huawei p20 pro | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 19 Jun 2019 13:02:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png huawei p20 pro | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 IFA 2018: Huawei gives the P20 Pro a new coat of paint and updates its EMUI OS https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/ifa-2018-huawei-gives-the-p20-pro-a-new-coat-of-paint-and-updates-its-emui-os/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/ifa-2018-huawei-gives-the-p20-pro-a-new-coat-of-paint-and-updates-its-emui-os/#respond Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:20:33 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=385503 Despite the official announcement of the Mate 20 Lite all but ensuring a premium counterpart somewhere down the line, Huawei’s P20 Pro still remains its flagship offering, and a popular one at that. Newcomers now have the chance to get their hands on four newly introduced models, while current owners will be able to enjoy …

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Despite the official announcement of the Mate 20 Lite all but ensuring a premium counterpart somewhere down the line, Huawei’s P20 Pro still remains its flagship offering, and a popular one at that. Newcomers now have the chance to get their hands on four newly introduced models, while current owners will be able to enjoy Huawei’s updated operating system, EMUI 9.0.

A new selection of colours isn’t exactly what fans expected during Huawei’s presentation at IFA, Berlin, but it’s easy to forget that the impressive triple camera flagship has already had its time in the sun, having launched at the end of March this year. In that time, it’s sold an impressive 10 million units between the P20 Pro and its smaller P20 counterpart, which has “humbled” Kevin Ho, President of Handset Business at the Huawei Consumer Business Group.

“By going above the 10million mark, we have again set ourselves a high bar to clear, but we will treat it as a symbol of encouragement that will fuel us as we continue doing what we do best – putting cutting-edge innovations into the hands of consumers around the world.”

Image: Huawei P20 Pro Pearl White

Joining its roster of colours is a solid Pearl White and Morpho Aurora models, costing the same as Huawei’s established P20 Pro line-up. The former has hints of pink and shimmers of yellow while the latter has a purple and turquoise pearlescent coating deeper than that of Huawei’s previous Twilight model at launch. Moving away from glass backs, Huawei has also launched two new leather variants coming in black and brown. These should be available on September 5th for €999, restricted to the P20 Pro's 8GB of RAM / 256GB storage model.

The P20 Pro has been put on a pedestal for many reasons, from its 6.1-inch notched OLED screen housing a 24 MP front-facing selfie camera, to its flagship triple lens rear-facing camera, all backed by a whopping 4,000 mAh battery. Our resident smartphone Guru Dominic Moass has stated that the P20 Pro’s camera has impressed him on two occasions, albeit with over processed images and the lack of a ‘natural’ setting.

 

Image: Huawei P20 Pro Morpho Aurora (left) and Leather (right)

Another common criticism that extends to Huawei’s other handsets is its tendency to tinker a little too much with Android’s base operating system for its EMUI experience. The firm introduced the beta for its new EMUI 9.0 during IFA, built to alleviate these concerns by stripping it back to be “more natural and streamlined than ever.”

This includes performing 12.9 percent faster than previous updates, supporting a faster launch speed for applications. When backed by the newly announced Kirin 980, Huawei claims this can see Instagram launching up to 12 percent quicker and Spotify up to 11 percent. The aim is to make app rich smartphones a little more accessible to everyday users, helping “consumers enable a quality life,” according to Dr. Wang Chenglu, President of Software Engineering.

“Every change, from consolidating the settings menu, to optimizing the performance, to including new digital wellbeing and productivity features, is made to ensure EMUI 9.0 delivers a great, user-friendly experience,” explains Chenglu. “Furthermore, with the launch of EMUI 9.0, Huawei becomes one of the first handset makers to launch a custom OS that is based on Android Pie, which I think speaks volumes of our close relationship with Google.”

EMUI 9.0 ushers in GPU Turbo 2.0, HiVision and digital wellbeing as its new flagship features. GPU Turbo 2.0 accelerates graphics technology by “intelligently optimising intense workloads” while “reducing power consumption” for a greater user experience across touch screen responsiveness, network connectivity and gaming. HiVision allows the camera to pinpoint notable things within the frame such as landmarks, providing the user with facts behind them. Digital wellbeing comes in the form of a new Digital Balance dashboard, which tracks device usage and set limits to ensure user health and safety.

The EMUI 9.0 beta is now live for users in Europe, with registration taking place on Huawei’s official website. The live build is expected after the Mate 20 Series is fully launched, which is expected on October 16, not to be confused with the Mate 20 Lite which debuts in the UK for £379 on September 4.

