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Don’t call them smart, Huawei’s Mate 10 series are the most intelligent phones ever made (Hands-on)

Thanks to artificial intelligence, the Mate 10 is able to recognize the object that the camera is looking at and it automatically switches the camera into “flower” scene mode.

Huawei’s flagship phone has landed in the form of the Mate 10 and Mate 10 PRO. The new Mate 10 series not only brings an all new glass body to the series, but it’s also the first of Huawei’s phones to come with the AI powered NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that Huawei announced at IFA last month. What does that mean exactly? It means that the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are a lot more intelligent than your average smartphone because they are able to learn about your behavior and adjust to it. But more on that later. 

On the design front, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 PRO sport an all new glass body that is curved on all four sides. That means that there are no sharp edges, so they are comfortable to hold. But there are significant differences between the Mate 10 and the even more premium Mate 10 PRO. For starters, the Mate 10 packs in a 5.9” FullView display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a barely-there-bezel, while the Mate 10 Pro packs in a 6” OLED FullView Display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a high screen-to-body ratio. The 6” display on the PRO is packed into the body of a 5.5” device, and its 18:9 aspect ratio allows for a neat smart split screen multi-tasking mode on the PRO. Both phones are also powered by a Kirin 970 processor that offers 20% better performance over the 960.

Both devices pack in a large 4,000 mAh battery, but neither of the phones come with wireless charging. Huawei explained to us that between the large capacity battery and SuperCharge, there isn’t much need for it. To that effect, SuperCharge provides a full day’s charge in just 20 minutes, and it’s also 4x faster than wireless charging. Huawei is also proud to show off that the Mate 10 series phones are the first phones to meet qualifications for the TÜV Safety certification, so you can be sure the phone won’t explode on you. And for those who are still paying attention to headphone jacks, the Mate 10 has a 3.5mm jack on top, while the PRO has a type c jack only, but it does come with a 3.5mm adapter.

Aside from sporting the larger display of the two, the Mate 10 PRO is IP67 certified for water and dust resistance, which is something the Mate 10 lacks. Another significant difference between the two models is that the Mate 10 PRO houses its fingerprint reader on its back side, while the Mate 10’s fingerprint sensor is located on its front side.

Both Mate 10s’ dual-lens cameras were co-engineered with Leica to produce 12-megapixel RGB + 20-megapixel monochrome sensors, optical image stabilization, an aperture of f/1.6, an AI-powered bokeh effect and AI-powered digital zoom.

The Mate 10 will be available in several colors including mocha brown, champagne gold, pink gold, and black, while the PRO will be available in midnight blue, gray, pink and mocha brown, and there will also be a Porsche Design version of the Mate 10 PRO.

Mate 10 PRO

But enough about the hardware – the Mate 10 series also represents a major leap forward for phones thanks to its NPU. This starts with EMUI 8.0 (Huawei jumped from EMUI 5.1 to EMUI 8.0 so they could align better with Android 8.0). EMUI 8.0 unlocks machine learning and artificial intelligence from the NPU. This brings everything to the table from better performance to improved battery optimization. You know how most Android phones slow down with age? Even a year old phone can get quite sluggish. Fortunately, when it comes to performance, EMU 8.0 helps make sure that your phone is “born fast, stays fast”. The NPU helps make that possible through its performance engine. Battery life is also improved thanks to the AI which learns about how you’re using your phone and optimizes for the best possible battery life.

A Food scene is automatically recognized thanks to the NPU

The AI even helps improve the experience of taking photos. To that effect, the phone understands what the camera is looking at, and does real time scene and object detection all powered by AI. Essentially, the phone processes what it’s looking at – as if it were a human brain, and it will set the best camera parameters based on what it recognizes. For example, the Mate 10 recognizes when it’s taking a photo of a sunset vs a plate of food, and it will automatically optimize the camera settings for the object it’s taking a photo of in that scene. It can even recognize when you’re taking cat photos and optimize accordingly! We briefly got to try this feature and were impressed with how quickly the Mate 10 recognized flowers in a scene and automatically optimized the camera for the flowers to create a beautiful photo. In addition to cats and flowers, there are scenes for food, stages (if you’re watching a show), outdoor landscapes, snow, water, low-light, sunsets, plants, portraits, and dogs, and Huawei says that future updates will bring additional scenes.

Mate 10 (Left) and Mate 10 PRO (right)

But this is just the beginning. Huawei has built out a 3rd party app engine with APIs so that app developers can further take advantage of the NPU. With the Mate 10 series, Huawei has become a pioneer in the AI space, and we expect other phone manufacturers to try and play catch up soon.

