huawei p9 & p9 plus
The Huawei P9 and Huawei P9 Plus are now official, following their launch at an event in London earlier today. The P9 has been on the cards for quite some time now and, after the success of the Mate 8 and Nexus 6P, it is easy to see why A LOT of people were looking forward to this launch.
Not so long ago, though, Huawei used to need an introduction. But not anymore. Not after the success of the Google Nexus 6P and the amazing Huawei Mate 8, which possesses battery life performance that basically has to be experienced to be believed.
Huawei is now a force to be reckoned with and if you haven’t already sat up and paid attention to what the Chinese company is offering...well, today’s releases might just change your mind. This is undoubtably bad news for smaller Android OEMs like HTC, Motorola and Sony. But what the hell. That’s their problem — we’re just here for the cool phones.
Huawei had a blistering finish to 2015, demonstrating HUGE growth despite the economic slowdown in China. And this upward momentum is expected to continue inside 2016 with the release of the Huawei P9 and other mid-range devices in its native market.
"Usually the conversation in the smartphone market revolves around Samsung and Apple, but Huawei's strong showing for both the quarter and the year speak to how much it has grown as an international brand," said Melissa Chau, Senior Research Manager with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
"While there is a lot of uncertainty around the economic slowdown in China, Huawei is one of the few brands from China that has successfully diversified worldwide, with almost half of its shipments going outside of China. Huawei is poised to be in a good position to hold onto a strong number 3 over the next year."
Huawei P9 & Huawei P9 Plus Leica Camera Squabble Clarified - It IS LEGIT!!
Following the launch of the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus there was a bit of an uproar online with regard to the Leica dual-sensor camera technology; we haven't given it much coverage, frankly, because we had a suspicion it would turn out to be a storm in a teacup and would probably blow over. And that's turned out to be true, but we thought we'd cover it now because its important to clarify what the Huawei P9 series IS actually offering here.
So..the story goes that the Leica dual-sensor camera setup was simply "certified" by Leica rather than being built and co-developed by the imaging firm, reports were pretty much claiming that Leica simply stamped its name on and gave the seal of approval to a set of hardware it hadn't even really been involved with, and that Huawei was engaging in some kind of conspiratorial "fake it til you make it" false advertising spin by claiming it as a real deal Leica camera.
Both firms have now issued a joint statement, just so there's no confusion. What we know at this stage is that the hardware is actually produced for Huawei by a third party company - Sunny Optical - but to be realistic this is not some terrible thing; pretty much ALL smartphone technology is developed by one firm's expertise and then produced by another. Apple's hardware is made by Foxconn in China, for example, from components sourced from a variety of third-party producers. This is how the industry works.
According to the joint statement, which we'll put below in full for you to read, Leica was "deeply involved" in the developemt of the dual-sensor technology aboard the Huawei P9, going as far as designing the sensor's mechanical construction, calibrating the lenses, and producing software image processing algorithms (presumably for use by those dedicated Image Signal Processors onboard). Once this was all sorted, it was then of course handed over for mass production...because, you know, Leica's got other stuff to be getting on with.
Anyway, here's the full statement:
"In February, Huawei and Leica announced a long-term strategic partnership. The camera function is the most used smartphone application and our aim is to bring it up to the high standards demanded by the Leica product philosophy. Leica brings to the cooperation their expertise gathered from decades of experience in optical engineering and optical design. The collaboration between Huawei and Leica aims to deliver the best possible picture quality in the smartphone segment.
Both companies have been working closely to co-engineer Huawei’s recently launched premium smartphone – the P9 – based on innovation and excellent craftsmanship.
The camera module of the P9 series and the achievable picture quality is the result of the intensive technological collaboration between Huawei and Leica. Leica has been deeply involved in the development of the camera-module of the P9 and P9 Plus. Our joint objective was to achieve the best possible image results and optical imaging performance in order to provide consumers in the smartphone photography segment with the best possible picture quality. The result raises smartphone photography to an entirely new level.
Our co-engineering is deeply embedded in the product and Leica’s contribution has involved:
- Collaborative development, evaluation and optimization of optical design (lens calculation) in compliance with Leica standards.
- Collaborative development of the mechanical construction of the camera module to reduce stray light effects (“ghost and flare”).
- Definition of imaging quality in terms of color rendition/color fidelity, white balance, stray light reduction (“ghost & flare effects”), exposure precision, dynamic range, sharpness and noise characteristics.
- Processing of image data with the aid of long-standing Leica optical and signal processing expertise.
- Definition of the most stringent common quality standards and production requirements for serial production by Huawei to ensure consistently high quality.
Leica’s globally recognized expertise is based to a large extent on the ability to guarantee the narrowest tolerances on the market. This justifiable claim to excellence is naturally also an integral component of the technology partnership and is implemented in Huawei’s production processes of the P9 camera module to ensure uncompromising quality."
