by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Sales, SMEs, Technology
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : Chinese tech giant Huawei has played its biggest bet in India by bringing in its first Mate series smartphone — the Mate 20 Pro — that costs a tad more than Samsung’s latest flagship Galaxy Note 9.
Surpassing Apple, Huawei became the second largest smartphone seller in the world, after Samsung in the second quarter this year.
Its latest flagship offering is an attempt to build on the success of P20 Pro in India which had the world’s first triple camera set-up at the rear.
The Rs 69,990 Mate 20 Pro also comes with a triple camera system, a posh built and top-notch internals such as the firm’s homegrown Kirin 980 chipset.
We used the smartphone for a few days and here’s how it fared against other flagships.
One of the high points is Leica-branded triple camera system. We saw the feature earlier on P20 Pro, but in the new device, the company has added a wide-angle sensor instead of a monochrome lens.
The camera also features night, portrait, pro, panorama, monochrome watermark and underwater shooting modes that are really handy.
The triple camera is placed in a 2×2 raised grid design on the rear along with a dual-tone LED flash. The set-up includes a 40MP main sensor, a 20MP ultra-wide angle lens and an 8MP telephoto lens with support for autofocus, laser focus, phase focus and artificial image stabilisation and 3D depth sensing.
The images shot in broad daylight were excellent with vibrant colour reproduction and high dynamic range. We particularly liked the shots taken without the AI mode which now identifies and tweaks settings for up to 1,500 scenes.
Having said that, the smartphone maker has now toned down the presets in blue skies and greenery scenes as compared to the P20 Pro.
Low-light photography did not disappoint either as the images came out bright (however, these looked a tad bit whitish).
The 0.6x macro mode on the device is worth mentioning; it lets you take photos from up to 2.5 cm away with no loss of details.
The emerald green colour variant’s rear had a cool textured pattern that also ensured it did not slip off easily.
The device’s back (in all variants) uses a complex hairline pattern to produce an effect that is not only highly durable but also makes it easy to grip and fingerprint resistant.
The Mate 20 Pro’s 6.39-inch OLED screen is gorgeous with deep blacks and vivid colours. It has a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels and can be adjusted according to a user’s needs.
The phone has no lower speaker grille; the sound comes out of the bottom-facing USB-C port and surprisingly, did not get muffled when we plugged it in.
The Kirin 980 chip ensured the device performed blazingly fast. This is the first 7nm chipset on Android phone and came in the market only after Apple’s A12 processor.
The hefty 4200mAh battery easily lasted almost two days on a single charge, giving the smartphone an edge over galaxy S9+.
The addition of a novel feature allows the device to charge other smartphones (with built-in Qi). Once turned on, the reverse charging option lets the user add juice to another compatible phone.
The device can be quickly unlocked via an in-display fingerprint sensor and also through 3D face recognition.
What doesn’t work?
Huawei’s latest version of EMUI based on Android 9 Pie OS is not free of bloatware. There are dozens of pre-installed tool, “smart remote” being one of them. We, like most users, would like Huawei get rid the OS of unwanted apps for a smoother user interface (UI).
The sound output from the unique bottom-firing USB-C port was mostly average.
Absence of a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack can be a bummer for most users.
Conclusion: Huawei has pulled off quite a gorgeous-looking phone with extremely powerful internals. The stellar battery life, triple cameras and great user experience make it a desirable package.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Marketing Basics, Markets, SMEs, Technology
New Delhi : Riding on the success of its latest popular “F” series smartphone — “F9 Pro” — Chinese smartphone maker OPPO recently launched its new offering in the “A” series” — the “A7” — for Rs 16,990 in India.
The dual-SIM handset comes with a water-drop notched display, a mammoth 4,230mAh battery, and face-recognition feature in 3GB and 4GB RAM variants. With a memory card, one can extend the 64GB internal storage of the phone up to 256GB.
Of the two colours in which the phone is available — glaring gold and glaze blue — we reviewed the former, which we found a little too flashy. People may find that glaze blue variant more subtle and chic.
Here’s what worked for us.
Even though the design of the phone appears textured with thin glazing lines, the feel of the back, however, is smooth.
The fingerprint sensor is pretty crisp and lies below the 13MP+2MP dual rear camera set-up on the back along with an LED flash.
The rear-camera app comes with several modes — time-lapse, portrait, stickers and panaroma.
The volume buttons, along with the SIM-slot that comes with a dedicated space for the memory card, sits on the left of the phone and the lock button is positioned on the right edge.
The phone sports a 6.2-inch display and a resolution of 1080×2340. The screen displayed vivid colours and the size was very comfortable for watching videos and playing games with decent sunlight legibility.
The 16MP selfie camera is staged in the top centre of the phone, semi-circled by the notch.
