Sometimes I think the phone makers have lost the plot.
Just because you can put it in a phone, doesn't mean you should. Especially if your customers didn't even ask for it in the first place.
Right now there seems to be a crop of high-end handsets out there, so jammed full of extra tricks and features, not only are they priced way beyond most normal people's budgets but they're actually pretty darn ugly too.
Surely there's no point in owning a phone with more processing power than a lunar lander if it looks like a brick and doesn't even fit in your pocket...
The OPPO A91 might be the compromise you've been looking for.
The image above really doesn't do the A91 justice, because it's one of the prettiest phones I've used in a long time. Available in Blazing Blue or Lightening Black (no, that isn't a spelling mistake; the black is Lightening in colour, not lightning-like) Not only is the rear casing a gleaming, glowing, eye-catching work of art that seems to reflect light in about ten different ways, it's one of very few handsets I've come across that has a matching metal frame around the outside edge. So not only is the A91 comfortable to hold because of its curved sides at the back, it also looks much more colourful than many other phones.
It's light and it's slim as well. The 6.4" AMOLED display is plenty big enough for most users and yet, because of the high screen-to-body ratio, the whole device is no bigger than it has to be - even the quad-camera module on the back is as compact as it possibly can be. Instead of an unsightly, bulky, squarish collection of lenses, seemingly clamped onto the back of the phone as an afterthought, the A91's 48MP Ultra Wide Angle Macro Quad Camera is a skinny little row of sensors tucked neatly into the corner. Yes, it's still raised out from the back of the phone, although hardly noticeable if you're using the clear case that's included in the box.
These mid-range OPPO devices usually punch well above their weight in terms of camera performance, so I was keen to start snapping off a few pics with the A91. As I've come to expect, the on-board AI does an excellent job of identifying common scenes and objects, automatically adjusting the settings accordingly. Don't get too excited about the zoom capabilities as there's no telephoto lens here - OPPO's gone for a macro shooter instead. This means cool food and flower shots but distance shooting will get pretty grainy pretty quick.
What really impressed me were the shots from the 119 degree ultra-wide angle lens. OPPO has come up with a nifty little trick called Distortion Correction to keep the fishbowl effect of your wide shots to an absolute minimum. As you can see here, the light, detail and colour look great too.
As usual for an OPPO handset, it's the portrait and selfie shots where the A91 comes into its own. There are just so many options for bringing out the very best in any face - even mine. Not only can you choose to smooth skin (or not to) but you can target the shape of particular features like nose, eyes and chin. And that's before you get to the multitude of filters and other effects on hand to create genuinely stunning, Insta-ready pics in moments. There's also some pretty cunning anti-shake technology to keep your videos extra-steady and a lot of that AI beautification stuff works on the videos you shoot too.
But of course, a phone is more than just a pocket camera - even an OPPO phone. What other features does the A91 bring to the table?
The in-display fingerprint sensor is excellent - fast and reliable. This technology really seems to have come of age in 2020 and combined with tiny selfie-cam notches and gesture-based navigation, we should all now expect the high screen-to-body ratio the A91 offers.
The face unlock also works well, although only in portrait. Given many phone users are gaming or watching video more and more, I'd like to see greater emphasis on screen rotation. In fact, while the technical operation of the A91 was generally fast and smooth (as you'd expect with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage) the software experience feels a little old-fashioned. The home screen doesn't rotate into landscape, there's no native email app or browser and because ColorOS 6.1.2 is based on Android 9, not the latest version 10, recent features like Dark Mode just aren't there. Battery optimisation is also far too aggressive, with some push notifications going AWOL after a while and I had trouble keeping my Fitbit connected too. I'd like to be able to say I fixed these issues with a deep dive into the battery, app management and permissions settings but alas, the A91 was just plain determined to put some processes to sleep in the name of extending battery life.
The upside of that is that yes, you do indeed get great battery life - the 4025mAh battery sails through a long day with no issue and OPPO's VOOC Flash Charge 3.0 is some of the fastest charging technology in the business.
No wireless charging of course and no IP dust/water resistance either - those features are usually the first to go when making the mid-tier compromise. On the other hand, NFC and contactless payment are also often missing at this price point - but thankfully, given our current click and collect culture, paywave is an option on the A91.
If it's good camera and battery performance you're looking for and a genuinely pretty phone, the A91 fits the bill. It's light, thin but still offers solid, big screen performance with a fast and consistent in-display fingerprint reader. Plenty of RAM and storage - all that adds up to a lot of premium features for around $649... that's at least half the price of most high-end flagships with a lot more than half the functionality.
Click here for more information on the OPPO A91.
Before you read on, you should know I'm far from unbiased when it comes to reviewing Huawei devices. In fact, I've hosted promotional videos on behalf of Huawei, showing off new handsets and explaining how to use them. I've been paid to do that - but more importantly, I've been happy to do that.
The reason being; Huawei produces great phones.
But what makes a great phone great? Can a phone still be great without Google services?
