ZTE Nubia RedMagic 5G Phone Unboxing

The Nubia RedMagic 5G smartphone was available for sale on April 21 and today we get this new 5G cell phone. Let’s have a look at this new 5G smartphone good at mobile gaming.

The style of the Nubia RedMagic 5G is quite minimalistic. In a stylish cardboard packaging we find the smartphone itself (8GB / 128GB version in Eclipse Black), plus a small handbook, a thick and red USB Type-A to Type-C cable and a power supply. The latter cannot be used for fast charging with 9V 2A, but as a middle-range model, it is quite understandable to skimp a bit.

 

Incidentally, we had attached the Redmagic 5G phone to a 30W PD power supply, which enables fast charging (the cell phone would even support 55W fast charging). When plugging in, the cell phone then asks whether the integrated fan may be activated, which can protect the battery and the rest of the hardware. In less than 10 minutes, the 31 percent battery became 47 percent. 🙂 And when we connected with packed adapter, it said that at about 60 percent the fan has turned off again and the device still continued to charge quickly.

Nubia RedMagic 5G First Impression

In our opinion, the Nubia RedMagic 5G feels very good in high quality. At almost 220g, the RedMagic 5G is also one of the heaviest smartphones we have ever held in hands.

On the left there is the ventilation duct entrance and on the right the warm air comes out again. We also find a shoulder button on the right (held crosswise) left and right, which resembles the fingerprint sensors of some smartphones. The docking port is in the middle on the left and then a red switch on the far left to quickly get to the gaming center.

This is basically the central point of contact to access the supported games, monitor the fan and also activate the RGB LED lighting on the back.

 

Of course, the AMOLED display with 144Hz technology is worth mentioning! This is particularly important to Nubia and even integrates an optionally activatable display in the notification bar, which shows how many Hz are currently being driven.

One should also mention the built-in camera module. We can’t make any statements about this after just unpacking, but it is subtly increased and visually adapted to the gaming concept. The rest will be shown in the complete test report.

 

So far this is for the first impressions. As already mentioned at the beginning, the ZTE 5G phone will be tested and in a few days there will be a moving image and the written test here in the blog.

OnePlus 8 Pro 5G Cell Phone Test

OnePlus presented the OnePlus 8 Pro a few days ago and now it’s available for order. According to the pre-order quantity, we can see the OnePlus 8 Pro gained a very very good reputation in the potential users even the price is in high-end range.

 

The OnePlus 8 Pro has high-end configuration like IP certification, wireless charging and there are stereo speakers. There are also things like the best display on the market. We will test this new 5G smartphone to see whether it’s worth the high price and a recommendation. First, let’s have a check of the OnePlus 8 Pro specifications:

OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 Specifications

OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro Specifications
OnePlus 8 Pro OnePlus 8
Display 6.78-inch AMOLED 6.55-inch AMOLED
3,168 x 1,440 (19.8:9) 2,400 x 1,080 (20:9)
120Hz refresh rate 90Hz refresh rate
In-display fingerprint sensor In-display fingerprint sensor
3D Corning Gorilla Glass 3D Corning Gorilla Glass
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
RAM 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5 8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X
Storage 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.0 2-LANE
Cameras Rear: Rear:
48MP, f/1.78, 1.12µm, OIS, EIS 48MP, f/1.78, 0.8µm, OIS, EIS
8MP 3x telephoto, f/2.44, 1.0µm, OIS 2MP macro, f/2.4, 1.75µm
48MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 119.7° 16MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 116°
5MP color filter, f/2.4
Front:
Front: 16MP, f/2.0, 1.0µm, EIS, fixed focus
16MP, f/2.45, 1.0µm, EIS, fixed focus
Battery 4,510mAh 4,300mAh
Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A) Warp Charge 30T (5V/6A)
Warp Charge 30 Wireless
IP Rating IP68 None
Software Oxygen OS Oxygen OS
Android 10 Android 10
Dimensions 165.3 x 74.35 x 8.5mm 160.2 x 72.9 x 8.0mm
Weight 199g 180g

These are not all specifications of the OnePlus 8 Pro. On the official OnePlus website, you can get more information about the OnePlus 5G phone.

 

OnePlus 8 Pro Design and Feel

The OnePlus 8 Pro is a large smartphone, whose dimensions are similar to the latest the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Oppo Find X2 Pro. We find the more compact OnePlus 8 here would be enough in the size.