KitGuru Says: I fell in love with the Morpho Aurora P20 Pro, believing it to be one of the nicest colours I’ve seen yet on a smartphone. What do you think about Huawei’s new colours? How about the new features within EMUI 9.0?

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Huawei P20 Pro – camera modes and settings revisited https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/smartphone/dominic-moass/huawei-p20-pro-camera-modes-and-settings-revisited/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/smartphone/dominic-moass/huawei-p20-pro-camera-modes-and-settings-revisited/#respond Sat, 19 May 2018 10:57:01 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=373710 Two weeks on from our initial review, we return to the P20 Pro to analyse the camera's different modes

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In our full review of the Huawei P20 Pro, we covered three main areas of the triple camera setup – general image quality, zoom, and night mode. A few readers have since been in touch to ask that we look at some other modes as well, so today we will be using the phone in ‘Pro' mode, using the ‘Aperture' mode and assessing the AI scene recognition.

Pro mode

Let's start with Pro mode. It is worth pointing out what settings you can actually change in this mode, and essentially it boils down to ISO, shutter speed, EV (exposure value), autofocus mode and white balance. There is no aperture control straight through the glass itself- the RGB sensor's aperture is locked at f/1.8, the monochrome sensor has a wider f/1.6 and the telephoto lens has a narrower f/2.4 aperture.

While it's good to have control over the exposure, my main complaint about the P20 Pro's camera was that the image processing was too aggressive, giving a slightly artificial ‘sharpened' look to the images. I wanted to see if using Pro mode would change that.

Auto mode on the left, Pro mode on the right.

Our first example, a humble brick wall. Interestingly, with the exposures nearly identical, there is no visible difference to the texture/sharpness of either image – suggesting Pro mode does not process the photos differently to Auto mode.

Auto mode on the left, Pro mode on the right.

Again, it is the same here – the photos look identical. It is also worth mentioning these were taken with the phone mounted on a tripod to ensure the exact same photo every time.

Auto mode on the left, Pro mode on the right.

So while Pro mode doesn't seem to apply any less of an aggressive sharpening algorithm to images, that is not to say that it is not useful. In the Pro mode shot above – taken at 10.30pm – I set a 3.2sec exposure, with ISO 50. Not only does that give a brighter overall image than the auto mode image, it also looks cleaner thanks to the low ISO setting.

So, in a nutshell, while Pro mode won't give you less sharp-looking images, the shutter control can be handy if you want to capture a long exposure of city lights or a waterfall, for instance.

Aperture mode

While Pro mode can't physically adjust the lens aperture, there is a separate Aperture mode which tries to simulate the effect of widening/narrowing the lens aperture. It does this via software – all you need to do is choose a point in the image to focus on, and choose the simulated f-stop – starting as low as f/0.95 and going up to f/16.

f/2 on the left, f/16 on the right

Above you can see an example with the ‘aperture' wide open at f/2, and then compared with f/16. Essentially, widening the ‘aperture' using Aperture mode will blur the area – background and foreground – around your image to simulate the bokeh that can be achieve with a proper wide-aperture camera lens. Given that this effect is achieved by software, you can actually change the ‘aperture' after a photo has been taken, which can be handy if you want to add in extra blur, for instance.

f/1 on the left, f/16 on the right

Another example of a wide vs narrow aperture image. Even though it is not the same as a ‘proper' bokeh, I do quite like the look Aperture mode can give. It's quite a gentle blur but it can give your subject prominence over the rest of the scene.

f/2 on the left, f/16 on the right.

One last example above – f/2 compared to f/16.

On the whole, Aperture mode can be useful if you want to get a nice bokeh, regardless of the fact that it is software simulated bokeh. Obviously it is not the same as the aperture on the lens physically changing – at the moment, the Samsung S9/S9+ is the only smartphone which can do that – but for getting a smooth background blur, Aperture mode will do the job.

AI scene recognition

The last feature we want to touch on is the AI scene recognition that is baked into the camera. This is where the phone can recognise 19 different scenes, objects or environments – including food, dogs, cats, greenery and more (for a full list, see here) – and optimises image settings for that particular thing. To enable this mode, you can need to toggle ‘Master AI' in the camera settings. When a scene is recognised, a little icon will pop up to let you know – so if you're pointing the phone at a dog, a little dog icon will appear on screen.

