Displaying items by tag: Devices

Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG) today announced that it has shipped 200 million smartphones to date in 2019, 64 days earlier than the same shipment milestone last year.

Huawei’s relentless focus on cutting-edge technology and innovative ID design, with its complete commitment to consumers worldwide, has reinforced their trust and commitment as more consumers continue to support Huawei.

2019 saw the launch of a number of stand-out devices including the multi award-winning Huawei P30 Series, widely considered to be the best camera phone currently available, as well as an all-round category leader.

Amongst a slew of awards and accolades, the European Image and Sound Association (EISA), a group comprising 55 of the world’s most respected consumer electronics magazines, named the Huawei’s P30 Pro “EISA Best Smartphone 2019-2020”, making it the second year in a row that Huawei has claimed this category prize.

More recently, the Huawei Mate 30 Series launched to great critical acclaim. Featuring the flagship Kirin 990 5G SoC, DxOMark winning quad camera system with breakthrough SuperSensing Cine Camera and futuristic Halo ring design, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro has been called “a genuine, unapologetic flagship phone” by Android Authority while GSMArena stated that “it has some of the best cameras ever found on a smartphone”, once again cementing Huawei’s reputation as an industry leader.

In celebration of the milestone, Huawei announced the Commemorative Edition of Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G. The limited version will come with 8GB RAM + 512GB Storage and will be available in Forest Green and Orange with vegan leather. It will be available for order on Huawei Vmall starting from 1^st November 2019 at 10:08 am China time in the Chinese market.

During an exclusive launch event at the Paris Convention Center, Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) unveiled the HUAWEI P30 and HUAWEI P30 Pro. The HUAWEI P30 Series builds on the HUAWEI P Series DNA in design and photography and is the company’s most advanced series of smartphone cameras.

These devices feature the innovative HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor, an optical SuperZoom Lens, a new HUAWEI Time of Flight (ToF) Camera, and enhanced optical and AI image stabilization technology. With these revolutionary technologies, the HUAWEI P30 and HUAWEI P30 Pro capture incredible photos and videos in every scenario.

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer BG, said, “the HUAWEI P30 Series is a fundamental breakthrough after decades of digital camera technology development; it will rewrite the rules and reshape everyone’s perception of mobile photography. Innovations such as the HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor and SuperZoom Lens allow us to push the envelope of both photography and videography—a frontier long overdue for disruption. The HUAWEI P30 Series will set the pace for the next generation of smartphones by empowering people to capture the true beauty of the world around them through a device that fits in the palm of their hands.” 

Rewriting the Rules of Photography for Stunning Professional-grade Pictures Every Time

The HUAWEI P30 Series will change users’ expectations of smartphone photography. Achieving a record-high overall DxOMark score of 112, the HUAWEI P30 Pro is equipped with a new Leica Quad Camera System, including a 40MP main camera with the HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor, a 20MP ultra-wide angle camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, the HUAWEI ToF Camera and a 32MP front camera that takes selfies to a new level.

The 1/1.7-inch HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor looks at light in a fundamentally new way. The RYYB HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor deviates from the traditional RGGB Bayer filter by replacing green pixels with yellow pixels, yielding a high maximum ISO rating of 409,600 on the HUAWEI P30 Pro and 204,800 on the HUAWEI P30. This fundamental shift in sensor technology, combined with HUAWEI AIS, OIS and the HUAWEI P30 Pro’s f/1.6 wide aperture, delivers extraordinary photography and videography experiences across a wide range of scenarios and lighting conditions—including extreme low light—producing images with enhanced detail, color and clarity. 

The new SuperZoom Lens unlocks a superior level of zoom photography in a slim-line device design. Through a new periscope design, the SuperZoom Lens supports high fidelity magnification of 5 times optical zoom, 10 times hybrid zoom and 50 times digital zoom. A prism element in the telephoto camera bends light at a 90-degree angle to maximize focal length while minimizing camera height, without disrupting device design.

The HUAWEI ToF Camera unleashes the imagination. Unique to the HUAWEI P30 Pro is a HUAWEI ToF Camera that captures depth-of-field information to deliver accurate image segmentation. Precise distance measurement allows for the simulation of multiple levels of bokeh. The Super Portrait feature captures even the smallest details, such as individual strands of hair. It combines depth information and proprietary algorithms to produce outstanding images with defocused backgrounds and highlights the subject of the image in any scenario.