 

However, the workmanship is great and it lies very well in the hand with the slightly rounded sides. We like the feel of the matt surface, and we suppose every manufacturer should have a matt version in their new product.

You can see the color of my test device in the pictures, but it is difficult to capture it there. It always looks a little different depending on the time of day and the light, but basically we find the color very nice. We just don’t know if it would be too colorful in the long run, but you can’t argue about taste.

 

Visually, not much has changed compared to last year and the camera is still in the same position. Actually there is only the hole in the display, but apart from that and the color, you could quickly confuse the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro. Of all the current Android flagships, the OnePlus 8 Pro has so far been the best one, apart from the silver version of the Huawei P40 Pro (also matt).

OnePlus 8 Pro Display

OnePlus has placed increasing emphasis on the display in recent years and for the 2020 Pro model, they have even given themselves the latest Samsung panel, which can also be found in the other brands such as Oppo Find X2 Pro.

The display is available in the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Oppo Find X2 Pro and we can conclude there is no better panel on the market. High resolution, great colors, good viewing angles are very high-lighted, if necessary very bright and 120 Hz are optimal.

Someone would have liked to have avoided the curved sides, because the bend offers no added value, sometimes leads to incorrect entries and it reflects in some situations. Apart from the size, but that’s very subjective, there’s nothing else to complain about.

 

OnePlus 8 Pro Camera

OnePlus got the same sensor as the Oppo Find X2 Pro, which BBK probably bought exclusively from Sony (Sony IMX689, 48 megapixels).

This provides great photos in good light and you can see that OnePlus has been working on the software since the OnePlus 7 Pro. In some areas, the OnePlus 8 Pro does not come close to other models, especially when compared to the Huawei P40 Pro you can sometimes see larger differences (e.g. in terms of sharpness).

The ultra-wide-angle sensor also has a resolution of 48 megapixels, but here too it is not at the level of Huawei or Samsung. The results are similar in good light and outdoors, but you can no longer excel with them today, it’s about details and difficult conditions.

The difference in zoom is even greater, because there is “only” a tele-sensor with 8 megapixels. Competitors are already opting for significantly better periscope cameras that offer much more sharpness when zoomed. Even the Oppo Find X2 Pro is clearly superior to the OnePlus 8 Pro when zooming.

The fourth camera is a color filter with 5 megapixels, which comes with something like Instagram filters. We tried it once, but it’s such a feature that we don’t need it. To be honest, it also does good software for image editing. This place could have been used better.

 

For example with a ToF sensor that can better analyze the distance or directly with a periscope camera, we would classify the color filter as a gimmick, because as we said, this function can be replaced quite well with software.

The front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels and delivers solid results. It is also used for Face Unlock, which is extremely fast with OnePlus. But it is still a 2D scan of the face and the camera takes longer in bad light (Face Unlock can sometimes fail in very bad light).

OnePlus 8 Pro Battery

It is the largest battery that OnePlus has built into a smartphone so far and you can also feel this in the battery life. If you use the device very intensively with high brightness and 120 Hz, you can quickly bring the battery to your knees, but we still got through the day very well.

What we also noticed: The OnePlus 8 Pro is roughly the same size as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and has a smaller battery, but lasts longer for me (just over an hour or two). Only the Huawei P40 Pro is more efficient, but its display is not as bright and has “only” 90 Hz.

By the way, fast charging takes place with 30 watts, both with cable (so there is no progress here), but finally also wirelessly. To be honest, I waited a long time for this moment at OnePlus and if you want to have the details about the OnePlus Wireless Charging Dock, check out this one.

There is also reverse charging here, so you can charge other Qi devices. In summary, we can say that the OnePlus 8 Pro had a very good battery life in the first week, it finally has Qi and we therefore no longer have any criticism in this category. The step was long overdue.

OnePlus 8 Pro Software

The software is one of the highlights at OnePlus because it is minimalist and damn fast. Coming from Samsung and Huawei in particular, it is violent how much liquid OxygenOS is. The combination of the new hardware with the 120 Hz and OxygenOS is fun, even more than “pure” Android.

The OnePlus 8 Pro is of course delivered with Android 10 and shortly before the weekend there was a major update with some optimizations and the device should be delivered with the March patch. OnePlus guarantees two years of major updates and three years of security updates.

New are a few animated wallpapers, which also look quite good, but the always-on display is not yet available and should be submitted later. OnePlus has also optimized the dark theme and there is actually not much more to say. Nice, slim and fast user interface.

OnePlus 8 Pro other features

  • The fingerprint sensor is again under the display and is very fast. As a fan of Face Unlock, we have now activated this because the camera no longer moves out of the body.
  • The vibration motor is very pleasant and comes close to Apple’s haptic engine. In my opinion, no Android manufacturer was as good as an iPhone yet, but the days when uncomfortably strong and hardly adjusted vibration motors were the standard are over.
  • What surprised me about the stereo speakers: The upper one sounds really good and even better than the lower one. In addition, the top speaker is aimed directly at one and often dominates the other very strongly. The stereo sound is good, but the lower speaker should have liked a bit more power.
  • OnePlus includes a transparent case in the scope of delivery. We don’t like these cheap TPU cases, but at least that’s how you see the color of the device and you don’t have to go looking for a case. Such a color should honestly be used without a case.
  • OnePlus has finally submitted and received their smartphone for IP certification. If we understood that correctly in the briefing, nothing has changed in terms of construction, but with the now significantly higher price, there is finally the IP68 standard. Fun fact: The OnePlus 8 was built the same way, but was not submitted for a test. Both should be waterproof.

OnePlus 8 Pro Conclusion

We have to say that the OnePlus 8 Pro has been the best of the current Android flagships so far. But it is a shame that this model has also become quite large and heavy. The normal OnePlus 8 would be enough in size.

But due to the price increase and the rapid fall in price of the competition, OnePlus is now right at the top. But now it deliver what the competition offers. Only in the camera you cannot play at the top in my opinion, which is probably also due to the software.

The OnePlus 8 Pro does not take bad photos now, but while the display, battery life, performance and software shine and some are left behind. The OnePlus 8 Pro has become a flagship like any other, in some respects like the display and the performance it trumps most, but you could still work on the camera for a possible estate model. It’s not bad, but not at the level of competitors like Huawei.

Conclusion: Despite the “only” good camera and the now “normal” price, the OnePlus 8 Pro is one of the best Android smartphones in this year.

TCL Linkhub 5G CPE Released

In the past time, TCL has been particularly noticeable as a contract manufacturer for all kinds of technical products from other brands. Recently, the Chinese manufacturer has also launched products under its own name. One of them is the new 5G Home Station Linkhub 5G CPE.

Up to 2.8 Gbit/s

TCL Communication already presented some products at the CES in early January 2020 in Las Vegas. In addition to wireless earphones as well as sports headphones and a children’s smartwatch, the TCL Linkhub 5G CPE was also included. Now the company has released some more information about the device.

 

The 5G WiFi router will come on the market in the third quarter of 2020. This is a well-equipped device for this to set up Internet access using the new cellular standard. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem works inside . It supports 5G connectivity with up to 2.8 Gbit/s in download. Unfortunately, the manufacturer has not yet given any information on the maximum upload speed. Alternatively, the device can also switch to the LTE network if no 5G signal is available. The last option is also 3G, whereby the speeds are of course clearly limited.

WiFi 6 with 4 × 4 MU-MIMO

In its specifications, the TCL 5G router distributes the mobile Internet via WiFi. The device also supports the new WiFi 6 standard in dual band (2.4 and 5 GHz) including 4 × 4 MU-MIMO. This enables speeds of up to 3.6 Gbit/s. According to the manufacturer, up to 1,000 external devices can connect to the TCL Linkhub 5G CPE. That should be more than sufficient for home use and also absolutely sufficient for professional use.

 

Also on board are NFC, Bluetooth 5.1 and Zigbee 3.0. Among other things, they help with setting up the device and a mesh network. The TCL Linkhub 5G CPE should be available from the third quarter. The device is launched in Europe, Asia and the USA, among others, but also in other regions such as Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific region.

 

TCL Launched TCL 10 Series Smartphones

The Chinese manufacturer TCL had launched three new smartphones at the CES at the beginning of the year: the TCL 10 Pro, the TCL 10 5G and the TCL 10L. Now some more information about the devices is known.

TCL 10 5G with Snapdragon 765G

 

Of course we are particularly interested in the TCL 10 5G, the only 5G smartphone in the new 10 series from TCL. As SoC, TCL uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G. This is clocked at up to 2.3 gigahertz and is known to have a Snapdragon X52 5G modem directly on board. There is 6 GB of RAM, plus 128 GB of internal UFS 2.1-based flash memory.