Because of the central position of the front shooter, the selfies are at just the right angle you intend them to be at — which is great — rather than being displayed tilted on screen.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor supported multi-tasking and running multiple apps simultaneously smoothly making the overall performance of the phone satisfactory.
Even after running several social media apps multiple times a day along with gaming and video-browsing, the battery lasted more than one day.
The bundled charger — which is not a VOOC (Voltage Open Loop Multi-step Constant-Current Charging) technology-enabled fast charger — in the package took more than an hour to completely charge the battery.
What does not work?
We found that the phone heats up a lot, but only while charging. The face-recognition feature appeared to be a little slower than expected, especially in low-light conditions.
Given that the brand’s reputation is fuelled by its camera technology, in the “A7” — where the selfie camera is quite impressive, the rear cameras work just alright — there is nothing exceptional. The phone could have included more features to the camera app.
The phone does not support the company’s patented flash-charging VOOC technology, which was also slightly disappointing.
Conclusion: Selfie lovers and those who yearn for a big battery are likely to find the OPPO A7 very attractive although the absence of its flash charging system may disappoint others.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Sales, SMEs, Technology
By Nishant Arora,
New Delhi : DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics, decided to change his strategy for the Indian market this year.
After seeing Chinese players getting the upper hand on innovations in the camera department, Koh geared up to alter course.
First came the Samsung Galaxy A7 with a three-rear camera system and now, Galaxy A9 with a monster four-rear camera system – the world’s first — has created ripples in the Indian market.
Galaxy A9 with dual tone, reflective gradient design, vibrant colours, scratch-resistant durable glass back and flagship infinity display has upped the ante in the fast-growing camera smartphone segment.
The 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB variants of Galaxy A9 cost Rs 36,990 and Rs 39,990, respectively.
Let us see why this device is a game changer when it comes to the future of mobile camera hardware – especially in the super-hot Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 segment where OnePlus is a current leader.
Since camera is the focus, Galaxy A9’s vertically-stacked rear camera system comes with a telephoto lens capable of 2x optical zoom that allows to take crisp, detailed shots — even from a distance.
Try it for macro-photography, wildlife photography and situations where you need to get up-close to the action.
With Galaxy A9’s 24MP main lens, you can capture clear and bright images in both bright and low-light conditions.
In low-light conditions, the A9 allowed more light and we could see good results (on certain days, in a clear weather sans smog).
The Depth Lens gives the freedom to manually manage the photos’ depth of field and focus on the subject for stunning, professional looking images.
Galaxy A9’s “Ultra-Wide Angle” camera allowed us to capture not only the subject but the whole scene.
The company says that at present, most smartphones capture 77 degrees in their field of view.
On the other hand, Galaxy A9 is able to capture 120 degrees — helping capture more expansive photos, just like what our eyes see.
This comes in handy when you need to capture landscapes, group shoots or situations where you need to fit a lot into a single frame.
The front camera houses a 24MP sensor for selfie lovers.
The device comes with a larger and wider 6.3 Super AMOLED infinity display for immersive viewing experience which is further enhanced by Dolby Atmos surround sound, making it a delightful entertainment device.
The smartphone is powered by Octa-Core Snapdragon 660 processor and a large 3800mAh battery with fast charging capability that gave it high-speed performance for almost a day.
Galaxy A9 automatically recognises 19 kinds of scenes and optimises colour settings to suit the content – whether it is a nightscape, a field of flowers, or a plate of food.
The device can also intelligently detect when there is a flaw in an image and immediately notifies the user.
Galaxy A9 features virtual assistant Bixby, Samsung Pay and Samsung Health.
For multi-tasking, App Pair allows users to launch two apps at once on a split screen.
The device with 3D Glass-curved back runs Android 8.0 (Oreo) and is available in three colours — Caviar Black, Lemonade Blue and Bubblegum Pink (the last one was reviewed).
It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and face recognition support.
What doesn’t work?
The only big department where it lags behind the high-selling OnePlus 6T is the processor.
Although Snapdragon 660 is famous to power mid-range devices but at its price point, OnePlus houses Snapdragon 845 processor which is better for high-density usage like 4K video streaming and gaming for a longer duration.
Conclusion: The best camera device in the Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 price segment that comes with the trust Samsung has earned in the Indian market. Putting your money on the world’s first four-camera smartphone in Galaxy A9 won’t disappoint you.
(Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, Sales, SMEs, Technology
Skullcandy Venue
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : The market has plenty of wireless headphones, but it is only a few brands that actually offer quality music for audiophiles.
US-based audio equipment maker Skullcandy Inc, which broke into the market in 2003, recently launched its latest offering, the Venue, in India in the sub-Rs 20,000 segment.