Last but not least, the Mate 10 has the ability to transform into a mobile PC. That might not sound so unique right off bat, but it actually is. That is because unlike the competition which offers similar functionality, Huawei doesn’t require you to invest in a pricey dock. Instead, you can use just about any inexpensive USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to DisplayPort cable to connect your Mate 10 to a monitor and keyboard for a full desktop-like experience.

Pricing and availability for the Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 PRO are not available yet, but we’ll update this story once we have it.

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Don’t call them smart, Huawei’s Mate 10 series are the most intelligent phones ever made (Hands-on) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 16, 2017 at 9:00 am.

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Julie’s gadget diary – It’s official, I’m switching back to Android

When I was watching Google’s live event yesterday and heard that the new Pixel 2’s would be going on sale that day, I immediately opened a new tab on my browser and went to check the Google Play store. Sure enough, they were available to order, so I did just that.

I ordered the Google Pixel 2 XL 128GB version in black. The black and white version looks very snazzy and I am a little bummed that I didn’t pick it so I’d have the red power button. But I was worried that the white would look dirty after use. I also know that I’ll end up covering it up with a thin case to add some grip to what I’m guessing will be a slippery phone.

A few days ago I posted that I was going to be switching from iOS to Android after a 3-month Android hiatus in iPhone land. I mentioned that my device choice was narrowed down between an LG V30 and the new yet unofficial Pixel 2 XL. I ultimately decided to go with the Pixel 2 XL even though it doesn’t have a microSD card or wireless charging. Why did I order it then? Because it has crazy fast charging, will have security and OS updates for the next 3 years and free full-resolution back up to Google Drive of images and video.

I planned to give my iPhone 7 Plus to Jeanne to replace her really old Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Switching to Android concerned me a little because I had planned for Jeanne and I to both be on an iOS phone when I bought an iPhone X. We’ve been on different Android phones with different versions of the OS for years, which always makes it tough to troubleshoot problems when she calls me on the phone at work to complain about something not working right. I thought being on the same version of the OS would greatly help my stress level during those calls 😉 But I wrecked that idea when I decided I’d go back to Android. However, Jeanne didn’t really care about that and was just looking forward to getting a new phone no matter what it was. But it still bugged me.

Lady luck was shining on me though because yesterday Dave Rees offered to trade me a new still in the box Pixel XL (last year’s model) for my iPhone 7 Plus which he plans to give his son. I jumped on that offer because Jeanne and I could both be on the same OS like I wanted. At least through next year’s Android P update which is the last update the first Pixel phones will receive.

I also sold my iPad Pro 10.5 with Pencil yesterday to a friend at work because I have barely used it since buying it 3 months ago. So all in all, I feel like I got 2 brand new phones for only about $300. Yay!

Now I just have to wait 2 weeks until the Pixel XL 2 arrives. Waiting.is.so.hard. 😉

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Julie’s gadget diary – It’s official, I’m switching back to Android originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 5, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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Is the LG V30 the best new bang for your buck smartphone this year?

I just heard that the LG V30 will be available here in the US starting on October 5 from Verizon and then later on October 13 from T-Mobile. This may sound surprising, but I’m more excited to try this Android smartphone than I am to get my hands on the iPhone X which isn’t due to ship until Nov-freaking-ember.

Maybe I’m feeling this way because I’m starting to get a little bored with my iPhone 7 Plus which I’ve been using for the past 3 months. My boredom levels didn’t improve even after last week’s OS update to iOS 11 which in my opinion, didn’t feel very magical.

Maybe it’s because I got the opportunity to review the Samsung Galaxy Note8 and it reminded me of why I love Android and started giving me thoughts of running back into the arms of that loveable green robot.

It could also be due to the fact that I like LG devices and used the LG G3 for a year before moving to the Nexus 6P.

Or maybe it’s because the LG V30 is priced up to $200 less than the iPhone X, and has a microSD card slot, wireless charging, 3.5mm headphone jack, 13MP/16MP dual rear lens camera, Quad DAC audio, and a 6″ 18:9 FullVision OLED display.

The only disappointment in the specs that I noticed so far is the OS version – the V30 ships with Android Nougat (v7) instead of the latest Oreo (v8).

I can’t wait to get my hands on this phone. Anyone else interested in the LG V30?

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Is the LG V30 the best new bang for your buck smartphone this year? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 28, 2017 at 12:49 pm.

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Samsung Dex Station review

Ever since the first days of the Palm Pilot PDA, I’ve wanted a small handheld device that would function as my phone, my camera, and my desktop computer. One device to rule them all!

Companies like Motorola with their Atrix phone flirted with this concept six years ago, and I’ve even tried turning an Android smartphone into a pseudo computer by connecting a mouse and a keyboard using an OTG adapter. With the right apps, it’s possible to get real work done with this type of setup but working on a phone’s small display is pretty painful.

Samsung has a solution for this. It’s the DeX Station. Verizon Wireless sent me one to test. Let’s check it out.

What is it?

The Samsung DeX Station is a docking station for the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, and Note8 smartphones. It allows connection to an HDMI display, a keyboard, mouse, and speakers, to turn the smartphone into a multi-windowed multi-tasking desktop workstation.

What’s in the box?

DeX Station
AC adapter
USB Type C cable

Design and features

The DeX Station is a black plastic module that reminds me of a bulging hockey puck.

The top cover slides open and turns into a backrest for the phone which plugs into the exposed USB Type-C connector.

The lid has a built-in fan that turns on to keep the phone cool when it is working hard from displaying multiple windows and apps.

Verizon sent me a Samsung Galaxy S8 to test with the DeX and it fit in the docking station perfectly. The DeX will also work with the Samsung Galaxy Note8, but it won’t work with other smartphones that have a USB Type-C connector. The DeX Station is only compatible with Samsung Galaxy S8 and newer devices.

Along the base of the DeX, you’ll find two USB 2.0 ports that can be used to connect a keyboard and a mouse. There’s also an Ethernet port if you need a hard wire into your network.

Next to the Ethernet port is an HDMI port and a USB Type-C port which is used with the included AC adapter to power the DeX.

Setup

Hooking up the DeX Station is simple as long as you have a monitor with an HDMI input and an HDMI cable. I connected the DeX to an LG 29″ monitor. I also connected the Samsung Galaxy S8 to a Logitech K780 keyboard using a USB dongle, and I paired a Microsoft Bluetooth mouse to round out the setup.

When connecting the S8 to the DeX connected to the monitor, you’re given the option to mirror the display as shown above.

Or you can go full screen which effectively turns the smartphone into a desktop computer that can multi-task with multi-windows, a taskbar, app shortcuts, etc. The effect is pretty awesome and really made me feel like my one-device-to-rule-them-all gadget daydream had finally come true.

Launching the Chrome browser really feels like you’re surfing on your laptop or desktop and you forget that you’re using a smartphone. You can do multiple things at once like having multiple tabs open in the browser while updating files through the Play store.

My first gotcha was noticing that Gmail through the Chome browser showed the mobile version of the site instead of the desktop version which I prefer.

I tried requesting the desktop version through the browser settings and tried using an incognito window too but didn’t have any luck.

To get around this issue I tried the Samsung browser and discovered that it does allow you to load the desktop version of Gmail. Yay! The desktop version of Gmail lets me have my multiple inboxes and stars just like working on my Mac or Windows machine. This is a big deal for people like me who get eleventy billion emails a day.

Although the DeX desktop doesn’t look like your phone, notifications still come in like normal and can be accessed in a panel on the bottom right corner of the display.

You can also see thumbnails of open apps to easily switch between them.

There’s also a launcher screen with all your installed apps listed for easy launching.

And there’s a nice big settings picker window.

Working through a browser feels very much like you’re working on a laptop or desktop computer. But when you try to use some of your favorite apps, you’ll start running into issues because they probably won’t work in full-screen mode like you’d expect and want with this type of setup.

Examples of this include Words With Friends, which launches in a phone-sized window that cannot be resized.

The Netflix app has the same problem. What’s even worse is that I couldn’t get the Netflix app to load a video. It would stay on the loading screen forever. But if I tried using my iPhone to watch the same video that I was trying to pull up on the S8 connected to the DeX, it popped up just fine when using the same WiFi connection.

The Samsung internet browser usually works the best to go to the web versions of apps and services vs. the mobile apps that you have installed on the phone. So I thought I could get Netflix to work that way, but it just showed a blank black screen.

I also tried the Chrome browser but it would just launch the Netflix app.

Some apps won’t launch at all when connected to the Dex Station like Verizon’s Messages+ app and even worse, the Firefox browser won’t work at all.

However, you can use Samsung’s messages app to send SMS messages while connected to the DeX.

A few other things that I noticed:

  • Right mouse click is supported with Dex optimized apps.
  • Double-clicking the mouse to select a word in the Chrome browser in an edit window will not work but it does work in the Samsung browser.
  • Trying to edit images in Google Photos just brings up a blank black screen.

Who is this product for?

I was excited to try the Samsung DeX Station, but after I used it, I started thinking what I would use it for and came to the conclusion that it would not be useful for someone like me who already has a laptop at work, a laptop at home, and a tablet.

The DeX would be perfect for a minimalist who has no extra room or need for multiple computers but does have an HDMI display, a keyboard, and a mouse to use when a full-screen desktop experience is required.

I can imagine a time in the not too distant future where our smartphones really WILL be our only devices and we’ll have docks like the Samsung DeX Station at our day job and our home.

Final thoughts

I enjoyed using the Samsung Dex Station and am excited for the future of devices like this one. I would happily go down to one device if the OS on that one device was beefed up a little more, all apps took advantage of full-screen mode, and there were docks to turn the phone into a laptop and a tablet too. I think it’s just a matter of time and I can’t wait.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Verizon Wireless. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $149.99
Manufacturer: Samsung
Retailer: Verizon Wireless
Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • Turns the phone into a desktop computer
  • Multi-window, multi-tasking
  • Phone charges while docked
Cons:
  • Most apps appear in small phone sized windows that can't be resized
  • Netflix would not work
  • Some apps won't work at all while docked in the DeX

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Samsung Dex Station review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2017 at 4:04 pm.

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Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 5)

The minute I powered on the Samsung Galaxy Note8 and started using it, I felt the urge to ditch my iPhone 7 Plus and go running back to Android. But am I still feeling that way after using it as my primary device for the past 5 days? 

Check out my earlier posts in this series:
Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 1)
Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 2 & 3)
Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 4)

Day5

Today started out VERY early for me. I woke up at 3 am and was wide awake. As I lay there, I noticed that the notification LED on the phone which was on the nightstand, kept blinking and lighting up the room. You would think that using the Do Not Disturb feature would also include the notification LED. Go figure.

I went ahead and got up and went into work because (I’m crazy) I figured that I could contact people in China. I’m engineering application support for my day job and it’s tough to help our Chinese users because of the time difference.

At 4:50 am, the alarm on the Note8 went off causing me to jump like a cat who sees a scary cucumber. Wouldn’t it be nice if your phone realized you were already awake and automatically silenced the alarm for you?

The Note8 is a great camera

My day was done at noon, which was perfect because I drove around Columbus, IN to find some interesting photo opportunities to show off the Note8’s camera. Here are some samples:










Although Samsung tends to oversaturate images, I was impressed with the photo quality of the Note8 in most lighting situations.

Most people think or assume that the iPhone 7 Plus has the best camera of any smartphone, but the Samsung Galaxy Note8 sure gives it a run for its money.

Round two with Walmart and Samsung Pay

After the photo shoot, I decided to run by Walmart and give Samsung Pay another try at their self-checkout machines. If you read my day 2 & 3 post, you’ll remember that the first time I tried paying for my groceries using Samsung Pay, it displayed an error on the kiosk machine so I ended up swiping my physical credit card. Later I received a notice on the phone, that the transaction using Samsung Pay had actually worked. So I had duplicate payments. Thankfully, one of the payments was automatically reversed.

Today, I’m happy to report that paying with Samsung Pay worked just fine. It was quick and easy with no errors and no waiting.

System performance and battery life

It’s been a long time since I tested a phone that was laggy and the Samsung Galaxy Note8 hasn’t changed that. It’s very snappy loading apps, switching between apps, etc. I have absolutely no complaints about system performance.

The same goes for battery life. I’ve had no problems getting through an entire day with this phone with 30-40 or more battery percentage to spare.

Final thoughts

So, after five days of using the Samsung Galaxy Note8, do I want to put my iPhone 7 Plus in my drawer of lonely gadgets and go running back to Android?

Yes and No.

I’m always going to enjoy using Android devices. Specifically, I like:

  • The ability to have graphical widgets on the home screens
  • The ability to arrange icons on the home screens with spaces in between
  • The ability to pair both a mouse and a keyboard with the device to turn it into a pseudo computer
  • Access to the file system
  • The OS is more open for tweakers

What I don’t like:

  • I think that so many different devices with their own skins and bloatware over stock Android hurts the platform
  • Takes too long to get OS updates unless you have a Google device

Although I do feel the tug to go back to Android, I am also happy with iOS right now and am excited to see what iOS 11 has to offer. So at least for the time being, I’m sticking with iOS, but am sure at some point in the not so distant future that I’ll be switching back to Android. And then probably back to iOS, and over, and over. What can I say, I’m pretty much OS inclusive and like them both almost equally at this point.

I’ll be sorry to send back the Note8. It’s a gorgeous device and would be the one I’d buy today if I wanted the best Android device available.

Check out my earlier posts in this series:
Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 1)
Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 2 & 3)
Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 4)

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Verizon Wireless. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $960.00
Manufacturer: Samsung
Retailer: Verizon Wireless
Pros:
  • Very nice camera
  • Great display and I love the always-on feature
  • S Pen is handy
Cons:
  • Expensive

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Samsung Galaxy Note8 review (day 5) originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 2017 at 4:57 pm.

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