It’s with a heavy heart that I publish this review. It means that, finally, I have to bite back tears and return the best damn phone I’ve ever used.

I mean, it goes with the reviewing territory, I guess. Review units are by their nature fleeting, but this one really hurts. The Oppo Find X2 Pro is a phenomenal phone, so strap yourself in for an excessively long and in-depth review from the month I spent with this damn near perfect device.

OPPOtunity of a lifetime

If you’re someone who likes a flashy phone, you probably haven’t considered an Oppo device before. Despite having been in New Zealand for years now, the brand recognition still isn’t up to par with the likes of Apple or Samsung, where most of the big spenders go. And hey, I’m not going to say the Find X 2 Pro is better than an iPhone or a Galaxy.

I mean, it is, but that’s not what I’m here to say.

First things first. The Oppo Find X2 Pro isn’t just pretty, it’s gorgeous. Admittedly, any device you hand me with a sweet curved screen, a glossy black chassis, and a big ol’ bank of cameras at the back will be in my good books, But it all comes together in the Find X2 Pro, and it’s easily the rival of any A-List phone out there.

OPPO ed

It also feels good to use, This isn’t something a lot of people talk about with phones, but we’ve all gotten used to doing the exact same thing with a new device. Whether that’s good or bad is debatable, but the point is we want to be able to pick up a new phone, and make it do what the old one did, but better.

The Clone Phone feature continues to perform admirably; I transferred about 8GB of cat pictures from my everyday use phone to the Find X 2 Pro in about ten minutes, which is impressive considering how many hundreds of photos of my cats I have on that phone. I also brought over my settings and preferences, always a pain to set up.

But it’s not all sunshine and light I guess. Let’s get started with the fact that this is a slippery little thing. Even with the protruding camera bank and complimentary gel case, the phone slides all over the place. It’s also prone to flopping off couches, sliding off armchairs, falling down the side of car seats, and wiggling out of hoody pockets.

Is this my fault? Almost definitely. But it’s still worth knowing, because you know you’re at least half as clumsy as I am.

Not just my OPPOinion

You might think these are just the ramblings of a shill, or someone really, REALLY into Oppo. And, I mean, yeah, the second one is pretty accurate. I’ve never used an Oppo device I didn’t love, but this is something special. I’ve handed this device to half a dozen people who have all agreed that it’s pretty sleek. And, of course, our other Editor Blair has reviewed the Lite version here, and was also blown away by what fit in the package.

Wake me up before you OPPO

The battery, always the crown jewel of an Oppo, doesn’t seem to be as robust as previous phones. This is probably because of the increased processing power of the Find X2 Pro, which is considerably faster and snappier than any of the previous models.

This is mitigated by the insanely fast charging. Like, seriously ludicrous. I plugged it in at 20%, went to make a cup of tea, and came back to 58%. You can actually rely on that 5-minute charge while brushing your teeth in the morning or whatever if you, like me, literally cannot survive without Spotify while outside.

Get to the OPPOint

But I’m having such a great time with the headings!

Are you OPPOsitive?

I’m OPPsolutely certain… Ah I lost it. Oh well.

Ultimately, I may not have found X, but I did find one of the best phones on the market. Do I know what that sentence means? No. But it sounds cool right?

Not as cool as the Find X 2 Pro, I bet.

The post Oppo Find X 2 Pro – Find A Great Device appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Oppo keeps bluring the lines between high end and mid-range phones with the A91 launching tomorrow.

With a 48MP quadcamera setup, 4025mAh battery, VOOC 3.0 flash charging and a high-end FHD + AMOLED screen, this seems like it shouldn’t be a mid-range phone.

But you know Oppo.

Pricing & availability – OPPO A91:

• RRP: $649
• Colours: Lightening Black and Blazing Blue 
• Stockists: The OPPO A91 will be available from retailers (online) across New Zealand, from 24 April onwards
• Promo bundle: Customers who purchase any OPPO A Series model between 1 May – 28 June will receive a free OPPO Bluetooth speaker valued at $69
• Note: Due to the nationwide lockdown restrictions and retail stores not able to open, all sales are online only until restrictions are lifted.

Smartphone maker OPPO has announced its latest smartphone, the A91, will be hitting online stores from tomorrow. OPPO’s famed A series devices are known for packing premium features into a smartphone at affordable prices and the A91 is no exception.

The A91 features a 48MP Ultra Wide Angle Macro quad camera set up, Anti-shake video and an impressive 4025mAh battery, all wrapped into a sleek 7.9mm, 172g lightweight device. The OPPO A91 hones in on the high-end features Kiwis want from their next smartphone, with advanced video and photo capabilities, paired with a high-end FHD + AMOLED screen display. Priced at $649, users can enjoy all the features of a premium smartphone without having to dig deep into their pockets.

“The A91 is OPPO’s latest premium but affordable device, giving Kiwis a quality smartphone packed full of the features they want and need,” said Morgan Halim, Managing Director OPPO New Zealand.

“Users can enjoy not only watching but also creating high-quality content, along with a long lasting battery and HD display. As always, the user is at the centre of everything we do and we’re proud to continue bringing Kiwis a range of premium devices packed with the latest innovation and features without the hefty price tag,” added Halim.

Say goodbye to shaky video and hello to picture perfect quality 

The A91 features a quad-camera setup, including a 48MP main camera, 8MP wide angle macro lens, mono lens and portrait mode. Using the 4 in 1 pixel combination technology, this delivers ultra-high resolution and light sensitivity, allowing users to capture the perfect shot no matter if it’s day or night. The Ultra Wide Angle Macro Lens can fit more into the frame than ever before, meaning users can capture incredible detail with the press of a button. 

AI beautification technology makes its A Series debut on the A91 and is supported on both the 16MP front camera and rear quad-cam set-up. The camera also applies customised beautification effects based on 137 facial data points, providing a personalised beautification effect for up to four people in group photos. 

