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.
Okay, this is getting ridiculous.
How much smartphone do your really need? And how much are you prepared to pay?
More processing power. More battery life. More and more and more cameras. Definitely more features than anybody ever dreamed of or asked for.
Now manufacturers are paying the price for all their over-the-top innovation. Recent statistics show people aren't replacing their phones as often as they used to. Why would they? If it cost as much as a second-hand car and does more than you actually needed it for in the first place, it's hardly surprising they're going to try and get two or three years out of it rather than one or two.
But if something genuinely different came along... and the price tag wasn't too over-the-top... that might be an upgrade worth considering. Right?...
It looks like foldables are here to stay, for this year anyway. I've tried phones that unfold into tablets, with screens on either the inside or out. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is different again; instead of folding out to get bigger, the Z Flip folds up to get smaller.
I'm going to include a few more pictures than usual in this review because I'm not sure I can convince you how useful I've found this device to be just by describing it to you.
However, I'm going to start with a few things the Z Flip doesn't have, because if these features are dealbreakers for you, there's really no point getting too carried away. First up; cameras. Given the last Samsung device I reviewed was the Galaxy S20 Ultra, most phones are going to struggle to compete on the camera front. The S20 Ultra has just about every possible lens and photo feature packed into it, offering pretty much unrivaled zoom and wide-angle options, as well as excellent low light and video performance. The Z Flip just doesn't have a lot of that stuff. The cameras are great, don't get me wrong. They're just not the greatest. There are a couple of unique photographic tricks up its sleeve I'll get to shortly, but if you're looking for the best phone camera on the market, the Z Flip isn't for you.
Then there's battery life. Again, there's plenty - just not the most. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised how much power-economy Samsung manages to squeeze out of the 3300mAh battery, which by recent standards is actually pretty small. A full charge seems to be enough to get me through most days, depending on how much video content I'm watching. Generally I'll pop it down on one of my wireless chargers for a while if I can though, just to be sure it'll last me till bedtime. Strangely, my wireless car cradle doesn't charge the Z Flip which seems weird, given it's a genuine Samsung charger but maybe it's just a little out of date or something. There's a Type-C fast charger included in the box and I've certainly had no issues with the time it takes to top up. But if you're looking for a phone with a two-day battery life, the Z Flip isn't for you.
The one that really has me confused is the processor. The Z Flip has plenty of storage; 256GB, although no expansion slot for a microSD. It runs plenty of RAM; 8GB but oddly, for a phone in the super-premium price range, it doesn't use the latest generation CPU, but the slightly older Snapdragon 855 Plus. On the bright side, that doesn't seem to matter at all. I honestly encountered no lag, stutter or pauses, everything seemed super smooth and slick. There's a big "but" here though; no 5G support. If you're wanting to jump on the 5G network as it rolls out around New Zealand, the Z Flip isn't for you.
Oh... and if you're someone who regularly drops your phone in the sink, the toilet or just onto the ground, the Z Flip isn't for you either. There's no water/dust IP rating here and why aren't you looking after your phone better anyway?
So let's move on to what's great about this phone... which is pretty much everything else.
Let's dive into the benefits of that folding screen, as I assume that's basically why you've read this far. The whole point of the Z Flip is a phone that is half the size when you're not using it. It's as simple as that - and it works. Yes, it conjures up rosy memories of those old push-button flip phones from decades past but the Z Flip has moved on much, much further than that.
The dynamic AMOLED display is miraculous, very tall and narrow indeed with an unusual 21.9:9 aspect ratio when unfolded. (Basically two squares on top of each other) This is surprisingly satisfying for viewing widescreen(cinema format) video. Yes, like the Galaxy Fold before it, there is a visible seam in the centre you can definitely feel but unless what you're watching or looking at has a lot of solid white content you hardly ever notice it. In fact, like most Samsung flagship screens, the colour, contrast and detail is outstanding, with very few reflection issues.
It's a little strange going back to a device with such prominent bezels but presumably that's unavoidable at this early point in the evolution of folding screens. I certainly had no issue with the Hideaway Hinge while using the device - It seemed robust, secure and stayed relatively free of any dust or obstructions. In fact, that's the other obvious advantage of folding your phone away in your pocket; the screen is safely tucked up tight, protected from scratches and the like. There's a two-piece, clear case included in the box to protect the outside too - a pretty good idea, especially if you've gone for the oh-so-pretty Mirror Purple instead of boring old Mirror Black.
