAMES
Apple's promised streaming television service -- dubbed TV+ -- will launch internationally on November 1.
The line-up of original shows will include "The Morning Show," "Dickinson," “See,” “For All Mankind” and "The Elephant Queen."
Apple chief executive Tim Cook promised more content would be added as it is produced.
The service will be priced at $4.99 monthly, about half of what Netflix charges for access to its large catalog of content, and is available for viewing using Apple devices or online at tv.apple.com.
Anyone who buys a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac computer will get a year of Apple TV+ thrown in free of charge.
Apple TV+ will arrive about two weeks before a new Disney+ streaming television service, which costs $2 more per month.
Apple will open its Arcade game service on September 19, also charging $4.99 monthly. Arcade will have more than 100 exclusive titles for play on Apple's array of hardware.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