In addition to the lenses, the A91 is equipped with Anti-shake Video performance, thanks to Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and internal gyroscope hardware. Videos shot on the A91 under shaky conditions appear clearer, sharper and more stable, making the device perfect for those who like to shoot on the go.

A brand new display and screen size to match 

The OPPO A91 is the first in OPPO’s A Series to feature an AMOLED screen, providing users with a truly immersive experience. With a screen to body ratio of 90.7 per cent, users can enjoy a resolution of 2400 x 1080. All of this is packed into a thin and lightweight device that is just 7.9mm thick and weighs 172g, fitting perfectly in the palm of your hand. 
Such a high-quality display setup needs the best protection and the A91 features Gorilla Glass 5 to protect itself from those inevitable drops. 

All systems go 

All systems on the A91 are a go, with HyperBoost 2.0 Plus and GameBoost 2.0. HyperBoost 2.0 gives improved app opening speeds and minimises battery drain, while GameBoost 2.0 improves frame stability by 35.8 per cent and touch control performance by 35.2 per cent. 
Touch Boost is an added feature to accelerate touch response rate for a smoother user experience and Frame Boost is added to prevent screen freeze and offer a smoother, more responsive gaming experience. 

More power in the palm of your hand 

The OPPO A91 features a massive 4025mAh battery, giving users charge all day long. The device comes with OPPO’s VOOC 3.0 flash charging, going from 0 to 10 per cent charge in five minutes and to 35 per cent in 20 minutes. 

Smarter sensors know you better than ever before 

In addition to its face ID, the OPPO A91 features light-sensing In-Display Fingerprint 3.0, unlocking the phone in just 0.32 seconds. Using optical fingerprint G3 solution, a new unlocking design with fill-in light and the latest anti-fake hardware technology, the OPPO A91 makes sure your phone is more secure than ever. 

The post Oppo A91 is launching tomorrow for $649 appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

You know, some supposedly wise people may have said that only fools rush in. Well, I can’t help falling in love with the Oppo Reno 10X Zoom, and I don’t care who knows it.

This, my friends, is the phone you’ve been waiting for.

First off – what’s an Oppo?

There’s a lot to get used to when you make the switch to an Oppo. First, the bottom buttons are inverted by default, which will led to mishaps aplenty until you get around to changing it. The main issue? People asking what your phone is. Despite making seriously good phones, they don’t have the widespread appeal of other brands.And I can’t understand why.

I’ve been a fan of Oppo since I first laid hands on the R15 Pro. The AX5 blew me away with its affordability, as did the AX5s. The AX7 stayed on form, and hell, I use an R17 Pro as my everyday device, and have done for months. These are great phones, with phenomenal versatility, and a model for every person or occasion. You can enjoy them with the family, at the beach, or on the boat; wherever good times are had. 

None of them compare to the Reno.

How does it look?

The Reno comes in a variety of delightful colours across the visible spectrum… Well, two colours. You can go for the classic, timeless Black, or a slightly more ostentatious Aqua. Either way, they look gorgeous.

The long vertical camera strip is also very tasteful, and adds a nice feature to an increasingly homogenised marketplace. Seriously, if you put five top range smartphones on a table in front of you, would you be able to tell the difference anymore?

The display is excellent, with colours coming through vivid and bright on the 6.6 inch screen, with the option of a more muted mode if you prefer some more subtlety in your smartphone display. Most of the bells and whistles are there to customise the display, meaning you can really make the Reno your own.

Doing away with bezels, the Reno also has a hidden surprise; there’s no camera on the front. What the hell, I hear you ask. How are we supposed to take selfies with our friends, families, and random cats we meet on the street at 1am Well, first off, I shouldn’t be able to hear you, please get out of my home. Second, and more importantly, the camera is hidden in a motorised fin that pops up when you activate the portrait mode. Now, I’m not sure how many of you hate the idea of your phone’s camera staring at you the whole time, but if that’s a bother for you, this is for you.

It’s also cool as all hell.

What about the camera?

The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom features a 48MP camera at the rear, and 16MP on the front. They are some big numbers. Below are a couple of photos I’ve taken on a the Reno… Mostly of a cat and myself, granted, but you’ll get the point.

Need I say more? It’s incredible.

Not only is this cat the best boy, but that little fin that the front facing camera pops up in is fantastic. It’s like a tiny camera shark. Did I sing the Jaws theme to myself while taking selfies and watching the fin go up and down? Yes. Yes I did. And I challenge you not to do the same, because it was very entertaining. Plus, as mentioned, the selfies turned out great. 

I’m a little bit in love with myself now, to be honest.

Now, I’ve talked about beauty modes on cameras before. Most notably, I’ve talked about how they try to smooth my beard out and make me look like one of those high end ‘adult entertainment’ dolls. So naturally, you want to know about the Beauty mode, right? Well, it no longer makes me look like a ventriloquist dummy, so that’s definitely a plus. 

The Reno’s beauty mode has now taken me to the other end of the spectrum. Now I can’t look at myself in the mirror without a vague pang of disappointment. I’m so much prettier on the Oppo. SO pretty. Like Catfish pretty.

And the performance?

The Reno performs like a dream as well. 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will keep you busy for a while, and Color OS6 is so customisable and responsive as to make the whole experience effortless. Switching between apps is effortless, easily as smooth as the iPhone XR, but, you know, on Android. And even with Spotify and Pokemon Go actively running, with a few social sites and companion apps in the background, there was no slowdown. Like literally none.

Even I find it hard to believe, and I’m holding the thing right now.

OK, but what about the battery?

Battery is, while not as mind-blowing as the AX5 and AX5s, remarkable for a phone with so much going on. With 4065mAh, I tested this the only way I know how; watching Vine compilations and obsessively playing mobile games. But even after I put it through the paces with some Mini Metro, Plague Inc, a substantial run of Pokemon Go, and a couple of fairly long videos, it was still at 41% when I went to plug it in that night.