The Z Flip's greatest trick is that it is its own tripod. (Pretty sure that sentence makes sense. Pretty sure...)
Because the Hideaway Hinge is firm enough to hold the phone open at a variety of angles, it's the ideal device for hands-free video chatting - an indispensable feature in this current age of working-from-home. That also means group selfies without a selfie-stick and the Z Flip's night shooting modes are greatly enhanced by the fact you don't have to hold the phone steady for those long-exposure shots - you can just stand it on a table or a ledge. It sounds like a basic concept but we've all been in a situation where we've tried to balance our phone on something precarious to try and capture that perfect selfie; the Z Flip now makes that so easy.
There's even a tiny second screen on the outside of the device, next to the camera lenses - and I do mean tiny. In fact, it's so small, I don't fully understand the purpose of it. It displays the time, date and remaining charge, which I suppose is useful to a degree. It also shows notifications you can swipe to preview, as long as you've got your reading glasses on. It will even let you take a selfie with the phone closed, showing a tiny little you on that tiny little screen. Not really sure how helpful any of that is, when you can just open the handset to see it all properly but it's there if you want it.
In terms of how usable the Z Flip is as a phone, I love it. Samsung's One UI is probably my favourite operating system with it's full featured, no clutter presentation and as I mentioned earlier, there's more than enough processing power, memory and storage to keep the Z Flip whipping along. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of stereo speaker set-up I've been so impressed with on other Samsung flagships but I certainly had no issue with the sound experience via bluetooth headphones or earbuds and like I say, when it comes to gaming or movies, it's hard to beat that extra-wide aspect ratio.
The $2399 price tag may seem steep but compared to other high-end flagships with similar specs, I actually think it's in the ballpark. In fact, it's drastically cheaper than other folding phones I've reviewed - even though it might be the most practical one yet.
Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
Let's not kids ourselves. All phones are basically the same. And once you pay over four or five-hundred dollars, they're actually all pretty good.
They all take a half-decent photo. They all have nice screens to watch video on. They generally have enough storage for those photos and videos. They come in cool colours. They have enough battery life to last the day... mostly.
So if you need a new phone, you may as well throw a dart at a board.
Except...
What if you want one that is genuinely different from the pack? I've got one for you - but you'll need to have your checkbook ready...
Last year's race to launch a phone with a folding screen was a three-way affair, with Huawei's Mate X taking by far the most unusual approach. The Mate X's screen folded around the outside of the device. A lot of people asked why they would do it that way. After I had a little play with one at a Christmas party I started to ask, why wouldn't you do it that way?
Unfortunately, the Mate X was only sold in China, so probably didn't get the international attention it deserved. Now the 2020 version, the Mate Xs is here and I do mean here, for sale in New Zealand. I've been using it as my primary phone for a few days and I can certainly assure you, there's no other device quite like it.
There's no point hiding this phone's greatest trick; the FullView OLED display folds out to a massive, tablet-sized 8-inches. Even when folded, the main screen is 6.6-inches, certainly right in that sweet-spot of useable screen-space versus easy handling and portability. But unfolded, as a tablet, the Mate Xs allows a much bigger viewing area for documents, looking at photos or video and more complicated operations like editing. You can easily multi-task, choosing a Multi-window app from the customisable list that appears with a long swipe from the right of the screen. Any app you select then hovers over the main screen in its own smaller window which you can move around where you want and copy and paste from one app to another.
Obviously this big, square screen takes mobile gaming to a whole new level, leaving your enemies nowhere to hide in first person shooters. There's also a slew of new cooling innovations including the use of something called Bionic Carbon. I have no idea what that is. What I do know is the Mate Xs stays cool open or closed.
The fold-out operation is made possible by Huawei's new and improved Falcon Wing hinge. It feels robust and reliable and snaps into place with a satisfying kerchunk. What's really crazy is how flat the screen is when unfolded. You have to be looking pretty hard, in just the right light at just the wrong angle to see any kind of seam at all. Basically, it has to be used to be believed.
