Huawei Nova 4 Review: Interesting Design, Uninspiring Hardware

The Huawei Nova 4 is the first device from the Chinese company to sport the new “Punch FullView” display. Chances are, this new design will be present on Huawei’s future smartphones – maybe even on its flagship lineup.

But beyond the hole-punch display, is the Nova 4 an attractive mid-range device? I’ve used it as my daily driver for a couple of weeks now, and while it’s a reasonably good phone, its steep price tag is hard to swallow for a mid-range smartphone.

Specifications

Display
6.4-inch FHD+ LTPS (2310 x 1080)
Chipset
Huawei Kirin 970 2.36GHz octa-core
GPU
Mali-G72 MP12
RAM
8GB
Storage
128GB, non-expandable
Camera (rear)
20MP f/1.8 + 16MP f/2.2 wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4
Camera (front)
25MP f/2.0
Battery
3,750mAh
Dimensions
157 x 75.10 x 7.77 mm
Weight
172g
OS
EMUI 9 based on Android 9 Pie
Connectivity
LTE
Bluetooth 4.2
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
USB Type-C

Not surprisingly, the Nova 4 has a lot in common with its predecessor, the Nova 3. It sports the same Kirin 970 chipset, 128GB of internal storage, similar glass and metal construction, and even a 3,750mAh battery.

Unfortunately, the Nova 4 loses support for expandable storage. Other features that set this phone apart from its predecessor include the Punch FullView display, as well as a new triple camera system. I’ll elaborate more on these in their respective sections.

Design

In this aspect, the Nova 4 is strikingly similar to the P20 Pro, right down to the lens arrangement of the triple camera system. If you opt for the Crush Blue model, you also get a gradient finish on the back of the phone.

Even though the Nova 4’s design isn’t all that different from the P20 Pro – and of course, the Nova 3 as well – I do like how it looks. It’s a sleek design language, and it gives the phone premium look and feel. That being said, the Nova 4’s glass back does feel quite slippery. I put on the silicone casing that came with the phone not long after I started using it.

Next, we have one of the Nova 4’s most unique features: the Punch FullView display. When I first started using the phone, it does feel quite jarring to have a circular cutout at the top left of the phone. However, it didn’t take me too long to get used to the hole-punch design, and it’s certainly not as distracting as a notch.

On top of that, if you really don’t like the cutout, you can “remove” it from the settings menu. Once enabled, the top of the display is darkened to effectively hide the hole-punch design.

For what it’s worth, I never had the urge to hide the display cutout. It just doesn’t feel all that intrusive to me, though it’s certainly nice to have the ability to remove it for those who don’t like it.

As a whole, the Nova 4 is an attractive-looking smartphone. The gradient finish is sleek – the review unit I got is the Black model, which will suit those who want a more conventional design – the hole-punch display is a good alternative to a notched screen, and the phone has solid build quality.

User Experience

In the software side of things, the Nova 4 runs on EMUI 9 based on Android 9 Pie. While EMUI is a functional version of Android, it doesn’t feel…particularly polished, and there are some oddities here and there.

For one, you
still
 cannot interact with notifications on the lockscreen. If you want to see more information from any given notification, you’ll have to unlock the phone and pull down the notification shade. On top of that, there are quite a number of bloatware too, though they’re not too difficult to uninstall. Basically, software is still Huawei’s weakest point.

That’s not to say EMUI is not usable; there are some features that I genuinely appreciate. I love the fact that I can pull down the notification shade by simply swiping down on the rear fingerprint sensor, and as a whole, EMUI doesn’t have any glaring faults. It is, as mentioned, a
functional
 version of Android.

Powered by a Kirin 970 chipset, the Nova 4 has a decent level of performance too. Obviously it’s not quite as fast as the newer Kirin 980 SoC, but for the average smartphone user, the Kirin 970 is more than enough to provide a pleasant user experience.

On top of that, it’s worth noting that the Nova 4 is a mid-range smartphone – it’ll be unrealistic to expect flagship-tier performance out of a phone in this segment.

Besides that, the Nova 4 has a reasonably good display. The phone’s 6.4-inch 2310 x 1080 LTPS panel has decent viewing angles, punchy colours, and good white balance. The 1080p resolution may not sound very impressive, but it’s good enough. Plus, this resolution will help a lot with the phone’s battery life, which is one of its strong suits.

On average, I was getting around six hours of screen on time out of the Nova 4’s pretty generous 3,750mAh battery. This is very good battery life, and getting through a typical workday with this phone is a breeze.

The charging rate of the Nova 4, on the other hand, isn’t quite as impressive. Within 30 minutes of charging, the phone only got up to 35% from 0%; quite an average charging rate.

Using the Nova 4 as my daily driver for the past couple of weeks have generally been a pleasant experience. While EMUI does have its quirks, the phone’s other features – especially its long battery life – more than make up for this.

Camera

Unfortunately, the Malaysian market will only receive one variant of the Nova 4: the one with the 20MP primary camera. Currently, there are no plans to bring in the higher-end model with a 48MP sensor to Malaysia, which is quite disappointing.

Normal shot
Wide-angle shot

Nonetheless, the Nova 4’s camera performance is decent. The triple camera system (20MP f/1.8 + 16MP f/2.2 wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4) performs adequately in ideal lighting conditions, and I appreciate the flexibility the wide-angle shooter offers. That being said, the quality disparity between the 20MP primary camera and 16MP wide-angle sensor is definitely noticeable.

As for low light camera performance, the Nova 4 could do much better. It can still capture good-looking night shots, of course, but low light images do come out looking soft on certain occasions. Chances are, the lack of optical image stabilisation really hurts the Nova 4’s low light camera performance.

On top of that, the camera’s AI image enhancement is hit-and-miss. Even though the feature does improve image quality quite a bit in the right situation, it also has a tendency to oversaturate images. I eventually disabled the feature to get more consistent camera performance.

Overall, the Nova 4 has a decent camera system, but it’s by no means an amazing shooter – not at this price point. It’s a shame the higher-end model with a 48MP sensor isn’t launched here yet; I reckon that variant would have much better camera performance.

Competition

For a mid-range smartphone, the Nova 4 is priced quite high at RM1,899. At this price point, it has plenty of competition, and here are some of the most noteworthy ones.

Honor View 20

Sporting a similar hole-punch display as the Nova 4, the Honor View 20 is superior to Huawei’s offering in a number of key areas. For one, the View 20 has a faster Kirin 980 processor, giving it an edge in the performance department.

The View 20 also has a more sophisticated dual camera system with a 48MP primary shooter, which should translate to much better camera performance. When it comes to battery life, the View 20 packs a larger 4,000mAh cell too.

But the best part about the View 20? It doesn’t cost that much more than the Nova 4. The 128GB model with 6GB of RAM retails at only RM1,999, while the 256GB variant with 8GB of RAM goes for RM2,499.

So why would you consider the Nova 4? Only if you want the flexibility of its triple camera system, which comes with a wide-angle sensor. Aside from that, the Nova 4’s gradient finish on the Crush Blue model is unique to this phone – the View 20 has more conventional colourways.

Huawei P20

Another good alternative to the Nova 4 is the Huawei P20. Currently retailing
from as low as RM2,099
, this phone is a better device than the Nova 4 in a lot of ways. It’s a more premium phone, it has superior camera performance, and it has the same Kirin 970 chipset – all of these for only RM200 more.

That being said, the P20 does have a notched display, not to mention the fact that it only has 4GB of RAM instead of the Nova 4’s much more generous 8GB RAM. I’d argue
you don’t need that much RAM
 anyway, but it’s still worth mentioning.

Pocophone F1

Any phone that costs more than the
Pocophone F1
 will be compared to it, especially if the phone in question isn’t a flagship device. In comparison to the Nova 4, the Pocophone F1 has comparable performance thanks to its Snapdragon 845 chipset, it has a larger 4,000mAh battery, and most importantly, the 128GB variant of the F1
retails at only RM1,399 now
 – that’s a rather huge price gap.

But design wise, the Nova 4 is without a doubt the sleeker-looking device. Not only is the phone’s hole-punch design aesthetically nicer than the Pocophone F1’s notched display, it has more premium look and feel too courtesy of its glass and metal construction. But are these worth the price premium over the Pocophone F1? That’s up to you to decide.

Conclusion

The Huawei Nova 4 is a relatively good mid-range smartphone, but its steep asking price and average camera performance make it a tough device to recommend. You can get a lot more bang for your buck by going with a more affordable device like the Pocophone F1, and in this price range, there are a lot of other flagship smartphones that are better than the Nova 4.

That being said, if you like the Nova 4 feature set – such as the flexible triple camera system and hole-punch display – it’s a phone worth considering. Otherwise, you’ll likely be much happier with the more capable Honor View 20 – especially if you find the hole-punch design attractive.


Deal: Grab the PlayStation 4 for Only RM945 – Pro Model for RM1,377

If you have been eyeing to get yourself a PlayStation 4 console, these deals we stumbled upon may interest you. Right now, you can get a brand new PlayStation 4 – with a two-year warranty to boot –
for only RM945
.

Considering the fact that the standard PlayStation 4 with 500GB of storage used to retail at well above the RM1,000 mark, this is a very good deal. On top of that, this promotional price is also offered by a LazMall retailer on Lazada. Rest assured, it is very legitimate.

If you want the more powerful PlayStation 4 Pro model with 1TB of storage instead, you can grab it
for only RM1,377 now
 instead of its original asking price of RM1,799. Much like the standard model, this Pro variant is also offered by the same retailer on Lazada with a two-year warranty.

Sony’s PlayStation 4 system is considered to be one of the best home consoles in the market now. Not only can the Pro model game at 4K resolution, the system also has a very robust lineup of exclusive games you can’t find anywhere else. These include titles like the Uncharted series, The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, as well as Days Gone, which is set to be released on 26 April 2019.

If you want to enjoy this deal, click on the respective links to get the
standard PlayStation 4 for RM945
, and the
PlayStation 4 Pro for RM1,377
.


Apex Legends – The Next Big Battle Royale Game?

Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment dropped a pretty big surprise last week. Not only did the studio announce a brand new game, Apex Legends, it’s also launching the game on the
same day
. Apex is a first-person battle royale game set in the Titanfall universe, and it appears to be a very promising game.