 

In the front of the TCL 10 5G phone, there is a 6.53 inch LCD panel with 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. A selfie cam with a resolution of 16 megapixels sits in a corner in a corner. TCL has four lenses on the back: a 64-megapixel camera as the main sensor, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel camera for depth effects. There is also a 4,500 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0, Bluetooth 5.0 and WLAN-ac. A fingerprint sensor and a headphone jack are not missing either. A modified version of Android 10 is used as the operating system. The price is unknown yet but we suppose it will be more than 600USD.

 

 

Two more LTE smartphones

 

In addition to the 5G smartphone, two other models belong to the 10 series from TCL. The TCL 10 Pro will cost 500USD without a contract and has installed the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 without 5G support. There are also 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of memory, a 6.47-inch AMOLED display and a 4,500 mAh battery. The camera equipment in the front and back is similar.

In terms of price, the cheapest alternative is the TCL 10L. Here, too, there is no 5G and equipment that is slimmed down appropriately for the price range. These include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, a 6.53-inch LC display with FHD +, a triple camera with a 48-megapixel main camera and a 4,000 mAh battery. All three devices are expected to be available in the course of the second quarter of 2020.

 

OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro 5G Phone Officially Launched

Yesterday, OnePlus launched two new flagship 5G smartphones, the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. Like other cell phone manufacuturers, OnePlus also launches two models, one basic model and the other Pro version.

On the new models for 2020, OnePlus wants to finally remove the criticisms and there are many current standard configurations for flagship models such as wireless charging and an IP certification, which has also been given to the Pro model. However, the prices of OnePlus 8 and 8 PRO have now reached the very top and costs up to 1000 USD.

But before we get to the prices and the date for the market launch, there is an overview of the specifications for you again. Most of the specs for One+ 8 and 8 pro have been known for weeks, but not everyone has followed the rumor mill.

OnePlus 8 Specifications:

  • 55 inch Fluid AMOLED display with FHD+ and 90 Hz
  • Snapdragon 865 for 5G modem
  • 8 or 12 GB of RAM
  • 128 or 256 GB UFS 3.0 storage
  • Main camera: 48 MP (Sony IMX586)
  • Ultra wide camera: 16 MP
  • Macro camera: 2 MP
  • Front camera: 16 MP
  • Battery: 4300 mAh
  • Charging: 30 watts with cable
  • Size: 160.2 x 72.9 x 8.0 mm
  • Weight: 180 g

OnePlus 8 Pro Specifications:

  • 78 inch Fluid AMOLED display with QHD + and 120 Hz
  • Snapdragon 865 for 5G modem
  • 8 or 12 GB of RAM
  • 128 or 256 GB UFS 3.0 storage
  • Main camera: 48 MP (Sony IMX689)
  • Ultra wide camera: 48 MP
  • Telephoto camera: 8 MP
  • Color filter: 5 MP
  • Front camera: 16 MP
  • Battery: 4510 mAh
  • Charging: 30 watts with cable and wireless
  • IP68 certification
  • Size: 165.3 x 74.35 x 8.5 mm
  • Weight: 199 g

 

OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro Prices

The OnePlus 8 starts at 800USD with 8/128 GB in the colors Onyx Black and Glacial Green. For 12/256 GB you have to put 8700USD on the table, there are Glacial Green and Interstellar Glow (but comes a little later).

The OnePlus 8 Pro starts at 900 USD with 8/128 GB in Onyx Black, if you want 12/256 GB and one color, you have to put 1000USD on the table, here you get Glacial Green and Ultramarine Blue. Market launch (apart from Interstellar Glow) is April 21st, more details are available on the OnePlus website.

In addition to its own online shop, the new OnePlus 5G phone models will be available from others online stores. Not every partner will have every version available.

Battle of Foldable Phone: Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold

2019 was the year when the first foldable phone was announced. Samsung launched the first model with the Galaxy Fold, and now there is a new foldable phone Samsung Galaxy Z Flip available now. Huawei announced the Mate X in early 2019, but now Mate X was discontinued and only the second generation and optimized Huawei Mate Xs is available for sale. The Motorola Razr also joins the product range to compete. If you plan to get the foldable phones, you’d better prepare 3000USD or more on the table. The foldable phones are at high price range now.

Since the Huawei Mate Xs and Samsung Galaxy Fold are the the top two models, we will compare the two foldable phones to see which is better on design and performance. Hope this will give some advice to the potential buyers.

 

Huawei Mate Xs vs. Samsung Galaxy Fold: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Fold Huawei Mate X
Display size, resolution 4.6-inch Super AMOLED; 7.3-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 6.6-inch (2,480×1,148 pixels); 6.38-inch (2,480×892); 8-inch OLED (2,480×2,200)
Mobile software Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI No Android on the Chinese model
Camera 12-megapixel main, 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle, 12-megapixel telephoto 40-megapixel main, 16-megapixel ultra-wide, 8-megapixel telephoto
Front-facing camera Two 10-megapixel, 8-megapixel 3D depth Same as above
Processor Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Kirin 980 processor
Storage 512GB 512GB
RAM 12GB 8GB
Expandable storage No No
Battery 4,380 mAh 4,500 mAh
Fingerprint sensor Power button Power button
Connector USB-C USB-C
Special features Foldable display, wireless charging, fast charging, 5G in select countries Foldable display, fast charging, 5G
Price off-contract (USD) $1,980, £1,900, converts to AU$2,800 16,999 yuan, converts to $2,400, £1,830 or AU$3,546

 

Huawei Mate Xs vs. Samsung Galaxy Fold: Design and Feel

The fact that Samsung grabs the display on the inside and is glass on the outside makes the Galaxy Fold appearing more valuable in the hand. In addition, the Galaxy Fold is more compact when folded and is also more comfortable to hold when opened (but both are almost the same weight). Since the display size is enough for me, we find the feel of Samsung better.

The folding mechanism on both models is good, although we have to say that it works a bit “lighter” with the Galaxy Fold. With the Huawei Mate Xs you have to exert some pressure to open and close the display. You could also operate the fold with one hand.

The workmanship is good on both devices, the keys have good pressure points and nothing wobbles. But since the Galaxy Fold is easy to use and more comfortable to hold, the point goes to Samsung

 

Huawei Mate Xs vs. Samsung Galaxy Fold: Display

The quality of the two displays is great in both cases. Both have built very solid OLED panels, but missing the current standard at 90 or 120 Hz. But the colors are good; they are both bright and have very good viewing angles. In that regard, I would give both a point.

 

But this is exactly where the difference comes: The display from Huawei Mate Xs is on the outside and that from Samsung on the inside. There you can argue whether this is a good idea with the Mate Xs, because plastic displays scratch faster, but this difference is even more noticeable.

When folded, the Huawei Mate Xs is a much too big, thick and heavy smartphone. The small external display of the Galaxy Fold is too small for almost everything.

Considering this, we will give the point to the Huawei Mate Xs, even if we never expect to put such a expensive display on the outside if we wanted to use my smartphone for many years.

 

Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Software

Actually, we would have thought that this point goes very clearly to Samsung, since the Huawei Mate Xs comes without Google apps. But there are two things that should be mentioned here and where we have to criticize.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold has only had Android 10 this week. This is not necessarily acceptable for a model for 3000USD after this time.

 

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is recognized by apps as a normal smartphone. So the apps are often just stretched out. However, the Huawei Mate Xs is recognized as a tablet, which means that many apps are available when opened with a special tablet view.

For many users, if without Google apps, you can’t do many things such as Email, banking app or Google apps.

By the way, one thing must to be mentioned: The performance of the Huawei Mate Xs was really not good for some third-party apps. I compared that to the Huawei P40 Pro, which has similar hardware (Kirin 990) – no problems.

 

Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Camera

In this category – roughly speaking – the hardware from 2019 will compete against each other. Means: A mixture of Huawei P30 Pro and Mate 30 Pro competes against the Samsung Galaxy S10. Samsung has not installed a bad camera, but it’s clear that Huawei was ahead in 2019.

In addition, with the Huawei approach, the main camera can also be conveniently used as a front camera. Samsung is only superior to Huawei in the videos, but since photos are more important to many users, this point goes to the Huawei Mate Xs.

 

 

 

Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Price

If we consider the prices of both models, then you have to put in almost 2500 USD for a Samsung Galaxy Fold and almost 3000 USD for a Huawei Mate Xs. That’s a lot, no question at all, because the development was expensive.

You can get the Galaxy Fold every now at lower price, but it is also older. But the price difference of almost 700USD is quite large, so this point goes to Samsung.

 

 

Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: other features

The fingerprint sensor is located on both sides and is fast, both are available with 5G, both are not IP-certified due to the design and it was difficult for me to find a unique selling point that makes one of the models stand out. But then we found a standard feature.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold has stereo speakers on the side. So if you turn the device while watching a video, you have the sound from the left and right and honestly: It is great for media consumption.

Stereo speakers are a standard feature for smartphones that cost over 1000USD in these days. So the point goes to the fold.