But wait! Where's the selfie-cam? Unfolded, this thing is literally all screen. Big screen. Square screen. Rotating screen - you can hold it whichever way you like... but not a camera in sight. On the back, a whole different story, with the Super Sensing Leica Quad Camera System; Wide angle, telephoto, ultra-wide angle and Time-of-Flight lenses combining to take great shots, near or far, dark or light. Just like Huawei's other flagship devices, the camera on the Mate Xs is superb... and the really good news is it's also your selfie cam.
You see, when folded, the 8-inch display actually becomes two displays, the 6.6-inch screen on the front and a 6.3-inch screen on the back. When you change to selfie-mode in the camera app, you're instructed to flip the phone over and there you are - looking back at yourself on that 6.3-inch screen nestled snugly alongside those four magnificent lenses, as you can see in this image. (That button with the red line is the catch to unfold the phone, by the way. With another comforting click)
So you've basically got the world's highest-specced selfie camera, with access to all the features and effects you've been using on any of your other shots.
There's another cool camera trick the Mate Xs can do no other phone can; Mirror Shooting. When you're taking a photo of someone else, via the main screen, just touch the Mirror Shot icon and your subject will also be able to see the shot on the secondary screen facing them. No-one needs to ever be caught with their eyes closed again.
The other hidden feature is the fingerprint sensor, underneath the side-mounted power button. I've seen this on a handful of other phones and tablets and I love it. Definitely faster and more reliable than any in-display fingerprint reader I've used to date. A shame there's no face-unlock option, due to there being no forward facing camera, but that fingerprint sensor works so well, I haven't missed it too much.
And that's not the only fast thing about the Mate Xs. It uses the same uber-powerful Kirin 990 5G processor we saw on the Mate 30 Pro. In tandem with a respectable 8GB of ram, the Mate Xs flies along - even when resizing apps after folding or unfolding the screen. A huge 512GB of internal storage is standard and the 4500mAh battery is fairly generous too. Combined with the miraculous power-saving abilities of that Kirin chip, I was pleasantly blown away by the overall battery life, especially given the size of the display. Huawei seems to be the battery life authority these days.
I have to admit, I do miss wireless charging here - obviously no reverse charging either. Maybe you can't do wireless charging through a wrap-around display, I'm not sure. Fast charging via USB-C works well though and I was also surprised at how light and slim the Mate Xs is. Even when folded it doesn't really seem to take up an uncomfortable amount of space in my pocket. When unfolded eight inches is just the right size for me to still be able to grip in one hand. The Intersteller Blue colour of the rear casing is pretty classy too.
In these turbulent times, it's worth reiterating Huawei phones like this, while still technically Android devices do not have access to certain apps and services... or do they? Certainly, by using Huawei's Phone Clone app, you can port pretty much all the apps, accounts, files, addresses and pictures across from your old phone in a matter of minutes and that works very well. What's more, Huawei's App Gallery is quickly growing into one of the most well populated app stores out there, with more and more New Zealand-based content being added all the time. The only feature I'd like to see Huawei figure out is contactless payments via NFC. I know there's a service called Huawei Pay available in some other markets so hopefully we'll see that here soon enough.
So a totally unique fold-out screen that looks fantastic and feels durable. Tech specs that match up with the very best of the best. An unbelievable camera setup that offers more selfie options than any other. 5G capable in a market with a very limited number of 5G phones available. And an App Gallery that goes from strength to strength every day. How much?
$3999.
Not a typo.
Insane right?
So the question is, do you want to own the most expensive phone in town?
Maybe, for a phone as unique as this, you're prepared to do something crazy.
Click here for more information on the Huawei Mate Xs.
It really is the time of year I look forward to the most.
Oh sure, Christmas is nice. The food and drink. Hanging out with the family. The presents.
And birthdays are okay, I suppose. But the older you get and the more of them you have, the less okay they get. And fast.
No, the special day I'm talking about is when I get to unbox the latest Samsung Galaxy phone.
After few years of my favourite phone getting a bit better every generation, but really staying more or less the same, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G is pretty different. I mean, just look at it.
There's no escaping the fact that camera module is huge. In fact, this is not a small device in any way. Until now, the S-series Galaxies have usually been the more refined, sleek and curvy handsets, while the Galaxy Notes lean more towards the super-functional, industrial look.
The S20 Ultra pretty much blows that theory out of the water. Sure, it still curves in all the right places, although the 6.9" Infinity-O display doesn't fall away quite so quickly at the edges this time round, giving us more control over things like scrolling and Edge Panel shortcuts.