On top of that, much like Fortnite, Apex Legends is also free-to-play, making it accessible to pretty much anyone that has either a PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One. That’s right, the game is already available on these platforms.

I’ve spent a couple of hours playing through several matches in Apex Legends, and if you haven’t downloaded the game yet, you really should. It’s arguably the next big battle royale game, and it currently has over 25 million players already.

You read that right: only after a week since its launch, Apex Legends has attracted over 25 million players. Granted the game is a free-to-play title, but it’s still a huge milestone nonetheless. So what makes it such a popular game?

Let’s start with the basics of Apex Legends. Before you begin a match, you have to select between six different classes (or Legends, as they’re referred to in the game). In addition to the six default characters, there are also two additional classes that can be unlocked. You can do so by playing more matches to earn enough currency to unlock them, or buy them outright from the in-game store.

Apex’s different classes are similar to Overwatch’s unique characters, and each of the Legends in this game have their own set of skills. Bangalore, for one, can drop smoke bombs and call for an air strike, while a support character like Lifeline can heal up teammates and summon supply drops.

This adds a unique spin to Apex Legends’ gameplay, and the various skills of different classes is probably why the game is exclusively playable in squad mode (for now). A squad consists of three players, and even if you’re going into a match alone, you will always be paired to other players to form a three-man squad.

That being said, it’s possible Respawn will add solo and duo modes to Apex Legends in the future; that’s what
a recent leak
 is pointing at. After all, other battle royale games allow players to play in various modes – it only makes sense for this game to follow suit.

In terms of gameplay, Apex Legends has very robust mechanics. You don’t get fall damage, moving around the map feels dynamic (especially when sliding down slopes), and most weapons in the game are fun to use. But you will have to get accustomed to the inventory system; it’s not particularly intuitive to juggle between different attachments and bullets you picked up.

What’s particularly impressive about Apex Legends’ gameplay is the excellent ping system. By clicking on your mouse’s scroll wheel, you can ping practically anything. Spotted an enemy squad? Ping them for your teammates to see. Want to move somewhere else? Ping at your desired location. It’s that easy and seamless, and it’s especially useful if you have a teammate without a mic.

I also love the fact that the number of squads left are always shown at the top left. The number of players left are also shown, though it will be hidden once the number of squads are down to a certain amount. Oh, if you’ve been eliminated, you can
still be revived
. As long as one of your teammates is still alive, they can revive you by taking your emblem to a respawn station.

Graphically, Apex Legends looks fantastic. The environment is very well rendered, character models are detailed, and I didn’t notice any major stutter or lag throughout my time with the game. Basically, it feels very polished and optimised, which is expected from a studio as established as Respawn.

However, I only played Apex Legends on PC so far, so I can’t say for sure if the game will run as smoothly on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems.

If you’re a fan of battle royale games, and you love first-person shooters, you should definitely give Apex Legends a spin. It’s a very polished, very entertaining battle royale game, and Respawn will be adding more content into the game in the near future.

Among them is the introduction of a seasonal battle pass system similar to Fortnite’s, which will offer character costumes, weapon skins, animations, and other cosmetic items. Besides that, Apex Legends will also have more purchasable classes than the current roster.

Don’t worry: these future classes
can
 be unlocked without the need to spend actual money. You just need to earn enough in-game currency to unlock them.

Apex Legends holds a lot of promise, and if Respawn plays its cards right, Apex could very well be one of the most successful battle royale games. It’s free-to-play, it has great gameplay, and it’s a polished, optimised title. Hopefully, Respawn will be able to keep the game feeling fresh and engaging over the next few months.


Deal: Save Over RM1,500 on the Samsung Galaxy S9 & Galaxy S9+

Even though the Samsung Galaxy S10 series is just around the corner, the Korean company’s Galaxy S9 smartphones are still plenty capable flagship devices. If you’re not interested to get the latest and greatest smartphone, you may want to check out these deals: both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are discounted
heavily
 now.

Let’s start with the more affordable Galaxy S9. Originally retailing at RM3,299, the standard S9 model with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM can now be bought
for merely RM2,099
. That’s RM1,200 worth of savings right there, and this deal is available on both
Lazada
and
Shopee
.

The Shopee listing is
particularly interesting
. Not only is it a Preferred seller, which allows you to use Shopee coins and exclusive promotions with this particular retailer, several freebies are also bundled with the deal. These include a Bluetooth speaker, a 32GB microSD card, and a USB-C cable.

Things get a lot more interesting with the Galaxy S9+. The 64GB variant with 6GB of RAM, which used to go for RM3,799 at launch, is now available
for RM2,459 on Lazada
. This saves you a grand total of RM1,340, and it’s available in Lilac Purple, Coral Blue, and Midnight Black.

But the best deal is for the Galaxy S9+ with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. It went for RM3,999 at launch, and now, it’s going
for
 only RM2,488
 on Shopee
 – that’s a whopping RM1,511 discount, and you can get it in Lilac Purple, Sunrise Gold, or Midnight Black.

Of course, all of the listings mentioned here are original Malaysian sets with warranty from Samsung Malaysia. From what we can gather, stocks are limited too. While the Galaxy S9 phones will be succeeded by the S10 series at the end of this month, they’re still worth getting,
especially
 at these price points.


MSI GL63 8SE Hands-On: The Most Affordable RTX 2060 Gaming Laptop

Gaming laptops equipped with Nvidia’s latest GeForce RTX GPUs are steadily coming into Malaysia, and one of the most interesting laptops with the new GPU is the MSI GL63 8SE. Equipped with an RTX 2060 GPU, this is
the most affordable
 gaming laptop with the GPU – that’s a huge selling point.

But beyond its sheer value for money, is the MSI GL63 any good? Let’s find out.

Before we get into it, we’ll have to talk about the GL63’s attractive price tag. There are two variants of the laptop in Malaysia: an Intel Core i5-8300H model with a 128GB SSD, and a Core i7-8750H variant with twice the amount of SSD storage at 256GB. The former retails at only RM5,399, while the latter goes for RM6,299.

Without a doubt the more affordable model is the most attractive option, and beyond the processor and SSD storage capacity, both variants of the GL63 have similar hardware. These include a 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 display, a GeForce RTX 2060 GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 memory, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, a 1TB 7200rpm HDD, as well as a 51WHr battery.

In terms of connectivity, the GL63 has a generous selection of ports. It has three USB-A ports, one USB-C connection, an HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, an SD card slot, and an RJ45 connection.

Now that we’ve got its specifications out of the way, let’s talk about the MSI GL63’s display. For the most part, it’s a decent screen with relatively good viewing angles. However, this isn’t an IPS panel, so you do get colour shifts when you’re not looking directly straight at the display.

But on a brighter note (excuse the pun), the GL63’s display can get quite bright. On top of that, thanks to the matte finish of the screen, the display’s outdoor visibility is pretty good too. Unfortunately, the Malaysian market isn’t getting the GL63 with a 120Hz display; that would’ve made it a more compelling gaming machine.

When it comes to build quality, the GL63 leaves much to be desired. Although the palm rest area and top chassis of the laptop are made out of metal, plastic is found on many parts of the GL63. The bottom chassis is plastic, the sides are plastic, and the screen can be flexed quite a bit too without too much effort.

Besides that, the GL63 is also a thick and heavy laptop. Measuring 29.5mm thick and weighing 2.3kg, you’ll definitely feel the weight of this machine in your backpack. I’m also not a fan of the GL63’s large bezels surrounding the screen, which gives the laptop a dated-looking design.

However, these shortcomings aren’t exactly surprising: MSI’s GL series of laptops are
made to be affordable
. There are some things that need to be sacrificed here and there, and most buyers in this price segment want value for money above all else – premium build material and design will drive up the price of the laptop.

In exchange, the GL63 offers excellent gaming performance for the money. The RTX 2060 GPU powering this laptop is much, much more capable than its predecessor, the GTX 1060. Considering the fact that this laptop only has a 1080p display, the RTX 2060 is powerful enough to run most modern games with maxed out settings at this resolution too.

It’s also worth noting that you’ll get Nvidia’s full suite of RTX-specific features with the RTX 2060, including ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS). Previously, these features were available exclusively on more costly GPUs like the RTX 2070 and 2080.

A gaming laptop has to have a keyboard that is suitable for gaming, and in this aspect, the GL63 performs just fine. The SteelSeries keyboard has just enough travel for a comfortable typing experience, and the keys are tactile as well. Unfortunately (or not, depending on your preference), the keyboard has a red backlight only. No RGB lighting here.

As for the trackpad, it’s…functional. It’s not the most accurate trackpad – not by a long shot – but it will get the job done in a pinch. Considering the GL63’s focus on gaming, you should be using a physical mouse with this laptop anyway.

So is the MSI GL63 8SE worth it? At a glance, definitely. While its design and build quality could be better, you’re getting great value for money and gaming performance. At the time of writing, the RM5,399 Core i5 variant of the GL63 is
the most affordable
 RTX 2060 gaming laptop in the market now.

However, the Core i7 variant doesn’t have very good value proposition. Retailing at RM6,299, it’s priced too close to the Asus ROG Strix Hero II, which goes for RM6,499. For that kind of money, the Hero II offers a
much
 sleeker design with minimal bezels, double the SSD storage at 512GB, as well as a fast 15.6-inch 1080p 144Hz IPS display.

If you want absolute value for money, you cannot go wrong with the base model of the MSI GL63. But if you want more processing power, more SSD storage, and a sleeker-looking laptop, it’s worth looking at the ROG Strix Hero II instead. It’s simply a better buy over the higher-end GL63.


Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 Review: Sacrificing Practicality for Good Looks

The first Xiaomi Mi Mix impressed us with its sleek, almost bezel-less design, and it was released way back in 2016 before every other manufacturer decided to cut down on bezels. It was then followed by the Mi Mix 2, and while it was a more practical device, it lacked the original phone’s “wow factor.”

Now, we have the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, and it retains the series’ signature bezel-less design…with a twist. To avoid having a notched display or a hole-punch cutout, the Mi Mix 3 employs a
slider design
, hiding the selfie camera underneath the display.

It’s a great idea on paper, and even though it gives the phone a sleek aesthetic and unique appeal, it’s not the most practical design. But, if you’re willing to live with it, the Mi Mix 3 is a very solid flagship smartphone.

Specifications

Display
6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED (2340 x 1080)
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 2.8GHz octa-core
GPU
Adreno 630
RAM
6GB
Storage
128GB, non-expandable
Camera (rear)
12MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.4 (telephoto), dual pixel AF, OIS
Camera (front)
24MP + 2MP
Battery
3,200mAh
Dimensions
157.89 x 74.69 x 8.46 mm
Weight
218g
OS
MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie
Connectivity
LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
USB Type-C

For a 2018 flagship smartphone, the Mi Mix 3 is well-equipped. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s fastest chipset yet (the Snapdragon 855 isn’t in the market yet), it has generous RAM and storage capacities, and it features a very respectable camera system.

However, the Mi Mix 3’s average 3,200mAh battery is a cause for concern – I’ll get into detail further down this review.

Design

Without a doubt the Mi Mix 3’s most exciting design element is its slider mechanism, and it’s really fun to use. It is satisfying to activate, and I love the fact that there’s a sound effect whenever I slide the display down. Naturally, the sound effect is customisable.

That being said, I did face a number of issues with the Mi Mix 3’s slider design. For one, it gathers dust
very
 easily, which is quite unsightly. Besides that, there were a couple of occasions where I accidentally pulled down the display when I was taking it out of my jeans pocket.

But the worst thing about the slider design is trying to activate it when I am doing something on the screen. More often than not, I would accidentally tap on something while trying to pull down the display, which can get frustrating.

Evidently, the slider design can be cumbersome to use. But in exchange, you’re getting an undisturbed viewing experience; the Mi Mix 3 has no notch or selfie camera cutout on the display to obstruct your view. Like it or not, this is an increasingly rare feature, especially on a flagship smartphone.

In terms of build quality, the Mi Mix 3 feels solid. The aluminium frame and ceramic back of the phone give it a premium touch, and the slider mechanism feels robust. However, while I do like the phone’s ceramic back, it is
very
 slippery. In fact, I used the phone exclusively with the provided casing for this very reason – I really don’t want to drop it.

Smartphones without notched displays or hole-punch cutouts are becoming increasingly rare, and that makes the Mi Mix 3 an interesting option. Yes, the slider mechanism isn’t perfect, and there is always a possibility it will fail in the future, but hey, you’re getting an (almost) all-screen smartphone.

User Experience

Running on MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie, the Mi Mix 3 offers an “okay” software experience. Much like other Xiaomi phones such as the
Mi 8 Pro
, I still cannot dismiss notifications with a left swipe. Not surprisingly, I can’t interact with notifications on the lock screen either – other versions of Android don’t have these limitations.

But as a whole, MIUI 10 still offers relatively good software experience. It doesn’t feel sluggish, the user interface looks modern, and there’s an always on display. However, notifications from some apps (such as Telegram) still don’t show up on the always on screen.

As for biometric security, you have two options to unlock the Mi Mix 3: the fingerprint sensor, or the face unlock feature with the selfie camera. If you opt to choose the latter, you’d have to slide the display down for the feature to work. Yes, it is as troublesome as it sounds, so I mostly use the rear fingerprint sensor instead.

Oh, there’s also one neat feature I absolutely love while using the Mi Mix 3: the AI button on the left of the phone. The fact that I can change what the button does to my liking makes it an
incredibly
useful feature. I can, for example, double click on the button to activate the flashlight. If you don’t see any use for the button, no worries – you can outright disable it.

Samsung can definitely learn a thing or two from Xiaomi here with the former’s dedicated Bixby button.

Gaming on the Mi Mix 3 is unsurprisingly a very pleasant experience. After all, the Snapdragon 845 is a very capable chipset, even though it will be superseded by the Snapdragon 855 in the near future. But until that happens, the 845 is still the best chipset you can get from Qualcomm, and it provides a great level of performance.

Display quality of the Mi Mix 3 is very good too. Its 6.39-inch 2340 x 1080 AMOLED display is bright and vibrant, and viewing angles are great as well. Of course, as this is an AMOLED panel, you also get very deep blacks.

Now, let’s talk about the Mi Mix 3’s battery life. On average, I was getting about four to five hours of screen on time. It’s not fantastic battery life, and it’s definitely not the worst, but considering the fact that this phone measures 8.46mm thick and weighs a whopping 218g, you’d be wanting
better
battery life.

Charging rate of the Mi Mix 3, on the other hand, is also quite average. Within 30 minutes of charging, the phone got up to 50% from 0%.

Using the Mi Mix 3 as my daily driver is mostly a pleasant experience. It has decent battery life, a great display, and flagship-tier performance. Xiaomi’s MIUI 10 software could still use some work, but overall, it’s still a decent version of Android.

Camera

Sporting a 12MP f/1.8 + 12MP f/2.4 (telephoto) dual-camera system, the Mi Mix 3 has very respectable camera performance. Whether in broad daylight or low light environment, the phone can deliver impressive-looking shots. Judge for yourself with the sample images below.

Night mode disabled
Night mode enabled

What I particularly like is the Mi Mix 3’s Night mode, which allows the camera to capture better-looking low light shots by slowing down the shutter speed and increasing the ISO. This mode can make images look artificial in certain conditions, but most of the time, the end results are much better than shots taken in the normal mode.

Shooting with the Mi Mix 3 is a fairly fuss-free affair too. The camera app is responsive, and the interface is intuitive enough – changing between different shooting modes is quite seamless.

That being said, Xiaomi still has some catching up to do with class leaders like Samsung and Huawei when it comes to camera performance. Yes, the Mi Mix 3 is a great shooter, but I’d still rather shoot with the Galaxy S9+ if I had the choice.

Competition

For the Malaysian market, the Mi Mix 3 retails at RM2,199 – quite a decent price tag for a flagship smartphone. At this price point, it has a number of noteworthy competition.

Oppo Find X

Just like the Mi Mix 3, the Find X has an almost all-screen design unblemished by a notch or hole-punch cutout. But instead of a manual slider mechanism, the Find X uses a motorised design. It also has a Snapdragon 845 chipset, a larger 3,730mAh battery, double the internal storage at 256GB, as well as 8GB of RAM.

However, the Mi Mix 3 has the edge in one vital area: value for money. Xiaomi’s offering retails at only RM2,199, while the Find X costs a whopping RM3,699. On top of that, I’d also argue the Mi Mix 3 has better camera performance and software experience than the Find X.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Yes, the Galaxy S10 series is just around the corner, but you shouldn’t dismiss the Galaxy S9+ as a compelling alternative to the Mi Mix 3. Not only can you get the 128GB model for
only RM2,488 now
, the S9+ is superior in a number of key areas, including camera performance, software experience, and display quality.

Of course, the biggest disadvantage of the Galaxy S9+ is its top and bottom bezels. Although the display itself doesn’t have a notch or selfie camera cutout, its screen bezels are still larger than the Mi Mix 3’s. Also, the latter is still more affordable than the S9+, even if it’s not by a huge margin.

Conclusion

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is a sleek device with a unique slider mechanism, and overall, it’s a solid flagship smartphone. But there is one thing that holds it back, which is the very feature that makes it a unique product: the slider mechanism.

As with all moving parts, there is always a chance the Mi Mix 3’s slider mechanism will fail; some would argue it’s only a matter of time. On top of that, even though activating the mechanism is a very satisfying experience, it can be quite cumbersome to use in certain situations.

Regardless, if you like the slider mechanism, and you’re perfectly okay with the possibility that it will eventually fail in the future, the Mi Mix 3 is definitely worth a buy. It has impressive camera performance, a fast chipset, decent battery life, and most of all, a sleek, almost all-screen design.


Deal: Get the iPhone XR with up to RM270 Discount Now

Brand new iPhones do not come cheap, and this is especially the case with the latest generation models. But if you’ve been waiting to get Apple’s latest smartphones at a good price, good news: Shopee is now offering the iPhone XR with up to RM270 discount.

Originally retailing at RM3,599, the 64GB iPhone XR is now available from Shopee
for only RM3,379
, saving you exactly RM220. However, only three colours are available in
very
limited quantities: Black, White, and Blue.

As for the 128GB variant, it’s
currently going for RM3,599
; that’s RM250 worth of discount. If you want this particular model of the iPhone XR, you may want to act fast – at the time of writing, only
one
unit is left in Blue.

Not surprisingly, the best deal is reserved for the 256GB variant of the iPhone XR. Originally retailing at RM4,299, this top-of-the-line model is being offered
at only RM4,029 now
, which saves you RM270.

If you’re concerned about the authenticity of these deals, worry not: the retailer, E-Mart, is an official store by Shopee Malaysia itself. Considering the limited availability of these deals on the iPhone XR, it’s best to act fast if you’re interested.


Deal: Pocophone F1 with 128GB Storage Now Available for Only RM1,359

If you’re in the market for an affordable flagship smartphone, the
Pocophone F1
 should definitely be at the top of your list. Even though it was released last year, it’s
still a very good buy in 2019
. If you need another reason to get the phone now, here’s one for you: the 128GB model is currently going
for only RM1,359
.

To put this deal into context, the 128GB variant of the Pocophone F1 originally retails at RM1,599. Basically, you will be saving RM240 with this deal. Considering the fact that the F1 is
already
 a very affordable phone, this is quite a sizeable discount.

This deal is offered by retailer Elite Mobile on Lazada, and right now, there are a total of only
five units available
: two in Graphite Black, and three in Steel Blue. According to the listing, the Pocophone F1 offered in this deal are Malaysian sets with warranty from Xiaomi Malaysia itself.

If you’d like to learn more about the Pocophone F1, check out our extensive review of the phone
here
.


Deal: Razer Phone 2 Price Drops to RM3,188

The
Razer Phone 2
 was launched in Malaysia just last month, and at the time, it was going for RM3,449. That’s quite a steep price tag, even for a flagship device. Well, for those who have been waiting for the price to drop, now’s your chance: the phone just got more affordable.

Right now, the Razer Phone 2
can be bought for only RM3,188
 – saving you exactly RM261 – on both
Lazada
 and
Shopee
. Interestingly, these deals are offered by Razer’s official stores on the respective platforms. So rest assured, you will be getting an official, Malaysian unit of the device.

What makes the Razer Phone 2 particularly unique is its 5.72-inch 2560 x 1440 UltraMotion IGZO display. Thanks to the panel’s high 120Hz refresh rate, gaming on the phone is a very pleasant experience; you’re basically getting more frames per second.

Of course, RM3,188 is still a lot of money for a 2018 flagship smartphone. But if you’ve been wanting to get the Razer Phone 2 anyway, now is as good a time as any. Not sure if it’s worth getting? Our
hands-on of the device
 should help.


Vivo V15 Pro Hands-On: Trickling Down Flagship Features

The Vivo V15 Pro hasn’t been officially announced yet, but Vivo Malaysia was kind enough to lend us a unit for a quick hands-on. After spending a brief time with the upcoming smartphone, I was left…pretty impressed, especially with the device’s almost all-screen design and motorised selfie camera.

That being said, there are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the V15 Pro. Whether or not it’s a phone worth getting will depend on its final hardware and retail price.

Compared to its predecessor, the
Vivo V11
, the V15 Pro is a much more refined smartphone. Although the back of the phone is polycarbonate instead of glass, the V15 Pro still feels plenty solid. The slightly curved back is ergonomic, and the phone looks and feels premium enough.

But the highlight feature of the V15 Pro is the motorised front-facing camera, which was first implemented on the Vivo Nex – the company’s 2018 flagship smartphone. It’s great to see Vivo bringing a feature that was previously available only on its high-end device to a mid-ranger like the V15 Pro.

So how does the pop-up selfie camera work? Quite seamlessly, actually. The motorised 32MP camera moves fast enough for the face unlock feature to quickly recognise me, and it’s equally fast when activating the front-camera to capture a selfie. All in all, I like it.

Because there’s no need to make space for the selfie camera on the front of the phone, the V15 Pro has a nice, almost all-screen design. There’s still a noticeable bezel at the bottom of the phone, but it’s minimal enough to give the phone a sleek appearance. Plus, you don’t have any notch or
hole-punch cutout
 at the top of the display to obstruct your video playback or mobile gaming.

Speaking of which, the V15 Pro’s display looks pretty decent. While Vivo hasn’t revealed the phone’s full list of specifications yet, I’m quite certain the company is using an AMOLED panel here. It has deep blacks, vibrant colours, and great viewing angles.

Much like its predecessor, the V15 Pro also comes with an in-screen fingerprint sensor. For the most part, it performs similarly too: it’s relatively quick and accurate, but a conventional sensor is still superior in these two regards. Most of the time, I find myself using the face unlock instead – it’s simply faster.

Interestingly enough, there’s an extra button on the left side of the V15 Pro dubbed the “AI Button.” As its name suggests, clicking on it summons Google Assistant. Unfortunately, even though the button is customisable (you can even disable it), all of the options work around Google Assistant, such as starting a Google Search with a long press of the button.

In the performance department, the V15 Pro feels quick and responsive. Vivo isn’t saying yet what chipset powers this phone, though rumours are suggesting it’s running on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 675 SoC. If this is true, the V15 Pro should be adequately powerful; the 675 is Qualcomm’s best mid-range chipset yet.

Another neat upgrade the V15 Pro got is a more sophisticated camera system. According to Amazon India’s listing of the device, the primary sensor of the triple camera system is a huge 48MP shooter. As the V15 Pro takes advantage of pixel binning for improved low light performance, the final images are the size of a conventional 12MP shot.

Overall, the camera performance is pretty darn good. Shots are properly exposed, details are preserved quite well, and the camera interface doesn’t feel sluggish. Then again, I’ve only tested the phone’s camera performance in broad daylight, and most modern smartphones can capture good shots in this condition. The real challenge lies in low light photography.

The Vivo V15 Pro is a much more refined device than the V11, and it’s superior in almost every aspect. It is sleeker, faster, and its camera performance is promising, thanks to the huge 48MP sensor. On top of that, you’re also getting a motorised selfie camera, which was previously available only on the flagship Vivo Nex.

But, as I’ve mentioned, most of the V15 Pro’s major hardware are not revealed yet, including the chipset, battery capacity, internal storage, and RAM size. With that in mind, I can’t say for sure if it’s a phone worth getting; not until it’s officially announced on 20 February in India with more details.

More importantly, the retail price of the V15 Pro has not been revealed yet either. If it’s priced too close to the RM2,000 mark in Malaysia, it will be a difficult device to recommend. Nonetheless, we’ll just have to wait until 26 February – Vivo Malaysia will reveal pre-order information of the V15 Pro then.


Deal: Buy the Xiaomi Mi A2 from Only RM769 Now

Back in November last year, Xiaomi’s latest Android One device, the Xiaomi Mi A2, had its retail prices revised to RM899 and RM1,099 for the 64GB and 128GB variants respectively. It’s been a few months since then, so not surprisingly, the Android One device is even more affordable now.

Let’s start with the base model of the Mi A2. One particular retailer on Shopee – a Preferred seller, to boot – is currently offering the 64GB model with 4GB of RAM
for only RM769
, which saves you RM130. Three colours are offered by the retailer: Lake Blue, Gold, and Black.

As for the 128GB variant of the Mi A2 with 6GB of RAM, retailer Elite Mobile on Lazada is listing the device
at only RM999
. It’s not quite as big of a saving compared to the base model, but hey, RM100 worth of discount is still a good deal. Naturally, all three colours are also available for this deal.

All of the deals mentioned here are official Malaysian units of the Xiaomi Mi A2 – we do our best to only cover deals with official warranty coverage. Rest assured, you will be getting warranty support from Xiaomi Malaysia itself if you purchase the device from the links we have provided above.

The Xiaomi Mi A2 is a great option for those who are looking for a mid-range smartphone with polished software experience and good performance for the money. However, do note that its 3,010mAh battery can only return average battery life, and its lack of support for expandable storage may be a deal breaker to some folks.


Deal: PlayStation 4 Now Going for Only RM868

Looking to buy a brand new PlayStation 4 console? Then you’d want to grab this deal. Previously, we wrote that you can get the
standard console for RM945
. But if you’ve been holding out, great: it’s currently going for
as low as RM868
.

This particular deal is available on Shopee from retailer JN Gamestore. The standard PlayStation 4 (500GB) with one year of warranty is listed
at only RM888
, while the variant with two years of warranty
goes for RM939
. So how can you reduce the price to as low as RM868? Use the voucher code PLAYER10, which offers additional RM20 discount.

However, note that the code expires on 28 February, and it is only redeemable through the Shopee app – it’s not available for web checkouts.

But if you want the more powerful PlayStation 4 Pro model, Preferred Shopee retailer Otakuya is offering it
for only RM1,370
. Much like the deal above, you can use the PLAYER10 code to lower the price down to RM1,350. Naturally, this Pro variant also comes with two-year warranty.

The deals highlighted here all come with warranty support from Sony Malaysia, and not surprisingly, stocks are limited. This is especially the case with the RM888 standard PlayStation 4, so if you got your eyes set on that particular model, it’s best to act fast.


Terragraph Lands in Penang, Malaysia, and It’s a Big Deal

Chances are, you’ve never heard of Terragraph: a multi-node wireless system from Facebook that aims to deliver high-speed internet access in urban areas. Well, surprise surprise, YTL Communications, with support from Facebook,  is launching Terragraph in Penang, Malaysia.

But how big of a deal is Terragraph? Will it be able to replace fibre optic networks in the future? If things go well, it can certainly serve as a viable alternative.

Now, to be specific, YTL is implementing Terragraph in George Town, Penang, which is pretty interesting. Because George Town is a UNESCO heritage city, it’s difficult to install fibre optic network for high-speed internet while adhering to architectural guidelines set by the UN.

However, implementing Terragraph is much, much easier, as it can be installed on street furniture (such as street lamps) and rooftops. There’s no need for digging works to lay down fibre infrastructure, and it’s much faster to deploy too.

How fast can it be installed?
According to Amanz
, 25 nodes of Terragraph were installed throughout George Town in just one night. That’s really quite impressive.

On top of that, Terragraph can deliver gigabit speeds too, so it’s not like it is inferior to fibre optic networks in this regard. YTL demonstrated that the Terragraph network installed in George Town can achieve download and upload speeds of well over 1Gbps, though the company did clarify more tests need to be done to ensure that the network is capable of delivering consistent speeds.

Speed is not an issue with Terragraph, but because it relies on WiGig technology, the infrastructure has limited range. Terragraph operates in the 60GHz frequency range, so it has shorter wavelength than, say, a typical WiFi network operating in 2.4GHz or 5GHz.

For this very reason, Terragraph is only practical in dense, urban areas, where the multiple nodes can be installed on street lamps and rooftops of buildings. On the bright side, one node consumes about the same amount of electricity as an LED street lamp.

At this point in time, the Terragraph network in George Town, Penang is not active yet. In fact, the installation of the nodes is to prepare for the pilot study, which will commence from 1 March onwards. According to YTL, it’s the first large-scale pilot of Terragraph in Asia, and it will be held for six months.

The Terragraph pilot test will start from George Town itself; the city would have 60 nodes installed when the test begins. In the next few months, Terragraph will be expanded to other parts of Penang too, and it remains to be seen if the network will be implemented outside of the state.

If you happen to be living in George Town, you’ll love this: the Terragraph network will be accessible to the general public for free. This should put Terragraph through its paces, and if it proved to be robust enough, it’ll be a promising alternative to the more traditional fibre optic infrastructure.

Of course, if Terragraph
is
 a viable option, the next question that would have to be answered is who exactly will lay out the infrastructure for the technology nationwide. Even though it is cheaper to deploy than conventional fibre optic networks, it will still cost a considerable sum of money.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The bottom line is, Terragraph is a very promising technology, and the 6-month pilot test in Penang will tell if it is good enough to deliver better internet access in urban areas.


Deal: You Can Get the Nvidia RTX 2060 GPU for Only RM1,499 Now

Planning to build a new PC, but scratching your head over which graphics card to get? Let us help with this deal we stumbled upon. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 GPU offers excellent value for money, and you can buy one at a pretty good price now.

We found this deal on Shopee, where one retailer is listing the Galax GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card
for only RM1,499
. To put this deal into context, Nvidia’s official store on Lazada is offering
the very same GPU for RM1,599
; that’s RM100 more.

If you’re concerned about the legitimacy of the listing, worry not – Shopee Guarantee ensures that you will get the item you ordered, or you can get your money back.

If you want a Preferred seller instead, retailer Just IT Technology is also offering the
Galax RTX 2060 GPU for RM1,509
. That’s slightly more than the deal above, but you can use the retailer’s RM5 voucher to bring down the price to RM1,504. If you have spare Shopee Coins, that’s even better – you can use it to further reduce the price of the GPU from this Preferred retailer.

The RTX 2060 is a very capable GPU, and you get to enjoy features like ray tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) with this graphics card, which is only available on RTX GPUs. Besides that, Galax is also a very well-known manufacturer, and this particular GPU comes with three-year warranty too for peace of mind.


Samsung Galaxy S10 Series Hands-On: Jack of All Trades

After months of rumours and leaks, the Samsung Galaxy S10 series is official. As expected, there are three different devices in the series: the Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+. There’s also the Galaxy S10 5G with support for (you guessed it) 5G connection, but that isn’t shipping until the second quarter of 2019.

With three different devices in the lineup, the S10 series is more versatile than ever, and there’s bound to be at least
one
 device that you’d prefer over the other two. I’ve spent some time playing around with these three new shiny phones, and while they’re not the most radical devices to come from Samsung, the S10 series is a solid offering.

Out of the three devices, my personal favourite is the Galaxy S10e. Even though it’s not quite as sleek as the other two devices (it doesn’t have a fancy curved display, triple camera system, or in-screen fingerprint sensor), it’s the most compact phone here. I love the idea of small, powerful smartphones, and this is the S10e’s best quality.

Just because the Galaxy S10e is the most affordable device in the series doesn’t mean it has to feel or look cheap. It has solid build quality, it looks premium, and it’s doesn’t lose out much in terms of hardware.

It’s still powered by the same chipset as its more costly siblings – the Malaysian market is getting the Samsung Exynos 9820 variant – it still has the same rear camera system (minus the telephoto sensor), it comes with 128GB of expandable storage, 6GB of RAM, a 3,100mAh battery, and hey, even a 3.5mm headphone jack.

There is, however, one hardware of the Galaxy S10e that is quite different: the display. Packing a 5.8-inch Full HD+ “Dynamic AMOLED” display, it’s not quite as sharp and impressive as the S10 and S10+’s Quad HD+ curved screens. But is it a bad display? Not at all. It’s still plenty sharp, it has vibrant colours, and it’s still certified for HDR10+. I also dig the lack of bezel at the top of the display, although there’s still a small
chin
 at the bottom.

Of course, I can’t talk about the Galaxy S10e’s screen without mentioning the new “Infinity-O” display. Basically, there’s a
hole-punch cutout
 at the top right of the screen for the 10MP selfie camera, and you’ll definitely notice it. But how distracting will it be? I’ll only find out once I got to spend more time with the phone in a full review.

Besides the display, I’m not thrilled with the S10e’s side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which also doubles as the power button. Now, I’m perfectly okay with the side placement of the sensor, but I am puzzled at Samsung’s decision to place it
so high up
. It’s hard to reach with my thumb, and it forces me to readjust my grip on the phone every time I want to unlock it.

Next, we have the “standard” Galaxy S10. In comparison to the S10e, the S10 has a larger, higher resolution 6.1-inch 1440p Dynamic AMOLED curved display. It also comes with an extra 12MP telephoto sensor on the back, a larger 3,400mAh battery, and of course, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor beneath the display.

Speaking of which, I am absolutely blown away by how
quick
the in-screen fingerprint sensor is. A light tap is enough for the sensor to recognise my fingerprint, and it feels
as accurate
 as a conventional sensor – that’s a huge accomplishment.

Samsung may not be the first manufacturer to implement an in-screen fingerprint sensor on a smartphone, but it certainly has the best sensor in the business right now with the S10 and S10+ – in my experience, at least.

And finally, we have the largest device in the series, the Galaxy S10+. Its hardware is mostly identical to the standard S10, but the S10+ has a bigger 6.4-inch 1440p Dynamic AMOLED curved display, a much more generous 4,100mAh battery, as well as a secondary 8MP RGB depth camera on the front.

Yes, the Galaxy S10+ has two selfie cameras, and to accommodate these two sensors, this phone has an oblong-shaped hole-punch cutout. This…unique-looking cutout is probably the easiest way to tell the Galaxy S10+ apart from the regular S10. Whether or not it will prove to be more distracting than the circular cutout of the latter remains to be seen.

Beyond these differences, the Galaxy S10+ simply feels like a bigger S10. It is as premium as the other devices in the series (perhaps slightly more than the S10e thanks to its curved display), and weighing 175g – 198g for the 512GB and 1TB variants with a ceramic back – it has a nice heft to it.

Last but certainly not least is the camera performance of the Galaxy S10 smartphones. As mentioned, the Galaxy S10e has the exact same primary 12MP f/1.5 – f/2.4 shooter + 16MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle sensor as the S10 and S10+. The only rear camera the S10e doesn’t have is the 12MP f/2.4 telephoto sensor, which is available on the other two devices.

Okay, so how is the camera performance of the Galaxy S10 smartphones? At a glance, extremely good. There is almost no shutter lag on all three phones, they can lock in focus extremely quickly, and the end results look fantastic. Plus, the camera configuration of these phones are more versatile than ever. There’s a normal camera, an ultra wide-angle shooter, and in the case of the S10 and S10+, even a telephoto sensor.

That being said, I only had a brief time with these phones, so I did not manage to test their low light camera performance. But seeing how Samsung has consistently delivered great camera systems on its flagship smartphones, I reckon the S10 series will perform admirably when photographing in low light conditions.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 series retails from RM2,699 in Malaysia, and that’s for the Galaxy S10e with 128GB of storage. A tier up is the 128GB Galaxy S10, which goes for RM3,299. As for the Galaxy S10+, the 128GB variant can be bought for RM3,699, while the 512GB model carries a RM4,599 price tag.

All in all, the Galaxy S10 series is a great followup to the much more underwhelming Galaxy S9 lineup. While the changes and improvements introduced in this generation aren’t quite as drastic as the jump from the Galaxy S7 to the Galaxy S8, it’s still reasonably good.

However, competition is getting tougher, and whether or not the S10 series can stand on equal ground with these upcoming phones remain to be seen. It is the jack of all trades – it does everything extremely well, but it’s not breaking any new ground.


Testing Oppo’s New 10x Lossless Zoom Camera – Is It Any Good?

MWC 2019 hasn’t opened its doors just yet, but as usual, a number of brands are unveiling their latest products and technologies ahead of time. Oppo, for one, just revealed its new triple camera system. The highlight feature? Its ability to do 10x lossless zoom.

I managed to try out a prototype device equipped with the new camera system, and it’s quite an impressive feature. The camera performance still has some ways to go, of course, but it’s definitely an interesting technology.

Oppo’s new camera system has three distinct sensors: a primary 48MP shooter, an ultra-wide angle sensor, and a telephoto camera. Yes, it’s quite similar to
Samsung’s Galaxy S10 camera configuration
. However, unlike Samsung’s implementation, Oppo’s camera system can do 10x lossless zoom.

Normally, a camera with this level of zoom will be much thicker, but Oppo’s new camera system uses a periscope-style prism, which enables the camera to do 10x lossless zoom without making the phone too thick. In fact, the prototype device equipped with the new camera system looks and feels like any other modern smartphone; there’s no extra thickness or weight here.

Granted, the device is covered up with a casing, so it’s not entirely clear if there is any noticeable camera bump.

Off the bat, it’s clear the prototype device is installed with a very bare bone camera app. The only thing I could tweak was the level of zoom, and I have to adjust the zoom level manually with a slider. It would’ve been much more convenient if I could just tap on a button to get different zoom levels, but hey, it’s a prototype device.

At 1x zoom, the ultra wide-angle sensor is used, and as you zoom in further, the camera system switches to the other two sensors. At around 2x zoom, I’m positive the camera changes to the primary 48MP sensor – there’s a clear shift in image quality at that level of zoom.

Once I get to around 8x zoom, the image quality shifts yet again, and I suspect the telephoto sensor is used at that level of zoom. An Oppo representative then told me the prototype phone can do lossless zoom at up to 10x, and going any further is merely digital zoom, which maxes out at 20x.

Nonetheless, here are some sample shots I managed to capture with Oppo’s new triple camera system.

1x zoom
2x zoom
10x zoom
20x zoom

Quite impressive, isn’t it? Sure, the image quality isn’t the best, but this
is
 taken with a prototype device. Besides that, the 10x lossless zoom feature is the main talking point here, and in this regard, Oppo is delivering on its promise.

Also, let me shift your attention to the ultra wide-angle shot above. See, most phones with very wide-angle sensors tend to have noticeable distortions, producing a fisheye-like effect. But just look at the wide-angle image taken with Oppo’s new camera system – it handles distortion
very well,
 to the point where it’s barely noticeable.

Aside from that, Oppo’s triple camera system comes with dual optical image stabilisation too: one is equipped on the primary 48MP sensor, while the other is available on the telephoto shooter. This, in turn, makes it easier to get blur-free images, even when I was shooting at 10x zoom.

So what’s the takeaway here? Well, Oppo is onto something really good. At its current state, the company’s 10x lossless zoom camera system could still use some work, but it’s a work in progress, and it is
very
 promising. Currently, no other phone maker can offer this kind of zooming capability – not yet, anyway.

But ultimately, whether or not Oppo’s new triple camera system will be a success depends on how well it is implemented in a consumer-ready smartphone. How soon will this happen? Oppo mentioned it will release such a device in the second quarter of 2019, so we can expect it to happen as early as April.

You may question the practicality of having 10x lossless zoom on a smartphone – heck, even I do – but it does give Oppo an edge over its competition in smartphone photography. In the highly competitive smartphone market, phone makers need all the edge they can get.


Samsung Galaxy S10 5G Hands-On: We’re Not Ready for This Phone

MWC 2019 is now in full swing, so expect a lot of smartphone-related news – as well as hands-on – over the next few days. I was going through the MWC show floor when I saw one phone (to my surprise) was showcased at Samsung’s booth: the Galaxy S10 5G.

As its name suggests, this device is the only one in the
Galaxy S10 series
 to come with 5G connectivity. While the S10 5G probably won’t be available in the majority of markets – the availability of 5G network is still very limited – it’s quite an interesting device with some distinct differences here and there.

But is the Galaxy S10 5G a phone worth getting excited over? Hardly, for a number of good reasons. Well, let’s get to it.

Like the other devices in the series, the Galaxy S10 5G is also powered by an Exynos 9820 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset (depending on the market) paired with 8GB of RAM. Besides that, it also has a 6.7-inch 1440p curved Dynamic AMOLED display, which is noticeably bigger than the S10+’s already sizeable 6.4-inch screen.

Oddly enough, the Galaxy S10 5G does not have a microSD card slot, so you’ll have to make do with the phone’s existing 256GB of internal storage. It’s still a large capacity, of course, but it’s an odd omission nonetheless.

Not surprisingly, the Galaxy S10 5G has the largest battery capacity in the series at 4,500mAh. However, it’s hard to say if this will directly translate to better battery life than, say, the Galaxy S10+ (4,100mAh cell). After all, it remains to be seen just how power-hungry 5G connectivity is.

If you think the Galaxy S10+’s triple camera system is plenty already, you’re in for a surprise: the S10 5G has
four
different shooter on the back. See, this phone has a similar camera configuration as the S10+, but it has an additional time-of-flight (ToF) sensor to capture depth information. This, in turn, gives the S10 5G better augmented reality performance, among other things.

Oh, the phone’s front-facing camera is different too. Complementing the existing 10MP selfie camera is another ToF sensor.

Okay, with the S10 5G’s specifications out of the way, how is it like to hold? Well, to my surprise, it feels…not as premium as I would’ve thought. Now, the back of the phone still has a nice, pearlescent finish, but it feels
a lot
 like plastic. This is in stark contrast to the other Galaxy S10 devices with rear glass panels.

I was very intrigued with the build material of the S10 5G’s back panel, and when I asked a Samsung spokesperson about it, he said he cannot comment on this. Obviously, I’m even more convinced now it is made of plastic.

Sporting a 6.7-inch display, the Galaxy S10 5G is unmistakably a large smartphone. I wouldn’t say it’s unwieldy, but it’s not the most ergonomically friendly device either. Reaching for the top of the display with one hand is nigh impossible, and trying to tap on the navigation buttons (especially the farthest one) with my thumb is equally challenging.

What about the camera system? I reckon the S10 5G will have very similar – if not identical – camera performance as the Galaxy S10 and S10+. I’m excluding the S10e simply because it doesn’t have a telephoto sensor.

The only meaningful difference between the S10 5G’s camera system and the S10 is the former’s ToF sensors on the front and back, which
may
(keyword: may) offer slightly better camera performance. As the ToF sensors capture depth information, it will only come in handy if you’re taking portrait shots with bokeh effects.

Basically, you’re looking at marginally better camera performance – at best.

So what makes the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G a “better” device than the rest of the S10 phones? It doesn’t feel as premium, it may be too large for most users’ liking, and it has similar, if not identical camera performance as the Galaxy S10 and S10+.

Well. It’s 5G capability. That’s it. That’s what makes the S10 5G a more compelling device than the rest of the S10 phones. On paper, it’s a legitimate advantage. Not only can you play cloud games with almost no latency, it will be possible to make video calls in 4K quality.

But as impressive as these may be, 5G connectivity is not widely available yet. As much as every phone maker is pushing for 5G technology, we’re simply not ready yet – it’s merely a spec race at this point in time. On top of that, it’s almost a given the S10 5G will carry a premium price tag.

If you don’t care about 5G-enabled smartphones,
the rest of the Galaxy S10 smartphones
 would serve you better than the S10 5G. That is, until 5G connectivity is more widely available, which would make the phone a lot more relevant.


Sony Xperia 10 & Xperia 10 Plus Hands-On: Misplaced Priorities

Sony’s mobile division hasn’t been doing particularly well over the years, and in a bid to revitalise it, the Japanese company is introducing three new smartphones here at MWC 2019. There’s the flagship Sony Xperia 1, as well as the mid-range Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus.

Looking at the naming convention of these phones, it’s likely Sony is looking at this as a “new start” for its mobile business. But after spending some time with the Xperia 10 smartphones at Sony’s booth, I’m starting to think these are Sony’s weakest range of smartphones yet – they’re
that
 unimpressive.

Unfortunately, I only managed to get my hands on the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus – there are no units of the Xperia 1 on display at all. Nonetheless, all three of these phones do share one common hardware: a 21:9 display.

That’s right, the “cinematic” aspect ratio, which is commonly used for movies. As a result, the Xperia 10 smartphones are
ridiculously
 tall and narrow, giving them a very disproportional-looking design. In fact, I’m absolutely positive the Xperia 10 Plus
will
stick out of my jeans pocket if I tried to keep it there.

And even if I were to ignore the aesthetics side of things, putting a 21:9 display on a smartphone is ergonomically flawed. I’d love to see someone try to pull down the notification shade on the Xperia 10 Plus with only one hand – that would definitely involve some finger acrobatics.

Okay, enough with the 21:9 display – what are the specifications of the Xperia 10 phones? Out of the two phones, the Xperia 10 Plus is the beefier offering. It has a 6.5-inch 21:9 Full HD+ LCD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, and a 3,000mAh battery – a modest list of hardware.

As for the Xperia 10, it comes with a 6-inch 21:9 Full HD+ LCD display, a slower Snapdragon 630 SoC paired with 3GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, as well as a 2,870mAh cell. Much like the Xperia 10 Plus, the standard Xperia 10 also features an 8MP f/2.0 front-facing camera.

Hardware wise, the Xperia 10 smartphones are not the most cutting edge or powerful mid-rangers, but there are some redeeming qualities here. For one, both of them come with an all-metal chassis, which looks and feels premium, thanks in part to the matte finish.

On top of that, I also like the small bezel at the bottom of the display, though I’m not particularly fond of the chunky top bezel. But hey, at least there’s no notch or hole-punch cutout here.

Interestingly, Sony is going back to its roots (somewhat) by integrating a fingerprint sensor on the side of the Xperia 10 devices. However, unlike the side-mounted sensor found on, say, the 2016 Sony Xperia XZ, it no longer doubles as the power button. Instead, the power button is placed on top of the sensor, with the volume rocker below it.

Now, while I can reach for these buttons quite easily with my thumb, it would’ve been much more intuitive to have the side-mounted fingerprint sensor double as the power button. It’s something Sony
has done in the past
 anyway, and heck, even other manufacturers like Samsung with the Galaxy S10e did the same.

Nonetheless, let’s get back to the Xperia 10 phones’ tall and narrow 21:9 displays. I may not be a huge fan of this aspect ratio, but Sony did make a few good cases for it. You can, for example, open two apps simultaneously on the top and bottom of the display without feeling too cramped – there’s a lot of vertical screen real estate here.

Besides that, the 21:9 display would be perfect for watching movies on the go; plenty of movies are shot in this cinematic aspect ratio. But the thing is, how many people watch movies on their mobile devices? Chances are, more smartphone users will be watching YouTube on the go, and most content there are shown in 16:9.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Sony if the company didn’t outline this particular benefit of having such a long and narrow display: a more immersive gaming experience. Essentially, you will be getting a much wider field of view in games like Fortnite and Asphalt Racing – these are some of the games Sony is working to support the taller display.

However, there will be a lot more mobile games that won’t support the unconventional screen aspect ratio. In that case, it wouldn’t matter if you have a 21:9 display or 16:9 screen; these games won’t be able to take advantage of the extra screen real estate anyway.

Last but certainly not least is the camera systems of these two phones. The Xperia 10 comes with a 13MP + 5MP dual camera configuration, while the Xperia 10 Plus features a more sophisticated 12MP + 8MP camera setup with 2x optical zoom. So can these two phones capture good-looking shots? Not exactly.

Even by mid-range smartphone standards, the camera performance of the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus are decidedly average. Not only is there a very noticeable shutter lag in between shots, detail preservation is not great either. You can probably take good-looking shots with either one of these two phones with some effort, but don’t expect them to blow you away.

I find it really hard to recommend the Sony Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus smartphones. I won’t deny there are some benefits to the 21:9 screens of these two phones, but Sony is sacrificing too much in terms of practicality and looks. Okay, the latter is a subjective matter, but Sony is misplacing its priorities here.

Instead of improving the design or camera performance of its smartphones to make them more compelling, Sony is attempting to stand out in the competitive mobile segment by offering something that is unique, but not necessarily…well, practical. It’s a shame, really, considering the amount of success prior Xperia phones enjoyed.

Currently, there are no pricing information yet for these two phones, though they are set to be available sometime in March next month. If you’re in Malaysia, and you’re hoping Sony Malaysia will be bringing in the Xperia 10 phones, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Over the past few months, Sony has been very quiet in the Malaysian market. Although it wasn’t made official (yet), we suspect the company is no longer focusing on its mobile efforts in Malaysia. Of course, there is a chance this will change in 2019, but only time will tell.


Energizer Power Max P18K Pop Hands-On: A Power Bank Running on Android

Okay, so the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop (try saying that five times quickly) isn’t actually a power bank. Rather, it’s an Android smartphone with an
absolutely huge
 18,000mAh battery. The phone is so thick, it would’ve been more accurate to call it a power bank.

Nonetheless, the Power Max is very much a full-fledged smartphone, and if you want absolutely amazing battery life, this is the right phone for you – if you can even get one, that is.

Despite its brand name, the Energizer Power Max isn’t exactly made by Energizer itself; French company Avenir Telecom holds the license for the Energizer branding. For the most part, the company releases entry-level to mid-range devices.

How about the Power Max? It’s comfortably a mid-range smartphone. It features a 6.2-inch 1080p display, a MediaTek Helio P70 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and of course, a huge 18,000mAh battery. Yes, that’s the most important hardware here.

Not only is the Power Max extremely thick at 18mm, it’s also a very hefty smartphone. Avenir did not reveal the exact weight of the phone, but you’ll definitely feel it in your pocket. Yes, I tried to put the phone in my jeans pocket, and
surprisingly
, it actually fit! I don’t think it would be particularly pleasant to have it in my pocket for too long though.

However, a phone this thick presents some…interesting ergonomic challenges. It’s extremely difficult to use with only one hand, and if you’re a leftie, good luck reaching for the power button on the right side of the phone. I tried, and it’s
really
 hard to do.