 

Huawei Mate Xs VS Samsung Galaxy Fold: Conclusion

When opened, they are great fun reading and consuming things. As of today, you will consider one more time to buy a foldable for 2500USD or more, but if the models are now more stable, lighter and thinner and have all the features of the normal flagships, you can imagine it.

Actually, we also tried the Galaxy Z Flip, we have to say: this category (Fold and Mate Xs) from Foldables will be better because it brings more display space.

For a successor we would only wish that the outside display is bigger and Android better adapted and the notch on the inside can be replaced with a hole like the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note10+ or Galaxy S20.

It’s a pity that Huawei will have a tough time against Samsung without the Google apps in this very special category. Otherwise it could have been an exciting duel between the two giants.

Nubia Launched Flagship RedMagic 5G Gaming Smartphone

As the first 5G mobile phone from Nubia, the RedMagic 5G from the Chinese manufacturer ZTE is primarily geared towards gaming and (according to the name) supports the new 5G mobile communications standard. The Nubia’s flagship RedMagic 5G will go on sale globally starting April 21.

New gaming smartphone with Snapdragon 865

The heart of the Nubia RedMagic 5G is the new Snapdragon 865, which is cooled down by active liquid cooling for maximum performance. It is supported by an Adreno 650 GPU and a 5G modem with SA + NSA dual-mode operation. Depending on the model, there are four different combination for storage: 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 12GB RAM + 128GB ROM, 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM, and 16GB RAM + 256GB ROM, of course, the prices would be higher on the large capacity. A 4,500 mAh battery is responsible for the power supply, which can be quickly charged with a maximum of 55 watts.

 

In terms of specs, the RedMagic 5g features a 6.65-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, with a follow-up response time of 14.9ms. It also gets a sliding response time of 45ms and a click response time of 32.2ms. The phone sports the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset paired up with up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It comes with latest L-shaped cooling pipe and also gets new Active Liquid-Cooling with Turbo Fan 3.0 which is claimed to be 200 per cent cooler from previous RedMagic smartphones. The new cooling technology has also increased the airflow volume by up to 30 per cent and features multilayer thermal graphite as well. The specs seems much better than the other 5G phones from ZTE such as ZTE Axon 11 5G and Axon 10 Pro 5G.

First of all, the 5G mobile smartphone starts in China. However, it should also be available globally in April 2020. And now the Red Magic 5G phone is available in China for sale and the price is in middle range, not cheap and also not too high. Converted from the China prices, the smaller model in black and red with 8 GB RAM and 128 costs just under 600USD, the best one with 16 GB RAM and 256 GB memory is over 800USD.

 

The RedMagic 5G phone provides many colors for the users such as Black, Mars Red, Cyber Neon, Transparent. They all look very cool and fashion. The RedMagic 5G will be made available in EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden) and Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Macao. We will keep update on this ZTE 5G cell phone.

ZTE Axon 11 5G New Smartphone Presented in China

The Chinese manufacturer ZTE has presented its new 5G smartphone Axon 11 5G. Initially, the device will only be available in China. However, it is quite possible that the ZTE Axon 11 5G will also be available in other countries or areas in the foreseeable future.

 

Snapdragon 765G SoC chipset

Unlike the predecessor ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G cell phone, the second generation 5G cell phone ZTE Axon 11 supports 5G dual-mode (SA and NSA), and the new 5G smartphone  also supports LTE Cat 20 and other older mobile radio standard. As SoC, the manufacturer relies on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, which has so far been used in a few devices such as Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G, Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G, OPPO Find X2 and Realme X50 5G etc… Depending on the model, 6 or 8 GB RAM and 128 or 256 GB internal memory are available.

The battery is 4,000 mAh in size and can be quickly recharged with 18 watts with new energy. Other features include Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, Hi-Res Audio with DTS: X and a fingerprint scanner in the AMOLED display. This measures 6.47 inches in 19.5: 9 format and represents a resolution of FHD + with 2,340 x 1,080 pixels. The 90 Hz display in the curved design is slightly rounded at the edges and also has a waterdrop notch in the top center, which has a selfie camera with 20 megapixel resolution and an aperture of f / 2.0.

 

 

Quad camera on the back

A quad camera setup is installed on the back of the 159.2 x 73.4 x 7.9 mm and 168 g ZTE Axon 11 5G. Its four lenses work with 64 megapixels (wide angle with f / 1.89 aperture), 8 megapixels (ultra wide angle with f / 2.2 aperture), 2 megapixels (depth sensor with f / 2.4 aperture) and 2 megapixels (macro with f / 2.4 aperture) .