Yes. That's right. A simply enormous 6.9" display with just the tiniest single punch-hole for the forward-facing camera, this year placed in the centre, which is possibly slightly less distracting than the corner punch-hole on last year's Galaxy S10. The screen is sublime. Increase the refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz and it gets even sublimer. Operations become smoother, gaming and video clearer. The settings menu warns the higher refresh rate will cost you some charge but the drain wasn't as bad as I was expecting. This is probably due in no small part to the S20 Ultra's upgraded battery, which is definitely no small part.
Samsung have thrown the kitchen sink at this device, with a 5000mAh battery, one of the biggest you'll find in any phone. This charges surprisingly quickly, with the right high speed charger and of course wireless and reverse-wireless charging are basically standard on Samsung's flagships now. Galaxy phones aren't usually known to be the most economical when it comes to battery life and despite the S20 Ultra's oversized cell, it still isn't the best I've used in this department, no matter which refresh rate I run it at. But to be sure, there's still plenty of gas left in the tank by the end of the day.
Apart from the display, that battery is running a lot of other high-end gear. The very latest and fastest processor of course, teamed up with a 5G modem. Again, just a reminder, not many phones are 5G capable in New Zealand, so if you're wanting to connect to the new network, bear that in mind. 12GB of RAM is probably overkill (or future-proofing, whichever way you look at it) but I feel like 128GB of internal storage is a little on the stingy side given the real hero feature of this phone; the cameras.
From time to time other manufacturers have made certain phones all about their photo performance but I think this is the first time I've seen Samsung make the launch of a device so camera-centric. For sure, Samsung's flagships usually sport some of the best photography options going, it's just that this year, they've really gone over the top.
The selfie cam is a very nice 40MP shooter with a decent 80 degree Field of View, ensuring group selfies fit just as well as solo shots. But it's that rear-facing setup that's just so insane. Ultra-wide, wide-angle, telephoto and DepthVision(Time of Flight) lenses all add up to a four-pronged camera attack that is surely the most comprehensive Samsung has offered to date.
The periscopic telephoto configuration combined with a stunning 108MP main sensor adds up to previously unheard of zoom options. The 10x hybrid-optical zoom is amazingly clear and detailed. What's more, you can actually zoom in 100x digitally if you want. Yes, these images are pretty grainy and without a tripod or ledge to lean on, very difficult to get a steady shot - but let me tell you, you can see things through this camera you can't make out with the naked eye. No wonder Samsung refers to this functionality as Space Zoom. Even 30x shots are perfectly usable, this really is quite ground-breaking stuff for a phone camera.
I'm not a massive video-taker but even I'm impressed you can shoot in 8K, although I'm not sure where I'd play that footage? More useful is the tracking auto-focus and the easily accessible Super Steady mode, allowing even a total amateur like me to shoot decent action sequences. Oh, and if you like it artsy, there's the same bokeh effect to blur the background in your video, just like we all like to do in our portraits these days.
Night mode is so clear and offers impressive detail and colour reproduction in low light conditions but perhaps the most ingenious photo feature is a new option called Single Take. Line up your subject, push the button and the S20 Ultra clicks off a simultaneous selection of pictures and videos over a few seconds, presenting you with a whole range of shots to choose from - even boomerangs. The phone chooses the one it likes best, or you can save them all. Mayber you prefer the wide-angle shot... or the one with the black and white filter. It's a brilliant way to get the most out of all these zoopy-doopy lenses.
In-display fingerprint sensors have quickly become the norm. Samsung have moved theirs further up from the bottom of the S20 Ultra, making it far more accessible when holding the device in one hand. It works much faster and more consistently than on the previous model which is a relief, because there's nothing more frustrating than having to use a boring old pin to get into your flash phone.
Face unlock has also improved and now works in both portrait or landscape, although not that well in the dark, even when I've selected the setting that brightens the screen. I can't rule out the possibility my face gets unrecognisably scary in the dark, so it might not be all the phone's fault.
Samsung's One UI, based on Android 10 is now my favourite operating system by a considerable margin. Dark mode options, rotating home screen, streamlined - it has everything I want and not much fluff I don't.
This is one of those phones that simply has every option packed into it, even things you didn't know existed and would never have thought to ask for. Mind you, when you're paying over two-grand you'd better be getting all the bells and whistles. With the S20 Ultra, you most certainly are.
Shame about the size. It is truly enormous and pokes out the top of even my deepest pants pockets. The payoff is a genuinely cinematic performance from that massive, beautiful display, enhanced by some decently powerful, well-tuned stereo speakers.
But I can't deny there's an elegance missing here that used to be hallmark of Samsung's previous S-series flagships. That's not to say this isn't a beautiful phone, but this year that beauty is to be found in sheer performance rather than just looking pretty.
Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
So you love your Huawei phone.
It's got a fantastic camera. Everybody's always telling you how incredible your photos look.
The battery life is standout. When your friends' phones are all dying at the end of the night (or even just the end of the day) yours is still going strong.
And it's so fast. Like, super fast. Like, you don't even really care about that sort of thing but it really does seem a lot faster than other phones and it keeps being fast. Even after all this time.
But that's the problem; you've had your trusty Huawei for ages and you're due for an upgrade. Or worse still, maybe you accidentally ran yours over in the driveway. Or maybe you're just dying to get on board this 5G phenomenon you keep hearing so much about.
Do you buy another Huawei? Do the new ones actually... you know... work?...
In the immortal words of Taylor Swift, "You need to calm down." The hysteria over what the latest Huawei flagships can and can't do is just that; hysteria. And the Mate 30 Pro 5G is all the proof you need.
I'm an unashamed Huawei fan, have been for some years now. That's due in no small part to something boring but important; the chip. Huawei's own Kirin processors have been quickly gaining an international reputation for incredible speed, reliability and low power consumption. The Kirin 990, which is the Mate 30 Pro's brain, is yet another evolution in speed and power, with the added bonus of 5G thrown in. Unlike other 5G phones on the market right now, the 5G modem is built into the Kirin 990, not a separate chip spliced on. This means yet more speed and efficiency.
What many people haven't cottoned onto yet is 5G is not automatically coming to their phones, only devices with 5G modems built in to the chipset will be able to access the new, superfast network and right now, the Mate 30 Pro 5G is one of the few such phones available in New Zealand.
While we're talking tech specs, the Mate 30 Pro 5G is bursting with them; 256GB of on board storage, 8GB RAM, IP68 water and dust resistance. You get SuperFast wireless charging, reverse wireless charging from the phone itself and then there's that battery... 4500mAh is certainly one of the bigger batteries in any phone out there, but the actual battery life far exceeded my expectations. I don't even bother putting the Mate 30 Pro 5G on to charge at night anymore because it gets more than enough of a top-up via the wireless charging cradle in my car when I'm driving around throughout the day. It may be the longest lasting phone I've used yet. I'm not exaggerating - as I write this I've been up for over six hours and it's still showing 97%.
Oh hey, did you notice how orange this phone is? Yup, super orange. That's actually vegan leather on the back. It feels superb and of course, doesn't show any fingerprints like a glass-backed phone does. Normally when I'm reviewing a phone, I reach straight for the case, if there's one included in the box. I'm paranoid about dropping or scratching a device I don't actually own. With this soft-touch casing though, I'm more comfortable leaving it naked. The edges of the Mate 30 Pro 5G are an eye-catching rose gold, what there is of them, as the Horizon display curves around the sides of the phone beautifully. There's only one physical button on the whole device - the power button. Even the volume controls are now virtual; a double tap of the side of the phone brings the volume slider into view. The in-display fingerprint sensor is one of the fastest and most reliable I have used although I prefer to face unlock - which works just as well in either portrait or landscape.
But perhaps even more striking than orange vegan leather, is the Halo Lens quad camera configuration - a Leica lens "Super Sensing Cine Camera" that takes stunningly clear video and photos in all light conditions. You get 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital. There's also a 3D depth sensor for optimum split-focus (Bokeh) effects. Even the selfie camera includes another 3D sensor so you can achieve the same, professional shots both front and back.
At the end of the day, it's all about those apps though, isn't it? But rather than being limited to what you can load onto the Mate 30 Pro 5G, it turns out there are actually more ways than ever to install the tools, games and social media apps you know and love. This is a four-pronged attack, all very simple.
You start by using Phone Clone, pre-installed on all Huawei devices but readily available for download on any other Android or iOS phone. This is one of the most comprehensive cloning tools I've used for setting up new devices, copying not just contacts, pictures and media files and not just apps either. In many cases, depending on the app, Phone Clone will even transfer your sign in details too, saving you having to look them up in that little notebook you're not supposed to have. As a result, my online banking app opened without a hitch.
Huawei also has its own App Gallery, where you'll find thousands of the usuals; Snapchat, TikTok, etc, all ready to go.
If it's not in the App Gallery, there are plenty of other app stores you can try. Rest assured, even local versions of tools like My Vodafone are easily found and installed.
Then there's a fourth option. While hundreds of apps are being added to the Huawei App Gallery all the time and you can even request ones you can't find, there may still be one or two that aren't quite ready yet. So just browse to their websites instead. If you've heard that YouTube or Uber don't work on the Mate Pro 30 5G, you've heard wrong. Those websites work just as well, especially given how well the Huawei Web Browser functions. It's fast and offers a host of useful functions like private browsing and even dark mode. Love dark mode. What's more, it's so easy to bookmark your favourite sites or YouTube channels directly onto your home screen. Trust me, the functionality is all there.
So what were you worried about?
To recap; the phone looks amazing. All the tech specs match up with the very best of the best. The camera setup is unbelievable. It's 5G. And it turns out, you can actually install almost all the apps you know and love - easily - and the odd one that isn't available right now you can access via one of the best smartphone browsers I've ever seen. Boom.
All I'm saying is, if you're in the market for a flagship phone, get along to JB HiFi or PB Tech and have a decent look at one of these. Don't let unfounded rumours and speculation limit your options.
Click here for more information on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G.
Confession time.
I'm no gamer.
There was a brief moment of Playstation ownership that involved me actually turning it on and using it for more than an hour at a time.
But life got in the way and I've been assured with great certainty there a more important things than video games. Repeatedly.
However. If you haven't been told that yet. Or you have and you've simply chosen to respectfully ignore those assurances, have I got the phone for you...
The ASUS ROG Phone II may be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Or the ugliest. It kind of depends on who you talk to. There's definitely nothing dainty about this phone. The design is spacey. Chunky. And frankly, it's bloody heavy. But best of all, it comes with a whole lot of other stuff you can attach to it, making it even more beautiful. Or way uglier.
There are sharp angles, unnecessary stripes and phrases like, "REPUBLIC OF GAMERS" all over the place. Perhaps the most striking feature of all is the GameCool II heat dissipating system that combines heat spreaders, cooling pads and something called a 3D Vapor-Chamber - you can actually see one of the copper heat spreaders exposed in the image above. It's this kind of inside-out industrial aesthetic serious gamers love.
There's even a massive, in-your-face Republic of Gamers logo on the back that lights up and changes colour. More on that later.
In a world where most phones look pretty much the same, this one pretty much doesn't.
Even the case that comes in the box is kind of crazy; more of a geometric protective frame than a complete cover, leaving plenty of gaps for all the ports and flashy bits.
The ROG Phone II isn't small either. Not only is the 19:5:9 AMOLED display is a generous 6.59 inches, but there's a pair of front facing speakers, complete with bronze highlights of course. ASUS has made uninhibited screen space a priority here - there's no notch or punch hole for the selfie cam - not when that space might be required for an on-screen button or to display your high score.
In short, it probably won't actually fit in your pocket. Unless you have huge pockets. Actually, just start buying pants with huge pockets. Problem solved.
Another reason the ROG Phone II is so hefty is its behemoth battery. I didn't even know they made 6000mAh phone batteries but that's what we're dealing with. I've been using this device as my everyday phone for a couple of weeks now and not once have I seen the battery percentage dip below 70 percent. Trouble is, doesn't a big battery take a long time to charge? Not particularly as there's a 30W fast charger included in the box. Sadly, no wireless charging here but there are some interesting options.
The ROG Phone II has a second charging port on the left-hand side. That's the bottom when you're using the handset in landscape of course. Which means you can keep charging while you play without that pesky cable getting in the way. Now if only you could do something about your headphone lead too...
Buckle in, this is going to get complicated fast.
