Huawei Present Mate 9 New Smartphone With Leica Dual Camera

Huawei presented the new smartphone Huawei Mate 9 a few days ago, with a huge 5.9 inch display and a dual camera, developed with Leica. As the successor of the Huawei Mate 8, Huawei Mate 9 follows the design of Mate 8 and no big change. Technically speaking, Huawei is using state-of-the-art technology, so the new HiSilicon Kirin 960 Octa-Core processor is used. The modem allows speeds of up to 600 MBit/s in the downlink based on LTE category 12. Highlight is the camera with two sensors and hybrid zoom. In addition, a Porsche Design Edition of the Huawei Mate 9 with Curved AMOLED Display was presented.

Metal body with 2.5D glass

The Huawei Mate 9 has a metal body and is offered in the colors Space Gray, Moonlight Silver, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown, Ceramic White and Black. Above and below, a thin plastic strip is visible instead of metal in order to optimize the performance of the mobile radio antennas. The glass above the display is rounded to the sides, which is also called 2.5D glass.

The display is 5.9 inches in size and provides a full-HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). Compared to the competition, display resolution is somewhat lower but come to the battery, the runtime to good.

 

Android 7 and EMUI 5

Before we take a closer look at the hardware of the Huawei Mate 9, we have a few words about the software. Huawei delivers the Mate 9 with the latest version of Android 7, along with the well-known Huawei EMUI user interface, which, in addition to a different design compared to original Android, offers significantly more functions. On the Mate 9, EMUI version 5 is being used for the first time, which has been improved compared to the current version 4.1 and is to be more efficient and even easier to use.

Leica Dual Camera

Like the Huawei P9, the Huawei Mate 9  comes thus with a dual camera that was developed in cooperation with Leica. This time, however, this is the second generation of the technology, which is equipped with a hybrid zoom. The backside main camera has two sensors installed: a 20 megapixel monochrome sensor and a 12 megapixel color sensor. For fast focusing, a hybrid autofocus and an optical image stabilizer to prevent blurred pictures. Videos can record in 4K resolution through the back camera, and the LED flash is two-color.

The front camera of the Huawei Mate 9 has a resolution of up to 8 megapixels and also has an autofocus.

Fast processor and LTE Cat12

The Mate 9 is the first Huawei smartphone to be with the new HiSilicon Kirin 960 chipset. The SoC is the first with ARM Cortex A73 processor architecture and Mali G71 graphics core and is to score at a very good performance in comparison to the competition from Apple, Qualcomm and Mediatek. The processor offers four cores each with a maximum of 2.4 GHz clock rate for high-performance applications and an additional 4x 1.8 GHz cores for energy-saving work. The working memory is 4 gigabytes in size for the Mate 9.

The radio modules are also equipped with the latest technology. In addition to Bluetooth 4.2, the Mate 9 also supports NFC and WLAN 802.11ac on 2.4 and 5 Gigahertz. The LTE modem of the Huawei Mate 9 operates at speeds of up to 600 Mbps in the downlink, while the following LTE frequency ranges are supported for worldwide use:

* FDD LTE band 1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B18 / B19 / B12 / B26 / B28 / B29

* TDD LTE band 38 / B39 / B40 / B41

 

Dual SIM version available

Huawei will offer the Mate 9 in a single SIM version and a dual SIM version. Both versions come with 64 gigabytes of internal memory and can be extended by MicroSD memory card by up to 2 terabytes, the dual SIM version allows, however, the use of a second Nano-SIM card instead of the MicroSD memory card. The dual SIM version is a so-called hybrid slot, which does not allow the simultaneous use of MicroSD and two SIM cards.

Exclusive: Porsche Design Version

In addition to the “normal” Mate 9, Huawei also introduced a Porsche Design Edition. This is not only twice as expensive, but also offers a different design and other technology. Thus, a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with qHD resolution is used, which is rounded at the sides – just as you would know from the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. The memory is also 6GB slightly larger than the normal Mate 9 and there is a separate hardware home button, which is displayed only by software in the display in the normal device. The Porsche Design Edition will remain exclusive due to the extremely high price and sales exclusively through Porsche Design Stores.

Prices and availability

The Huawei Mate 9 is now available in 4GLTEMALL.com online store. We offer the dual SIM version. In addition to the usual accessories such as charging adapters and headphones, you will also find a protective cover. The Huawei Mate 9 in the Porsche Design Edition will be sold from the end of December 2016 in Porsche Design Stores.