 

The ZTE Axon 11 5G with its equipment belongs to the upper middle class. As told before, the ZTE 5G phone will initially only be launched in China. However, it could be bought from online stores. The price is not expensive for the version with 6 and 128 GB. The larger version with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage will cost more but not yet available now. This ZTE 5G phone is a budget one if you want to change 4G phone to 5G.

 

Here now, the new ZTE Axon 11 SE 5G is available with MediaTek MT6873 Dimensity 800 5G Chipset and cheaper price. We will compare the ZTE Axon 11 and Axon 11 SE 5G in future.

 

 

Samsung Introduced New 5G Cell Phone – Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71

To compete with the Chinese mobile phone manufacturers in middle range smartphone, Samsung introduced two new 5G smartphones to the market: Galaxy A51 5G and Galaxy A71 5G. The two new devices differ primarily by 5G, but not only in this way from the LTE versions. We had introduced the mid-range 5G cell phone from Samsung Galaxy A90, which is a powerful competitor to other 5G phones from Huawei, OPPO, VIVO and Xiaomi. Now the two new Samsung 5G phones brings more opportunity to occupy market share for Samsung worldwide.

 

Samsung Galaxy A51 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A51 5G is said to cost just under $500, according to Samsung, which is a mid -range 5G smartphone for the money. An octa-core processor with a rate of up to 2.2 GHz works inside the phone. It is supported by either 6 or 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. If required, this can be expanded by up to 1 TB using a microSD memory card. The power supply is provided by a 4,500 mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the 4G Galaxy A51. It can be charged with a maximum of 15 watts via USB Type-C.

The front camera sits in a central hole in the 6.5-inch display with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 pixels. It has a resolution of 32 megapixels. Samsung uses a quad camera on the back. The main sensor has a resolution of 48 megapixels. There is also a wide-angle camera with 12 megapixels and two sensors for macro shooting and depth information, each with 5 megapxels.

 

Samsung Galaxy A71 5G

The differences between the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G and the Galaxy A71 5G are not too big. The display is somewhat larger at 6.7 inches, but has the same resolution. The CPU and RAM as well as the internal memory are identical. The battery is also the same size, but can be charged even faster with 25 watts. In addition, the camera setup on the back of the device is slightly better. Here the main sensor has a resolution of 64 megapixels, while all other sensors have identical specifications. The price is a little higher around $ 599.

Here now the Samsung Galaxy A71 5G is available for sale in the USA and will be available in China in April. When will the Galaxy A51 5G be available is unknown yet.

 

Huawei P40 Pro 5G SmartPhone Test

Before we get started, we should tell you can still install Google apps on the device, but that’s not really safe. But Huawei will have to go without Google in the long run anyway. Today we will have a test of this new Huawei 5G smartphone: Huawei P40 Pro.

Huawei P40 Pro Specifications:

  • Manufacturer:Huawei
  • Model name:P40 Pro
  • Price: 1199USD
  • Available:from April 8, 2020
  • Size:2 x 72.6 x 8.95 mm
  • Weight including battery:209 g
  • Operating system:Android 10
  • Battery:4200 mAh
  • Display:58 ″ OLED display (FHD +, 90 Hz)
  • Camera:Quad camera (50 + 40 + 12 MP + ToF)
  • Storage:256 GB
  • CPU:Kirin 990 with 5G
  • RAM:8 GB

 

These are not all specifications of the Huawei P40 Pro. On the Huawei official website, you can get more information about the Android smartphone.

 

Huawei P40 Pro design and feel

At the beginning of 2020, we was afraid that all flagship phones would get bigger, but Huawei hardly changed anything with the P40 Pro. It feels similar to the Huawei P30 Pro. That doesn’t mean it’s a particularly light and compact smartphone, but we find it a lot more comfortable than the latest new Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

The processing is of course clear again and the design is now a bit “rounder” because the glass on the back and front has also been bent at the top and bottom. Incidentally, the display was not bent there. But we have to say that the difference compared to the P30 Pro is not big and it feels very similar. We tested the P40 Pro in silver color, which is one of the most beautiful colors on the market. The camera hump is now a bit bigger, which unfortunately has a small disadvantage. The camera hump is not quite as wide, but just as high, thick and sharp-edged as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. That could have been solved a little more comfortably for my taste.