I’m not trying to imply that Oppo have discovered a safe and stable method of nuclear fusion and put it in the Oppo Reno 10X Zoom. No, that would be madness. I’m implying that they are literally wizards, because they’ve done things no one else seems to be able to.

C’mon man, there has to be SOMETHING.

Oppo haven’t always been top of the line, mind you. The main problems I’ve had with Oppo in the past have been around choppy Bluetooth, lack of NFC connectivity, and the archaic hanging-on to the micro-USB. 

The Reno? Yeah, it fixes all that. 

I managed to connect this phone to my headphones, the UE Boom and MegaBlast, my other headphones, my keyboard, my watch, my PokeBall Plus, my OTHER headphones; everything I threw at it, it was super OK with. Most of these things, by the way, I hooked up at the same time. And it didn’t have a problem crossing brands either, which some phones do and is a pain when it happens.

The USB-C is also great to see, and the charging speed is absolutely insane. An hour to 100%. Slightly less, really, but when I tested it I didn’t expect it to go that fast so I didn’t check it often. I’d try again, but I didn’t want to wait to drain the battery again, since I intended to write this before, ya know, August. 

Anything else?

Well hey, who likes NFC? Because it’s there now. That’s all there is to say on that, really, but damn am I pleased I can top my Snapper up on mobile again. No more awkward shrugs at the bus driver for me! Can you believe the iPhone doesn’t have an app for that? 

A fingerprint scanner built into the screen? I like your style Oppo. They’ve truly committed to the whole clean screen aesthetic; you wouldn’t even know the scanner was there unless you activate the constant display option. And if you don’t want to use your fingerprint, well our friend the camera shark is there to help out with fast, reliable face recognition.

Even the cover that comes bundled with the Reno has upped the game. No clear, fingerprint collecting plastic here; this is a nice, pseudo suede affair. It has that quality, solid, almost leathery feel that you used to get with some older phone covers, and I’m extremely into it. It feels and looks great, and really makes you feel secure. Plus it’s got a racing stripe down the middle; makes it go faster.

So you’re saying this is the best phone you’ve ever used?

You’re damn spiffy I am.

I’ve been racking my brain trying to find flaw with the Oppo Reno, and it simply doesn’t have them. Display and camera, performance and battery, even the accessories that come bundled with it, all are top notch. And the Reno doesn’t even HAVE a notch!

Look, I’m raving about this phone, I know. It’s almost unreasonable. But if I’m honest? There aren’t a lot of times that a reviewer gets to wholeheartedly praise something, so I guess this is my one. Hell, I wrote this whole review ON the Reno, so I must like it.

The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom is worth 10X the price, as far as I’m concerned. Oppo have done something truly special here, and I wholeheartedly recommend this phone. 

The post Oppo Reno 10X Zoom Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

10x Hybrid Zoom, Pivot-Rising Camera and Flagship Performance

OPPO New Zealand have unveiled the launch of its new premium smartphone series – the OPPO Reno Series – and has introduced two new devices, the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom and the OPPO Reno Z. 

This series unleashes the full creative potential of users, bringing a unique, immersive smartphone experience that is accessible to consumers across all price points.

The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom, which is available to purchase from 28th June, is the result of extensive research and development and embodies OPPO’s vision to push thehe boundaries of what is possible in a smartphone.

The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, which effortlessly satisfies users need for speed. With up to 8GM RAM and 256 GB internal storage, users can stream, game and chat with smooth and efficient results. It not only integrates a 4th generation AI engine but also demonstrates a giant leap in processing power – increasing  performance by 45 per cent. 

The OPPO Reno Series has also optimized performance factors specifically for gaming, such as latency, touch control and refresh rate. The result is a visibly faster response time for players.

OPPO Reno Z

In addition to the Reno 10x Zoom, OPPO has introduced the Reno Z, which provides just as many impressive features for price-savvy consumers. Features include 48 MP + 5MP dual rear camera and Ultra Night Mode 2.0, creating photos with details that exceed that of the human eye. This device also has outstanding memory, powerful processor, hidden fingerprint sensor and ultra-fast charging technology VOOC 3.0. 

Pricing & Availability

OPPO Reno 10x Zoom

• RRP: $1,299 NZD
• On sale: 28 June 2019
• Stockist: Noel Leeming, JB Hi-fi, 2degrees, Smiths City and PB Tech

OPPO Reno Z

• RRP: $699 NZD
• Onsale:  12 July 2019
• Stockist: Noel Leeming, JB Hi-fi, 2degrees, Smiths City and PB Tech

The post OPPO New Zealand paves the way with the OPPO Reno Series appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Huawei has announced the release of the EMUI 9.0 update to Huawei smartphone users in New Zealand following the launch of its latest flagship smartphone chipset Kirin 980. Based on Android Pie that was introduced earlier this year, the new OS update will introduce a customised next generation user experience.

“We are excited to launch this new update in New Zealand, as one of the leading smartphone manufacturers in the global market, Huawei’s latest EMUI 9.0 update contains the newest features to make the user experience on the Mate 10 and P20 Series even better than before.” says General Manager of CBG Huawei New Zealand, Gavin Cheng.

The enhanced UX and high-speed performance of EMUI 9.0 enable an unmatched OS for Huawei phones that are intuitive and simple. EMUI 9.0 is now available on Huawei P20 Pro, Huawei P20, Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Huawei Mate 10. The beta version will be available on Huawei Nova 3i, Huawei P10 Plus and Huawei P10  users who register to join using the HiCare application.

The EMUI 9.0 achieved another milestone with a wide range of incredible features. With a concept to ‘enable a quality life’, this unique user interface (UI) system is improves the usability and experience through the numerous breakthroughs, including the following highlights:

Enhanced and Intuitive User Experience

• Seamless gesture navigation – To streamline and optimise the smartphone experience, Huawei has introduced a new and improved gesture-based navigation system for an even more intuitive navigation experience. The gesture-based navigation gives users the ability to swipe either left or right for a seamless ambidextrous experience. Additionally, Huawei has redesigned apps such as the world clock and photos to implement advanced single-handed control features, allowing users to easily control apps from the top to the bottom of the screen without overextending their thumb.