On the flip side, the metal chassis of the Power Max does feel quite robust. In fact, it feels a lot like a power bank. If you feel like it, you can even treat it like one – the Power Max can be used to charge other devices. How long will it take to charge the phone itself? About eight hours or so with a fast charger.

Despite its bulky chassis, the Power Max has quite a sleek-looking front design. Its 6.2-inch display is free from any notch or hole-punch cutout, and the bottom screen bezel is quite minimal. The display quality itself, on the other hand, isn’t all that bad either.

So where is the front-facing camera? Well, much like the Vivo V15 Pro, the Power Max has a motorised camera module with two sensors: 16MP + 2MP. Unfortunately, the camera mechanism of the demo unit I tested wasn’t working, so it is permanently sticking out of the phone.

Considering the fact that the device was handled by so many people prior to me – I suspect it is the only working unit at the booth – this isn’t all that surprising. This shouldn’t serve as an indication of the module’s durability.

But when it comes to performance, the Power Max isn’t the most refined device. Even though it runs on Android 9 Pie, the phone has some stuttering here and there, and I was only navigating around the home screen. It’s not like the Helio P70 is a bad chipset – it should be powerful enough to provide a decent user experience.

Sporting a 12MP + 5MP + 2MP triple camera system, you shouldn’t expect the Power Max to have great camera performance. The camera interface itself is quite simple, and it’s responsive enough for a decent shooting experience.

The image output, however, isn’t particularly great. It will work in a pinch, but based on a few shots I managed to capture with the phone, you won’t want to do any serious photography with it. This is, after all, a mid-range smartphone.

The Energizer Power Max P18K Pop will be available sometime in June 2019, and for the European market, it will go for a cool 599 euro, which comes up to about RM2,770. That’s a lot of money for a device in this segment, and it’s not particularly polished either in a number of important areas.

Nonetheless, I imagine there will be folks who will be interested to get the Power Max just for its sheer battery life. There are probably no other smartphones with a 18,000mAh cell under the hood, and that in itself is a good selling point.

That being said, if you’re in Malaysia, and you want to get the Power Max, you probably wouldn’t be able to. At least, not by official means. If there’s enough interest, I’m positive parallel importers will bring in the Power Max – just expect to pay a premium price tag for it.


Xiaomi Mi 9 Hands-On: Super Promising, Super Affordable

Xiaomi’s range of flagship smartphones always had one thing in common: they’re very affordable. However, not all of them are memorable, and some of them – despite their affordable price tags – were eclipsed by other flagships that offer better features, or simply better value for money.

But this has been steadily changing over the past couple of years, especially with the introduction of the
Xiaomi Mi 8 series
 of smartphones last year. Now, we’re looking at the Chinese company’s most refined smartphone yet: the Xiaomi Mi 9.

It’s sleek, it offers excellent performance, and most of all, it retains Xiaomi’s competitive pricing. I took the Mi 9 for a spin over at MWC 2019, and I absolutely cannot wait to put it through its paces.

Design wise, the Mi 9 further improve upon its predecessor’s looks. Yes, the phone still has a notch, but it is much smaller now. The bottom bezel of the phone has been reduced quite a bit too, lending to a much more modern-looking, more aesthetically pleasing design.

On the back, nothing much has changed. The Mi 9’s camera module – now a triple camera system – is still placed at the top left side vertically, and it still has a sleek glass panel. Paired with the phone’s glossy metal frame, you have a phone that looks and feels very premium.

There is one new design element of the Mi 9: iridescent colourways. Available on the Lavendar Violet and Ocean Blue colour options, the colour of the back panel changes depending on what angle you’re looking at it. It’s a small, but very nice touch. If you’re not a fan of this, you can always opts for the Piano Black variant I’ve got my hands on here.

When it comes to performance, the Mi 9 features Qualcomm’s latest and fastest Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of fast UFS 2.1 storage. Rest assured, you’re getting very good performance with the Mi 9. After all, the Snapdragon 855 will be powering the majority of flagship smartphones this year, and it will be the default choice for any Android phone maker that wants flagship-tier performance.

Much like its predecessor, the Mi 9 also features an in-screen fingerprint sensor, and it has been improved immensely. In my review of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the speed and accuracy of the sensor. Thankfully, the Mi 9’s in-screen sensor is much faster, and much more accurate now.

I wouldn’t say it’s quite as fast as the Samsung Galaxy S10’s ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor, but hey, the Mi 9 is considerably more affordable than Samsung’s latest crop of flagship smartphones.

Compared to its predecessor, the Mi 9 now sports a slightly larger 6.39-inch 1080p Samsung-made AMOLED display, and it’s pleasant to look at. Colours are punchy and vibrant, viewing angles are great, and thanks to the inherent property of AMOLED panels, you’re getting excellent black levels too.

I also like the redesigned “multi-colour” always on display of the Mi 9. Contrast this with other smartphones’ always on displays, which are usually shown only in white. There are some exceptions, of course, like the
Asus ROG Phone’s always on display
 with some red accents.

Packing a 3,300mAh battery, the Mi 9 should be able to return reasonably good battery life. It’s not a very generous battery capacity, but Xiaomi’s power management is one of the best I’ve tested – I’m confident the Mi 9 can deliver good battery life.

And now, we have perhaps the Mi 9’s most impressive feature: camera performance. It comes with three rear cameras: a primary 48MP f/1.75 sensor, a 16MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle shooter, and a 12MP telephoto camera. it’s a complete selection of camera sensors, and on the front, it has a 20MP f/2.0 shooter.

Photographing with the Mi 9 is a pleasant experience. There’s no noticeable shutter lag, the autofocus speed is fast, and the camera has little to no difficulty adjusting for exposure quickly and accurately. It’s no wonder the Mi 9 has a DxOMark score of 109, pulling ahead of the iPhone XS Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

Of course, as with most hands-on, I only had a limited amount of time with the Mi 9, so I couldn’t assess the camera’s low light performance. Once I have a review unit of the device, this would definitely be the first thing I would test.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 is a sleek, fast, affordable smartphone that shows a lot of promise; extra emphasis on its affordability. In China, the Mi 9 retails from 2,999 yuan, which comes up to only RM1,820. At this price point, the Mi 9 is one of the most affordable smartphones with a Snapdragon 855 chipset.

If Xiaomi Malaysia can price the Mi 9 below the RM2,000 mark in Malaysia (this is an optimistic estimate), I reckon it will be a highly sought-after flagship smartphone. But even if it carries a higher asking price, I still think the Mi 9 is worth considering.

The feature set the Mi 9 offers is simply that good,
especially
 when it comes to mobile photography. I’ve said it at the beginning of the article, and I’ll say it again – I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on this phone.


LG G8 ThinQ Hands-On: A Cool Gimmick on an Unremarkable Phone

I will preface my hands-on of the LG G8 ThinQ with this: I haven’t had this much fun trying out a new phone. Yes, I did say the G8 is an unremarkable phone in my headline, and I fully acknowledge the contrast. However, this one gimmick with the G8 makes it
a lot
 of fun to use, and it’s the phone’s most unique feature: the Z Camera.

Basically, the Z Camera is a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor on the front of the G8, which allows the phone to capture depth information, among other things. So what makes it so special? Let’s find out.

Okay, I’m going to begin with the G8 ThinQ’s coolest feature – in my opinion, of course – the Air Motion gestures. By placing my palm closer to the phone to activate the Z Camera (there’s a small bar right below the notch to show it is active), I can then “bend my fingers into a claw” to perform certain actions.

Once the Z Camera recognised my hand, I can then move to the left or right to launch certain apps. This is customisable, and I can even use Air Motion gestures to answer phone calls, stop an alarm, and my personal favourite: taking a screenshot. I only need to do a pinching motion with my hand to do this, and it’s
really
 satisfying once I got the hang of the feature.

But therein lies the biggest drawback of the Air Motion gestures: it can be tough to grasp (apologies for the pun; I couldn’t help it). It didn’t take me too long to consistently activate the Z Camera, but there are other folks in LG’s booth that were struggling to get the feature to work.

Nonetheless, the idea behind Air Motion is is to control your device without actually touching it, which can be useful in certain conditions when it’s not convenient to, well, simply tap on the phone’s display. Say you’re cooking in the kitchen, and you want to turn up the volume of your phone. By holding your hand over the G8 and pausing for a bit, another interface would activate, allowing you to increase or lower the phone’s volume.

It’s like turning an invisible knob, and I absolutely love the idea behind this. It feels…futuristic, even though most consumers probably won’t find much use for this feature.

Beyond the G8 ThinQ’s Z Camera and Air Motion gestures, the phone as a whole is ever so slightly…underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I love how the phone feels in my hands, but it’s already 2019 – why is LG
still
 releasing a phone with a wide notch? It’s as if LG didn’t bother giving the G8 a proper design update from the G7.

Fortunately, round the back, the G8 has absolutely no camera bump at all – the triple camera system sits flush on the rear glass panel of the phone. Very little phones have camera modules that don’t stick out prominently, so it’s great to see LG going with a different design decision here. Surprise surprise, the G8 also has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

While we’re on the topic of audio, the G8 is also equipped with what LG dubs “Crystal Sound OLED.” As its name suggests, the phone’s 6.1-inch POLED 1440p display – which looks great – doubles as a speaker, which explains the lack of an earpiece on the top of the phone.

Of course, you still get a dedicated speaker on the bottom of the G8, and even in the noisy environment of MWC 2019’s show floor, the phone’s audio output is still quite discernible.

Other hardware of the G8 ThinQ include a fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, an 8MP f/1.7 front-facing camera, a rear fingerprint sensor, a reasonably big 3,500mAh battery, and it’s IP68-rated.

Oh, I almost forgot: the G8’s Z Camera can also be used for yet another biometric security: Hand ID. Using the Z Camera’s infrared signal, the G8 can map out your veins – the haemoglobin in your blood absorbs IR signal. According to LG, this form of biometric security is very hard to beat.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try out this feature. The feature is blocked on every demo unit of the G8 showcased at LG’s booth.

Anyway, let’s get to the camera performance of the G8 ThinQ, which is…pretty standard affair. Like the majority of smartphones today, the G8 has three camera sensors on the back: a primary 12MP f/1.5 shooter, a 16MP /f.19 wide-angle camera, and a 12MP f/2.4 telephoto sensor.