Huawei AI helps users bring it all together into the perfect shot. AI HDR+ enables the front and rear cameras to combine multiple photos taken in quick succession to eliminate overexposed and backlit images.

Redefining Smartphone Videography

The HUAWEI P30 Series is a smartphone camera with cinematic capabilities. The HUAWEI P30 Series ushers in a new era of studio-grade videography. The HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor enables spectacular low-light video capture so night scenes appear bright and highly detailed. HUAWEI AIS and OIS support stabilization for all video capture settings, resulting in a perfect, steady shot. Additionally, the SuperZoom Lens allows for crisp close-ups, while the AI Video Editor enables users to add background music and special effects to their videos, turning the HUAWEI P30 Series into a mobile production studio. 

Two views are better than one. HUAWEI Dual-View Video can capture two perspectives of the same scene at the same time by using multiple cameras simultaneously. The HUAWEI P30 Series provides a full view of a scene while also capturing a close-up of a subject, unleashing new and exciting possibilities for video.

A Heritage of Stunning Design

Deriving inspiration from nature and technology to achieve a stunning design and beautiful colors. The HUAWEI P30 Series design, created with a nine-layer nano optical color finish, is inspired by the unique color palette and pristine look of salt flats. The 6.47-inch HUAWEI P30 Pro and 6.1-inch HUAWEI P30 come in Breathing Crystal, Amber Sunrise, Aurora, Pearl White and Black. The FHD+ (2340x1080) Dewdrop Display features a tiny notch, providing maximum display area. The near bezel-less front glass houses an In-Screen Fingerprint sensor for quick and secure identity authentication. The HUAWEI P30 Pro also features HUAWEI Acoustic Display Technology that enables it to deliver high-quality audio through a sound emitting display. 

Ultimate Innovation

Innovation is core to Huawei’s DNA. The HUAWEI P30 and HUAWEI P30 Pro are packed with industry-leading features that set them apart in power, performance and efficiency:

• The HUAWEI P30 Series is powered by the 7nm Kirin 980 processor, which delivers ultimate performance, top-class efficiency and faster image recognition through its Dual-NPU AI processing power.
• The HUAWEI P30 Series features an Extendable Read-Only File System (EROFS) that improves system responsiveness. The latest EMUI 9.1 also supports HUAWEI Share OneHop for seamless file sharing between Huawei smartphones and Huawei laptops.
• The HUAWEI P30 Pro features a 4200mAh battery (typical value) and 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge that charges a device from zero to 70 percent in 30 minutes, keeping the device powered for more than a full day of intensive work.
• The HUAWEI P30 Pro features HUAWEI SuperCool technology to improve thermal performance, keeping the phone cool even during heavy use.
• The HUAWEI P30 Series is equipped with a suite of advanced wireless communications capabilities supporting Dual SIM and Dual VoLTE connectivity.

Huawei also launched the HUAWEI WATCH GT Active Edition and Elegant Edition, outdoor smart watches featuring ultra-long battery life; HUAWEI FreeLace wireless earphones, which support HUAWEI HiPair for easy pairing and fast charging; and HUAWEI X GENTLEMONSTER EYEWEAR, new smart glasses co-designed with renowned eyewear designer GENTLE MONSTER.

Huawei will be launching HUAWEI P30 Lite in the Middle East and Africa region. The phone is equipped with a 32MP 3D Selfie Superstar lens that works with AI beautification effects. Mounting the rear of the device is a 24MP AI ultra-wide triple camera comprising of 24MP main camera with a f/1.8 wide aperture lens, 8MP camera for ultra-wide angle shots and 2MP lens. The handset is launched with the EMUI 9.0.1 installed and offers 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage to deliver the best user experience. The device also features a 6.15-inch Dewdrop display and achieves a massive screen to body ratio of 84.1 percent.

HUAWEI P30 Lite continues the excellence in design and features a slim 3D curved glass design that provides a trendy look that blends well with Huawei’s core technologies to deliver a premium and sleek user experience. HUAWEI P30 Lite will be available in three colorways: Midnight Black, Pearl White and Peacock Blue and its price shall be announced during the Middle East and Africa launch event of the Huawei P30 series that will take place in Dubai, April 1st.

Pricing and Availability

The new HUAWEI P30 and HUAWEI P30 Pro are immediately available globally with pricing information as follows:

The HUAWEI P30 Pro is also available in a Special Edition Gift Box. This premium set includes a Breathing Crystal or Pearl White HUAWEI P30 Pro and a Pearl Pink Glamorous Case encrusted with Swarovski® crystals.  