 

Huawei Nova – New Smartphone in Test

At the IFA 2016 in Berlin, Huawei presented the Nova. The mid-class smartphone is intended to offer a very good equipment at a moderate price, which would be expected in the upper class. The basic data: a 5 inch full-HD display, a high-quality metal body, Octa-Core processor, 3GB RAM and 12 megapixel camera with 4K video recording. The Huawei Nova is also one of the medium size phones in current Android smartphones and would like to appeal especially to users; many other current devices are too large.

Smart and high quality

 

The Huawei Nova is delivered in a smart cardboard box. The foil, in which the nova is wrapped up, gives some initial information about setting up and using the SIM card format. In addition to the smartphone, you will also find a power supply unit with USB connection (output: 5V / 2A) as well as a USB Type C cable, which can be used both for charging and data transmission. A simple stereo headset is also included.

 

 

When I first had the Huawei nova in my hand, I was directly taken by the handy and high-quality case. The device consists largely of metal and is rounded to the sides. The display glass is also very rounded (“2.5D glass”) and is therefore not only chic, but also beautiful to touch. Maybe the nova with its 5 inch display is a little too small for some users, but for most users, it would be a good compromise of display size and handiness. A small detail is the nova often noticed: the power button is the only button on the edge with a thin red strip, which looks very beautiful according to the angle of view.

 

 

Highlight: the display!

Besides the successful design, the display is the absolute highlight for me at Huawei Nova. It is a 5 inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The representation is extremely sharp and the colors are very lively. Due to the slight rounding to the edge and by the very good luminosity, the display sometimes appears as printed. By comparison with expensive high-end smartphones like the Apple iPhone 6s, Huawei Nova is still very compatitive!   Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-Core processor and 3GB memory, the operation is very smooth and fast – just as you would imagine. The nova is still based on Android 6, but an update to Android 7 will probably follow soon. I like the EMUI user interface very much personally, because it offers significantly more functions in contrast to the “pure” Android and comes without App Drawer, ie the individual app icons are stored on the start screens.

 

 

The unlocking of the display is secure and reliable thanks to the fingerprint sensor attached to the back. Now, of course, you can argue about whether a fingerprint sensor should be positioned on the front or on the back of a smartphone, but I personally find the sensor with the Nova on the back useful and practical.  

 

Basically, I was very satisfied with the software on the Huawei Nova as I said, a negative point I have found in the Huawei EMUI 4.1 UX however: contacts cannot be filtered so that only contacts with telephone number are represented. So I have some contacts in my Google Account, which are stored only with e-mail address, which I would not listed in my Smartphone telephone book. Other smartphones – including older Huawei smartphones – offer this filter option, here Huawei should update to fix it.

 

 

 

Good camera with 4K video recording

The two cameras of the Huawei nova are widely advertised and are to score with a good picture quality as well as a large range of functions.   The rear-view camera offers a resolution of 12 megapixels in a 4: 3 aspect ratio, and it does not stand out from the case, but fits seamlessly into the glass cover, which also incorporates an LED flash and the NFC antenna. Compared to other current mid-class smartphones, the picture quality can really be seen, not only in sufficient (daylight) light, but also in darker environments. The images are sharp and colors are displayed naturally. If you want to get more out of the camera, you just have to leave the automatic mode and then you can make various settings in professional mode. This includes, for example, the ISO value or the trip time. With a tripod you can for example also easily realize long-term exposures. The operation of the camera software is basically very simple and uncomplicated and in addition to the professional mode, there are many other functions, such as for panoramic, HDR or slow motion shooting.

 

 

The following photos were taken with the back camera of Huawei Nova. Clicking on the picture opens the original photo. Tip: best open in a new browser tab!

 

 

The Huawei nova together with the sister device nova Plus is the first Huawei smartphone, which can record video in 4K UHD resolution. Up to now, Huawei devices could record a maximum of 1080p (Full HD). However, you have to configure this in the settings, because the device is only set to 720p HD.

 

 

The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels in the 4: 3 aspect ratios and is very good for selfsies. The picture quality is good and the software gives you various possibilities to influence “your own appearance”. For example, you can use a slider in 10 steps to adjust how much the image should be “after-treated”. The higher grades seem to me very artificial. What I do not like is that both the frontcam and the rear camera are the 4: 3 image format of the sensors. Rather, the images are viewed directly on the smartphone display (16: 9 format), the PC screen (16: 9) or the TV (also 16: 9), but you have a black bar every time. Sure, you can adjust the image format manually in the settings, but then the full resolution of the sensor is not used and you have a smaller image section available.  

LTE Cat7 with 300 MBit/s

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset in the Huawei nova is a so-called SoC (system on a chip). In addition to the processor, further chipsets such as the modem are integrated. The modem is a Qualcomm Snapdragon X9, which supports not only GSM and UMTS with up to 42.2 Mbps but also LTE of category 7. With a suitable tariff, up to 300 MBit/s can be reached in the downlink, uplink theoretically up to 150 MBit/s are possible. The high LTE speed is made possible by the carrier aggregation technology, also known as channel bundling. This channel bundle can even be switched off in the settings of the Huawei nova – but there is no reason for the shutdown possibility.  

 

 

The reception in my test was perfect, especially in the LTE network around 1800 megahertz, which is extensively developed. The Huawei nova is also available in a dual SIM version. Network operators and service providers, on the other hand, offer the single SIM version, which has also been used for this test. In the case of the dual SIM version, you have to decide between the use with two Nano SIM cards and the use of a MicroSD memory card, because memory card and second Nano SIM use the same slot. Also note: only one of the two SIM cards can be used with UMTS and LTE, the other card is limited to 2G/GSM.    

 

The voice quality in the telephone was perfect, both directly at the ear as well as over the integrated loudspeaker. The loudspeaker is also good for music playback, it provides a loud and clear sound, without overstepping.  

 

 

Of course, the Huawei nova also supports WLAN, but unfortunately only in the frequency range by 2.4 gigahertz. In the meantime, the support for dual-band WLAN in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency range along with the current radio standard 802.11 ac would have been the case here for a high-level smartphone.

Battery pack

The battery in my test with normal to strong use always lasts a whole day, often even a little longer. For a full two days of use, it will be a bit tight, but for most users, the smartphone comes anyway every night, so the Huawei nova with its 3020 mAh capacity is definitely well equipped!  By the way, the USB type C plug eliminates the usual trouble with the connection, since the plug can be plugged in both directions, which one very fast to appreciate.  

Conclusion

Huawei Nova could become a huge success for Huawei since compact smartphones are in high demand and the choice of such devices is manageable. The nova is perfectly processed, is very good in the hand and offers a very good price-performance ratio. In particular, the display and the camera are convincing and could be installed in a more expensive premium-class smartphone. It’s a pity that Huawei nova doesn’t support for WLAN in the 5 GHz frequency range and WLAN ac radio standard. Sometimes you may want the camera a slightly faster release time. At least the latter can might be improved through a firmware update in the future.  

 

Actually, there is another mobile smartphone from huawei at the same level to Huawei nova: Honor 8. This provides even a little better equipment, however, is also slightly larger and has a glass back, so is more vulnerable to falls. If you want to know more Huawei new smartphones, welcome to check here: http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-lte-smartphone/huawei-4g-smartphone.html  

Huawei Honor 8 New Smartphone Available

At an event in Paris a few days ago, Huawei launched its new flagship smartphone Honor 8 for the European market. The predecessor Honor 7 has good price-performance ratio and is now available at good price now in http://www.4gltemall.com. The Honor 8 was sold in China for several weeks. Highlights of the new Honor 8 include the completely new design with 2.5D glass both on the front and on the back, and the 12-megapixel dual camera, which is already known in the Huawei P9.  

 

 

New design with lots of glass

 

The Honor 7 was still a massive metal back and a flat glass display cover on the market. The successor Honor 8 provides glass surface on both sides, which is toward slightly rounded at the sides. Thus, the device is expected to be better in the hand and no more act as edgy. The frame is further comprised of metal.    

 

The Honor 8 is available in the colors Midnight Black, Pearl White and Sapphire Blue. All three colors are both on the front and on the back side visible and also the frame is colored accordingly, so that one has a uniform appearance.

 

 

Good equipment

 

The Honor 8 is quite similar to the Huawei P9 technically. Most likely is that visible on the rear dual camera, this has resolution of 12 megapixels and allow good shots particularly. One sensor is an ordinary RGB color sensor; the other is a monochrome sensor.  

 

Again on board is the dual SIM function and the ability to expand the internal 32GB memory with a MicroSD memory card. As a processor, HiSilicon Kirin 950 octa-core is used, which runs at up to 2.3GHz per core and is equipped with 4 GB of memory. There is also an i5 coprocessor, which provides, in certain applications for acceleration. The Wi-Fi works on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and besides GSM and UMTS, Honor 8 supports LTE networks.

 

 

The LCD display of Honor 8 is 5.2 inches and has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD). And a fast fingerprint sensor on the back has been integrated again. Another new feature is the NFC functionality, even if a Secure Element for secure payments sadly lacking. The integrated battery is 3,000 mAh strong. The Honor 8 can charge to 50% within 30 minutes via the integrated USB Type C port.  

 

 

The Honor 8 is available on http://www.4gltemall.com now. As a new mobile phone with new features, it is significantly more expensive than the Honor 7.However, the price-performance ratio is very good if you compare the specifications of Honor 8 with those of similar expensive competing products.