I took a few images with all three sensors of the G8, and for the most part, the image quality is relatively good. Naturally, the primary 12MP sensor captures the best-looking images, followed by the wide-angle camera, and the telephoto shooter. As a whole, however, the camera performance doesn’t strike me as particularly impressive.

There’s no denying the G8 is a versatile shooter, of course, thanks to these three different sensors. But even though LG was one of the first phone makers to implement a super wide-angle sensor on its smartphone cameras, other manufacturers have followed suit. As a result, the G8 doesn’t feel particularly…special anymore.

And that captures the essence of the LG G8 ThinQ. It’s a good, competent 2019 flagship smartphone with the latest hardware and what not, but it doesn’t have
that
 big feature to set it apart from the competition. I’d argue the G8’s Z Camera and accompanying Air Motion gestures is that exact “big feature,” but when it comes to practically, they’re simply too gimmicky.

For what it’s worth, I had a ton of fun exploring the G8’s Z Camera. It’s just a shame the rest of the phone aren’t all that remarkable, and it doesn’t even have a tentative release date or pricing information yet.


Nokia 9 PureView Hands-On: Five Cameras Are Better than One

The Nokia 9 PureView is here, and yes, just as the leaks and rumours have suggested, HMD Global’s latest smartphone truly has
five
 camera sensors on the back. Why on earth would you need that many lenses, you ask? Well, for a couple of very good reasons.

See, even though the Nokia 9’s five-camera configuration doesn’t have the versatility of other flagships’ camera systems, it could very well deliver
the best
 camera performance on a smartphone. At least, that would be the case if HMD can truly deliver what it promises.

So what’s the deal with the Nokia 9’s five cameras? For starters, all of them are 12MP f/1.82 shooters. What else? Three of them are monochrome sensors, while the other two are standard RGB. Sounds weird? Sure does, but there is a good explanation for the unique camera system.

Developed in collaboration with Light (yes, the very same company that released the L16 camera with 16 lenses), the Nokia 9’s three monochrome sensors can absorb much more light than the other two RGB shooters. This, in turn, improves the camera performance by quite a bit, especially in low light conditions.

When you press the shutter button, all five of the Nokia 9 cameras snap a picture at various exposures, which are then combined to form one single image. In theory, this phone would be able to capture very detailed pictures by combining information from these five cameras.

In my brief time photographing with the Nokia 9, I was quite surprised with the results. Although there is noticeable shutter lag whenever I took a shot, not to mention the extra processing time (hey, it’s capturing and stitching images from five sensors here), the image output is nothing short of impressive. It has great detail preservation, dynamic range, and colour balance.

Judge for yourself with these sample images I took, along with comparison shots from a Samsung Galaxy S9+. Do note that the Nokia 9 is still running on pre-production hardware, so the image quality may be different in the final retail version.

Nokia 9
Samsung Galaxy S9+
Nokia 9
Samsung Galaxy S9+

On top of that, with so many camera sensors, the Nokia 9 can capture
a lot
 of depth information; there’s even a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor on the back of the phone to further help in this regard. The most immediate benefit of this is better, more authentic-looking background blur, and it also allows you to refocus a shot
after
 you have taken it.

This isn’t a new feature, of course – plenty of other smartphones allowed you to do this for the longest time. But the Nokia 9’s implementation should be superior, considering the fact that it is working with more depth information.

Then again, this only sounds great in theory at this point in time. Until I have the opportunity to test a final, retail unit of the Nokia 9 for myself, I’d hold off my judgement of the device’s camera performance. But for what it’s worth, I’m very optimistic of the phone’s shooting capability.

But there
is
 one shortcoming of the Nokia 9’s five-camera system: it is not very versatile. In a market where other flagship smartphones are offering cameras with different focal lengths, the Nokia 9 cannot take ultra wide-angle shots or zoomed in, close-up images.

Is this a big deal? Personally, I don’t mind at all,
especially
 if the Nokia 9 can take better-looking images. I’d take quality over versatility any day of the week.

Okay, so that’s the camera aspect of the Nokia 9; how about the rest of the phone? Quite decent, actually. It has a nice, solid build quality thanks to the glass and metal construction. It looks premium, and best of all, it doesn’t have any notch or selfie camera cutout to house the 20MP front-facing shooter.

Other specifications of the Nokia 9 include a bright and vibrant 5.99-inch 1440p POLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset (it’s still a plenty powerful SoC despite not being top-of-the-line anymore) paired with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of non-expandable storage, a decently-sized 3,320mAh battery, and IP67 water and dust resistance.

Except for the Nokia 9’s Snapdragon 845 chipset, it’s a reasonably good flagship smartphone even in 2019. If you’re particular about software, you’ll be happy to know that this phone – as with most Nokia devices – is part of the Android One program. So you’ll get a clean, stock version of Android, as well as timely updates.

The Nokia 9 PureView is expected to be available sometime in March next month, and it will retail at $699 (about RM2,840) in the US. While it may not be the fastest, sleekest, or most desirable smartphone, this is HMD Global highest-end, most ambitious device yet.

The company is betting big on the Nokia 9’s unique camera system, and considering HMD’s past track record when it comes to its smartphones’ lacklustre camera performance, there’s a lot to prove here. But if the Nokia 9 can truly deliver amazing camera performance, other phone makers will have to pay attention.

As insane as five cameras on the back of a smartphone sounds, it’s not crazy if it works.


Samsung Galaxy A50 & Galaxy A30 Hands-On: Heating up the Mid-Range Market

Update, 18 March:
 The Samsung Galaxy A50 and A30 are now in Malaysia. As suspected, the Galaxy A30 with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM retails at RM799, while the higher-end Galaxy A50 (128GB storage + 6GB RAM) goes for RM1,199. These are certainly competitive price tags for both phones, and you should definitely consider them if you’re shopping in this price range.

The original article follows.

Samsung’s range of flagship smartphones have seen quite a bit of success, but for the past couple of years, the Korean company’s mid-range offerings haven’t been particularly…interesting. However, with the introduction of the Samsung Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A30, this may change.

Sporting a modest list of hardware and potentially really good value for money, both the Galaxy A50 and A30 are pretty interesting mid-rangers, especially the former. I got to spend some time with these devices at Samsung’s booth here at MWC 2019, and here are my first impressions.

Samsung Galaxy A50
Samsung Galaxy A30

Out of the two devices, the Galaxy A50 is the beefier, more impressive device. It has a 6.4-inch 1080p Super AMOLED “Infinity-U” display, an Exynos 9610 2.3GHz octa-core processor, up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, a generous 4,000mAh battery, and get this: an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

Unfortunately, the demo unit of the Galaxy A50 had this feature disabled, so I couldn’t put it to the test. Chances are, it should be sufficiently quick and accurate, though I highly doubt it’ll be as good as a conventional fingerprint sensor.

As for the more affordable Galaxy A30, it has the same design, display, and battery capacity as the Galaxy A50. However, it’s powered by a more modest Exynos 7904 1.8GHz octa-core processor, up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, as well as a rear fingerprint sensor – no fancy in-screen sensor here.

Design wise, there’s no escaping the fact that the Galaxy A50 and A30 are mid-range devices. They feel plasticky, they don’t look particularly premium, and there’s a notch at the top of the display. On the bright side, at least it’s a minimal-looking notch, though I’m not fond of the rather sizeable bottom bezel.

In the performance department, both the Galaxy A50 and A30 feel plenty responsive. I didn’t notice any noticeable stuttering or lag when navigating through the home screen and switching between different apps on these devices. However, I reckon the Galaxy A50 is the faster device, thanks to its higher clocked chipset.

Much like other newly released Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy A50 and A30 run on the company’s relatively new One UI software based on Android 9 Pie. Basically, you’re getting almost the same software experience as, say, the flagship Galaxy S10 smartphones.

However, I do think the icons are a
tad
 too large on these mid-range smartphones, which doesn’t look particularly pleasing. Nonetheless, Samsung has definitely come a long way when it comes to software, and One UI feels very polished here.

Not surprisingly, the 6.4-inch 1080p Super AMOLED displays on the Galaxy A50 and A30 are good, vibrant panels. As AMOLED screens switch off individual pixels when they need to display black colours, you’re getting excellent black levels with these phones. Viewing angles are obviously great here too.

If you’re a bit bummed the Galaxy A50 and A30 only have 1080p displays, don’t be. Texts and images still look plenty sharp on these panels, and combined with these devices large 4,000mAh battery, expect to get really, really good battery life. This will be one of the best qualities of these mid-range smartphones.

But when it comes to camera performance, don’t expect too much out of the Galaxy A50 and A30. Naturally, these devices have different camera systems. The Galaxy A50, for one, comes with a triple camera system made up of a primary 25MP shooter, an 8MP wide-angle camera, and a 5MP depth sensor. On the front, the A50 features a 25MP camera.

Instead of a triple camera system, the Galaxy A30 make do with only two sensors on the back: a 16MP main camera, and a 5MP wide-angle shooter. The front-facing camera, on the other hand, is a 16MP sensor.

As expected, the Galaxy A50 is the more pleasant smartphone to photograph with. The camera app feels responsive, the autofocus performance is decent, and the image quality is…well, good enough. It’s a different story for the A30 though. Even though the shooting experience isn’t too dissimilar to the A50’s, the A30 has a tendency to hunt for focus more frequently.

Overall, the camera performance of the Galaxy A50 and A30 is decidedly average, even for mid-range smartphones. However, it’s only fair to reserve judgment until I’m able to spend more time photographing with either phones in a full review.

The Samsung Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A30 are reasonably good mid-range offerings that excel in certain key areas like battery life and display quality. But what makes them even more enticing are their retail prices. For the Malaysian market, the Galaxy A50 is rumoured to retail at RM1,199, while the Galaxy A30 will supposedly go for only RM799.

If these retail prices are accurate, the Galaxy A50 and A30 will shake the mid-range market quite a bit in Malaysia. After all, Samsung Malaysia hardly price its Galaxy A series devices this competitive, and considering the feature set of these two phones, Samsung may be able to stand toe-to-toe with other players in this price range.

Of course, we’ll just have to wait and see if Samsung will indeed price the Galaxy A50 and A30 this competitively in Malaysia. If it does, these two devices are set to be very good options for those who are shopping for mid-range smartphones.