• Less is more – The EMUI 9.0 update reduces the number of setting items by 10 per cent, taking it from 940 to 843. This makes it easier for users to enable all location services with one touch, instead of enabling GPS, WLAN, and mobile location services separately, streamlining the process and saving time. Reducing the number of items has ultimately led to a more superior user experience.

• Natural and immersive – EMUI 9.0 brings nature into the home of Huawei users by incorporating nature-inspired sounds. All new alarm ring tones include natural ambient sounds ranging from the sound of water flowing to birds chirping. EMUI 9.0 leverages the Smart Colour Picker to improve the contrast and vibrancy of the UI as well as the readability of text, creating an immersive and natural experience. The new system focuses on a faster and smoother animation, minimising the possibilities of lagging between the usage of different apps and functions.

• Digital Wellbeing – The update includes features that are designed to improve quality of life when it comes to smartphone usage. Colors & Eye Comfort offers options for a paper-like viewing, a customized viewing, or an Eye Comfort viewing for more comfortable reading at night. The update also comes with a variety of settings to achieve true digital balance with the ability to access a comprehensive break down of their screen time, as well as how often users unlock their devices. Users also have the ability to set boundaries with the option to restrict screen or app time without limiting the device from performing essential tasks such as Messaging and Dialer.

High-speed Performance

Speed is everything to Huawei and that is reflected in the EMUI 9.0 update. Not only is Huawei one of the first handset makers to launch a custom OS based on Android Pie, but the new system also boasts a smoother performance with 12.9 per cent improvement from its predecessor.

The app launching time has also shortened by a noticeable amount. It can launch popular apps such as Instagram 12 per cent faster and Spotify 11 per cent faster as well.

One of the heavyweight features of EMUI 9.0 will be its GPU Turbo 2.0 technology, the second generation of Huawei’s innovative graphics processing acceleration technology. GPU Turbo 2.0 can enhance touch controls in games and works in tandem with the App Assistant feature to deliver a smooth, premium mobile gaming experience. These features all allow for a more efficient user experience while operating the phone.

EMUI 9.0 is now available on Huawei P20 Pro, Huawei P20, Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Huawei Mate 10. People with Huawei Nova 3i, Huawei P10 Plus and Huawei P10 will be able to register for the EMUI 9.0 update by the end of March.  

Updating to EMUI 9.0 can be easily done by following the below steps:

1.  Find the Huawei HiCare application
2.  Check the “update” in QUICK SERVICES.
3. Register to join EMUI 9.0

The post EMUI 9.0 Comes to Huawei Mate 10 and P20 Series appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Huawei phones. Nor is it a secret that I’m a fan of the Mate range. The Mate flagships from Huawei have always fallen into that “phablet” end of the smartphone market but over the past couple of years a fantastic design shift has occurred in the smartphone market.

No longer does a phone over 6 inched look “phablet-ey”, with reduced bezels these once over-sized giants now look less obtrusive. The Mate 20 is a perfect example of this design shift. The beastly 6.53 inch screen would have required a bezel the size of an iPad mini. In this day and age though, that screen is basically the entire size of the phone, making it a reasonablylcomfortable phone to hold that is packed with a massive array of Huawei wizardry inside.

Let’s get the core geek stuff out of the way shall we. Prepare yourselves for a geek-gasm. Yes the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is more higher specced but the Mate 20 is in no way lacking. Make no mistake about it, the Mate 20 is a beast in its own right.

The phone itself is 158.2mm high, 77.2mm wide and just 8.3mm deep. That translates into a gorgeous 6.53 inch screen that basically no bezel that features the teardrop style notch for the selfie cam. The screen isn’t OLED, rather it’s an FHD+ 2,244 x 1080 resolution screen that pumps out 381PPI and 16.7 million colours. OK so on paper that doesn’t jump off the page, smack you in the face and scream look at me but Huawei knows how to get the most bang for buck and in reality this screen is absolutely gorgeous. Colours leap off the screen with rich vibrance and a level of polish that makes the Retina screen on an iPhone look positively ordinary (iPhone XS excluded from that comment).

If you could look behind that screen you’d discover Huawei’s latest Kirin 980 processor that boasts 2 x Cortex-A76 Based 2.6 GHz + 2 x Cortex-A76 Based 1.92 GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 1.8 GHz, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, all running on Android 9 with EMUI 9. What does all that tech speak actually mean? Well it equates to a phone that is blisteringly fast and powerful enough to deliver the most advanced behind the scenes AI that has come to flagship phones. Again, the Mate 20 Pro does better than that but honestly the Mate 20 more than holds its own and for less money it is no ugly sibling to its big brother.

In actual fact when I look at the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro side by side I actually prefer the design of the Mate 20. It is more true to the Mate design philosophy. The Mate 20 Pro has that strange elongated look to it that never looks quite right to me. The Mate 20 on the other hand has width that matches its height, making it look better proportioned. The Mate 20 also features the rear fingerprint scanner that opens the phone with the slightest of touches so you don’t need to find the right spot with the screen fingerprint scanner the Mate 20 Pro has.

If you don’t want to unlock via finegrprint then the Mate 20, with it’s AI capabilities has facial recognition that can recognise you even if you’ve got or are growing a beard. It will unlock instantly and it’s my preferred method of security.

As mentioned before, Mate 20 runs on Android 9 with Huawei’s proprietary EMUI 9 on it. This is significant EMUI update ladies and gents. It is more refined and reduces the amount of menus you need to get to when navigating through settings. It is still true to EMUI of old and retains it’s uniqueness that polarizes people but I’m a big fan of EMUI. It is easy to navigate, crazy fast and more importantly it is one of the most intuitive operating systems on the Android platform. And one of my favourite features?