That thing to the right of this image is the AeroActive Cooler II and it's an actual fan for your phone. As we've already pointed out, the ROG Phone II already has some insane cooling technology built in, but apparently there are gamers out there who push their devices so hard they start steaming in their hands after only a few hours of non-stop play. Enter the AeroActive Cooler II. For less addicted gaming enthusiasts (like me) it's probably overkill, as I've never felt the phone warm up at all - not even when cradled above my car's dashboard in direct sunlight. But the AreoActive Cooler II isn't just a fan - it also has its own charging port and headphone jack at the base so yes, you can move your earbud lead out of the way after all. There are even a couple of stick-on pads included in the box to convert the AeroActive Cooler II into a convenient display stand so you don't have to hold the phone at all while watching video or gaming with a bluetooth controller.
If you're not regularly using the AeroActive Cooler II, it's probably a good idea to use the included rubber bung to keep the side port covered up, as it's about twice as wide as a standard USB-C slot. This insert isn't the best design as it's very difficult to remove and small enough to be easily lost when you do. Just as well a couple of spares are also in the box.
Back to the phone itself. The ROG Phone II is powered by the all-conquering Snapdragon 855 Plus processor and its graphics abilities are pretty much off the charts for a mobile device. Every game I installed immediately defaulted to the highest possible display settings and all functioned beautifully. There's an over-the-top 12GB of RAM keeping all processes running at a hundred percent. If this isn't the fastest, most powerful phone I've used I don't know what is.
It's like a high performance sports car, everything that can be specced up has been. You get a whopping 512GB of internal storage and that storage is the fastest available. Even the WiFi works better because there are four, count them four antennae built in.
Perhaps the only area that doesn't out-perform pretty much any other phone on the market is the camera array - but that's not to say the ROG Phone II doesn't take great pics. The main camera takes wide-angle shots along with excellent images from the 48MP primary lens. All that massive processing power is put to great use right through the camera app, from reducing distortion at the edges of wide angle shots, to speeding up night-shooting, to running all the photo features smoother and quicker than ever. Sadly, the selfies still come out looking like me but what can you do?
So an amazing phone indeed. But how good is it as a dedicated gaming device?
This is where we need to start talking software and we also need to remember ASUS doesn't really make phones at all. It makes notebooks. Motherboards. Monitors. Gaming accessories. So given a smart-phone newbie has completely nailed the phone part, you'd expect the gaming part to be pretty standout. And it is.
You can choose the traditional look of the ZenUI or the new, way cooler ROG UI, which offers both dark and light themes. Whichever you choose, there's basically no bloatware to contend with. The only weird thing about it is my usual landscape mode complaint; why don't the lock and home screens rotate? Especially when sometimes they do?
For example, plug the ROG Phone II into a dedicated accessory like the Kunai Gamepad holder and everything swings into landscape straight away.
Unfortunately, the Kunai Gamepad isn't widely available here in New Zealand but if, like me. you can get your hands on one, you're going to need a box. A big box. There's a lot of bits to deal with. It can be used as a standalone controller, connecting to any gaming device or PC via bluetooth or USB dongle. But it's far more fun to insert the ROG Phone II into the holder and slide the control paddles into place. At that point everything lights up like a Christmas tree and you've converted your phone into a legitimate handheld gaming device. It even comes with a USB-C to mini-jack converter for your earphones but as I've already pointed out, you won't need that if you're already using the AeroActive Cooler II attachment.
Like I say, there's a lot of bits.
Whether or not you're using an external controller, the ROG Phone II automatically stores your games in the Armoury Crate, where you can easily view your games library and access all the settings you need to tweak, creating specific profiles for each game. The Solar Game Engine pops up with each game launch, so you can decide to block notifications and dedicate more memory to the exercise.
Then, while playing or not, Game Genie presents you with a dizzying array of customisation options, from key mapping to adjusting the air triggers... Oh that's right; I haven't even mentioned the air triggers on the right (or top) side of the phone. Believe me, there are more buttons, options, tweaks and dedicated gaming features than you could ever hope to need, no matter how addicted a gamer you may be.
But then, that's what nerds like me love; too many toys. Who cares if we never actually get round to using them?
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the ROG Phone II is the price; one of the fastest, most powerful phones I've ever used, including the AeroActive Cooler II is just $1699 - cheaper than many other high-end flagships that offer far less dedicated gaming functionality and more often than not, a fraction of the battery life.
Still an expensive phone, sure. But what price gaming supremacy?
Click here for more information and pricing on the ASUS ROG Phone II.