Huawei P40 Pro Display

The display of Huawei P40 Pro made a very good impression in the first impression and we were also completely satisfied in the test. It doesn’t quite come close to the current Samsung panel with 120 Hz, but it’s not that far away either. FHD+ doesn’t bother too much, by the way, it is criticized in this price range.

The front camera is very good, but the hole is too wide. There is a front camera and an infrared sensor designed to optimize unlocking in poor light. Face unlock works great too, but it’s still a 2D scanner and not a 3D scanner. If you are already installing such a wide hole, then please use a camera that enables a 3D scan of the face.

But apart from that, we was very satisfied with the display, it delivers good colors and viewing angles, is pleasantly fast at 90 Hz and there is a thin bezel. It’s not the best OLED display on the market, but it’s good enough for a flagship in this price range, and luckily not bent as much as the Mate 30 Pro.

Huawei P40 Pro Camera

The highlight of the P series is the camera and that will also be the case in 2020. Huawei has improved the video quality and it still does not come close to Apple and Samsung, but it is no longer a weakness (like last year). In addition, there is finally 4K with 60 fps. The quality should be enough for most.

 

However, Huawei has put the focus back on the photos and there is now a new sensor with 50 megapixels. This sensor is damn good and takes extremely sharp pictures, even in poor lighting conditions without night mode.

The difference to the P30 Pro is not serious (which speaks for the P30 pro), but the P40 Pro has made another leap. The pictures with 5x zoom are also very passable.

Too bad that the 10x optical zoom is only available in the Huawei P40 Pro Plus, that would have been a unique selling point. The 10x hybrid zoom is also good. The 5x zoom of the Huawei P40 Pro is frankly a bit too much.

 

The front camera takes very good pictures, as we have already mentioned and the ultra-wide shots can also convince. With portrait photos, the Huawei P40 Pro recognizes the outlines very well thanks to the ToF sensor, but we also found in the test that the object in focus often looked a little blurred. Huawei would have to add a software update.

Huawei has installed one of the best cameras on the market and shows that Samsung cannot deliver better pictures with twice as many megapixels. We think the sensor from Huawei is clearly better.

Huawei P40 Pro Battery

The Huawei P40 Pro offers excellent battery life. The competition has now built bigger batteries in their flagships, but Huawei gets more out of the 4200 mAh than Samsung out of 5000 mAh. The P40 Pro is again a long-distance runner, despite the 90 Hz, which drain the battery a little faster.

 

Nothing has changed with fast charging, as in 2019 there is the option for up to 40 watts, which is easily enough. It charges wirelessly with up to 27 watts, which is also enough. The Plus model, which comes in June, offers Qi with up to 40 watts and is the current leader on the market.

Huawei has of course given the P40 Pro reverse charging again, so you can also charge other Qi models wirelessly on the back of the P40 Pro.

 

Huawei P40 Pro Software

Over the past few years, we have gradually become warm with EMUI and EMUI 10.1 is also a step forward.. In addition, the performance is right, because the Huawei P40 Pro is very fast, there is nothing to complain about.

But you know what is coming: The Google services are missing. No Google Play Store, no YouTube app, no Google Pay, no banking app in the AppGallery, no Android Auto, everything is missing. Some apps can be found through other stores or downloaded APK files, but to be honest it is tedious. Those who rely on Google and Co. will not be happy with the P40 Pro.

 

We tried to get the best out of it, but that’s not enough. You don’t just have to look for some apps somewhere on the web, you also have to check for updates and install them manually. And if there is a deal like Monument Valley 2, then you are unlucky with the Huawei P40 Pro.

 

 

 

This didn’t bother me so much with the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, and the Huawei Mate Xs which is a smartphone for a very small target group. With Google apps, that would have been an excellent flagship.

 

Huawei P40 Pro Conclusion

In summary, the Huawei P40 Pro has the best hardware on the market. It hasn’t gotten bigger, it has a great display, it has an excellent camera, and it still has a good battery life and almost everything else you would expect in an Android flagship.

However, for many users, you couldn’t use it in everyday life without Google apps. Only those who can completely do without Google apps and the selection of the Play Store can access here without hesitation.

 

 

If it weren’t for the problems with the US government, the Huawei P40 Pro would again be one of the best Android smartphones on the market. But the software is decisive in the end and if you don’t want to collect APKs and do without things like mobile payments via Google Pay, this is unfortunately wrong.

 

The Huawei P40 Pro with Google services would be a very clear purchase recommendation, but without it things look a bit different. Other 5G smartphones are not much worse (or sometimes better). The P40 Pro is going to have a hard time of it in 2020.