Apple has announced news, gaming and TV/streaming services which will be launched later this year.

Apple has set out to build a streaming and TV service which will offer original content and programs, on-demand and ad-free.  The price of this new service is yet to be determined.

Several people have been recruited to collaborate with Apple on this project such as Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams and Jennifer Aniston.

Apple TV is expected to be launched in May and be available on all Apple devices with a new feature for Channels where users will be able to subscribe to a variety of additional streaming services such as Showtime and HBO.

The app will also be available on Amazon Fire TV as well as smart TVs from Sony, LG and Samsung.

In addition to this, Apple has also been working to increase the popularity of mobile gaming so it also plans to launch Apple Arcade. This service will require the user to subscribe to it where they would receive access to over 100 exclusive games which could be played on any Apple device whether it be online or offline.

As part of its offer, Apple emphasized that privacy was part of their new offer and mentioned that Arcade will not track what gamers play or which devices they play from.

Apple has not disclosed the expected price of this service as well but they have stated that it will be offered to more than 150 countries.

Apple also announced a news service called Apple News+ which will collect content from 300 magazines. There will also be live covers, infographics, lists of trending stories and personalised recommendations to give the users a more interactive experience.

The News+ subscription would cost $9.99 per month according to Apple, which includes family sharing.

The service was made available in the US on Monday and will be released in Canada soon before it reaches the rest of the world.

South Korean conglomerate Samsung has unveiled its ambitious strategy to enhance its market share in the US by launching three new retails stores nationwide.

Samsung officially announced that it will open the new retail facilities as it gears up to launch an updated version of its flagship Galaxy handsets in the United States.

Some consumer experts are also claiming that the marketing strategy adopted by Samsung indicates clearly that the Seoul-based behemoth is directly challenging Apple in its domestic market.

Samsung said in a detailed statement that it made the move based on feedback from its customers.

The statement said, "They told us that they love having the ability to walk into a store and experience how the latest technology from Samsung works together to create a unique, immersive experience. Galaxy fans, in particular, mentioned that they were looking for a space to call their own, a place where they can get a feel for Samsung products first-hand."

It was further disclosed that the new stores will be located at the Americana at Brand mall in Los Angeles; Roosevelt Field in Garden City, New York; and The Galleria in Houston, Texas.

In addition to this, Samsung is holding a product launch in San Francisco amidst speculation it may launch a folding smartphone, which would make it the first of the major handset makers in the segment.

President of Samsung Electronics America, YH Eom, expressed his delight at the announcements and said the decision would solidify Samsung’s position as the world’s most popular smartphone manufacturer.

He said, “Our new Samsung Experience Stores are spaces to experience and see Samsung technology brought to life, to empower people to do what they never thought was possible before. We want to build a 'playground' for Samsung fans -- a place to learn about and try out all of the amazing new products we have to offer."

Samsung remained the number one global handset maker with a 20.8 percent share in 2018 despite an eight percent sales slump for the year, according to research firm IDC -- which also said last year showed the worst overall decline in sales for the smartphone sector.

US technology behemoth Google is at the centre of an investigation by Indian competition officials after it was alleged that Google may have engaged in anti-competitive practices.

Google stands accused of abusing the market dominance of its Android platform. The European Union conducted a 3-year investigation that only concluded last year.

The European Commission determined that the deemed requirements for Android device makers to use Google apps were illegal. The US tech leader was subsequently fined €4.3bn.

Reports emerging from India claim that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) began probing potential abuse of Android’s position six months ago, following a complaint filed by a group of individuals.

In addition to this, it has been further disclosed that Google executives met with Indian officials to discuss the matter in greater detail. The CCI must now make their deliberations before deciding whether the case merits a further investigation, or if it should be dismissed.

A source told Reuters, “It is on the lines of the EU case, but at a preliminary stage. The EC’s action would make it difficult for the CCI to reject further investigation without demonstrating the problem has been addressed.”

Following the decision handed down by the EC, Google announced its intentions to stop bundling preinstalled apps with its Android platform and instead charge manufacturers a fee to licence its apps, as part of a bid to avoid additional fines.

Google has been in trouble in India before.

In February 2018, the CCI imposed an INR1.36 billion ($19.3 million) fine on the company for abusing its dominance in online web search and search advertising markets.

Google appealed against the fine, stating it could cause irreparable harm and reputational loss.

US technology giant Apple has announced that it will impose a recruitment cutback - which has been primarily forced due to weak sales on the company’s iPhone devices in the lucrative Chinese market.

