Author: Sharil Abdul Rahman

A video created by enthusiast EverythingApplePro showed that the latest iPhone model, the iPhone 11 Pro, is not delivering the ‘Pro’ moniker. Specifically, the phone’s performance is lower than last generation’s iPhone XS.

The video shows a speed comparison between the iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone XS and the iPhone X. EverythingApplePro tested the initialisation speed for apps on the phones. A surprising discovery is that the iPhone XS catches up to the iPhone 11 Pro, with barely a second difference between the older model and the newer one.

In fact, the test further shows that the XS surpassing the 11 Pro with a significant margin as the test continues. This is compounded with heat problems that developed during the test; in particular, the 11 Pro heated up faster and hotter when compared to the XS in the same test.

One of the reasons that this performance difference is happening could be the low optimisation level of apps with the new A13 Bionic chipset. iOS 13 is also another possible factor as the new OS is in the middle of a bug complaint for users around the world – which is expected to be solved with the release of iOS 13.1

Fresh from Berlin, Huawei has unveiled a slew of entries in the Mate series. The new Huawei Mate 30, Mate 30 Pro and Porsche Design Mate 30 RS was launched amidst uncertainties surrounding the company.

All three feature the latest Kirin 990 5G SoC – making it the first flagship from Huawei to support the next generation cellular connectivity. The phones also feature four cameras, which includes the SuperSensing Cine Camera, a dual-sensor camera system to create high quality photography and videography on the go. The Mate series also feature the OLED HUAWEI Horizon Display, that delivers better edge display than ever before.

The difference between the models are both cosmetic and functional. The Mate 30 Pro for example introduces the first side-interaction touch controls for Huawei. In place of buttons for volume, users can use a touch-sensitive strip to push up or down the volume for the phone. The position of the controls can also be customised easily – making this phone friendly for south paws.

Performance is powered by the new Kirin 990 chipset, that combine’s Neural Processing Units (NPU) with the standard octacore CPU in a 7nm fabrication process – making this the first 7nm chip with 5G modem built-in. Yep, the 5G modem is on the die rather than a separate chip.

Battery for the Mate 30 is rated at 4200mAh, while the Mate 30 Pro and Porsche Design Mate 30 RS share the same battery capacity – at 4500mAh. All three phones run EMUI 10 which is based on Android 10 and runs Huawei Mobile Services.

Photography is handled by a triple-camera system in the Mate 30, which comprises of a 40MP SuperSensing Camera, 16MP Ultra Wide-angle Camera and an 8MP Telephoto Camera. The Mate 30 Pro/ Porsche Design shares a quad-camera system that comprises of the 40MP Cine Camera, 40MP SuperSensing Camera, an 8MP Telephoto Camera and a 3D Depth Sensing Camera.

A new feature introduced with the Mate 30 series are gesture controls for contactless screen interaction, whereas AI Auto-Rotate and AI Private View are all designed to improve users experience.

The Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro are expected to be in Malaysia sometime in November. No news for the Porsche Design for Malaysia as of yet.

The unimaginable was unearthed online. A prototype device from Nokia was spotted running Android. What makes this find even more amazing is that the phone is a featurephone.

In the short video seen at XDADevelopers, the phone interface shows the typical Google Assistant, google Maps, Chrome and even the Android system settings. The UI is recognizable as Android, even if the elements were shrunk down to adapt to the smaller form factor and screen.

This prototype of Android looks to sit even lower than the already barebones Android Go. Even so, the build is somewhat up-to-date; it is based on Android 8.1 Oreo so the build was sometime within the last 24 months.

The existence of the prototype doesn’t mean Nokia will be launching an Android Feature Phone anytime soon; It does however tell us that Android can actually be deployed to more platforms. Looking forward to possible new formfactors in the future – which depends if Nokia and/or Google are going to do something with it.

Apple announced a new entry into the iPhone family. The new iPhone 11 series brings updates to the iPhone family that has been seen on other manufacturers, but finally on the iOS line.

The iPhone 11 starts the lineup. It replaces last year’s iPhone Xr, carrying over a few components from that model including the 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display. It however adds a second sensor – a wide-angle sensor, a first for iPhones. It also features the new Apple A13 Bionic processor, touted as ‘Apple’s fastest’.

The second new model is the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. Both models differs in screen size – the former is 5.8-inches while the latter is 6.5-inches. The two models also come with the A13 Bionic chip, and features triple cameras – a standard, ultra-wide and telephoto.

All three models are IP68 rated, and a first for apple, includes a fast 15W charger for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

The iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max can be ordered in Malaysia starting 27 September, with pricing starting from RM 3399 for the 11, RM 4899 for the 11 Pro and RM 5299 for the 11 Pro Max.