The brand has always been synonymous with funky, cheerfully-coloured earphones targeted at the young — but the Venue is an attempt by the company to break away from that image. The wireless on-the-ear-style headphones boast of active noise cancellation (ANC) and the company also promises a battery life of up to 24 hours.
The Skullcandy Venue is available for Rs 18,999 in the country in two colour options. The matte black colour variant looks every chic. There’s a white colour variant too with subtle hints of crimson.
We used the headphones for a few days and here’s what we think about it.
Talking about the design, the Skullcandy Venue doesn’t scream for attention. It sports a minimalist design aesthetic.
The company’s skull logo appears subtle enough (in the black colour variant) to give the impression that it was not there at all.
The slightly oversized oval-shaped ear cups would remind one of the big cans introduced in the 1990s. We loved the sense of nostalgia that they brought.
The company has used memory foam padding underneath faux leather for the cans and the adjustable headband that ensured the device was comfortable for long-time use.
In fact, we used the headphones for almost four hours at a stretch and they still felt comfortable, thanks to the light form factor.
The dedicated physical control buttons on the headphones are aptly placed: The left cup accommodates the power button along with LED indicators (for battery life) and a dedicated active noise cancellation button.
The volume rocker is present on the right cup which can also be long pressed to change tracks. There’s an intend in between which made sure we could comfortably pause/play the songs.
The ANC feature creates an immersive listening experience without being overbearing. The dedicated ANC button also let us lower the sound a tad for hearing the outside world, as and when required.
The headphones have 40-mm driver units and a frequency range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz that ensured the audio quality was spot on.
The Venue, surprisingly, produced much balanced sound as compared to other bass-heavy devices from Skullcandy. It was easy to differentiate between individual elements while listening to music.
The “Tile” feature lets users locate and ring-to-find the device via Bluetooth.
The fast-charging capability and battery of the Venue is worth mentioning; we squeezed in almost 23 hours of juice on a single charge which is a bonus considering the price of the headphones.
The company has also bundled a carry case with the headphones which has a solid, rugged feel to it. It is decently-sized and slipping it into a bag won’t be a problem in most cases.
A standard 3.5-mm jack sits right next to the Micro-USB port (for charging) which can also be used when you run out of juice.
What doesn’t work?
The build quality of the headphones could have been slightly better as it felt creaky and flimsy in the hands.
We also encountered spotty Bluetooth connection and the device often got disconnected especially when we moved around (with the headphones on) while our phone was kept somewhere else.
Conclusion: The Venue is a good attempt by Skullcandy to enter the premium ANC headphones’ league. Balanced sound and decent battery life make it attractive in its price segment.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Branding, Business, Markets, SMEs, Technology
By Krishna SinhaChaudhury,
New Delhi : Huawei’s sub-brand Honor has been following an aggressive strategy for the price-conscious Indian market, offering good specifications and internals at a relatively affordable price.
Its latest offering, the Honor 8X, comes in three variants — 4GB+64GB, 6GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB — priced Rs 14,999, Rs 16,999 and Rs 18,999, respectively.
We used the 4GB RAM variant for a couple of days and here’s how the phone fared.
The device scores most points in the design department. There’s a highly glossy dual-tone design at the rear that makes it look and feel premium. The company says it has used multiple layers of glass to create the highly glossy dual-tone back.
The front has tiny bezels, a small bottom chin and around 91 per cent screen-to-body-ratio.
The rear-mounted fingerprint sensor has been aptly placed. It was quick to unlock the device and was consistent enough.
The device comes with a 6.5-inch LTPS LCD display which was quite sharp and had decent sunlight legibility.
Talking about the specifications, the Honor 8X comes with the company’s own mid-range Kirin 710 chip which ensured lag-free performance most of the times.
With an adequate 3,750mAh battery, the Honor 8X lasted almost a day with usage ranging from running social media apps, browsing videos and listening to music.
Honor 8X’s imaging capabilities were, however, a mixed bag. The 20MP+2MP dual Artificial Intelligent (AI) rear camera with autofocus (AF) had an inconsistent performance. Photos taken in certain lighting conditions were good while several others were a bummer.
The 16MP selfie snapper fared better in terms of details and sharpness during the review.
Another good thing about the device is the inclusion of a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack which most smartphone players (for premium phones) are giving a miss these days.
What doesn’t work?
We found the placement of the volume rockers a little awkward — it was placed a little higher than usual.
Inclusion of a dated micro-USB instead of a future-proof USB Type-C port was also a disappointment.
The highly glossy rear means the device is prone to scratches and makes it impossible to use without a protective case.
Conclusion: The Honor 8X is a good-looking device that exudes a premium feel — not to forget the big screen real estate and good battery life.
However, those looking for consistent camera performance might try other options. At this price point, Xiaomi’s newly-launched Redmi Note 6 Pro can also be considered.
(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in )
—IANS