Bloomberg has reported that Apple CEO, Tim Cook, announced the recruitment cutbacks just a day after he sent a letter to Apple investors that warned the company was bracing itself for a year-on-year decline in revenue for its fiscal Q1, which would shave $5bn from its guidance. 

In a series of meetings that were held following the disclosure, it was reported that Cook informed some staff that a number of divisions would reduce hiring, but stated that he didn’t think a complete freeze in recruitment would be an appropriate solution to take.

In addition to this, it has been further disclosed that the CEO is also yet to determine which divisions will face hiring cutbacks. However, it is believed that divisions such as Apple’s AI team will not be affected due to the leverage of investment made by the US tech company into the emerging technology.

The move will also not affect plans to open a state-of-the-art new office in Austin, Texas or its expansion plans in Los Angeles, where the company is fleshing out its original video content ambitions.

Bloomberg also pointed out that Apple has hired new staff at a significant rate over the past decade. The company recruited 9,000 workers in its most recent fiscal year, taking the total up to 132,000, while adding 7,000 a year earlier.

Q2 growth for tablets and business smartphones was up slightly this year, as the market shows signs of a rebound, according to research by Strategy Analytics. Business smartphone shipments grew 14.8 percent year-on-year to reach 107.1 million units in Q2, up 6.1 percent sequentially from Q1. Tablets reached 17.3 million units in Q2, up 7.5 percent from Q1.  

While Q2 2017 showed signs of an increase on a slower first quarter, suggesting signs of an improvement for the remainder of the year, the outlook still remains volatile, according to Strategy Analytics, with longer replacement cycles and GDPR (general data protection regulation) likely to impact the market over the short to medium term.

“Overall, the business smartphone industry expanded steadily in the second quarter, Samsung saw positive shipment growth while Apple's shipments slipped by 11 percent,” said analyst Gina Luk. “Android and iOS are the two dominant operating systems in the market, as Windows 10 smartphone shipments continued to be squeezed out by the industry with close to zero market share.”

Through the first half of the year, the pace of business mobile devices shipments appears to be on trend with what the industry is accustomed to seeing with the current expansion – shipments registering disappointing first quarter growth performance to be followed with a stronger pace of growth in the second quarter, according to Strategy Analytics.

“The worldwide business tablet market remains volatile; it rebounded slightly to reach 17.3 million units in the second quarter, a 7.5 percent increase from Q1 2017, but year on year growth was flat at 0.7 percent on Q2 2016. The picture is still quite mixed,” said Andrew Brown, Executive Director of Enterprise Research at Strategy Analytics.

“North American business tablet volumes were up 5.4 percent sequentially in Q2 2017, however shipments declined 4.2 percent year-on-year,” he added. “The story was similar in Central & Latin America, which grew 2.2 percent quarterly, but shrank by 6.1 percent from Q2 2016, although other regions are registering positive quarter-over-quarter growth.”

Chinese smartphone vendor Huawei Technologies has altered its strategic approach in Kenya in a bid to boost sales of its handsets. It has restructured the price of some of its devices and is now showcasing smartphones that are retailing at between $100-200. It is hoping that a sharp increase in sales will boost its market share in Kenya.

Huawei is currently positioned as number three in relation to market share in the African nation which has been described as a fast-growing local smart devices market. Huawei is trailing South Korean conglomerate Samsung Electronics and Tecno which is owned by Hong Kong’s Transition Holdings.

Huawei’s manager in Kenya, Derek Du said it entered the smartphone market by introducing three smart phones, but it didn’t focus on products retailing for under $200 and that costed the company long-term. In an effort to increase its market share in that segment from 4% to 15% it will overall its entire strategic approach.

Kenya’s telecommunications incumbent Safaricom enjoys a 72% market share (around 28m users) and they reported that there is now 13 million smartphones on its network, which is a significant jump from 10 million last year.

Kenya consumers have finally parted with their well-worn standard phones in favor of relatively cheap devices that offer them faster internet speed and access to applications such as WhatsApp, online banking and taxi-hailing services. According to Du, Huawei has switched its strategic focus after it became evidently clear that the average Kenyan consumer is price sensitive.

Du added: “The new focus on the lower end of the market has come about because the Kenyan consumer is price-sensitive. The $100-200 is the key part we can play. If we can bring it up, it means we will also bring up the whole market share.”