Digital Balance. This is Huawei’s screen time management tool and it is fantastic. Digital balance provides much needed transparency on how much you use your phone during the day and what apps your spending most of that time on. You can even set limits on how much time you can spend on your phone and when that time is reached most apps will be locked. You can of course give yourself more time if you’re still instagramming or facebooking into the wee small hours of the morning. It’s a wonderful feature that is also great for kids. Which brings me to me next point…

Parents, this one is for you. How many times have you had your children take your phone to watch YouTube, or play games only to find your phone is now full of crap apps that your kids have downloaded? Well now with the Mate 20 you’ll get your phone back! You can set up multiple accounts on the phone that can be accessed via the fingerprint scanner. Put your finger on the scanner and the phone will log that person directly into their very own account on the phone. They will only see apps that they have put on their account and things like YouTube will log in to that users YouTube. That’s right folks, Mate 20 is the one phone to rule them all and in the process stopping arguments about what crap has clogged your home screens.

So all that is great but how does it perform? Bloody well is my answer! This thing is FAST and it lasts a very long time (if only I could perform like this phone). Gone are the days of getting lag when opening apps, you almost just need to think about opening an app and up it pops. Multitasking is and going between apps is a dream. Playing games doesn’t suffer from any lag at all and video playback is gorgeous on this screen. The thing I love about bigger, bezelless phones is the way consuming video content draws you right in. The Mate 20 is brilliant for consuming content on the go.

Navigation wise, you’ve got a few options. Including having soft keys appear at the bottom. A floating navigation option or my preferred option, gesture based navigation. Swipe up to go home, swipe left or right to go back or swipe up and hold to see what apps are open.

Oh and I guess I better mention the camera. The Mate 20 features 3, yes 3 cameras. a 12MP wide angle lens with f/1.8 aperture, a 16MP ultra wide angle camera with f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture. All that equates to an absolutely stellar camera that takes the best photos I’ve ever seen on a smartphone. The level of detail and colour recreation is fantastic and Night Mode is second to none (well maybe not true, I haven’t used the Mate 20 Pro but I think that might beat it). I mean seriously, these lenses “create” light at night out of nowhere, have a look at these two shots taken seconds apart with no flash.

Where the hell does it gets the light from?! This level of wizardry is a testament to the engineers over at Huawei. Guys I take my hat off to you, you guys are obviously from another planet.

Look I read reviews too and it would appear that the Mate 20 Pro is the best phone Huawei has ever made. Well I’ve never used the Mate 20 Pro and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. All I can say is that the Mate 20 is THE BEST phone I’ve ever used. The 4,000mAh battery will get you nearly two full days even under heavy use and the phone is just a dream to use. Everything about the Mate 20 screams premium and it does so at a cheaper price than the Mate 20 Pro. If you want a market leading phone without the market leading price then look no further than the Mate 20.

The post Huawei Mate 20 Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Phones are tricky. Most smartphones today are so similar to each other that it’s really the tiniest differences that put one over another. Well, that and the price.

I’m a big fan of Huawei, with the P20 Pro being my work phone for the last few months. So I was very interested to get my grubby mitts on the Nova 3, one of the mid-range phones on the market from Huawei.

Usually I’d put my own in a drawer for a while during review periods, but as it turns out, my P20 Pro wouldn’t pair with the new Pokeball Plus accessory, and I really needed to try that out too. So I became that guy, walking around town with two phones and a Pokeball, catching two Pidgey with one ball.

… You think of a better segue, I dare you.

The Huawei Nova 3 is a gorgeous phone. That Iris Purple rainbow effect on the back is breathtaking, even if my greasy paws made a mess of it straight away. The fingerprint reader is on the back, which was a bit of a surprise after so long with the P20 Pro, but was fast and knew me straight away. Plus, it’s also quite sleek, a little indent letting me know where to poke. Weirdly, it’s slightly taller than my P20, but that wasn’t an issue.

The quad camera design is surprisingly unobtrusive, and instantly screams Huawei when you see it (no, not literally). The more rounded edges are also a sign of the modernisation of the range, although you’ll be popping it in a case straight away to protect that finish.

The camera is pretty good too. Front facing we have dual 24MP and 2MP cameras for selfie goodness, bringing up the rear are the 16MP and 24MP dual camera modules. Facial recognition found me quickly and easily, and not just because I’m devastatingly handsome (I have Beauty mode to thank for that); it was just really good, even with glasses on or off. It also found my pets beautiful, and modified the AI settings to detect whether I was photographing a cat or a dog, although it didn’t like my rats. The quality is pretty great for a higher-end-of-mid-range device, with both sets of dual cameras giving crisp, slightly oddly coloured photos of my beautiful pets and also of me.

Don’t judge me.

I love that it still has a 3.5mm headphone jack because, even though I use Bluetooth headphones all the time, I like having the familiar option of just sticking a cable in without having to use an adapter. Plus it still charges with USB-C, so it’s the best of both worlds.

This is a phone with some oomph. You’ve got Huawei’s very own EMUI 8.2 OS, which definitely looks great. As systems go, I prefer it to Oppo or Samsung, but not so much as Sony; old habits die hard, I guess.

I put this phone through the wringer with Pokemon Go; it was always on standby while commuting and in work, with the Pokeball Plus doing its job on its own so I could do mine. It never overheated, even when actually opening the screen to play, and I’d finish my day with about 30% to spare. I mean yeah, it’s a 3750mAh battery, so it’s pretty great, but the power saving on this thing was amazing, with a ton of options to optimise your usage.

It also never slowed down, even when Spotify, Mail, Twitter, and PoGo open at once and flitting through them. If a phone can keep up with my fragmented thought patterns, it’s a definite thumbs up.