Master AI enabled on the left, Master AI disabled on the right

The first Master AI example to show you is this shot of a garden. The phone quickly recognised ‘greenery' and the difference between the AI enhanced image vs a standard photo with AI off, is quite remarkable. That said, the adjustment seems quite simple – ‘greenery' mode has whammed up the contrast and saturation to make the greens look super green. Interestingly, the wooden fence in the image is also noticeably more ‘orange' with the AI enhancements enabled, suggesting it is not just the green channel that has been boosted.

Master AI enabled on the left, Master AI disabled on the right

Much the same can be said for the blue sky scene recognition. The phone is quick at detecting there is indeed some blue sky, and again – contrast and saturation is noticeably bumped up across the whole scene. Personally, I don't like this look – it is over-done and looks quite fake. Perhaps if you are (or know) a teenager who uses Instagram quite frequently, it might appeal to them. For me, I prefer a natural-looking image.

Master AI enabled on the left, Master AI disabled on the right

Credit where credit is due – the P20 Pro is very fast at recognising different scenes/objects, and it detected the flowers very quickly. However, the differences here are much more subtle – to the point where I'm not sure I could differentiate between the two. If anything, I'd say that the image with AI disabled looks slightly more vibrant.

Master AI enabled on the left, Master AI disabled on the right

The last example, this one is testing the AI's recognition of text. Like the image of the flowers above, the difference is minimal. Perhaps the image with AI enabled has slightly higher contrast, but the text is clearly legible across both images.

Those four images sum-up my experience with Master AI in a nutshell – either it makes a very significant difference to photos (in an artificial way, which I don't personally like) or it doesn't seem to be doing much. In regard to the latter point, I do have to wonder – it's all well and good that the phone can recognise different things, but what's the point if it isn't changing many, if any, camera settings?

Closing thoughts

Overall, this further examination of the Huawei P20 Pro's camera hasn't changed my overall opinion about the phone that I put forward in my review. It is certainly a capable triple camera setup which can take clear and detailed images. However, I feel like images are just processed to much, and I prefer a more natural-looking image. This is the case whether I use Auto mode or Pro mode, and even when Master AI is disabled.

That said, I can obviously appreciate some people might like this ‘enhanced' effect that is applied to photos. If you want to upload a photo to Instagram without thinking about filters or playing with contrast levels, the P20 Pro will be perfect for you. However, I can't help but feel a twinge of disappointment that there isn't a ‘natural' mode, or something like that, which can harness the impressive camera hardware without over-doing the image processing.

KitGuru says: What do you guys prefer – a more processed image, or something a bit more natural? We'd love to hear your thoughts. If you've bought a P20 Pro yourself, feel free to share any photos with us.

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Huawei P20 Pro Review – the triple-camera smartphone https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/smartphone/dominic-moass/huawei-p20-pro-review-the-triple-camera-smartphone/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/smartphone/dominic-moass/huawei-p20-pro-review-the-triple-camera-smartphone/#respond Sat, 05 May 2018 09:18:41 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=368721 It's Huawei's latest flagship with a triple rear camera configuration. The best Android around?

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At the end of March, Huawei launched its latest flagship – the P20 Pro. While its standout feature is far-and-away the triple rear-facing camera configuration, the phone also boasts a 6.1in OLED panel, class leading battery life, as well as Android Oreo 8.1. I've been using it for over a month now, so just how good is it?

There's no doubt that Huawei‘s P20 Pro is one of the most exciting – and different – Android smartphones to be released this year. Its design may be similar to the iPhone X with its rear camera placement and the increasingly common ‘notch', but having three cameras on the back is certainly unique.

Those cameras have also been designed in collaboration with esteemed camera manufacturer Leica, a partnership that was first unveiled two years ago with the launch of the P9. After a month of use, I'm keen to share all my thoughts on this £799 flagship.

Specification

Size 155.0 mm x 73.9 mm x 7.8 mm (H x W x D)
Weight Approx. 180g (including the battery)
Colors Twilight, Black, Midnight Blue, Pink Gold
Display 6.1″ HUAWEI FullView Display

18:9 OLED

3D glass

1080 x 2240 pixels, 408ppi

16.7M colors

CPU HUAWEI Kirin 970

Octa-core CPU (4 x Cortex A73 2.36GHz + 4 x Cortex A53 1.8GHz) + i7 co-processor

GPU Mali-G72 MP12 767MHz
NPU Neural Network Processing Unit
Operating System Android™ 8.1
Emotion UI EMUI 8.1
Memory 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM
Dual SIM Single/Dual-SIM
NFC Card reading mode / Point to point mode / Card simulation mode (make payment by SIM card*, or HCE) are supported

