Huawei launches Honor 30s 5G with Kirin 820| Specs and Features

Huawei has officially launched Honor 30s in China. This is a mid-range Android smartphone and supports 5G.

Honor 30s is powered by Kirin 820 Octacore processor and has Mali G57 GPU for Graphics. It comes in two different memory/storage configurations – 8GB ram / 128GB and 8GB ram / 256GB.

The display on the 30s is a 6.5 inch Full HD+ LCD screen with 2400 × 1080 pixels resolution. HDR 10 is supported.

One of the main highlights of this phone is it’s camera system. There are four cameras at the back. The main sensor is a 64MP F1.7 aperture lens. There are two 8MP sensors next to it – one for ultra-wide-angle shots and the other for telephoto shots. The 2MP depth sensor is also there to assist in portrait shots. On the front of the phone, there is a 16MP F2.0 aperture sensor.

The main sensor has a full-frame equivalent focal length of 26mm. The ultra-wide is 17mm wide and the telephoto lens is 80mm equivalent. In software terms, Honor 30s offers 3x optical zoom and 5x hybrid zoom.

Honor 30s comes with 4K at 30fps support with EIS / AIS image stabilization for smoother video. Ultra slow-mo 960fps is available at 720P resolution. The front camera shoots Full HD 1080P videos with AIS / EIS image stabilization.

It comes equipped with a 4000mAh battery. 40W Fast Charging is supported by SuperCharge charger.

Honor 30s Specs

  • Kirin 820 5G Chipset
  • 6.5 inch Full HD+ LCD display
  • 4000mAh battery with 40W fast charging
  • 64MP main camera + 8MP telephoto lens + 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens + 2MP depth sensor
  • 16MP front camera
  • Android 10 operating system

Due to the ongoing Huawei ban, Honor 30s will ship without Google Apps like Play Store. Since this is a mid-range 5G handset, it will be launching Globally as well as in India in the future. Official launch dates will be announced later.

Google Pixel 5 to come with Snapdragon 765G instead of 865

Google Pixel Phones are famous for their computational photography magic. The HDR+ and Night mode Google Camera offers are second to none. They often produce usable, noiseless images in even difficult lighting conditions with often just a click.

In other areas, however, Google pixel phones often fail to achieve high flagship standards.

Let’s take Pixel 4 for an example. When everyone was pushing out phones with an ultra-wide-angle lens, google chose to ship it with a telephoto lens instead. A true flagship phone should have had all 3 focal lengths on boart – telephoto, wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle. Look at iPhone 11 Pro for an example. Pixel 4 also didn’t support 4K at 60fps, which iPhones have been doing for years.

According to many reports and leaks online, Google’s 2020 flagship Pixel 5 would be a mid-range Android smartphone. While everyone else is using Snapdragon 865 on their high-end phones, Google is rumored to be shipping Pixel 5 with Snapdragon 765G instead. Thankfully, this is also a 5G chipset.

Apple is rumored to be planning to launch a mid-range iPhone in 2020, similar to its older iPhone SE. Maybe, Google wants to compete with this upcoming iPhone and had to cut costs. That would be a good reason to go for SD765G instead of SD865.

Google is also planning to launch Pixel 4a soon with mid-range specs and $399 price. It will probably launch in India as well in the upcoming months.

Snapdragon 765G Features

  • 7nm build
  • 64-bit
  • Qualcomm Kryo 475 CPU ( Up to 2.4 GHz )
  • Wi-Fi 6 Ready
  • Up to 3.7 Gbps 5G Speeds
  • Qualcomm Adreno 620 GPU
  • Bluetooth 5.0 support
  • Quick Charge AI Technology

Xiaomi Mi 10 5G India Launch Postponed

Xiaomi and Amazon.in was gearing up to launch Mi 10 5G in India on March 31st, 2020. Xiaomi has now announced on their official twitter page that they are postponing this launch as the whole country is under the lockdown. A future date will be announced once things are back to normal in the country.

Pre-order Offer Previously Announced on Amazon.in
Free Mi Wireless power bank worth Rs 2,499 + up to Rs 2500 OFF with Axis Bank Cards.

Mi 10 Specs and Features

Mi 10 is a flagship smartphone from Xiaomi and will compete against the upcoming OnePlus 8 Series of smartphones. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset.

The display is a 6.67 inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top. The maximum refresh rate supported is 90hz, which should give a fluid UI experience.

One of the main highlights of the Mi 10 is it’s 108MP main camera sensor at the back. This is a Samsung made sensor and is similar to the one we see on the expensive Galaxy S20 Ultra model. It supports PDAF as well as has OIS build in. The aperture of the lens is F1.7.

Currently, on DxOMark Mobile Phone Camera Ratings, Mi 10 shares the top spot along with Oppo Find X2.

Since this has such a high megapixel main camera, and thanks to top-end Snapdragon 865 on board, it can shoot 8K videos. 4K at 60fps as well as Full HD slow-motion videos are supported as well.

Mi 10 also comes with a 13MP F2.4 aperture ultra-wide-angle lens. There are two more sensors at the back. A 2MP sensor is used to capture depth information to use in portrait mode and another 2MP sensor next to it lets you shoot macro shots.

It comes equipped with a 4780mAh battery which supports 30W Fast charging both via adapter as well as wirelessly.

Flipkart and Amazon India suspend Online Shopping Services

Unless you are living under a rock, you would probably be some way affected by the Covid-19 Corona Virus Lockdown being in place all over India. Online shopping giants Amazon.in and Flipkart are affected as well and have suspended their online services until this pendemic is well under control.

Both Flipkart and Amazon have listed all their products except essential products as Not Available or Out of Stock.

Amazon.in Covid-19 page reads “During this time, customers are counting on e-commerce to support their social distancing and self-quarantine efforts. At every level of our company, we’re working to provide the products and services that our customers and communities need at this time.“

March 28 Update : Amazon has now resumed deliveries on some pin codes. Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mohali, Mysuru, Patna, and Raipur are some of the cities they have resumed their delivery services.

Honor Magic Watch 2 46mm India Price, Specs and Features

Huawei is gearing up to launch Honor Magic Watch 2 46mm and Honor Band 5i in India online via Amazon.in. Promo pages for these two Fitness products are already live. MRP price, Launch Offers etc will be announced in coming days.

Honor Magic Watch 2 46mm is powered by Kirin A1 chipset and offer up to 14 days of battery life. This is not an Android Wear OS watch, hence doesn’t come with app support. It has an AMOLED display and supports Always-On screen feature. Notification support is available as well.

It is also available in 42mm size, but only 46mm variant supports Bluetooth Voice Calling feature.

Honor Magic Watch can be controlled using Huawei Health App on both Android and Apple iOS. You can download new watch faces and install them on to your watch via this app. You can also update your Honor Watch to latest firmware via the app.

Like many other Smartwatches, this too supports 24/7 Heart Rate Monitoring, Sleep Monitoring, Step Counts, Calories Burnt etc.

Expected Honor Magic Watch 2 Price in India is Rs 12,999.

Specs and Features

  • Kirin A1 Chipset
  • up to 14 days battery life
  • 15 Goal based fitness modes
  • Bluetooth Calling support
  • 316L Stainless Steel Build
  • AMOLED screen
  • Alwasy-On display support
  • Personalized Watch Faces
  • Huawei Truseen 3.5
  • 50ATM Water Resistant
  • VO2Max Monitor
  • Huawei TruRelax
  • Huawei TruSleep 2.0
  • Wireless Music Playback
  • Built in Speaker and Microphone

Samsung announces Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Galaxy S10 Lite

Samsung has announced two new Lite Android smartphones – Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite.

These two smartphones have a few specs in common. It has the same display and battery capacity. There is an in-display fingerprint scanner on both as well.

Both feature Triple Camera setup at the back. However, the sensors on board are different on both smartphones.

Galaxy S10 Lite features a 48MP F2.0 aperture main camera, along with a 12MP F2.2 ultra wide angle lens and 5MP F2.4 macro lens. Galaxy Note 10 Lite on the other hand comes with 12MP main sensor with F1.7 aperture lens + 12MP F2.2 Ultra wide + 12MP telephoto lens combination. OIS is supported on both phones ( main sensor only ).

The display on S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite is a 6.7 inch Full HD+. Like every other phone in the Galaxy S Series and Note Series, these two also feature a Super AMOLED screen.

The battery on board is a 4500mAh cell with fast charging support. Galaxy Note 10 Lite – since is a Note device – supports S-Pen features.

Galaxy S10 Lite is powered by 7nm Octacore chipset while Note 10 Lite has 10nm Octacore processor on board.

MRP Price and India Launch Date are yet to be Announced by Samsung India. Stay Tuned.

Is it worth buying Mi Band 3 in 2020 ?

I have been using Mi Band 3 for a while now. Xiaomi has already launched it’s successor Mi Band 4 as well as a Heart Rate Sensor less Mi Band 3i in India a few months back.

Mi Band 3, when on offer, sells for Rs 1,599 online in India these days. Is it worth buying that for that price in 2020 ?

Pros

  • Great Battery Life – up to 3 weeks with Heart Rate Sensor Off
  • Notification support – you can choose alerts from which all apps to show via the app
  • Very Feature Rich companion app – Mi Fit
  • Automatic Do Not Disturb and Night Mode
  • Lightweight, Small and Easy to Wear
  • Call Alerts
  • Waterproof – Go for a Swim without worries

Cons

  • Display is not that visible under Direct Sunlight.
  • No GPS
  • Just a Generic Pill size design

As you can see, i can’t think of many things to put it under Cons section above. The notification alert system has allowed me to never miss a call or an important message. It’s really a good value for money fitness band and i would highly recommend you get one.

Honor 9X Indian Variant Review

Huawei is gearing up to launch Honor 9X Global Variant in India in coming months. The Huawei ban by US Govt, which prevented shipping devices with Google Apps and Play Store, does not affect Honor 9X as it was launched before the ban.

Honor 9X Indian Variant is same as the Global variant, but is different from the chinese 9X. I have been using Global variant for a while now. Here are my thoughts and review.

It is powered by mid-range Kirin 710 octacore processor and comes with Triple Cameras at the back. The original 9X is powered by faster, better and newer Kirin 810 processor, but only has a single camera at the back.

Honor 9X Pro on the other hand features Triple Cameras at the back like the Indian 9X. The Pro model would probably won’t launch in India. One other feature 9X Pro has and 9X doesn’t is the internal cooling system for better, and longer gaming.

Honor 9X comes with a 48MP main camera with an F1.8 aperture lens. This is a Sony made sensor and offers excellent dynamic range and quality. By default, it takes 12MP photos which is achieved by 4-in-1 Super Pixel ( Pixel Binning ) technology.

From my experience, it’s better to leave the camera at 12MP instead of going for the full 48MP. The image quality is not exceptional, but good for a budget Android smartphone.

The Ultra wide angle 8MP sensor lets you take some really fun wide angle shots. However, the image quality is just average.

The pop-up front camera take good selfies, but is a bit slow to pop out and be ready.

Honor 9X Camera Pros and Cons

  • Good Dynamic Range and Decent image quality
  • Good close-up focusing
  • Feature Rich Camera App with Pro mode, Aperture Mode, Portrait, Light Painting, Night mode etc.
  • No DNG Raw Support
  • No 4K recording support
  • Video Quality is below average
  • Image Stabilization – EIS is only available on 720P videos.
  • Night Mode and Light Painting modes can only take 8MP photos.

This ships with a big 4000mAh battery. Huawei Phones have always known for good battery life thanks to their many optimization features build in to EMUI.

The display on the 9X is a Full HD IPS LCD one with very good Sunlight visibility and brightness. It is much better than my Honor 10. However, the color saturation is bit high and is not accurate. You can tweak this in the Display setting to achieve the color tone you like.

9X currently ships with EMUI based on Android 9. It will get Android 10 based EMUI 10 in future with Google Play store.

Honor 9X Official India Launch Date and MRP price is yet to be announced.

Most Popular Cameras on DPreview

DPReview, one of the best online media to look for news and reviews related to Cameras and Photography, have just announced their Most Popular Cameras of the year 2019 as well as Most Clicked / Most Visited Cameras on their site. As expected, Mirrorless cameras top the list and the only DSLR in the list is Nikon D850.

Here are the Top 5 Most Clicked Cameras on Dpreview

First place in the list, X-T3 is a top-end camera with an APS-C size crop sensor. It features an X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and has X-Processor 4 image processing engine. The EVF is a 3.69-million-dot one with max 100 fps refresh rate support. FUJIFILM X-T3 is the first Mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor that can record 4K/60P 4:2:0 10bit internally. Even Sony hasn’t been able to achieve that on their A6600 and A6400 bodies yet.

For Full list, visit Dpreview here.

Best DNG RAW Photo Editor on Android Smartphone

Mobile Phone cameras have come a long way now. Phones like Google Pixel uses computational photography and HDR algorithms to produce stunning results just by a single click. However, Pro photographers who love to have the best dynamic range and image quality, still shoots DNG raw and edit them using software to get the best output possible.

On Android Play Store, there are a lot of Photo Editing Apps available. However, most of them do not support DNG raw editing.

The best DNG raw editor currently available on Android is without any doubt Adobe Lightroom Mobile. Even though you need monthly paid subscription to use advanced editing features like Healing, Graduated Filters etc, you can import and do basic edits on DNG files even without the need for a paid subscription.

Google’s own Snapseed too support DNG raw editing. However, Google hasn’t cared to update this incredibly powerful app with more features. DNG editing is not that great on Snapseed and is very basic. It doesn’t have Noise Reduction or Sharpening options available which are often necessary when you retouch a DNG file.

Adobe Lightroom Mobile also has a build in Pro Camera app which lets you shoot dng raw and let you change Shutterspeed, ISO, White Balance etc. It’s Free to use and doesn’t need subscription.

Adobe Lightroom Mobile is free to download from Playstore. After installing the app, just login with your Adobe ID or create one. You are now good to go. Check out the LrMobile playstore link here.