There are downsides to every device, and the Nova 3 has some too. The Huawei OS is still a bit of an issue around things like centering clocks and changing wallpaper galleries, but these are small problems. The biggest one for me? Good God this thing is slippery. Like seriously, put it down at a slight angle  and it’d be halfway to Sydney by the time you noticed. Huawei may want to expand into the transport space with this tech, because it moves like no device I’ve ever seen.

I kid. Honestly this actually made me like the phone more, because it kept me extremely entertained. Although I must admit, Huawei usually provide a clear case with their phones and this review unit didn’t have one. The clear case would no doubt take the slippery issue away.

The Huawei Nova 3 is a good phone. It’s the higher end of mid-range with a $699 price range but it gives good bang for your buck. If a premium handset is out of your price range then you could do a lot worse than the Huawei Nova 3, which packs in plenty of tech and runs like a champ and a less than premium price.

The post Huawei Nova 3 Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

OPPO is one of the world’s leading smartphone brands… apparently. I had never heard of it, largely because I’ve been civil-partnered with Sony devices for the better part of the last decade.

I love the R15 Pro. It’s just not my One True Phone.

So, the good stuff. You want a decent battery life. The R15 won’t run any marathons, but doesn’t haemorrhage power like some other phones on the market. I work in communications and PR, so my phone is almost permanently doing things, and I was comfortably getting through the day with about 5-15% battery by the time I went to charge before bed. Also, the charge is insanely fast, getting me up to 50-80% reliably within about 45 minutes of plugging it in; excellent for sneaking a charge over the workday.

The camera is so good it’s not even funny. Aside from taking an almost unreasonable number of pet pics, some of which are below, I also started taking selfies just to play with the ‘Beauty’ filter. This wonderfully bizarre feature makes you look like ‘You on a Good Day’ at setting 1, all the way up to what my girlfriend described as ‘Aryan Real-Doll’ at level 6. As a 29-year-old man who occasionally breaks out in the skin of a 15-year-old, and which I admit I am quite self-conscious about, this genuinely did boost my confidence around selfies.

I’m legitimately afraid to do these full size, but look at these cuties and my beautiful skin and tell me it’s not a damn fine camera:

Video playback lets the side down a bit, as the bezel-free design makes the notch at the top of the screen excruciatingly irritating; it’s basically a black chunk missing from your entertainment. That in itself can be the drawback of the notch design for people like me, for all the practicalities of having a spot to pop notification icons and such, the notch still finds itself creating the black void with video content. The screen is excellent, other than that, although it was a bit overzealous on the whole adaptive lighting thing, requiring extra steps to use the phone while that was active; I stopped bothering, instead choosing to dazzle myself in the dark.

A weird one for me, but also important, is that it never got hot. Like, never. I was running Spotify and Twitter and the camera all at once for ten minutes at a time, and the R15 Pro never even got warm. That, as someone who has almost burned his beard off from a phone call, is a big deal.

The gesture features are fantastic; drawing a circle on the screen to open the camera, or a V to turn on the flashlight from a slept screen, is inspired. No more blindly groping in the dark for me; now I can grope with full visibility.

… OK, that was a bad example.

The R15 Pro themes are something that will appeal to any iPhone users who want to switch to Android, or Android users who miss the feel of an iPhone. The level of customisation is staggering, and the whole experience with some themes has a distinctly iPhone feel to it, which took me by surprise. To be honest, it took me a few tries before I found something I actually liked instead of just tolerated, but nonetheless there’s definitely a market for this kind of smartphone experience.

Aside from anything else, the thing is god damn beautiful. The handset I was sent has a gorgeous Ruby Red gradient on the back, and I’ve seen the Cosmic Purple look just as impressive. The clear gel case that came with it lets you show it off without risk of damage, although without a screen protector you’re just tempting fate.

My only real issue with the R15 Pro was, oddly, the Bluetooth. I tried it with my SONY WH-1000XM2s, my TREKZ Titanium, my Pebble 2, and the Boom 3, and all of them had the same issue of dropping connection unless the phone was completely static and within 6 inches of the output. It is entirely possible that my review unit had a factory fault, of course, and the supplied earbuds are among the best I’ve ever had come with a phone. But if you (like me) rely heavily on Bluetooth for your smartphone functionality, you’re not going to have a good time. This is especially odd, as the other connectivity was great, with the NFC helping me with everything from Snapper to… well, Snapper is the only NFC I use. But damned if it wasn’t reliable!

Even so, this is a phone that I used for a couple of weeks, and would be happy to use for a couple of years, even with the sheer size of the thing. I know I’m an oddity when it comes to this, but I’m really not a fan of the ‘phablet’ scenario, and a 6.28 inch screen is about 1.28 more inches than I need (insert as many jokes as you like in here). However, you simply cannot beat the price here, and the quality you get for the money can’t be beaten.

If you like absurdly large devices that have clearly stopped pretending to be phones, the OPPO R15 Pro delivers a customisable, satisfying experience, and one I can easily recommend. Sure, it’s a little more money than you’d expect from an OPPO (around $899), but way less than a similarly performing iPhone.

—

Review’s over but, if you’re one of those people that obsesses over tech specs (yeah, I see you), here’s some overload on the details:

Specifications
Specifications OPPO R15 OPPO R15 Pro

Dimensions

156.5mm*75.2mm*8.0mm
180g

Screen

6.28 inch 2280×1080, 401ppi, OLED,
60000:1
Screen body ratio:89%

Camera

CMOS, IMX519
Front: 20MP, f/2.0
Rear: 16MP+ 20MP, f/1.75+f/1.75
AI Recognition, AI Beautification, AR
stickers, Sensor-HDR, PDAF

Core Hardware

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
CPU: 2.2GHz, Octa-core, 64bit
GPU: Adreno 512
RAM: 6GB
ROM: 128GB
Expandable Storage:256GB
BAT: 3430mAh (type-value)

Networks

(depending on markets)
4G+/4G: TD-LTE, LTE FDD;
3G: WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, CDMA2000;
2G: CDMA

Connection

WLAN 2.4G / WLAN 5.1G / WLAN
5.8G / WLAN Display
Bluetooth 5.0
NFC

Colour

Cosmic Purple, Ruby Red
(3D glass)

Operating System

ColorOS 5.0 (Android 8.1)

Others

Fingerprint Reader: Back;
Fast Charge: VOOC Flash Charge;
Micro USB, OTG; 3.5mm, Dual Mic Noise-reduction;
Sensors: Magnetic sensor, Light sensor, Distance sensor, Gyroscope,
Gravity, E-Compass;

The post Oppo R15 Pro Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

You may have seen them over the past week in store but Global camera phone brand OPPO has now officially launched into the New Zealand market bringing its F1s, A39 and R9s smartphones to New Zealanders for the first time.

