DEAR Huawei; If you are spending millions of dollars on a product launch (and flying journos from all over the world to Paris), you might want to spend some of those resources to try and keep things a little bit more secret.
As Evan Blass tweeted: “Not really even trying anymore are they? #P30.”
After weeks and weeks of endless leaks (even from Amazon!), Huawei’s supposed grand reveal became more like a formal presentation as everyone in the audience already knew what to expect from the new P30 series. Granted, there were still a few surprises, especially because of those live demos, but pretty much all the information about the P30, including the specs, were already out days before the Paris Convention Centre event. Like I said last week, for a company accused of spying, they kind of suck at keeping their own secrets. If you still have no idea what the “P” stands for, Huawei CEO Richard Yu’s presentation probably gave you a very clear idea. The Huawei P30 series builds on the P Series DNA in design and photography, and is the company’s most advanced series of smartphone cameras.
Now if you’ve never owned or tried a Huawei smartphone (but why?!?), you were probably blown away by the presentation and all those advancements they have made in their camera technology, but as a longtime Huawei user—since P8 B.L. (Before Leica)—does the P30 really #RewriteTheRules?
Instead of just listing the specs and features like everyone else, I have decided to do something a bit different. To borrow a line from my favorite Internet host Simon Miller (from WhatCulture Wrestling): “Time to up those downs” from Huawei’s P30 Paris presentation.
UP: The New DXO King. After almost a year, the Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro have been dethroned in the DXO ranking. Their successor achieving a record-high overall DxOMark score of 112 is, of course, the Huawei P30 Pro. This, thanks to its Leica Quad Camera System: a 40MP main camera with SuperSpectrum Sensor, a 20MP ultrawide-angle camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, plus a new Time of Flight Camera for depth sensing.
UP: Low Light Monster. The P30 Pro has the highest ISO in a smartphone camera with the P30 having an ISO value of 204,800 and the P30 Pro a whopping 409,600. This allows you to capture clear photos even in (almost) total darkness using handheld night mode. I don’t know about you but I don’t plan on capturing ghostly images anytime soon.
UP: Improved Video + Dual Video. The P30 promises a new era of studio-grade videography with its low-light video capture AIS and OIS support stabilization for all video capture settings. Another interesting addition is Huawei Dual-View Video, which lets you capture two perspectives of the same scene at the same time by using multiple cameras simultaneously. This provides you a full view of a scene while also capturing a closeup of a subject. Not sure how you’ll be able to save and edit it though.
UP: Colors. Breathing Crystal, Amber Sunrise, Pearl White, Aurora—those colors are as gorgeous as they sound. Huawei’s gradient finish is still the best out there and I’m praying to get the Amber Sunrise.
Now for the Downs:
DOWN: Lower screen resolution. The P30 Pro’s OLED display, despite being bigger, is significantly less sharp; with the 6.47-inch curved screen only 1080p compared to the Mate 20 Pro’s is 1440p. Will there be a noticeable difference?
DOWN: Less secure face recognition. There’s a reason the Mate 20 Pro has a larger front notch, and that is for housing its 3D facial unlock tech. Since the P30 Pro only has a tiny teardrop notch, it doesn’t have that tech and could make Face ID even less secure. It also lacks a front earpiece entirely, as it uses its display to create something called “electromagnetic levitation,” a fancy way of saying the screen is used as a speaker. Will this have an effect on call quality?
DOWN: Stalker Cam. Richard Yu said “The Galaxy phone cannot see [the] galaxy but [with] the Huawei P30 Pro, you can see the galaxy, you can take [a] photo of the galaxy.” Clap. Clap. Clap. The P30 Pro has this “periscope camera” that allows you to zoom 5x and 10x without loss in quality. Pretty good when using it during concerts, but up to 50x zoom? Now that can be a little too creepy.
DOWN: Design. Don’t get me wrong, the P30 looks amazing, but still also looks like the P20 and all the other Android phones with vertical camera setup. I actually prefer the Mate’s square setup or the Galaxy S10s horizontal cam placement which makes them easily recognizable, with or without a case.
DOWN: “Chinglish” presentation. I met Mr. Yu a few years back and he’s a very nice guy, but I really do think they need someone else to do some of the presentation for him. A lot of comments during the livestream were from people saying that it was quite hard to understand what he was saying.
DOWN: Gentle monster. OK, we get it. You’ve created smart glasses that look more fashionable than weird, and, yes, they do look cool. But the presentation about the company (do we really need to know about the concept behind the stores?) took way too long. People watching the livestream were begging for him to get off the stage because it was getting boring.
Again, these are just my initial thoughts on the Huawei P30 series based on what I saw in the livestream. We’ll have a full “real-world use” review once we get our hands on a review unit in the next few weeks.
FIVE REASONS TO GO WITH THE GALAXY S10
NOT too impressed with the Huawei P30 but still on the fence about upgrading to the Samsung Galaxy S10? Here are five reasons that might help you make the decision.
1. It features the world’s first Dynamic AMOLED display. It’s the first screen certified for HDR10+ content. Simply put, it provides for a more immersive mobile experience—sharper details, crisp resolution, brilliant colors and overall stunning display. Together with the phone’s remarkable audio quality, Digital Trends describes the S10 Plus unit as “a movie theater that can fit in your pocket.”
2. It has intelligent triple-lens rear cameras. There’s a 12MP telephoto, a 12MP wide angle and a 16MP ultrawide camera—so you’re always camera-ready to capture life’s precious moments. The intelligent camera suggests image compositions and automatically adjusts your settings to the scene.
3. It features a seamless aesthetic design, combined with innovative sensors. The new Samsung S10 handsets feature prismatic color ways, and the sleeker Infinity-O Display for an uninterrupted viewing experience. Pushing the boundaries of mobile innovation, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ screens also tout a built-in Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner so that only you can access your phone.
4. It remembers your mobile habits. The Intelligent Performance Enhancer takes mobile efficiency and intuition to a whole new level by optimizing the way you interact with your phone. It anticipates your needs by preloading the apps you frequently use, so no time and battery life is wasted.
5. It is available on data-packed Smart GigaX Plans powered by the Philippines’S fastest LTE network. Maximize all of Samsung Galaxy S10’s advanced features on the country’s fastest LTE network (www.smart.com.ph/Postpaid/galaxys10), as certified by renowned third-party analysts including Tutela, Ookla and OpenSignal. With Smart LTE, you can stream your favorite videos seamlessly, upload and download files in an instant, and share your stunning photos with friends and loved ones in no time.
#CONNECT2EARTH CHALLENGE
TikTok is supporting Earth Hour globally through campaigns in the Philippines and various countries including Japan, Korea, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, with the aim of raising awareness on environmental protection.
The TikTok #Connect2Earth challenge in collaboration with Earth Hour aims to raise awareness on the important role of nature in everyday life and the benefits it provides, including food production, clean air and fresh water.
Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 180 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action for over a decade. This year, Earth Hour invites everyone across the world to show their solidarity toward planet Earth by turning off their lights for an hour on March 30 at 8:30 pm local time.
As part of supporting this global moment, TikTok has introduced special customized stickers which users can use in conjunction with Earth Hour. Many local influencers have used these stickers in their creative videos to promote the #Connect2Earth campaign. TikTok users will also be able to use the special Earth Hour stickers from March 26 by uploading their TikTok videos with the local hashtags.
#Connect2Earth is TikTok’s second challenge supporting the environment. TikTok also launched the #DifferentWorld challenge in January in collaboration with popular DJ Alan Walker to launch his new single and debut studio album of the same title. The single sought to bring more awareness in caring for the environment.