*The SIM card used for SIM card payment can only be inserted into the SIM1 card slot

Connectivity Wi-Fi 2.4G and 5G, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac

BT4.2, BLE, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC and HWA are supported

USB Type-C, USB 3.1 GEN1
Infrared Remote Control

Camera Front: 24MP, f/2.0

Rear camera: 40MP RGB (f/1.8) + 20MP monochrome (f/1.6) + 8MP telephoto (f/2.4)

HUAWEI AIS
4D predictive focus

5x Hybrid Zoom

4K and 960 fps video recording

Battery 4000mAh (Typical Value)

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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Huawei’s P20 Pro has three rear cameras… and a notch https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/dominic-moass/huaweis-p20-pro-has-three-rear-cameras-and-a-notch/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/dominic-moass/huaweis-p20-pro-has-three-rear-cameras-and-a-notch/#respond Tue, 27 Mar 2018 13:30:02 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=368407 Huawei has unveiled the P20 and P20 Pro. We give you the low-down on both devices, including some hands-on first impressions

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Today, at a launch event in the heart of Paris, Huawei has unveiled its latest smartphones – the P20 and P20 Pro. I've already spent some time with both devices, so here's everything you need to know about the new handsets.

We'll start with the most obvious thing – there are two new handsets. The P20 has a 5.8in LCD display and crucially ‘just' two cameras, while the P20 Pro has a 6.1in OLED display and the unique triple camera configuration.

Apart from the size, the P20 also has slightly cut-down specs when compared to its bigger brother. Its battery capacity is 3400mAh – compared to the P20 Pro's 4000mAh unit – while its dual camera setup doesn't have as high a megapixel count (12+20 vs 20+40+8). Another notable difference is the P20's IP53 water and dust resistance rating, when the P20 Pro is IP67 rated.

Strangely, the P20 has a marginally higher screen resolution though, coming in at 2244×1080. The P20 Pro's resolution is 2240×1080. While it's hardly a major difference, the P20 will look sharper thanks to its slightly smaller screen which gives it a higher pixels per inch count.

Both devices share the same overall design, however, and that means a small notch is present for the selfie camera and earpiece speaker. That selfie camera is also notable for its whopping 24MP resolution, while it can even be used for facial recognition to unlock your phone – the latter feature being something I managed to try out, and it is really fast.

There are all the usual colour options for both phones as well, but Huawei has also introduced a brand-new colour called ‘twilight' which you can see above. This is a lovely gradient effect which I got to see in the flesh, and it looks simply stunning – it's certainly something different from the black slabs we're used to seeing. This option is available for both devices, and here's hoping I'll get one of those to review.

 

The P20 Pro is definitely the more exciting of the two handsets, however, and the main talking point is the triple rear-facing camera setup. These have been manufactured in partnership with Leica, and the setup is actually fairly straightforward. There is one 20MP monochrome lens, one 40MP RGB lens, and one 8MP telephoto lens – the latter being something Huawei had not implemented until now.

Essentially, this configuration means you should be able to take really sharp and detailed images when using just the 40MP RGB camera, but the 20MP monochrome lens allows you to shoot in ‘proper' black-and-white, while the addition of the 8MP telephoto (or zoom) lens allows you to get much sharper, more detailed shots at long distances.

As well as the new hardware, Huawei has shown off a load of new software features for its cameras, powered by AI. These include the ability to shoot long exposure times (up to four seconds) while hand-holding the device and still get sharp images, as well as automatic scene recognition and a 4D predictive focus feature that dynamically moves the camera's focus as your subject moves. Stay tuned for a full camera analysis coming soon.

 

Under the hood, both devices are powered by Huawei's Kirin 970 chip which is good to see – it's a really fast processor. The P20 comes in a 4GB/64GB configuration, while the P20 Pro is 6GB/128GB as standard. Both devices are running EMUI 8.1 which is Huawei's Android skin that is built on Oreo 8.1.

At the time of writing, we don't yet have confirmed pricing or availability but we will update this article when we have them.

Update: The P20 is now available for pre-order at £599. The P20 Pro is available for pre-order at £799. Carphone Warehouse expects pre-orders to be delivered by April 6th.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: While both devices look good, the P20 Pro is undoubtedly the most interesting thanks to its triple camera configuration. Stay tuned for our full review coming soon.

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