Internationally, OPPO has a reputation for delivering high-quality and exquisite design, including mobile phones and accessories, Blu-ray players and personal audio products. It is currently the world’s fourth largest smartphone brand by market share and continues to experience dramatic growth as it expands into new markets.

“We’re excited to be launching our smartphones in New Zealand. We think that New Zealanders are going to appreciate how our phones stand up to the rigors of life in Aotearoa,” said Kuan Li, Head of Marketing, OPPO New Zealand. “We launched in Australia in 2014 and within two years we were in the top tier of smartphone brands in the nation. OPPO’s innovations such as state-of-art mobile photography, VOOC Flash Charge technology and impressive design are winning over global customers. We’re confident more and more New Zealanders will realise that you can get a premium phone at a reasonable price.”

OPPO is partnering with telco 2degrees at launch, as well as entering a retail partnership with JB Hi-Fi.

“We’re really looking forward to offering OPPO in New Zealand for the first time and I think people are really going to love the range,” said Roy Ong, Chief Marketing Officer, 2degrees Mobile.

“OPPO makes high quality, high value mobiles that can be enjoyed without having to drop $1000 which I think is definitely going to attract attention – the R9s especially. Like 2degrees, OPPO is about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible so it’s great to be working with another challenger brand,” said Roy.

The full range of OPPO mobile phones will be available from today in 2degrees Mobile Stores as well as JB Hi-Fi stores.

Kuan added: “The three mobile devices we’re launching with were chosen because they fit the Kiwi lifestyle. The R9s brings premium design and performance without the price tag, the F1s is made for selfies and night shots, and the A39’s battery life is perfect for New Zealanders whether they’re living in the suburbs of Auckland or in rural Otago.”

OPPO R9s – Read our Review

The R9s, delivers greater camera features and improved technologies to provide consumers with an exceptional all-around photography experience. Its stylish design also boasts 16MP front and rear facing cameras, and OPPO’s industry leading VOOC Flash Charge technology.

Key features:

• 16MP front and rear camera
• 4GB RAM and 64GB built-in storage
• 5.5inch FHD screen
• VOOC Flash Charge, 0-75% in 30 mins
• 0.2s flash touch access

 NZ RRP $699

OPPO F1s

The OPPO F1s comes with a 16MP front camera and 13MP rear camera, and beautification features to help take perfect selfies. The F1s also features a 3075 mAh battery that gives consumers over a full day’s use. It features 3GB RAM, 32GB storage and ColorOS 3.0, delivering a fast and elegant user experience along with plenty of storage space for photos.

Key features:

• 16MP front camera
• 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage
• Fingerprint security
• Full metal body
• 5.5 inch HD screen

NZ RRP $449

OPPO A39

The OPPO A39 features a 5.2-inch 720P HD IPS 2.5D curved glass display making it easy on the eyes. It is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core processor, paired with 3GB of RAM for seamless multitasking. The OPPO A39 sports a 13MP primary camera with LED flash, F2.2, and a 5MP front-facing camera with F2.4 for selfies and video chats. It comes with 32GB of internal storage, which can be expanded to 256GB via microSD card.

Key features:

• 13MP rear camera
• 5.2inch HD screen
• 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage

 NZ RRP $349

The post OPPO Smartphones Officially Launch in New Zealand appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Strap yourselves in New Zealand, we are about to get a new player in the smartphone market by the name of OPPO. Who’s OPPO I hear you say? That is the exact same question I was asking not all that long ago. Well here is the surprising part, OPPO is a Chinese Electornics business that cut its teeth making Blu-Ray Players (in fact they still make them and are the number 1 Blu-Ray Player brand in the US). After a successful rise to the top on the Blu-Ray front, OPPO turned it’s attention to making smartphones and (now for the surprising part) is actually the fourth biggest selling smartphone brand in the World. That’s right, a smartphone maker that you have possibly never heard of in New Zealand is waaaaay up there in the smartphone market thanks to its exceptionally strong presence in Asia. That presence is expanding with OPPO now in Australia and VERY close to launching in the New Zealand. They are going all in to capture the New Zealand market with their premium handset, the OPPO R9s set to be the first cab off the rank. I’ve been lucky enough to have the R9s for the past week now ahead of launch and I can tell you that if this is the standard OPPO plan on continuing then expect to see this and future OPPO phones in a lot of Kiwi hands over the coming months.

The first thing that is noticeable (and I’m sure you’ll pick it up in the pictures) is the design. The R9s looks a lot like a certain phone that starts with a lower case i. Sure the design may not be 100% original but let’s face it most phones looks pretty similar these days. As you’d expect it’s a stunning design, I had the Black version of the R9s but it also comes in a White front/Gold back variant. It’ll be to individual taste but personally I prefer the all black design. The phone is incredibly light in he hand coming in at just 147g and is nice and thin with a thickness of 6.58mm. To go with that the phone is 153mm in length and 74.3mm wide sporting an 5.5 inch screen. That is a lot of screen for for the dimensions which means that the screen goes almost to the edge and doesn’t end up feeling bulky in the hand unlike some other brands that end up feeling unwieldy to hold. On a side note it is sturdy in the hand definitely no “bend-gate” going on here. On the design front the R9s is a comfortable fit in the hand and feels like a premium device which is exactly what you want a flagship phone to feel like.

Complementing the premium design are tech specs that you’d also expect from a flagship. Sitting behind that attractive package is a Qualcomm Octocore Processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB internal storage with support for expandable memory up to 256GB (yuussss). To go with that we have a 16MP rear facing and 16MP front facing camera, that’s right folks both cameras are 16MP so you’re getting a lot of megapixel for your hard earned coin plus it supports 4K video as well. Screen wise the R9s is has a 5.5 inch FUll HD Screen which looks gorgeous which isn’t surprising when there are 16 million colours to brighten up the screen every time you turn the screen on. I’ve saved the battery for last because, quite frankly it has the best technology seen on the market backing it up. On the surface the battery is a non-removable 3,010 mAh that is very efficient, I use my phone fairly heavily and easily get through a days use on the R9s, light users should get 2 days out of it. Should you run short on juice though that’s where this thing really impresses. OPPO have their own charging technology called VOOC, what this means is you have the fastest charger in the world coming with the R9s, plug this bad boy in and around 45 minutes later you’re fully juiced up! That’s right folks in less than 1 hour you are fully stocked and raring to go. Whilst this is a Micro-USB charger the phone can only be charged with the VOOC charger so if you forget your charger when you are going away from home for a period of time you will be in trouble. There is also crazy fast fingerprint scanner on board too that will unlock the phone as soon as you touch it. This also double as the home button. You can load up to 5 fingerprints to the unlock profile and as a novelty assign your fingerprints different unlock functions. What do I mean by that? When let’s say your fvaourite apps are Chrome, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram but you’ve grown tired of unlocking your phone then navigating to the app. Now you can assign each app to individual fingerprints and on the unlock you’ll go straight into that app. It’s one of those things that sounds great but in reality isn’t much more than a novelty. Why? Because where the scanner is it is most comfortable to use one of your thumbs to unlock the phone rather than contort your fingers to make use of a fingerprint shortcut. Just put your favourite apps on your first home screen and tap it once you unlock it’d take about the same amount of time as trying to remember which fingerprint does what and then get your hand in the right place to do that unlock, besides I’ll tell you of a better shortcut soon….

OK so I teased the camera in that last paragraph now I should expand on that a bit. The rear shutter is an IMX398 sensor by Sony that they designed exclusively for OPPO. The sensor has an extra-wide F1.7 aperture which is made to ensure quick focusing, less noise and better low-light performance. The rear camera has dual PDAF technology, without going into too much tech babble what this means is that you’ll get faster focusing even when you’re in a low light setting. Real world performance in optimal light is excellent, the images are crisp and bring your photo to life. Focusing is super quick and if you do need to re-focus a quick tap on the screen at the area you want to focus on will have your subject matter crystal clear before your finger has left the screen. Low-light performance is good, but like most phones still captures some noise and highlights that no matter how good phones are getting, using them for low-light pictures remains an elusive mystery. The front facing camera isn’t quite as good as the rear facing camera but is still a quality shutter. Selfie fiends will be able to snap themselves in all their glory and also make use of beauty mode to remove those blemishes on the fly and make sure you are the envy of your friends when uploading the images to the interwebs. The camera interface is ridiculously familiar. If you’ve ever used an iPhone then you’ll know the interface like the back of your hand, simply to use and intuitive.

That’s actually a good lead in to my next talking point. The OS, OPPO uses Android but with their custom ColorOS over the top. The result is the most Apple centric Android OS I have come across. Huawei’s EMUI was previously the closest to iOS but ColorOS is the new king. I don’t mean that in a bad way at all, iOS has long been the most user friendly, intuitive and snappy OS on the market. I was a fan of EMUI for it’s take on Android and I’m a big fan of ColorOS. If you are making the switch from Apple to Android then ColorOS will be very familiar. There is no app draw, every app is laid out on home screens and can be put within folders that are on the screen. The benefit though is you get access to Android’s brilliant widgets to put on those screens too. Going between screens, navigating your apps and accessing settings and notifications is generally very fast but there is one drawback that rears its head sometimes… The R9s doesn’t have palm rejection on the touchscreen which means that because the screen is so close to the edge your palm will be in contact with the screen and you won’t even realise until you try and do something like pull down notifications are snap a pic and you don’t get a response. It’s not your phone playing up it’s that your palm is on the screen and the touchscreen doesn’t know what’s going on. OK that was a downside but there is an amazing feature added to the R9s that has amazed all that I’ve shown it too. That is, the ability to open certain apps while the screen is actually off and locked by drawing a pattern on that blank, black screen. Two main shortcuts are a “V” to bring up the flashlight and “O” to bring up the camera. Aside from those two you can also create some of your own, I have mine set to draw an “M” to open Facebook. It works better than the fingerprint scanner shortcuts because you don’t need to contort your hand to access it, just pick the phone up and use your other hand to draw the pattern and you’re into that app.

Now the all important question, Price. That my friends is something I can’t say too much about since I don’t actually know that price as OPPO haven’t announced that yet but what I do know is it is likely to blow your mind. All I have to go off is the price in Australia which is currently around $530-$550AUD. After taking into account exchange rate and our ridiculous import taxes my guess would be a price around $750NZD. Obviously don’t take that as gospel, it may be slightly less or it may be slightly more but anywhere around that price would be near unheard of for a premium device sporting the inner workings of the OPPO R9s. You’d normally see features and performance like this on a deviec that is more like $1,000-$1,300 NZD so look out, the NZ market is in for a real shape up. Kiwi’s are a fickle bunch though and often think that premium quality and performance is only available if you spend $1,000 plus. I can’t re-iterate this enough, the OPPO R9s is QUALITY with a Capital everything. Yes it has some minor shortfalls but none that over detract from what is an excellent first entry into the local market. When the OPP R9s is released in NZ shortly give it a look because the R9s is Premium in everything but price.

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