He believes that change will enable Huawei to boost its overall market share to around 25-30%, from the current 14% it has been rooted on for the last two years. Research has revealed that the average Kenyan worker earns an annual wage of $1,200, which subsequently means that most people can’t afford expensive smartphones.

Huawei’s previous approach centered on their mid-range smartphones were it enjoys a 30% market share. Huawei has enjoyed a successful twelve months globally, and the Chinese conglomerate, based in Shenzhen, is now seen as a real threat to the smartphone monopoly which is dominated by Samsung and Apple.

Huawei’s African boss said that the Kenyan economy was enjoying a resurgent comeback after a difficult number of years, and is in a stable position. This makes it an attractable market for investors, and du has reiterated its commitment to growing its business in Kenya.

Chinese telecommunications colossus ZTE has attributed its first-half net profit success to its investment in 4G infrastructure and handsets. The world’s fourth-largest vendor of smartphones has hit its projected first-half net profit target forecast of 30%.

Analysts said that domestic telephone network providers continued to invest in 4G infrastructure provided by ZTE, and the firm also enjoyed a significant growth in the sales of its mobile devices. ZTE’s profit was $344M, whilst revenue rose by 13% which incidentally was also ZTE’s projected target.

In a statement released to the press, ZTE acknowledged that the organization has been presented with many new opportunities and expressed its vision to deploy 5G products and services. 5G standardization is expected to be established in 2018.

The statement read, “Looking to the second half of 2017, the company faces new opportunities," ZTE said in a statement in Chinese. "4G users and traffic will enter a peak period and pre-5G products will have more application, while 5G's standardization, technology and testing will experience a breakthrough."

ZTE reported more growth in relation to its telecom equipment sector, disclosing that revenue in that business grew by 13%. Its telecoms sector focus primarily on constructing infrastructure such as communications towers and accounts for 60% of overall revenue. ZTE’s remarkable financial results were cemented with the fact that its consumer business had also increased by a whopping 24%.

In March of this year, ZTE was left reeling after it was found guilty by the US Commerce Department for breaching US trade rules. It was fined almost $900M for breaking exports regulations. It’s the only smartphone vendor with a real presence in the US, and it has recovered well since that setback earlier this year, remaining the fourth-biggest vendor in the US after Apple, Samsung and LG.

ZTE executives have insisted they will continue to aggressively invest in wireless and 5G technology, whilst also revealing it aims to invest more in international marketing in the second-half of 2017. Revenue from ZTE’s smallest business area which is government and enterprise services has declined by 18%.

In addition to this, ZTE confirmed that it has agreed to sell 10.1% of its smartphone subsidiary Nubia for 727 million Yuan. That will reduce its equity in the company to 49.9%.

Chinese telecommunications conglomerate ZTE has increased its market share in the US smartphone industry. Analysts have suggested that its success is down to a combination of aggressive marketing and its manufacturing of cheap and affordable devices.

Research from Counterpoint Technology has indicated that the Chinese firm has enjoyed a rise of 36% in the shipment of its smartphones to the US. ZTE sold 4.8 million units in the second quarter of this year. However, the launch of another big-screen, budget-friendly smartphone in the US is estimated to bring more success for the Chinese vendor.

ZTE is already the fourth largest smartphone vendor in the US, and is increasing the pressure on its rivals which include LG, Samsung and Apple. ZTE has formally announced that it will launch the Blade Z Max after it agreed to enter a partnership with Metro-PCS. It has been disclosed that the new device will retail at $129, which is the same price point as the ZTE Max XL.

ZTE strategy is quite clear, and it is also evident that it is proving to be a very successful one. CEO of ZTE’s mobile devices, Lixin Cheng said the firm’s latest device focuses on high-end specifications at an affordable price in order to make it available for the masses.

ZTE’s new device does boast a number of premium features, which include a six-inch full HD IPS LCD display with a scratch resistant screen. When compared with its much more expensive counterparts such as the iPhone 7 and the OnePlus 5, it has many of the same features and capabilities as those devices. The Blaze Z Max has dual rear cameras at 16 megapixels.

It has been announced that Metro-PCS will begin taking pre-orders for the Blade Z Max online, whilst it will also be available in some selected Metro-PCS stores from August 28th. In addition to being the fourth-largest smartphone vendor in the US, ZTE has also established itself as the second-largest vendor in the no-contract market sector.

The encouraging latest figures released show that ZTE’s US strategy is having the desired effect, and with this latest device launch, which is expected to be a massive success, the future looks bright for the Chinese conglomerate as its aims to accelerate its growth in the US market in 2018.