Huawei P9 & Huawei P9 Plus Review: Design
Now that specs and hardware have kind of levelled off, tech brands are starting to pay more and more attention to overall design and useful features like battery life and imaging. Huawei’s Mate 8 was a gorgeous piece of kit and so too was the Nexus 6P. So it should come as no surprise that both the P9 and the P9 Plus are a pair of lookers.
Decked out in precision-engineered metal and bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Mate 8 and Nexus 6P, the P9 and P9 Plus are a great example of what happens when a company is firing on all cylinders. They look stunning and at just 6.9mm thick, both feel delicately premium in the hand. I also really like the way the glass front sort of slopes down into the chamfered edges of the chassis.
On the side you’ll find the volume rocker and power/unlock button. There’s the usual fingerprint scanner on the back for unlocking duties and Android Pay. Both models come with USB Type C, microSD support and plenty of RAM (3GB in the P9; 4GB in the P9 Plus)
Huawei P9 & Huawei P9 Plus Review: Display
The Huawei P9 features a 5.2in Full HD 1080p display. The display is an IPS panel. The P9 Plus, on the other hand, features a 5.5in AMOLED display. This is an odd division to have in place, if we’re honest, I mean, there’s barely any difference between 5.2 and 5.5inches.
The smarter move would have been to go sub-5inches and target that 4in demographic Apple keeps banging on about. Either way, at least you have a choice, although the larger handset is the better model to go for if specs and hardware are all you’re interested in.
Huawei P9 & Huawei P9 Plus Review: Specs & Hardware
| Huawei P9 | Huawei P9 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 5.2-inch LCD panel 1920x1080 resolution | 5.5-inch AMOLED panel 1920x1080 resolution |
| SoC | HiSilicon Kirin 955 | HiSilicon Kirin 955 |
| CPU | 4x 2.5GHz Cortex-A72 4x 1.8GHz Cortex-A53 | 4x 2.5GHz Cortex-A72 4x 1.8GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | Mali-T880 MP4 | Mali-T880 MP4 |
| RAM | 3GB/4GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 32/64GB + microSD | 64GB + microSD |
| Cameras | Dual 12 megapixel rear with OIS and laser focus, 8 megapixel front | Dual 12 megapixel rear with OIS and laser focus, 8 megapixel front |
| Battery | 3,000mAh | 3,400mAh |
| Features | Fingerprint scanner, USB Type C, infrared, stereo speakers | Fingerprint scanner, USB Type C, infrared, stereo speakers |
| OS | Android 6.0 Marshmallow with EMUI 4.1 | Android 6.0 Marshmallow with EMUI 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 145 x 70.9 x 6.95mm | 152.3 x 75.3 x 6.98 mm |
| Weight | 144g | 162g |
| Price | €599 / €649 | €749 |
Huawei P9 & Huawei P9 Plus Review: Camera
The Huawei P9 and P9 Plus’ big USP, however, are their camera setups, co-developed with Leica and branded as such accordingly. Both use dual 12MP rear cameras with OIS and laser focus. On the front you’ll find a more than ample 8MP setup for selfies and other self-indulgent internet-based activities. All in all this is a VERY impressive imaging suite.
The “Leica-endorsed” rear camera features a 1.25-micron pixel size and a wide F/1.1 aperture. And because it has two lens, Huawei says you can do some pretty cool stuff with it as well because the lens themselves are slightly different — one is monochrome, while the other is colour. OK, that’s great. But why? Simple: the monochrome sensor can deliver 300% better light capture and 50% better contrast and this, when combined with the normal, colour sensor, makes for truly excellent pictures. That’s the spiel, at least. We’ll have to let you know if it’s any good once we test it.
The P9’s can, thanks to their dual-lens nature, also handle depth which means you can adjust the focus of a picture after the fact. It also means you can capture larger scenes, making it great for landscape shots of rolling hills and the like. Beyond this Huawei has also included a manual camera mode which gives you control over ISO, exposure and shutter speed. You can also output files in RAW format too, which, again, is a nice touch.
Huawei P9 & Huawei P9 Plus Review: Initial Verdict
VERY GOOD. I’ve been consistently impressed with Huawei for a good 12 months now. The company appears to be going from strength to strength and is beginning to build a very solid brand appeal here in the UK, helped in no small way by the popularity of the Nexus 6P.
I like that there are two models, though the only difference, bar size, is to do with RAM and storage. I also like the effort, attention and innovative nature of the camera aboard both these handsets, and the fact that Huawei has kept the imaging the same on both models (take note, Apple).
Keeping with tradition, Huawei has avoided QHD displays and gone the solid route of 1080p coupled with an excellent, power efficient CPU alongside a big 3000mAh (P9) and 3400mAh (P9 Plus) battery for maximum usability.
I cannot wait to test these phones out properly.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق