Category: New Products

Timetable of 5G Mobile Cell Phones

From 2019 to 2020, the top 10 cell phone manufacturers will release 5G mobile phones intensively. Even though 2020 would be the first year for 5G devices to commercially use in large scale, many manufacturers are ready to release their 5G smartphones. Now let’s see what the new 5G phones include:

 

5G Brand Release date 5G Cell Phone Model List
Apple 2020 iPhone
Google 2019 Pixel 4
Nokia Unknown Unknown
Honor 2019 Honor View 20(5G Version)
HTC 2019 HTC U13
Huawei 2019 * Huawei P30 Pro
* Huawei Foldable cell phone
LG 2019 LG/Sprint: LG G8 ThinQ
Motorola/Lenovo 2019 Mote Z3
OnePlus 2019 OnePlus 7(5G Version)
Oppo 2019

OPPO Reno 5G
Samsung 2019 * Galaxy S10 5G
* Verizon/AT&T Customized
* Samsung Galaxy Fold
Sony 2019 Xperia
Xiaomi 2019 Mix 3(5G Version)
ZTE 2019 ZTE Axon 10 Pro
VIVO 2019 VIVO NEX 5G
ZTE 2019 Nubia Mini 5G

 

 

Samsung Galaxy S10 – Released Time: Feb, 11

 

Samsung had already announced the date to launch the Galaxy S10 a few months ago. Besides the well-known aperture screen, it also has the configuration of Snapdragon 855 mobile platform and Samsung Exynos 9820 processor, which both have the ability to support 5G, so the Samsung Galaxy S10 would be easy to have a 5G version.

With the X50 modem and Qualcomm antenna & RF module, the Snapdragon 855 would make S10 to work on 5G easily. Besides the Qualcomm 5G platform, Samsung already developed its own 5G platform. In Aug 2018, Samsung presented the 5G chipset Exynos Modem 5100, after integration of RF IC and power IC, Exynos Modem 5100 can be supplied as chipset to the terminal manufacturers and save the time for the manufacturers.

 

 

Huawei P30 – Feb 24, Huawei Folding cell phone – Feb 24, Huawei Honor V20 5G Version – 2019

 

Huawei would present a new P series smartphone at MWC 2019, and in 2019, Huawei would bring P30 with back four cameras, which makes it be in the first batch of 5G cell phones. Before MWC 2019, Huawei had a communication conference to release some 5G base station, 5G chipset and 5G terminals, among which, Hisilicon Kirin 980 and Balong 5000 are the main chipsets for 5G terminals.

With P30, Huawei also brings its 5G folding cell phone, which would be presented to the public as Huawei first 5G cell phone and folding phone on 14:00 Feb 24 in Barcelona. In addition, we will also have the possibility to see the latest 5G version of Honor V20. And the Honor V20 5G Version may adopt the same solution as Huawei P30.

 

Oneplus 7 + Oppo R15 + Xiaomi Mix 3 5G Version – Early 2019

 

As the 5G terminals members of Snapdragon series, OnePlus and Oppo have a good partnership with Qualcomm. Following the OnePlus CEO Liu Jiahu sent the first twitter in 5G network environment in October 2018, Liu Jiahu also said OnePlus would launch a 5G commercial phone in Europe in Qualcomm Snapdragon technology Summit in December. And there is the possibility to launch a completely new range of products, which means OnePlus may also go the double flagship road, like Huawei and Honor.

 

As one of the important manufacturers in China, OPPO had achieved the signal and data link on 5G network in August in 2018. It’s said the first 5G cell phone model number is R15, but not confirmed yet.

 

Xiaomi had announced the first 5G phone would be based on Xiaomi Mix 3. The Mix 3 5G version would adopt the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and X50 modem baseband add-on platform to fulfill the 5G connection. The 5G phones with the Snapdragon platform have pure technologies and baseband support, which are also the first batch 5G phones available in the market.

 

 

Sony Xperia – 2019, LG V50 ThinQ – 2019

 

Like Samsung, LG and Sony mobile phones are going down, but they never give up cell phone business and keep presenting a new flagship phone. LG will present its first 5G phone V50 ThinQ, which has a 6 inches display and 4000mAh battery with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 platform.

Sony would also launch its first 5G cell phone in 2019, but till now, we don’t have detail information for the 5G phone. But we are sure Sony would follow other manufacturers to release its 5G phone.

 

Google Pixel 4 – 2019, HTC U13 – 2019

 

Google Pixel series are special mobile phones for making friends, not for money. However, it has gained many fans in these years. Per the past schedule, the Pixel 4 would support 5G, but no more news to get now.

 

Regarding HTC, it’s said the HTC U13 would be the flagship. Even though HTC didn’t tell when the U13 would be available, but they confirm U13 would focus on 5G technology.

 

Apple iPhone

Apple is reluctant to follow the 5G mainstream in 2019, not only 5G technology is not pure, but also Apple doesn’t have strong 5G support from its partners. So if you want to buy an iPhone, don’t wait for 5G iPhone in 2019.

 

 

From the mentioned 5G phones, we can see some manufacturers are trying to use 5G phones to change the current market decline; some are just following the mainstream to see whether there are good opportunities. Whether 2019 would be the first year of 5G phone, we will see and the market will tell.

 

 

 

Netgear Nighthawk XR700 Gaming Router Review

The Netgear Nighthawk XR700 gaming router delivers superlatives: huge body, spectacular design, many wireless antennas, and the latest wireless 802.11ad technology, in addition, an SFP connection for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. So it is clear: this Netgear XR700 router is not aimed at the classic standard user, but at users who want to have super fast connections and lots of power in the home network such as gamers.

 

Netgear Nighthawk XR700 Appearance

Netgear has gone all-in for the design and designed a very unique case. The XR700 gaming router is huge and heavy in comparison to other router models, especially the bulky wireless antennas catch the eye. A large ventilation grille on the front allows a view of the technology and the active fan, red stripes on the body provide a fresh look. Overall, the design takes a bit of getting used to and certainly not compatible with any home decor – the XR700 is more likely to fit between gaming computers and network switches rather than on the dresser in the entry hallway.

 

Nighthawk XR700 WLAN Features

The Netgear Nighthawk XR700 can use WLAN on three frequency ranges: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 60 GHz. Over 2.4 GHz, a maximum of 400 Mbit/s is possible, over 5 GHz up to 1733 Mbit/s and over 60 GHz even up to 4,600 Mbit/s – in each case a suitably equipped terminal provided. The router supports 4 × 4 MU-MIMO antenna technology and offers a comparatively good range. An apartment of 60-80 square meters can be easily provided without the further repeater.

The integrated 802.11ad WLAN at 60 GHz is a curiosity. Theoretically, very high data rates are possible at a short distance – ideally a few meters and visual contact. Practically, however, it lacks of devices that have integrated 802.11ad. In fact, very few devices around the world are with this technology. Although there are retrofit solutions, including from Intel, but even Netgear has no retrofit adapter for USB or PCIe in the range. The 60 GHz WLAN could therefore not be tested.

 

Nighthawk XR700 Gaming Pro Interfaces

The Netgear XR700 has six RJ45 Gigabit LAN ports on the back, two more than an ordinary wireless router. Ports 1 and 2 can even be combined via Link Aggregation and thus significantly increase the speed, if supported by the end device (for example, a NAS). If you need an even faster LAN, you can buy a 10 GBit/s SFP module from a retailer and install it in the XR700’s SFP bay. Then up to 10 Gbit/s are possible.

 

 

The Netgear XR700 has no integrated modem. This is a shame given the high price on the one hand, on the other hand, there are now with (V) DSL, TV cable and fiber- three common types of connection and so anyone can take the modem, which fits best. The modem is then connected to the XR700 via the 1 Gbps WAN port.

For external devices such as hard drives or printers, there are two USB 3.0 ports on the Netgear XR700. In practice, a USB stick was easily detected and could be used within a short time. The data transfer rates were not tested in detail.

 

Conclusion

One thing is clear: the Netgear Nighthawk XR700 is not a router for everyone. This is already visible at the incredibly high price. But when you get the Netgear XR700, you can get other things that are otherwise in hardly any other router: an extraordinary design, good workmanship, top wireless performance, an SFP port for 10 GBit LAN and good software. Due to the lack of end devices, the integrated WLAN 802.11ad can hardly be used by anyone – but it is, after all, integrated. If you want to combine this combination of high-end features in one router, the Netgear Nighthawk XR700 is just what you need.

 

D-Link Debuts New 5G NR Router DWR-2010

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in Las Vegas, D-Link announced a new 5G NR Enhanced Router named DWR-2010. With nothing more than wall power and a SIM card, the router promises to create a high-speed Wi-Fi network in your home, according to the official sayings, the DWR-2010 5G NR Router enables download speeds more than 40x faster than current average fixed broadband download speed in the U.S. of 70Mbps.

Based on Qualcomm’s SDX55 chipset, the D-Link DWR-2010 5G Enhanced Gateway is capable of transmitting standards-compliant 5G data through either millimeter wave or sub-6GHz towers, the former currently available in a handful of U.S. cities and the latter planned for wider deployment in 2019 and 2020. Four of its antennas pick up 5G signals, falling back to LTE when 5G’s not available, and the D-link 5G Router also supports voice over LTE (VoLTE) for traditional phone calling.

 

D-Link DWR-2010 5G Router Highlight features Review:

  • CES Innovation Award Honoree
  • Embedded 5G NR NSA module (3GPP Rel.15)
  • Sub-6 GHz or mmWave frequency compatible
  • AC2600 Dual Band Wi-Fi (800 + 1732 Mbps) with MU-MIMO
  • 4 external antennas for LTE/5G NR
  • Whole home coverage with D-Link Wi-Fi Mesh
  • Auto Firmware Upgrade
  • Supports VoLTE
  • Supports Remote Management (TR-069)

Like a traditional Wi-Fi router, the 5G NR Router enables users to access data either through Wi-Fi connections or Ethernet ports, starting here with a 2.5Gbps LAN, a 1Gbps WAN/LAN, and three 1Gbps LAN ports. The Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) support is practical — given today’s devices — but a generation old, offering an 800Mbps connection on one band plus 1.7 Gbps of bandwidth on another. It’s worth noting that faster Wi-Fi 6 routers are already being announced ahead of this month’s CES trade show, though no consumer devices — computers, tablets, or smartphones — include the chips necessary to use them.

D-Link’s key selling point for the DWR-2010 5G is convenience. Assuming there’s a 5G network in your neighborhood, and 5G data pricing is reasonable, a cellular carrier could offer you high-speed home broadband service with zero installation hassle — just plug the router into a wall near a window and, if the SIM card’s pre-installed, join the network. In theory, the router could work with current and future AT&T and Verizon 5G services, and D-Link expects it will expand broadband availability to “remote areas currently limited to dial-up and DSL services.”

 

A secondary selling point for the router is speed. The DWR-2010 5G Gateway’s bandwidth promises to stream 4K video content with ease and to support “little to zero lag” in online gaming. This sort of reduced latency is a key feature of 5G networks and is expected to enable both ultra-high resolution videos and instantly responsive immersive 3D/VR streaming.

The DWR-2010 5G NR Router is scheduled for release in the second half of 2019 and doesn’t yet have a price tag. By the time it’s released, multiple carriers will hopefully have affordable 5G data plans capable of making the most of its features.

Telstra Presents Netgear Nighthawk M2 5G Mobile WiFi Router

As the successor to the Nighthawk M1, Netgear presented a new 5G mobile router Nighthawk M2 for the Australian network carrier Telstra at CES 2019. The new mobile hotspot supports 4G LTE Category 20 and could provide faster speeds for surfing. The appearance of the new 5G mobile hotspot is very similar to the first 5G mobile router Netgear Nighthawk M5, which is available for the AT&T 5G networks in the USA.

The Nighthawk M2 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 modem, and the theoretical data rates are 2Gbps for download and 316Mbps for upload. It’s possible to achieve 7 carrier aggregations for download and triple carrier aggregation for upload. The 4 × 4 MIMO antenna technology is supported on up to 5 carriers simultaneously. The 256QAM modulation is supported not only in the downlink but also in the uplink. Combining the mentioned technologies, the device reaches the mentioned 2 gigabits per second – but only if the mobile networks support these technologies as well.

Like the predecessor M1, Netgear M2 could also support maximum up to 20 wireless devices to access the internet. What’s more, the Nighthawk M2 has one RJ45 Ethernet port, one USB-C Port and one Type-A USB port. And two connectors for external antennas are available, but what’s the connector type is unknown yet. More details of the Netgear Nighthawk M2 is waiting for the official specs from Netgear or Telstra.

 

According to the Telstra news, the Nighthawk M2 is the world’s fastest 4G device on Australia’s fastest mobile network, and it’s said the M2 was already under test and it would be available in the market in early 2019. However, the price of Netgear Nighthawk M2 is not yet known, but we will keep updating the news.

 

 

 

Quectel Released LTE Cat20 Module EM20 at CES 2019

As one of the global leading supplier of cellular and GNSS modules, Quectel Wireless will release its most advanced LTE module on Category 20. The new LTE cellular module is named EM20, which are bound to bring a brand-new connectivity experience for years to come and it targets at the high-level of wireless connection and 5G commercialization starting in 2019.

 

According to the specifications of the Quectel EM20, we can see the EM20 could achieve download speed up to 2.0Gbit/s and upload speed up to 150Mbps, which is optimized specially for Laptop, PC and high-speed industrial IoT applications. Designed in M.2 form factor and measuring 42.0×30.0×2.3mm, this high-speed module is compatible with Quectel’s broad portfolio of LTE-Advanced products including Cat 12 module EM12 and future 5G module, allowing for smooth migration between different categories and to next-generation connectivity.

Quectel EM20 highlight Specifications

Besides the high speed connection for peak download speed up to 2Gbit/s, based on Qualcomm’s SDX24 chipset and fully compliant with 3GPP R13 specification, Quectel EM20 supports cutting-edge LTE wireless technologies such as up to 7 Carrier Aggregation (CA), 4×4 MIMO technology, 256-QAM as well as LAA (LTE Assistant Access) and CBRS (Citizen Broadband Radio System).

 

As the high-level LTE wireless module, the new Quectel LTE module supports FDD LTE frequency bands of B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/ B14/B17/B18/B19/B20/B25/B26/B28/B29/B30/B66 and TDD LTE bands of B38/39/B40/B41/B42/B43/B46(LAA)/B48(CBRS). This ensures that IoT devices with Quectel EM20 module inside can operate on networks of nearly all the mainstream carriers worldwide.

 

In addition, Quectel EM20 features Qualcomm® IZat™ location technology Gen8C Lite (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS). The integrated GNSS greatly simplifies product design, and provides quicker, more accurate and more dependable positioning capability.

 

Thanks for Quectel’s proven success stories in high speed wireless module industry, and global spectrum availability, EM20 is going to be an ideal choice for ultra-high-speed Laptop, PC, Router, Industrial Gateway, In-Vehicle Video Surveillance System, Cloud-based 4K IP-Camera and many more similar applications, which indeed require very high throughput and preferably low latency.

 

Quectel EM20 Price and Buy

Since Quectel Wireless just debut of EM20, we can’t get the EM20 price currently. But we believe once it’s available in the market for large volume, the price would be down. However, if you need only samples now, it would be hard to buy now. You have to wait for few months to see this real product.

Telit Presents LM940 Module for 600 Mbit/s Connectivity

As the specialist of radio connectivity modules and publisher of software and service platforms for the Internet of Things (IoT) market, Telit unveiled the first Mini PCIe module LM940, which is the first card in the world to support LTE download speed to 600Mbps. The Telit LM940 module offers full Mini PCI Express format (50.95 x 30 x 2.8 mm) capable of supporting LTE-Advanced Category 11 (Cat-11) technology. The Telit LM940 specifications are very similar to the current hot LTE-advanced pro module Sierra Wireless AirPrime EM7565.

The LM940, which is expected to be approved by several mobile operators in the fourth quarter of 2018, is capable of operating in the temperature range of -40 ° C to + 85 ° C and achieves this through support the carrier aggregation technology (three in this case) and 256QAM modulation. Telit LM940 is based on Qualcomm’s LTE Snapdragon X12 Modem as well as a satellite positioning receiver and is also capable of transmitting 75 Mbit/s in the upstream channel.

“The LM940 module will be of particular interest to OEMs in the 4G cellular router and gateway market, which demand ever higher bandwidths to satisfy applications such as digital signage and automotive infotainment,” commented Sam Lucero, the analyst at IHS Research, “We anticipate the sale of more than six million cellular IoT gateways by 2021, compared to nearly two million in 2016, for a market that will be worth slightly more than $ 1.6 billion that year. “

Telit LM960 LTE-A Cat18 Module Review

Telit introduced the LTE-A Cat-18 module LM960, capable of supporting speeds up to 1.2 Gbit/s in the downlink and 150 Mbps in the uplink. Such speeds are necessary, for example, when streaming video from the scene in high resolution or for distributing the Internet in an emergency situation from a mobile platform.

The Telit LM960 module is assembled in a PCI Express Mini Card (mPCIe) format. Telit calls it the first Cat-18 mPCIe module. It will be purchased by FirstNet operator for use in various devices used by emergency workers, in particular, in mobile and portable wireless routers installed in ambulances and other special vehicles.

The LM960 module supports both in-band and in-band carrier aggregation (up to 5) to achieve 1.2 Gbit/s throughput in the downlink with a 4×4 Mimo mode and 256-QAM modulation (up to 5). 150 Gbit/s in the uplink). Telit’s product can also operate in up to 23 different LTE bands (16 LTE FDD and 7 LTE TDD bands) including Band 14 (700 MHz), used in the United States for public safety, as well as 3.5 GHz CBRS Citizen Band Radio Service) bands and LAA 5 GHz (LTE-License Assisted Access), the latter allowing to improve performance in particular buildings in addition to the “traditional” cellular service.

The Telit LTE Module also supports several satellite positioning technologies, including GPS. In addition to supporting band 14, the LM960 operates in all other frequency bands that FirstNet uses to provide connectivity to the systems used by the emergency services. The LM960 is capable of operating in a temperature range of -40 ° C to + 85 ° C and also incorporates a four-constellation geolocation satellite subsystem (GNSS) and two SIM cards.

 

Telit LM960 Specs and Features

The LM960 module is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X20 LTE Modem chip and below is the general specs for reference:

  • Aggregation up to 5 frequency bands
  • Up to 150 Mbit/s UL 64QAM and UL aggregation support
  • LTE FDD Bands: B1, B25 (B2), B3, B66 (B4), B26 (B5), B7, B8, B12 (17), B13, B14, B20, B28, B29 (DL) ), B71
  • LTE TDD Bands: B38, B39, B40, B41, B42, B46 (DL), B48
  • 3G ranges: B1, B2, B4, B5, B8
  • Satellite Systems: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou
  • USB 3.0
Feature Sub Feature Telit LM960
Rel 12 Release 12 compliance Yes
4×4 MIMO 4×4 MIMO on 2 contiguous carrier + 2×2 MIMO on 3rd carrier Yes
3DL CA Inter-band with 4×4 MIMO on one of 3 bands
4×4 MIMO on 2 bands in 2xCA Configuration
LTE CA 4x DLCA(80MHz aggregated BW; Cat16) Yes
3.5GHz B42 4×4 MIMO Deployments in Japan Yes
LTE-U LTE-U(eCAST) Yes
LAA(60MHz) Achieves 1Gbps with LAA Yes
Data IC Interference cancellation for LTE Data Yes
LAA Enhancements * More than 1 Lincensed carrier with LAA Yes
* Support for Wi-Fi measurements reporting in LAA
* 5xCA 4+2+2+2+2 scenario
Cat16+ 1.2Gbps Yes
12 Layers Support for 12 layers(Also 4×4 MIMO with 3xDLCA) Yes
5xCA 5x Carrier Aggregation Yes
New Bands 600MHz, CBRS(B48 with CA) Yes

 

 

The ruggedized LM960 module is derived from the Cat-11 compatible LM940 and the two cards are interchangeable, says Telit, which offers developers the ability to launch new equipment (routers, gateways, etc.) built on designs already using the Telit LM940, or to create product families with different performance levels (the LM960 for the high-end, the LM940 for the mid-range).

 

Telit LM960 Price and Buy

Since Telit LM960 is not available in the market for volume and just in the range of testing. The Telit LM960 price is high and there is only few online stores who can supply the samples time to time. We 4GLTEMALL.com could supply the Telit LM960 samples but not stably. If you want to buy the Telit LM960, you must pre-order first to get it.

 

Huawei 5G Router for mmWave and C-band Released

At the Global Mobile Broadband Forum, Huawei announced the first modem routers (“CPE”) for the new 5G cellular standard. The company has two devices in preparation, one for the C band (frequency range between 3.5 and 5 gigahertz) and one for the millimeter wave range between 26 and 28 gigahertz. Although the two 5G routers still have some drawbacks such as an enormous energy consumption to fight, yet it is likely to be the first commercially available 5G devices.

Huawei 5G router for C-band feature

Compared to a current LTE router like Huawei B618 , the Huawei 5G WiFi router for use in the C-band between 3.5 and about 5 GHz is quite large and heavy, but the first 5G devices are safe to handle.

According to the manufacturer, the Huawei 5G router should be equipped with two RJ45 Gigabit LAN ports and WLAN 802.11ac (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). The 5G C-Band Router is backward compatible with the 4G LTE standard and comes with a 2T4R antenna configuration, which means: data can be received on four antennas while sent via two antennas.

 

Huawei 5G router for mmWave feature

The Huawei 5G router for the millimeter-wave frequency range between 26 and 28 gigahertz is visually hardly distinguishable from the sister model for the C-band. But there is one important difference: millimeter waves can hardly or never enter buildings, so a line of sight to the 5G transmitter is required. This is done by an outdoor unit (ODU) integrated with the entire modem technology.

The indoor unit (IDU) features all the connections and the WLAN technology. The indoor and outdoor units are connected via LAN cable, the power supply of the outdoor unit is realized via Power over Ethernet (PoE).

 

 

High energy consumption from the Huawei 5G router

As can be seen on the data sheets shown above, both Huawei 5G devices have an enormous power consumption, at least under load. The C-band model consumes up to 120 watts, while the mmWave model even up to 146 watts. So when the 5G router working, the power consumption is more like a gaming notebook rather than a router. For comparison: common LTE routers such as the Huawei B715 LTE router consume up to 12 watts during heavy load, ie one-tenth of them.

However, Huawei emphasizes that only the first generation of the 5G modem will have such high energy consumption. It is also likely that commercially available 5G routers will have a newer chipset and thus lower power consumption.

 

Huawei and Three UK Release 5G Router for Home

It’s said that the 5G networks would be launched in many countries and areas, so as the next generation of 5G mobile phones. As an important application, 5G router would be also an important part for 5G connection and surfing. The UK provider Three released its first 5G home access point from the Chinese network equipment supplier Huawei. Three UK owns 100 megahertz of radio spectrum in the range around 3.7 GHz and expands its 5G net with this spectrum. Huawei can provide both the network technology and the appropriate terminals for 5G.

 

5G can be used for a variety of purposes, but fast Internet for the home is probably the first application that will be introduced over a large area. With the 100 MHz wide spectrum that Three UK has available for 5G, it is theoretically possible to achieve up to 2 gigabits per second – which is about twice as fast as the currently most powerful LTE connections. What is more interesting than the top speed is the average speed, which should be at 1 gigabit per second. Compared to LTE, that’s a big step forward. A 5G connector can not only easily replace a VDSL supervising connection, but even achieves speeds previously only possible with fiber optic connectors.

 

Although Huawei already presented the first 5G router in 2017, it is now being used in practical use for the first time. It is the 5G router model for the so-called C-band, ie the frequency range between 3.4 and 3.8 gigahertz. Externally, the router is inconspicuous therefore and does not differ from an ordinary 4G LTE router. The router would certainly not win a design prize, but the technology dominates.

 

The Huawei 5G C-Band Home Router can also use LTE in addition to 5G, as shown in the datasheet below. Wi-Fi is supported at 2.4 and 5 gigahertz. There are two Gigabit LAN ports on the back, plus some LEDs and a SIM card slot. Whether or not eSIM is supported, Huawei didn’t tell. The power consumption is up to 120 watts – 10 times as much as a normal LTE router!

 

 

Even the 5G available in near future, you cannot buy the Huawei 5G router, presumably, the 5G router will only be available via some specific providers in some countries. But we suppose there will be more and more 5G modem routers available as time goes.

Huawei Honor Play 4G Smartphone Test

Huawei presented a new smartphone recently in Europe and the new LTE smartphone name is Honor Play, which is aimed especially at users who want to play games in their smartphone. The device has integrated a powerful processor with “GPU Turbo” and offers a very large display. Today, we will check details about the Honor Play and the technology that offered by Huawei in this smartphone.

Good display and quick unlock

The display of the Honor Play is comparatively large with 6.3 inches. The resolution is very high at 2340 x 1080 pixels, so the presentation is always sharp. The positive feature in the test is the very good display brightness. The frame around the display is pretty narrow, in this area of the display, for example, pictograms can be displayed.

The Honor Play not only offers a fingerprint sensor to unlock but also a face recognition. Both methods work reliably and quickly. The fingerprint sensor is positioned well on the back and works faster than the face recognition, but overall, the face recognition with sufficient light left a very good impression.

Enough performance for the gaming smartphone

Honor Play uses a HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, which is the first chipset used in the Huawei Mate 10 in 2017 offers a maximum clock rate of 2.36 GHz per processor core and has 4 GB of RAM available. In addition, the “GPU Turbo” technology is used. According to Honor, this brings up to 60% more power and up to 30% less power consumption for certain games optimized for this purpose. However, if you play a game that is not optimized for the GPU Turbo, then you can only get the regular performance.

 

Dual camera with decent picture quality

The Honor Play features two camera sensors on the back, one with 16-megapixel resolution and the second sensor with 2-megapixel resolution. A kind of “artificial intelligence” (AI), so a software mechanism, is to improve the image quality. In the test, the image quality was usually neat, but could not compete with more expensive smartphones like the Huawei P20 Pro or the Apple iPhone 8. Unfortunately, the colors were often a bit pale. If you turn on the AI photo function, you often get very unnatural looking pictures. Colors are overemphasized and edges – for example, buildings – too sharpened.

 

Modem, voice quality, battery and more

The battery lasted in the test pleasingly long, about 2 days were possible with moderate use and about a day with normal use. Charging is via USB C fast charging function, wireless charging via Qi standard does not support the device unfortunately.

The modem made a good impression, up to 240 Mbit/s could be measured via LTE in the downlink. The reception and voice quality was good in the test.

 

Conclusion

The Honor Play offers great value for money. The display is not only huge, but also offers a very good presentation quality and a great brightness. The system speed is very good thanks to Kirin 970 chipset and the Android software offers many features. With the EMUI user interface, Honor Play would like to use fewer colors. Often the system is overloaded and confusing due to the many menus and apps. Also, many third-party apps are preinstalled, which fortunately can be uninstalled.

The Honor Play is a very good smartphone for the price of just around 400USD. One thing has to mention is that Honor Play is an explicit gaming smartphone. Of course, you can play well with the Honor Play – but that works just as well with many other smartphones. For example, if you value Turbo on the GPU, you can buy an Honor 10 or a Huawei P20 which have the same performance.