Huawei aren't paying me to write this review, by the way. Despite that, I've been using the latest P-series flagship and it's definitely great.
I mean, just look at at it. The Huawei P40 Pro comes in Silver Frost or Deep Sea blue, as pictured above. The 6.58-inch Quad-Curve Overflow display doesn't just curve at the sides, it curves top and bottom too. It looks like liquid and feels like liquid to use. There's a noticeably silky smooth response, thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate and the mighty Kirin 990 processor - that means dazzling graphics and sheer speed and power. Every time I pick up a Huawei handset after using one made by someone else, I'm always impressed at how damn quick it is and the P40 Pro is certainly no exception. You'll notice this straight away with the blazing fast in-display fingerprint sensor - now more conveniently located towards the centre of the device. Personally, I prefer to use face unlock, especially when it works as reliably and as efficiently as it does on this phone.
Now it wouldn't be a P-Series phone if it didn't have a top-notch camera setup and again, the P40 Pro lives up to Huawei's usual high standards. The 50 MegaPixel Ultra-Vision Leica camera doesn't just take extraordinary photos, unlike the bulky, unsightly three and four-lens modules we've seen clumped onto the back of other flagship devices recently, the P40 Pro camera has an elegance to it; it's more compact and doesn't protrude out any further than it needs to. You've got the 50MP wide angle lens, the 40MP ultra-wide, the 3D depth-sensing camera and the real star of the show; a 12MP SuperSensing telephoto lens, capable of crystal clear 5X optical zoom. Not to mention a primo 32MP selfie-cam, tucked subtly away in the top left corner of the screen (bottom left when gaming or watching movies) As for the pictures...
The P40's camera AI is now named Golden Snap - and gold-class pics are definitely what you end up with. Take my advice and let the AI do the work for you, I haven't been let down yet. This is probably the best flower photo I've ever taken - not that I'm super into flowers or anything - but all I did was pull the phone out of my pocket and let the AI do the rest. The colour, the light, the split focus... that's all the phone's doing, I didn't even have to think. Which I love. I hate thinking. Even if things do go a bit wrong, the P40 can fix a lot of them after you've taken the shot. AI Best Moment provides you with a selection of optimal shots so you never miss a critical pic. AI Remove Passersby magically erases unwanted photo-bombers from your background and AI Remove Reflection is the easiest way to clear up those problematic window shots.
And now for the contentious bit; the software. I've got to be honest with you; if I have to read another Huawei review that writes off an otherwise outstanding, world-class phone just because it doesn't come with Google Play Services installed, I'm going to throw something at someone. It's typical of the current tech market to become so reliant on whatever is the most publicised, advertised and hyped product that we end up ignoring other options completely - or worse, dismissing them without even making an honest attempt to use them in the first place. Admittedly, at first I was just as guilty, desperately trying to force my usual browser and calendar apps to work on the latest Huawei phones. Then I had an epiphany; if they can make a handset this good, who's to say Huawei can't come up with a few decent apps too?
Let me remind you, yet again, how easy it is to set this phone up. Clone Phone will transfer the vast majority of your stuff across from your existing handset in minutes; files, photos, contacts, apps and settings - yes, including Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. This now happens faster than ever due to the P40 Pro's WiFi6+ capability. Even then, the Huawei App Gallery is expanding exponentially every day. Just because you're used to using a certain app doesn't mean there isn't a better one out there you should try. Huawei's native browser looks great, it's fast, you can browse privately and there's no issue streaming video and other graphic-heavy content. Best of all, it has a dark mode. Turns out, there are all kinds of calendar apps out there, many with far better features than what I was using before. All the Microsoft Office apps run perfectly. Not to mention all your classic time-wasters; Snapchat, Tiktok etc... Everybody raves about the HERE WeGo navigation app - that's on the App Gallery too. Thousands and thousands of apps waiting for you to give them a go.
There are only two small niggles I have run into. Although the P40 Pro has full NFC capability, there's no contactless payment option and try as I might, I can't get the push notifications to come through from my security cameras, even though I can control and monitor them via their apps with no problem at all. Given Huawei's obvious commitment to making their handsets the best in the world, I'm confident issues like these will be solved not too far down the track.
This is a sleek, classy-looking phone with a superb display and a powerhouse of an engine under the hood. Battery life is outstanding, wireless and reverse charging is all part of the package, as is IP68 water and dust resistance. There isn't a flagship feature this phone doesn't have. Amazing camera performance (as usual). Thousands of apps ready for download - SO GIVE THEM A GO!
The P40 Pro is only RRP$1499... and that's not including the roughly $650 of accessories you get thrown in when you pre-order from 2 Degrees, PB Tech, JB Hi-Fi or Noel Leeming. There is simply no other flagship device with these kinds of specs available for this price.
No wonder Emirates Team New Zealand has made the Huawei P40 series its official smart device partner. You see? It's all about excellence in design, the latest innovation and trying something new.
That's what the Huawei P40 Pro is all about.
Click here for more information on the Huawei P40 Pro.
